My Weblog

Sleepin in the chair

It's Sunday morning and I spent the night sleeping in my desk chair.  I did go to bed but that didn't work out....... 

I worked hard yesterday on several returns.  One is from an 88 year old lady who has been my client for many years.  She and her husband just sold their house here in town in November and moved to Pahrump.  They pretty much no sooner got there than he had a stroke and he is in some sort of rehab hospital now.  I did her return, then did it again, hoping to find I'd made an error.  I was not happy with the fact that she owed $4400 to uncle.  But that's the way it finally turned out; fortunately she didn't seem upset about it.

Also went back to work on another return, this one from the girlfriend of one of my long time clients.  All I can say is I hope he doesn't marry her.......They were in together a couple of weeks ago.  I got his finished but have not felt I should release hers.  Sure enough, yesterday, on digging a little deeper, I found fraud to the tune of about $50,000. What tipped me off was that her real property taxes went down from 2007 to 2008.  In this economy that's not likely unless there's a well-publicized battle over property taxes or you sell property.  Turns out she sold property worth $40,000 but never reported the sale.  Then she insists she needs to deduct some tuition she paid for her son.  Fine, but you are not claiming your son as a dependent so the deduction is not available to you.  She doesn't care, she wants me to put it on her return anyway.  Add 10,000 to the fraud.  And lastly, she got herself involved in one of those multilevel marketing things.  She brought in a 1099 for $3000+change.  But she kept no record of her expenses but thinks she should deduct $2,000.  Joe and I talked about it and we think we are just going to give her stuff back to her and ask her to go somewhere else.  She's just not a client I want to add to my client list..........

I have one return on the desk to prepare and one client to meet with on Monday and a bunch of phone calls to return.  I'll be plenty busy this next week.  Also four others that are headed out the door. 

Well, I took a major step into the 21st century by joining Netflix last week.  I was thrilled when my first movie arrived.  It's a comedy I saw years ago and wanted to share with Joe.  No such luck--the CD is damaged.  We have two CD players and it won't play on either.....  So, sadly, I'll ship it back.  I have been able to find a few movies on-line at the Netflix site that I've enjoyed viewing. 

My health is stagnant at the moment.  I am still really swollen.  I keep pouring in the water, but the water retention doesn't seem to be much better.  I guess I will just have to be content with hobbling around for a while until that fixes itself.  It'll happen, just don't know when....

Jen, Jason, and the boys arrived back in Nevada around 6:30PM on Friday.  The entire troup looked tired, but Jen really looked the worse for wear.  I hope she was able to get some extra rest yesterday.  There's always so much to be done when vacation is over.  They missed the flight they were supposed to take out of Orlando Friday morning.  Then they tried to tour Cape Canaveral which would have been a wonderful activity for William, but the tour is about 8 hours and costs $40 per adult plus whatever for a child, and they only really had about two hours to spare.  So they ended up getting some lunch somewhere and heading back to the airport in Orlando.  Usually when we try to contact her by phone, it works out pretty well, but I had difficulty Friday night and spent about 45 minutes driving around in circles, trying to pick them up.  But, finally I found them, got them loaded up and 20 minutes later had them home.  Atticus seemed really pleased to see HIS house and HIS stuff again.  I sat and reflected on how differently we handle certain situations.  Of course, they planned on being home about 6 hours earlier.  But as it was, Atticus was ready to eat the paint off the refrigerator--he was really hungry.  And Jennifer was SO tired.  And Jason was dragging suitcases from room to room and talking about how he really wanted to get his dog (who was staying with friends of theirs).  Had I been Jennifer, the moment I had Atticus in his car seat, I would have called in a dinner order somewhere for pick up or delivery.  But she pulled a frozen pizza from the freezer and started cooking it when we got to her house.  She's got lots of guts!  I had thought I might stick around a bit and talk with them about their trip, but I don't think any one of them was in the mood for that and I didn't want to stick around if they were too tired to handle that so I just left and came home. 

