How is it

that I am 50 years old, spent 12 years in school from kindergarten through high school (yeah, I know, it should be 13, but I skipped first grade) in nine different schools and five different states, five years as an undergraduate in college--including matriculating through a 'Great Works' programme--and eleven years in graduate school studying library science and European history (albeit prior to 1789), and until yesterday I had no idea that Alexandre Dumas, the author of numerous beloved novels and other writings, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Christo, was the grandson of a Haitian African slave? Granted, I read The Three Musketeers, which I adored--and one day I should read the sequels--on my own, not as part of my schooling. When I was a kid I loved anything which involved swordplay. I was also a great fan of Zorro, and I also loved The Scarlet Pimpernel. But you would think that detail would have been gleaned sometime in all those years of education. Of course, our system, particularly when I was young, was biased towards European white authors, but still.... Anyway, I know it now, at least.

I'm home from work today due to a bad cold. I spent yesterday at work, using copious amounts of hand sanitizer, but I blew a lot of snot out of my nose constantly, coughed, sneezed, felt like my head was ten times its size, and just generally felt miserable, and when I woke up this morning, after a fitful night, I felt worse. I texted my boss to see if I could stay home and then went back to sleep. I woke up again at 8:30 am, called YKWIA to see if he wanted to go to the doctor if I could get an appointment for both of us, but he is trying to keep the medical bills down, so he declined. I then called our doctor's office to see if I could get in, but they are already usually closed by 1 pm on Fridays, and they were going to leave early due to the impending holiday, too, so I couldn't. I could go the Little Clinic at Kroger, but it usually takes forever, according to people who've gone, and frankly, I don't feel like sitting or walking around Kroger that long. So instead I went back to bed and slept for about two-and-a-half hours, and then woke up, took my medicine, and got some food in me. I feel a little better. I still have a headache and I am stuffy with a sore throat (those frozen fruit bars help with that) and earache, but the pressure in my head isn't quite so bad, and while I'm still blowing stuff out of my nose, it isn't quite as constant. On the other hand, I've only been up less than an hour and I'm already tired so I may go back to bed for awhile--I just wanted to that stuff and feed the fish. But despite the rest I've gotten, I'm still pretty pooped. But then, that is a defining symptom of a viral infection, that feeling of being hit by a truck and having no energy. I really couldn't have worked today, even though it was a lighter day. My brain feels like mush, and it's just too much mental juggling to do when you're not at your best. Plus, the woman I sit next to is five months' pregnant, and while it's possible that I've passed my cold to her already, I did at least try to keep away from her as much as possible, use lots of sanitizer, etc., and it wasn't as bad yesterday, to the point where at first I still thought it was allergies. I also made sure I didn't infect anything as far as anything I handed the families. Some of our kids are medically fragile and certainly don't need a cold. But all in all, for my sake and theirs, it seemed better to stay home today.

I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to go back to bed. I almost wrote 'good night', even though it's sunny outside (or was when I started this, as it now looks like it's clouding up). Have a good day, and stay healthy, because being sick, even a fairly icky cold, sucks. I know, it could be far worse, of course.

I was quietly, slightly, just-a-little-bit miserable yesterday evening

because of what I had originally thought to be allergies which bloomed quickly into a full-blown crud, causing me to fall asleep within a half an hour after getting back from visiting with YKWIA and helping him with some things. I felt warm, my head had a lot of pressure, and my throat and ears ached. I was more tired than usual, too. But today it's been a raging cold, even with some Stahist, which is the only cold medicine I had (but I went to the store after work and got some 12-hour maximum strength Mucinex). I have been blowing my nose and consequently using hand sanitizer all day. The sheer amount of mucous coming out of my nose astounds me. It's a little yellow, so I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection, too, and there's so much pressure built up in my sinuses that I feel like my head is about 10 times the size it should be. Unfortunately, YKWIA now has it as well--and he'd just about gotten over bronchitis that we each got right before I started working at the hospital again. Now that I'm working with the public again I am more likely to get sick and consequently spread it to him. I could go to the doctor, who would put me on steroids and give me some doxycycline, but most likely it's viral anyway, although the steroids could help. But it's not down in my chest, so I'm thinking the Stahist (an antihistamine) and the Mucinex (an expectorant) are enough with which to start, and save the steroids for helping with breathing should it travel down to my lungs.

