For the longest time now, at work, I have been responsible for the quality issues at the DC. Not that the WH Lead would allow me to do my job to the best of my abilities, or that he would assist me in the endeavor (because there were many instances where he handicapped my efforts whenever possible - and several of the Material Handlers have said as much).
Timeline is this:
I was hired in January 2018 -
worked under the Quality Manager (trained by and directed to perform basic menial tasks...he wanted an admin, basically). He was pleasantly surprised that I trained easily and accomplished tasks quickly, correctly, and efficiently. Our WH Director assigned other duties and short-range tasks to keep me busy, and because I was more than capable (she knew I would do the work and keep it to myself).
He (QM) was wooed to another facility in June 2018 -
He attempted to take over the impossible task of managing a systemic collapse at his 'new' facility assignment, while also pseudo-watching the goings on and questions that arose at our location.
By July -
we were basically on our own, borrowing moments of his time and attention that his new bosses begrudgingly spared. I was not prepared for the everyday issues that popped up (beyond my scope) because he refused to share information or impart training that could have helped mitigate problems at a low level. However, I managed to chronicle and respond to Sales, CSRs, management and our suppliers, to keep communication moving and prevent material returns from building up and containment issues from becoming stagnant. Again, this was all while trying to work against the wall of opposition from the WH Lead.
August arrived -
and I was tackling problems that were, at first, understandable and easy to keep track of. Unless a PPAP or Material Cert request popped up, or some absolutely technical debacle cropped up (which I would steer towards our Engineering staff and former Quality Mgr), I was doing well - given the circumstances. Our WH Director was supportive and proactive, and she sought to understand my role and functions (as she met with the Quality Manager and myself to better define my tasks and abilities in his absence). She wanted to delegate more responsibility my way, which was fine. All of that would require some training and direction (again, which I was ok with), but the training and hand-off of responsibility would never come.
September thru December -
came and went; no movement was made in finding a replacement for the QM role (mostly because he didn't want to replace himself). We had our year-end inventory, which I was not included in, and then enjoyed a pleasant holiday break.
Also somehow, through this same time period, the WH Lead was allowing an alarming number of mis-pulled and mislabeled materials to leave the facility. These growing issues greatly annoyed our customers and resulted in a lot of fees, returns, and 8D situations. He was told to watch the one very responsible party in his shipping crew creating the bulk of trouble, but never did. This would become a very unmanageable situation for him because he refused to take responsibility. His 'fix' would become my new task - 95% of my new workload for the coming year.
January 2019 -
Upon the return to activities in the new year, our DC Director made the announcement she would be retiring - which, I guess, she did every year. No one held their breath, but her attitude did seem lighter in some respects and more fretful in others. Her most immediate goal was to work with our former QM (my now non-boss) to find his replacement at the DC.
Sometime late in January A-dude joined the team as a year-long temp Quality Manager. If he proved himself, he would be hired the following year. If not, well...
Things went from worse-than-bad to WTH?! at breakneck speed. By the time A-dude showed up, I had already been 100% inspecting every effing labeling job leaving the WH. Every label on EVERY package. Add that monumental chore to the other tasks of my own that I could now not even get to, and you have a big problem growing. Then there was the added strife of training A-dude (trying to train, that is).
He was a man dressed in Teflon and stale-smelling clothing, doused in too much old cologne. Not only did he smell (literally), he stank at his job, too. He wouldn't learn because his MO was to find others to do his work for him. I figured it out early, and after a lot of wasted time trying to repeatedly show him how to use our AX system, I opted to remove myself from his workforce and use the 100% verifications as my salvation. Besides that, he was not my responsibility. He could learn to sink or swim another way.
Over time, he and the WH Lead tried to join forces in an effort to remove me from my position. I had the support of those who knew my work and my capabilities, and would not let them park 'the bus' they were driving on me, but that didn't prevent the work situation from becoming a cluster "f."
December -
A-dude was a waste of money and time, and it only took the company ten months to figure that out. In between, our lovely Director did retire (mid-year) and was replaced by another female figurehead. My new Quality boss began shadowing - and cleverly questioning - A-dude to learn the scope (and status) of all the customer issues, and let me know I was not alone. By...
January thru June 2020 -
I was once again working with, and I still am, our new Quality Manager - and what a difference. [happy sigh]
Now we're doing it during the Covid era, but we are working as a team, and it's been better.
Of course we have a long way to go but at least we are getting there together. We have tackled a big learning curve and become a good team. She has given me knowledge and responsibility, and I try to back her up where I can. She knows she can count on me, and routinely throws things my way - and this has proven her trust in my ability, which I am grateful for.
There's still a lot to do, but it doesn't feel insurmountable any longer.
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
5.31.2019
Normalcy?
I will be returning to work on the third of June, whether I feel up to it or not. Been sitting (and lying) with my eyes closed - or open '...but not engaged in any activity requiring them to focus or concentrate' for the better part of the last two weeks.
Can you say boring?
Headaches, double-vision, and naps have been near-constant companions, and I believe returning to work so quickly after leaving the hospital was a mistake. Two full days of staring at and comparing numbers on labels, and working at my computer, did more harm than good. No job is worth my vision, it is too precious to lose.
Contrary to popular belief, this was not a vacation, it was a period of recuperation - and no, I am not fully functional. I am now instructed by the GP to begin weaning myself back on to a diet of eyes open, looking at the telly, reading a book, and using my PC to answer email, etc., to get my eyes used to what is to come after a long break from use.
Holy crap, people, take care of your health. Oh, and is there anyone out there on Atorvistatin? Are you experiencing any issues while taking the medication? I have to admit I feel a little ill at ease at the thought of taking it once I read all of the possible side effects.
Can you say boring?
Headaches, double-vision, and naps have been near-constant companions, and I believe returning to work so quickly after leaving the hospital was a mistake. Two full days of staring at and comparing numbers on labels, and working at my computer, did more harm than good. No job is worth my vision, it is too precious to lose.
Contrary to popular belief, this was not a vacation, it was a period of recuperation - and no, I am not fully functional. I am now instructed by the GP to begin weaning myself back on to a diet of eyes open, looking at the telly, reading a book, and using my PC to answer email, etc., to get my eyes used to what is to come after a long break from use.
Holy crap, people, take care of your health. Oh, and is there anyone out there on Atorvistatin? Are you experiencing any issues while taking the medication? I have to admit I feel a little ill at ease at the thought of taking it once I read all of the possible side effects.
5.26.2019
Well, that's me, then
May 19th... the day I had my heart attack. The day my unstable angina sat up and proclaimed its power. It was rude and sneaky and surprising, and not my favorite way to spend a morning - or that night - and on into the next day.
Once I arrived at the ER, blood was drawn to measure troponin levels, and that carried on every few hours. Yes, every few hours throughout the remainder of the day AND all that night. I must admit to having a favorite phlebotomist through it all, though; I detested when her shift ended and the replacement appeared. Even when the preferred vein closed down and she had to move to a new location, Elizabeta made the procedure a piece of cake. The replacement was horrible, and created way more holes than she ever managed to siphon blood from.
Ah, well. Water under the bridge.
When I fell, though, at home (I passed out trying to walk to the living room), Karl did his best to keep me from hitting the floor (no mean feat, that). I managed to hit my head twice, however.
The first blow resulted from a rollicking bounce - I impacted his bedroom door frame with my left shoulder, then slammed backwards unexpectedly into the other side of the frame... and met that with my head. Karl's description of what happened immediately after is a little chaotic, but he says I continued to shuffle forward, becoming more and more wobbly.
