It was one of those days where I'm on the phone to one person, filling out the form to request extra equipment and a change in procedure for a different person and writing notes (with my 3rd and 4th hands) to keep all this straight.

And each time I hung up the phone and started to jot notes about the call and what we agreed on and what the next steps will be--maybe three or four words into the notation--and the phone rang again. The form I'm filling out is obliterated by the automatic screen saver and I bring it back and minimize it because I need access to the database to answer the next person's request.

Then a supervisor comes in and says she's missing 40 hours of pay (omigod!) and can I fix it. That trumps all the others so I tell the person on the phone I'll call right back, I save the form half-completed and close out the database, to focus on the supervisor's problem.

I haven't a clue, of course (I don't do payroll) so I start making phone calls of my own, though every time I hang up from one person the damn thing wants my attention again and makes noise until I do it. If only my secretary knew how to take messages and screen calls....

It went on and on like that until I was off the clock. At which point I told the so-called secretary that I was off the clock and not taking calls from anyone. Of course the next call that came in she tried to forward to me; I nearly ripped the damn machine right out of the wall.

But in that blessedly uninterrupted hour I managed to make some order out of chaos. All the unfinished tasks are listed in order of priority (to be worked on tomorrow) with enough notes for me to remember what I/we agreed to do. A strategy for tomorrow to get the supervisor's pay straightened out occurred to me on the drive home. And it is now time to relax a bit and read your comments.

Huzzah! My day is immediately brighter and less stressful. I love your comments and wit and your visits to my journal really make my day/evening a better one. Thank you!!