Just before work ended yesterday, my boss asked me to come into her office. She wanted to talk to me because the job I applied for, a full-time position, which has not been officially approved by corporate as of yet, was one in which she would prefer to have someone with years of scheduling experience instead of the months I have, who can do the breadth of what is needed for the department. However, there was a PRN position which basically is the same as what I'm doing, and she offered it to me although I'd originally been sceptical of that one. But it is fully approved, would pay about the same as the full-time position, and while she couldn't guarantee a certain number of hours, we are so busy and most likely will continue to be, especially during trauma season, so I'd probably be able to get about 30-35 hours in a week, with a minimum of maybe 24. That would work with my appointments and job search, and she realises that I would, indeed, leave for a full-time library position. I ran the numbers last night, based on the salary range for the other job, which I knew, and it would be very tight, but depending on how many hours, the rate, and the deductions, it was worth taking, and it would certainly be better than another four-and-half limited months of unemployment. The main drawback to it, versus the other position, was that I figured there would be no benefits, so I'd have to pay about $750 a month from savings for medical and dental.

However, today I asked about the salary range (it was pretty much the same as the other) and how it would affect COBRA. Turns out, I would be benefit eligible. I could get medical, dental, and vision at the somewhat higher part-time rate, but it would be much cheaper than COBRA. I would be a new employee again, so I'd have to start over as far as the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum goes, but the insurance at the hospital is very good. Our deductible is only $150 and our out-of-pocket max is only $1500. This is why some people work there for years part-time solely for the benefits. Given this information, I decided to accept the offer. The main hurdle is that they will have to write a justification for hiring me after laying me off, but they don't anticipate that being a problem since the job is desperately needed and I've been filling in as a contractor.

Anyway, she was going to notify human resources and start the ball rolling. It does mean less money, but might be a good bridge while I'm looking for full-time work as a librarian. Of course, that's what I thought of my old job to some degree, and it lasted 20 years. :)

I feel good about the decision. I think as long as I am very careful with my money, I can live on the wages. Also, I do have some of my severance left, enough to take care of those medical expenses and still have enough to supplement for awhile. So we'll see.

I have been pretty busy lately

as I'm sure you can tell from my lack of posting. I've been staying up later but my evenings and the weekend have been pretty full of various errands, being with friends, or just trying to get some things accomplished, but I never got around to actually talking about them, I'm afraid. I actually missed a deadline for a job application with the Lexington Public Library the other day for a children's librarian at Northside yesterday because I was really tired late Sunday night when I got home, and I couldn't get myself out of bed early enough to work on it before work. So tonight, I got off work a little early (well, the original time I was supposed to work till, 4:30 pm), went to an appointment, and got out pretty quickly, by 5:35 (it was a 5:15 appointment, and I barely got to the car and there with just about three minutes to spare, so it worked out well). I was over in Beaumont for the appointment, and I needed to go to the credit union, and then I realised there is one in the area, so I didn't have to drive over to the university. Instead, I deposited a pay cheque at the credit union and then headed over to the Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library to see what they may have. But I am a bit confused, as I see no new books at all, and I'm not sure where they keep them. I've found the regular books, the CDs, the 'Top Shelf' books, and the Holds, but no new books. I'll have to ask before I go. I'm sure it's glaringly obvious and I'm just not seeing it.

I am resisting the urge to go to another place down the street--Masala, the Indian restaurant I like very much. It's evening so I could order Peshwari naan (my favourite) and vegetable korma, which goes very well with it. But I have to admit, I do need to eat soon, and I am in the neighbourhood...perhaps I will at least check their dinner hours.

I think I'll download the recording from the game and maybe start on the notes--there was a lot of investigation this time, as we started a new adventure, this time a series of murders in Glasgow, Scotland. So I thought I should get an early start on the game notes.

Okay, I'll try to write later, but just in case, have a great evening.

:)

One of my favourite medical books from my former library...



(YKWIA showed me several of the University of Chicago's medical students' parodies tonight.) Check them out. And Netter's is a beautifully drawn (old school illustration) text. Netter was extremely knowledgeable and talented, being both a surgeon and illustrator. If you have an interest in anatomy, you simply must take a look at his work, which has been a standard in medical education for years.

