My Weblog

I'm still here

I haven't posted in a while for numerous reasons. First, I am thoroughly bored with what I have to post about--either the job or which of the various parts of my body are acting up on any given day. Pretty boring stuff, not just for you but for me. Second, among the problems with posting is my unhappy left hand. It is weak, with tremors, and it surely doesn't type very well right now. It makes creating a post a painfully slow process. But, I'll give it a try.

First, I've concluded we have not killed the kidney infection. I have known something was wrong, but couldn't pinpoint what it was til yesterday at work. After my break, I figured out that I had a dandy case of "flank pain" just like I had before. My legs often hurt when I have to walk, but the "flank pain" hits the hips hard, so it's a different kind of pain. Symptoms of this round of the UTI include the "flank pain", crazy burning when urinating, possible fever (battery is gone on my digital thermometer), fatigue, nausea, urinary frequency and urinary urgency. I think, also, the lingering problems with my left hand are part of it. I think the antibiotics I took were insufficient to deliver a death blow to the infection so it has flared up again. I'll have to see a doctor.......which is something I abhor.

I posted recently about being extremely angry about what happened at work (See a post titled "I'm calmer now"). I did a little exploration and learned the following: the day began with the capo in charge/no head cashier. The head cashier who took over from her is new and part-time. Apparently, she is still "in training" and not supposed to be left alone up front, but she was indeed alone up there. And, when she came in, the capo had repeated an error she's made before in that breaks had not been given as they should have been up to then. So the trainee was left alone and behind the 8-ball.  I suppose, in a way, it's good that I was the person who got the shortest end of the stick. The poor trainee would surely have gotten a tongue lashing from some of my compatriots. Barring a tongue lashing, perhaps a back stabbing. I've kept my mouth shut. I tracked her down this past Sunday and told her I figured out what had happened and I hoped I was as decent to her as I thought I was. She seemed to agree that I had not been hard on her. I try so hard not to be an embarrassment to Daddy.................

Anyway, yeah, I'm still here.

 

 

 

I'm calmer now.............

but I was really angry yesterday when I left work. The good part of the day was that I got to spend the day in Lumber. The bad part was that I paid a price for the privilege.

I reported to work at 7AM as scheduled. I got my 9AM break in a reasonably timely manner. 11AM rolled around and no one came to relieve me for my second break. I waited and waited and did the "I've gotta pee" dance. If you call to remind them you're still waiting, you run the risk of making them mad--I've had that happen with a head cashier screeching at me into the phone. I held out to 11:50, just sure my relief would show up any second. At 11:50, I finally called. I was told they were waiting for one particular person "to come back" so they could send her down to relieve me. I was told they'd send her down in just a few minutes. At 12:23 i called again--33 minutes later. I was told they were sending someone right then. Apparently there are people in that store who walk slower than I do. 17 minutes later, my relief showed up. That's a REALLY slow walk. And, it wasn't the person I was told would be coming. I went outside for my break and came back in at 12:51. I think I managed to not sound really angry when I said "I'm back from my second break. We have 9 minutes til my shift is over. Where would you like me?" At that point, I was told to just go home. So, I lost a few minutes pay and waited very close to 4 hours for a break.

I really was spittin' mad. Thankfully, I held my tongue. The head cashier on duty was new and a part-timer. Additionally, she was on alone and she came on to a "shop" that had been "run" by the front end capo di capo. That person has been known to "forget" to send anyone on break during her time up there, putting the head cashier who came on after her way behind the 8-ball. I like the new part-time head cashier and she's always been friendly to me. I think she was just stressed out. However, I couldn't help but notice that there were 4 people in customer service as well as 3 registers open in the front end. Surely one of those people could have been pried loose before 12:40...................Sometimes, when the front end is particularly busy, one of the managers will open a register--no managers in sight yesterday. Or, maybe not salvageable if you're new, you're in over your head and trying to redeem someone else's mistakes.............I am going to speak to the new head cashier about it, if only to clear the air between us...............

I started a post Friday stating that my back and legs had been remarkably good that day. Allergies, however, were bad--my eyes burned like they had hot peppers rubbed in them and I sneezed and snuffled all day--in spite of benedryl. By Saturday I had both allergy problems and back and leg pain. I was released to come home about 20 minutes early. The odd thing was that before I got the van out of the parking lot, my eyes settled down as did the congestion in my head. Sunday was a repeat of Saturday. So, all things considered, in spite of the screwed up break, being in Lumber was a blessing. I managed to stay at work only by medicating my back with muscle relaxers. I've continued taking them today and it feels better. Hopefully, that is still the case in the morning.

