What A Day

I've requested time off during this holiday season. Tuesday this week, through Tuesday next week, returning to work, Wednesday, December 26. I had to request this time, quite some time ago to give proper notice at work with my boss.

My initial plans were, I would drive to California to visit with my brothers for the holiday this year. It's been a long time since I've been home to California. But, I wasn't sure if Sadie was pregnant, if she was, we'd stay home.

Well, now we know, Sadie was pregnant and has had her beautiful puppies. I am not going anywhere now. And that's okay. The puppies are just now opening their little eyes, they're so cute! I need to get new photos to post.

My parents had also changed their minds about going to California. My dad is not too keen on the the idea of driving through the Sierra's with a trailer in tow, through the snow. So, my brothers are on their own in California for Christmas this year. My daughter too, had planned to drive up from Los Angeles to my brothers' town, to meet with all of us. She will be staying in L.A.

Anyway, now I'm off work and staying home. Well, my boss emailed me this a.m. I guess he's had issues with a couple of my staff members. So, I ended up at work all afternoon today anyway. My boss and I met with one of my employees. It's the part of my job that I could do without, letting an employee know they are not meeting standards. This task is just one step above letting an employee go. Just hard things to do. Sometimes, it is necessary though.

So, I met with this employee. She defended herself and blamed others for her poor performance. In the end, she seemed to understand we want her to do her best, try to change the things that are keeping her from getting her work done. If she still felt miserable, we challenged her to find other employment. One of her complaints was with another employee that I personally have had many unnecessary dealings with.

This particular second mentioned employee, comes up smelling like a rose, every single time there's an issue. Anyway, I suggested that before I go home today, I would pull the four employees together (yes, there were two more involved in this issue today) to get their issues aired and hopefully, resolved. This ended up another hour and half long. Tears streamed, feelings were aired, apologies made, hugs given, and a promise to move on from today, leaving the past in the past. I will be gone for the next week, and I'm hoping this will give everyone a chance to cool down. Can I just say, STRESS!

To top things off tonight, I felt like I had a touch of food poisoning. Fever, chills, upset stomach.

Aww, but a couple of good things... One good thing, my guy left a huge Christmas present, all wrapped pretty, on the kitchen table for me before he left on his run to California. He won't be back until late Saturday night. I don't have a clue what he got me for Christmas. I want to peek, but I want to be surprised more than I want to peek.

The other good thing... when I got to work, there was a brand new crock-pot on my desk! See, yesterday I brought my famous breakfast burritos. Another employee broke the lid to my old crock-pot, given to me as a wedding gift in 1978! The lid shattered slivers of glass all over the office. It really was incredible how this lid shattered so. Anyway, this employee felt she needed to replace the crock-pot. I told her just find me a lid. Well, I guess she couldn't find just a lid, and now I have a brand new crock-pot! I thanked the employee. She felt bad, but it was just an accident.

I don't have a Christmas tree up yet. I'm still thinking I will get this done. I've got all my gifts, just need to finish wrapping. My daughter loves her GPS device I gave her at Thanksgiving when she surprised us by driving up here, arriving just in time for Turkey dinner! I did send off a package to her with little odds and ends I've been collecting for her all year. I even put together a stocking filled with fruit and candy and little things.

So, this was day one of my Christmas vacation.