Updates all 'round

My week flew by. Today is my only day off this weekend, so I'm taking full advantage of my couch.

Last Sunday night I slept about four hours. The word "slept" is really misleading, as most of my night was spent tossing and turning. My mind wouldn't shut off due to my anticipation for Monday morning.

My biggest project is behind me (it was Friday and Saturday), but Monday I was already nervous about it. This weekend, the CCCU hosted a conference about South Africa. It was basically a brainstorming session about study abroad programs that the schools (in the U.S.)want to develop with the campus in S. Africa. Also, there was talk of what is already being done there with students and faculty. About 25 people flew in from all over the U.S. and one guy even flew in from South Africa.

My first major project was to prepare for this conference. This involved: answering emails from those attending about a variety of topics (ranging from directions to hotel info to conference info), securing meal plans (reservations for dinners, catering for lunches, and setting up a breakfast spread), preparing packets of information, and other details to ensure a smooth conference. As I was preparing for this event, I was also running between my own orientation meetings with the CCCU. I barely knew how to do my job and had been thrust into preparing for (and being the "go to girl") one of their biggest conferences in the past few months! So, as one can imagine, I was a bit stressed throughout the week.

I will summurize some of the moments that flash to mind as my week ran its course:

• (Day One) I have about three orientation meetings with different staff members. Between personal meetings, I go to a business meeting that's focus was Sept 11. For lunch (that I was anticipating running home and sleeping for about 45 minutes), my boss approaches me and suggests a "working lunch" at the German restaurant I wrote of earlier. So, we go. Three bites into my lasagna, I manage to spill it down the front of my sweater. My boss says later (after I sheepishly return from the bathroom with sauce remnants on my chest), "People are going to think that I took you to lunch and butchered you." This is of course in reference to the five, quarter sized, bright red sauce spots that are screaming from my shirt. Great first impression. Go Meredith. After lunch, he drops me by my house to allow me to change. I joke that upon his lonely return, he should say that I burst into tears at lunch, overwhelmed by my work, and quit on the spot. He finds humor in this and does so. It gets a good laugh when I walk in the door (clothed in a new outfit) about ten minutes later.
• After a crazy first day, my boss calls me into his office first thing on Tuesday morning. He leaves the door open. A good sign. He asks how I'm feeling. Do I have my classic "deer in the headlights" look? Is it that obvious? "I'm feeling okay," I lie- a little. Where is this going? He nods. Tells me some more information about the CCCU. This of course, isn't sticking like it should. Then, he offers to pray for me. And we do. Awesome. I work at a job where my boss will call me into his office and pray for me.
• Tues through Thursday morning are blurs. I nervously prepare conference details. Meanwhile, in all the spare time I have (ha!), I've been combing through my email inbox. Day One I opened it and had 76. By Thursday, I'm down to 12. Yay for progress.
• Thursday (Day Four) I'm in charge of picking up our South African guest at the airport. The night before, Mal and I rode to it so that I would know how to get there. Wednesday night it took us about thirty minutes to get there. I leave the office on Thursday with 50 minutes before his flight touched down. That should be close enough. An hour later (and ten minutes past his arrival time), I've just pulled into the airport. I'm late. Panicky, I park. It's gonna be close. What if he's already gone through the welcoming area where I should be standing, sign in hand, and smile on face? I pull out the bright orange sign I've made with his name on it. Ashley. An unusual name for a male. Since I'm late, I carry the sign in a way that anyone passing me as I walk through the parking lot and terminal will see it. I pass the area where people are standing, with luggage, and waiting on a cab. "There you are! I've been looking for you!" A man walks up to me, ball cap on head, smile on face, and luggage in hand. Wow. Thank goodness I had my sign out already, I would have walked past him. I return the smile. It comes easily since I am relieved that I "caught him" before he grabbed a cab. I mumble something about the pleasure of seeing him. He interjects. "I'm just kidding you. I've always wanted to do that!" His southern accent is thick. I mean, really. What would you do? I smiled back, slightly miffed that I have wasted time "entertaining" this man while the man I am supposed to be picking up may be walking around aimlessly inside. I laugh it off and proceed to walk past him. "Entertained man" starts following me into the airport!!! And rambling... about a movie he saw where two girls took this guy on a whirlwind city ride because he thought they were other people- basically "movie character" fell for them like I did for him. I picked up my pace, mumbled something about "maybe I'll pick you up next time" (what the?), and continued inside and through the terminal to the International Arrival area. I'd lost him. He finally got the point as my back was all he was communicating to. I arrive to the International area. I don't see Ashley's flight on the screen. I wait twenty minutes, nervously. I've missed him. Finally, it flashes on the screen with "Landed" next to it. I realize how ambiguous that is. Is it on the runway, taxiing in? Are they already off the plane? Is he halfway to the CCCU by now? Do I still have a job? Thoughts were running through my head. Long story short... he finally exits from customs about 45 minutes later. It's 5:15 when we leave the airport. I pulled up at 4:05. I still have a massive amount of work on my desk before Friday morning. I still have to take him to his hotel before I return to the office. I still have to set up for breakfast in the morning.
• Thursday evening (Still Day Four)- Mal and Dave (he drove up for the weekend) help me set up the communal area for Friday's breakfast. The three of us leave the CCCU at 8:50. It looks fabulous.
• Friday and Saturday went off without a hitch. Everything ran smoothly. The conference about South Africa was in the morning (Fri.) and after lunch, most people left. Some stayed and we had other meetings. After a day of meetings, eight of us went to dinner at the German restaurant (again). Dinner was good. None of it landed in my lap, either. Quaint and informal, I got to know some of the guests who I'll be in frequent contact with from here on out. They are actually on a board that meets twice a year. This year's meeting was after the South African conference and continued through Saturday.
• Saturday went well, too. Our group of eight covered about ten topics of discussion. Well, they did. I took notes furiously to type up later. It was this afternoon that I learned of my trip to CA in March! I'll be going with my boss, Rich, to Los Angeles in March to take notes, see the campus (Biola) out there, and enjoy some CA sunshine. Yay for traveling with my new job!

So, that summarizes a lot of my week. I don't think I'll be this absent (from posting updates) in the future. I barely had time to think this week (unless it was about South Africa and 25 other people).

Mallory and Drew left earlier today for NC. Drew will return tomorrow afternoon. Mal gets back Wednesday (I think). She has business in Charlotte for a few days. So, tonight will be quiet. Just what I need.