I am pleased to announce that I have a working window again

 I was given parking at work (we have five spaces that are given for important appointments or similar reasons when people need to be at the medical centre or leave or come back, and the extras are put into a lottery by last name alphabetically). My manager's husband came at lunchtime and basically took out the bad part and put the new switch in, without having to take off the inner door liner, and it took all of ten minutes.

All of ten minutes. I'd told it would be $50 for the labour. And $150 for the part, which I got off the AutoZone website for a whopping $45.

Thanks to all my co-workers (and their families) who helped me out. Specifically, thank you, Houston, Whitney, Sierra, Feliz, and Frazann. I can now lock my car properly, although there's some stickiness where the double-sided tape was...I may need to break out the rubbing alcohol.

My head is still spinning a bit

So awhile back one of our co-workers left and the woman who was in my position filled her place. She has been training me to request pre-authorisation for the clinic visits and getting me set up with tools I need to do my job since I started the new position a couple of weeks ago. I've been doing some overtime to train and still be able to cover in physical therapy for the secretary who is on maternity leave, then coming in at the end of the day to cover check out upstairs. Lots of hours, lots of bouncing around, lots of learning.

This week my trainer's husband got a dream job that will require relocation to another state, and they will be moving and he will start in less than two weeks. She will follow shortly thereafter, once she's fulfilled her two-week notice. So the last couple of days have been a bit of a roller coaster ride as we're trying to get me trained before she leaves, and of course, I'm her back up, so there was that to consider (she does the surgeries, which are more involved, as well as other things). So the powers that be did some shuffling and now I have been offered and accepted her job, the second promotion in a matter of weeks, and one of my teammates will take mine. It will still be a struggle to get trained in such a short time due to my coverage of rehab, but tomorrow the whole day will be spent on training. So my new title will be Revenue Cycle Coordinator. I'm assuming it will kick in when the other person leaves.

In the entire time that I've been with the company (21 years), I've had six jobs, four of them in the last year. So it's been a whirlwind since getting laid off from the first two when the hospital moved. But things have, indeed, worked out pretty well. I'm happy, and a little scared given the time frame we're talking about, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it. So here's to new adventures.

Random things about this week

• Sunday we didn't actually play the game.  Brenda came over, and we talked and played The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game, which was quite fun.  We mostly visited and snacked.  Afterwards, I applied for the second time for a job that had been re-posted from the public library.  I'd love to work there, I'd love to do this particular job, it's a great branch to work in serving a diverse population, and yes, it would mean more money and better financial security.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that at the very least I'll get an interview.  Given my track record of getting nervous and tanking during interviews, cross your fingers again that I'll actually do well on that.  I've got a couple of books on questions to ask and answer and I'm thinking (at a co-worker's suggestion) of running through scenarios with YKWIA, who is a good critic.  The little dog apparently went into the bedroom and harrumphed as she laid down because I froze her out of my room with the fans on, YWKIA told me later.  She's older and gets cold easily.
• Monday:  I had to shoo a duck out of the driveway to go to work.  She was quacking in an annoyed fashion and walking up to the house when I left.  Work was busy.  I came home, was asleep by 8 or 8:30 pm, and woke up just long enough to take my medicine at midnight.
• Tuesday:  It was a good day at work.  Either Monday or Tuesday (I can't remember), there was a spectacular car wreck outside our building where someone ran the red light and one vehicle was literally on top of the other.  One person got out on their own, and (I think the one on top) had to be taken out.  Hope no one was seriously hurt.  I came home, had dinner, fed the dogs, and still fell asleep by 7:30 pm and woke up at midnight.  I'm not really sure why I was so tired.
• Wednesday: I started out the day by accidentally killing either a small rat or a baby opossum by turning on my car engine, which bothered me greatly, but thank goodness it wasn't the neighbour's cat.  It was another busy day at work.  There was a major accident at Alumni and Nicholasville Road that I avoided while taking a co-worker to her car at her boyfriend's workplace.  Despite all that (I do have driving anxiety, after all), I ventured back out and went to the church where the Bluegrass Orchid Society meets, only to wander aimlessly through a very large church wing trying to find it.  I finally ran into some nice ladies who were members of the church, one of whom had the phone number for the president of the society.  Apparently, their speaker came down with pneumonia and they couldn't come up with a replacement programme, so they cancelled it by letting the membership know by phone and posting it on their Facebook page (which I neglected to check, so that's on me).  They may reschedule that talk (on general orchid culture) to a later date.  There is one in May on orchids and viruses.  I may go to that. But kudos to me for speaking up and asking for directions, as I'm shy and don't usually do great at approaching strangers, even nice middle-aged and older women.  That night I checked my account, and I discovered that the treasurer for the state association for health science librarians to which I belong cashed my dues cheque a day early when she said she'd hold it, thereby over-draughting my account. :(  She must have forgotten.  I'm debating if I should mention it or not. I'm sure she would apologise, but it's not going to undo the damage.  The fee was twice the amount of the cheque, which at least was paid by the bank, so I guess that's a bright side. I almost never write cheques because it's harder to track when they'll come out.  I so should have mailed it in.
• Thursday:  I had a blood draw first thing in the morning and got up early for that.  YKWIA had me move the carcass out of the driveway before I left. I saw a former friend/co-worker there at the doctor's office and caught up with her on what's been going on our lives. Then I went to work and was in physical therapy almost all day learning how to do things so that I can fill in for a woman who's going on maternity leave.  It's a much slower pace but there's a lot of little things to do with many steps that require a good bit of work.  Then I went back upstairs for about a half an hour and caught up on my e-mail and checked out the last patient.  A co-worker went with me to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine YKWIA needed, and then she treated me to an excellent dinner at Planet Thai as a birthday treat.  It was absolutely wonderful.  I had fried tofu (which I adore, although every Thai restaurant I've been to does it differently) and three-flavour (I think that was what it was called) fish, in this case, salmon,  with a medium (3 on a scale of 5) spice.  It made my sinuses run, was very tasty, and was very filling.  Feliz' drunken noodles came in a huge order; I think 3/4 of it had to go home in a box.  We had a good time and talked a lot.  I feel like we're kindred souls.  I'm pretty jazzed from lots of Diet Pepsi, too.  I took her to her car and then stopped by the grocery for bananas.  Now I'm home and I've changed into comfy clothes.  I think I'll listen to some music before bed.
• Tomorrow should be a calm day at work, a catch-up day (I have about five issues to e-mail about).  I don't really have plans for tomorrow evening. It should be about 76 degrees tomorrow (it was close today), which is remarkable given that we had snow early this week, freeze warnings every night, and frost on the cars in the morning.  As far as my productivity at home, I think I'm falling asleep early to avoid the financial issues I'm having.  I should sit down and work on finances, as my bills are piling up and I'm really not sure what to do about it.  It's like everything's haemorrhaging out.  It's really my main subject of stress. I don't have enough to pay for the preparation of my tax forms, which are sitting at H&R Block, and next week is the deadline for filing--and let's not even get into what I actually owe for my taxes.  I don't get paid for two more weeks.  I'm not sure what to do.  Things are looking bleak.  Maybe YKWIA, who is quite sensible about the management of money, can help me get back on track in terms of planning.  I don't know.  That money could milk money from a walnut.

