Right now, I am...
in a hurry
It's 8:50 on Sunday night, I work tomorrow, I should be in bed in ten minutes, and I do not have a blog post written.
(which is why you're getting a "Right now" post. Ha.)
amazed it's been almost a year since I graduated
Last year on Mother's Day, my study buddies and I had our last pre-exam study session, and we took our very final exam the next day. It's wild it's been a whole year since then!
looking forward to some days off
By the time Tuesday ends, I will have been at the hospital six out of the last eight days (and on one of the days off, I went there for Nurses Night out!)
The tradeoff is that in the next eight days, I will only be there twice. Sweet. I love my hospital life, but this stretch of days was a little imbalanced.
happy that I probably won't be the circulator
I got assigned as the circulator nurse on Saturday, and I walked 19,000 steps that shift.
I like circulating, and I feel honored that they trust me with this role, but that many steps is a lot for this body. They rotate circulators, so I will most likely just have a group of patients for these next two shifts.
My feet will appreciate that. 😉
(On a normal shift, I walk more like 12,000-14,000 steps.)
glad I just remembered to submit an assignment
I wrote a little required journal entry ahead of time, and as I was writing this post, I remembered I hadn't submitted it!
So, I took a second to go find it and submit it. Whew. I would be so annoyed if I ended up submitting it late, especially since I'd already written it!
happy for some rain
We'd been a little dry in April, so I'm glad May has been catching us up on the rainfall front.
Alrighty...it's now 9:30 pm, which means I'm a half hour late for bed. Time to stop typing. 😉
Right now….I’m getting ready to load my car to go to the gym and workout and then head for the laundromat for “laundry morning”. The upside is I can do a week’s laundry for 2 in about 1 1/2-2hours ( including putting away). There are pros and cons to this laundry arrangement…..
I’m also rejoicing that “M day” is over….I have several mother wounds and while yesterday was better than many years, I’m glad it’s behind me.
there is a laundry room in my apt building. i hate having more than one machine so i do it more often. family of four, sometimes there is a nice person to chat with.
I'm glad this year was better. I have mixed feelings about Mother's Day and even though there were many positive things about the relationship, I'm never quite sure how the day will strike me.
J in NC,
I, too, have very mixed feelings about "M Day", which are exacerbated by the fact that my 3 sisters are treated differently/better by my mom than the way my mom treats me. Luckily, my DH encourages all of my efforts to break the cycle as we raise our son.
Right now...I am on a break at work. Annoyed that my phone died this morning, so I didn't have time to go to the gym, but thankful that I wasn't late for work. Thankful that there was sunshine this weekend and I went to a botanical garden and hoping that the rain today stops when it's time for me to go home!
Right now I am drinking coffee, and planning my day. I have a massage this morning, volunteering for a few hours ( I'll be dressing the mannequins and organizing racks). Then off to pick up my mom from her mini vacation, bring her home, and then I'll be prepping supper, and hopefully getting the rest of the leaves raked.
I also need to schedule a time to do some paperwork that is necessary, but emotional. I think I will go to a coffee shop or local park tomorrow and get it done.
Right now I'm...calling the dentist in a bit to get in for an urgent appt for gum pain. Eek! So staying home from work. I'll be using the time to research health insurance for retirement.
19K feels like a lot when you're more used to 12-14K. Last summer's vacation saw me with up to 30K/day and oof! Loved elevating my feet whenever possible.
Happy Monday 🙂 Glad you remembered to submit your assignment!
Right now I...
*convinced my daughter to wear her cpap for 30 more minutes before getting up. Gotta get over 4 hours total, and last night did not reach that yet.
*making lunches for kids going to school.
*feeding my fluffy cats treats.
*checking I have everything needed to give my final today.
Right now I'm thinking how supremely fortunate I am in life. Although I'm 70 years old, I feel 35. Yesterday, although my son forgot Mother's Day (lol), a most thoughtful friend invited me to a plant nursery and lunch, two of my favorite things in the world. And guess what? I found the elusive plant I'd been looking for all spring! I feel like I'm in a perfect world at the moment. Oh, and it it rained! We've had a terrible drought after a completely annihilating winter freeze. But our town is working on it and all is starting to look beautiful again. Have a great week and know that you are appreciated for the glimpse into your unique life.
right now i am suffering from a new med the dr. slapped on me last weds. it makes me sick from both ends, to be ill on mother's day sucked. but it was a nice day anyway.
