Three weeks from today is the Embassy's Independence Day Celebration/Election Results Party/New Embassy Compound Dedication Ceremony. On November 5th the fruits of my labor, sweat, tears, angst, sleepless nights and lack of personal balance will commence with the raising of the Garrison Flag in front of the Chancery.
It's 2100 and I have decided I've had enough of the guest list for the evening. Though Friday AM is my deadline...
Let me explain a little more, when I say the fruits of my labor I mean in recent weeks I have worked through days where the fruits I get for a snack have literally spoiled next to me. Sweat. My sweat has dripped across the New Embassy Compound on countless walk throughs in 107 degree heat as we scripted the event, scratched the plan, and started from square one again. Yesterday and today, I took my tape measure out and measured the massive sand lot where the reception will be held. My black shoes are now gray.
Tears. I've done my best to hold these back in professional settings, but when you work in a compound, at that time of the month when ladies tension is rising it is a PAIN to work with them. Geeesh! I have never been surrounded by some many temperamental, bipolar adults in my life. Frankly, I did not think working environments like this existed, but apparently the term 'grown up' means nothing here. I would never think of blogging about the disrespectful, insubordinate, immature, flagrantly obscene, gossiping, lying, dramatic, lazy and ignorant adults that I deal with every 30 minutes of the day. Luckily I have an amazing room mate and bff down the hall that listen to me vent and continually make me laugh, cook soul food and bring me mountain dews mid day to take my mind away for a few minutes.
I am so looking forward to a massage at home! Tonight My wrists hurt from typing so many guest lists/seating cards/menus/Scenarios/invitations and emails. For a split second I imagined carpal tunnel and realized that those split keyboards are essential if you type this much!! That is a first for me, I hadn't understood until this day. (Sis, my scavys are popping out I am so stressed : )
I have been getting tangled in my sheets in the night. I am having Protocol nightmares. The most recent was a favorite fairy tale turned around. I was at a house and the bears were saying, Goldilocks, this is too hard, this is too soft, this is too hot, this is too cold, this is too big, this is too small, that is too high, that is too low as my mind was spinning, my smile barely intact trying to get the details just right.
I am longing for personal balance. My afternoon runs have been on hiatus for the past 2 weeks while I am consumed with the Independence Day Celebration/Election Results Party/New Embassy Compound Dedication Ceremony (yes, that's seriously the title because no one could decide on just ONE thing to call it. It's everything! It's an EXTRAVAGANZA! Whenever you say it, you have to do spirit fingers** *~*Extravaganza*~*) I haven't been to Bible Study or church in 2 weeks. Thanks Beth & Heather for sending church CDs, I love listening to them before bed, and feeling a temporary fullness in my soul.
I voted last week! And though I am not turning liberal by any means, my 2nd fav musician (2nd only to Amy Grant) may have coined Iraq, so in closing some words from The Boss:
In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin out over the line Whhooaaa!
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
Its a death trap, its a suicide rap
We gotta get out while were young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