So anyway, that's what's going on in my life.  It's just a little below average due to the financial woes, which will pass eventually, especially when I sit down and face them head on, which I will do tomorrow and this weekend, for I really don't have much choice.  Avoiding the situation further will only make it worse. :(  Otherwise work and personal life is going well.  So while my emotion tracker on my phone, Daylio, has been set at 'meh' a lot lately, it's not too terrible.  'Good' has to be just around the corner, and 'rad' days will happen, too. Let's try to avoid 'fugly'. :)

Random thoughts

When trying to make microwaved baked potatoes, one does not simply put the potatoes in the microwave and walk away without setting the time and hitting the start button.

Three men were putting a car on a U-Haul trailer in front of my apartment last evening, and one actually pulled out (and read) the instructions. I was amazed. I bet he'll ask for directions, too. If anyone is dating him, he's a keeper.

No matter how hard one is hit with the urge to twirl upon entering the building one works at in the morning, one does not do it, because one is an adult. Exceptions may be made for days when one is wearing a skirt with sequins on it while walking in bright sunlight, but today was not that day. What can I say, I got rest (hence no blogging last night) and was in a happy mood.

When trying a recipe for the second time that didn't turn out right the first time, one should check and double-check the ingredients and amounts and directions. I am trying the bread again. This time I put a whole tablespoon in the yeast bin (I have a bread machine that has a separate yeast compartment which releases it at the right time in the process). We will see how it turns out.

Despite having a driving phobia, one's best friend has an incredibly calming effect on one, so that even if one forgot to take one's medicine, the drive across town to the pharmacy and back was pleasant and almost relaxing, even in rush-hour traffic. When one dropped off one's best friend, everything went downhill from there. Fortunately rush hour is now over and one is home.

When leaving the pharmacy, one does not turn sharply to exit into the parking lot, or one makes a horrible scraping noise on the kerb. However, there does not seem to be any damage, so one was lucky.

When one is driving someone with back problems who has expressly told one that his back popped earlier and he has been in quite a bit of pain, one should not turn suddenly or move quickly while driving (or run up on kerbs). One should instead pretend one has plants, animals, or children in the car, and drive gently.

A great big thank you to my bank branch at the Alexandria Road Kroger, which stays open on weekdays later than the others, so I was able to put $1.50 into my account rather than $2.00 to cover a bill I will be paying tomorrow, and as a result I had a whole $4 for gas. :)

It was nice getting free stuff via the Apple settlement from Amazon today--I got a blue cloth elephant-print purse, a phone case (what can I say, I like them, even though no one understands my need to match them to my outfits), and the second series of 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'. One more DVD to get at some point, and then I'll have them all, yay!

