Back to the regularly scheduled chaos

 As you know from my last post, I had to go to the office this week to "train" the person who has released me from the nightmare I'd been living in for the last three months or so - and so she wouldn't be sitting in an office by herself (her new boss was traveling for company business).  You can't really "train" a person for this particular job so I spent four days trying to show her the ins and outs of the way we do things around here.

She seemed pretty quick and capable but only time will tell whether or not she will stick it out (please God, let her stick it out because I don't think I can go through that again).  

She did come across with an "I've done it all and I know best" attitude but I'm hoping that was just nerves on her part.  Other than that, she seems nice - which is good because we will be working closely (via Internet mostly).

And I am SO happy she came when she did.  As of last Monday, the torrent of emails from her boss just stopped.  Now, I am back to my regularly scheduled chaos, finally!

Just in time to start my Christmas vacation...which...really isn't a "vacation" but it means I'm not tied to the computer all day every day.

So now it's time to start thinking about Christmas baking; Christmas shopping, wrapping, etc.

I did get my mother-in-law's gifts bought, wrapped and mailed on Monday.  Shockingly, she received it this morning; I was so afraid it wouldn't make it time.  She was so pleased; of course I could find a rock in the backyard, paint it and send it to her and she would still be pleased.  As usual, she called to thank me first because "I know you did all the work."  I informed her that The Husband actually mailed it, so he could get a little credit too.

The Husband's last day on the job was today - so next week brings a new chapter to our lives.  I mentioned quite some time ago that we were trying to fix up the guest rooms (which have pretty much been ignored the whole time we've been here) for guests that were supposed to come in October; which they didn't because of - surprise - COVID.  It's actually a good thing they didn't come because the guest rooms, once again, fell off our radar.  So now, we are pivoting and thinking that one of those rooms is going to be turned into an office/guest room after Christmas.

Working at the dining room table has been fine (except for the office clutter that litters the table every day; which makes me itch...but I need it nearby) but with The Husband being home while I'm working...that's just not going to work.  And our company has announced that if/when we ever go back to the office we will be doing a hybrid model where we need to be in the office at least two days a week and can work from home otherwise.  A move I never saw coming but am very happy to embrace.  It only took a pandemic, that's coming up on TWO years (!!) for the powers that be to realize, "Hey...we don't have to micro-manage these people.  Not only are they getting the job done but they are also working more hours and thinking outside of the box to make it work." Duh, powers that be, I could have told you that years and years ago.

At any rate, between the work thing being resolved and quite a few presents landing on my porch in the past few days, I can feel my shoulders relaxing and my panic easing off a bit.  *sigh*  I think it's about time to pour a glass of wine, crawl into my bed, read until my eyes/arms get tired and luxuriate in the fact this short period of insanity is over.