Friday, January 25, 2008

Randomness

I really must try to post more often. I started this blog because it's cheaper than a therapist, and it has been truly cathartic. I know others are bound to grow weary of my ranting and moaning, but it would have eaten me alive if I hadn't managed to get it out somewhere. The last three or so years have been the wildest roller coaster ride you could ever imagine: drug abuse, arrests, husband in rehab, living with in-laws, having both my husband and my daughter in college full-time, holding down two jobs, living with in-laws who now have custody of their daughter's son, and now....taking up the slack for a co-worker at my full-time job who had back surgery--in November!! (Not necessarily by choice, but I would like to have that position one day, so I didn't mind.)

The pressure was unreal. I didn't know I could operate under that much strain. This co-worker has duties that include providing packets to all 10 school board members containing information to be discussed at school board meetings, printing and publishing agendas for the school board meetings, attending those meetings to take down the minutes, and then transcribing the minutes for distribution and publication!

All while I did my regular job: attending discipline hearings to take minutes, typing notices after each hearing, sending parent notices via certified mail and making sure all administrators receive copies. Enter W-4 and L-4 tax deductions and direct deposit info in payroll system for new permanent employees. Process applications for new substitute employees. Maintain substitute teacher lists for all 13 parish schools. Conduct background checks on all new substitute and permanent employees. Update job vacancies on the school board website.

And then there are the special requests. One board member wanted a 10-year history of discipline hearings: How many hearings for each year, and a breakdown by reason codes.

"Sure," I said, when my supervisor came to ask if I could gather the information.

Like I said, I didn't know I could withstand that much pure pressure! (And I still have my other job, two hours every evening doing homework with 4-12 graders and monitoring the computer lab.) But, HOORAY, my co-worker comes back to work on Monday! She will start with 4 hours each day, and work up to a full day as her doctor allows.

HALLELUJAH! Praise God! (And I mean that quite sincerely--He has seen me through some really tough times of late. I know what that single set of footprints in the sand means.) And I want to say "Thank you" to all of the ladies in my office who did the small, but time-consuming things like open my mail, make phone calls for me, and help me make folders for all of the new employees.

Ciao!

Saturday, January 05, 2008

...And a Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone! We had a really pleasant visit with my dad and brother. We went with dad to Space Center Houston, he hadn't been in years and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. We had turkey & dressing one day, Dad cooked pancakes for me one morning, and I fixed traditional blackeye peas and cabbage for New Year's Day. Hubby and daughter came home a couple of days before New Year's Day, I came back a couple days after. So peaceful and relaxing!
I didn't realize how badly I needed the downtime.

Christmas was great, too! We had no drama.

Now, I am back at work...at both jobs. My primary job at the school board office has gotten really...um, interesting? (Yeah, that's a nice way to say it.) The superintendent's executive assistant (who is 73 years old) had major back surgery in November, and won't be back at work until February at the earliest. Her day-to-day duties (such as opening the superintendent's mail, entering time and attendance data in the computer system, and typing routine correspondence) have been distributed among the central office secretarial staff, but I have volunteered to put together packets to mail to all school board members before each school board meeting, notify the area newspapers of upcoming meetings, publish and post agendas for the meetings, attend all the board meetings to take and transcribe the minutes, and attend the school administrator meetings for the same purpose.

I must be quite mad.

My actual duties of entering new employees into the payroll system, processing background checks, maintaining lists of substitute staff for all 13 schools in the parish, and attending all discipline hearings to take minutes and mail certified notices after each one, are really not getting done in a timely manner. But, both of my supervisor's are aware of my workload, which helps. But, I feel that by demonstrating my willingness and ability to perform the duties of the executive assistant, I will be giving myself an edge when she actually does retire. And she's 73! She is certainly entitled to retire any time now!

Stress? Oh, yeah, baby. You better believe it. I've come to realize that I actually THRIVE on it
Maybe my hubby's right...I'm definitely a Type-A personality.

Catch you later....