I was so happy to see a co-worker who had been hurt return to work today. She started at the hospital the week I was born, and so next year, she will celebrate her 50th anniversary with the company before the hospital closes and becomes an ambulatory care centre instead, moving over by the University of Kentucky hospital.

I moved an appointment I had for tomorrow to Tuesday so I could have more time to get ready, and be on time, for a meeting of the library committee tomorrow. I already had a noon appointment Tuesday, so now I have one (same general area) at 2:30 as well, so I took the day off. That means I have a four-day weekend, although one will mostly be spent at appointments. :( I don't think I'll go to the downtown festival for the Fourth this year, as I haven't really had as much fun in recent years. However, I still plan on going to the Idle Hour fireworks as per usual (employees can park at the hospital using our badges to get in, and we're right across the street from the fireworks display). People normally park along the road and spread blankets or take chairs and sit on our front lawn. It'll be the last year the hospital will be open for it, and who knows whether the new owners will allow that sort of thing. We also allow sledding in the winter, and again, I think things may change. The neighbourhood tends to treat our grounds (there are slightly over 29 acres, mostly rolling grass and trees) as a local park, walking, biking, taking the dogs out to play, etc. There's even a bunch of little kids (very little) who practice soccer out in the back forty some afternoons. If the property is developed, or if the new owners don't want that kind of thing, the neighbours will be very disappointed, I think.

Okay, I'm going to make boiled eggs and the eggplant pasta later, but the bread machine is going right now. I think I'm going to lie down for just a bit, as I have a headache. I should write later.

I got home from the game while it was still light outside

which is almost unheard of. I enjoyed the game--downtime this time, but with getting so little sleep last night, I'm ready to get some rest. I've been researching pregnancy a bit for the game, as I have a character who is pregnant with twins. She's fifteen weeks along (I thought it was thirteen, but gestation is dated from the last period, not from the date of conception, I found out.) One of them is female, the other is male (it's too early to tell by mundane means, but magic is a totally different thing, and after all, this is a horror/sci-fi/fantasy sort of game. And apparently there is active magic going on with the babies already, even though they haven't been born, so it looks like we'll have a couple more special kids in the game, to join the ranks of fairy princesses and shapeshifters.)

Before we played, as I was doing my normal game preparations, I also did my laundry, which had piled up for two weeks rather than the regular one, so that's good. I'd taken the sheers over there to be evaluated, and he liked them. so I washed those, too. I think one rod will work, but the other window will need a different one, as my bigger window rod doesn't collapse down far enough. So today was productive over there. I'd like to do a bit around here--I still need to take out the trash and recyclables, for example, and tomorrow isn't good because I'll probably be there late due to an appointment. But I'm already in my sleep shirt, and I'm pretty comfy and don't want to put regular clothes back on to take that out. But I've got my alarm already set for 6 am, so I might be able to take care of it in the morning.

I've been home almost an hour, listening to Pandora again (this time it's the OneRepublic channel, so stuff like them, Imagine Dragons, The Fray, and Maroon V). I've got the windows up, the fan going in the living room, and I have one small light on. With it getting dark outside, there's not much light in here, and I'm getting pretty sleepy. I really don't want to go to bed yet--I'd like to make it to 10 pm. I also need to go looking for one of my medicines--I accidentally put it in a bag of meds rather than my bookbag, and put another one in there instead. So I didn't have it today. I also need to go ahead and take my Lantus so I can keep on track with my injectible medication schedule as well. I just checked my Habitica tasks--I apparently forgot to mark my dailies off yesterday, even though I did them, which is unfortunate, as I lost hit points for my avatar. But I've marked things off for tonight, anyway. I was also sure to wish a co-worker happy birthday today on Facebook. She and her family went to the Louisville Zoo today. :)

Okay, I think I'm going to go in-between and instead of going to bed, which would necessitate closing the windows, I'll prop myself back on the couch recliner. But I'll sign off for now. Good night.

So sad...

Teressa Lynn Billa, April 27, 1967-July 1, 2015

I am so sorry to hear of Teressa's passing. I worked with her for some time and after that we kept in touch on Facebook. She was a wonderful person, a hard worker, and very sincere. It's so hard to believe she is gone. She was just a few weeks younger than I, and was a mom and grandmother, and she fought a hard battle with cancer. Requiescat in pace, Teressa Billa. I am glad you are no longer in pain and ill, and you will be sorely missed by those whose lives you touched. My condolences to the family and loved ones. The celebration of life will take place in Florida, so I cannot be there. But my thoughts will be with Teressa and her family.