I

came out from visiting a friend and was about to take him to the grocery only to find my rear driver's side tyre had picked up a screw and had gone flat. I waited 2 hours for roadside assistance to come change it (I can change a tyre, but it takes me about an hour and I do better with a cross-shaped lug wrench, which I didn't have). Thank goodness I wasn't actually out on the highway; I was safe in a driveway. Then it turned out that the 16-year-old doughnut tyre was almost flat. We carefully proceeded up the road to Thornton's to use their air machine, as I apparently neglected to put my compressor into this car. It was so flat my brake and anti-lock brake lights came on before I put the air in. Then we went to the grocery, I dropped him off, and came carefully home. We started the whole process at 7:30 pm and I got home at 11:30 or so. Whew! Who knew going to the grocery to get dog food could be such an adventure? My road warranty is over (the tyre is 4 1/2 years old, and the warranty was for three). Anyone know what I should have to pay to plug a small hole or where the best place to go should be? Thanks!

Veni, vidi, legi

Terence Tunberg was one of my professors at UK. I have his Latin translation of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. I also have other translators' versions of 'Winnie the Pooh', 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone', and 'The Hobbit'. And yes, I can read them, albeit I may have to reach for a dictionary on occasion, as my Latin is a bit rusty.

 :) 

The Highbrow Struggles of Translating Modern Children’s Books Into Latin

Tunberg, who specializes in neo-Latin, or the use of Latin after the Romans were dead and gone, never planned on translating kids’ books, but was contacted by prominent Classics textbook publisher Bolchazy-Carducci, who had purchased the rights to some of Dr. Seuss’s works. Given his background with the language, and his interest in how Latin evolved after Rome, the prospect of translating these modern works was right up his alley. Of course, the real reasons for the project didn’t escape him.

“As a textbook publisher, they’re out to make money. They caught on to the idea that if they have very young children’s stories in Latin along with the regular books by Caesar and Cicero and all these other people, it would be a draw. And they were right. I still get royalties,” says Tunberg.

Allergy shot woes

I think next week when they ask me if I had any problem with my last allergy shots, I'll have to show them this. They always itch, sometimes for days, but this time they're red, swollen, and the left actually hurts enough to take ibuprofen. This is after 24 hours. I actually had trouble sleeping last night, despite anti-itch cream, because of the pain (I sleep on my left side usually). I am up near the top of my build, almost to maintenance dose.

Right arm

Left arm

So it's been an interesting week, anyway

It was very busy at work. One day we had over 200 on the schedule and over 150 showed up. That was a record, I think. It will only become more normal, though, now that we're taking over the university's paediatric orthopaedic clinic. But with a lot of teamwork, it went pretty well.

I didn't hear anything about the Owenton job until Friday. They went with another candidate, I suspect because they realised I couldn't take the position. There were just too many drawbacks. I wish I could have made it work. But I still have other local applications out there, and there's a Lexington Public Library children's librarian position that just opened yesterday to apply for. I also applied for a position at Shriners in the department I'm working in. The pay range is less than I have been making, but no real commute and EXCELLENT benefits, and I think I could make it on a little less money. I think the Owenton job was mainly so I could see what was out there, especially in the other counties. For example, Boyle County library is advertising a children's librarian position for a little over $13.50 an hour. The LPL one averages about $42,000 a year. That's a big difference. But the health plan is probably the most important aspect for me. There was no way I could have taken a pay cut AND paid that much in medical expenses. With Shriners, I basically didn't pay out anything beyond my biweekly premiums and the before-tax deduction for my flexible spending account, which paid for the $1500 maximum out-of-pocket expenses we had (yes that is not the deductible, that's the out-of-pocket cost, as the deductible was $150). If I can get the patient access job at $16 an hour, I can just make it, and it would be worth it just for the insurance, really. In the meantime, I'll seek a librarian job.

