Hope you made it home safe, and managed to get the mirror replaced! Your manager's level of disorganization sounds sort of like my boss (except he's not exactly laid back, just very "fun" oriented, and not at all detailed oriented!) It can be annoying. I think if you're going to be in charge of people you should actually be capable of tracking details and managing things!

Interesting that it feels so much better to you to be a contractor. Do you think you feel less trapped? Or maybe more valued, in a weird way, since you aren't expected to work extra, unpaid hours?

Yeah, I think you're right - the PMs have a totally different job, even though they work with us, and I doubt that they're ever bored. I think I might be happier in a job where I worked in the office a couple days a week, but could still telecommute as needed. We used to be like that, and it worked well... (can't do that anymore because the now requires you to be in the office 4 or 5 days a week now to qualify for a cubicle, and they're threatening to check VPN records to verify!). The only problem was that when I don't have enough work to do (which happens a lot, it seems like) - I *hated* being stuck in the office with nothing to do. It felt like such a huge waste of time. At least at home I can find ways to entertain myeslf and still be close enough to my computer to watch for incoming emails.

I don't think it's ridiculous to be wiped out from the tiny bit of work you're doing! I find having the work stuff exhausting too... I had to go in to the office for an all-day meeting today (that they really didn't need me for). It was so exhausting. The room was hot and crowded, the stuff they were talking about had nothing to do with me, and I felt nauseous by the end. I came home and took a nap...

I just wish it was easier to find work that was more energizing, rather than exhausting! I'm a bit jealous of your boyfriend as well... I'd really like to have one thing that I could focus on and feel really good at! Instead, I can do lots of things... but I don't feel really great about any of them.

Thanks for the good thoughts! I think I'm permanently addicted to chocolate, but I have managed to avoid it so far this week (the plan is to have one "cheat day" each week, so I'm on target for that). But I felt so awful this afternoon after that meeting, it's a minor miracle that I didn't run out to the store for chocolate and/or cheesecake. I'm still really beat, and about to go hop into bed I think!

The ankle is slowly getting better... my walking is a little better. But it's still bruised, and having some weird stuff going on with my toes. I had a lot of bruising on the outside of the foot, but also on the top, right where the toes connect.... and that spot with the toes just doesn't feel good. It's not helping that someone at work suggested that something might be broken. I told her that I didn't see how I'd be able to put weight on it if it were broken, but she said she had a broken foot once, and was walking around on it completely unaware.

That snow shoveling must be quite a workout!!! That's great that you haven't gained any weight! I'm in the Southeast, so no snow this year... not yet anyway. Are you surviving all the snowstorms ok? The snowstorms in the NE seem to be on the news a lot lately!