November ended up being crazy.  My Dad fell and broke a bone almost a year to the day he had a similar accident.  Last year he broke his hip (a very minor fracture, he walked ~2 miles home afterwards).  This time he landed on his arm and broke his arm.  Anyway, he fell on his leg and his arm, just before I arrived at their house.  We tried again re: getting some estate stuff taking care of (on a week day).  Didn't think too much about it, but his wrist was swelling a lot by dinner time and I insisted I should take him for an X-ray before I went home (that he shouldn't be driving).  That was the Monday before Thanksgiving.  I thought it was possible he'd end up in a wheelchair and I'd have to stay all week.  ER said nothing was broken, but then later they found the fracture on a follow up X-ray.  I guess that happens.

Last year he just didn't see a step (while out for a walk).  This time he misjudged and thought he was on the bottom step of a ladder.  & he's had more broken bones than I remember, because he is very active and a daredevil.  The worst injuries have always been the 'I was just standing and I fell' accidents (even 40 years ago).

I usually take Thanksgiving week off because I can't take any time off again for some months.  Definitely no December time off.  I recalled last (2024) Thanksgiving week being the 'least relaxing week off ever'.  But I don't remember the details.  I didn't feel the same way this time, but it was definitely a chore week.  I had a mammogram, spent the day taking care of my parents (it was exhausting, running wheelchairs back and forth because my mom wanted to go to the hospital with my Dad.)  Got college financial aid done (which went pretty quick because they didn't change it this year and I only have one kid left applying for financial aid.)  & then DL(20) tortured me with some house cleaning (my least favorite thing).  My next post...  & I know I am forgetting something really chore-y, but I think that sums it up pretty well.   

Work...

I feel like it would be a miracle if the employees under me (2) ever showed up for a whole week.  Everyone's always in the hospital, it's always something.  It's never particularly relented (over 7 years).  I brought this over from my last job, so I don't think that changing jobs would actually change anything.  But on top of that, it was a Level 11 sick year for the entire office, in 2024.  So... I had to take a few deep breaths.  I thought about it and decided what is in my control is my own health.  & that's going as well as can be.  Apparently stress works well for me.  I've got super immunity at this point.  I mean, I am constantly exposed and I never get sick (knock on wood).  I am doing the best with what I can actually control (and it's paying off more than I would expect it to.)  So I took some deep breaths and decided (end of 2024) to give it two more years.  Until DL(20) was done with college.  If work can't relent during 9 whole years...  It might be time to try something different.  & when kids are done with college, we will be entering a 'just need to work enough to pay current expenses' period.  I can consider more options at that time.

I didn't say this out loud to anyone but MH.  But it's crazy to me how just thinking it is 90% of the battle.  I think for one, my employer is well aware.  Not only am I exhausted because I am constantly covering from MIA employees.  But then there is the constant emotional drain.  Because it is non-stop, and usually it's something terrible.  My employer definitely is entering a different period in his life (ready for more simplicity and not working as much) and he's also probably in 'let's try something different' mode.  Because clearly this is not sustainable.  Nothing else is working.  So let's try something else.  So he told me early in the year he wanted to hire an executive assistant.  To make his life easier, and my life easier.  Seriously, why didn't I think of that?  He also told me that we are dumping one of our companies (that is a total disaster).  I didn't even know that was on the table.  If they put up with it for this long...  That wasn't even on my radar, but that sounds like the best change ever.  At least the workload would decrease substantially.  & it's just a very chaotic situation.  Definitely some interesting financial tidbids to share about that, if I ever have the time.

Fast forward through the year and...  We are in contract to sell that company.  Fingers crossed!  Nothing I would want more for Christmas.  I am well aware it will get worse before it gets better.  It's going to be an onslaught of work to get this wrapped up.  But I welcome it.

I put up with all of this because this is basically my dream job.  Without this one company, it is much more my dream job.  It's like being able to get rid of one really needy and chaotic client.  & what remains is a lot more chill. 

Just before Thanksgiving, our new executive admin had surgery.  So, she fits right in.  🙄 The only other really difficult thing is that my employer made an impulsive hire (someone's relative) about a year ago,.  *Sigh*  I think if it was anyone else, it would have been resolved a lot sooner.  & my employer even told us at some point, "She's not my relative."  But whether he admits it or not, he was way too nice and patient with that situation.  Which was a big ask after a long string of chaotic/sickly no-show employees.  Then our servers were down for a half a week.  So the week before Thanksgiving, I really had 2.5 weeks of work to get done (making up for lost computer time, in addition to trying to get all my 11/30 deadlines done so I could take that week off).  On Monday (two Mondays before Thanksgiving) the nepotism employee was sicker than a dog, and asked me if she could leave early.  I asked my employer the next day who was in charge of her.  He said no one.  Because you know, her boss was out recovering from surgery.  I rolled my eyes as I had been her prior superior and she was asking me if she should come into work sick.  This turned into hours of my days asking my employer if he did want her to come in sick, long talks about if we should fire her, how we should fire her, what our strategy is to replace her, etc., etc.  All this stuff that should no longer be my problem, but of course it is. 

Last week was absurd, because we are hiring (nepotism hire was let go), still dealing with IT issues, etc.  I was well aware it would get a lot worse before it got better, re: company sale.  So I am dealing with that now.  Oh yeah, and executive assistant can't even drive, post surgery.  My assistant doesn't have a car.  Just one more 'you have to go to be kidding me' thing.  I usually have 3 people to send on errands.

Will see what 2026 brings.  We are really trying.  Will see what happens.

Looking through my camera roll.  This was a photo I took and at the time I didn't think the picture did this sunset justice.  Probably more red and purple in the sky.  But looking back some days later, I'd say the picture got the point across.  Kind of looks like a painting.

I mentioned my work week was a wee bit crazy.  Oh yeah, and MH's car was in the shop.  (I completely forgot about all that extra crazy.)  It was my birthday and I got cannolis at work.  (My assistant asked someone else in the office to run and get cannolis.  That was nice.)  The next day I was eating a leftover cannoli and someone gave me a gyoza.  (Another favorite of mine.)  I texted MH that I'd be a little late to pick him up for work.  I sent him this picture and told him this was my lunch.  I just thought it was funny.  I had given up and decided to eat (my real lunch) when I got home.  MH only works until 1:00.  

Edited to add:  I remember now.  Was catching up on my continuing education during my 'week off' and also was trying to squeeze in a class in between work and dealing with car issues.  That was the other chore-y part to my Thanksgiving week.  I am feeling better as I remember that it wasn't just work last week.  I think work would have been a lot more manageable without everything else in the mix.

Second edit:  I also got a new home computer set up during my break.  Yeah, I had a few chores to do.  My last computer was bought 8? years ago for an entirely different purpose.  Now I do use it more for work.  It is so much faster.   I used the Windows 11 update as an excuse to go new, but I probably should have done this a while ago.  It was a $500 mini desktop computer.  There was talk of getting a laptop (and just plugging it into my monitor) if I might be traveling more back and forth, to help my parents in the near future.  Nothing planned but it has to happen if my Dad needs to go anywhere.  So there was some back and forth on that, but we decided the mini PC probably made more sense.  Last time I stayed a few days with my mom, I just brough everything with me (mini PC, monitor, mouse, keyboard).  I could just plug in the PC into my Dad's desktop setup.