Good Blur

I survived my first week! It was a complete whirlwind and I am still trying to digest each detail of the puzzle. I realize it will take time for all the pieces to fall into place. I'm not worried about that as I have learned I acclimate pretty quickly to new jobs and situations. I'm seeing some unique challenges that I will need to over come with this new job and organization. Is it strange to say that I'm excited about the journey!? The organization is in a state of exciting transition and growth; therefore, the need for some process changes is on the very near horizon to help our department be more efficient and productive. I'm looking forward to helping with those positive changes. There were a few moments of panic around me with certain situations this week, I personally wasn't panic as I didn't quite understand all the piece of the chaos and also didn't feel it was worth getting worked up about anyways. I liked how our team handled the situation to really get everyone to take a moment, take a step back, and really look at what was going on and how urgent the situation really was (not.) Keep. it. simple. I strongly believe that is important for me to do, both personally and professionally and I hope that can bleed over into this new role I'm taking on. The team I work with all seem great and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better. I hit it off with my co-worker right away that I'm sharing an office with for the moment, who we  will call S. My understanding is there are plans for our department to be moving into a newly built building in a few months. Nothing like hitting the ground running!

Today my pain was manageable, which I'm very grateful for! I was beyond exhausted yesterday after about a week or more of not sleeping well, the stress of the accident details, and the new job stress on top of that, I believe I crashed hard last night and finally got some much needed rest. Which in turn allowed me to feel a little better today. What a relief! I strongly believe the other reason I felt great today was I woke up to rain this morning. Raining days always help me feel better and wash away a lot of that not-so-positive thoughts, energy, and feelings I tend to hang onto when I'm in survival mode.

For my sanity and to reduce my stress level I decided to hire an attorney to take over the accident details. I felt better immediately after I met with the attorney knowing he would be taking it from that moment forward. The only piece that I'll hang onto is taking care of the communication with my dealership that is fixing my car. I already had the ball rolling; however, it is nice to know the attorney is there to support me if the dealership doesn't stay in line. Ha! So, I won't go into a lot of detail, but I did have quite a bit of damage to my car at the scene; however, it was somewhat drivable, although there were a few details that started to occur on my way home that caused my anxiety level to escalate! I had just under a half of tank of gas when the accident happened and as I was sitting at the scene with the car on with the a/c, the gas gauge dropped to zero and the gas light came on. That scared me more than anything! Also, let me just say I don't normally make it a habit to sit there with my car idling with the air on and wasting gas; however, it was 112 outside that day and it was around 6 pm. Anyhow, I obviously made it home but refused to drive the car any further. The dealership sent a tow truck the next day. So with that back history, the dealership called today to ask, again, about the details of what I noticed wrong after the accident. I shared the details, again, with the same gentleman. He was skeptical and questioned me with a warning that there would be a huge cost to me if they find out my car was just low on gas. I very politely reinforced the situation and made it clear that simply was NOT the case. Proceeding to ask him to please have his team thoroughly check ever part attached, connected, or even remotely involved with the fuel system to insure my car is safe to drive and back to the way it was before I was rear ended. I reminded him of the other details that I had concerns and asked he make sure his team address all of the issues. He called several hours later after he test drove the car, and surprise, surprise, there was something wrong with the fuel gauge. I get there is a business side to all of this and they can't waste money; however, it is extremely frustrating when people don't listen to me or even remotely act like they believe I'm telling the truth. **sigh** It will all work out and be fine. The thought of my fuel system not functioning right when I drive my car, I can't even put into words how sick that makes me feel.

I do have some good news! I have my camera back from the manufacturer! They repaired it at no cost and was covered under warranty. The only detail of the entire process that was a little bit irritating, I mailed everything in the original box and they didn't mail the box back. I'm one of those people that hang onto the original box for electronic items. Oh well, the rest of the experience was wonderful and not getting the box back is not the end of the world. I can let that one go. Here are a few photos I took of the sunset today with no-black-spots!! WoooHOO!

A dear friend of mine sent me a message recently ending the message with enjoy the clouds. At first I was confused by the salutation of her message; however, I quickly realized what this friend meant and it made me smile. I know it is a good day when I can look up and enjoy the beauty in the sky. Enjoy.

I didn't make it to my meeting or any other meetings this week due to my new work schedule and "side hobby", aka house/puppy sitting. Although I have an amazing support system in each facet of my life; nothing replaces the relief I feel going to a meeting.

I'd like to end tonight with one of the daily reading from this past week, that was perfect for me. It's from Courage to Change page 228.

After living in the chaos of an alcoholic relationship, it can be hard to know that difference between a minor inconvenience and a major crisis. Al-Anon's slogan, "How Important Is It?" helps many of us to regain some sense of proportion.

When plans fall through, when unexpected bills arrive, when I am disappointed in someone's response, I can ask myself, "How important is it?" Most of the time I find that what I might have viewed as a disaster is really insignificant. If I try to keep my attention on this day instead of worrying about possible future consequences, I can take my disappointment or irritation at face value and refuse to dramatize it.

Because of this simple slogan, many days that I would once have seen a tragic are now filled with serenity and confidence.

Today's Reminder
Today, if I encounter an upsetting situation, I will ask myself, "How important is it?" before I react. I may find that it is not important enough to sacrifice my serenity.

"It is almost as important to know what is not serious as to know what is." John Kenneth Galbraith