One of the reasons for my fatigue recently is feeling unwell - I caught yet another cold ( about the third in so many months ) . I normally seem not to be so prone to colds and general bugs and viruses that are around, but this year I'm being affected by them on a fairly regular basis. Nothing serious or dangerous ... just stupid coughs and sneezes that make my head ache, my nose run like a leaky tap ( or block up completely) and prevent me from sleeping properly... but energy draining all the same. The weather hasn't helped matters - it has been wet and damp for most of the Summer - but there is another reason for my 'get-up-and go' just getting up and disappearing ..... work stresses and strains.
Work has been busy .... it usually is this time of year. Despite the indifferent weather for most of June, July and this month, the sun has made an appearance once or twice ... and with the sun comes plans for barbecues and picnics ... so people need bread rolls for their burgers and loaves for their sandwiches. When it has been busy, it has got very busy at times... things have been a bit of a struggle, but I did what I normally do - put my head down and just work, work and work ... . I've also got a new set of sales targets to achieve, so I'm working even harder to meet them ( and keep they who must be obeyed happy ). Then, just to add to my tiredness and to totally stress me for the last three weeks, we developed a small problem ....... well, the cause of the problem is small, but the problem itself isn't .... and the longer we have the problem, the more serious it becomes. Let me explain ....
The problem comes in the form of something with a little pink twitching nose, tail and a preference for chewing cardboard, and breeding like rabbits - mice. Not good news, especially considering where I work. They can chew and eat the rolls, leave droppings everywhere and are generally BAD NEWS. It has been a nightmare. They seem to have got inside the store and taken up residence under one of the back-up freezers. Despite all the cleaning I do to keep my area hygienic, my area is just a ready made source of food for them. It doesn't do my stress levels any good to open a drawer, or move a box in the fridge and have a mouse looking at you, or dart across the floor .... (yes, funny when you read it here ... not when it happens to you ... ) everytime I see something move ( or appear to move ) out of the corner of my eye, I jump a mile. Adding to all this is the fact that my work area, although tucked away, does back directly onto the shop floor. If one of our little rodent friends decided to make an appearance there ... then we are in big, BIG trouble ! ... the kind that could close the store - hence the high stress levels.for all concerned. I know it is not entirely my fault ... I'm only human, I clean as good as I can and I follow the rules ... but that doesn't stop me stressing. It is being dealt with - pest control have been in with their traps and poison and we have caught a few - but until we get the all clear ( for now ), I'm still going to be on tender hooks. At least I haven't seen them for the past week .... doesn't mean they have gone though .....
So you can see, I've been a little stressed and under the weather. All I have wanted to do at the end of the day is go to sleep ( not very productive to writing a blog, or doing anything else really ... ) - but things are getting better now ... I think ?. Life goes on .....