I had a grab and run shoplifter Saturday. The thief got away with a $169.00 Drill/Driver. I have now decided that 1) I will not take my hand off pricey merchandise until either a card is in the card processor or the cash is in my hand, and 2) I will not remove the anti-theft "turtle" from merchandise until after I've been paid. Those "turtles" make such a nasty piercing noise they've been the first thing I've attended to in the past, but not so anymore. I'll have to learn to deal with that obnoxious noise...........

Well, that's it for tonight.

 

Creature of Habit?

It's a little past 9:30AM. I've gathered everything to go to work--sweater, thermos cup of coffee, tumbler of water, tote bag--and headed out the door. Of course, I said goodbye to Parker, reassuring him I'd be back home after a while, telling him I had to go earn the money to buy his dogfood, and admonishing him to be a good boy while I was gone. Now he's in the backyard and I'm back in my chair. After I'd gone outside, it hit me that maybe I didn''t have it quite right. I came back in, checked the notes I'd made last night, and realized I'm not due at work til 1PM. I wonder what they'd have done if I'd shown up 3 hours early..............

I hate to do it--my hair and make-up look just about perfect--but i just might lie down for a nap. Likely, that'll ruin the "perfection", but I'm kicking off three days in a row and whatever rest I can get may be beneficial...........

In the alternative, I could do a little work around here.

I made hard boiled eggs in the instant pot last night. Then I mixed up the ingredients for deviled eggs. I ate one in lieu of "breakfast food" this morning and more than a few last night in lieu of dinner. I LOVE doing the eggs in the IP because they are so easy to peel. Many times in the past I've lost patience with the process of peeling hard boiled eggs. Sometimes I called for reinforcements and Joe would come to help. Peeling hard boiled eggs just was NOT in his skill set. I was remembering last night how many times I'd tell him "you have to get under the membrane" and his deer-in-the-headlights look in response. You'd eat the eggs he peeled but you'd NEVER take them to a party--they were mangled but still tasty.

That's all for now.............

 

 

Could you stand a praise report?

I have told you often enough about the pain in my legs. It seems only fitting I tell you it is getting better. I can now walk, without a cart to support me, from the van to the far end of the store's front end without thinking "I'll never make it". The pain is not totally gone but is lessened a lot. Such a relief!

I'm home today, working on things around here and trying to figure out which local grocery store has the most values for me this week. I think it's Smith's, the Kroger affiliate. They have pineapples for $.88 each with no limit on the # purchased. If they are decent, I plan on buying at least 10 so I can preserve some. They also have a BOGO on boneless beef roast. I'll have to check the price, but that offer has potential.  I usually find wonderful things in their markdown areas as well.

Still plugging away on catching up on budget stuff. At least, I am finally within a month. That's not much to brag on but I've been out of whack on that for a while so this is the best it's been in months. I guess I have quietly revised some of my budgeting procedures. I was paying everything in cash--everything for which I did not do bill pay. However, when the legs were at their worst, it was a life saver to be able to order groceries for delivery and to just use my debit card at the gasoline pump instead of traipsing into the store, standing in line to hand over the cash, walking back to the van, pumping gas, back into the store to wait for change. So, part of my paycheck is now going into the checking account to cover these purchases and to make up the deficit that comes from not enough Social Security every month. And so, I have more or less abandoned the Dave Ramsey envelope system. I think what I'm doing now is better. It seems to me I used money more freely before because it was available in the envelopes.............

Remember the wound on my arm from my battle with the wind, the shopping cart, and the car door? The scab has finally come off. As I suspected (it was a deep wound), it's gonna leave a scar. It doesn't bother me--I earned it.

And, with that, it's time to get on to other things. Have a blessed day.............

 

A day off...........

Only home for the one day, but so grateful for it. I am supposed to be at work at 6AM tomorrow and 7 AM the day after. Please pray that I'll wake up in time!!!!!!!!!! Last time I pulled one of these early shifts I overslept by two hours..............

At least with crazy start times, I get off early in the day.

You know I've been struggling because, for months, my hours and, thus, my paycheck were cut by 25%. Now all of a sudden i have 2 weeks coming up each with an extra shift beyond what I would normally work before the cuts. I'm grateful for the extra money--I just hope my body holds up to it all.

This morning I made a list of 7 things I needed to try to get done today. So far, I've completed 4 and have made some progress towards finishing a 5th. Not a stellar performance but better than some days in the recent past. I've paid all of May's bills except the mortgage. I can't pay that til I deposit part of my paycheck to cover it. I went to the other bank and collected my paycheck so tomorrow I will make that deposit where my checking account is located. Then I went and filled up the van with gasoline. The price of gasoline has risen $.28 a gallon since the last time I made a purchase. Ugh! Saturday morning: When I drove past 2 days ago, the station at the end of my street had gasoline for $3.34/gallon. I paid $3.23. Today, the price at that same station at the end of my street had gasoline for $3.43/gallon.