Somehow the migration to the front room carried on in a somewhat forward fashion, until I seemed to crumple in his arms. Karl said he heard what he took for snoring coming from me, until he smelled something like vomit and realized my head was bent in an uncomfortable angle to my neck and shoulders. That's when I slipped through his arms and 'found' the floor. Yup, you guessed it, my head hit another wooden surface, and Karl needlessly apologized several times (after I came to) for that accident. He tried to soften the blow, but I was a lot of human heading to the ground with gravity on my side.
Soon enough he realized I wasn't breathing "well," and forcefully jerked me to a sitting position when rolling me to my side didn't work. It wasn't long thereafter that I came to and we discussed what had just happened... because I 'wasn't there'.
Just so you know, I don't hold Karl responsible in any way for the concussion - which went undiagnosed by the ER team - and everyone on the Cardiac Unit - despite my descriptions of the bizarre auditory occurrence (thousands of locusts loudly buzzing... while on fire), the louder than usual ringing in my ears, the non-stop headache, the room pitching madly whilst I am still, being light-headed, and a very steady double vision in my right eye.
You should also know this all may have happened due to a good deal of stress over the recent results (just the week before) of a CT showing an "apple core" shape in my ascending colon.
Oh, yeah, probably should do a little filling in. Re-cap of the untold:
- Had significant, escalating discomfort for a couple weeks which felt like a hernia (not an unfamiliar sensation);
went to doctor.
- Told by physician it was not a hernia and most likely appendicitis;
was sent for CT scan to see how inflamed appendix was.
- CT showed long appendix, but no issues there (and no hernia); but
doc overly concerned by "apple core" appearance, so sent for GI consult and colonoscopy.
All of this had me on the edge of my seat - but more about the pooper chute stuff another time.
I feel God is using the universe as a two-by-four to get my eyes open wide, and to get me heading in the direction I have been side-stepping/avoiding/ignoring/wasting time by denying for far too long. I can only imagine Him sitting up there, shaking His head in disbelief and smacking His forehead in frustration, while I continue to avoid my destiny in cunningly stupid, and innocently disbelieving ways.
Maria, we need to talk. For now, I need to stop this typing and shut my eyes again. I am supposed to be resting them to try and get a handle on the healing process from the recent brain injury.
Once I arrived at the ER, blood was drawn to measure troponin levels, and that carried on every few hours. Yes, every few hours throughout the remainder of the day AND all that night. I must admit to having a favorite phlebotomist through it all, though; I detested when her shift ended and the replacement appeared. Even when the preferred vein closed down and she had to move to a new location, Elizabeta made the procedure a piece of cake. The replacement was horrible, and created way more holes than she ever managed to siphon blood from.
Ah, well. Water under the bridge.
When I fell, though, at home (I passed out trying to walk to the living room), Karl did his best to keep me from hitting the floor (no mean feat, that). I managed to hit my head twice, however.
The first blow resulted from a rollicking bounce - I impacted his bedroom door frame with my left shoulder, then slammed backwards unexpectedly into the other side of the frame... and met that with my head. Karl's description of what happened immediately after is a little chaotic, but he says I continued to shuffle forward, becoming more and more wobbly.
Somehow the migration to the front room carried on in a somewhat forward fashion, until I seemed to crumple in his arms. Karl said he heard what he took for snoring coming from me, until he smelled something like vomit and realized my head was bent in an uncomfortable angle to my neck and shoulders. That's when I slipped through his arms and 'found' the floor. Yup, you guessed it, my head hit another wooden surface, and Karl needlessly apologized several times (after I came to) for that accident. He tried to soften the blow, but I was a lot of human heading to the ground with gravity on my side.
Soon enough he realized I wasn't breathing "well," and forcefully jerked me to a sitting position when rolling me to my side didn't work. It wasn't long thereafter that I came to and we discussed what had just happened... because I 'wasn't there'.
Just so you know, I don't hold Karl responsible in any way for the concussion - which went undiagnosed by the ER team - and everyone on the Cardiac Unit - despite my descriptions of the bizarre auditory occurrence (thousands of locusts loudly buzzing... while on fire), the louder than usual ringing in my ears, the non-stop headache, the room pitching madly whilst I am still, being light-headed, and a very steady double vision in my right eye.
You should also know this all may have happened due to a good deal of stress over the recent results (just the week before) of a CT showing an "apple core" shape in my ascending colon.
Oh, yeah, probably should do a little filling in. Re-cap of the untold:
- Had significant, escalating discomfort for a couple weeks which felt like a hernia (not an unfamiliar sensation);
went to doctor.
- Told by physician it was not a hernia and most likely appendicitis;
was sent for CT scan to see how inflamed appendix was.
- CT showed long appendix, but no issues there (and no hernia); but
doc overly concerned by "apple core" appearance, so sent for GI consult and colonoscopy.
All of this had me on the edge of my seat - but more about the pooper chute stuff another time.
I feel God is using the universe as a two-by-four to get my eyes open wide, and to get me heading in the direction I have been side-stepping/avoiding/ignoring/wasting time by denying for far too long. I can only imagine Him sitting up there, shaking His head in disbelief and smacking His forehead in frustration, while I continue to avoid my destiny in cunningly stupid, and innocently disbelieving ways.
Maria, we need to talk. For now, I need to stop this typing and shut my eyes again. I am supposed to be resting them to try and get a handle on the healing process from the recent brain injury.
10.28.2018
Months of discomfort (and healing?)
At some point in time over the late spring my left Achilles tendon separated (up to 80% +), and it has been a long road to recovery. Trying to adjust my walk to allow for the pain, and to keep up with my work requirements, has left me with a rather annoying counter issue with my opposite leg groin muscle... and now, hip-to-knee musculature.
Some days I feel one million years old; as though I am made of stone. When will it end?
Some days I feel one million years old; as though I am made of stone. When will it end?
9.19.2018
Up before the alarm
'Natch.'
Odin had been exhibiting signs of illness, so I took him to our 'regular' vet - the family vet we found at the start of the girls' decline in health as old ladies. The office people were very kind when we had to put down Flop, and then Hobbes - I only wish we had been their client for Cleo's sake. But all of that was eons ago, or so it feels. It stills aches as though that was just last month, and since I am a soft touch, recounting all of it will most likely always move me to tears.
Anyway, the last trip I took to the 'family vet' late spring, found me pleading to have the tri-test repeated on Odin - the test which tells of impending doom (heartworm, FiV, FLv). Upon adopting 'O' we were told that test had been run at the rescue vet office, and that he was free of all three - thank God. After having 'lost' Jake no less than half a year too soon, I was not interested in shattering my still-healing heart again... at least, not right away.
A little history: 'O' was found in a field, frozen to a towel, starving, bald in areas, obviously suffering from fleas, and (as we've been told) stinkier than 5-day old roadkill on a 99*F day. What was scarier was this semi-feral little boy had the imposing 'forearms' of Popeye, 9" nails, and a limited vocabulary consisting of "now," "more," and "%!#&!" The latter we call his cuss word, and he uses it a lot. He was in rough shape.
To complicate his hard-scrabble life even further is the lack of vision in one eye, missing teeth and, as we found out a couple of weeks into life with Odin, a definite digestive issue. In short, 'O' was a hot mess, but he was our hot mess, so we set out to improve his life in every way possible.
Fast-forwarding 1-1/2 years finds Odin thriving and turning into quite the tremendously needy love bug. Neither he nor Booker are lap cats (more's the pity), but they are wonderful lads, and good company nearly any time of the day.
Anyhow...
