Costume!!!

I got up early, ready to put the makeup on, etc., and still managed to be ready two and a half hours early. So I went to McDonald's and spread glitter there, drove into work, rode the shuttle (and was a great hit!) and showed up an hour early, touched up the makeup, and now I'm waiting to clock in. Happy Halloween!

I haven't fallen off the face of the planet

but I never seem to make time for writing lately, something I'm going to try to do more towards correcting. Weekends are better than weekdays, of course, as I'm working and often having hectic 8-hour days of staring at a computer screen and hitting drop-down menus and dragging things into coloured boxes. Today was no exception, but even though it was busy, at times five to eight charts deep (and continuously for over two hours that way), lately I've been better at taking things like that which would usually feel me with lots of anxiety and just breaking it down, taking it one step at a time, and going forward. It's all you can really do, really, and keep your sanity. And if you just keep up your spirit and interact with each person in a friendly, yet business-like manner, it seems that most people are pretty understanding when you're piled deep in charts, trying to check people out as quickly as you can humanly do.

After I finally caught up and everyone had gone home, I called one last person about an appointment first thing in the morning to reschedule, as requested by my boss before she left, then closed up shop. I earned my own key to the bay doors today. This is my second week as a regular employee. I also got my last cheque as a contract worker today, and I put it into savings before coming home. My roommate was out meeting someone for dinner, and so I ate (fish cakes, an avocado-cucumber salad, and escarole soup, all cooked by him, and very tasty), fed the animals, and laid down and listened to some music on the speaker rather than my headphones, but I didn't really relax until he came home, tired and needing some alone time. He's in his room reading and drinking tea. I'm in the library with Pandora playing on the computer in my headphones, catching up on some things. I have barely seen any news or for that matter, done much with social media over the last few days. I have been working around the house after work and on the weekends, doing errands, etc. This weekend, on Saturday, I made a special trip to my storage unit to retrieve most of my winter clothes. I then spent Sunday (Brenda was ill, so we didn't play, much to the game master's dismay, as he has a really evil adventure to run next time) taking the old clothes out of the closet, bed drawers, and cedar chest and switching out for warmer ones, while keeping shorts, capris, and tank tops out to sleep in. But the light blouses, skirts, and the like all went back into the two totes I'd pulled out, along with some other things that made it here but should be in storage. Not only was it cold yesterday, YKWIA actually saw some snow and sleet, although of course, it didn't stick. But it's definitely time to break out the winter clothes.

I also opened up my Halloween costume and tried it on (well, I didn't pull the tights on, as I was afraid they'd run, but I checked the sizing, anyway, because I was afraid they'd pair a 4X costume with regular-size tights. It's a dress that has a full puffy black skirt, but it is otherwise covered with bones, with bones across the chest as a sternum/rib cage, and bones down the sleeves. There are gloves with the hand (but not on the thumb, which is a bit disturbing), and then the tights have all the leg and foot bones. I'm going to wear my Mary Janes so that the top of the foot bones show through. I am going to use makeup that I've bought for a skull face and neck, too. I considered spraying my hair white or silver, but the bottle specifically says not to do it on very fine hair, so instead, I found a witch's hat at Kroger that has the same sort of crinoline as the skirt but is tattered on the cone like it's been in the grave. So I'm going to be a skeletal, undead witch. There were only two issues. One, if you look at the picture on the package, the skirt on the model (who is in high heels) goes to mid-calf, whereas for me, it goes to my ankles, but that's a common thing I have with skirts, as I am only 5'4". Also, while the costume itself has lots of silver thread throughout it, rather than glitter, whoever packaged the thing threw approximately a handful of very fine glitter inside for fun, so when I took it out, there was glitter on the inner lining of the skirt. My roommate, who recognises that glitter never truly is removed from the house once it finds its way in, specifically said, there'd better not be glitter. Of course, there was, and without thinking, I twirled in the skirt, and well, glitter went everywhere. I swept up most of it (thank goodness there are no carpets in this house), and I took up the dog blanket that was at the foot of my bed because it was covered before the dogs could roll on it. I then shook the costume outdoors, but there's still LOTS of glitter. Which means I'm going to leave a trail in the car, on the UK shuttles, and all over work, much to the consternation of housekeeping. But hey, it's all in Halloween fun, right?

