8:14pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, December 6, 2022. Long day today. I just got back to the room from dinner. Meetings started at 8am and lasted until 4:30pm, followed by a group get together. I am not complaining, it was a nice change in routine. Time to wash up and get ready for bed. The next two days are going to be equally as busy.
Category: Work
Preparing for regional team visit
6:45pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday night, December 5, 2022. Drove to Palm Desert from Arizona this afternoon. After briefly checking in at the office I left to shop for snacks. The regional team is visiting the next couple of days and they need food for breaks. I am glad they are coming but, it adds another layer of stress. We still haven’t fully recovered from the rebranding events of last week. Oh well, it is only two days. I am sure we will find a way manage.
Foundation is set
6:19am, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday evening, December 1, 2022. We celebrated the company name change and new branding initiative today. There was cake, a sparkling cider toast and nice catered lunch. Afterwards, we convened in the conference room for a staff meeting. I must say, though preparation for today was exhausting, the end result was positive. Everyone enjoyed the festivities and engaged in team building activities. The foundation is now set for a new beginnings this month and for upward growth next year.
Lost the ability
6:39pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday evening, November 29, 2022. Today was disappointing. Nothing specifically bad happened but, nothing felt particularly good either. Lately, it has been hard embracing the stress of work without craving the value of its rewards. I am not questioning my desire to work, free time is just as stressful in its own way. Rather, I worry I’ve lost the ability to feel genuine joy any more.
Eerily Phantasmal
6:16, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday evening, November 28, 2022. Good, easy day today. Took my daughter to school, then parked nearby to sit in on virtual meetings and answer emails. At noon I headed east toward the desert. The roads were busy but not overly full. However, just before Palm Desert a dust storm turned the sky eerily phantasmal. It was surreal and a little scary. I was happy to arrive at the office and wait for the storm to eventually die down. Now I am all checked into the hotel and done with dinner. There is no reason to go out again tonight. I will rest up and be ready for work tomorrow.
It has been a grind
6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday evening, November 17, 2022. Finishing another week in Palm Desert. It has been a grind. I am eager to get on the road, get out of here for a couple days and recharge mentally. My friend from Texas is in the Arizona apartment now so I am heading to Orange County tomorrow. If I have the energy I will look at potential places to live. Things are moving fast, I need to think about where I am going to live next.
No fun week
6:46pm, pacific standard time, Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, November 15, 2022. Today felt nonstop and yet I barely got anything done. The to-do list gets longer every passing hour and I don’t have enough time, or energy, to address everything. I am exhausted, and tomorrow is busier. Weeks like this are no fun.
A professional band-aid
5:53pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Wednesday evening, November 9, 2022. Had my 90 day evaluation today. It went well. My supervisor gave me a 4 out of five rating, which means I am exceeding expectations. She highlighted my skills and energy, even calling me the “band-aid.” When a site has leadership turmoil I come in and soothe the situation. I like that analogy. I can live with being a professional band-aid right now.
Trying different hotels in Palm Desert
5:32pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday evening, November 7, 2022. Trying a new hotel in Palm Desert this week. The first one I stayed at last week was expensive because of a convention in town. That is alright, I wanted to try a few properties, see which was best. This hotel isn’t bad but, I do miss the in-suite kitchen. Oh well, I will try another hotel next week and decide which I like best.
A round of applause
6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Dublin, California, USA,, Wednesday evening, October 26, 2022. Today, at the end of a meeting, I got a round of applause. We were wrapping up when a team member thanked me for my presence the past few months. That led to the subsequent ovation. The compliment and the applause were unexpected, but welcome. My time in Dublin has been wonderful. I learned valuable lessons while providing calm leadership. Now we part ways, at least for the time being. Though I look forward to the future I will miss the people I worked with and the friendships I made.
mikemeyer949 