We've been tring to figure out what's going on with Max.  He's been on a rampage of marking territory and playing with his poop.  It's 3 months now since he was neutered and the territorial thing should be becoming a long forgotten idea but suddenly it's popping up.  I kind of think it's that he misses Joe.  With the hours Joe is working, he is either gone, asleep, or hurrying to get something done.  It doesn't leave much time for Max and I think Max is protesting.  Anyway Max got spanked last week a couple of times and put outside.  I hope he's learning. 

I know there are people who have ringing in their ears.  But, are there people who hear music?  I'm hearing music.  I keep wondering if that's Dad's way of telling me I'll see heaven soon.  It's beautiful music so I'm certainly not complaining and I suppose having it stored in my memory banks is cheaper than an IPOD, but it's weird.  My cousin sent me a glorious recording of Amazing Grace by Il Divo.  It's serious music and seriously presented and I can't help just wanting to get up and dance when I hear it.  So, hearing that playing over and over is definitely a mood raiser--I just wonder what it means.

Well, I'm sure there is more I could/should say but I've got work to do and I should start on that.  The one remaining tax return on my desk is promised to be out of here today so I have to make that happen and then line up next week's.  Bye!

a matter of time

I now honestly believe I'll soon be able to say I'm well.  it's just a matter of time, I think.  Small things are happening that are indicative of health and I'm grateful for each and every one of them.  Things are moving through my digestive system and that's a good thing.  And the cough continues to lessen in severity if not in frequency.  I'm a little confused in that my left eye has been back to fuchsia/purple for two days and swollen so that it looks substantially smaller than my right eye.  Both are still watering significantly.  We wadded up a very thick pillow and put it under my feet and legs in the bed.  So far, I can't say I've seen much help from that.  I did go to work today and put in about 3 hours.  I'll be back there tomorrow.......

We are searching for spare change at the office again.  This is ridiculous and no job for the faint of heart.  It's a good thing that I depend on Jesus for my living and not on this job.  We have one small job in the pipeline and then nothing.  The guys are stirring things up as much as they can, calling industry contacts and past customers........  I know they've been unhappy that I haven't been in much due to my illness, but they'll be a lot happier when they see how much smaller my paycheck will be. 

Joe got his second paycheck from the cab company today.  And, he works tonight.  Monday nights are usually pretty good for him so we'll hope that holds true to form tonight.  He's asked for a shift change, a small one, which he thinks is going to be just great and I think he's not going to like once he starts it.  He would be starting earlier and getting off earlier 3 days a week.  His days off would be split and he'll be exhausted and asleep all day Sunday which will get in the way of his ushering job at church which is precious to him.  But, he would be guaranteed a cab for two weekend nights which should help our budget some.  He may not get the new shift.  These things are decided on the basis of seniority and he sure doesn't have much of that. 

We had some computer difficulties today and I lost a bunch more stuff again.  At least this time I know what I lost so I can replace it!  Geez, this has to stop happening to me!  I've got to take a look at what I'm doing that is causing the losses.  Most likely it has to do with not opening up a new file and saving to it immediately.  I had grabbed the color scheme for one of the two blog trains I'm supposed to participate and made my solid papers.  I didn't have time to texturize them which is when I thought I'd save them.  Well, they're gone now.  That's no big loss except that I cannot get into the site where the color scheme is stored.  And Joe said he saved everything to my computer, but the big question is where and under what name.....But, at least I'm feeling well enough to be concerned about such things again.  That's a good sign.

Well, I have quite a to do list for this evening.  I didn't get any of those clients called back the other day so I need to start that tonight.  I did visit with a client Saturday afternoon and got his return started yesterday.  In the meantime, he has pulled some additional information together for his return so I need to make sure that is all input and get his data into an envelope and off my desk.  One of my clients moved to Pahrump, NV.  She just mailed me her stuff so I need to do that return too.  Another client dropped off his personal stuff under the doormat around Friday but we didn't know.  We'd given him an easier and cleaner place to drop off and when we didn't see his data where we recommended, we thought it wasn't here.  We found that today so I will work on that today or tomorrow.  I have an endless pile of laundry.  Lots of clean clothes to put away and lots of dirty clothes to make clean.  And, when that's all cleaned up, I have a list as long as my arm of other things I should be working on.  So, I'm not going to stay on here; I'm going to get to work.  Later...... 

still not there yet.

