Tuesday, September 18, 2007

DAY 1 OF THE AUDIT AND I THINK IT'S ALL GOOD WELL FOR ME ANYWAY!!!

Well as promised, I will let you know how the audit is going , at least in my own mind anyway!
IT'S GOING BETTER THAN I THOUGHT!!!!!!
As I suspected, I was up first for the Safety part... items to be covered, DOT files, OSHA Training, company required training and the required documentation.
I have poured over and over my DOT * Department of Transportation* files for the last 6 months. I knew they were in great order. If there was any documentation missing I actually had a document in it's place explaining why it was missing and I had actually attempted to find anything missing. He took 5 DOT files and went through them with a fine tooth comb. out of 75 items he was looking for, 1 item was missing.!!!! He said my files looked great! (Pays to be "anal" I suppose!)
My training files, he said are better than most he's seen! My head is swelling! He did ask for a couple of items I knew I had, however, I couldn't find. I put them in a Safe Place.*shaking my head as that "safePlace" is more like the black hole!* I really need to quit doing that, it will be my demise for sure! We spent about 3 hours on my training binders and it looks like I'll keep my job for another day.!!!!
My Certificates of insurance were organized and ready to be looked at however, my company seems to ask for very large sums of coverage, and most smaller businesses can't afford the premiums so there are some issues there which it almost sounds like it shouldn't be too much of a problem??? I guess we'll see.
Our Safety Auditor is something else...He's one of these very " safety on the mind" guys with a very bizzare sense of humor... however it's a bit too much when he is complaining about one of our Mechanic's coverall being...too dirty! GADS - I'm seriously shaking my head at that one! shop, garbage company you figure it out!
We'll be having a closing interview on Friday and hopefully all will be well and we'll have passed with flying colors.!!!!!
All the stress and long hours..(and I did work almost 49 hours last week to make sure all is in order, definitely paid off! ) I wasn't sure Friday whether I was going to make it through, with out killing someone!~ Thanks Rob for letting me vent!!
And how's your week going?

Friday, September 14, 2007

I can't believe I'm doing it again!!!!

In February WE (we meaning Management) received a memo from our Controller that there was going to be an audit in September. February, People!!!!! Well, guess what September is upon us and so is the audit and everyone is in a panic.! OMG!

I've been since April slowly going through my files, getting everything organized, because, after all this is the "year of the organize Ann!" I've been relatively calm, for my usual uptight self, and thinking "I'm good! I've got everything organized and I'm ready." Enter... the other players! My favorite 3 supervisors: Dave, who is on it! He's doing what he supposed to be doing when he is supposed to be doing and does it without incident. Don, Who is right behind Dave in the getting things done. He started the year with a serious health issue but is back to his old self with the exception, he's not at work 13 hours a day. But stuff got done, maybe not on the same time schedule as Dave but he's on it! I needn't worry. Then there's Jim! I love Jim the most! He' s my procrastinator... Last minute in everything... but yet the first to Stress out...I think Jim is seriously A.D.D.!!! He's always bouncing from one thing to the other, and always goes out of his way for his drivers! And seems to be the Butt of every one's jokes he takes it in stride most of the time!
CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAVE WITH MY 3 FAVORITE SUPERVISORS!
Dave: Do you have my Safety meeting notes for the First 3 months of the year?
ME: Huh? Aren't they in your safety meeting binder I prepared for you? '
Dave: No I remember I gave them to you.
ME: HUH????!!!! (He probably did...I 've got a crappy memory and stress doesn't help.)

Me: Don, you don't seem as stressed as everyone else ... you're totally on top of it!
Don: NO, not really, just not verbalizing my stress...
Me thinking to myself...Don I want your valium!

Me: Jim do you have all your safety meetings up to date???
Jim: I will by the end of the week.
Me: How far behind....oh no don't tell me!
Jim: remember those driver MVR reports you gave me back in March..???
Me: YYYEEESSSS. (hating what I'm about to hear, yet knowing what is about to come out of his mouth)
Jim: I found them,
Me: I knew I gave them to you!
We both smile, I promised Jim I would turn in to a nag from now on if we pass this audit with semi flying colors, so I never have to deal with late paperwork again!

