I apologize for the manic nature of my recent blogs – lots of eating, moving, and general disruption in my life right now.

Tuesday was the first of four goodbye lunches with one of my closer friends at work. I ate chicken strips and plain rice. I will really miss this coworker – he has so much energy and is so good-natured; he always makes me smile and laugh at work. He is a classic type O (I’m assuming): loves sports, highly competitive, lots of energy, will push himself beyond physical limitations (continued to play three or four different sports all last year despite major knee injuries, he now needs surgery!). He also has a fantastic family. His wife is also athletic (playing tennis the weekend after their son was born) and his kids are active, loving, well-behaved, and delightful. They discipline their kids consistently and firmly, but with patience and care, such that they are obedient yet still exuberant and creative.

Today I had the second lunch, once again chicken and rice (different restaurant), with my team. I was feeling under the weather, coming down (for the second time this year!) with that same cough that continues to circulate my office. Certainly it is my own darn fault as I spent Monday through Wednesday training my replacement and therefore talking his ear off. Once you get me going, I won’t stop! I talked on Monday until my voice was hoarse, continued on Tuesday, felt worse, then continued Wednesday and I am paying the price. Last night I went to bed at 10pm, but then woke up at 1am and couldn’t get back to sleep again until 4am! I think this has something to do with disrupting all the stuff in my apartment by moving – I’m a believer and user of Feng Shui. All the junky (by BTD standards) food I’ve eaten this week isn’t helping.

This evening I had to load boxes and furniture into a borrowed van to move to my Dad’s house. All my stuff won’t fit into one trip, so at the end of March my dad will move me into residence, then take the rest of my stuff back to his house. My boyfriend helped me, but huffing and puffing up and down between my apartment and the parking garage was not good for my throat. The wings we ate for dinner weren’t either…

Tomorrow is lunch number three, with my first manager at this company. He was the best manager I have ever had, so I am particularly sad to leave him. One day we had a disagreement (sitting in my car in a grocery store parking lot in a rainstorm) and at the end of our discussion he said to me: “I’m really glad we talked about that, because you have helped me learn how to be a better manager. Thanks!” That moment encapsulates the type of man he is and his fantastic attitude. It also illustrates how important a good manager is to satisfaction at work – my current job is more fulfilling, but because he was such a motivating manager, I was happier doing a less stimulating job for him than doing my current job for my current (and good) manager! I think Dr. Phil would agree that he is one of my “pivotal people” (and no, I haven’t read that book yet, but I do own it).

I’d best sign off now – I have to claw my way through tomorrow, drive for a couple of hours, unload the van, celebrate my dad’s birthday, and make it back here alive for my final two days of work and lunch number four on Tuesday!