Friday, August 7, 2015

Happy Fun Times on the Job

Pretty much everyone who knows me is aware how happy I am at my now-not-so-new job, after having left a team I loved a bit over a year and a half ago. My professional loyalties run pretty deep, and only once in the past decade have I left a position with pleasure; though even then it took a long time for the realization to dawn on me, that I was a poor fit at that employer, and really unhappy with them. These days, though – having left a job I was proud to hold and coworkers who meant the world to me – it may be I am happier than I’ve ever been at work. And that says a GREAT deal.

This past week, I went on vacation. Planned back in May, it was a trip to see my brother and nieces, in a city I have come to enjoy very much. NEXT week, I travel for work. Planned much more recently: the business trip I have to go on *next* week. Yes, I have to travel for work.

You think being a secretary means making other people do meetings, and planning *their* travel. But every so often, the tables turn on you.

We’ve covered how much trouble I have with flying. (I almost typed flaying there, though the latter may be preferable to airsickness.) It’s not a matter of fear, nor even annoyance at the crammed-in anti-glamor of air travel. It’s the inescapable physical wretchedness of the experience; the trip out to my family was a 4-bagger. Coming home, things were significantly better, and I think I have acupuncture to thank for the relief … but, even with that, the physical experience of flying is still flat-out awful.

See also: I have caught a cold. Of course. (I intend to blame the shriek-voiced women behind me on the red-eye home, who talked for an hour and a half on in a blacked-out cabin filled with people trying to sleep, splashed water on my next-seat neighbor, and generally kicked and jostled my seat in for the four-hour night we had together.)

So I hab a code.

In its way, the timing could not be better, all inconveniences considered. I wasn’t ill while I was with my family. I was able to work from home today and not expose my coworkers to the crud. And, given a few days between now and the next flight, hopefully the worst of the bug will be over before I fly again. It’s my plan to believe the acupuncture that helped so recently may still have an effect for this next trip. And also to re-up the Dramamine, Bonine, and/or Sea Bands.

Please don’t advise ginger on me. The first person who tries to tell me how to manage airsickness I’ve been dealing with for 37 years gets the airsickness bag I once filled with ginger-flavored goodness as a thank-you gift, and a no-expense-paid flight – just a flight, doesn’t matter where to – because, GAH. FLIGHT.


As all this is going on, my boss has had his hair set alight for him just at a point things had gotten civilized with his own travel schedule. And his hair is at a premium.

It’s all exciting, actually; I enjoy being able to SEE the people I work with every day, many of whom are at distant locations. It’s especially gratifying that things seem to be going well – and, not for nothing, I’m getting exposure and earning up brownie points (and, one hopes, a bit of comp time perhaps, once this event is in the bag). For the first time, I’ll be in front of the CEO, too; not just my own guys.

We’ll be in a city known for great food, and our company has a certain amount to do with great food; we’ll eat very well, on an outing together and even during our meetings.

Even better, this will all be over a week from now, and I'll be able to get out and enjoy myself for the first time in a while. Yay! I like a good August night out, on my own or with pals.

3 comments:

Donnaeve said...

I used to travel for work too and really enjoyed it. No pre-flight/during flight/post flight problems. I.e., the only thing that makes me sick is an actual virus or scrolling past hundreds of pictures on Pinterest like I had to do recently. Yeah. Motion sickness from SCROLLING. Ick.

I also got sick once watching the America's Cup on a big screen tv. As in SEA SICK in my living room How weird is that?

Enjoy your trip and the food!

DLM said...

Hello, Donna! I feel bad, I have not been around your blog nor the Reef much of late. But no, getting motion sick in the living room - no surprise to me. (See also - reasons I've never seen Blair Witch; I heard scarier things about the shaky-cam than the flick itself!) I saw one of the original iMax movies, "To Fly" and it almost killed me. We joke in my family that my late Aunt could get queasy just looking at the ocean. So - yeah - I can see scrolling doing it! :) One more reason not to let myself get addicted to Pinterest ...

:)

Donnaeve said...

It's okay, I just figured you were writing. Ha! Blair Witch - I went to the movie with my daughter in the movie theatre and had to sit with my head down, staring at my hands after 30 mins. Talk about a miserable experience!!! I thought I was going to have to get up to get sick...but the thought of my head in a public toilet was worse. LOL!

Anyhoo, I get it. Totally. Although, I'm not sure why flying doesn't bother me. Nor do roller coasters - even the ones that loop you upside down. The Tilt-A-Whirl? ICK. I call it the Tilt-N-HURL. Can't do anything that consistently goes round and round. Even on the playground, that merry go round thing that spins from centrifugal force. BLECH, and BLECH again. :)