Topic: Work Week Washout

A Week of Whiskers and Woes

Work. An inevitable part of growing up. Sometimes work it’s fun and exciting; other times, it makes you want to slam your head into a wall… 

Well at least that’s how my job is on certain days. .

Don’t get me wrong– I love what I do. It’s stimulating enough that I’m never bored, but still keeps me moving so I’m not trapped behind my desk all day. 

In this post, I’m hoping to just vent a little and see if anyone ever feels the way about work. Maybe my past week sounds familiar if you’re in a new job, slippery environment or even the weight of certain  people you work with. 

Let’s get into my week straight from the trash! 

The Ambush

It started like all great tragedies: with my alarm going off an hour too soon… or maybe it was right on time and my soul just wasn’t ready.
I shuffled into the kitchen in a blanket burrito, holding my coffee mug like it was a holy relic. Even the coffee seemed reluctant to be here. 

So far everything is my typical Monday– nothing out of the ordinary. We love that! We count that as a small win, for ourselves. Then the next thing you know you’re walking out the door, driving to work with no traffic… Thank you small blessings! 

Then you walk into your office, the bottom falls out from under me.

By  8 a.m., emails were piling up faster than my willpower, each one labeled “urgent” like it was some kind of personal dare. My office line was ringing non stop.A computer refusing to connect to the network. None of my colleagues’ devices are working, making it impossible for them to do their job. 

And to take the cake… My Boss is out of town traveling and completely unavailable as a life line.

Haha… Oh how I wonder what else this lovely Monday has in store for me, surely it couldn’t get worse right?!?

WRONG. 

Monday got worse, I called people back, they decided not to answer, then I’m forced to travel when the sky’s dropping a monsoon..

Honestly, I felt like I was herding cats… that were running in all different directions, with broken cages to hold them.

 Needless to say I looked and felt like a drenched cat.. To add insult to injury… I had to skip lunch. 

At that moment, I imagined curling up like a soggy kitty in a sunbeam, hoping the warmth would find me somewhere—even if it was just in my mind. Because sometimes, all you can do is pause, breathe, and remind yourself that even the stormiest days have a quiet corner waiting to calm the soul

Despite the monsoon and the madness, I reminded myself: even the soggiest cats find their warm spots eventually. Maybe it’s a patch of sunlight by the window, a soft blanket, or just a quiet moment to breathe.

So, I took a deep breath, gave myself permission to slow down—even if just for a minute—and promised that tomorrow would be kinder.

Because sometimes, surviving a Monday like this isn’t about fixing everything; it’s about showing up for yourself, drenched or not, and knowing you’ll make it through.

The Plot Thickens

Tuesday arrived with the kind of attitude that made me suspicious. I had that faint, fleeting hope maybe the week would level out. It didn’t.

Tuesday started off like any other round two match. Same people breaking the same stuff, just in a different way. My Boss is still unable or unwilling to give a lifeline. 

Fantastic.

Three of the people who have more access to key accounts are out of town or not working. Meanwhile, a system used to provide correct addresses for locations was sending out ghost locations; like a phantom feline prowling the digital halls. 

Of course nobody was able to help with that because; why would anyone be available when the world is burning down around me. 

Not to mention, some colleagues use devices that help document crucial  medical information, kept crashing out and being added to wrong accounts, like mischievous kittens knocking over everything near them.

I’m still fairly new here – under 5 years for clarification so this was a situation I was absolutely not prepared for. 

It’s always the craziest things that happen when my boss is out of office and unavailable. By the end of the day, all I wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner like a cat who’s been playing all afternoon, exhausted, frustrated, but still hanging in there. 

The Boss’s Bite

By Wednesday, I thought I’d found my rhythm. Spoiler: I hadn’t.

The day started off pretty good. I got to work early, had a few moments of peace and quiet to mentally prepare for the day, which is a wonderful feeling after two days of office beatdown. 

