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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Please can we have some fall?

My top is completely saturated!
This morning I ran 12 miles, the first six easy and the last six "moderate". I started out at about 8 min pace and ended around 7:10 pace. It was disgustingly humid. Besides one little week of real fall weather, we have had sunny, humid 80's here since the beginning of October. I came home completely sweat drenched (probably partly due to my late wake-up; since Wednesdays are my short day at work I tend to sleep in a little and get started around 7 am).
I'm really ready for some cold weather, but luckily we'll get some next week...because we're going on vacation! We rather last-minute decided to go to Paris for six days. I can't wait to laze around in cafes and get art-drunk at the Louvre. I do intend to keep running while I'm there, but I swapped this week and next week on my calendar (this week should have been a post-race easy week, but it will have to wait). Next week should be nothing worse than 8 or 10 easy miles.

I definitely need a vacation. I'm at the point at work where one little thing will set me off, and since I work closely with lots of doctors and nurses I need to make sure I don't offend anyone with a brusque answer. Already yesterday I hung up on a rude caller - yeah, stellar customer service skills here. But this dude was really a nut job. He was trying to get a controlled substance filled early and was angry that he couldn't ... but the clincher is that he wasn't even my patient. He uses another pharmacy! I have no idea why he called me to rant, but at one point 15 minutes into the conversation I just told him, "Look, I have sick patients I have to take care of. I can't spend any more time on your problem, because there is nothing I can do. Please call your doctor or the pharmacy where you are actually filling your medication." Click. That was that.

What is so stressful about work besides drug-addict patients? I've gotten very busy, which = successful. I opened my pharmacy April 2011, so my first fiscal year results came out in September. I absolutely smashed my corporate-assigned goals. In fact, I beat my projections by so much that I received a second incentivized bonus for the year for being the highest percentage over goal volume in the district. That's nice, and I like the decreased stress of good performance (nothing worse than feeling like you are doing poorly at work!), but the truth is that to continue these results I need help! I've been trying to hire someone, but I guess what everyone says about the job market is true: the jobs are out there, but the skilled workers are not necessarily available.

So now I'm off to work to rapidly train the pharmacist who's substituting for me while I'm on vacation. There's a lot to teach her and only 6 hours to do it in!

Any must-do Paris items for my list? 


15 comments:

  1. Have fun in Paris!! How amazing!

    I applaud the way you handled that guy! I can not handle rude/aggressive patients. I need to get(find??) a backbone or something..ugh.

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  2. Paris to-do list: Smack a Frenchman. Smack another Frenchman!

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  3. Congrats on the successful year! And I love Paris--feeling pretty jealous right about now. Have a delicious glass of red for me.

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  4. Enjoy Paris! Hopefully you are able to do a race while you are there!

    Your comment about jobs in the US seems to ring true in all industries out there "the jobs are out there, but the skilled workers are not necessarily available."
    This is why Obama needs to try to stress that education is the key to success in this country. And then maybe the jobs won't leave this country to go abroad to find the right worker.

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  5. have a wonderful time! Paris is definitely one of my favorite places! There are some really lovely places to run :)

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  6. Paris! Awesome enjoy that is cool....

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  7. Oh wow, Paris?! I've never been but will live vicariously through you when you report back to us :)

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  8. have fun in paris!! it sounds like you deserve it, need it, and better get up and close with some chocolate crepes or whatever else they serve there.

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  9. OH MY GOSH HAVE SO MUCH FUN! As you probably know, I am obsessed with Paris. I highly recomend doing the Fat Tire Bike Tour. It's SO much fun and a great way to see a lot of the city. I recommend the evening one as you get to do a boat ride on the Seine and they serve wine.

    Besides that, try to hit up a food market if you have time - there is a great one in the Bastille. Have crepes - both savory and sweet. And if you want a decadent hot chocolate, go to Angelina's. It's TO DIE FOR. But so rich, so you might want to split it with your husband if he likes sweets.

    HAVE SO MUCH FUN!!

    Oh, and if it makes you feel better - we are getting snow flakes today. NOOOOOO!!

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  10. I'll trade you weather...we just got 9 inches of snow. Have a fun, relaxing vacation!

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  11. I was just thinking the same thing about my warm fall weather over here in California...I really can't wait for hot chocolate weather and to feel cold on a run! :)
    soooo exciting that you will get to run around Paris! I definitely think the best way to tour a city is by foot (running!!)
    Have a great trip!!
    xoxo!

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  12. There is a restaurant (I can't remember the name) a few blocks walking distance from the Moulan Rouge that has straw on the floor and little piggies freely running around! It is cute and very clean and the food is awesome. A cafe experience like no other!

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  13. whoa! i like your style. and if you found an amazing deal on flights you have to share you know!

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  14. Have fun in Paris! I love the Montmarte district and just wandering around, getting lost is fun too!

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