Herding Cats

that's what i call my job. i'm not one of those "clean inbox" types you hear about. this usually isn't a problem, unless your work is herding cats. how many emails are going to "slip through the cracks" until i get a better system figured out....

it is such a bad feeling when i circle back with the people who i thought were writing answers to 30 questions for the record after a hearing, only to find out two of them told me (or at least are sure they told me) weeks ago that "this isn't their issue, try so and so over in butt slap middle of nowhere office." this answer doesn't help a lot when the answer is already overdue. i get to frantically ask for favors with a "quick turnaround" from people i don't work with and owe me nothing. when they do owe me something, it sucks to cash in that chit and waste inter-office political capital. ug.

the upside is that office frustration/stress leads to great post-work workouts. for example, i benched 185 on the decline Monday night. that was encouraging. more than i've ever benched using the barbell, even flat. i suppose i could probably bench 195 on the flat bench, but i prefer to use dumb bells (3 sets of 5 with 70's). getting stuck at the bench under a heavy bar and having to call for help is my worst weight room nightmare...

SO, i need to explore filters or something for my email, because this is no way to live and work. The stress levels the past few days have been WAY too high, considering I'm pushing paper. Colonel L, the Military Deputy director of my office said it best today - "everything's hot to someone." He also said in my first month, when i was stressed (he's originally a cavalry/tank commander): "Drew, you might be feeling stressed, but it is not time to call in fire on your own position."

Thanks?