What a tough day. The pressure got to me a little today. We were able to cover payroll this month barely. This is a regular problem for KSDi apparently coming out of Summer and Ramadan, still its tough. So while my focus should be on developing more business for immediate cash, I am drawn to production as we have three deadlines coming up in the next two weeks. The frustrating part is I have a staff that sometimes is making mistakes. I have never missed a deadline, but Im in danger of that record going away. Its so frustrating when you give staff deadlines and they miss them. That puts a lot of pressure on me to compensate. It also adds to the stress (which I rarely experience). Stress is absolutely non-productive. I found myself being very short with the staff. Nice Mr. Rick went away with very concise Mr. Rick taking over. I didn’t yell…but I expressed my displeasure with the staff. Its frustrating to be frustrated. I need to get in a better mind set. I prefer to work one project at a time. But I don’t have that luxury right now, as I have to figure out how to do three simultaneously. It was further frustrating that my main editor, was out sick today. Im really concerned with the glue that keeps the office together, our office manager/production coordinator/receptionist, Simi is leaving next week for a month. Its so difficult to run a company when at any given time, there is a member of our staff gone for an entire month for their leave/vacation. That is a regular experience here with ex-pats. It really hurts when that leaving member is a key member. They don’t have any temp agencies here. So you just have to spread the work out.
Bene, our accountant is really an all-star in the office and she is very sweet. It was her birthday over the weekend so she wanted to buy everyone lunch. I offered to pay instead, but she refused. She wanted the chance to be a blessing to the office.
I made it home a little bit early, around 7. I tried to take a nap because I knew it would be a late night. It’s quiz night at JJ’s Irish Pub. It’s the first contest after Ramadan. All the bars close during Ramadan as liquor is not allowed at all. Some restaurants skirt around the issue with “special” tea served in “special” pots. But for the most part you are not supposed to find it. Quiz night is my favorite night of the week. Im pretty competitive. The guy that puts on the quiz is a friend named Paul. He does a really nice job. Except, he used to have a Film/TV round every quiz, except I would win that round virtually every time. I’ve lost that round only 2-3 times since I’ve been here. Im a total dork, but Im like “rain man” when it comes to movies and tv. The only times I’ve lost that round is when they ask UK television questions. That is why I always try to stack my team with Brits. We noticed my team tonight, 6 people from the UK, one from the US (me). So maybe I’ve been recruiting a little too well. My new friend John gave me a really nice compliment tonight. He said I have an amazing talent for drawing people together. I really appreciated that. I try to round people up for quiz night, for “Positive Living” group, for acting classes, for “Funniest Person.” I think it might be a talent, though I never really thought about it. I also felt good about getting a few calls tonight. I usually send out text messages the day of the Positive Living group announcing it. We hadn’t had it for a few weeks because of Ramadan. So we were planning on do the first one tomorrow. I had four people call me today to inquire if I was having it. That made me feel great. People miss it. Im very happy about that.
After quiz night, I rushed home to enjoy the NFL on the Internet. Its kind of funny, that the game is blacked out in Oakland, yet I can watch it live ½ around the world. I wont get much sleep tonight…but one night a week isn’t that bad. I’m glad I took my quiz night/nfl nap earlier.
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