Furnaces and Father's Illness Issues
So my week was kicked off with being the solo HR contact in the office while my co-worker got skilled up to train a course that we're required to train to all employees and leadership. Great for her. BUSY for the person who has to stay behind and support the traffic that comes in and out of the office non stop.
It's January which means we have a lot of folks asking about their W2s and other begining of the year things that take a lot of time and attention and patience. Naturally..this is the job I signed up for. Some issues where highlights for me and others, I think I could have handled better. I was prepared for the drama at the office when my co-worker took off for her flight. What I wasn't prepared for was the anvil of drama that was dropped on my mind as soon as she left the building.
Yesterday as I was struggling to juggle two jobs and begging for a 2 minute break to go to the bathroom or eat for that matter, I am asked (although there was no other option/choice) to attend a job fair later that day. Hours after interviewing employees in an investigation, I had to leave for the job fair and notice that I've missed a call from my dad. Odd because he usually guilts me into calling him versus actually calling me.
I call him back and my mother answers...not good.
He was admitted to the ICU. Sugar levels at 1300 and incoherent and he lost the ability to speak. I was able to speak to him. I asked him what he was doing in the hospital. And he so cleverly answers "It was the only way to get you to call me back." His voice was shaky and weak and I hear the fear in his voice. I tried to be brave and strong but I was brought back to the day,several years prior where I was pleading with my father to readmit himself to the hospital after suffering several strokes. It was a scary time. We almost lost my dad then and I felt that I was right back at that point again.
There were tons of uncertainties and more questions than answers. I asked all of my close friends and family to pray. I was numb. Just numb. I had a mini freak out moment in the office and allowed myself to be scared. As the day chugged on I started to grow more quiet. My sound was on mute. I only ate 9 points that day. I was exhausted. I went to bed and woke up this morning with a text glowing in the dark.
I thought it was information about my dad. It was my tentant texting me that he came home from work at 3am and the furnace was broken. I immediately called my service people to take care of it. But entered today with Dad, Furnace and my Solo HR Superwoman cape flapping in the wind. I fought the urge to not lose it and start running out of the office and screaming at the top of my lungs.
All has resolved itself. My tenant and his family are warm and snug. My dad has a few more days in the hospital for observation but his sugar levels are stablized. He joked with me today and said "These people in the ICU are really sick and then I realized that I'm on of those sick folks!" I am so greatful I still have him with me for more time. It just stinks that I'm not in NJ to be around the corner to be there for my mom and dad. These are the times when I want to go home but I wouldn't trade the adventures I've had here for the world.
I'm still on light duty for exercise so my goal of training for a 1/2 marathon are on hold. That fall on the ice in Charlotte has me sneaking workouts. I litterally did 30 minutes of Wii Fit Free Steps and felt guilty about it. I didn't post it on my Facebook page because I didn't want people to yell at me for working out on my sprained ankle. Again, that's minor.
I have my dad and I have my fixed furnace.
End Scene
It's January which means we have a lot of folks asking about their W2s and other begining of the year things that take a lot of time and attention and patience. Naturally..this is the job I signed up for. Some issues where highlights for me and others, I think I could have handled better. I was prepared for the drama at the office when my co-worker took off for her flight. What I wasn't prepared for was the anvil of drama that was dropped on my mind as soon as she left the building.
Yesterday as I was struggling to juggle two jobs and begging for a 2 minute break to go to the bathroom or eat for that matter, I am asked (although there was no other option/choice) to attend a job fair later that day. Hours after interviewing employees in an investigation, I had to leave for the job fair and notice that I've missed a call from my dad. Odd because he usually guilts me into calling him versus actually calling me.
I call him back and my mother answers...not good.
He was admitted to the ICU. Sugar levels at 1300 and incoherent and he lost the ability to speak. I was able to speak to him. I asked him what he was doing in the hospital. And he so cleverly answers "It was the only way to get you to call me back." His voice was shaky and weak and I hear the fear in his voice. I tried to be brave and strong but I was brought back to the day,several years prior where I was pleading with my father to readmit himself to the hospital after suffering several strokes. It was a scary time. We almost lost my dad then and I felt that I was right back at that point again.
There were tons of uncertainties and more questions than answers. I asked all of my close friends and family to pray. I was numb. Just numb. I had a mini freak out moment in the office and allowed myself to be scared. As the day chugged on I started to grow more quiet. My sound was on mute. I only ate 9 points that day. I was exhausted. I went to bed and woke up this morning with a text glowing in the dark.
I thought it was information about my dad. It was my tentant texting me that he came home from work at 3am and the furnace was broken. I immediately called my service people to take care of it. But entered today with Dad, Furnace and my Solo HR Superwoman cape flapping in the wind. I fought the urge to not lose it and start running out of the office and screaming at the top of my lungs.
All has resolved itself. My tenant and his family are warm and snug. My dad has a few more days in the hospital for observation but his sugar levels are stablized. He joked with me today and said "These people in the ICU are really sick and then I realized that I'm on of those sick folks!" I am so greatful I still have him with me for more time. It just stinks that I'm not in NJ to be around the corner to be there for my mom and dad. These are the times when I want to go home but I wouldn't trade the adventures I've had here for the world.
I'm still on light duty for exercise so my goal of training for a 1/2 marathon are on hold. That fall on the ice in Charlotte has me sneaking workouts. I litterally did 30 minutes of Wii Fit Free Steps and felt guilty about it. I didn't post it on my Facebook page because I didn't want people to yell at me for working out on my sprained ankle. Again, that's minor.
I have my dad and I have my fixed furnace.
End Scene
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