I've stripped the bed and washed the blanket I keep on top to catch Parker's hair. Next, the blanket is headed for the dryer and the sheets will be washed. Changing the bed linens is no fun. Somehow Parker moves the mattress (with me lying on it) when he jumps up onto the bed. I have to lift and push the mattress back into place--no easy chore, particularly with only one hand fully functional. And then there's all the bending. None of this is a good thing for my back...........Finished this last night and paying the price for it today. But, what's a girl yo do? You have to have clean sheets somrtime..........

I've worked on the kitchen a lot, dragged trash cans around, worked some on the budget program. 

Apparently I messed myself up. I'm guessing with the work on the bed, particularly the lifting and shoving. Anyway, my back is wrecked today. They had extra bodies at work today and I was offered the chance to come home. I worked from 6 to 7:40 and left. I've been in bed most of the time since then...............

One job I didn't get to yesterday was cleaning out the fridge. I guess I will tackle that this afternoon. Should be okay if i drag a stepstool over to sit on instead of bending.

Don't worry--I'm taking it easy...............

Monday Morning

Have intentionally not posted for a couple of days. I needed to think about what I might say. I saw the kids on Friday and I was kind of disappointed. I had pre-arranged the time I would pick them up and I arrived one minute late. They were still in their PJs. So I had to wait while they got dressed and then got sent back in to brush their teeth. I had expected they'd be ready to go. I did get a hug from DGD when I arrived but not from DGS2. We went out to eat. The two of them were totally involved with each other and the kids menu at the restaurant. I just sat and watched, enjoying their interaction and knowing they would feel strange with me at first. Finally they had finished all the games on the kids menu, had compared their answers to each other, and settled in. We talked a little but it was pretty noisy and we were done eating so we headed back to my ex SIL's house.

I had brought ex SIL and his lady a beautiful plant as a thank you for their kindness. I had considered buying the kids some candy or something but decided not to. I knew they would get candy here in LV and again when they got back to their mother's so they surely didn't need more candy. I did find a cute stuffed animal DGD might have liked, but nothing I felt certain DGS2 would like. So, my plan was to give each of them some money. However when we arrived back at their Dad's house, they jumped out of the van, headed straight for the garage door, entered the combination, went into the garage and closed the garage door. I had barely made it to the rear of the van by the time they disappeared from sight.

One of them may have said "good bye". I think I heard that. And then they were gone. I was left standing at the curb in shock. I didn't even get the chance to give them the money I'd planned to give them. I paced back and forth for a short time trying to decide what to do. Finally, I just decided to leave. Seemed silly to have to ring the doorbell, be let in, pass out money and leave again..........

Their father's mother was there, visiting from the Washington/Oregon area. She was also there when I saw them at Christmas. I felt, at that time, that I was horning in on her time with them. I felt less that way this time. I was tempted to be jealous that she would get to spend much more time with them, but then I remembered the many many hours I got to spend with them when they were small while she was 1000 miles away. On balance, perhaps I have still had more time with them. I am blessed.

I worked yesterday--a 5-hour shift. We had cashiers crawling on top of other cashiers. It seemed the head cashiers were at a loss as to what to do with all of us. We were not slammed, just steadily busy.

I had a couple of customers who were the epitome of patience. They had a security door which rang up at $239. The gentleman indicated it was priced at $209 on the shelf. Most of the time customers get this wrong--there is either a requirement to buy multiples to get the discount or they have picked up a different item. However, I called the correct department and was told that special price had ended but since the sign was still there to give them the special price. When I did, the system required an okay from a manager. Called and called on the head cashiers phone and no one answered. Paged for a manager--no one came. Finally called Customer Service and asked them to please send someone. All in all, it was close to ten minutes spent on the darned door. I was so grateful the customers did not get angry and take it out on me.

Anyway I was very grateful to arrive home.

Workaday World

Did my 6-hour shift tonight. I ended up working a bit over which didn't thrill me. I just kept telling myself that those extra minutes meant extra pennies in the paycheck. When I first got there, it was "a cast of thousands" which thinned out as the night progressed. I spent the whole shift except about half an hour on my "favorite" register. No luck at seeing Lumber tonight. By the time I got past the first 2 hours I was hurting. For the first time in a long time I resorted to half a tramadol. That carried me through the shift. The main problem is that every time I take one of those, I end up with a splitting headache. So, after I got home, I took some ibuprofen and I'm feeling better.

I have been dehydrating grapes. I end up having to run the dehydrator about 30 hours, but the results are SO much better than any raisins you've ever bought in the grocery store. I don't end up with little bullets. They're sweet and slightly soft, just soft enough to give a "burst" of flavor when I chew them. They make for a delicious snack and they're reasonably healthy. I'm thrilled to find the grapes on sale.