...several months back, I took Odin to the vet, wondering about getting some answers and fixes to help him feel better for whatever might have been the matter. His breathing seemed 'off' and was growing worse day by day. His poops should have solidified after more than a year on medicated food, too. And the smell from his mouth...what was that?!? But it was his breathing that most concerned me, and mostly because Jake's demise was marked by a similar onset of frequent and worsening respiratory episodes. Could we help 'O'? Oh, how I prayed that we could - and quickly.
Instead of waiting five weeks for the first non-emergency appointment with our usual vet, I called the local Humane Society and asked if I could get Odin in to be seen any sooner. Due to my new daughter-in-law working there, 'O' was moved up on the list quickly, and in no time we were in the office and speaking with a doctor. X-rays were taken, blood was drawn - and most importantly, they listened to my request for having a repeat on the tri-test.
It wasn't a long wait before the doctor was informing me of the positive results for feline immunodeficiency virus (FiV = kitty aids). My heart sank. The x-rays revealed no mass of any sort on Odin's airway or lungs, so the respiratory distress was all due to the FiV.
He was prescribed a rather strong antibiotic, which made a huge improvement in his breathing in no time, and knocked out the oral/nasal infection in nothing flat. Also, 'O's' lost another tooth since then, but everything else seems to be at bay - and so we take it day by day. On the other hand, the antibiotic created a new problem in the form of colitis, and now Odin wakes with a scream and a start, having to poo immediately. This is bad news for sleeping through the night and for the rug in my bedroom, but it's all doable because it means we have a little more time with our sweet diminutive weirdo. For a good couple of weeks I'd been awakened way before the alarm - sometimes two-to-three times per night. Happily, these instances have all but subsided.
Ultimately, my wish is not to trade one set of problems for another. I don't want to keep the respiratory infections at bay at the cost of Odin feeling crampy and suffering from unpredictable diarrhea - that just wouldn't be fair... or kind. Therefore, we will watch and listen to and care for Odin with every ounce of love and attention we can muster, until he tells us the time has finally come. 'Natch.'
Recently, Odin was started on a new prescriptive food, and seems alright with it. While it took some time to get him weaned from the first prescriptive to this new one, I can finally say he is eating most of his meals each day - and that is a blessing. The abrupt screaming poos are winding down, although I must remain on guard when he begins to cry incessantly, and wander from place to place. Karl is not as attentive during the day while I am at work, so there have been many days when I've arrived home to find a secret, stinky gift from Odin laying in wait for me in front of my closet.
Oh, 'O'! I love you, love you, love you.
Odin had been exhibiting signs of illness, so I took him to our 'regular' vet - the family vet we found at the start of the girls' decline in health as old ladies. The office people were very kind when we had to put down Flop, and then Hobbes - I only wish we had been their client for Cleo's sake. But all of that was eons ago, or so it feels. It stills aches as though that was just last month, and since I am a soft touch, recounting all of it will most likely always move me to tears.
Anyway, the last trip I took to the 'family vet' late spring, found me pleading to have the tri-test repeated on Odin - the test which tells of impending doom (heartworm, FiV, FLv). Upon adopting 'O' we were told that test had been run at the rescue vet office, and that he was free of all three - thank God. After having 'lost' Jake no less than half a year too soon, I was not interested in shattering my still-healing heart again... at least, not right away.
A little history: 'O' was found in a field, frozen to a towel, starving, bald in areas, obviously suffering from fleas, and (as we've been told) stinkier than 5-day old roadkill on a 99*F day. What was scarier was this semi-feral little boy had the imposing 'forearms' of Popeye, 9" nails, and a limited vocabulary consisting of "now," "more," and "%!#&!" The latter we call his cuss word, and he uses it a lot. He was in rough shape.
To complicate his hard-scrabble life even further is the lack of vision in one eye, missing teeth and, as we found out a couple of weeks into life with Odin, a definite digestive issue. In short, 'O' was a hot mess, but he was our hot mess, so we set out to improve his life in every way possible.
Fast-forwarding 1-1/2 years finds Odin thriving and turning into quite the tremendously needy love bug. Neither he nor Booker are lap cats (more's the pity), but they are wonderful lads, and good company nearly any time of the day.
Anyhow...
...several months back, I took Odin to the vet, wondering about getting some answers and fixes to help him feel better for whatever might have been the matter. His breathing seemed 'off' and was growing worse day by day. His poops should have solidified after more than a year on medicated food, too. And the smell from his mouth...what was that?!? But it was his breathing that most concerned me, and mostly because Jake's demise was marked by a similar onset of frequent and worsening respiratory episodes. Could we help 'O'? Oh, how I prayed that we could - and quickly.
Instead of waiting five weeks for the first non-emergency appointment with our usual vet, I called the local Humane Society and asked if I could get Odin in to be seen any sooner. Due to my new daughter-in-law working there, 'O' was moved up on the list quickly, and in no time we were in the office and speaking with a doctor. X-rays were taken, blood was drawn - and most importantly, they listened to my request for having a repeat on the tri-test.
It wasn't a long wait before the doctor was informing me of the positive results for feline immunodeficiency virus (FiV = kitty aids). My heart sank. The x-rays revealed no mass of any sort on Odin's airway or lungs, so the respiratory distress was all due to the FiV.
He was prescribed a rather strong antibiotic, which made a huge improvement in his breathing in no time, and knocked out the oral/nasal infection in nothing flat. Also, 'O's' lost another tooth since then, but everything else seems to be at bay - and so we take it day by day. On the other hand, the antibiotic created a new problem in the form of colitis, and now Odin wakes with a scream and a start, having to poo immediately. This is bad news for sleeping through the night and for the rug in my bedroom, but it's all doable because it means we have a little more time with our sweet diminutive weirdo. For a good couple of weeks I'd been awakened way before the alarm - sometimes two-to-three times per night. Happily, these instances have all but subsided.
Ultimately, my wish is not to trade one set of problems for another. I don't want to keep the respiratory infections at bay at the cost of Odin feeling crampy and suffering from unpredictable diarrhea - that just wouldn't be fair... or kind. Therefore, we will watch and listen to and care for Odin with every ounce of love and attention we can muster, until he tells us the time has finally come. 'Natch.'
Recently, Odin was started on a new prescriptive food, and seems alright with it. While it took some time to get him weaned from the first prescriptive to this new one, I can finally say he is eating most of his meals each day - and that is a blessing. The abrupt screaming poos are winding down, although I must remain on guard when he begins to cry incessantly, and wander from place to place. Karl is not as attentive during the day while I am at work, so there have been many days when I've arrived home to find a secret, stinky gift from Odin laying in wait for me in front of my closet.
Oh, 'O'! I love you, love you, love you.
10.15.2017
Ostrichotitus
Funny (odd) how the human mind works. Then, you couple it with the 'heart' (the emotional side of our brain) and you find conflict. Add the psyche (still more brain stuff) and you come up with a crock pot full of "Whoa. What have you done?... "What were you thinking?"... "WTF?"
Prior to Christmas (one year ago) I was going to head up to a friend's place to help them finish prepping their domicile for the arrival of family. I was supposed to receive a phone call the night before, letting me know what time to be there the next day; but the phone call didn't come. In my infinite realm of being a horrible human - not to mention, the world's biggest disappointment to others (my entire life) - I assumed that that was a hint aimed at me. The next day, the hint became an enormous message (in my mind) when the silence extended itself throughout the entire day and on into the evening.
Rather than call and ask my friend if they were alright, I let it go, believing I was reading the message loud and clear. A 'message' that probably wasn't there, but that I most definitely read as an "I don't want you around" sort of thing. If you spent any time at all stumbling around in my brain pan, you would know this was an easy conclusion for me to reach.
