this week

the last two weeks have been really stressful for us at work. the clients have been exceptionally needy, and several people who already graduated from the program became homeless again. thus, i have extra people coming to me for help, which essentially expands my caseload on top of some new administrative responsibilities that I was given as well. we also have tons of big merger stuff going on - i don't think i ever mentioned this merger, did I? well, we are sucking up a smaller agency, and if you have ever worked at a place where a merger was happening, you know that it is really complicated, creates a fuck-ton of extra work, and is very stressful - especially if the people that you are taking over are resistant. we had a big staff meeting yesterday with the agency that we are acquiring, and there was so much tension in the room! some of their people really hate us, and we are all worried about their ability to be on our team and do things the way we do them. some of them are incredibly resistant. i am on the committee that is responsible for "zippering" the two agencies' programs, and we are not really getting anything accomplished because there seems to be a lot that that isn't being said, and the anxiety and territorialism that we are all feeling is getting in the way. anyway, it has helped to make the last two weeks hell.

on top of extra needy clients, a merger, and new administrative duties for me, we have had a lot of other crazy things going on - some good, some not so good. clients are fighting with each other and filing grievances against staff members (which i now have to handle - it's one of the new things i was given to do - being the grievance solving person); a number of people are going on vacation in March; we have a HUGE portfolio due in 3 weeks that will influence our funding (last year, we were ranked 7th out of 200 agencies, and i am responsible for a huge chunk of the portfolio materials); my supervisor's mother is dying; and the documentary film crew came to the agency the other day during a huge community event that we have bi-monthly. they did interview me, and it will be shown on wednesday at a big luncheon that the mayor is hosting for his staff and a ton of people who are working on his 1o-year plan to end homelessness. it is going to be a local tv station as well. i should eb excited, but i am too busy. will send copies, if you want to see it.

how have we handled all of this stress at work? a bunch of us went out and got stinking drunk on thursday. i don't normally drink, and i haven't actually been drunk in about 8 years, but i needed that! this weekend, i am going to sleep and read and be a lazy bum. off to do that now. bye!