No Ordinary Week

We'll be working while the Boss is out of town.

No Ordinary Week

As much as I could use more time off - half- written pieces, half-painted bedroom, half-sorted laundry - this is not the week to be away from work.  The palpable, 'papibile' anticipation at work is not to be missed.  Also, I have come to realize that there is never a good time to take time off.  The Easter mailing is done...not without the usual technical difficulties, artistic differences and USPS problems.  (I can say no more - the selection of resources for the mailing never changes)

If it's your birthday and you need to be hypered up, this is the breakfast that is needed.

My birthday, which began in a most lovely way...with a breakfast surprise from Bridget turned into a day of the "death of a thousand paper cuts" as we hustled to get the mailing to the bulk mail center before their closing time of 2:00pm. Fran and Martha showed up with veggie wraps for the office gang since I couldn't get away for lunch.  That surprise and lovely flowers from my co-workers cheered me so much.  Especially since we didn't make the deadline.  I take these defeats too personally.  Way too personally. And I also allow myself to rant about the division of the post office that has daily hours of 10:00 to 2:00.  That sounds like a tolerable work schedule!  I wouldn't say I let it ruin my birthday.  But it certainly didn't leave me ready to go out on the town that evening.

And maybe I wasn't the most pleasant birthday girl when I arrived home.  Work is hard.  Some things I can't talk about.  Other things are too complicated or tedious to talk about.  So part of me is like the fermenting bag of garbage that I put in the back of my car when I left work Friday night; out of sight, out of mind - until someone notice an odor.  (Couldn't locate the 'missing' dumpster; another long, tedious story)

But - back to the important stuff.  The new pope.  This is exciting stuff.  I remember the joy and jubilation when Benedict XVI was elected and I am anticipating the same.  It's almost like last year when we waiting for the arrival of baby Nate.  1) we knew his gender 2) we had an approximate date 3) we were waiting to actually meet him  4) we were waiting to find out his name.  So it feels sort of the same.

Can't wait.  And there is enough chaos at home to make me eager to dive back into work no matter how under the weather I feel (the changes in weather play havoc with my body).  There are various concerns, conflicts, and worries about the daughter with the autoimmune problems.  A mother's work is never done - be it emotional, spiritual, or what have you.  (As I write this, another daughter is weeping on my bed about some interpersonal conflict and there are some things that I cannot resolve.  This leaves my depleted.)

"Bad boys, bad boys
A whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you"

And then there is our neighbor.... he's moving.  He is a story unto itself.  All I can say for now is that while many people at my parish were at the school's lavish gala, I was ready for a quiet evening of reading.  What I got was our own episode of "Cops" outside of my window. 

Life is...sometimes a headache.  It never is a bore.
And a BIG chapter unfolds this week.