Countdown Calendar

I'm coming down to the end of the last week before my week of transition, the week I end my twelve years and one month as the bookkeeper / operations manager / accountant for Worldwide Travel, and start as a staff accountant in a cubicle for a reasonably large company, with considerably more pay and more room for advancement.  It's been a busy week, and it's just going to get busier.  Here's how my schedule looks in these last days of this part of my life:

Friday
Today my replacement, Elaine, took a break for an hour or two from the full-tilt boogie of training and playing catch-up that's kept us on the run all week.  I spent that time working on one major task I'm behind on, while she familiarized herself with the year-end paperwork, in order to see how what we've been doing fits into the big picture.  She came out of the conference room with a much better understanding of all that the job entails, and I put a major dent in the work I must get done before teaching her the last part of what she needs to know.  It was well worth the time. Finally and unexpectedly, she's catching on to why I do certain things that seemed unnecessary to her before.  She told me that I really have been doing the work of an accountant, not just that of a "full-charge bookkeeper."  Good to know!

I also finally finished cleaning out my old paperwork--50% to recycling, 48% to trash, and the remaining 2% to be kept.  There's still some filing and recycling to do, but the office looks MUCH better!

I've talked to Mal by phone a couple of times this week since he left for Hawaii, including today.  I think he wants to know that it's going to be all right, that Elaine will work out and do a good job.  I honestly think she will, but as usual I've been second guessing myself.  Have I been saying she's doing fine because I want badly for this to be true, so that I don't have to worry or feel guilty?  Answer: no.  I want badly for it to be true, all right, but she's clearly smart and experienced in general bookkeeping, and asks questions, and forces me to consider what picayune things I do that can be dispensed with, and what remains essential.  I don't have the perspective to judge her learning curve very well, because it's been many years since the industry-specific conventions were new to me, and most of the procedures I'm trying to teach were designed by me based on my own preferred working methods.  Those procedures don't necessarily represent simplicity or efficiency to someone who types much faster and more accurately than I do, and who therefore has little need or inclination to mess around with all the cut-paste-format gymnastics I go through to avoid typing.  But yeah, she's learned a lot already, and yeah, I really think she's going to be fine. 

As for getting through all the training and catch up work before I go, well, we'll just have to see, won't we? 

Saturday
I have a 12:30 PM appointment to give blood again, to be followed by an afternoon at the office, working on the "one major task."  Saturday night I'll have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to continue the Mall of Mâvarin serial.  I'll also type up the JW scene I've been writing in my head all week at lunch.

Sunday
Father Smith is back from his pilgrimage across northern Spain, it's Pentecost, and I may or may not be serving at Mass again.  Sunday afternoon I'll probably be back at the office. Sometime over the weekend, I'll haul another box or two of personal items out to my car.  I've already packed up my 1994 Toros autographed ball, and  the blue dragon that Eleanor regifted me after a client gave it to her.  I know Elaine wishes I would leave behind the boombox and the CDs, but she'll have to settle for my second-best calculator.

Monday
Maybe after all that weekend work, I'll finally be ready to dive in with Elaine on at least half of the stuff we haven't covered yet.  I hope!  I should also call my new boss to make sure I don't need to take care of any last-minute paperwork before coming to work on Wednesday. 

Then Monday night is the photo challenge.  When do I have time to take pictures?

Tuesday
Last day.  The boombox and the last of the CDs will be packed up, along with most of the globe doohickeys Mal and Sandy gave me as presents over the years.  Mal told me on the phone yesterday that the office will be throwing me a going-away luncheon, with sandwiches from Baggins.  I'm honored!  But Elaine and I will still have to scramble to get everything under control before I'm out the door.

Wednesday
I can't begin to guess what this will be like.  One thing: I'll need to call Eva on her 100th birthday.  And I'm counting on dinner out!

Thursday
This will probably be a smidge less scary than Wednesday--I hope!  The evening will at least partly be spent on the Weekend Assignment. It's also our 26th wedding anniversary, so I'll insist on another dinner out.

Friday
A continuation of Wednesday and Thursday, plus my final paycheck from Worldwide Travel.  Added to the two insurance checks that arrived yesterday, it means  that we'll finally be in a position to get John the car he so desperately needs to make his long daily commute safely.

Saturday
Eva's 100th Birthday party, three days after the actual birthday.

Whoosh!

Karen