Well today I was challenged…. Actually, this entire week has been a challenge for me. But I have been very successful in overcoming these challenges. On Monday I had to take action and create my training web sites for 16 students. I was going to postpone the task until Tuesday, but I knew my day Tuesday was going to be busy working at Pratt. I’m glad I listened to my gut. I identified an issue right away that would not allow me to create the 16 sites and I needed to get in touch with Corporate IT to help find a resolution to the problem. If they couldn’t help me then I was going to have to take a process that would only take me an hour to do and then build 16 sites that could take me about 5-6 hours. After my Monday afternoon meeting (unrelated to the issue I identified), I came home and started begging for help from IT via email. I have to admit, I wasn’t too happy about the situation, but I knew I had a way out if I needed one.
Tuesday comes along and I was close to getting a fix to the issue. I still had to be at Pratt for the day; but was working on the fact that I may have to ask them if I can come on a different day while dealing with this emergency. Good news… by 9:15 the guys in IT had my solution in place! I could have kissed them! I met Eric and Fred at a SharePoint Users Group meeting in March, so I am hoping they remembered me! So that crisis was averted. I got the sites create and was able to get to Pratt by 11:00 a.m. The day wasn’t a loss. I also got to spend time with my new co-worker/friend Tammy! She gave me a hug when I arrived and cheered me up! So I had my challenges for Monday and Tuesday, but I worked through them.
I knew I had to teach these training classes on Wednesday and Thursday in Danbury and I was feeling a little pre-race jitters about the class. It happens to me every time for some reason. I never feel like I am 100% prepared; even though I usually do just fine in the class. My plan was to leave my house today between 6:30 and 6:45 to get to Danbury by 8:00. I woke up at 5:15 when my alarm went off and made some tea. Problem #1, I spilled my full cup of tea all over the living room rug when I accidentally kicked it with my foot. BUT, I didn’t get flustered. I was strangely calm. I put a towel over it and tried to absorb as much as I could. I got ready for the day and hit the road before 7:00. The sun was out and it was a pretty morning. I was listening to my friend Joe’s Dreamers Podcast and as I got through Meriden I heard a funny noise as I drove over something. Thirty second later I heard another strange noise like something hit the side of my car. Ten seconds later the tire pressure display on my car showed my tire pressure was rapidly falling on my right front tire – GREAT! I had to get off to the side of the highway because I just blew a tire. I was impressed by my car though. It handled so well and didn’t even feel like I had a flat. If I hadn’t heard that noise I wouldn’t have believed it.
Once I pulled over, I called my co-worker Jay on his way to Danbury and dropped a few “F bombs” and told him I may be late depending on how fast roadside assistance can get to me. Then I called my husband and dad and my husband came up to help me. A state trooper pulled up behind me and stayed by me while I was on the phone with roadside assistance. Good thing he was because the roadside assistance people said they can’t come out onto a turnpike to help; but he explained to them that it wasn’t considered a turnpike. Now I need to research what is considered a “turnpike” for future reference. He gave me the phone number for the barracks and said another trooper will be making a loop through this way and will probably stop and check on me. After sitting in the car for a few minutes and feeling it shake from the force of the cars zooming past me I decided to stand outside the car to wait. I didn’t want to be a sitting duck in the car if someone wasn’t paying attention and smashed into my car. I did try to get my spare tire out and loosen up the lug nuts on my tire, but they were on too tight. I moved my boxes and the cart from the back of my car and put them on the back seat so I had everything prepared for when either my husband arrived, or when roadside assistance arrived. I had to make this switch quick so I could keep going on towards Danbury. I knew there was a chance I could still get there on time; but worst case, I’d be there no later than 9:30.
The second trooper drove up and I told him I was going to wait outside because I didn’t want to get hit and that help was on the way and the first trooper had already stopped to check on me. They were so helpful and I admire the dangerous job they have out on the highway with all of those trucks and cars going so fast and the risk of the distracted drivers these days.
My husband arrived and changed my tire quickly and I was off and on the road again by 8:30. I arrived to Danbury by 9:05 and was in the classroom giving my introduction by 9:25! I just went with it and rolled with the punches. When I got into the classroom I wasn’t shaking or flustered, I just made light of the situation and got on with the show. It could have been so much worse. It could have been pouring rain or I could have been in an accident. I don’t know where the sense of calm came from but I was glad I kept my cool.
I mentioned to my students today that I have a blog and that my one word resolution for the year is “Challenge” and one of my students said Challenges Are An Opportunity in Disguise. I’m not sure what today’s opportunity was but it did help me connect with my students right away because they were aware of what I had happen and were sympathetic when I arrived; but I am hoping my calm demeanor helped them feel at ease that I was in control of today’s lecture and they were going to learn new things despite what a nutty start my day had!
My family took me out for dinner tonight since my week had a bumpy start and then my husband put new newly repaired tire back on my car.
