Good rainy morning ladies,
Will this be the day the frost line melts and the sump pumps kick on and run for 2 months??? I am dreading that day - it always makes me nervous because at their peak they are ejecting water ever 35 seconds non stop. Thankfully we have had a slow melt but there is still plenty of water in the ground and it is starting to build into mini-lakes in the low lying dips in various properties and roads. Also lots of puddles for mosquitoes to breed in.
DH drove me to the far end of the county to interview a site manager at one of our Senior Center locations who is celebrating her 33rd anniversary with the organization. She is a lovely lady - a natural caregiver who said she originally had plans to be a nurse and wound up as chief cook and bottle washer! (As I approach my 65th birthday I find myself using old timey phrases that kids today will not understand
) So we walked in the door and B says - did you hear the news??? Turns out the psycho receptionist finally convinced someone to hire her and she is leaving the center.
and a great chorus of joy was heard throughout the land... Over the course of the next few days there are many whispers and an incredible amount of stories from various people about how she either screwed them over or was ridiculously stubborn, lazy and most unhelpful. The new place has no idea what they got themselves into. I wanted to start one of those football type office pools with the squares where you bet on how long this will last. She is the most manipulative person I have ever met - a dangerous whacko who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. I can't believe there will be another organization who will coddle her or fall for her stunts the way this place does. I know that she can put on a cheery face and interview with the sweetest personality and will embellish her accomplishments because being the psycho she is, she truly believes she knows everything and needs no training or education whatsoever. I am angry though that someone who is truly a manager's nightmare employee can find a job while hardworking, loyal Anne here is still waiting in the wings.
It did take nutzo well over a year and countless applications to get another position. I'm thinking she had some pull from another person in town.
This was interesting news as I, like DH was about t pull the plug on the whole operation. One thing neither of us got was support from management. This one knew how to manipulate them, she told lies and stories and I would not put it past her to flat out sabotage things and blame it on us. They would go and talk to her, believe her stories and never come back to us to discuss it. That's why DH finally got fed up and walked out. I decided to stay 2 months longer only because I edit the Center's newspaper and we have 2 fantastic long term site managers that we are going to highlight in the upcoming and next issue after that and I felt that they really deserved a proper article and coverage in the paper. I did have a meeting this week and told them I would not be participating in the extra summer bingo series. I will still do Thursdays when I am here because that is more complicated and besides the "grand poobah" - my partner D - it's just us running the show. We have extra help but the money and paperwork stuff - that's us. I told them that DH and I were going to travel this summer and that in part is true. He is REALLY into the photography thing and is looking for 2 and 3 day trips we can take to find various subjects. We are going to a tulip festival next month for a 3 day weekend. I am nervous about leaving the cats alone, I would rather get a pet sitter to check in but he doesn't feel the need for that. I also have to find someone trust worthy to leave a key with - heaven forbid if anything happened I would not want them "abandoned" in this house. My partner D loves cats and he would be willing to come in but that's going to be a long and tough discussion with DH.
He went for a hearing test this week. The results seemed consistent with what I noticed with him. We are just not sure if we made a mistake with a large franchise so he is going to an audiology center this Wednesday for a more impartial test. My hearing is great - above the charts so at least ONE thing is not failing on me.
And interestingly enough the doc said that I have dry eye - which I knew, intensified after cataract surgery - but the interesting thing is that he said my vision issues could be related to the dry eye. I was focusing on some letters and they would be blurry, blink - clear, blink kinda fuzzy, blink - so fuzzy I can't read them and then blink, clear again.
He said if they were constantly fuzzy it could be the start of macular degeneration which runs on my Mom's side.
BUT since there were times I could blink and it would come into focus, try the eye drops. Twice a day. Said it would be a gradual improvement, not something eye popping at first. Now I have to REMEMBER to use the eye drops. AND the NuStep.
