I'm back.
So, I've returned from Aspen. Of course, I've been home on my days off, but it's been equal halves divided between San Francisco and Aspen.
I was supposed to work there through April 7th, but due to the lack of time I was able to work on my paper outside of my long work days in Aspen and some other circumstances at home, I notified them that I would be cutting short my extended TDY to Aspen and returning back to work in San Francisco effective immediately (well, okay, with my next scheduled work shift which is Wednesday). I was offered a "miscellaneous expenses" stipend (read: bonus) and "premium" meal stipend as enticement for going to Aspen. Of course - it seems because I did not fulfill the entire stipulation of a contract I never signed, they want it back. Whether it's the entire amount or half because I only fulfilled half of the extended stay remains to be meted out, because I've been told both, which serves to confuse and frustrate me even more.
I about had a nervous breakdown before I left for Aspen last Wednesday, because I was worrying over completing my paper in time and all the other constraints I had on my life. I was casting serious doubt on my decision to go in the first place and what motivated me to do it. Right after getting back from Australia I knew I had a major financial outlay for the trip, and was worrying a bit about how to pay for it. The TDY enticements looked as if they would help offset that cost. So I was pressured a bit into it from that angle. Plus I was very nearly begged to go.
I figured I would be able to balance the work and the school all right, but I didn't expect to
a) be assigned 10 hour mid-day shifts with absolutely no time to do anything on either side
and
b) be put up in a hotel that was 25-30 minutes drive each way from the airport. The work was so exhausting when I got back to the hotel there was little more I wanted to do than crawl into bed and go to sleep, much less work on my paper. If they're not happy with me - at this point I don't really care. My school is 100 times more important than my job right now, and I got kinda pulled off track. So I'm getting back on.
Today was a fairly good day, had a session with my personal trainer at the gym, then have been working on my massive research paper all day. Luckily I managed to drag my drive out of wherever I hide it and have been working fairly well all day. Still a good ways to go, but I'm getting there. I'm not stressing out as bad as I was... we're going out as a family for a hike in a little bit, which will help me to relax a bit as well I hope. Then back to more studying after that I expect. I only seem to perform under pressure, hey?
I was supposed to work there through April 7th, but due to the lack of time I was able to work on my paper outside of my long work days in Aspen and some other circumstances at home, I notified them that I would be cutting short my extended TDY to Aspen and returning back to work in San Francisco effective immediately (well, okay, with my next scheduled work shift which is Wednesday). I was offered a "miscellaneous expenses" stipend (read: bonus) and "premium" meal stipend as enticement for going to Aspen. Of course - it seems because I did not fulfill the entire stipulation of a contract I never signed, they want it back. Whether it's the entire amount or half because I only fulfilled half of the extended stay remains to be meted out, because I've been told both, which serves to confuse and frustrate me even more.
I about had a nervous breakdown before I left for Aspen last Wednesday, because I was worrying over completing my paper in time and all the other constraints I had on my life. I was casting serious doubt on my decision to go in the first place and what motivated me to do it. Right after getting back from Australia I knew I had a major financial outlay for the trip, and was worrying a bit about how to pay for it. The TDY enticements looked as if they would help offset that cost. So I was pressured a bit into it from that angle. Plus I was very nearly begged to go.
I figured I would be able to balance the work and the school all right, but I didn't expect to
a) be assigned 10 hour mid-day shifts with absolutely no time to do anything on either side
and
b) be put up in a hotel that was 25-30 minutes drive each way from the airport. The work was so exhausting when I got back to the hotel there was little more I wanted to do than crawl into bed and go to sleep, much less work on my paper. If they're not happy with me - at this point I don't really care. My school is 100 times more important than my job right now, and I got kinda pulled off track. So I'm getting back on.
Today was a fairly good day, had a session with my personal trainer at the gym, then have been working on my massive research paper all day. Luckily I managed to drag my drive out of wherever I hide it and have been working fairly well all day. Still a good ways to go, but I'm getting there. I'm not stressing out as bad as I was... we're going out as a family for a hike in a little bit, which will help me to relax a bit as well I hope. Then back to more studying after that I expect. I only seem to perform under pressure, hey?