Numbness where art thou?

I spent nine days relaxing on various beaches in Hawaii! I came home with sand stuck between my toes, both sets of fingers stuck in a hang loose position ….and went right back to work within two hours of landing.

During the holiday I was able to strip off some of the protective insulation that I coat myself with to survive work. Now I’m back at work….and once again questioning how it is that I came to do what I do for a living.

I was right back on the road last week too. It was hard to come home from vacation one day, and turn around and fly out the next day. The hotel room was too quiet, the food wasn’t any good and the bed was lumpy. I was missing Grace something fierce, but unable to communicate to her how much I missed her, and why. I just fell into a poor me/grumpy mode.

Boil was acting like himself, explaining to Bob why we should do things his way instead of mine on a new project. My stomach acid was already boiling quite nicely already that day so I just said to “We’ll just do what you want, that’s what we’ll end up doing anyway.” Bob was upset with my answer, but I didn’t care.

Bob continues to play the game of ignoring the disconcerting fact that Boil wants to fight. Boil will fight with waiters, waitresses, cab drivers, customers, potential customers, co-workers, anyone. I’m viewed as a trouble maker because I’m willing to fight back once in awhile. How does that work?

I just need a few weeks to once again reach that comfortable state of numbness that defines my work life.

Semi-toothless dog

I’m trying to survive this week and make it in one piece to my vacation that starts on Saturday morning. It seems like my life is all about pressure right now. Mind if I make a top 10 List?

10 Reasons I’m stressed out from the pressure.

1- Pressure to perform a technically solid product demonstration on customer products I’ve never seen. If I do well, the customer buys. If I don’t do well…..
2- Pressure to perform a technically solid product demonstration on customer product that I’ve never seen with a brand spanking new GUI that seems to have more bugs than a cheap hotel.
3- Pressure to be at home on time to start my vacation on Saturday morning. The flight leaves at noon. I’ve packed a bag at home in case I don’t make it home on Friday evening.
4- Pressure to finish the demo on Friday. The customer is bringing a bucket load of product. Too much product. I’ve already told him that “That dog don’t hunt” and he’s trying to ignore me.
5- Pressure to go out drinking with the customer on Thursday night, but still stay sober enough to stagger back to the office to complete all the work we started on Thursday….and try to work ahead on Friday’s material…after a night of drinking.
6- Pressure to make a software package work as advertised…except I didn’t receive any English documentation…so it’s trial and error.
7- Pressure to get along with my co-worker, whom we shall call, “Boil”. Boil and I are opposites.
a. I started working young and went to night school for my education. Boil earned a PhD before starting to work and has since picked up a MBA. We would get along better if he was a little more confident in himself. (Me too I suppose)
b. I like to give measured responses to our customers. When I say “yes” it’s because the answer is “yes”. All Boil does is say “yes” no matter the question.
c. I could go on and on, but we’ll stop here, or soon this will be a list of the ten reasons I can’t get along with my Boil.
8- Pressure to remodel my house. I have a wiring job that I’ve not touched in months.
9- Pressure to get the garden going. So far…nada….
10- Pressure to remember everyone’s names. I actually forgot one of the grandkids names a few weeks ago. “So how’s, uh, uh, the youngest boy holding up?”
11- Pressure that my wives dog, the dog who just won’t die, is peeing all over my brand new carpet, right now. The dog belongs to my wife, and my wife had the dog before I came along. The dog is a small, semi-toothless, toy poodle. Need I say more?