I know the day is coming when I will be able to say that all systems are go and I feel fine.  I only wish today were that day.  No such luck.  Since this whole chest thing started, I've been up and down, in and out of bed, all day and all night.  If Joe is home I don't want to lie there and have violent coughing fits while he's trying to sleep; he needs rest too.  If Joe is not home, I COULD lie there and have violent coughing fits, but what's the point?  So I drag my rusty butt out to the computer, surf the 'net, read blogs, etc.  And inevitably fall asleep sitting up in my desk chair.  I've thunked my head pretty good on the desk surface a coupla times, LOL.  But, it's a dozing, nodding sleep, not good old fashioned full on deep sleep.  So, it helps, but not so much.  I was up when he got home this morning and then we both went to bed.  Sure enough, I lasted less than half an hour before I was coughing like a crazy person.  I got up and went into the bathroom and started to turn the shower on to steam the room up and perhaps loosen up the congestion, then just shrugged and climbed into the tub.  Yup, you guessed it; I fell asleep in there for a full hour......  So, I have to say I am really looking forward to being able to actually SLEEP in my own bed!  I've crawled back into bed a couple of times throughout the day and actually slept there for an hour this afternoon.  That is something akin to miraculous.  I think dragging myself to the office two days in a row was still too much for me; I felt very weak all day today.

Most of my remaining symptoms are akin to the Motrin thing.  My left hand is still pins and needles.  I am still retaining a lot of fluid--my feet, ankles and calves are still unrecognizable.  My balance is off and I feel as though I'm going to fall forward with every step I take.  I'm guessing each leg weighs from 5-10 pounds more than usual and they're pretty heavy to drag around.  I am pleased to say that my eyelids are no longer fuchsia.  More mulled wine, I'd say.  Funny thing--my eyes are watering.  I very carefully take the flat part of the front of my finger and daub up as much liquid as I can.  I'm noticing now that that part of my finger has a burned look to it--I guess when all this is said and done, we'll be thankful for a chemical peel on my face and my forefinger, LOL.  The nosebleeds have stopped.  So, it's slow progress, but it's progress.  In the meantime, there is still some coughing.  And yesterday while I was at the office, I had a particularly violent coughing incident.  After that I started having pain along the outside of my right rib cage.  Bad enough that I was grabbing it everytime I coughed.  It's not gone but it's somewhat less intense now as well.  I couldn't be sure what started it--was I starting pneumonia? was it a muscle thing?  was it a kidney thing?  why was it tolerable except when I coughed?  I now think it's a muscle thing, but I will be keeping an eye on it.  If it changes, I'll be back into the antibiotics quickly--I don't think I could take another couple of weeks being sick with pneumonia yet. 

I finished up three tax returns while Joe was at work last night.  Couldn't print the last one because for some reason my internet connection quit on me and I couldn't get it back up.  So, I'll print that one and make some calls to the folks whose names and numbers have been accumulating on a pad next to my computer.  As sick as I've been, I haven't even wanted to schedule appointments for days from now for fear I'd STILL be sick!  But, I can't get too far behind or there'll be no catching up, so I've got to dig my heels in somewhere and I think this is the spot. 

Even as  crappy as I've felt, I've been able to accomplish a few little things in the house.  A few loads of laundry, folding and putting away some clean clothes, policing up my desk, and so forth.  I was going to work on trying to straighten up the kitchen last night only to find myself hanging onto the sink because I was so weak and facing a dishwasher full of clean dry dishes that needed to be put away.  No, that was not a task for that moment.  I didn't think I was in shape for all that bending, twisting, and reaching........  So, I'll work on that tonight.  I have had an overwhelming amount of laundry since Max came to stay with us.  Joe insists he sleep in our bed and every bit of bed clothes is caked in dog hair in one or two nights sleeping.  So, it all has to be stripped, washed, dried and reinstalled on the bed constantly.  Today might be sheets, tomorrow is duvet, the next day is pillow cases, and like that, continuous round robin effect.  I've been pretty good about brushing Max but it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference in the amount of dog hair we encounter everywhere.  He's such a sweet dog--I don't really mind, but it IS a lot of extra work, particularly when I'm sick.  I should be vacuuming daily too, but That will have to wait a while.  I've no strength for that. 

