01-25-2001

I get such pleasure from making people's lives difficult. Okay, it's not quite what it sounds like - I'm not deliberately cruel and heartless. What I'm doing, however, is forcing people to accept responsibility and understand the full ramifications of what they're requesting. I merrily escalated a request from one of the other development teams to a number of people who would have been impacted by this change because the person who submitted the change didn't even want to listen or care about what would happen if we'd simply done as he asked. Once he finally realized that I was actually serious when I said I would not approve the changes he was requesting, because of the impact it would have on everyone else, there was suddenly a breakthrough. I got at least two his group to admit and accept the issue and to deal with it in a more rational manner. It was victory, and these days on this project, I take any victory I can get, no matter how small or petty.

The skies broke open this afternoon. A few of us clustered by the glass doors and watched the rain pound the parking lot, offering good-natured teasing to those poor souls who had to go outside to their cars in that kind of weather. People used to leaving early lingered by the doors, or went back to their desks in defeat, unwilling to brave the deluge, hoping it would calm down. It subsided a bit by the time I left, although the threat of a little water doesn't bother me too much these days. My hair style is pretty much of the 'comb it and go' variety, so it's not like I'm worried about looking like a drowned rat. I simply scrambled into my car, laughing, and then turned the heat on high.

It felt strange to come home this evening and have nothing to do. The past two days I didn't drag myself into the house til after 10pm, so exhausted that I pretty much went through the mail and then crawled into bed. The cats have had to content themselves with stomping on me in my sleep, but even that doesn't completely wake me on days like those have been.

The reason for my late nights these past two days were two meetings - but what a contrast between them. Tuesday night was an SPCA board meeting, which are too often unorganized and emotional. Everything must be discussed to death, and there are times I feel as if I'm reining in hyperactive children to get them to finish a discussion and make a decision before haring off on the next tangent. Despite all of this, though, it's been better - far better - than I'd expected when I came back. Things are calmer and clearer now than when I left over a year ago, and while I may not necessarily ever look forward to the meetings with excitement, at least I no longer dread them.

In contrast, the meeting I attended last night was calm and ordered. Each committee made its report, and I dutifully took notes, as I hold the same position on both boards. I had to ask a few process checks - simply to familiarize myself with them because this was my first time at this particular meeting. But there was never a feeling of tension or anger. I didn't feel as if anyone was trying to advance their own political agenda. I was tired when it was over, but that was merely because of the late hour and the too-long day beforehand, not because I was emotionally drained from the meeting itself. It's a refreshing change. Too bad this one is only six times per year, and the other is so much more often.

Our builder called to make sure we were okay with a slight upgrade in price on the master bathroom marble accessories. A few hundred dollars more? No problem. We may end up nickelng and diming ourselves to death here, but it seems like such a small and inconsequential amount, really. It makes such a difference when you *have* money than when you don't. I don't even blink an eye at this sort of thing anymore, except in retrospect, when I look at what I just agreed to and have a brief moment of amazement. I wonder if I'll ever get used to that feeling.

He also wanted to get the placement of the bathtub valves, a question which we can gleefully add to the list of 'Things I Never Dreamed I'd Have To Decide'. Did we want them so that you'd see them when you walked into the bathroom, or did we want them hidden on the other side? Uh....huh? As usual, he offered a suggestion, and as usual, Richard and I agreed. I think we amuse him, both of us so clueless about what we're doing. Heck, neither of us has even owned a house before and here we are, required to make decisions about where the bathtub faucet should go.

On the down side, he did mention that they're having delays getting the roof sheeted because of the wind. The steepness of our roof strikes again. Wince. I thought all I had to worry about was the rain - never considered the impact of the wind. If we can just get past the roof and the walls, then it doesn't matter how nasty the weather is. It's just getting *past* it that seems to be the problem. I don't suppose it's too much to hope for, for the weather to just play nice for two weeks. Is that really too much to ask?