Anita, I was in your area last week for an event and thought of you. Hope you're feeling better soon!
Oh man, I hope you feel better soon!
Right now, I am... Sitting on the couch with my husband, drinking coffee and laughing as our feline trio chases each other around the house. Our scarred former street cat is the silliest of the lot and will play--with his brothers, us, and/or toys--until he collapses from exhaustion. I love them all, but he's the one who will shatter my heart one day; that just makes his bounding (he runs like a puppy) and play chatter even more precious.
Oh N, I can relate to your description of the one who will shatter your heart. We have three cats, two are older and one relatively younger. The oldest is 17 with two types of cancer, but is still engaged, eating (ravenous but her body is not taking in much nutrients so she eats a lot to stay at a tiny 5 lb), sleeping with us, and staying feisty. She was a spitfire when we got her, and she stayed that way for about 8 or 9 years... Then slowly began mellowing. Now, when we lose her, I will be gutted. I keep grieving in advance which doesn't help.
Bonnie, I am so sorry about your impending loss. We lost our beloved dog, Raffi, last year and I felt horrible. We had him a wonderful 16 years.
I got a lot of support from an online group called Forever Forest. It was created by a woman, a licensed counselor, who was gutted when she lost her cat Squiggles.
I was on it for a few months. It’s $25 a month, and to me, it was worth it for the wonderful support. Lots and of group interaction, (not therapy) plus live workshops (that are also taped.) Members are asked in advance each month if they want to continue or cancel.
HUGS to and your special spitfire cat. You sound like an amazing pet parent.
N,
I fully understand your anticipatory grief.....we lost our sweet Lovey (cat) last month. She was 18 years old, and lived up to her name, such a snuggle bug. It happened very fast (kidney failure), but our incredible vets gave us a few extra precious days with her. When my DH took her back to the vet for more subq fluids, he called me at work, and we both decided we could not be selfish and put her through it all again. I am gutted. She had a "perch" in front of one of our bedroom windows, and I can't bear to take it apart (really just an old towel over a pillow, sitting on a rectangular ottoman).
I am so sorry about Lovey. I still miss the cats I had growing up. It's a special kind of love.
Sophie in Denmark,
Thank you. It truly is. I will always remember the cats and dog who have touched my life.
I'm so sorry for the loss of Lovey. HUGS. Leave her perch as long as you need to. All of our past cats have their favorite toys beside their ashes.
Right now I am:
So worried about my son who is out of work and not getting a nibble.
Thinking about the day ahead -- laundry, doctor, cleaning the aquarium.
Appreciating that lunch is already sorted, with leftovers from yesterday's Mother's Day brunch.
Glad that my grandson has a good attitude about his broken thumb, which has ended his volleyball season.
Wondering if I should cancel my trip to the east coast, because my son needs help. And yet my sister needs to know I want to see her. My travel companion wants to have fun. I'm in a quandary.
Sorry to hear about the season-ending broken thumb! Hope he heals quickly and you figure out a good solution to the trip quandary.
I broke someone's thumb once in volleyball (I was hitting, they were blocking). A guy friend of mine. I felt so bad for them. Brought them their favorite candy later as a peace offering. Apparently I have a reputation now.
Beth W,
Go on with your trip; otherwise, you risk sending your son on a guilt trip if you cancel bc of him.
When I was out of work I found a lot of really good free resources from Goodwill Industries. No, I am not handicapped. These days, their mission statement reads they will help anyone that is disabled OR disadvantaged. They consider everyone who is unemployed or underemployed to be in the latter category. Goodwill's social workers met with me personally to counsel me about the job hunt. They also helped me brush up on my interview skills, learn a new computer software program and jazz up my resume. (They say resumes are like fashions -- new trends occur all the time. So what you had a few years ago may be very, very outdated.)
My resume was so nice that when I went to a job fair, a recruiting guy from the national hq of a major corporation (who sees tons of resumes all the time) complimented me on it. He said it was one of the best resumes he'd ever seen! And it was free, thanks to Goodwill. (Yes, I got hired.)