Postscript

I hope that last post didn't sound too whiny. I'm not asking for money or lamenting on my lack of it, just stating my situation and the feelings I have about it. I know things will eventually get better, if I just wait it out. Life has taught me that. And I could be in a lot dire straits. I have a former co-worker who is two weeks younger than me who just found out the other day that she has stage 4 cancer and it is in her colon, lymph nodes, liver, and neck, if I remember the details right. She's devastated. She hasn't worked for a month and a half and has a $900 copay for chemotherapy she's trying to raise through GoFundMe. That was before this latest news, so I don't know if they're still doing the chemo, but really, if you have some extra cash, if anyone needs help, this wonderful lady does. She's the hardest worker I've ever met, and I'm so sorry she's having to go through this. She had cervical cancer years ago, and now she has a very uphill battle to face. Things like this really put things into perspective. So no, my problems will eventually sort out. I wish I could help her, in fact. I'm tempted to call up the former friend and ask him to contribute in my name. :) He worked with her, too, after all.

Get ready for the Big Chill

City Intensifies Efforts To Keep Citizens Safe In Bitter Cold

It's going to be a doozy--temperatures going down to -13 or so, with wind chills about -35 degrees Fahrenheit. Fayette County schools are closed for the rest of the week, and the University of Kentucky is also closed the rest of the week, with only essential (Plan B) employees working. My class was cancelled as well, thankfully.

I lucked out this morning. I got to the bus stop, with some difficulty, and had just sat down at the shelter when one of my co-workers, an orthotist who also has an office over here, stopped and offered me a ride. So I got to work about 9:30, which wasn't too bad, considering the ordeal of digging out the car and getting it stuck. Another co-worker had her husband pick us up at work and drop me off at home, so I didn't have to take the bus home. So now I'm half in comfy clothes (still in my jeans). I need to check on my friends and make sure everything's okay with them. And then, to be honest, I am going to take a nap, the idea being that I will get up and work on some things here in a little while.

I was feeling a little like not being alone tonight

for some reason (it's pretty common; for all that I am an introvert, I have trouble with being alone sometimes). So I headed over to the library and its Wi-Fi connexion so I could blog and maybe check out some things. It turns out one of my co-workers is sitting at the table next to me, but I haven't wanted to interrupt her conversation with someone where they're working on some major computer programming stuff. I do miss her; I've always liked her. She is from Thailand and always made things a little brighter at work. I've wondered how she's been doing.

Oh, their tutoring session is over and Upsorn noticed me and we got to talking. I told her all about the new plans for the hospital becoming a outpatient medical center. She was very encouraging. We hugged. It was great to run into her. And her daughter's a teenager now--I remember when she was born. It's amazing how time flies! I'm so glad I came over here tonight.

That seems to have satisfied my need to socialise. I think I'll wrap up here and maybe look through some materials and see if I want to check anything out. I should go home and relax and maybe do something fun. I feel like re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, to be honest. :) I may just do that. I may blog some more later, but in case I don't, have a good night. And keep your fingers crossed for me--the IRS says they'll deposit my refund tomorrow. Since I have 22 cents in the bank, that would be really, really nice. Especially as I still have some bills to pay and my brakes are starting to make a noise like the pads are wearing down. Mind you, I've had both sets of brakes worked on in the last two years, so I don't know why they would be, but I should check it out. I'm hoping to do so the 16th, as we are actually off work for President's Day this year. Yay!

Thank you, Rhoda!

One of my friends at work who is moving on to bigger and better things gave this to me today. I do love African violets, and this one is pretty unusual, pink and white and ruffled.



Rhoda is the one who let me borrow a walker when I got hit by the car and broke my ankle, and she also brought me food from her family's Thanksgiving dinner during that time since she knew I wasn't able to spend time with my own family then. She even had her mother make some green beans without meat for me. I tend to define a friend as someone I can depend on, and Rhoda fits the bill. She'll be teaching in a college nursing programme now, and I wish her all the luck in the world.

I'm going to try to keep this short

because it's been an exhausting day, and I'm ready to turn in for bed.

Yesterday evening I:

1. Watched Frozen, the DVD, with YKWIA, who enjoyed it a lot and was very happy when he realised the DVD was a present for him
2. Watched several YouTube videos with him
3. Stayed up late requesting free credit reports

Today:

1. I managed to get to work on time despite waking up a half-hour before I was supposed to be there
2. I spent three hours at the dentist, only to find out that:
   • My partials weren't going in because they were off, and rocking when they were put in (it wasn't user error)
   • I have to have a root canal, to the tune of 400 more dollars, in addition to the two crowns I'd already had in my treatment plan
   • After the temporary crowns were put on, my partials went in snugly
   • But after I took them out later, I couldn't get them back in again, which is very frustrating
3. The colour copier at work was fixed by a technician, who had to replace a drum, but the moment he left it said it needed toner but refused to load the toner, even trying two different bottles, so that it would print maybe 10 pages and then quit, saying the toner was depleted, when the bottle was obviously full
4. And of course, while dealing with this and trying to get my other work done, I suddenly had all these calls with information requests; don't get me wrong, I don't mind that--I want them to call me--but it was very frustrating in terms of timing
5. I had a co-worker for whom I've been picking up the slack who according to reports is apparently spending quite some time at her desk playing games online, so another co-worker and I came up with a strategy to track my work vs. hers so that it's more apparent who does what
6. At least my 'check engine' light finally went out after a quarter of a tank of gas with STP fuel injector cleaners in it
7. I went and got a friend from work
8. I picked up some fish sandwiches for us
9. I watched 'Star Wars: Clone Wars' with YKWIA, along with some YouTube videos
10. We watched the premiere of 'The 100', which I've been wanting to see since it was announced last summer. I liked it quite a lot. It's already got more depth and interest than the remake of 'The Tomorrow People'

Now I'm home, and I'm going to go to bed. Spending time with friends perked me up for a little bit, but I'm quickly getting tired. Good night. Oh, and while it's 50 degrees, the wind is howling appropriately for the last night of winter. But according to the calendar, at least, tomorrow spring arrives. Yay!

