Smile Big

I hate begging for money but that is what I m going to be doing quite a lot in the upcoming weeks starting tomorrow. Remember I had these wonderful plans of Taking Fridays off all though August? Well, tomorrow I got trapped into a meeting. I am meeting with the director of the State office of Rehabilitation., at 10:30 am. I am meeting with him to sell him on the idea that my organization needs a substantial increase in funding. My office been laboring under sever budget cuts the past four years. We have always talked about developing a aggressive marketing plan then aggressively putting the plan into action. The “plan” has always been just that: a plan; Just so much hot air. We the new director has the notion we should contact the directors of each of our contract agencies and ask for an increase. I, of course, just nodded my head in agreement. The boss announced that she is leaving for Alaska the first week in September and wants the contacts set by the time she leaves.

I have been dreading this exercise ever since, dragging my feet hoping something would happen but nothing and I realized with a start that I am not working tomorrow and I would have to answer the boss something when she asks how I am doing at staff meeting this coming Monday…just a week before she leaves for AK. So, I call the one director and get him!! I have known this person for years and I quite like the guy. It’s different now, now that he is “supreme director” of his agency. He is beginning to morph he is just not the same old guy. I was kind of hoping that I would be able to get an appointment for sometime next week—this would be something to report in staff meeting. But no, he is busy all next week “How about tomorrow?” I gulp, “sure, what time works for you” He says 10:30 and I say “Done”. So I might as well just come in at my usual time. And prep for the meeting. Luckily the other director was not in—so, I left a message on her service with hopes of setting a meeting with her next week.

Now, that I have gotten “my feet wet”. I feel somewhat energized; I am even looking forward to doing these meetings. I started getting these positive feelings listening to the recording of the Dir. of Special Ed’s voice. I realized she would be nice and cordial and she would or would not increase our funding level. She would be sad, or at least feign sadness that she could not full fill my request. Or she would smile and say “Yes! I would be happy to increase your budget request!” but this I doubt seriously. But in either case I will have something to report to Staff and give a great illusion of job commitment.
So I am coming in a half day tomorrow. I had to be in town tomorrow over lunch anyway for the Writers Guild lunch tomorrow at 11:30 am not far from the meeting. I’ll still have the afternoon off and that’s better then northing.