My Weblog

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.

It's a horrible night

It's been in the high 70's and low 80's the last few days. Beautiful days. I went to work with the a/c on in the van. Starting in the late afternoon, the wind kicked up violently and the temperature dropped. I drove home, wearing a pullover sweater, with the van's heater on full blast. I bought some stuff at the store tonight so I had all my personal stuff and my purchases in a cart when I left the store. I had a really hard time trying to control the cart and make any headway across the store's parking lot. I kinda did okay til I got to the van. Then I needed to use my right hand to unlock and open the driver's door so I could unlock the other doors and stash my purchases. Long story short--the door flew open, caught by the wind, and crushed my arm, above the wrist, between the door and the cart handle. This fileted about an inch of skin off my arm which bled all over my cream-colored sweater. It also somehow caught my right hand (my "good" hand) and it is now sporting an inch long blood bruise. It was a difficult enough fight that by the time I managed to get in the van, I was gasping for air. Believe me when I tell you I drove home in pain and VERY carefully. There was flying debris everywhere.

The last time I was out in anything so bad was December 26, 2015. On December 27th, I was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. I plan to watch my oxygen levels very carefully the next couple of days. Of course, I have had the pneumonia vaccines since then and I live with anti-bacterial stuff in my hand. Also just finished a round of antibiotics for the UTI so any pneumonia germ lurking in my system should have been obliterated by that.

Anyway, I need to get two returns ready to go out tomorrow so that's it for tonight............

Urge to Kill..........

So, I dragged myself out of bed and took myself to work at the agreed upon hour this morning. About an hour and a half after I got there, the Head Cashier decided we were over staffed. I was offered the opportunity to go home and, thankfully, no one got between me and the door. I don't like using the required amount of fuel to get to work plus spending up to an hour on a round trip commute for 1.5 hours of work. But, looking at my schedule for this week, the extra time off is welcome.

We were recently asked to update our scheduling availability. I indicated full availability, open to close, 7 days a week. However I also indicated I'd prefer mids--my old 10-4 shift. I just counted--I am scheduled to work 14 shifts between next week and the 18th. Here's the fun part--the lady who prefers mids is closing 13 of 14 days...........Why do they bother asking? It's sheer stupidity to think they are really going to do anything other than what suits them. Grrrrrrrrrrr........

Not happy with a client these days as well. They called at least two weeks later than usual. In fact, the wife called me 3 times in one day while I was at work! I can't be on the phone at work! When I call her back she doesn't like the day I have open and pushes HARD for a different day (like I have so much available time to play with!). I held the line on that and then she didn't like the time I have available to start. She wants me there at 6 and we're scheduled for 6:30. I work that day. These are the only clients who expect me to come to their house and sit there while they shuffle through papers. So they are already getting an accommodation. After I thought it was all settled she called again. I finally just managed to get in touch with her. She had the audacity to again try to change both the time and the date! Dear Lord, grant me patience.............

Stocking up! I fully expect that food prices are going to skyrocket this coming year. Much of America's most productive farmland is under water. There is no hope of spring planting. Pigs and cattle and chickens have drowned by the multiplied thousands during the recent floods. This will impact the cost of gasoline (corn for ethanol will be scarce), meat (Dead livestock plus scarcer and pricier food for surviving animals), veggies (no spring planting, no summer harvest), bread (wheat crops can't be planted), milk and eggs (can't get those from dead animals) and more. In my opinion, prices on many items will be double what they are now on many items by next year. It's time to drag home whatever you can afford to buy and store it in the freezer, on shelves, in the closets, under the beds, behind the furniture, wherever you can find some free space.............Kroger stores are having their case lot sale this week and, yes, I will be buying. Whatever I can buy at today's prices I won't have to buy a few months from now at much higher prices.

I'm mostly typing 2-handed today, but so far every error I've corrected has been a left-handed error. But it's definitely getting better............

Givin' it up for now.

 

 

Feast or famine

For months I've been moaning about only getting 3 shifts a week. This week I have 4 6-hour shifts plus one 4-hour shift. Of course one of those 4 shifts is Saturday which the store counts as next week.

I've now worked 3 shifts. Sunday was horrific. Made NO sense. We've been waiting for spring. In Vegas it's when the temperature is conducive to being outside, spraying weeds, planting flowers or food gardens, doing exterior painting or repairs. So we're BUSY. And yet, on a spring Sunday, I was THE front end cashier. It was exhausting, customers lined up, coming to the register in a hurry and one right after another. Who is making these schedules? I talked with one of the head cashiers who reports having talked with management about this repeatedly. All I can say is that if I go from a coronary, I hope I am blessed enough to do it at the register. They deserve the opportunity to deal with being killers!

Status report on the left hand--it's some better. It's not "right" yet. Resealable bags that don't have zippers still confound me. Doing my hair is still problematic--I'm doing a bit better at using the blow dryer and a round brush together, but not good enough. I have to allow extra time in the mornings. I am now mostly able to deal with push buttons--to lock the van, to operate the power windows, to turn the fan on (but not off!). I can kind of type with the left hand. I can grasp bigger things--like the handle of a cookpot, but not the spoon to stir the contents. So, it's still a somewhat bewildering world, kind of a crapshoot as to what I can do on any given day...........

I have a return to print tonight. One pending. Two coming in tomorrow night, and I have to go to some people's home Friday night to get the info to do theirs. I still have one client of many years I haven't heard from. So, I'm plenty busy! Just sent one out the door.............

Hitting the right keys with the left hand is still hard so I'll cut this short,,,,,,,,,,,