The surest path.
Common sense.
I have 'a gift,' you see.
My 'gift' has been put to great use lo these past several decades, and as I have gotten older my 'gift' has become more finely honed and excessively refined.
Razor sharp.
Infallible.
That phone call from my friend that never came... yeah, I let that tip my emotional scales to become nearly two months of self-imposed exile. I reasoned that it was all obvious simple math; that 'one' (my friend) added with other 'ones' (1+1+1+1...), and that became lots of reasons why I should vanish from life. I pulled into my shell and remained cloistered and reclusive for weeks. I tucked myself in and locked up good and tight against everything and everyone, and remained untouchable and impervious to any more slights and outright injuries - perceived or otherwise. I had been on my own for so long, it just seemed the natural next step.
After all, I wasn't hurting anybody... else.
In fact, my gift has most likely become the largest impediment in my bag of tricks; the single most utilized implement of destruction which keeps me from enjoying more of that part of life I so badly miss and want to take part in - people stuff. Life itself.
I activated the gift to protect myself, my heart, my feelings, my self from damage and rejection, but it's only served to insulate me in a 'bass-ackward' fashion. I've become so used to reading the signs bass-ackwardly, that I am afraid I have become quite adept at sabotaging my life before giving anything a chance. All those things I want to take part in - all of the things I could have included myself in, but held back from, because I knew rejection would be the first thing dished out - has all been lost opportunity and wasted life.
The long and the short of it is:
I wonder if I can undo the damage from so many years of incorrect intuitive behavior, and begin practicing more self-inclusiveness? Can I get to a place where I don't wait for direct invitations, but don't shut myself off out of fear, either; automatically assuming abject rejection is one breath - one answer - away. Can a lifetime of conditioning be reversed?
Prior to Christmas (one year ago) I was going to head up to a friend's place to help them finish prepping their domicile for the arrival of family. I was supposed to receive a phone call the night before, letting me know what time to be there the next day; but the phone call didn't come. In my infinite realm of being a horrible human - not to mention, the world's biggest disappointment to others (my entire life) - I assumed that that was a hint aimed at me. The next day, the hint became an enormous message (in my mind) when the silence extended itself throughout the entire day and on into the evening.
Rather than call and ask my friend if they were alright, I let it go, believing I was reading the message loud and clear. A 'message' that probably wasn't there, but that I most definitely read as an "I don't want you around" sort of thing. If you spent any time at all stumbling around in my brain pan, you would know this was an easy conclusion for me to reach.
The surest path.
Common sense.
I have 'a gift,' you see.
My 'gift' has been put to great use lo these past several decades, and as I have gotten older my 'gift' has become more finely honed and excessively refined.
Razor sharp.
Infallible.
That phone call from my friend that never came... yeah, I let that tip my emotional scales to become nearly two months of self-imposed exile. I reasoned that it was all obvious simple math; that 'one' (my friend) added with other 'ones' (1+1+1+1...), and that became lots of reasons why I should vanish from life. I pulled into my shell and remained cloistered and reclusive for weeks. I tucked myself in and locked up good and tight against everything and everyone, and remained untouchable and impervious to any more slights and outright injuries - perceived or otherwise. I had been on my own for so long, it just seemed the natural next step.
After all, I wasn't hurting anybody... else.
In fact, my gift has most likely become the largest impediment in my bag of tricks; the single most utilized implement of destruction which keeps me from enjoying more of that part of life I so badly miss and want to take part in - people stuff. Life itself.
I activated the gift to protect myself, my heart, my feelings, my self from damage and rejection, but it's only served to insulate me in a 'bass-ackward' fashion. I've become so used to reading the signs bass-ackwardly, that I am afraid I have become quite adept at sabotaging my life before giving anything a chance. All those things I want to take part in - all of the things I could have included myself in, but held back from, because I knew rejection would be the first thing dished out - has all been lost opportunity and wasted life.
The long and the short of it is:
I wonder if I can undo the damage from so many years of incorrect intuitive behavior, and begin practicing more self-inclusiveness? Can I get to a place where I don't wait for direct invitations, but don't shut myself off out of fear, either; automatically assuming abject rejection is one breath - one answer - away. Can a lifetime of conditioning be reversed?
10.14.2013
Irritation
My most immediate gripe is of my composition instructor.
Karl has the same course with a different professor, and this dude (Karl's 'Prof N') is as incredibly prompt (and terrific) at communication as my composition dude is irresponsible and lackluster. They couldn't be any more diametrically opposed if they tried. My instructor either never checks his email, or checks it and ignores it for days at a stretch before responding, OR likes playing the "eenie-meanie-miney-moe" game with whatever class email he receives.
A full week ago I wrote to ask if he was able to view my essay submission in the screwed up application the college has decided to utilize for torturing students, er....make that "use as an instructional aide to enhance the class syllabus and face-to-face time." What a high-falutin' crock! Too many bugs in the system, and if someone (like myself) hasn't got an updated version of Windows, that damned thing won't work from your home computer! In fact, if you don't possess the latest and greatest software enabled laptop, iPad, etc., you can't do your homework from home! That is, unless you go to the extreme of spending another pile of money to buy the latest version of Windows to replace the non-upgradeable Vista that was (the only thing) available when [I] purchased my laptop in 2009.
That's right, I've had my current computer/laptop for more than four years!!! I'm not a lemming with a small anything complex (I also don't have a never-ending pile of cash under my mattress to blow on new hardware and phones and other gadgets). And look at me, I'm still breathing and functioning!
I'm happy (odd choice of words) to report that I am not the only person in class experiencing issues with the stupid MyWritingLab app/software/reporting tool, so I have been vindicated. The stupidest test of the MWL product came when I went to the campus library during a break to upload my essay from their computers. That's right, the MRL tool wasn't recognized by the school system! I was asked for permission to allow a "pop-up" to use the system. Then, the program had bugs beyond the firewall issue.....so HUGE RASPBERRIES to the new tool to make a lazy instructor's life easier! Hey, teachers - get yourself an email account students can utilize to submit their assignments via email - WITHOUT ALL THE DAMNED HOOPS!!
[pant, pant, pant]
I submitted it twice from different computers, and I have no idea if he ever saw the essay while in the precious MWL program. Jean submitted it from her Mac, where she saw the item snugly tucked into the "shared documents" folder, AND she could view it there, too. She even took a page image and we sent that to the instructor to show the document as having been in the system since the 4th of October! But when I queried whether he could view the document as sent via the library computer to the same program destination, I never received the courtesy of a reply!
[expletive, EXPLETIVE, EXPLETIVE]
Yes, I think it's safe to say I am a tad irritated.
Karl has the same course with a different professor, and this dude (Karl's 'Prof N') is as incredibly prompt (and terrific) at communication as my composition dude is irresponsible and lackluster. They couldn't be any more diametrically opposed if they tried. My instructor either never checks his email, or checks it and ignores it for days at a stretch before responding, OR likes playing the "eenie-meanie-miney-moe" game with whatever class email he receives.
A full week ago I wrote to ask if he was able to view my essay submission in the screwed up application the college has decided to utilize for torturing students, er....make that "use as an instructional aide to enhance the class syllabus and face-to-face time." What a high-falutin' crock! Too many bugs in the system, and if someone (like myself) hasn't got an updated version of Windows, that damned thing won't work from your home computer! In fact, if you don't possess the latest and greatest software enabled laptop, iPad, etc., you can't do your homework from home! That is, unless you go to the extreme of spending another pile of money to buy the latest version of Windows to replace the non-upgradeable Vista that was (the only thing) available when [I] purchased my laptop in 2009.