So the plan is to wake up early, shower, create the skull face and neck with the makeup, put on the tights and dress, then the gloves and shoes, and go to work dressed that way. I'm really excited about Halloween, and I'm glad we're still dressing up and having the kids at work trick-or-treat. To that end, though, I should go to bed pretty soon. I normally get up about 6:15 am to get to work by 8:30. I think I'll have to try for 5 or 5:30 am just to be sure. Hope your Halloween is wonderful and safe.

Place the vessel on the mat...

Went twice today to get my address on my drivers' licence changed (got there and you had to have a piece of mail in its original envelope with your address on it to prove residence, so I had to go back for one, and I was lucky, as I had one with an envelope I'd not discarded, so that worked, when I went back). We don't have a centralised DMV per se in Kentucky (I think that's one reason we still don't comply with the RealID law), but it is still a bureaucracy. Still, they were nice about it and weren't too far away. I also appreciate that the satellite office on Keithshire Way is open in the morning on the third Saturday of the month, as I work till 5 on weekdays and cannot easily get away for something like this.

By the way, 50 points to anyone who got the reference in the title. It's from the show 'Reaper'.

I've been doing laundry and chores

to get ready for the Cthulhu game. We didn't play last week, and I'd already finished the notes, so I've had time to relax this weekend. YKWIA is making a soup that smells divine; it should be ready in less than an hour, and we have those little soup bowl loaves given to us by someone. I am properly caffeinated and have been up and moving quite a bit. I just cleaned the car out and corralled the little drink lids one of my co-workers is collecting for school into a gallon bag, ready to go. I've also put away the folded laundry (my laundry). Right now I'm drying the dog blankets and doing a load of YKWIA's (it's a long story, but he isn't allowed to use his own washer and dryer due to an agreement with someone who helped get them the washer and dryer quite a while ago. That person is now dead several years, but he keeps his word.)

Yesterday we went out and celebrated my having officially been hired, as I start on payroll Wednesday. I'm excited. I'm basically still going to work at checkout, but with some added responsibilities, probably, and a different schedule, as I've been working 8.5-9 hours a day on most days, and now overtime will enter in if I continued to do that. We'd discussed changing my schedule from 8-5:30 to 9-5:30, which would mean having someone to check out the people getting out of clinic late AND it would be nice for me because I wouldn't have to get up at 6 am anymore. And at 9 there's still ample parking--if my trips in from the doctor in the morning have been any indication. Meanwhile, they've hired a PRN person who will be assisting with check out (I've been the only one in there for weeks) and with the phones (hallelujah!) I really like her, and I'm hoping we'll make a good team. She is catching on very quickly. This week we've both got hiring-related things on Wednesday--I have to do my paperwork, and I think she's in the official orientation. I'm not sure if I am. I got an abbreviated orientation when I started as a contract worker, but they may need to let me know of other things that have changed with the move. So only two more days of the higher rate, and seven days' total pay coming at that rate, but on the other hand, my health insurance kicks in from day one. That's amazing. It used to be a wait of a month or so. I have to call UnitedHealthcare and see if there are any considerations regarding moving from COBRA back to the same plan (like are my out-of-pocket expenses still maxed out) and also if there's any chance of a partial refund of this month. I'm not banking on it, but if you don't ask, you don't get, right?

Yay!

So on Wednesday the 11th, I discovered that the only thing holding up my background check/drug test/final hurdle to get a hire date and start the new job was the fact that they couldn't verify my high school graduation (as the job requires a high school diploma or equivalent). Apparently, Danville High School is on autumn break this week. So, I had two choices: wait until Monday for them to get my voicemail requesting a copy of my diploma or a note on letterhead attesting my graduation, or find my diploma.