I sipped onmy coffee in the shadows of my office, enjoying the beat of silence and unbotheredness…Of course it wouldn’t last.. Good things never do. 

Nothing like getting chewed out by the big boss and being made to feel stupid. 

It hit like a sudden hiss from a startled cat, sharp and unexpected and leaving you scrambling away trying to figure out what the heck just happened.

 After choking on my coffee, I felt a bit like a startled cat, off balanced, surprised and unsure how to proceed. 

 “There’s nothing like the thrill of re-doing something you already didn’t want to do.” 

Even though Wednesday had its moments of peace and easiness, I was reminded that the day was far from over. But hey, at least I was able to eat lunch, that’s an improvement from Monday don’t you think? 

Just like a cat is known to always land on its feet, I reminded myself to shake it off, tuck my tail, and keep moving forward, because sometimes the hardest moments make the story. The Boardroom Mystery

Thursday started with optimism. I had a solid breakfast, the kind that makes you feel like you’ve got time to enjoy your life. The morning was slow, easy and unhurried. I responded to a few emails, took some calls and enjoyed some down times. Surprisingly I was able to take a blissful nap during lunch. 

Then the universe tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Actually, no.”

The issue started around late afternoon, one by one, like stray cats showing up for dinner. Then, suddenly full-blown emotional and physical chaos.

The maintenance team arrived unannounced to hang a 75- inch board. No, i’m not saying they did anything wrong, they are a busy group and have to work when they get their chance. The issue? Nobody knew anything about the details ,of where or how the board should be mounted, not even the one person who should know… the big boss. 

Kind of ridiculous, considering the big boss was in the meeting to purchase it. 

Luckily, my direct boss was able to communicate–though “Communicate” might be a generous term for the sparse bits of direction we got. 

It felt like trying to herd cats with only a laser pointer and no idea where the target should be.

So there I was, looking like an idiot. All I could say was, “I don’t know.” 

Tell me- How’s a girl supposed to do her job when nobody bothers to key me in on anything? 

I felt humiliated and frustrated, like a cat trapped with strangers, tail flicking ears pinned back. 

In the end, I told them, “I;ll b in my office. If you need anything, you can come get me or call me.”

Then I shut the door and attempted to shake off the sting of not being taken seriously.

The Early Escape That Wasn’t

Friday was great. No issues, in the morning, lunch was nice and peaceful; I spent it enjoying a juicy burger in blissful quiet. 

The board from Thursday had been mounted, the network just needed connecting, and everything was moving at an easy pace. I was even about to sneak in some time to work on my blog posts and design.

Email” All caught up. Paperwork? Filed. Phone Calls? Not here. The day just coasted along, and I was having a good old time. 

And then… the trouble started.

I was all set to leave early… a few house early, something that never happens for me. When an here comes an executive assistant appeared, brining to my attention a problem… one completely outside my jurisdiction. 

I left. Told them I’ll get you an update but I can do that from home. Make my way home, go to the shop that opened in my town, did a little sunbathing, like a cat in a perfect afternoon beam .

My family and I were heading out to dinner, then my phone rang with the EA again… “Any update?” 

I don’t know how many more times i can say “no” with out stitching it on a pillow. 

Long story short, a few hours go by, my phone lights up like a christmas tree– first the big boss, then my boss and finally the person who actually had the ability to fix the issue. 

By the end of it, my early friday escape plan had been completely derailed… but at least i got dinner a bit of sunshine… and overtime. 

“Some weeks end in fireworks. Mine ended in furballs.”

Lessons from the Litter Box

It was a rough one, sure, but there were little moments that made it survivable.
A coworker’s ridiculous pun that made me snort-laugh during a meeting. The smell of rain drifting through my open window. My cat curling up in my lap as if she’d been assigned emotional support duty.

“Ever had a week that felt like chasing your tail? How do you find your patch of sunlight when the workstorm hits? Share your stories below.”

“Some weeks you’re the cat on the windowsill, other weeks you are one chasing the laser. Either way, you keep moving.”