It doesn't need to be this hard

But there's a sick sense of satisfaction when it is.

This morning I drove into work, and traffic was disastrous. As I was sitting in my car listening to the Fray and wistfully imagining how good my chai latte would taste when I finally got to have it, I received a text from R saying that she would be late getting in. Figuring that there was a very good chance that I'd also be late, I in turn texted TD to let her know that both R and I were held up. TD then responded to my text to let me know that E was out sick. Since we have such a small staff, this poses a problem since patients need to be moved around as a result. I texted R to let her know the new development, and she then texted TD to get the full, real-time scoop. Then she texted me to share the discussed resolution. I texted her back with an updated ETA based on the surprisingly dense and consistent traffic. She responded that she would see me when I arrived.

I'm not sure this is the most efficient phone tree, since calls(texts for us women who don't do voice communication pre-caffeine) seem to not only go down the list, but also climb back up. The funny thing is that no one gets in touch directly with JPow. She's not a scary boss, so avoiding her isn't at all necessary. But somehow those of us within the ranks feel compelled to cover for our own. Thus, elaborate strategies are born. And with them the seemingly female desire to multi-task whenever possible is fulfilled. I type with one finger while slowly inching toward the traffic light, a can of diet lemonade in my gear shift hand and iPod blaring distraction.