Now, when I was packing, I remember debating about the diploma. Should I keep it out or pack it up? I ultimately decided to keep my diplomas from my undergraduate (BA) and graduate (MSLS) out, as that might be required by a job, but since my diploma is in a puffy case that I wasn't sure that it would fit into my important papers box, I packed it away with the photo albums. I remember that distinctly. Of course, I also remember labelling the box 'diploma' (more on that below). So I knew the box, but not where it was in the storage unit.

So I went over that evening, after dark, and dug through roughly a third of the storage unit before finding what I thought was the box, but couldn't get that last box off of it easily. Then the lights went out (they're on a timer that only goes up to 30 minutes). Unfortunately, I'd burrowed in with things behind me, so I couldn't back up easily and go back down the hall to set the timer again. So I pulled out my cell phone, taking care not to drop it amongst the boxes, and put it in flashlight mode. Then I was able to read the box (which was not labelled 'diploma'), but nevertheless, had 'photo albums', and opened it to find the dratted diploma. It had taken about an hour since I'd left the house to achieve my goal.

So, this was what I encountered when I opened up the unit (I pulled out things, so I rearranged them, especially the boxes that had leaned against the paintings. My helper on the last day apparently did not realise one should pack heaviest on the bottom and get progressively lighter as you go up.)



Then, Eureka! Success! Or as my cousin wrote on Facebook, 'Behold! Glory!'



Then I put things back as best I could, and streaming sweat and feeling very overheated, made my way back home with the diploma. This is what I looked like. I think I aged 10 years, at least temporarily:



So Thursday I brought my diploma (and, for good measure, my name change court order, as I graduated under my former (birth) name). They made copies of those and now I am official, starting with Wednesday, October 18th as a hire date. Yay!!!

It's a rainy Sunday with no game...

Brenda called earlier to say she had some sort of crud that may just be sinus issues but since both the gamemaster and I can't really afford to be sick, she's going to stay away in case it's something worse. We try not to play when any of us has a plague.

I haven't done anything today beyond running a load of dishes through the dishwasher and playing around, while actually learning some real, verifiable facts (yes, I verified them, hey, I'm a librarian) on Facebook. I may do some reading. I laundered my clothes on Thursday night, but the bed linens, both mine and my friend's, need to be done, so I've started a load of those. Yesterday there were errands to run, an umbrella plant to pot up in a bigger pot, and some chores to do, plus the game notes, of course, all of which have been done. Today I should go get some creamer (read: Land o Lakes half-and-half) for my friend, as it is an essential commodity, along with coffee, for his good disposition. Other than that, there's not much to do. I have a fun audiobook out from the library, a historical mystery called Maisie Dobbs, which introduces a series. And I've got plenty of books to read and a charged Kindle. But I decided to write first, and pay some bills that are due, because I haven't been on the computer much at all lately, except to finish a book review and the gaming notes.

No word yet on the background check and the drug test. The whole process can take something like two weeks. So I don't have an official hire date yet. Our PRN person, who did hers the same day, already has a start date of Wednesday, which will help immensely at work. I just wish I had one already.

Friday was a weird day at work. We had fewer patients, but a lot of odd stuff happened. For example, I had a doctor's appointment at 8 am and got in just after 9 am, and my boss and one of the women from downstairs who is usually doing pre-authorizations for surgeries were instead checking in people, due to two people unexpectedly being out, and there were a few glitches to be taken care of since they weren't used to doing it every day. Meanwhile, there was confusion on the part of the clinic regarding my absence, and so some things had to be ironed out, even though I'd gotten in before anyone normally would have checked out. (Isn't that always the case--I think five people were in and out before I got there that morning). After that all got straightened out, check-out was fine, I scheduled the appointments for those who'd already left, fielded phone calls as I could, returned voicemails, and scheduled surgery patients since the OR scheduler was out. My boss sat in for me for lunch so I could get a break. I was going to actually sit in at check-in yesterday and get some training on that, but of course, with the shortage of staff, that wasn't possible. Maybe next week. I'm more comfortable doing things than I used to be. I'm handling things pretty well nowadays. When I first started I had anxiety dreams where I was scheduling in my sleep. That doesn't happen anymore. I'm interested in learning to go beyond my current skillset. I'd still like to work in a library, but having a full-time job with benefits is my primary goal at the moment, and while I'm still watching the Kentucky job list, there's nothing out there I'd like to apply for right now.

