Chateau Des Tuquets Part II

Sarah says:  Is it crazy to drink a wine that you know you aren't going to enjoy?  Often I enjoy the bottle more the second day than I did the first, but sadly, this is not the case for this one.  Yesterday, Jon and I had a glass (before going out on a much needed date night!), and his comments were that he would drink it if it were served to him, but he wouldn't buy it again.  He also commented that he felt like he had static cling in his mouth - so not sure what that means.  He also said it was fruity, which is funny, because I said it wasn't.  I'm not the biggest fan, but here I am drinking it.  Why?  Because, what I find crazy, is wasting wine!  Even bad wine isn't worth pouring down the sink.  Maybe one day I'll get comfortable enough with my finances to do that, but now is not that time.

Speaking of crazy... I've been called crazy A LOT over the past 6 weeks or so.  I think I've been called crazy more in the past 6 weeks, than I've ever been called anything else, ever.  What has people thinking I'm so crazy?  I've been working a lot of extra hours at work.  Yup, that apparently makes me crazy.  As I mentioned here, I've spent the last few weeks with the auditors at the Township, as they examined our stuff.  I spent 4 years as an auditor, and 3 years helping Detroit get caught up on their audits, so I had a pretty good idea what to expect.  But, even with that knowledge, this was my first experience being the client, and it was stressful.  Within the first few days I felt bad for every client that I ever bothered in my auditing days - man, we were annoying!  Being my first audit, I wanted everything to go smoothly, so I put in some extra hours to help that happen.  And, I get called crazy for it.

I'm not looking for kudos here, I'm just trying to understand it.  When a police or fire employee works beyond their shift, they are a hero.  When a teacher does it, they are an inspiration.  When a doctor does it, they are a miracle worker.  When a vet does it, they are a kind-hearted soul.  When an accountant does it, they are crazy?  Similarly, when those folks say they do it because they love their job, everyone goes "awwww" and smiles at them.  When I say it, I get an "are you serious, you're crazy!"  The truth folks, is, I do love my job.  I put in the extra hours because of that reason.  And, it's not just my job I love, it's the whole Township.  Think about it... I work for the Township that I live in, that Liam goes to school in, that Mary takes dance class in, that we go to church in, that we spend our weekends running, swiming and shopping in.  It's the Township that I spend 98% of my time in.   When I'm working, it's not just a job, I'm not balancing the books of a Township, I'm balancing the books of MY Township.  I'm so freaking grateful to have the job that I have.  I think about budget to actual statements while I'm brushing my teeth.  I'm running through GASB 34 reconciling items in my head while I'm cooking spaghetti for my kids.  I'm thinking through cash flow statements while I'm paying my own bills. I think about work all the time, because I love it.

Was I working extra hours because of an obligation?  No.  I was working extra hours because I care about the quality of my work, and I respect deadlines.  I didn't want to just throw some crap together just to get it done.  I wanted to take the time to think through everything, to make sure nothing got missed, to make sure the information was presented in a manner that was proper and easy to follow.  I wanted to make sure I was maintaing the positive reputation the Township has.  If that makes me crazy, than crazy I am.  But, I don't regret a single moment spent at work recently.  I'm proud of what I've accomplished and learned in the 8 months that I've been there.

On the other hand, I didn't work at all this weekend.  This weekend, I cooked the kids a "real" breakfast, I went on a date with my hubs, I watched a movie (ok, two movies!), I caught up on some sleep, I drank some wine.  And this weekend, was perfect.