Joe is so funny.  Max is a VERY calm dog.  I think we've heard him bark maybe three times now since he came here to stay with us on 11/28/08.  But when Joe comes through the door, the world becomes a very exciting place to Max.  He is so thrilled to see Joe.  He doesn't react that way with me, but Joe, apparently, is his hero.  When Joe is sitting in his desk chair, it is not unusual for Max to go over there and try to work himself up to where he's standing on his hind legs, forelegs on Joe's chest, licking Joe's face.  That's when he's happiest in the world.  Joe claims he doesn't want Max all over him, but doesn't seem to have enough sense to give Max a good solid command "NO" and push him down.  I think, secretly, Joe is just as thrilled to get so much attention from Max as Max is at getting attention from Joe.  I know Joe really misses Toby, our lover dog.  I'm just having fun watching to see whether the dog or the human is smarter on this one....it's a real good laugh, several times a day.  I do admit to being jealous though--Max was supposed to be my dog.  He was our "replacement" for Indiana who truly was my dog.  It just doesn't seem to be going according to plan.  So here I am, the dog lover of the world, with no dog in my own house because Punky likes Daddy best too.  Every now and then, Punkin will come over and lay at my feet, but generally it's me, myself and I here on my side of the office and Joe and Max and Punkin on his side........

I have a real cute kit I'd like to get into the store, but I don't seem to be making much progress on it and that makes me unhappy.  First, I want to re-do the elements preview.  The preview I've done (a while back) has everything lined up like soldiers being reviewed by a general.  I don't much like the look of that.  And, I'm working on alphas.  This kit has all the primary colors in it, red, blue, purple, green, orange and yellow.  I really wanted to beef up my inventory with alphas in each of those colors as they are "true" shades and will work with many different things as well as being created to go with this kit.  But, it is such slow going doing these alphas.  There are some "helps" out there but I don't want to spend the money to buy them just now so I'm doing everything manually and it's slow, tedious work.  I've completed the blue and purple alphas and the red is about half done.  I'm sorely tempted to throw in the yellow or orange alpha and call it a day.   Otherwise, I'm starting to wonder when I really will get this kit into the store! 

I've signed up for a couple of blog trains.  BUT, I haven't been well enough to put my contribution together for them.  That's bad.  I need to get that taken care of.  I also haven't heard anything from the lady who was going to try to make my blog a bit prettier and more functional so I guess I'll have to bug her about that. 

Here's a funny one.  A while back, one of the big stores put out a call looking for guest designers.  As a guest designer, your work is featured, you contribute to the mega kit of the month and like that.  I responded to the call from work, saying I'd ship off some things to be checked out later.  That was the day I got sick.  I'd honestly totally forgotten about it.  So here is this lady who owns a really big superstore, e-mailing me, asking me to get my stuff to her so she can consider it.  I'm flattered that I'm under consideration and have now, finally, submitted everything to her.  We'll see how that goes.

Things are very slow at work again.  We had really hoped that MGM would give us all or part of the additional work they wanted done around their pool.   But......  there's a big project going up here in town called "CityCenter".  It will be restaurants, hotels, casinos, etc., all under one roof.  It's a major major project in a city full of major projects.  MGM's casino from Dubai was putting a lot of money into that project and they've pulled out, leaving primarily the local casino to front the investment.  The stock for MGM has taken a hit because of it.  So, it doesn't look like they're going to have any available cash to work with any time soon.  In fact the rumor is that the Bellagio will be sold to help them meet their City Center obligation.  Matt, Greg and I are all so enthusiastic about the product we used on the first part of their project.  I fully believe that with the right sales team and the right economy, we could all end up richer than Warren Buffet, and this product could be THE thing to have at every pool in the country.  The big question is how we stay afloat until we can create a portfolio of jobs to use as sales tools........  Greg has some marketing ideas and they are good ones, though I think they may be "pie in the sky" right now.  I have some marketing ideas and they are good ones.  The big trick in all this is finding someone who is willing to turn loose of enough money to redo their pool area.  Or, even someone who HAS enough money to re-do their pool area.........

