Managerial Monday

[Harriet]

It's so helpful to chat here with others in managerial positions like our own.

What management challenges do you face today?

How is your managerial position vital to others?

What's your managing style? Do you excel at delegation? trimming costs? Are you an efficiency expert?

[DeeClutter]

Ok, so I'm a manager. Question is: managing whom? Me? Guess that would be it. Time to put my manager hat on and get this worker obeying my orders.

[OKay]

Good Morning!

Today is the last Monday LO is in school. Only 3 more days!

DH has appt with ENT doctor this morning. They are going to discuss his weekly allergy shots. I think this is the 9th year DH has taken 2 allergy shots each week (plus 3 more years of allergy shots from a different doctor). DH is considering stopping the allergy shots and see how his body reacts. The allergy shots are expensive time wise and financially. Thinking....
** DH drives 58 miles weekly to get the shots.
** Time wise it takes 2 hours weekly to get the shots (most of that is driving time....the shots only takes a couple minutes for nurse to administer but he has to sit 20 minutes after shot is administered with epi-pen in hand in case he has a reaction.
** financially the medication cost $540 every 3 months plus $38 weekly to administer the two shots. So that means it cost over $4k yearly. Insurance pays for the majority of that (about 80%). So out of pocket it cost us about $1000 a year for the allergy shots.....plus about $700 for gas to the drive.
** Overall analyst = It will save $1700 out of our pocket ($150 a month) and 8 hours each month if DH stops the allergy shots.
However, this is well worth the time & expense if it keeps the allergy from overwhelming his body.....we have BTDT having his eyes swelling shut on a daily basis.

What kind of manager am I? I think a fact gatherer. I feed the facts to DH and he uses them to make the final decision.

[helia]

Hmmm...... I manage the integration of multiple schedules quite well. I'd say that is my forte'. I am not such a good project manager, however. Lots of things need to be done around here that aren't getting done. I'm also not good at personnel management; I am not a good "nag" at others who are not doing what they need to do. Ask anyone in my family - I am not really a "nagging/reminding" sort of person. Dh is.

I think we have 4 more weeks of school here, though dd18 is done at the end of the week. Seniors finish earlier.

Weekend was busy and very social with band festival Saturday, small group Saturday, coffee with houseguest Sat. until 11 pm, church Sunday, more conversations (good) with houseguest Sunday, phone call to parents Sunday, lunch with R and dinner with S and R and baby J. Then, a movie last night - Godzilla. I enjoyed it! Dh, GG, ds, and myself went. Dh likes the original 1954 version better; it has more of a philosophical bent to it. (We've shown that one to our kids - well, at least ds. I'm not sure the girls wanted to watch it - as part of their informal film "education.") --Well, yes, but special effects are not comparable.

Houseguest left after church yesterday.

Dd18 is off to a roller coaster park with her AP physics class today. I think the regular physics classes are going too. They do have assignments to do at the park involving the roller coasters. I have taken dd15 to school. Dh left early for a meeting and then off to his office. I think he clocked 66 hours of payroll work last week. GG is playing hookey and going to the same roller coaster park with ds and ds' good friend. . . I'm not thrilled with the idea of GG skipping a day of school, but in the broad picture, it is not a big deal. She thinks she is going to hang out with a friend who is on the school physics trip. I hope that works out. Some of her friends here have ended up being a little flaky. GG and ds are leaving soon.

PODA:
- heading to the school at 10:45 for band uniform returns; I'll be there until 2:45, probably.
- try to get some Hebrew translation done
- Heb. class at 5
- dd15 to drumline 7 - 9
- book club dessert/coffee out at 8? This is on my calendar but I haven't received any emails about it recently.

First, I will get the a.m. routine done.

[DeeClutter]

I'm thinking that unless the 'worker' (me) takes direction from the manager (me) that she may end up being 'fired'. Right at the moment that would be ok. But there's no one to take my place.