I am trying to decide where my next path in life is taking me. I do want to cut back on the volunteering and devote more time to painting. Also need to move more. I am ashamed to say that I have not given much thought to getting back on the NuStep which I NEED to do because I need to rebuild strength in my legs if we are going to go "on tour" and walk around more. Also I think too much sitting is a big detriment to the lack of progress in the weight loss department. It's just hard to unchain yourself from what I deem as self imposed guilt like I SHOULD be helping out. BUT as I hit a low point this week, I realize that life will go on without you Happy and while they accepted your offerings, if you left things would continue on and most importantly - YOU CAN'T CHANGE THINGS. I do have alot to do around here before our tulip trip and I know what will happen, I THINK there's 5 weeks and before you know it, nothing has gotten done and I'll be in an overwhelming rush to get 5 weeks worth of stuff done in 3 days! Sigh...
We did watch Clint Eastwood's movie - The Mule last night on pay per view. It was an interesting story as his movies tend to be. Along the lines of the one where he had the Torino car. I thought it was going to get violent at one point due to the nature of the subject (drug trafficking) but thankfully that didn't happen. I cannot take the shoot 'em up, punch 'em up kinds of action movies DH favors. I was slightly interested in the Home Show they have up in Duluth this weekend but today it's quite heavy rain and that would not be a good trip on the open roads with a downpour. Just as well - we probably didn't need to go and see some pricey new toys/appliance/garden thing that we would not use and should not spend money on.
I have to take a page from you Susie - you are really good with goal setting and sticking to a plan. I am so proud of you for sticking to your guns about work life balance and while they may have balked at first, it seems like they fell in line with expectations once they realized they cannot run you ragged. Good for you. And the progress you are making towards steady weight loss again. My dental work is going well, thanks for asking. So far the temporaries are secure and while they are a rough surface, these are not as bad as I remember them being. I think there was only one food that kind of sticks to them and I don't remember what that was right now
This upcoming week is a quiet one and then next Wednesday and Thursday the 17th and 18th are the big push where they work on all of my bottom teeth. I hope that goes well especially on the 17th because the very next morning I have to head back and get the other half done. I am hoping there is nothing to create anxiety on the 17th that would set me up to be anxious the following day. I found your earlier post interesting when you spoke of sometimes getting weird feelings that your shoes were too constrictive. I can relate to that - occasionally I have similar feelings that come on suddenly but I try to work quickly to not let them take control of me. You post made me feel better. I think sometimes too the more my life surrounds me and nears overwhelming and almost suffocating, more more it encourages those sorts of feelings of anxiety or claustrophobia. I am much more aware of subtle things as I get older... I am sad for your poor neighbors.
The bullying, the "casual" approach to life and death - I don't know how to fix it other than recognizing that it is a real problem. I wonder if it is something in the air or water that causes such anxiety in kids today or is it the influence of social media. Certainly very difficult to be a parent today. I hope you have a nice dinner with your friend tonight. You will certainly be looking good and feeling great with your hair freshly done.
Love to you Annie
Just keep trying...
Ceejay - baby Olive is so cute. Seems like your weather is more warm than ours so get out and enjoy that garden and yard work! Have to be careful with the electrical cord. Make sure no wires exposed - can't have you getting a shock there!
Shad - I have found that my distance vision gradually stabilized but the near sightedness was something that seemed to get worse about every 6 months. I'd get new glasses only to have them peter out after about 6 months. Kind of frustrating. Doctor said as we age that is typical. Oh my on the dive to the pavement. I hope you are feeling better by now. Geez. Glad you didn't break anything. I know what you mean about time flying and the weeks and months just passing by. I haven't been posting regularly so can't even use that to look back on where the time has gone. I'm sure you have been much more productive than me. Wow - I am surprised that Teel is still around. Yes I do remember her well. Lovely English cottage. I hope she is in good health - how did you get back in touch again? Someone posted recently on FB about a blue banana that tastes like vanilla ice cream. I guess they are expensive and only grow in the tropics - have you heard of them? I know you are not big on the sweets so perhaps a bit much for you. I would like that sliced with some fresh pineapple - then again I remember you not liking pineapple either
Is the weather getting more tolerable for you?
Laura - what ever happened with the new proposed housing development?
Time for me to get off the computer - that is a big waste of my day. Just need to close the lid and go do other things. DH is off in the yard - the big pileated woodpecker momma is on the suet feeder which is almost empty. This was a very good week for DH and photos - he got some "beauts! ".
Have a good weekend everyone.
2019 - Pt 2 - Worldlies Looking Forward