That's right, I've had my current computer/laptop for more than four years!!! I'm not a lemming with a small anything complex (I also don't have a never-ending pile of cash under my mattress to blow on new hardware and phones and other gadgets). And look at me, I'm still breathing and functioning!
I'm happy (odd choice of words) to report that I am not the only person in class experiencing issues with the stupid MyWritingLab app/software/reporting tool, so I have been vindicated. The stupidest test of the MWL product came when I went to the campus library during a break to upload my essay from their computers. That's right, the MRL tool wasn't recognized by the school system! I was asked for permission to allow a "pop-up" to use the system. Then, the program had bugs beyond the firewall issue.....so HUGE RASPBERRIES to the new tool to make a lazy instructor's life easier! Hey, teachers - get yourself an email account students can utilize to submit their assignments via email - WITHOUT ALL THE DAMNED HOOPS!!
[pant, pant, pant]
I submitted it twice from different computers, and I have no idea if he ever saw the essay while in the precious MWL program. Jean submitted it from her Mac, where she saw the item snugly tucked into the "shared documents" folder, AND she could view it there, too. She even took a page image and we sent that to the instructor to show the document as having been in the system since the 4th of October! But when I queried whether he could view the document as sent via the library computer to the same program destination, I never received the courtesy of a reply!
[expletive, EXPLETIVE, EXPLETIVE]
Yes, I think it's safe to say I am a tad irritated.
8.01.2013
Mom, call me if you need me -
Well...hello!
Attempted to post yesterday, to update you all as to what's been transpiring in my life over the last week (or more), but blogger is again on the fritz. [primal growl] I am going to try and make this brief to avoid any further blogger BS for the day, so I hope you can read between the lines in this abbreviated report.
Arrived home from the U.P. two days ago in time to pick up Karl from his last day of summer semester. He had just taken his final and was ready to leave the building. He was expecting to see Jean there, as she had offered to drive the distance from Clio to Aub Hills to gather him if I couldn't make there myself. THANK YOU, JEAN!
Mom is mending after her [deleted for privacy's sake], that's where I was for the week. Besides that, the timing was right to be there for her birthday, too. Happy birthday, one more time, mom!
The week was a rainy one so I wasn't able to get out and weed whack her driveway (or around her flowerbeds), but it was neat to watch the clouds billowing over Lake Superior.
Brian is looking forward to the start of the Renaissance festival this month, and will be dividing his time between Lowe's during the week, the comic book shop in Fenton, and the festival on the weekends through September.
Thirteen days to go before the start of the quilt show/competition, and sixteen for me before I can attend it and then take my quilt entry home! Can't wait to see it hanging with other entries from around the world and from across the United States!
OK, so let's see if blogger will allow me to post this today, without issue.
Have a good day!
Attempted to post yesterday, to update you all as to what's been transpiring in my life over the last week (or more), but blogger is again on the fritz. [primal growl] I am going to try and make this brief to avoid any further blogger BS for the day, so I hope you can read between the lines in this abbreviated report.
Arrived home from the U.P. two days ago in time to pick up Karl from his last day of summer semester. He had just taken his final and was ready to leave the building. He was expecting to see Jean there, as she had offered to drive the distance from Clio to Aub Hills to gather him if I couldn't make there myself. THANK YOU, JEAN!
Mom is mending after her [deleted for privacy's sake], that's where I was for the week. Besides that, the timing was right to be there for her birthday, too. Happy birthday, one more time, mom!
The week was a rainy one so I wasn't able to get out and weed whack her driveway (or around her flowerbeds), but it was neat to watch the clouds billowing over Lake Superior.
Brian is looking forward to the start of the Renaissance festival this month, and will be dividing his time between Lowe's during the week, the comic book shop in Fenton, and the festival on the weekends through September.
Thirteen days to go before the start of the quilt show/competition, and sixteen for me before I can attend it and then take my quilt entry home! Can't wait to see it hanging with other entries from around the world and from across the United States!
OK, so let's see if blogger will allow me to post this today, without issue.
Have a good day!
7.22.2013
[panic scream]
My lovely little quilt arrived at the UPS hub in Hodgkins, IL, by 8:51AM Saturday morning -- but hasn't budged an inch since!
Do I need to be worried?
Do I get money back if they do not live up to their delivery claim? If they fail to meet the delivery timeline THEY named and guaranteed?
I will drive to Hodgkins, IL if I have to!! That's a warning, UPS. A warning and a promise.
Do I need to be worried?
Do I get money back if they do not live up to their delivery claim? If they fail to meet the delivery timeline THEY named and guaranteed?
I will drive to Hodgkins, IL if I have to!! That's a warning, UPS. A warning and a promise.
7.20.2013
Weee-e-e-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-l-l-lllllll
Apparently, if you're looking for a good time in Michigan, you don't need to drive any further than the nearest Burger King in Dundee.
That's right kids - order a kid's meal and get your food and a pipe filled with hashish...and they'll even light it up for you!
Sheesh. Way to go, Michigan. [forehead smack]
That's right kids - order a kid's meal and get your food and a pipe filled with hashish...and they'll even light it up for you!
Sheesh. Way to go, Michigan. [forehead smack]
Yes, "again"
A little bit, that is. A little bit about the weather and then [drum roll] - on to other things! [cymbal crash]
The weather only factors in because there has been a change. [grinning madly] It's still humid as all get-out, but it is cooler this morning. With the help of the attic fan thrumming all night long, the inside temp is a manageable 74*F!
Tah-daaaahhhhhhh! And I do mean the "aahhhh" thing. S'wonderful!
We were on the road yesterday afternoon, skirting the rolling storm front (which was over our left shoulders and closing in quickly), until just shy of returning to my little 'burb. Boom!
The lightening, heavy whipping winds, and torrential rains made a violent statement as we cruised to within four miles of the house. Floodgates opened and branches fell left and right, but through all of that, the temps fell, too! Everything still feels wet. Damp and icky, but over the course of the next few days it will dry out some.
The reason we were on the road? Well, to deliver my little quilted beauty into the hands of strangers. Many, MANY strangers! It started off at a UPS storefront in Clarkston, and by later in the evening had only managed to crawl as far as Pontiac. This morning finds it on a truck and actually moving out of the state! No turning back now.
More updates can be followed on the quilting blog. But for now I have some cooler temps to take advantage of, so I am going to get away from the keyboard. How are you going to celebrate the break in the heatwave?
The weather only factors in because there has been a change. [grinning madly] It's still humid as all get-out, but it is cooler this morning. With the help of the attic fan thrumming all night long, the inside temp is a manageable 74*F!
Tah-daaaahhhhhhh! And I do mean the "aahhhh" thing. S'wonderful!
We were on the road yesterday afternoon, skirting the rolling storm front (which was over our left shoulders and closing in quickly), until just shy of returning to my little 'burb. Boom!
The lightening, heavy whipping winds, and torrential rains made a violent statement as we cruised to within four miles of the house. Floodgates opened and branches fell left and right, but through all of that, the temps fell, too! Everything still feels wet. Damp and icky, but over the course of the next few days it will dry out some.
The reason we were on the road? Well, to deliver my little quilted beauty into the hands of strangers. Many, MANY strangers! It started off at a UPS storefront in Clarkston, and by later in the evening had only managed to crawl as far as Pontiac. This morning finds it on a truck and actually moving out of the state! No turning back now.
More updates can be followed on the quilting blog. But for now I have some cooler temps to take advantage of, so I am going to get away from the keyboard. How are you going to celebrate the break in the heatwave?
7.16.2013
Well, what do you know.