[Harriet]

Smiling at Dee's workforce quandary.

helia, you are by far one of the best scheduling managers I know!

I've seen myself as a behind-the-scenes manager sometimes. That's not always good, because I don't want dd to grow up thinking that managing a household is all easy. So I try to be more transparent. I've had her sit with me on a bill-heavy Desk Day, for instance, and get a "feel" for the care that goes into that. When she's taking on a chore, I try to keep "hands off" and let her make some mistakes, see the "why" in the advice I give her.

I read about "visionary management style" that's recommended for companies and I really like that. It's good to keep the future in mind when we are managing a household. If I want to redecorate one day, I may need to budget for that today. If I want dd to be "promoted" to taking over a chore one day, she needs to be practicing it with me today. If I'm coming home with a load of perishables tomorrow, the refrigerator needs to be cleaned out today!

My disappointment in yesterday's school-clothes shopping trip continues. Dd planned outfits for the week, tried to put the chosen one on this morning and realized the theft-protection plastic fob was still hanging from the skirt hem. Inspection revealed 2 like that. The buzzer/bell at their door never warned us. Sigh. Thankfully, the receipt is still right there in the bag. I suppose I'll have to make a return trip. She was very frustrated.

Cathy, my dear aunt suffered from place-delusions similar to what you described. I've also heard them called "false belief" hallucinations. Although there are so many potential diagnoses for dementia (and diagnosis may not help treatment anyway), I thought I'd mention to you that drs thought she probably had Dementia with Lewy Bodies (third most common). She would be convinced she was in a different house and ask (beg) to be returned home. I would have her place her hands directly onto one-of-a-kind odd architecture in her (lifetime) home, yet even while we were discussing the distinctive features, eyes wide open, I could not convince her she was at home. She was seeing a friend's house she remembered and could describe (I knew the house, too). Other Lewy Bodies place-delusions I've heard of include seeing the home as a hotel, with frustration that the family won't get ready to check out and go to the home.

[Twins' Mom]

Managerial style - unfortunately I'm probably a micromanager at times and not good at delegating. I am good at the scheduling "Time slot tetris" part and agree with Helia about project management - so much that I don't get started or finish here.

Today I must get oil changed in my car and then have body work at 1:30. I did a good part of a.m routine before taking ds to work, still need to walk ddogs and then head out for oil change. Probably will be busy there today with holiday weekend coming up.

[Twins' Mom]

Walk ddogs
start a lol
finish kitchen counter clean up
make the bed
out the door

[Nancy]

Today I will many things around here first like calling to get ahold of the company to fix the furnace check on a pilot light etcetera so I need to clean up a bit, hens have been fed, coffee is on, breakfast is done. I slept pretty well and feel better than did yesterday morning.
last night we slept fine it was like indoor camping with sweats on added an extra blanket.

Corn bread is baking now will warm up the kitchen area.
51* - 72* todays temp. range.

[DeeClutter]

I've accomplished NOTHING, NOTTA. I'm just plain sleepy this morning for some reason. But, the manager in me is cracking the get-going whip and I need to do something. I've done a few little things but that's it. The bed isn't even made -yet. So I'm off to do that and finish putting away yesterday's laundry.

I had texted dd to see if I could borrow her large bottle of salad oil. Need it for my dish to pass for tonight's potluck. Told me I was welcome to it EXCEPT it's in her hutch behind the slide out -which we have no way of opening without it being connected to electric. I don't have a plan B, not right now anyway. And I hate the thought of going to the grocery 11 miles away for just a bottle of salad oil. And right now there's no one home anywhere near me. Durn!

DD goes to pick up gd15 today. Hoping for things to go well there. She has no opening at the moment for a group home. So it looks like the money people got their way and she'll be discharged today. Ready or not, here she goes. And she's not ready by any means. She will spend the school week with dd's teacher friend. Guess they've gotten permission for gd to go to school with said teacher and help out in the next 3 weeks. DD/Dsil will have her on weekends. Praying for good weeks ahead.