Overtime

I've had trouble sleeping the past few nights what with the chaos at work. I know that's ridiculous and I should not be so intense but I'm not the brightest bulb in the middle of the night.

Yesterday at work I was working with our cashiers on the new check scanner our bank installed for us to use. We are now to send our stacks of checks to them in scanned batches rather than deliver them to the bank which my boss decided would save us time. I'm sure the bank liked it too because they don't have to scan the checks themselves.

Anyway, two hours into the closing process that normally takes our cashiers about 15 minutes and a good half hour into overtime pay for them, I pulled the plug and told them we were just delivering the checks to the bank in a regular deposit. My boss chose not to learn the process so I ended up supervising and helping them through it, without much luck. They were frustrated, I was frustrated, and my boss watched nervously for about 15 minutes because I asked him to perform the nightly processes since I was otherwise occupied and he had to wait until they closed. He cannot STAND to work late and by late, I mean one minute past 5:00. I couldn't stand his twitching and shifting for long so I sent him off, and he all but ran out the door.

How's that for leadership?

It's not the first time he's left us with a mess or in a state of confusion that I am expected to solve. I really don't mind, but isn't that his job? Oh well.

Then I had trouble with our Financial Aid office but I guess I'm just going to have to get over that one. I asked them for some help after they upset a couple of students with misinformation and they reacted as if accused. I don't want to perpetuate it any longer, but there was nothing in my request that was accusatory, I was just asking for help. They must have felt guilty or something, but I've worked hard on that relationship and I hate to see it damaged.

So these and other things are keeping me up. I'm just too freakin' concerned about the students and about trying to do a good job. Oh to be a slacker! Life would be so much easier! Last night I checked messages from home and even called a student whose message I couldn't return earlier because I was working with the cashiers. I'm sure he wondered whose phone number was showing up on his caller ID and he sounded a little terse when he called me at home but when I told him who I was and why I called, he was okay. A little surprised, but okay.

Since I'm off on Tuesday (a BIG woo hoo!!!) today I composed an e-mail to the guy at the bank who installed the check scanner and my boss so they can work together to figure out what went wrong on Friday. My boss won't figure anything out, but the bank guy is pretty good so I'm going to let them have at it. I let them know what happened prior to the software locking up and the other problems we encountered. I think I figured out a couple of things, lying awake half the night, which is both helpful and extraordinarily annoying.

I'm going to go water some plants and do something mindless. Maybe we'll take a walk later. Can't wait to see the little ones tomorrow. A BIG woo hoo!!