Well, I'm going to work on printing that tax return, my red alpha, and unloading and re-loading that dishwasher.  Please keep praying for me as I struggle to get better.

I just might live.........

I'm probably a bit premature with that pronouncement, but I think the chances are good that I'm right.  There is still some chest congestion and a bit of coughing.  Mostly the dry hacking asthma cough, but if you want to hear a wet congestive cough I can give you that too.  But, I finally figured out the source of all the weird symptoms I've been experiencing--weeping eyes, swollen eyes, purple eyelids, numb outer two fingers on left hand, water retention, etc.  It's this lovely little drug called Motrin.  I've known for some time that I am allergic to Naprosyn or Naproxen.  WHat I didn't know was that Motrin is just the slightly watered down (over the counter) version of Naprosyn. I am just fine with Ibuprofen, but I'd taken some Motrin for the fever, etc., and THAT I am not just fine with!  So, I'm pouring in buckets of water trying to flush the stuff from my system as best I can and getting ready for a return to civilization tomorrow. 

We were planning on my going back to work today.  This even though I am still not sleeping and am totally exhausted.  Then we got a call from Matthew telling us he was at a hospital with Patti who had lost the baby.   Joe didn't get the name of the hospital but he called Greg and between them we figured it was one just a couple of miles up the highway.  We tore out of here and found them in the Emergency Room.  According to Patti, there is nothing wrong, no reason she can't carry a baby in the future, just something wrong with THIS pregnancy.  So, in a way that was good news, but her face was swollen and I knew she'd done plenty of crying before we got there.  They were going to do whatever they could to clean her out and then send her home.  I couldn't believe that Joe got all antsy and wanted to leave probably no more than 20 minutes after we got there.  Worse, Matt had left to run some errands so I surely thought we should stay til he got back.  But Joe insisted so we left.  I wouldn't leave my worst enemy's dog alone in a hospital.  I also thought about Patti's family in Mexico.  I'm sure they would have been with her in the hospital if they could be and would have felt better knowing SOMEONE was there.  Now Joe and I have discussed my thing about leaving people alone in a hospital before.  I have now put him on notice that if he "forgets" again, there will be a showdown in the hospital.  It's just not going to happen. 

I suppose if we had to lose the baby, this was a good time for it.  It was VERY early in the pregnancy, no more that 6 weeks.  She was not far enough along to be hit with the full force of the pregnancy hormones which will make it a bit easier.  We've really only known about it for a little over a week.  Still, it's a devastating blow and I'm sad.  When I think of WIlliam and Atticus, I think of how each of those two little guys has staked his own claim on my heart for his own special reasons.  It hurts to know I've lost one.........

Speaking of the boys, I had them this evening.  I usually try to pick them up around 2:30 or so but had a tax appointment so I didn't get there til after 4.  I look like crap because I can't wear make-up with my eyes watering the way they have been.  I felt like crap, so we stopped at Olive Garden for dinner on the way home.  William did his usual.  He ordered chicken fingers and french fries and filled up on breadsticks and soda.  Atticus had himself a nice little helping of salad, half a breadstick, and some macaroni and cheese.  And somewhere in the middle of all that he took a very fragant dump in his diaper.  I got him home, all set to change him, only to find there were no clean diapers in his bag.  So, he literally went home wearing one of Grandma's dish towels.  It was all okay with him, he was watching cartoons with his big brother and wearing a dishtowel didn't bother him one bit.  Halfway through the evening, WIlliam decided he'd recovered from his excess of breadsticks and soda and asked me to warm up his chicken fingers and fries.  THe two of them shared the same chair and picked at Will's leftovers and a good time was had by all, LOL.  Gosh, I love just sitting here watching those two little clowns. 

Joe is driving tonight so chances are I'll have a pretty good night's sleep.  And, we've learned he won't be selling carpeting/flooring anytime soon.  He was done with "training" all but doing a couple of ride along sales calls with the Assistant Sales Manager.  He called today to find out about that only to be told that the Assistant Sales Manager had just gotten a call telling him the entire local operation would be shut down.  So, Joe will go pick up his little minimum wage check for training time and that's that for now.  One thing for sure, this Christian life is an adventure.........

