As much as I love the holidays (Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Years) I am also very happy to get back to “normal”. (Whatever that is). I’m not glad they go so fast, because I actually wish I could relish the moments. That being said, at least I can have some good memories.
Just having children around makes the holidays special. The glee that I see in their eyes when they see their packages under the tree. How many times they pick them up and shake them and their absolute wonder when they open and find something that they really really wanted. And one of my favorite things is to watch everyone else open their gifts just so I can see all those reactions. I am often accused of doing that so everyone has to watch me open mine. Oh well, so be it. I guess I am my mother’s daughter.
Another thing I like about the holidays. Chocolate. I forego my “sugar free life” in these few weeks (OK, a month) to enjoy the chocolate some favorite people send. Texas, at least Amarillo, is See’s Chocolate challenged. No such brand in these here parts. So I depend on good friends and relatives to take care of this for me during the holidays. And I do indulge myself until they are gone. No regrets, no guilt. Just plain pleasure.
The hard part after all of this is getting back to business at the business. Sometimes my heart and head just aren’t in it together. The Monday after New Year’s week end, I was in the office until 8 PM. That was my choice. No one told me I had to stay and finish anything. And that was even after I had decided I wouldn’t do that anymore. Mind you, it’s not a New Years resolution, just a determination on my part to change the way I do things. It means changing my priorities. After all, work is not the end all. It’s more important to spend time with loved ones and take care of myself. And really, I can’t be effective at work if that’s all I do. I know what “burn out” is and I can easily drive myself to it. If I made New Years resolutions, that would be the one – give myself some space and don’t be so anal about life.
The nice thing about owning a business is that I can name my hours. So, I can play tennis in the morning, have a lunch with friends and not be too concerned about getting back at a certain time. I can take half a day off (I just inform glen) to run errands or do something I like (shopping, sleeping, web surfing), and not take a pay cut. (As if I get a “pay check”). I just know I have certain things (like payroll) that has to be in by a certain time on a certain day. (Thank you for the internet!).
January through March is not my favorite time in the business. This is now tax season and we have so many reports to get out by Jan. 31, then gathering tax information for the accountants, and for clients so they can get their information to their accountants. Every year I promise myself to begin early. Not sure what that means. I can’t do a lot before December 31. So now I feel pressure to get it done in 3 weeks. To top it off, our laserjet printer is out. I mean completely! We waited for a part, he came to install it today and it was the wrong part. He said he put it back together so we could use it for non important things, but, we can’t. I keep getting this message “Download file now”. What?? I’m really afraid we’ll have to bite the bullet (again) and purchase a new laserjet. Yuck! I just got a new inkjet last week! Oh well, that’s business.
On the lighter side – it’s Ceil’s 1st birthday today. Wow. How time flies. We just had to call and sing “Happy Birthday” over the phone. We’ll stretch it out a little since she won’t get her gift until about Monday. Yes, late as usual. Never claimed I was punctual. Just anal.
Hope everyone is enjoying this winter weather like we are. Today, 13°.
COLD, COLD, COLD
Even at that, we broke no records. It was 6° in 1988. Funny, I don’t remember that. My long sleeve, turtle necks are getting lots of wear this year. To my family in San Diego – you’ll get yours one of these days.
Friday, January 8, 2010
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