I believe they also have some free online courses about different careers that your son might want to check into. Our Goodwill even let people get a free job interview outfit from their thrift stores. I didn't need this help but others did.
Beth W -- May I offer a suggestion for your son. Although he is probably a white collar person, for now, have him call the FedEx Terminal closest to him and ask if any of the Contractors are hiring for FedEx delivery drivers. My husband used to own SEVERAL Fed Ex delivery trucks -- at one point he had 30 employees! - but they will teach him how to drive a truck and run the scanner for deliveries. In our past experiences, we ALWAYS needed good people. They work 7 days a week, so he could probably get overtime if he wanted, too!. Just a suggestion.. if nothing else is surfacing right now...
Or look on Indeed or any of the job sites and search for "Delivery Drivers - Fed Ex" they are on there too. the Independent Contractors post on there all the time.
Seven months ago I started a YouTube channel. Ive started making regular shorts of my cats and they are doing well. This past week I pushed myself to use youyube create and have made and uploaded two videos which haveultple video segments, image layovers, and voiceovers, as well as stickers. I love the idea of having a YouTube channel, but need to get over this learning curve.
My first masters class starts in a week today I pay for tuition and also purchase my first text book. This is scary. My job does tuition reimbursement, but starting this means two to three years of school while employed then one year of work after earning the degree. Once the one year after earning is done I would be free to leave the employer.
Real life. Big decisions.
Right now I'd be close to arriving at work if it was a normal day, but this week I'm doing training that I can log into from home, so I'm actually reading my email while waiting for it to start! I'm thankful to have my girl home from college, but will also be glad when she settles into her own work routine after Memorial Day. She's not getting the stimulation she's used to from living in close proximity to a zillion friends, and I am not equipped to provide that! I'm also writing my own blog post, and contemplating starting up "Mah Jongg Sundays" with some friends and family.
Good morning. Do you want to share a link to your blog?
Yes, Marianne, I second Marlena's motion. I'd like to read your blog, too. I bet others in the commentariat would also be interested.
We finally got some rain, but not much, and it is soooo needed. The one plus is that on the weekends we have been slowly putting up a lot of fencing in the back yard, so we haven't had to deal with mud when digging post holes. It is a LOT of fencing, but doing it ourselves is saving a ton of money...just may kill us physically haha. Good to work the body and thankful we still can, but DH said the other day that he's getting too old for this stuff.
I had a root canal last week and go back for my permanent cap this morning. I'm not a fan of dental work, and not how I want to have my Monday start, but glad to get it over with and be done.
Right now I am about to start getting my things together to check out of the airbnb where my husband and I are staying out of town. We are visiting our eldest and her partner, celebrating Mother's Day and an early birthday for Child #1. Will be sad to depart. Hopefully we'll see next see them in the early summer.
Happy Monday!
Right Now ..... I am making a seemingly endless to do list. My 91 yo Mom fell on Tuesday. Life changes in a second. One week later she is safely in skilled nursing. Overwhelming gratitude.
Right now . . .
1. We are getting our home ready to sell.
2. Getting a worker's home ready to sell ( He was able to buy his own house due to the token rent we charged him for 6 years. We feel really good about this.)
3. Trying to finish the River House Renovation so we can move in. So three houses for cleaning, yard maintenance and moving. This sounds like a luxury problem and it is but it is also an effort to avoid the bankruptcies so many of the other farmers are going through in our county now.
Right now. . . I am grateful for this manual labor but hoping my body holds up.
Right now . . . . I am practicing the trick we backpackers know. When you are exhausted, you point your feet in the right direction, don't look up, and keep walking.
That's a lot on your plate. Good luck.
WilliamB is right. Best wishes to you in general, Mary Ann, and best wishes to you and your mother in particular.
Sending prayers your way! Especially grateful for your Mom, surviving a fall at her age is full on miracle! Cheering you on for finding solid solutions for your ag operation. It is stunningly hard right now.
Ai yi yi, Mary Ann, I wished I lived closer to you than 4 hours because I would come help. Just do the next indicated step, my brave strong determined never-met-in-person friend.