I'm going to call Joe and see how the evening is going and then I'm headed to bed.  As poorly as I've been sleeping a bit of an early start won't hurt at all.  Night now.

avoiding

There are any number of things I should be doing but by choosing this paticular time to update my blog, I can avoid them a bit longer.  So, it seems to me to be a perfect time for blogging, LOL.  Joe called a little while ago to let me know he'd gotten a cab to drive tonight and he was happy about that.  So, I won't see him til morning.  I'm waiting just a few more minutes for a client to show up at my door and claim her state return (got her a $559 refund).  Then, I've decided I'm heading to S***bucks.  I haven't been there in SO long.........  I really want a mocha, I really really do.  There must be something I can celebrate????

Well, I am still working very minimal hours at the job.  I am falling asleep at my desk, on the toilet, in the bath tub--just about anywhere I sit and linger a few moments.  It's obvious to me that 10 days of not being able to sleep have left me exhausted.  I'm also a bit weak and trembly but less so than yesterday so that part is getting better.  I suppose, if you've never really be around it, you might be confounded to think what looks like a "simple chest cold" could make a person so sick and miserable as they make me.  I know exactly what the dry hacky cough is--it's an asthma cough.  I recognize it from my own childhood and from Jennifer's.  So, first I get some kind of chest infection.  Then the asthma starts, and there's this whole downward spiral that comes after.  There were days last week when I was fighting so hard for breath that I couldn't even talk.  Just not enough "wind" to push the words out.  But I've got it on the run now.  There's still some coughing.  For example, right in the center of my chest is some mucus.  I can feel it when I breathe.  I keep hacking and coughing and that stuff doesn't move a bit, just sits there and makes another cough necessary and another cough necessary and torments me.  And, I am happy to report that walking from the bedroom to the office no longer leaves me out of breath, searching for a surface to use to support myself in an upright position.  No, now it's crazy stuff like what is going on with the two outside fingers on my left hand and why are my eyes watering incessantly and what football player did I steal these calves from.  But, whether these mysteries are solved tomorrow or not, I'm going in to work!

I had a guy who was making me nutso via e-mail over his corporate return.  I had promised him it would be ready for him either yesterday or today.  Now, understand this is a tiny little corporation, no income, all expenses, only one shareholder.  And the return is not due for another 10 days.  I sent him several e-mails about the return being ready and haven't heart a word back from him.  Geez, what's that all about?

I also needed to do a HI return for a client.  She did her own Federal using H&R Block software but couldn't figure out the state return.  Of course, the state return follows right along with the federal return so I literally had to re-prepare her federal return to prepare the state return.  Good thing I did as I found she'd shorted herself $758 on the federal refund.  She was suppose to be here to pick her stuff up this evening as well.  I'm waiting 9 more minutes then I'm going looking for some high calorie nutritionless liquid refreshment!

Of course, before I fought my way through those, my three little ladies who moved to Florida had Big Brown leave me a package on my doorstep.  I'd like to have theirs finished up and out the door by Saturday. 

Well, we got some exciting news from Matthew today.  I have had my suspicions for several days.  It seems that Patti is pregnant.  He is one mighty proud guy!  October will see us rocking a new little grandchild to sleep.......  if our guess as to timing is correct.  I've always counted on Jennifer to give me a baby girl, but I can love one with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair too!  Just as long as Grandma Marci doesn't get totally shoved to the side as I suspect will happen.  Joe's ex does an outstanding job of monopolizing Matthew so I've no doubt she'll be workin hard on that with this new little one.  It will be her first grandchild too.  I don't think there's any malice in her monopolization; I think it's just the way she is....... 