I'm also taking grape tomatoes to eat at work. I figure those are a healthy snack as well. Lots of beneficial Lutein in them.

My left hand is still iffy. I can open a jar if I hold the jar with my right hand and twist the lid with my left hand. However, I don't seem to be able to hold the jar with my left hand and twist the lid with my right. This makes no sense to me, but it is what it is. There is also a recurrent tremor in my left hand.

Thursday morning

I work again tonight. I'd much rather stay home for a nice long nap. So tired...........

I actually accomplished a little last night. Carried out some recycling. Did a load of laundry. Hand washed some dishes. Worked on hot spot #2 in the entry way. I still need to carry some stuff to the garage but it looks better in there.

Do you remember I was horribly itchy after the second dose of Levaquin? Well, it's back. My back itches almost constantly. I try to resist scratching but when I can't hold out any longer, I have a long-handled, natural bristle bath brush lying close by. That helps. I have no idea what started this again.

Thursday night

I worked my shift. I did get to go to Lumber for about two hours but had to stand for all but about 20 minutes. Even 20 minutes was a relief for which I'm grateful.

I pulled another bandage off my arm. It's still oozing! I wish that would stop so I could rid myself of the bandage. It's beginning to itch. I've always heard that itching is a sign of healing. I hope that's true.

I will see the kiddos tomorrow morning. I'm pretty excited about that. I bought a plant at work tonight. I want to give it to my ex son-in law and his lady as a small thank you. I'll take the kids out for brunch. It will be only the two youngest but they'll keep me busy and entertained. They're both quite intelligent and we'll have a good conversation.

I'm still chipping away at things around here. I have a load of laundry going in the washer and a sink full of hot water and dirty dishes. I'm also dragging things in from the van so things are not in the way when the kids go to sit down. One of the things I'm bringing in is bottles of Tide detergent. The store featured them for $2.50 a bottle and then I got my discount off that. That day I found a $20 bill so I had the money to stock up. Laundry detergent doesn't spoil, LOL. Each bottle claims to be enough for 25 loads. That will last me a long time!

That's about it for now.

 

A day at home

I didn't have to go to work today. Instead I worked around here. Different work, less pain, less pressure. I've carried trash and recyclables outside. Sadly, today was pickup day so what I've carried out will have to wait a week to be carted away. I did manage to get the recycling to the curb when I got home last night. I unloaded the dishwasher and handwashed a lot of dishes. I dumped the contents of the totebag I take to work and went through everything--my "load" should be lighter tomorrow. I also sorted through stuff that has landed on my favorite "hot spot"--the dining room table. I've worked on the budget though I'm still far behind. And I sorted through piles of paper, filing much, recycling some, marking some for the shredder. I wish I could say I'd done more.

I work both Wednesday and Thursday and this is the week where EVERY shift is the late shift rather than the mid day shift I'd requested. Last night I got to spend the whole shift in Lumber and so managed to get home relatively stress free.

I finally stopped last night after work and collected the cash from my paycheck. That always makes me smile. So grateful for the bit of comfort that affords.

I found out the kiddos are in town. I'm trying to work out being able to see them either Friday or Saturday when I'm off.

It was chilly today with a little bit of rain this afternoon. But by tomorrow, the high will be back up in the high 70's.

The injury to my arm is still oozing. I was hoping to be able to remove the bandages today, but having done so, decided I had to re-bandage it.

That's about it for now. It's been a quiet day. The more hours I work in a week, the more I appreciate the quiet.

 

There aren't enough Kleenex

Every day I wake up with so much gunk in my head. I blow my nose over and over. It is one of the reasons I get up hours before I need to leave for work. It takes forever to get this under control. For example, I've now been awake for about an hour and a half and I'm still stuffy, blowing and sniffling. Of course, it doesn't help that I live in an area where allergies are known to be bad and pollen alerts are common.

This is the week when every shift is a closing shift. I don't love this shift but it's somewhat less busy than earlier shifts so that's a benefit. And, I'm grateful for the hours. Yes, back to 4 shifts a week and better coverage in the front end. I did 2 hours on my "favorite" register last night and then got to go to Lumber for the rest of my shift.

Extensions have been mailed, including one for me. And I have the day off tomorrow to begin to regroup. It is not that I have so many clients these days. It's just that keeping track of them and solving their riddles stays on my mind and whirls around in there endlessly. Requires a lot of mental energy...........

 

A Bloody Mess

Last night, there was enough blood it was hard for me to tell much about the injury to my arm. I peeled the band aids off a few minutes ago. Both had a fair amount of blood on them. The top layer(s?) of skin is/are missing from a dime-sized area. No more bleeding but it's pretty sore. I figure a dandy bruise will come up in that area soon. My hand is also swollen around the blood bruise--swollen and sore. But it will all heal, given time.