So Wednesday's the day

I go back to work. In between that and now there's the game, and a visit with family. I have a tentative ride to work (I have to check back, as my co-worker is fighting off something that has her sounding about three octaves lower in her throat) and in the meantime my physical therapist suggested I do timed walking over the next few days in case I really need to walk .44 miles to the bus stop and cross the road twice (because that worked ever so well the last time I tried to do that).

Let me just say I work with some pretty amazing people. I have received cards, letters, e-mails, texts, and phone calls from people checking up on me. My door is full of get well and holiday cards--twenty-three in all, and a nice letter that came in the mail in response to some thank yous I sent. I've received some really nice gifts that came in very useful and helped cheer me up. I even had co-workers doing my laundry. But most of all, I suppose, is that I realised people cared. I always wondered what would happen if I suddenly wasn't in the world anymore, if anyone other than my really close friends or family would really care. What I discovered is I have many people in my life who care a lot. It makes me feel good about myself and the connexions I make with other people.

On the other hand, it's so weird to basically miss a quarter of a year from my routine. It'll be a little odd going back. My desk still has Halloween decorations on it. Thanks to my roommate in the library, my plants are apparently doing fine, which is good. But being back in my little cubicle will be interesting. I hate to think how much e-mail I'll have, although most of it is pretty moot and can be deleted. I don't even remember my Windows password--I'll probably have to have IT reset my password since it will force a change the first time I log on. There have been some changes in how my work is done that were supposed to start the Monday after I was hit, so the woman doing that part of my job is going to have to teach me what to do. I understood it at the time, but really don't remember the process now. But I'll hopefully be able to ease back into things.

Plus next week I have to see about getting into physical therapy and starting that. Right now I'm slowly walking in a shoe while I'm in the house, using a borrowed cane (we're going to check for one I can buy at Rite Aid tomorrow). I'll need to return the walker to the friend who lent it to me. The suggestion has been to wear the boot at work, though, since there will be more walking.

I hope I can do everything I need to do in the coming week. I suspect I'm going to come home and crash. But that's no different than it used to be. :) Hopefully I'll build up some stamina, though.

For now, though, my back is hurting a bit today and I've been at the computer much of the day. I think I'll go lie down and listen to some music for awhile. This will be my last day in my little cubby-hole of an apartment for awhile. Each day coming up through Friday pretty much has planned outings lasting most of the day. And at some point I'm going to have to do some more laundry. I have just enough to get me through next Friday. Right now I'm not sure if it would be best to do that at my mom's or my friend's, or actually try to take my cart to the laundry room and try to negotiate the steps. They're a little steep--I'm not sure I'm up to it. We'll see.

:)

I talked to my mom earlier on the phone. Remember, I wasn't able to visit either Thanksgiving or Christmas. We're finally going to get together. This is how the next few days are looking for me:

Friday: Last home health physical therapy appointment/discharge from programme, bright and early, 9 am :)
Saturday: Visit my mom and grandmother in Stanford, contingent upon any snow that might accrue
Sunday: Game!
Monday: Alternate family visit in case of snow
Tuesday: Likewise, although that looks like it will be a wintry mix, so probably not
Wednesday: Return to work

In the meantime, I need to practice walking around and do my physical therapy exercises. I did pretty well today, even stood in a line that never seemed to move, although that was hard. Standing is still hard. Walking is actually a little easier. I think part of it is that even with the shoe on the left foot, the boot on the right is slightly higher, and so my back hates it. Right now, after being up a good part of the day, my foot and ankle hurt a bit. My knees, however, are worse, as they've been taking up the slack. Oh, well, I'll keep plugging along and pack some Tylenol should I need it when I go to my mom's, the game, and work.

I did not nap earlier, but I stretched out in bed for about an hour without the boot on and it was heavenly. One of the things I tend to do (I picked this up from my ex-husband, of all people) when I'm trying to fall asleep is rub my feet together. I find it comforting in some way. This was the first time I've been able to do that in bed in a long time. Still didn't fall asleep, but then today has kept me fairly perky.

It's good to be perky. I'm not that often, really. But one, I got happy news. Two, I've had caffeine today. And three, on Wednesday I got back on track with my meds, having forgotten to take them for two days, and was feeling down. I didn't even shower on Tuesday or Wednesday--me, who is enjoying taking showers now that I'm able to again. So I'm feeling much better today.