Oh what fun,!!! Oh what headaches I've been having. Oh what knots in my neck! I have to admit though it's not all work! Actually I love being at work and I love my 3 boys! There is something calm in the fact that I neither married them nor gave birth to them!!!

it's been a helluva week!

But I have turned myself back into a fricking workaholic again and It hasn't been too good for my mental or physical well being... 2 more weeks and It will be all over! I'm up first on Monday morning! Am I confident I'm in Compliance with DOT and OSHA!??? ABSOLUTELY MAYBE! ok about 98%
BUT I'LL LET YOU KNOW !!!
It's off to bed now as I've got to work tomorrow (Saturday) morning
Happy Friday people, I did have opportunity to go camping, I should have gone camping!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

HAS IT REALLY BEEN A MONTH???

Hey Guys!
I'm looking at my last post and see it's been almost a month since I last signed on! I signed on this morning (and yes, it 12:30am) and almost couldn't remember my password, what a spazzz! Alas,here I am! Yes, I should be asleep as I will be up in about 4.5 hours, but I needed to let you know, Ann is still among the living!
What's new, you ask?
Well, I could say, "not much", but I would be lying, I could go into detail, but, that would be boring. So suffice it to say, a lot has been going on!


Yes, my friends this would be Harry Wayne Casey or as you 70's kids would know him as K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band!!!!! Oh my God!!! He played at the State Fair, in Sacramento at the end of August, my friend Liz and I went, we were like 11 rows from the stage! OMG!!!! I felt like I was 15 again!!!! It was awesome or I guess I should say Groovy? Cool? (though it was hardly cool that day! 108 degrees that day...0 so much for looking all...sexy ! Not with sweat running down your back and other places! The first words out of his mouth was "damn it's hotter than hell, here!" The crowd went wild! That didn't seem to stop KC from giving us a most excellent show! He announced to the younger members of the audience..." for those too young to know who I am, I'm your mother's Justin Timberlake!" Again the crowd loved it.! His back up singers were fabulous and his dancers, well, I'm thinking they had been pole dancers in a previous life... But the show was incredible and he still has it for being 57! Still dances like a "white boy", but who cares! that night he was 30 years younger and so was I!!!!



Football season has snuck in again! GO BEARS!!!! That's me and baby K, Suited up and ready!!!! Not the best picture of Nonni, but oh well!!! It's game day!!!!! Well, it was not the best game, but the way I figure it is, they have one gratuitous bad game and then it's back to a 15-1 season! Go Bears!
How About Kevin Everette! Man, it seems that he's beaten some serious odds there! from "we're not sure hes going to make it to, He's never going to walk again to it's a miracle! It looks like while his career could be at an end, His life isn't! And that's really all that's important! Godspeed Kevin!
I was in my first football pool last week....I suck! I had some help with my picks. Rob,(my cute Italian) now knows I pick a team based on less than athletic ability and more like , hummmm I like jeff fisher, he's cute or .... I can't stand that quarter back he's a jerk, that coach is an arrogant prick (I'm hoping that's an endearing quality, since I know "Jack "about sports! Which is how I also pick my NASCAR driver, Elliot Sadler!Baby is adorable! plus he looks good in RED!)etc. and well, of course I picked my boys from Chicago, cuz, they're my Boyz! Come on Rexy, I'm in your corner!!! I though, have grown to love Payton Manning! He's a total crack up! I love his humor...he's on Bob and Tom in the Morning , oh my God he's hilarious!

Summer is done and School is in! little G is now in the 8th Grade, and will be doing the 8th grade trip to Washington DC next month! She's excited yet a bit nervous about the Plane. I tried to assure her she'll be fine! 1000's of planes fly everyday without any problems...She'll have a blast!

Anyway friends I just looked at the clock and it's really late I can just go to be to get up in a short 3 hours and spend another relaxing day at the job! We're preparing for a huge 2 week audit.... funny thing is we've known about this audit since February and everyone NOW is stressing about it as it will begin next Monday! Geez people get a grip!

And how are you guys doing? I've missed you and I will promise to stay in better contact!