Okay, I know that I shouldn't be blogging from work but I am doing everything I can think of to stay awake, alert and with it for the next 50 minutes. Today is my first attempt at a full 8 hour work day since mid-May.I have not talked about it much but I am a professional Graphic Designer and have been for over - GULP - 14 years. I currently work in Washington, D.C. for the National Defense University. I have been with NDU for just over 5 years. I started as your typical contractor and last year when the position opened up, applied for and got a permanent position as a GS-12.
Yeah, yeah - I'm a civil servant. Insert your "Good enough for government work" jokes here.
Seriously though, I enjoy my job and have been pretty lucky in terms of the variety and creativity of my work. My fellow designers are pretty cool as well. It's a good gig!
It has been harder than I imagined to actually return to a 40 hour week. I mean it is not as though my job is very physically demanding. Some projects require manual work (dry mounting, framing and engraving) but the majority of my work is done sitting in front of a giant flat screen monitor attatched to a fast Mac. Definitely a "desk job"....
Apparently even "desk jobs" can suck the energy right out of you. I guess it is a lot of creative brain time mixed with my commute that makes it such a long day. Every morning I get up at 7AM and walk to the Metro near my home, travel 40 minutes by train and then walk the 1.5 miles down the block to the university campus. On good days, it is a beautiful walk and the right way to start and end my day. On bad weather days, I take the shuttle along with 80% of the NDU metro users.
Hmmm.... come to think of it, with the commute my average work day is 10 hours. No wonder I have been having a hard time getting back to a full day! Of course I could choose to take the shuttle every day and make it easier on myself physically but I think that there is a significant difference between "needing to take the shuttle" and getting into a very "LAZY" habit so the shuttle can wait until the bad weather arrives and I will continue to ease into a full work week.
QUALITY OF LIFE - even at work - DEMAND IT!
I missed my workout yesterday, I am in the midst of moving in with Jim and need to be officially done moving this weekend! I didn't have the energy to work out and move a load of boxes. I SWEAR I AM NEVER MOVING MYSELF AGAIN!! For gosh sakes I am 35, I can afford damn movers! Of course I was only moving one bedrooms worth of stuff but still! I HATE the process of moving!
Today I am going to try for my 30 minute run that I missed yesterday. Maybe that will wake me up - OR - put me into a deep sleep early tonight. I can accept either possibility, I am flexible like that!
Live STRONG Everybody!
4 comments:
I SO want to be the kitten in the photo. Seriously, it sounds like your commute could be it's own part-time job. Only 50 minutes of serious struggle after 8 hours on the job. You're making it through all those chemicals, another part-to-full time job. That's awesome.
You're doing GREAT!!!! Can you take a walk at lunch? Or maybe 5-minute walks every hour? It may be hard to make yourself do it, but I'll bet they would perk you up a lot. And GOOD LUCK on the big move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the kind comments ladies! My boss came in at 4:15 and said "You made it! Go home!" Good thing too cause I was yawning every other minute by then!
I don't think there are enough boxes in the world to hold all the "CR*P" that I own ....
why, it's as if i wrote that post myself...but i have not the excuse of having several months off. just feel generally a bit of a brain drain. enjoy the walking to work and not having to drive. know there are people out there that would love not to have to drive (ie me). and know there are plenty of us also slodging through the occaional long day. but it'll get better!
ps and it will get better even faster if i may have that adorable little kittie. i love that little kittie. ;-)
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