I'm glad we went to the store today. I was getting pretty low on stuff. Since I've been off I've been getting these little frozen Greek yoghurt cups from Healthy Choice. Brenda actually saw them in the store one time we went. I've been getting blueberry ones, and also raspberry, but today noticed they had strawberry. There are three 100-calorie cups per package. I really like them. I also have been getting salads that have baby greens, cranberries, feta cheese, sunflower seeds, and a balsamic vinaigrette, adding a few cherry tomatoes to the mix. Now that I'm feeling better, I really should just get the ingredients for them without going pre-made. I'll do that next time. I think they'd be good to take to work. On the other hand, I now have some containers to actually divvy up everything in and then mix it there. Even with the pre-made ones, though, I think they're cheaper than the salad bar at work.

I am SO looking forward to getting back to work, to seeing everyone there, and getting back to something close to normal. It has been nice at times to be off, but generally I've either been bored out of my skull or actively trying not to be bored. Early on, of course, I mostly stayed in bed and healed from the injury and subsequent surgery. But once I was up more, and off the pain meds--but not as mobile as I wish I could have been--it was kind of a pain to be off. Still, I had to go through that, as I wasn't able to do a lot. Even sitting up for several hours was still tiring. Now I feel like I can, although I have to admit being a little anxious about going back after being off so long. I talked to the people today who have divvied up my job (my boss has been handling the library, one woman has been doing the data entry, and another the referrals), talked to HR, left a message for my other boss, and either talked with or left messages for a few of co-workers who should know. I have a tentative ride to work; I need to check closer to time, as she's been a bit ill.

I think this weekend I'm going to look into getting a cane, one of those ones with the four prongs on the bottom. The walker has been great; it's been my lifeline, as the crutches were useless without any upper body strength. But I noticed today I'm really just using the walker for balance as opposed to weight-bearing now, which is probably good news to my hands and arms. :) I think I would feel more comfortable walking at work with a cane than a walker.

Okay, that was a long, rambling post. Maybe I've had a bit too much excitement for one day. :)

Holiday cheer

Brandon's family and I had a gift exchange earlier. The fireman outfit was a great hit with the four-year-old. I'm not so sure about the bullhorn in terms of his parents' ears, but that's what aunties are for, right?

I got a movie I really love on DVD, The Princess Bride. I'm going to watch it tonight. I'll have to watch it with Brandon sometime--he hasn't seen it, which boggled my mind until I remembered he was something like four when it came out.

I also got a gift card to Amazon, which is running a special of 20 mp3 albums today for $1.99 or less. I found several of the albums had music I like, plus another one that I'd been wanting for awhile, so I've been downloading music this afternoon. I got quite an assortment:

• Motown's #1 Hits, vol. 1 (26 songs, 99 cents)
• Abba Gold (19 songs, 99 cents)
• Johnny Cash 16 Biggest Hits (16 songs, $1.99)
• Best of Simon and Garfunkel (20 songs, $1.99)
• The Very Best of Neil Diamond (23 songs, $5.99)

and just had to pay the balance of about $4. Not too shabby. That's 104 songs. Thanks, guys! If I'd downloaded all the songs separately (and some were only available on the albums), it would have been $101. So I think I did pretty well. :) Since I now have 14 albums on my Amazon Cloud Player and three singles, I finally downloaded the application for it onto the tablet so that I don't have to store the downloaded music on the device.

I also had a co-worker stop by with a gift from a couple of them, a nice outfit and a lovely-smelling candle.

It was nice to see everyone and have a bit of holiday cheer. Now I think I'm going to listen to some music and have some kugel. :)

I hope you are able to spend the holidays (whichever you celebrate) with loved ones this year. And have a wonderful new year!

I had visitors today

Brandon was here briefly to deliver my care package from my aunt and uncle but had to run because his three-year-old was cranky, but two of my co-workers came by. Jill brought me some things that will be very helpful (a puzzle book, a magazine, an excellent telescopic back scratcher, and a lotion that does much better than the baby lotion I've been using, and since my skin is desperately dry and chapped, it was perfect. She also brought my sharps container from work so I could put the syringes for one of my medicines inside. Then after she left, Linda came by to pick up my laundry, which she and another lady, Carol, are splitting up and I should have it back tomorrow. She also brought me two seven-layer burritos from Taco Bell that were very welcome.

After everyone was gone, I crashed for about three-and-a-half hours. I've been sleeping so sporadically, I really needed it. I'm still rather tired, but decided to get up and not just go to bed for the night at 6 pm.

I just really want to thank everyone who's been so kind to me during this. I loved having visitors today; it breaks up the monotony and makes me feel more connected to my fellow man.

Wow

I am overwhelmed by the generosity and good cheer of my co-workers during what is a difficult time for me. I am truly blessed to know them both as colleagues and as friends. Thank you. It is most appreciated.