Speaking of making it, after more than 25 years of living on my own, and 14 years living here at the apartment complex, it looks like I will be moving. I have a friend with whom I'm going to move in so we can share expenses. The only trouble is it's not a very big house, and there's really not room for most of my stuff, which would have to go into storage. I would basically have to get a daybed and have a few things from the apartment, but generally, most of my things would be stored elsewhere. It will take some getting used to, and like I said, I haven't lived with anyone for years and years, and we've always said spending too much time together might not be the best plan, as we're both set in our ways. There will have to be a lot of compromise on both sides, I'm sure, and we'll have to make sure we each get some alone time, as we're both introverts. I'll have to break my lease, but that's not too difficult here, you just give notice and an extra month's rent. I'm thinking I could move in by August 1st. I've already found a daybed at Amazon that has lots of storage under it in the form of drawers and sliding doors, a back that has a bookcase/storage as well. I'd need to have a hamper or two, my lamp, my Bluetooth speaker that's four-feet tall but very thin for listening to music, and not much else. There's a small closet. I'm looking around the apartment to judge what can go and what needs to be gotten rid of, and what might go. I should bring a few small things such as my iron and ironing board for pressing my interview suit, but things like books, CDs, and most of the kitchen stuff can go into storage. The aquarium might be able to go to Brenda, along with the fish inside it, as there's no room there, and she's a hobbyist. Most of the bookshelves come apart and fold down, actually, so that will help. The biggest things are the chest-of-drawers, a dresser with a mirror that comes off, the bed, which comes apart, a table that has the top come off, the computer desk with removable hutch, and maybe two other bookshelves and a microwave cart. The plants will go with me, of course. My, there are a lot of them! I'd basically be living in the living room. But it would help him a great deal, and force me to minimise things quite a bit, which is probably a good thing. The main drawback is he absolutely dislikes and will refuse to have Wi-Fi, and my new computer does not have an Ethernet plug, but I can use the old one in the library, get a USB-Ethernet adapter, or uset his one using my phone's hotspot. The speaker is Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi, and I have unlimited data so I can listen to music from my library or Pandora. Anyway, we're going to give it a try. This is a friend whom I have known for 30 years, and I've been friends with him for at least 28. He probably saved my life and sanity by posing difficult questions at the time that I was married which led me to leave my husband. He is like an older brother, and if thie helps, so be it.

It is becoming fairly normal

for me to drop off to sleep between 7 pm and 9 pm only to wake up in the middle of the night. It's been incredibly busy at work. I really need to learn to balance things better--I'm messing up on taking my meds and eating right, which isn't good for someone who's diabetic. Tomorrow I don't have to get up quite so early, as I have an ophthalmology appointment at 8 am which is across the road from me, basically, and I've been getting up before 6 am to get to the medical centre before work so I can have a little time to myself before everything starts.

So I didn't hear back from the public library I visited last week, at least after the exchange after I'd sent my thank you. I would have been willing to get a better idea of their health plan, etc., before making a final decision, but most likely I'd have had to turn them down had it been offered to me, and I think she knew it. It was a perfect storm of high-deductible life insurance, two hours of driving a day (at half a tank in gas each time, which would roughly mean an hour each day working for the gasoline), at 75% of my former pay. It would work for someone who could move there, perhaps, as there is a lower cost of living there. But I wasn't in a position to do that anytime soon, and it would mean being even more tired and unlikely to have much of a life outside of work. As much as I would have loved to work in that library, I would have been haemorrhaging financially and healthwise.

So even though it isn't library-related, I went ahead and applied for a job with the department I'm doing the contract work for right now. It may mean a pay cut as well (I'm going to check with HR tomorrow for the salary range), but the benefits are really, really, good, and the health insurance is excellent. I may still eventually find a library job, of course, but in the meantime, I'd be working regularly with benefits. Still, I have to get some stamina. Today wasn't actually that bad, although we had more on the schedule than ever before, so they made sure everything went smoothly by having people from other departments run charts, etc. It worked pretty well. I managed to pick A up from the doctor's office, run an errand or two, and then come home, where I stayed up playing on Facebook for awhile before dropping off to sleep.

Speaking of which, I'm getting sleepy again. Time to go back to bed. Good night!

