Quick Catch Up

Things have been pretty crazy around here lately.

Mostly at work.

We had a huge organizational announcement a couple of weeks ago, that has me busting my tail every day for probably the next month or so.

Basically the division I belong to is dissolving, but they're starting a new division, which will consist of the members of my division, plus the members of several groups of another division within the company.

We're more than doubling in size, the entire thing is a huge re-org, and... my job is to facilitate all of the administrative functions to get the new division up & running.

Everything from the complicated:
    - shared drive (merging the electronic files of all parties into a new drive without screwing things up too badly)
    - budget (coordinating the very first budget of the new division with managers who mostly have never done budgeting before and an Accounting group who had never added a new division before)
    - website (deciding content, branding, design, etc and creating the new website for the new division)

To the fairly simple, but still needs to be done, and still takes some coordination:
    - division calendar (our new VP wants a very specific format, and getting the dates that all interested parties think are important)
    - mail codes (new mail codes for everyone had to be coordinated w/ HR & the MailRoom)
    - updated company phonebook (involved coordination with Information Systems and multiple administrative assistants)
    - group email addresses (determining appropriate groups, gaining upper mgmt approval, then working with Information Systems to establish)

Plus being the overall contact for anything & everything administratively related to this change, trying to continue my basic job functions, and being annoyed to death by a General Manager (whole 'nother story).

And just to add some emotional stress to the top of the busyness, let's throw in that about half the people involved in this move are not happy about it and are making it known, some of them loudly. Some of them management. Some of them calling me repeatedly to complain about everything from the shared drive to the mail codes to having to order new business cards.

Plus the fact that I was explicitly told that I am "temporarily" handling these functions, and even though my role has been division-wide support for the past seven years, and I know for a fact no one else in the new division has the experience in these functions that I do, basically they haven't decided what my job function will be once the dust settles. In other words, while I'm temporarily busy with items with which I'm familiar, essentially I don't know what my job is anymore.

Cue anxiety attack.

Especially when you consider that all signs are pointing to the fact that upper management is apparently considering sending me off to one of the other groups. In another building. To report to the manager that has probably been the most vocal about being ticked off about this change, and who, the last time I was over there, I was told I should probably hide from.

Pardon me while I vomit.

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In other news Chief is progressing nicely in his housebreaking. It's more work than I anticipated, but I think he's doing pretty well (although I admit I have no frame of reference at all).

Probably the biggest problem we have right now is him nipping at FireGirl while playing. And she just is not understanding that swatting at him, yelling in a high-pitched voice, then running down the hall - well, it's essentially puppy language for "hey, that was fun, do it again"

It's a communication problem.

Of course, if FireMan or I yell "no" in a deep, stern voice, Chief is quick to quit (he really is a good pup), but we need to get her to give him commands in a way he understands. We need to express to him that in the pack order, she is above him, and right now he treats her more like another puppy, like an equal. If we don't nip it in the bud very soon (no pun intended), then it won't be long before he's trying to dominate her.

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We had FireGirl's very first parent-teacher conference. The teacher said she's very smart, and likes math very much. She's starting to warm up socially and has a few friends she plays with. That's the short version.

We really like her teacher, and if we stay there she'll be in the same class from now thru kindergarten.

And the more I learn about and see montessori education first-hand, the more I like the concept, especially for younger children.

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I suppose that's all for now. Pretty much what's going on in our lives.

I'll try to find time to get on here & write, but I know the next few weeks are going to be crazy, so no promises. But I'll be back eventually. That I can promise.

Till next time, thanks for checking in!