Long day

Normally, I would be waiting at the bus stop for the bus to take me home from work right now. On a good day, I might have just gotten home after a co-worker gave me a ride. I miss that place and the people there. They have been incredibly supportive, several sending me e-mails or calling on the phone to see if I need anything. I really am lucky, I think, to have such a workplace. Of course, I work for a charity; I suppose it's not surprising that many of them are caring and supportive people.

It's a beautiful day, breezy and the late afternoon sun is shining in on my plants, which have perked up since I watered them this morning. I had to be careful, and carried a two-litre container of water in a bag so I could still handle the walker, but I managed to give them some. The lavender especially was droopy.

I have been awake most of the day. I think you can only take sleeping (even me, who sleeps long nights) so far. Still I've been mostly in the bed, with my leg propped up.

I totally missed 'Supernatural' last night; I forgot to DVR it entirely. But the CW shows the episodes online, so that's good. I forgot it was Wednesday, you see. The days are already slipping into some sort of aethereal swirliness of confusion. I can only keep them straight now by when doctor's appointments are. That's kind of sad. I also missed the debate the other night between Obama and Romney. What is this 'binders of women' I keep hearing about?

Okay, I think I'm going to try to get something to eat and then head back to the bedroom, maybe listen to some music and try reading for awhile. I kind of wish I had a TV in the bedroom. It would be way too much trouble to try to reroute everything to there, though, even if I had people move things around. I'm not even sure I have an outlet in the bedroom. The loveseat just isn't particularly comfortable, although I guess I could put a folding chair with a pillow in front of me to watch TV instead of sitting sideways. Maybe I will Saturday night. YKWIA was telling me about an interesting British series he's been watching, and it'll only be the third episode. I don't know. I'm just kind of taking it one day at a time for now.

I don't know if I'll write any more tonight; I have to get up way early for an appointment. If not, take care, and hope you're having a good week.

I don't normally post on Sundays

what with the house cleaning, game, and the biweekly shopping we do on that day, but last night I was quite simply incapable of it. In fact, the game, I'm sorry to say, was called for diabetes.

I had not felt well through most of the day; I had not slept well and my allergies were especially bothering me, and my neck, too. But I felt better in the morning and then once my chores were complete, started to feel, well, fading. I hadn't eaten, so I took my blood sugar which was about 250, took my insulin, and ate a peanut butter sandwich. I perked up for awhile

Normally I bring string cheese and crackers to the game, but I really couldn't afford them this time, and I'd told Brenda she might want to get the crackers, as she's fond of them. I didn't mention the cheese because she hasn't been having some issues and hasn't really been eating it, and I didn't see any reason for her to get something she wasn't eating, and the game master sometimes eats them, sometimes doesn't, so I've been the person mainly consuming them.

Brenda brought food, her normal, some very good grapes and blueberries. Grapes, in particular, are fairly high in sugar (the blueberries are kind of low on the glycaemic index), and I ate quite a bit, and didn't have the cheese to anchor it (ideally, when a person, but especially a diabetic, eats, they should have some protein with the carbohydrates, and also some fat. That's why peanut butter and crackers are a good snack). Or so I was told in my diabetes class. It has something with the rate of how each is broken down int the body. Apparently I'd been balancing my intake of fruit with the cheese, so although my blood sugar tended to run a little higher than normal on Monday mornings, it wasn't affecting me to the point of inability to function. Unfortunately, I just had fruit and crackers, without that balance, and my blood sugar shot up to 356. I was having trouble thinking, was falling asleep, couldn't process well and could only approach problems emotionally. I felt physically beaten down and slightly ill. When the others realised what was going on, and the game master asked if I needed to stop, I was actually slurring my words some. I took some insulin, but only had 12 units on me. Brenda took me home, and I took some of the Lantus (I had forgotten the dose the night before, which surely didn't help) while I was waiting for the Novolog to reach room temperature, then in about an hour took some of that. By the time I went to bed, it was back down to 250 or so. YKWIA checked on me a couple of times, and then I went on to bed fairly early.

This morning I felt hung over. My blood sugar was about the same. I took my Lantus this morning and then when I had breakfast (a piece of bread with peanut butter and a bit of spreadable fruit), I took my Novolog. By lunchtime it was 172, definitely better. I expect it will head more towards normal because I started my period today, and it always does then. I asked our dietitian about that. She says it has something to do with the oestrogen levels affecting insulin resistance. I wish we could do that all the time. It's the only time I'm quite normal, although I'm usually better than I was this weekend, that's for sure.

The day was rainy, especially in the morning, and I was rather blah when I dressed, which was rather Goth, all in black with a black onyx pendant. I started out the day stressed because of the sheer amount of work I needed. I took a later bus than normal, making me 15 minutes late, and stayed a half-hour over my normal time as a consequence, getting as much as could be done today finished, and catching up on quite a bit of my work. Despite feeling blah I got a lot done, and tracked down several referrals, got a few more started, and phoned a lot of places, and did a lot of charge sheets.

