So, how was your day?

Because this was mine:

It started with my annual checkup at the Endocrinology Clinic at Wellington Hospital and my first meeting with my new specialist.  She turned out to be very thorough, though I'm not sure she believed me when I said I was completely well.  I also got a bit of a speech about the possibility of going into premature menopause, which I tried to deflect by advising her that Hamish and I aren't planning on having children.  Other than that our consultation was uneventful, and my blood pressure is looking reassuringly normal right now (it's been pretty high the last few times it's been measured).  

Afterwards I had to wait for the nurse to take a blood draw.  The endo had requested every possible test under the sun, including a few I've never had before.  The nurse had to draw around seven individual little vials, and unfortunately she hit a nerve, so the whole experience was extremely painful.  My poor arm is now all bruised and sore, particularly when I straighten it.

After the epic blood draw I caught a bus back into town and got to work at around 10a.m.  for the last few weeks I've been preparing to take over a big project in my Department.  It's my first Project Manager position, and it's something that will be a huge challenge.  The woman I am taking over from was scheduled to go on maternity leave at the end of this month.  I'd mentioned to her that we needed to start a formal handover process in case anything happened and she had to leave work early, but she seemed keen to wait a bit longer before letting go.  

You can guess where this is going.  She left work on Friday night and went into labour, culminating in a caesarian section delivery.  I am now project manager.  Um, yup.  In between meetings today I provided urgent feedback on a draft Cabinet paper, provided guidance for one of the staff I now have responsibility for, and met the programme manager about what my priorities are over the next couple of weeks.  I need to complete a project schedule by the end of the month (I've never used Microsoft Project before), and I need to complete a draft work plan by the same date.  Oh, and I'm supposed to be going on leave for two and a half weeks in February.  

Strangely I feel completely calm.  I don't know if I'm in denial, or if it's just that I work best when I'm thrown in the deep end.  I suspect it's the latter.  I hope it's the latter!  

After all that I needed to let off some steam, so I signed up for two RPM in a row and went for it.  I was feeling physically sick during the last hill track at the end of the first class I was going so hard.  I backed it off a bit for Duck's class, but only a bit. I don't know whether it was the blood draw, the fact I hand't eaten that much that day, or 
me having gone so hard in the heat of the first class, but I was feeling a touch off the pace for 
a while there.

So now I'm at home, having consumed a bowl of pasta, a huge helping of salad and a small 
glass of celebratory wine.   It must nearly be time for bed.  Mmmmm, bed ...