Almost the end of another day in paradise. I'm having so much fun, I really don't want to go home. [And if you believe that, let me talk to you about a nice bridge in Brooklyn....]

My desk looks quite organized. I decided that the many notes which were cluttering the top of my desk only added to the confusion, so I stuffed them in a file folder labelled "Stuff" after listing the necessary bits on my To-Do list.

And in the process of making the list, I was able to prioritize them. Amazing what the cessation of constant phone calls can allow you to do. A break of half an hour and the whole thing was organized.

For many of the customers who call, there's nothing we can do to ameliorate their plight. We live in a 500 square mile urban area, and a delivery from one corner to the other can take 2 hours or more, especially if the driver has to make several drops along the way.

Traffic has been getting steadily worse over the years and what was sufficient time to get from point A to point B ten years ago is not the same today. Our routing software was set with speeds and times 15 years ago, and it no longer reflects reality. So times get set and then customers are annoyed and frustrated when we're late. Management won't allow us more equipment and drivers because on paper we don't need them. I feel caught between a rock and a hard place.

Only a few more years of this, I tell myself. Just hang in there....