TGIF

This week have been a really tough week full of highs and lows. We started out the week on a high anticipating some final news on our house. We did get news, but only to find out they needed yet another form signed. We signed the form and were still on a high thinking we would have the final news right away. That night our new neighbors decided to have a Fiesta Bowl party which included lots of screaming, jumping, and yelling on our heads. We tolerated that for a while, but around midnight had to ask them to tone it down a bit so we could get some sleep. The next day we were still tired from the night before, but I got a call with news about the house. They hoped to have things finalized by the end of the month. Hoped! End of the month! That was enough to put me over the edge. If we don't close before the end of the month, we will not have a place to live. We have given our notice and our place has already been rented. I was definitely stressed out and my boss kept poking his head in my office to ask me questions. What is his damage? Can't he tell I have something more important on my mind than work? Instead, I grit my teeth, smile, and answer his questions.

I waited until the next day to follow up with the lender because I needed time to regroup and get my thoughts together. Plus, I didn't want to totally tick them off and have them put me at the bottom of their priority stack. After speaking to our rep, we were once again reassured that the person who told us they hoped to have things done by the end of the month should not have said that. Things are still on target for our original date. Whew. With this good news behind me I was open to the next blow of - they need more money. What? When did you tell us about that? Well, supposedly someone should have told us, blah, blah, blah. But he promised we would get it all back at closing this was just as a reassurance we weren't going to change our minds. Seriously? We have been working at this too long to change our minds now. Fine, just tell me when and I will bring you the money.

At work, my team has been waiting for the green light on a special project. It is a very large project merging the payroll for two teams and will have a significant impact on the pay checks of over 1400 people (and I happen to be one of those people). The corporate office was withholding approval because they didn't want to release control over such a big project to someone else. After one final, very heated conference call yesterday, we finally got our green light. Unfortunately, they waited so long to give us the green light that now we only have 4 days to process all 1400+ files instead of the original 3 weeks we were originally told we would have. Personally, I think they did it on purpose, but I didn't have time to focus on that now. I gave the news to my Austin team (4 members plus me) and we set up a game plan to tackle the project.

Today I had to travel to deliver not so good news to three members of my team in Dallas and San Antonio. I am moving their jobs to Austin and they have to relocate in order to continue on my team. I was able to find a place for two of them if they don't want to move, but no one seems to want the third person. Sadly, I can't blame them. She can be very difficult, but still it is not easy delivering that news.

On the drive back, from San Anonio, I was mentally exhausted from such a long week when I get a phone call that we are clear to do the next step in the house process - the final walk through. I really needed that good news. Shortly after that I got a call from the lead person on my team regarding the project. They only had 5 files left to complete the 1400 file project - they finished in 2 days!! I could have hugged her through the phone. My team knew how important this project was and they busted their butts to make sure they proved those corporate nose in the air jerks wrong. I am so proud of them; not only did they step up to the plate and accept the challenge, they knocked the ball out of the park. I will have to think of some really cool surprise for them.

I am really glad this week is behind me and I am looking forward to a nice calm weekend. Maybe I will even be able to finish the book Marley & Me that I started 2 weeks ago.