Hello,

I woke up about 2, thinking about work-related stuff. I read a whole book and it still wasn't 5 o'clock yet. The book was about a young woman in India whose arranged marriage ended when her husband died, leaving her a widow. She did beautiful embroidery, though, and the story had a happy ending. I just lay there thinking about how I have never in my life had to go without food. My "problem" is deciding what to choose from my many options, and what to buy when I go to the store. I need to live a little more lightly, so I can give some to others.

The Board of Directors has agreed to give me a temporary increase in salary, the difference between what I am making now and the low-end starting salary for Executive Director! This morning, when I arrived, Mike was there to buff the floors. He stripped and polished them 2 weeks ago and called me earlier this week about coming back. I called Barron's about renting a buffer and arranged for someone with a truck to pick it up, but I couldn't reach him Thursday afternoon to confirm the timing with him. So I had to tell him I couldn't make the arrangements. I was a little flustered and then I could not figure what I had done with my keys. I eventually found them later when I emptied everything out of my purse. I need to put that on my list too--clearing out the stuff I carry around with me! Someone called from one of our granting agencies wanting the reports from May. I couldn't find them on Alison's computer (although July was there), but when Kerri got in, she had them. I looked through all the paper files in the office, but they mostly seemed very old. At lunch time, I went and picked up my notary seal--I am a notary public if you need anything notarized! Kerri and I talked about a family with mental health problems that we will ask to leave on Monday. She has a lot of trouble telling people "no," so appreciates having me there to back her up. She said, "where will they go?" I said, "that's not our problem. We have a program and if it works for them, great. If they need different services, they can't stay..." The interns are taking on some of the jobs that need doing, like the volunteer database.

I managed to leave about 3:30, picked up Ray for racquetball (yes he beat me twice). Then we went by the library, where I got books about Spain, as well as reading books. Then we went out to dinner--thanks Amalia, Molli and Adrian! Then we went to Janna's, where Becky and Kent joined us after a while.

Everything is great--if I can just figure out how not to be stressed. With exercise and relaxation and fun and friends, I should be able to deal.