In fear of jinxing it, but right now the blogger is working. Thank you, google - at long last.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Knowingly made the decision to not roll the AC unit into the house and set it up in the living room window this season, as we have for the past few years. Crazy, I know, but there were many factors involved in that thought process.
Despite the horrible grip of uber heat and humidity hovering over our state (much of the mid-western to eastern US, really), I have only had one moment of self doubt over that AC v no AC decision. Today is really day three of the latest heat wave, but day two with the added humidity. It's crippling, make no mistake, and weather weenie predictions have this hanging around until Friday or Saturday of this week.
We'll see. It's being called the "air you can wear." Very appropriate.
Anyhow, it's good to have space for writing again, but I need to move around before the heat becomes overly oppressive. We have found a rather busy nest of flying, sting-y things entering the house through a crack between the brick facing and old caulking where it meets the wood trim. Emptied a can of spray at them yesterday evening, but that only made a temporary dent in their activities....and hardly touched their numbers, I'm fearing.
I will keep you posted on that and so much more, but I bid you adieu for the time being.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Knowingly made the decision to not roll the AC unit into the house and set it up in the living room window this season, as we have for the past few years. Crazy, I know, but there were many factors involved in that thought process.
Despite the horrible grip of uber heat and humidity hovering over our state (much of the mid-western to eastern US, really), I have only had one moment of self doubt over that AC v no AC decision. Today is really day three of the latest heat wave, but day two with the added humidity. It's crippling, make no mistake, and weather weenie predictions have this hanging around until Friday or Saturday of this week.
We'll see. It's being called the "air you can wear." Very appropriate.
Anyhow, it's good to have space for writing again, but I need to move around before the heat becomes overly oppressive. We have found a rather busy nest of flying, sting-y things entering the house through a crack between the brick facing and old caulking where it meets the wood trim. Emptied a can of spray at them yesterday evening, but that only made a temporary dent in their activities....and hardly touched their numbers, I'm fearing.
I will keep you posted on that and so much more, but I bid you adieu for the time being.
6.28.2013
Raucous storms yesterday
Yar, those be some fairly horrendous wind/rain combinations we had, and apparently our region is not out of the mix, yet.
Two large branches were taken down - one from the backyard apple tree, and one in the front out of the spreading maple. Somehow I missed seeing the apple limb until a few moments ago. Fortunately no damage was done to any power lines or the house, there's just a mess to contend with.
Somewhere around eight o'clock or so, the power blinked off in a nasty way, and Karl and I set about lighting candles. It wasn't but a few moments later the power was back on and we were 'in business' again, but we left the candles lit until we were certain how the evening was to progress.
Here we are in the light of a new day, and we're finding enough to do around the place to keep us busy for a little while - at least until the next set of storms races through today. Hope all is well at your end of the pond.
Two large branches were taken down - one from the backyard apple tree, and one in the front out of the spreading maple. Somehow I missed seeing the apple limb until a few moments ago. Fortunately no damage was done to any power lines or the house, there's just a mess to contend with.
Somewhere around eight o'clock or so, the power blinked off in a nasty way, and Karl and I set about lighting candles. It wasn't but a few moments later the power was back on and we were 'in business' again, but we left the candles lit until we were certain how the evening was to progress.
Here we are in the light of a new day, and we're finding enough to do around the place to keep us busy for a little while - at least until the next set of storms races through today. Hope all is well at your end of the pond.
6.17.2013
Goliath
Moved a lot of stuff yesterday afternoon in order to get to the wall I wanted to fix (and ultimately paint). Another crack had developed around the framing of the window which once existed in the south wall, so besides the fact that the color was wrong, I also couldn't get past seeing that darned crack reappear!
In all honesty, I noticed the crack a few years back, but had turned a blind eye to it for a lot of reasons, but all of that has changed recently. I won't go into it now, just trust me when I say I've hit my limit.
I have been ruing the day I ever began rehabbing/remodeling this typical 1950's ranch-style house. Oh, for lots of reasons, but mainly because of all of the rotten people who I ended up trusting and hiring, and who ultimately let me down. I am a fairly poor judge of character it appears.
All of that a n d it seems repairing one item seems to make another two or three issues come to light.
But this morning, I awoke feeling a bit more hopeful after yesterday's burst of renewed energy.
I moved all of the boxes of stored dinnerware (which still cannot go "home" because that space is nowhere near ready for it), began the drywall repair in a fairly big way, and pared down the color choices to paint that expanse of wall, the adjoining joist-into-hallway wall (and the living room ceiling) to no more than five colors! Two for the overall wall, two possibles for the ceiling and maybe two for the joist (but one of those is a very strong contender)!
"That's six!", you yell.
Hey, I can count. Don't worry, my math is sound - two of those are the same color for different purposes...so it's all good.
Trust me, this is a big change. It's a BIG commitment. I've had it with the 'someday' attitude I've fallen into! I want my house back!
At any rate, with all of the moving, vacuuming, and prep cleaning, I disturbed a spider. A wolf spider. Hey, it was bound to happen.
In fact, it was a very large wolf spider.
I didn't see anything of him all day yesterday, but I had my suspicions we would meet one day when I found a lot of cobweb-y stuff.
"How large?" you wonder.
Let me just say when I caught sight of him running an Olympic sprint across the half wall very early this morning - and he was pulling a VW Beetle behind him at the time - he was astounding! He was booking, baby!
I mean to say he was one of the largest I had ever seen indoors or out, and superfast. Why he stopped moving when I approached him with a shoe is beyond me; except, maybe because he has been living in this house for an apparently good long time, he was most likely used to the noises and comings and goings. Nothing was going to faze this Godzilla arachnid, least of all a freaked out fat woman with a sneaker.
And I truly believe this spider was also probably the one who moved the frig away from the wall one night!
Yes, THAT large! I'm telling you........even Flop wouldn't approach it, and she loves chasing down bugs and spiders when she spies one. LOVES it!
My big fear right now is that this eight-legged behemoth may have been a mommy and not a dude. So, do I need to worry about revenge from a hoard of angry gargantuan babies any time in the near future?
In all honesty, I noticed the crack a few years back, but had turned a blind eye to it for a lot of reasons, but all of that has changed recently. I won't go into it now, just trust me when I say I've hit my limit.
I have been ruing the day I ever began rehabbing/remodeling this typical 1950's ranch-style house. Oh, for lots of reasons, but mainly because of all of the rotten people who I ended up trusting and hiring, and who ultimately let me down. I am a fairly poor judge of character it appears.
All of that a n d it seems repairing one item seems to make another two or three issues come to light.
But this morning, I awoke feeling a bit more hopeful after yesterday's burst of renewed energy.
I moved all of the boxes of stored dinnerware (which still cannot go "home" because that space is nowhere near ready for it), began the drywall repair in a fairly big way, and pared down the color choices to paint that expanse of wall, the adjoining joist-into-hallway wall (and the living room ceiling) to no more than five colors! Two for the overall wall, two possibles for the ceiling and maybe two for the joist (but one of those is a very strong contender)!
"That's six!", you yell.
Hey, I can count. Don't worry, my math is sound - two of those are the same color for different purposes...so it's all good.
Trust me, this is a big change. It's a BIG commitment. I've had it with the 'someday' attitude I've fallen into! I want my house back!
At any rate, with all of the moving, vacuuming, and prep cleaning, I disturbed a spider. A wolf spider. Hey, it was bound to happen.
In fact, it was a very large wolf spider.
I didn't see anything of him all day yesterday, but I had my suspicions we would meet one day when I found a lot of cobweb-y stuff.
"How large?" you wonder.
