Cord". If you've found this blog and don't know me, it only takes one spin of the mouse to catch up and discover I'm 34 weeks pregnant with twin girls. If you are a normal follower of my blog, you know that TGIWF stands for "That Guy I Work For" and if you are in my close net group, you know that my reference to cutting the cord refers to both umbilical cords AND walking away from work for 12 full weeks. Both are proving to be a challenge and bets are all over the table!
I've worked with TGIWF since April 2005 and as any serious assistant to a executive will tell you, they become a very important part of your life! I have enjoyed very much working for TGIWF these past four, almost five years and over that time you can't help but build a relationship and comfort level of trust. There are many things that I do to make his life and job run smoothly. That's my job! I know he realizes all the hard work I do, but we've never been separated for more than one week in the last five years! And even then one of the two of us fails miserably at actually "cutting the cord" and picks up the email to touch base. With my taking 12 weeks off for maternity leave, our attempt - or rather MY attempt to "cut the cord" and walk away from work completely is strongly in question.
Part of the job I do and the trust level that we've built enables him to send me a task and forget about it. He has confidence that when he hits the send button, it's done in his mind. Against my better wishes for him, TGIWF has decided to NOT have any help while I'm gone and plans to go it alone. Needless to say... I'M WORRIED!! Not that I don't think he can do it, but I think he forgets that I work full-time to do this for him. Granted, I don't work 40 hours a week on TGIWF only. I have many other tasks that I do as well, but I have a vision of coming back in December and seeing a shriveled up stressed executive hidden behind a tower of Coke cans with long shaggy hair shaking in the corner next to a glass window with a hole in it from the computer that has been thrown through it! I'm sure I give myself WAY more credit than I'm worth and this vision in my brain makes TGIWF sound like a frantic mess and that's not good! I'm sure he'll do just fine, but non the less, I wouldn't be a good assistant if I didn't have these kinds of thoughts.
Our CFO openly laughs in my face every time I tell him "oh ya, I'm gonna cut off completely" and he's right to do so. TGIWF and CFO have both threatened to cut off my VPN and Exchange access and our IT Expert has said he'll restrict my log in ability to one hour a day that changes every day and he won't tell me WHEN that hour is! I think the only hope I have is that having two screaming newborn girls is going to consume all of my time and I won't have a CHOICE but to cut off completely.
I'm only 34 weeks but twins tend to deliver early and normal things including driving, unloading the dishwasher and even grocery shopping have become very difficult tasks for me. I certainly wasn't expecting that this early on, but I'm still figuring out ways to get around the difficulties. I have no shame and recently dragged my dad with me to Target while Phill was working. With dad in tow and my meticulously organized by store aisle list, I sat in the motorized cart barking out "need that" to dad who filled my cart, loaded my car and unloaded my groceries when we got back to the house. When this fails, I've also got King Soopers Home Delivery! I utilized that the one week I was put on complete bed rest. HEY! What else am I supposed to do laying in bed all day!!
We'll all just have to sit back and see how it goes. These little girls are going to completely change my life and one of the bets on the table is if I'll ever return to TGIWF's side once they are here and I realize all the things new mothers feel. For now, I still say "see you in December". I do recognize that I've already made some changes and adjustments since learning about the girls. Yes, little pink onsies make me go Ahh and I'm wondering less about work and more about what I have packed in my hospital bag, but that's all part of the process of cutting the cord.
Mentally and physically, I'm ready to cut all the cords! (Cutting the girls cord is NOT coming soon enough!!) But I don't want to cut them so well that they can't be fused back together. Time will tell.
Recent Comments