I Am Having A Surprisingly Stressful Week

It kind of blindsided me, but it is stressful.

I found work, and being unemployed is kind of stressful.  But I started yesterday (Tuesday), and there are a lot of things I need to do that I don't have a handle on.  And the person who's training is the person I'm replacing on an interim basis, so if I don't get this down by Thursday, I'm screwed.  And since Labor Day is Monday, there's a damn good chance I'll forget everything she taught me when I come back next week.

Then there's the Mensa thing.  The local Mensa chapter has had a booth at the Minnesota State Fair for years now.  I first thought of joining after passing by it once.  Well, the LocSec (the Local Secretary, aka the boss of the chapter) sets up three daily four-hour, two-person shifts for the booth for the entirety of the Fair, and there were two holes left to fill.  Because I want to be a more-active member of Mensa, I volunteered to staff our booth Thursday.  But that means I have to cut out of work an hour early (thus losing out on a hour's wage), get there on time, be able to solve the puzzles we have on display, stay awake for four hours, and be civil to anyone who comes by our booth.  I'm sure I'll get some asshole who'll ask me a question to which I won't know the answer, to which he'll say, "Ha!  You're not as smart as you think you are, dumbass!" which will force me to commit violence on his ass, and that will mean I'll get drummed out of Mensa.  Just you watch.

And then there's Saturday, the beginning of my alma mater's football season.  Expectations are high, but that's not the reason I'm anxious.  I'm anxious because, once again, I have to find a spot to watch our football game away from our customary home.  This carriage deal is getting ridiculous, but if you're the head of your alumni club and your football team is a traditional power, what is there to do?  Last year, in a similar situation, we went just up the street.  A week or so ago I went back to that place to inquire about watching it there again, and the bartender said I should take it up with the people working Saturday.  That means that there's no reason to do anything before then.  But that means I'm not 100% sure we can go there, and if we can't, it'll be too late to find a different spot.  It's just waiting till we get closer to kickoff.  That hasn't stopped me from telling people that's where we're going this weekend; hope to Buddha I won't be proven a fool.

So Thursday and Saturday are the really excruciating days to deal with this week.  But along with Tuesday, it has been plenty excruciating.  Once I get to Saturday evening, I can breathe a sigh of relief.  Maybe.