Gone through the whole range of emotions this week from tired, frustrated and stressed to giggling happiness. Work has been really tough and doesn't promise to get any better soon. My head accountant has gone off for paternity leave for the next 6 weeks and there's so much to do in this month: quarterly reporting (which I'm currently in the middle of), project audits (two - one USAID), informal budget revisions due in at the end of the month (which I stupidly pushed the necessity of doing - way to make more work for myself), new finance procedures to draft, and a visit from our regional accountant for three weekds towards the end of the month. This is in addition to the normal workload we have with one less crucial staff and another taking two weeks leave in the middle. Not to mention power outages and our still insecure security situation...
Not entirely sure how it's going to all get done. Especially as I'm off to the field next week and to Miami the week after that for some R&R. Have to say that if I'd blogged yesterday evening, this would have been an entirely pathetic blog: whine after whine after whine. Truth to tell, I was feeling at the edge to the extent that my mind completely stopped functioning around 3pm yesterday - I could feel shut down with the overload. Stress is a curious thing: you know that the feelings that you're feeling and the lack of perspective that you have are artificial and temporary, but it doesn't really help. Much.
Anyway, it's Saturday night and am just getting ready to head out for some expensive French food with Brenda and Mary, and I'm feeling ... pretty good actually. Was so knackered yesterday that I fell asleep at nine for a good 12 hours, which really helped a great deal. Another thing which helped was a pretty invigorating dance lesson where I point blank refused to learn the tango (not nearly down and dirty enough for me ;-)) and continued to have fun times with the Salsa. Also found out that another student who was taking lessons at the same time was a cousin of the driver who eventually picked me up! It's a small island.
What really clinched my mood was buying a step machine [except it goes sideways as well as up and down - the cantonese-speaking white American actors in the ad that went with it seem to assure me that it would do wonders to my arse] and receiving a ridiculous number of books and DVDs that I had ordered from Amazon. Felt a little guilty about the last because the reason it arrived was because someone from the NY office (where I shipped it) had to carry it all on the train to DC so that it coule be picked up by Brenda. Now, I don't mind abusing Brenda, but to abuse someone I have never actually set eyes on... Oh well, she didn't have to carry it. And I didn't really guilt-tripped her into doing it. Well, only a smidge.
After all my ranting about consumerism, it bloody works. Rubbing my hands in glee at the hours of entertainment ahead of me. Now, if only I had the time...
Oh, also met this cute Palestinian guy at the department store where I bought my step machine. He's a bit young for me and seems to only speak Arabic and Kreyol but hey, think I'm working hard enough to deserve a toy boy who can't waste too much time with talking ;-)...
Before I forget, bought a lovely painting last weekend. OK, it was $600 but it's soooooooooooo pretty. Once I get the proper lighting, I'll take a picture of it and put it up on this blog. It's almost as pretty as my Afghan rug.
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