Mary Ann,
Yikes, that's a LOT. I'm sitting here, trying to figure out which property to tackle first (obviously the yard work is an ongoing thing at all three places)...maybe finish the River House, move in, then work on your current house to sell? Or the rental house, so you can rent it out again while working on one or both of the other houses? The mind boggles. Sending you virtual strength, and yay for your mom being in a new safe place. My mom just turned 92, and loves her senior community..
Right now I am...recovering from the morning hustle and bustle of getting the six year old to school on a rainy morning. And getting my motivation in the form of coffee to tackle the start of a new week. It is so gloomy and chilly here and I really wish I had reading a good book in bed on the docket
Right now, I am packing an overnight bag and getting ready to drive 90 minutes south to take my husband to the medical center where he will have a heart ablation today.
Also, watching the workers getting ready to dismantle our deck and remove a huge rhododendron in preparation for our new deck.
Feeling grateful that I got to FaceTime with all three of my kids and five grandchildren yesterday.
I am happy that it is a bright sunny day. I wish you all a good week ahead.
Right now, I am...
Heartened by DS#3's improvements--his energy is up, his hemoglobin was 11.2 yesterday and he is eating more, and has been working hard on his PT, getting up and taking assisted steps. Just now he got salty with DS#2 over a pillow placement, and I told him I was very glad to see that rather than lethargy and not-caring about anything!
A little anxious about our later virtual appointment with a GI doc. We *think* we might know what is going on with DS#3's symptoms, but of course you can't TELL a doctor what you think it might be, they get very sniffy about it. I also have to call the home health care nurse and ask them why they didn't send the order for blood cultures to the lab as we asked, since none of the home health care nurses have ever been able to draw blood from DS we have resorted to taking him to a lab, but they called last night and asked to come today to draw the blood here at home..ugh.
Feeling at peace with my decision to withdraw from the nursing program waitlist. I feel very strongly that DS#3's recovery will be longer than anticipated and I am needed here at home, plus when I really think about it I am more suited to be a certified nursing assistant; I enjoy the work and find it very fulfilling as well as less anxiety-inducing when I think about all the things that can go wrong! So I'll keep that certification current so I can eventually get a job when I'm needed less at home.
Doodling while enjoying the birdsong and fresh air through my desk window. Watching the Commodore, who is loving the beautiful weather and keeping an eye out for a visiting cat we've named Miss Tuxie. Unfortunately she likes to eat roadkill, but no girlfriend is perfect, I suppose.
Well done that you were able to create the headspace to figure out what you wanted to choose among your current nursing options - it's so easy to just feel trapped in circumstances without taking the time to actually weigh options and make an informed decision and feel peace. Great that you can be there for your son with your nursing knowledge!
What Suz said, Karen A. And I wish DS#3 continuing improvement, and all of you success with the medical establishment in his care.
I also wish the Commodore success with befriending his lady love. Our third cat, Disraeli Diehard Dreadnought (Dizzy for short), had a long-standing and unrequited passion for the Bestest Neighbors' last cat, Polly. Of course, both of them were neutered--but Dizzy would nevertheless go out to the end of our driveway and roll around in a come-hither fashion every time he saw Polly. Alas, Polly never gave him the time of day. 🙁
I support the CNA decision because heaven knows we cannot run a hospital without some really great techs! Your services will be wonderful, when you are freed up at home.
Right now ,5:30 is A.M. I am relaxing into my Monday morning on my patio with my coffee.I fed the birds. I’m watching the waterfall in the pool and listening to the beautiful water sounds.
I am planning a day for JUST ME today. On Mom’s Day I always cook our fave meals and we celebrate our son’s birthday on the same day as it always falls close to Mother’s Day.
So, we had a great weekend but today is ALL MINE..I’ll be joining 3 friends to go see “The Devil Wore Prada”and pizza for lunch!! And everyone eats from the refrigerator on their own schedule all day and evening!!
I can practically hear you chortling and rubbing your hands in glee!
Right now I am:
- Not mouldering in bed but instead intentionally checking my daily sites, reading news, etc., from bed.
- Pleased that I found a way to clean some stunningly dirty but rather special yarn given to me by members of an Australian Aboriginal tribe. Details available upon request - it involved the application of practical chemistry - but otherwise I'll spare y'all.
