You've got to wonder what's in store for you when you're snapped awake by a work-related nightmare on a Monday. When the body decides it's time to get up, and adrenaline gets to pumping after a passable amount of sleep, might as well get moving early. Still, it was hard to move out the door with much enthusiasm. The day hosted several unknowns, and I'm not one who travels well through the unknown.
"Early to work, early to home..." I said falsely to Dena trying to muster up some cheer. I knew it could be a big day in the undesirable sense..
How would the quarterly reports look? Solid, or out of whack? My job's to review the mathematical calculations and make sure it's all square. Arriving at the (for me) previously non-existent hour of 6:00 allowed me to settle in undisturbed and give it a solid once-over. I had about a half-dozen questions, but Rob verified it to be all good at the end.
A software glitch in the field has generated recent questions, so I took advantage of the emptiness again to place a phone message that proved to satisfy the customer.
Paulette walked in with the exciting news that her family had found a pristine used van, the cap on a 4-hour journey of near-failure to many car dealerships in 90 degree heat with no air conditioning.
An 8:00 project status meeting loomed. I had just enough time to study the reports from my team and deliver a solid message.
Laughter started to flow over the nearby cube walls. Jennifer had passed her final certification exam! This was a major accomplishment and fulcrum that could've pushed the day's mood in either direction depending upon passage or failure.
We had an impromptu huddle with other key actuaries on our project and came up with a plan of attack for the day.
During a quick break in the action, I was able to fill out a Good Neighbor Grant application, the program which rewards community service with $500 grants to the charity. The NCHS basketball program was thrilled to hear when I shared the news.
Got over to the gym for what turned out to be as good a weight workout as I've had all year. What's gotten into me, to pull this off on a day of low sleep?
A few phone calls had been needed for some time in order to complete some errands. Check, check, check.
Rob's potential migraine cleared up, so he was able to put in a full day's work.
Our intern Kristin made progress on her season-ending project and appears to be on target. Plus she's shown herself to be really valuable in helping out with some of our project storms.
I finally got caught up in a long backlog of e-mail, and was able to start doing test cases on our new product launch myself. I got through all of the ones assigned to me. Finished just shy of 6:00, enough time to scat home, change clothes and get back to the soccer field. That workout produced a dose of sun and super cardio that got me to bed early.
As usual, I did nothing to deserve what turned out to be the best day in a while. This morning, I woke up with a spring in my step, ready to hit the office early again and ride the rapids wherever they lead. As they say about bad vibes "the best thing about times like these, is that there have always been times like these." Picturing these better times, and knowing that they can be just around the corner from a darker one, is a thankful pillar of strength. The nightmare, it turns out, had been like one of those summer squalls that rips ferociously through town, sweeping out all the humidity from the midwestern air, and leaving clear skies behind.
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