Let me just say when I caught sight of him running an Olympic sprint across the half wall very early this morning - and he was pulling a VW Beetle behind him at the time - he was astounding! He was booking, baby!
I mean to say he was one of the largest I had ever seen indoors or out, and superfast. Why he stopped moving when I approached him with a shoe is beyond me; except, maybe because he has been living in this house for an apparently good long time, he was most likely used to the noises and comings and goings. Nothing was going to faze this Godzilla arachnid, least of all a freaked out fat woman with a sneaker.
And I truly believe this spider was also probably the one who moved the frig away from the wall one night!
Yes, THAT large! I'm telling you........even Flop wouldn't approach it, and she loves chasing down bugs and spiders when she spies one. LOVES it!
My big fear right now is that this eight-legged behemoth may have been a mommy and not a dude. So, do I need to worry about revenge from a hoard of angry gargantuan babies any time in the near future?
6.07.2013
My bad
It dawned on me last night that I had forgotten to report Karl's progress in his advanced math class.
Yes - he passed his first test! Initially, he had a C+ grade, but seemed dissatisfied with that grade. He was looking forward to averaging the same sort of grades as he had in the first math class, but since this is advanced (and therefore more complicated) algebra, it makes sense that it might not come as easily, or with the same results for the lad.
At any rate, I suggested he take his test and the math notes - and work leading up to it - in to his next tutoring session to see where his issue may lie, to see if Justin (his tutor) can help Karl over his hurdles, thereby making it easier to pass the next test. You know, get Karl (and keep him) par with what was coming at him in class.
My thought is if you have working knowledge of the sequence of formulation, factoring and figuring for algebra, then you should be able to move through the more complicated problems. But, if you have a hiccup early on, then getting the more complicated stuff will be, well....more complicated.
So, Karl went in to tutoring armed to the teeth to review his test and see where he needed a little help grasping whatever it was that had eluded him.
The two boys found two problems which had been answered correctly, but which the instructor had incorrectly marked wrong! Karl finished his tutoring session having mastered a concept (with Justin's help) that stumped him, AND with the knowledge that he could perhaps raise his grade for the test a little by asking the instructor to review those two problems the boys found to be graded wrong.
Guess what?! She did see the issues with the two problems in question, and re-graded Karl's test accordingly, which bumped his grade from that C+ to a B- !!! This made Karl very proud - and rightly so!
Need I say I am proud, too? Well, I am!
- - - - - - - - - - - -
On to Brian news. Arrived home the other day to find Bud with an impressive bandage on his left forearm.
"A bandage!", you gasp.
Yes, and here's the story. He cut his forearm on a poorly stored blade he found "the hard way," while searching for something he had dropped on the floor under his desk. Yes, he placed the blade (some time ago) into the flap of a cardboard box, then stacked the box with something else, then, well.....you get the picture, right? He forgot completely about the blade, then made contact with it while prowling around under his desk.
The "contact" made was with his forearm, and the results were a fairly deep sub-q cut (but not to the muscle) which required something in the order of 10 stitches to close.
Wheeee!! Oh, and yes, I did do the mommy-thing and suggest (strongly) to Brian I thought this might be a good time to clean his room.
So, it's been slightly eventful here. How's things at your end of the swamp?
Yes - he passed his first test! Initially, he had a C+ grade, but seemed dissatisfied with that grade. He was looking forward to averaging the same sort of grades as he had in the first math class, but since this is advanced (and therefore more complicated) algebra, it makes sense that it might not come as easily, or with the same results for the lad.
At any rate, I suggested he take his test and the math notes - and work leading up to it - in to his next tutoring session to see where his issue may lie, to see if Justin (his tutor) can help Karl over his hurdles, thereby making it easier to pass the next test. You know, get Karl (and keep him) par with what was coming at him in class.
My thought is if you have working knowledge of the sequence of formulation, factoring and figuring for algebra, then you should be able to move through the more complicated problems. But, if you have a hiccup early on, then getting the more complicated stuff will be, well....more complicated.
So, Karl went in to tutoring armed to the teeth to review his test and see where he needed a little help grasping whatever it was that had eluded him.
The two boys found two problems which had been answered correctly, but which the instructor had incorrectly marked wrong! Karl finished his tutoring session having mastered a concept (with Justin's help) that stumped him, AND with the knowledge that he could perhaps raise his grade for the test a little by asking the instructor to review those two problems the boys found to be graded wrong.
Guess what?! She did see the issues with the two problems in question, and re-graded Karl's test accordingly, which bumped his grade from that C+ to a B- !!! This made Karl very proud - and rightly so!
Need I say I am proud, too? Well, I am!
- - - - - - - - - - - -
On to Brian news. Arrived home the other day to find Bud with an impressive bandage on his left forearm.
"A bandage!", you gasp.
Yes, and here's the story. He cut his forearm on a poorly stored blade he found "the hard way," while searching for something he had dropped on the floor under his desk. Yes, he placed the blade (some time ago) into the flap of a cardboard box, then stacked the box with something else, then, well.....you get the picture, right? He forgot completely about the blade, then made contact with it while prowling around under his desk.
The "contact" made was with his forearm, and the results were a fairly deep sub-q cut (but not to the muscle) which required something in the order of 10 stitches to close.
Wheeee!! Oh, and yes, I did do the mommy-thing and suggest (strongly) to Brian I thought this might be a good time to clean his room.
So, it's been slightly eventful here. How's things at your end of the swamp?
3.04.2013
Good news, bad news
It has been a l-o-n-g weekend.
It began last week, Wednesday, when Brian developed a monster headache. Just coming off of a nearly two-week-long combo respiratory/head thing (he still harbors the cough and stuffy nose), this headache crept in to stay.
Severe vomiting followed at a rate of two-to-three hours between each episode. The headache intensified over the next couple of days, and his biggest concern (for him) was lack of poo.
[amused exasperation] Kids.
OK, kids and 101-year-old ladies.
Finally, on Saturday afternoon, his appetite began to rear it's ugly head, so Bud ate a little here and a little there throughout the remainder of the day. Eventually, his relaxed upset stomach said "no thanks" in a very profound and noisy fashion.
That was 4:30AM Sunday.
Then the headache became aggressively painful, so we drove to an urgent care facility in town (which wasn't McClaren - they are the gov snydley of healthcare). For $90 this clinic gave him a shot of pain medication and two prescriptions to fill....oh, and a prescription for a CT.
Brian managed to sleep throughout a better portion of the night, waking less frequently then he had been, and no vomiting (thank you, God). He still required elevation to sleep, but his grade 8 headache is now a purring 3 classification (per his opinion), but it is now painful to have contact with the right side of his head. ?
Re: the CT - Once it's done, how long before someone reads the CT results and gets back with an answer, solution, opinion, diagnosis do you think?
[disgusted sigh] What a ride.
More later.
It began last week, Wednesday, when Brian developed a monster headache. Just coming off of a nearly two-week-long combo respiratory/head thing (he still harbors the cough and stuffy nose), this headache crept in to stay.
Severe vomiting followed at a rate of two-to-three hours between each episode. The headache intensified over the next couple of days, and his biggest concern (for him) was lack of poo.
[amused exasperation] Kids.
OK, kids and 101-year-old ladies.
Finally, on Saturday afternoon, his appetite began to rear it's ugly head, so Bud ate a little here and a little there throughout the remainder of the day. Eventually, his relaxed upset stomach said "no thanks" in a very profound and noisy fashion.
That was 4:30AM Sunday.