I said I might have good news, and I do

So a couple of months ago, I was offered a PRN position with the scheduling department with which I'm currently working under contract. Unfortunately, it was determined that since I had been laid off from the company and received a severance, they could not hire me. Fast forward a couple of months. One of my co-workers left, and another took her position, leaving a full-time position open. I asked my supervisor if the prohibition had been for the PRN position only, or for any position, as I was interested in the open one. My boss said they'd been round and round on this, and that I should communicate my interest via e-mail. An appeal was made, based on 1) the fact that the position was in no way related to my former ones, being in a different department entirely with different duties, 2) the volume of work had increased exponentially since the move, so they didn't expect to need my help before moving, and 3) I've been doing the job anyway under contract for the entire summer and more. The appeal did work, yay, so we proceeded and I have been offered a full-time position with benefits, which I have accepted. Monday I sign some paperwork and do my drug test. So pending my drug test results and background check, I have a new job! Considering most of my severance has gone to paying for my health insurance (continued under COBRA) at $755 a month, this is great news. Also, I haven't been gone so long that my PTO will accrue at the same rate, giving me four weeks' time off a year. I'll learn about any other things on Monday. But I am very happy. In fact, Friday was a great day, due to that news and the fact that I did get paid, and could pay said health insurance, as I think I would have been down to about $10 after that otherwise.

So that's my news. I don't expect any kinks, but I can't say I'm officially hired until I go through those two things, and that may take a couple of weeks. But in the meantime, I'll still be doing my job every day under contract. :)

So, I've obviously been amiss at writing/blogging

I've been pretty much coming home, having a great meal, and relaxing a bit before bed, maybe listening to music, rather than getting on the computer. Sorry about that. But I've had to recharge well because we've had a lot (and I mean a lot) of patients come in this week, and it's been very, very busy. Today, though, I had an appointment and so I left at 1:30 pm. After the appointment, I made a couple of stops, came home, spent quite some time talking with a neighbour who is a co-worker's cousin and trying to organise a neighbourhood watch, and she told me about a meeting they're having on Monday nearby. Then I went in, ate a little something, and by 5 pm I was headed out to an appointment with my insurance agent, who likes his representatives to see clients at least once a year. That went well, I got a little refrigerator magnet out of it :), and then I stopped by the library to pick up a book I put on hold for YKWIA along with a couple for me.

Last night while looking up the said book on the library website, it reminded me to try using an application on my phone that they have partnered with, Libby, by Overdrive, which is a sort of one-stop shop for library e-Books and audiobooks. It was then that I discovered that there was one more, last, instalment of my beloved Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters, called The Painted Queen. It had been finished by another writer, I presume, as the credits are for both Peters and her. So I borrowed it in Kindle format. Here's hoping I have some time over the next two weeks to read it. Of course, I have all the others, mostly in paperback but the later ones are in hardback. So eventually I'll buy one.

Okay, I know it hasn't been exciting, but I really should turn in for bed. However, I may have some good news to share in the next few days, so be sure to stay tuned. Good night!

So the roommate thing is working out pretty well

But since this is someone I have known for almost thirty years who is like a brother, it has its moments. Such as last night, when he was finished with what he was doing, I was heading for bed, and he had a rare moment of boredom. So he came and tried to get me to get up and do something with him, and he was teasing me, and found some of my lotion on the nightstand and put it on my hair. I managed to get it at least dry so that I could go on to bed without getting it on the pillow. In all fairness, he told me he was going to do it. A bored YKWIA is never good. Today, I'd gotten a shower, gotten the lotion out of my hair, gotten dressed, and was on the way to take my dirty clothes to the closet when I passed the hall closet which has the cat litter boxes inside, and an arm grabbed me from inside with a roar coming from within. Fortunately, while my heart skipped a beat and it did startle me, I didn't really get scared. The same person, years ago, when we were living in separate apartments with a connecting door that I unwisely, in retrospect, kept unlocked, had stood in my shower for a good 45 minutes one day, waiting for me to come home. At the time, I had a shower curtain that was all aquatic animals in the blue water. I came in from school (I was in college then), put my stuff down, went to the bathroom, peed, and then when I was finished, he jumped out of the shower at me.