I can't sleep

I woke up a little before 4 am, after falling asleep about 8 pm. Today I worked from 8 am to 11:30 am, then came home, got into Spanx and pantyhose (which is a little harder than it sounds, as I'm not as limber as I once was), and then headed to Owenton via the Interstate. Big mistake. I thought, well, I'm on the eastern side of Lexington so it will be quicker to take the Interstate rather than the road I'm familiar with, Highway 127, which is accessed by going through Frankfort. The drive up the Interstate wasn't bad at all, although there were backups in the other direction due to construction and possibly a wreck. But then I got off at the exit for Corinth and took three winding and terribly maintained roads which had the posts for guardrails, but no actual guardrails, through Grant and Owen counties. At one point Google Maps had me take a right on a road that was at a 45-degree angle to the one I was on, and it was so small it didn't warrant a yellow line, and thank goodness I had the Google Maps on because I would have been totally lost. I never drove that much on the eastern side of the county, after all, and I was a child when we lived in Grant County at Dry Ridge and near the boat dock on Williamstown Lake. Finally, I was within a mile or two of the library, and I wound up behind a tractor in a no-passing area. But he eventually left the road, and then I drove right by the library and had to turn around at the Save-a-Lot. :)

So I was a few minutes late despite leaving work earlier than planned. But the director was great. I told her I'd had some trouble with the roads, and she was horrified I'd come that way, and when I told her about the tractor, she smiled and said 'Welcome to Owen County.' She had a great sense of humour, and we chatted for quite awhile before the actual interview questions were asked. It was the best interview I'd had in my entire life, really, and I think part of the reason was I was speaking with one person in a conversational way, as opposed to a panel whose members are reading questions off a sheet and scoring me on little sheets of paper, like they do here. I mean, yes, she had the questions laid out on paper, and I'm sure I was being scored mentally, but it was different, and she was very personable. She actually told me that I had all the qualifications they were looking forward to. I came out of the interview feeling very good, and really wanting to work there. There are a lot of potentials there for helping the community. For example, one of the largest employers is about to shut down, and librarians--and especially in this position, which is the electronic resources coordinator, whose main job is to teach people how to use technology, which we all know is vital for finding a job these days. I could really help people and make a difference, and I understand what it's like to lose a job after years of service. I know how important that job search is, and how frustrating it can be to have to do everything online--and I have the tech skills. For many people there, the library has the best internet connexion in the area, as some still have slow connexions or none at all, in such a rural area.

There are some cons, though, like the fact that it starts a full $5 an hour less than I've been making an hour, although that may be somewhat negotiable. I knew that out in the rural areas that would probably be the case, although it's better than the jobs Jessamine County, which is adjacent to mine, ever offers. I might be able to get a dollar or so more, maybe. Also, there's the drive, a full hour or so away from my apartment, and I am not in a position to move, as I have people here that I consider family who needs me. I went through about a half a tank of gas in one trip up and back. That's a lot. I usually fill up every week and a half. They do have benefits, but the health plan is high deductible, and so medical costs would be higher, although they do have a health spending account, and I believe she said they contribute a certain amount in addition to what the employee does. But monetarily, I just don't know if I can make it on this job.

She said she has one more person of the seven applicants to interview and would make a decision on Tuesday evening who the top two candidates would be, and she wants them to meet the board on Friday. I told her that I do have an obligation planned in addition to a morning of work, but I would see if I could make arrangments should she pick me (which I am fairly confident that she will). She would then make a decision at the end of that week. I looked at the board members listed on the website when I got home, and one is a Cobb, so either she or her spouse is most likely a relative through my great-grandmother's family. I don't know if that's a plus or a minus, but it could go either way.

So I took Highway 127 home, and they've done a lot to make the road safer. It's even three lanes in some so you can do more passing when needed. I got on 421 at Frankfort, but made a mistake and kept going straight when it turned off towards Lexington and took 60 to Versailles and then to Lexington, which was longer, but I was able to go Man O'War instead of through downtown. On the other hand, the main snag was when I was within a block or two of home, as there was a wreck at Easthills that slowed everything to a crawl there towards the end. I left Owenton about 3:45 and got home at 5:25 as a result. I think it would be safest to allow an hour and a half each way. So that's three hours or so of driving a day. That's a lot, although we have demonstrated 127 is the way to go. Anyway, I guess I'm trying to figure some way to make this work, as I would really like to accept the job if offered, but that's my heart, not my head talking. I just don't know if I can do it from a practical standpoint. So I guess it's not all that surprising that I'm up and can't sleep.