Date: 2009-02-27
To: Friday: They want it WHEN?
Miles today: 0.0

Somehow I managed to survive Thursday morning¢s workshop with my dignity intact. Another miracle! It had been a long week already, but I had more on my plate. The next item of business was that paper I¢d been working on for much of the past six months. It was a ¢guidance note¢ for staff, and had already gone through two rounds of consultations and comments. I was working on the final draft that would go to the Governance Council in the near future ¢ after my immediate mangers had reviewed and approved it.           The PLAN was for me to work on the paper from home on Friday, and turn it in on Monday. If Friday wasn¢t enough, I¢d have the weekend to work on it as well, so I wasn¢t feeling any particular pressure. About six pm, I packed up everything I would need for working from home, and left for the day.         When I got home, and went to plug my cell phone into the charger, I realized I had forgotten to turn it back on after the workshop. When I turned it on, there was a message waiting for me ¢ from my boss. He said he¢d just heard that evening from the secretariat to the Governance Council. Seems they wanted to distribute the paper on Monday. THAT meant that it had to go to our bosses the next day ¢ Friday, by, say, noon, so that they could review (and hopefully approve it) over the weekend. So that was the NEW plan.         I was up early the next morning and in the office at some ungawdly hour ¢ well before sunrise. By noon, I¢d finished the editing, distributed the results electronically, and circulated hard copies by hand. The good news was that I now had my weekend clear of any possibility of work. I could actually relax a bit. Things were beginning to wind down for me at the office, and I could begin to picture an almost leisurely final couple of weeks. The one major thing I had left to do was the mission to India ¢ a week-long trip that was scheduled for the first week of March. That was the plan. Then my phone rang.         That India trip: postponed. The new schedule: the second week of March. Huh? They want it WHEN? But that¢s my last week? I was going to use that week to pack up my office. Just sort of clear up loose ends. Maybe do a farewell lunch, and maybe even take Friday the 13th off ¢ not out of superstition, but simply to spend a more relaxing day with my family before heading off to Springer Mountain early Saturday morning.         So, the NEW plan: leave here on Friday, March 6 for New Delhi. Return from Delhi on Friday, March 13. But wait! It gets better: My flight from Delhi is one of those ¢middle of the night¢ flights ¢ departure time is 3:30 am Delhi time. It arrives in Frankfurt at 6:30 am, Frankfurt time. The flight from Frankfurt to Washington arrives at 6 pm Washington time. My flight out for Atlanta leaves at 8:41 the next morning. I¢m not sure what¢s going to be worse ¢ the culture shock of going from India to the Shelter at Springer Mountains, or the fact that my body will be in one time zone while my mind will be several time zones removed. Oh well. I'm sure my mind will catch up with us eventually.         But there was good news on Friday as well. Really good news! It seems that my wife¢s new best friend, and the un-indicted co-conspirator as editor and transcriber of this very journal, is coming for a visit.      That¢s right, sports fans: the one and only Break-a-Leg herself has arisen from her nap and will be flying into Washington in time to see me off on my journey to Atlanta. Rumor also has it that she will be introducing herself on these very pages within a matter of days. I can¢t wait! So, assembled eyes,THAT was MY week. How was YOUR¢S?   Click on ¢Guest Book ¢ Sign¢ on the left of this page, and let me know. I¢d love to hear from you.