On that occasion, I startled, bounced into a wall, bounced into another wall, pinged to the sink, and settled in a corner of the bathroom completely gibbering with screaming that lasted for quite some time. I screamed over and over and over for quite a while. He thought he'd broken me. To this day, when I live in my own home, I have a clear shower curtain. Fortunately, we have a clear glass shower door here. Now, of course, I remember it with amusement. I'm much better with these things now, which is good, as we live together. Ah. Have I mentioned that he is more than a little cat like?

It's been a relaxing weekend so far

Yesterday YKWIA and I did our own things, for the most part. He watched 'The Flash' and 'Arrow' on Netflix, and then listened to BBC radio plays with Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. He also took care of the empty boxed we'd saved from the move he needed for something and did some other things about the house. I got some medicine at the pharmacy, did a grocery run, did most of the laundry and some dishes, re-potted two African violets, gardened some outside, and then relaxed, listened to music, and did some reading. I am re-reading Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson on the Kindle. I haven't read the third (and last) trilogy, so I thought I'd re-read the first two trilogies and then go forward with those. I'd already finished the game notes Friday night, so I had plenty of time on Saturday to do whatever I liked.

Today I got up early, took a shower (something I never got around to yesterday, which is rare), washed my bedding and then made the bed. I also took my medicine, ate, etc. I was cleaning the cat box when YKWIA got up (he'd gone to bed later than I did). He fed the animals and let the dogs out (we agreed that if I do it in the morning, it'll set a precedent where they'll bark, etc., and since I get up around 5:30 or 6 am on weekdays, that's too early for that. So far it's worked well. I find they'll come out, hopeful, but if I just ignore or maybe just pet them, they'll go back to bed. Well, the cat will stay and get loved on and follow me about, but he's mostly quieter and doesn't keep begging for food much.

We did get some very bad news last night. An acquaintance I hadn't seen in about 20 years tracked me down via Messenger and let me know that a mutual friend (the owner of the comic shop I'd worked for) now has stage IV colon and liver cancer. We'd fallen out of touch over the years. I told YKWIA (he'd known him better and for far longer) and got the address of someone who can let me know if we can help him in any way or see him, as this person is not on Facebook.

Brenda called today to cancel the game due to either a stomach bug or bad barbeque from yesterday. So we're not playing, and I have pretty much the rest of my day to do anything I want. She knows the person with cancer as well, so YKWIA told her what was going on and she was going to tell her husband, who also knows him. A little later, YKWIA called me into the other room. His Internet and phone were both out. I put the modem through a cycle, and it worked for a moment, then lost the connexion again. I called Spectrum and apparently, there is an outage in our area. Fortunately I can get on through the hotspot on my phone, but it's not good for videos, etc., due to a monthly cap of 5 GB.

There are only a couple of things I have to do today. One is to go get pen needles from the Kroger pharmacy, as I forgot to ask at mine yesterday, where I have the prescription. I also told YKWIA I would wash his popcorn bowl (and by that, I mean the top of a plastic cake safe, so it's pretty big). I'll do the few dishes that are left after I put away the ones I did yesterday.

I have to admit, I feel more relaxed here. I always used to feel rushed on the weekends, and when I was home, with all the stuff I hoarded, my apartment seemed oppressive. My room is cosy. My friend and I are getting along well, giving each other space, and have had no major problems as of yet. It's actually been pretty companionable. I really do feel like I'm home now.

Okay, I should go and do something. I think I'll do a little reading. I'm going to go to Kroger after the church rush. Hope you are having a pleasant weekend.