Hey! I think I love you!

What has me channeling my inner Laurie Partridge? We have a new Account Director! AD, as I shall christen him, is taking the role previously played by Long Tall Sally and before her, The Chocolate Covered Spider. It's an important job, requiring both people kills and smarts, and we haven't had anyone good in this position for years. We've had petty, and overwhelmed, and batshit crazy, but not good.

I am extremely hopeful that AD will, indeed, turn out to be good. He's already asked smart questions, and already tried to build a relationship with me ... and he just started Monday!

I complain a lot about work, but that's because I really want to do a good job. And to do a good job, I need a competent Account Director. I hope that's exactly what AD turns out to be.

More? Really? Really!

If I may indulge in a little personification: 2016 is consciously competing to be the worst year of my life.

Yes, I've been in pain, first with c. diff and then ongoing PI-IBS. And yesterday was a bad day. Yes, I lost my beloved Joey. But believe it or not, this is just the tip of a very cold, foreboding and jagged iceberg.

First I found out about my nephew's disturbing difficulties. I know he's getting care, but he's a good kid and I love him and I hate that he's battling this.

Then there were Mindy's husband's health problems ... and my florist's heartbreak ... and money troubles -- my own possible ones and my the very real ones faced by my friends in the Keys.

But wait, there's more! My oldest friend, who had fallen off the radar for about a week, explained what was up. Her 19 year old daughter had a vicious case of the flu, complete with bloody diarrhea, so bad she ended up in the ER. My friend took a lot of time off work to care for her daughter, which concerns me as much as the flu. She's away from work a lot, and I worry how much more her bosses will accept.

And my friends in Key West were just in a car accident. No one was hurt, but their car sustained $5000 worth of damage. I cannot emphasize more how industrious they are, how hard they are trying, how tired they are.

I love these people. I feel helpless. And it's getting to where I'm scared to pick up the phone.