CLAY AND WATTLES

Full Circle

I'm sitting in for Beck while she's off the next couple of months. She's having back (upper) surgery Monday. I'm so sorry she will have to have this, but it's a "have-to" case. She already has numbness in her right arm/hand and it won't get better left alone.

This is my first day back at my "old place," where I started out 37 years ago. Not at this actual spot, but in this job, as secretary, but now it is Administrative Assistant. This part of our offices was completed in 1970 I think and I had been here since January, 1969. My first office was in a wide hallway between the accounting office and the office manager's office.

When Arkansas Electric was in the furniture business, Jerry Varner came here and measured for the desk and furniture in this office and I chose the colors - light pecan and a gold formica top (in the 1970's that was one of the colors). It lasted and was wonderful, sturdy furniture, for about 33 years, until the offices were renovated. Now there is factory-built metal faux cherry furniture most everywhere. Some cabinets have been built and some furniture is more substantial than other pieces.

I did this job as well as the insurance "clerking" and new employee enrollments, terminations, retirements (what is not my job as Benefits Administrator). My heart sank when I realized I would be doing both again. Could I? I decided to make the best of it and what is the worst than can happen? Really nothing that can't be fixed. I'm too old now to panic over too much. I'm glad I know what the jobs are, where Becky's files are, what is expected, what the job is. What I don't know, I can ask. I was able to do a lot of my computer work from her computer because of networking. I go in the "backdoor" through the internet so to speak to have access to both our emails at the same time. We both get reports and notices by email and this saves time not having to log on and off every time to alternate between them.

The copier/printer is wonderful and I don't have to feed envelopes one at a time, like on my little HP in my office (which I am thankful for). I see more people and the day has flown by.

I have to get her chair rollers fixed, though. The rollers are worn out. She's a stronger person than I am rolling it around when it hangs and the rollers don't swivel. I swapped chairs this afternoon and my chair rolls like glass!

So far, so good...