Then the headache became aggressively painful, so we drove to an urgent care facility in town (which wasn't McClaren - they are the gov snydley of healthcare). For $90 this clinic gave him a shot of pain medication and two prescriptions to fill....oh, and a prescription for a CT.
Brian managed to sleep throughout a better portion of the night, waking less frequently then he had been, and no vomiting (thank you, God). He still required elevation to sleep, but his grade 8 headache is now a purring 3 classification (per his opinion), but it is now painful to have contact with the right side of his head. ?
Re: the CT - Once it's done, how long before someone reads the CT results and gets back with an answer, solution, opinion, diagnosis do you think?
[disgusted sigh] What a ride.
More later.
2.02.2013
Uh-huh, that's right
Yes, I expounded on how I like my hot dogs prepared - what did you want me to write about?
Oh! What did you want me to write about? You know who you are. [squinty eyes in your direction]
OK, here you go.
Cleo was due for a hard day in the evacuating department. That is to say, her ears were exceptionally hot, she was making frequent trips to the box - and straining - but yielding nothing beyond urine. Yup, she was going to have one of 'those' days.
As much a hassle as it is for me when she is blocked, for her, it is tiring and excruciating and horrendous....and about 600 additional shitastic-ly colorful descriptives which would all mean rotten and uncomfortable.
I was settling in and mentally preparing for the familiar long poo day when mom called.
While I was on the phone with mom, Karl came to the staircase to announce that he had wanted to go to the bathroom but that Cleo had 'used' the bathroom first - and had left a dash-and-a-dot and a puddle on the bathmat!
Yea!
For those of you thinking "ew," this is a crisis averted. Be happy for 'the pup.' Her ears are cool and she is relaxed and chatty, so sincere prayers are answered.
Thank you, Lord.
Oh! What did you want me to write about? You know who you are. [squinty eyes in your direction]
OK, here you go.
Cleo was due for a hard day in the evacuating department. That is to say, her ears were exceptionally hot, she was making frequent trips to the box - and straining - but yielding nothing beyond urine. Yup, she was going to have one of 'those' days.
As much a hassle as it is for me when she is blocked, for her, it is tiring and excruciating and horrendous....and about 600 additional shitastic-ly colorful descriptives which would all mean rotten and uncomfortable.
I was settling in and mentally preparing for the familiar long poo day when mom called.
While I was on the phone with mom, Karl came to the staircase to announce that he had wanted to go to the bathroom but that Cleo had 'used' the bathroom first - and had left a dash-and-a-dot and a puddle on the bathmat!
Yea!
For those of you thinking "ew," this is a crisis averted. Be happy for 'the pup.' Her ears are cool and she is relaxed and chatty, so sincere prayers are answered.
Thank you, Lord.
12.18.2012
Un-freakin-believable
On the road taking care of business, on my way to a destination (with a time line to stick to), and I am stuck in the "fast lane" (you know, the far left, passing lane) southbound on Telegraph, and people are moving frustratingly s-l-o-w.
Why are they moving slow? you would ask yourself. Well, I did.
I know others were.
When given the opportunity, I moved to the right - out of the passing lane - and proceeded to pass the obstruction, which had been about seven cars ahead of me. There, at the head of the line of traffic, blithely unaware of the plight of everyone behind her, drove a woman in a black minivan.....having a conversation with one (or more) of the three young people in the back of the vehicle!
"People can have conversations with others in the car and still drive," you counter.
Well, for the most part I would tend to agree with you. But NOT this broad.
Her conversation kept her oblivious to the fact that she was impeding traffic in several ways - mostly by moving along at the blistering speed of thirty-seven to forty-miles-per-hour, when the speed limit is a posted fifty - and most folks clip along at roughly fifty-five to sixty through much of Bloomfield Hills and far western B'ham, etc.
Her conversation was a clear distraction.
Her conversation was with her hands!
No, I don't mean she was 'Italian-talking.' I mean this chic was having a conversation using ASL, for crying out loud! A full blown, American Sign Language, Helen Keller, I-can-see-you-but-I-can't-hear-you kind of dialogue with a passenger in the back of the vehicle, so her attention clearly was not on her driving.
"HEY! Hang up and drive, you loon!" I wanted to yell. But she wouldn't have heard me if I had.
She wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her - AND SHE WAS DRIVING!!!
Why are they moving slow? you would ask yourself. Well, I did.
I know others were.
When given the opportunity, I moved to the right - out of the passing lane - and proceeded to pass the obstruction, which had been about seven cars ahead of me. There, at the head of the line of traffic, blithely unaware of the plight of everyone behind her, drove a woman in a black minivan.....having a conversation with one (or more) of the three young people in the back of the vehicle!
"People can have conversations with others in the car and still drive," you counter.
Well, for the most part I would tend to agree with you. But NOT this broad.
Her conversation kept her oblivious to the fact that she was impeding traffic in several ways - mostly by moving along at the blistering speed of thirty-seven to forty-miles-per-hour, when the speed limit is a posted fifty - and most folks clip along at roughly fifty-five to sixty through much of Bloomfield Hills and far western B'ham, etc.
Her conversation was a clear distraction.
Her conversation was with her hands!
No, I don't mean she was 'Italian-talking.' I mean this chic was having a conversation using ASL, for crying out loud! A full blown, American Sign Language, Helen Keller, I-can-see-you-but-I-can't-hear-you kind of dialogue with a passenger in the back of the vehicle, so her attention clearly was not on her driving.
"HEY! Hang up and drive, you loon!" I wanted to yell. But she wouldn't have heard me if I had.
She wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her - AND SHE WAS DRIVING!!!
12.15.2012
I do not want to rehash yesterday's tragedy of Newtown, CT.
Stupid people are saying that if there had been more permissive gun laws, this wouldn't have happened.
Jack asses!
Think on this: The mother of the young man who committed this horror was the owner of those weapons! Not only that, she purchased them in order to protect herself from her son.
Huh.
Stupid people are saying that if there had been more permissive gun laws, this wouldn't have happened.
Jack asses!
Think on this: The mother of the young man who committed this horror was the owner of those weapons! Not only that, she purchased them in order to protect herself from her son.
Huh.
12.02.2012
Seriously?!
[fill this space with expletives - lots and LOTS of expletives]
What is the matter with someone who finds it necessary to make somebody elses life a rich source of amusement by screwing with their online connectivity? Why steal email accounts?
Why?!?!?!?!?
Day 2.75 and counting in working with gmail services (slower than sh*t), to retrieve command of my own darned accounts. Yes - "accounts." I have proven who I am sufficiently, now return me my ship (to quote a MI band). I have spent the better portion of the past two+ days emailing with "Ricky" to fix the situation. And when I haven't been chit-chatting with Ricky, I've spent a good deal more time changing passwords for all of my remaining email accounts AND online payment options.
Sheesh! (and that's as polite as I can be for the time being)
Seriously, people?!?! Get a freaking job if you're that good at something, and try to add to humanity/society instead of tearing it down!!
What is the matter with someone who finds it necessary to make somebody elses life a rich source of amusement by screwing with their online connectivity? Why steal email accounts?
Why?!?!?!?!?
Day 2.75 and counting in working with gmail services (slower than sh*t), to retrieve command of my own darned accounts. Yes - "accounts." I have proven who I am sufficiently, now return me my ship (to quote a MI band). I have spent the better portion of the past two+ days emailing with "Ricky" to fix the situation. And when I haven't been chit-chatting with Ricky, I've spent a good deal more time changing passwords for all of my remaining email accounts AND online payment options.
Sheesh! (and that's as polite as I can be for the time being)
Seriously, people?!?! Get a freaking job if you're that good at something, and try to add to humanity/society instead of tearing it down!!
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