When I went to go home, one of my co-workers gave me a ride home and asked me if I would like to go to Texas Roadhouse, her treat. Since I wasn't exactly sure what I'd be eating and had just had one more peanut butter sandwich and some pita chips that day, I took her up on it. It was a great meal. I love their grilled salmon, baked potato, and salad combination. We had a nice time, and her daughter, grandson, her daughter's friend showed up a little after we did as well. Then she took me home, and it was the most relaxed I'd felt all day. I really needed that. I came home in a very happy mood, and rested for a bit. Now I'm up and considering washing some dishes. I fixed some oatmeal to eat tomorrow morning that I can just put in the microwave to reheat. I have some packages of tuna I can take tomorrow and some salad makings I can fix tonight. Thank goodness we get paid Wednesday night. I have $3.00 in my bank account, exactly, counting the one cent in savings. :)

I think next week I'll definitely take the cheese and maybe a small thing of vegetables that I can snack on so that I don't eat too much fruit. Kroger has small veggie plates with tomatoes, celery, broccoli, and carrots that would work fine, and the others like that too. Or I may just get some veggies and make my own. We'll see. Maybe I'll start with one of theirs so I have the thing to put the others in later.

PS Yesterday was my day for minor injuries. I got a pretty decent scratch on my hand and wrist from the puppy (whose claws were trimmed later that day) and at some point during the game, I dropped my pencil. It looped in the air, scratched the inside of my middle finger enough to draw blood and require a Band-Aid, and then fell to the floor. I am a danger to myself (not so much to others) through my klutziness.

Well, that was a fairly long post. Maybe I'll read a bit, too. I'm working my way through a collection of Cthulhu Mythos short stories. Good night.

I can tell it's going to be cool and rainy tomorrow

by the pressure in my sinuses and aching all over. There are a few kinks to getting older, but I guess it beats the alternative. Fortunately, the Gods created man, and man created ibuprofen.

I was going to go to bed, and did actually sleep for a couple of hours, given that it was a long and productive week, but now I find my mind racing about. See, I applied for a job yesterday that I think I would be really good at, and I'm hoping for an interview (of course), so I'm running through interview questions and answers in my head. That might be a bit premature, but never a wasted exercise, I suppose. It's a consumer health library here in Lexington, with a good salary and benefits. I meet all the qualifications, I have the experience and the expertise. I work really well in teams and one-on-one, and I'm very good at interacting with people from all walks of life. But I tend to give bad interviews, mainly because I get nervous. But if I'm called for an interview, I'm going to try to stay as relaxed as possible. One thing I've learned over 15 years of being a librarian (with some help from YKWIA)--the people you're talking to are basically the same as you. They have hopes, aspirations, dreams, rent or mortgages, kids, pets, issues, whatever. The permutations are individual, but there's still a kinship. They're not God just because they're highly skilled surgeons or in a position of authority over you. They are simply human, with the benefits and foibles that come with that. So, I'll try to keep that in mind. It makes it ever so much easier to talk to a group of people asking you questions.

Today Lindsey, the woman at work who gave me so many rides, gave me one last ride home. I helped her carry her stuff out to the car. If I could get the above job, we'd be working for the same employer, but it's a much bigger workplace (the university). :)

Tomorrow I'm going to go over to visit friends for awhile. There's no need to do game notes this week; I finished them last week and just have to transfer them so they're portable.

Wow, maybe I just needed to blog to relax--I'm starting to get sleepy. At least I got up and paid the cable, phone, and electric bills. Hope your week went well and that your weekend will be fun.

9,503

That's how many steps I did today, which was an average day in terms of walking. That's almost 10,000, so I feel pretty good about that. Maybe I'm not such a sloth after all. Well, I do walk very slowly, but at least I'm walking. I walked about 3 miles. Not bad, not bad.

The pie was a success. It wasn't the best, it didn't win a prize, but it was fun to make and it was well-received. There were only 1 1/2 slices left when I went to check later. I had the half slice, because I wanted to see how this one came out (better than the other; I'm glad I went with this one, as the custard came out to exactly the right consistency, the nutmeg was well-blended, and the crust was better), and then I gave the last piece away. Neither pie was particularly bourbon-y; it was very subtle, blending with the nutmeg and egg, giving it more a robustness than any strong flavour.

At the actual pie tasting part of things, I had a little just a bit (a dab of crust and a spoonful of berries) of a blueberry pie/cobbler that was made with Splenda. I really need to learn to cook with that. I would have, had I had more experience with it. One thing that the custard did though was the sugar crystallised on top, giving it a sparkling appearance. I'm not sure Splenda would do that for the appearance.

The rest of the day was quite busy and flew by quickly. I found out one of the co-workers who regularly gave me rides home when I was on the old schedule (the one I was with when the duck got knocked over, and who had the adventure with at the mall), has found a new job and her last day is tomorrow. I have something small I'm going to give her in appreciation for all she did for me. I wish her well in this new place, which will better utilise her background.

I'm tired, having stayed up so late, but someone sent me a job description and it closes today, so I really need to work on that before doing anything else. I'll try to write later.