Back to work - part 4 - new working hours

Remember last week Wed when I was having such a horrible time?

Well, I wrote this post just before I went to gym (arrived very late but as I say x minutes is better than nothing) and after the dance class, was feeling only very slightly better.

Even WITH listening to Rod Stewart (one of my absolute favourites - I triggered at his concert :)).

Anyway, so afterwards, I had to stop off at the shopping centre to get their baby vitamins and afterwards I decided to draw some money at the Pick & Pay cashier.

She hands me the money, I put my parking ticket down to put the money in my wallet and when I look down again, the ticket is gone.

I tell myself to calm down (because I am still right on the edge...) and look through my bag again. Done. Still no ticket.

So I ask the lady if she saw it. She then says, "oh, that man took it. he must have thought it was his"

Wonderful.

I go to the information desk to tell them my sob story and they couldn't be bothered. It's R25 for a lost ticket.

But the ticket isn't lost. The man took it. You know me, I'm here twice a week - why would I lie?

A nice man says to them, "oh just give her a ticket. you can see she's not lying" but no, they're not having any of it.

So I burst out crying.

Yes, I did!

Can't believe it myself.

Of course that got them moving. The lady then walked me to security, blah blah blah, eventually they give me a ticket and I'm out of there.

I don't look good when I've been crying so of course, while walking through the shopping centre, everyone is staring at this sweaty, gym person with red eyes and nose.

I got home about a half hour before my scheduled telephone meeting with my boss and I was THIS close to cancelling.

It was all the working hour issues that had to be discussed, where I'll be working, what I'll be doing, etc. and you need to be in the right frame of mind for that stuff.

But I sucked it up and made the call. Especially since I requested the telephone meeting.

And... it was all fine.

Within minutes I was laughing, we were talking rubbish just like normal, he found my parking ticket story hilarious (especially since I'm usually very "together" ) and in the last 10 of the 30-minute meeting, we got down to business.

I'd prepared earlier which was good so I got caught up on all my major clients (I deal with corporate clients) - basically will be continuing with all plus one nice, big, juicy client (whose head office is right near where I live so will be great for meetings).

Will stay in existing department at least for next 3 months and then probably move to new department with him.

Okay, a little background.

My boss phoned me in August to tell me he'd been seconded to another area for 6 months to head up a special project. I was like "oh wonderful blah blah" because it is GREAT for him. Well, a few hours later I tell D the news and he asks me what that means for me. Oh my word - I totally didn't think about repercussions.

I get along with my boss's boss personally but work-wise, he and I will butt heads every single day. That's if I actually manage to corner him about issues (he hates confrontation). So safe to say the thought of working with him gives me new levels of anxiety.

I then sent my boss an email saying things like .... great to catch up with you.... wonderful news on your appt... and ha ha ha you do know I'll be coming back to work with you :)

He emails back saying he wouldn't have it any other way.

We really make a great team - he is what I'm not and vice versa.

He thinks up elaborate pricing structures, cool products and profit sharing arrangements (yawn!) and I keep the clients happy and get the cool products implemented. We both know our place and we recognise the other's competence. It works beautifully.

Then I talked about working hours.

Ta da da dum...

I said if his offer still stands, for December, I'd like to work only a few hours in the morning and then catch up with emails and such later.

No problem!

And then the big one.

I asked for a 6-hour day in the office. And again catch up later with emails and so on.

Also no problem. He is so okay with the whole thing; I can choose my start time up to 9 am.

Saffy, you were right. He said he knows how I work and I'll get everything done easily. Also he says to me "you'll have to make sure you don't accept any meetings after you're supposed to leave".

!

Winner boss!

So the plan from Jan onwards is to work at the office from 8 - 2, come home, play with babies, etc, and then log in later for an hour or so.

No pay cut so the money thing is unchanged and I don't have to worry about them getting sick as I would have had to with a half day salary.

I am so happy about that.

So even though the day was really horrible, it ended really, really well.

P.S. I still want to tell you about the new nanny and my weight and Connor's cereal and the sleep books (dear Lord, when am I going to write all these?!) but again, have run out of time since this is the 30-minute post for the blog challenge.