Well, I'm out of here.  I've given my client full measure of waiting time and then some and she's not here so I'm going to go get my coffee drink.  Then I will come back and try to decide where to start work first.  The last two evenings I've spent time cooking and freezing asparagas.  We found it on sale last weekend for 97 cents a pound.  I had some for dinner the other night and it was yummy!  Bye now.

scheduling conflicts

Well, I had planned to drag my sicko butt back to work today but caught in a scheduling conflict.  Some time ago, the handle on our new microwave broke.  We called Sears and a guy came out.  I think he was beside himself with fear because of Punkin's barking.  Anyway, he said something about ordering a part and getting back in touch with me when the part came in and kind of "fled" out of here.  Well, the part came in and while Joe was asleep the other day, Sears "called to confirm" our appointment for Monday between 1 and 5.  Well, since they were "confirming", I thought Joe had previously talked to them and decided it would work.  No......  He hadn't talked to them at all.  Ordinarily that would work out okay.  I'd go in early and leave by 1:30 or 2 and Joe would head into work about 4 and we'd have coverage from 1 to 5.  No problem.  But, Joe got called into work early today at the carpet place; they want to have him up and running selling carpet by the weekend.  The call came before I'd even left home.  So, I know that once he'd gone to work I'd have to be here.  That would have left me less than two hours to get there and get back and work......  Hardly.

So, I waited all afternoon. Finally, around 3:30 the guy shows up.  He couldn't have been here all of 10 minutes. 

Well, the chest congestion is clearing up, bit by bit.  I am guzzling water and green tea trying to keep that mucus moist enough to come out easily when I cough.  I have no clue why, but I am totally filled with water.  My lower legs are swollen up to my knees.  That makes walking around something less than comfortable but very necessary as that, too, will help drain the fluids.  Although we carefully specified to the pharmacist that we needed an expectorant that would work with blood pressure problems, I have a feeling that was not what we got.  This is the first time I've had this kind of swelling when dealing with bronchitis or whatever this thing is.   

I started two tax returns Saturday, neither of which I could finish.  The guy, my client for forever, had scazillion stock trades, each of which had to be entered individually and I knew I'd never be able to sit in this chair through all that without an oxygen mask..  His is now done and hers is complete except for the information I don't have yet.  Next up is the Hawaii return.

I did do some designing over the weekend.  I started and finished my contribution to the April collaborative kit at NDISB.  I actually only need to 2 to 3 papers and 3 to 4 elements and I've done way more than that, so it looks like that will become a kit in my store in a few weeks.  In the meantime, I still need to package it up and get it uploaded to the store.  I haven't made any further progress on MY kit, so, maybe tonight.  It's probably about 60% done.  Needs more printed papers and I have to pull the elements together.  Elements are the hardest for me so they are always last; that turns out to be a good thing as I get ideas for what I want to do as I go along and keep a running list from which I work.

Well, Matthew and Patti have set the date.  They will be getting married April 18th.  We don't know much more about it than that and that yours truly is the official photographer.  Matt indicated it would be "casual' but what do guys know about that.  So, Patti and I will have to get our heads together so that I can get an understanding of what she wants.

Joe did not get a cab Friday night so they offered him the opportunity to drive Saturday night.  The Vegas Nascar thingy was going on here and he had a good night.  He was threatening to go to church yesterday morning and I was threatening to hit him upside the head when he wasn't looking.  One of my problems is that I live with a 59-year-old "superman".  Yup, he might be 59, but he can still work a 12 hour shift and then go do stuff after work, no problem.  Just ask him......  This is one of the few reasons I don't like him doing shift work.  He hasn't got enough sense to go to bed when it's time to go to bed.  He got paid for his first two weeks of work and we have enough to make February's first mortgage payment.  Yes, we're a full month behind now.  And, since I don't get paid sick time, all this time I've missed from work will hurt.  But, oddly enough, we have fruit in the kitchen!  I'll be putting some fruit salad together in a little while.  Strange to be eating something "healthy" with actual vitamins and minerals in it!  And he went out of here carrying his lunch.  I have no clue what was in it but it had to be healthier than In and Out Burgers which have become his menu standby.

Well, I still have a lot of things I'd like to get done tonight and if I don't get started on them now, it won't happen.  I'm in one of those work a few minutes, sit down and gather strength for the next round, then work a few more minutes modes.  It's not all that productive, but it beats nothing and nothing is what I've been able for two weeks.  So, I'd better get to it.  Later.......