- Happy for my friend who found the job she wanted, even if it means her moving away.
- Annoyed with a friend who delayed planning a weekend away when it would've been close to free; I don't think we'll be able to do it.
- Happy to have spent an afternoon with a new friend.
- Wrestling with a big friendship dilemma: a very good friend who seems to have become anti-trans and I have a close family member who is trans whom I vocally and publicly support 100%.
Do share the yarn details!
I'm guessing that "the application of practical chemistry" might involve human urine? Go ahead, spill the details, we're not squeamish!
Nope, baking soda.
Very short version: I used baking soda to lift grease from some yarn, since fat + alkaline = soap.
Short version: I had 6 skeins of yarn with an interesting history but was very dirty and greasy. After numerous attempts to clean it, one skein persisted in being greasy. After successfully testing the idea on a little bit of the yarn, I dissolved some baking soda in hot water, added the greasy yarn, stirred it, rinsed it, an it was better. But not remotely clean yet. I repeated the process about 5 more times, using a pound of baking soda in all. Now the yarn is clean enough to maybe be able to use it.
Full version: A long time ago, on a continent far, far away, members of an Australian Aborigine tribe gave me a half dozen skeins of yarn. Very cool, yes? But the yarn was poorly prepared, full of twigs and burrs and grease; it was if it had been rolled in a mulch bed, there were that much bark and twigs in it. Too cool to get rid of, too mucky to work it, it sat in my stash for lo these many years.
Recently a breeder/spinner suggested I soak the twiggy, greasy stuff in hot water, maybe that would lift the grease. Thus started a 3 day odyssey. In the end I:
1. soaked it in very hot water for 45 min;
2. rinsed and wrung each skein till the water ran clear, at least a dozen rinses each (the initial rinse water was, literally, muddy);
3. washed the wool with special wool wash;
4. rinsed again till the water ran clear;
5. dried the wool; and
6. pulled apart the skeins and rewound them.
Lather, rinse, repeat twice more, then I ended with the alkaline bath I described above. Even so, there's still Aussie sand in the wool. I know because it gently showers the table each time I rewind the skeins.
I wish I'd taken a "before" picture cuz otherwise no one will believe this is the "after". Its till to scratchy to knit with but maybe I'll learn to weave so I can make a hanging or something like.
Cool saga! I love the journey of these skeins and now you've found a way to redeem them from storage; I can imagine they'll look fabulous woven into a hanging or other artwork. I'm not a knitter but I'm inspired by what I see in all the needle arts and have started dabbling in felting after seeing Moy Mackay's textile landscapes. Your yarn posed extra challenge but what a great sense of place it will evoke.
Right now, I am eavesdropping on what all ya'll are doing -- grateful for peace and calm that is now -- mindful as someone noted whose mother fell, life can turn on a dime. Thinking about the stuff that needs doing . . . grateful I have a list.
Right now I'm feeling overly tired. I thoroughly enjoyed DH's Mother's Day meal, but I ate enough that my stomach took extra time digesting, which made it hard for me to fall asleep.
Also annoyed that I got up extra early to have time to prep for an 8 am meeting, only to see that my manager's admin has rescheduled that call for 6:30 am tomorrow. Wow. A double win. Could have used an extra 30 minutes of sleep tonight, and will definitely not get enough sleep tomorrow.
Realizing that I have to find the right balance of worrying about DS19. He is always living his life to the fullest, which we've tried to inspire & support. But, as I go through menopause, I have newfound anxiety about everything, especially when I can't sleep at 11 am, and his phone is out of range due to being on a backpacking trip. It most certainly didn't help my sleep. I have a long road of worrying about that guy, even though I know that he's likely fine, I still spin up & worry when I can't sleep.
I'm also really happy that I sold something a neighbor was giving away. Normally I don't pick up things to resell on BN, because it goes against the principles of our group. But, there is a woman cleaning out her parents house & made it clear she was all for reselling. I picked up four items & have listed them on eBay. One was a pair of girls ice skates, which I have no experience with, but eBay said could be worth selling. Listed them on Saturday & sold them yesterday for $70. We've spent a lot of money lately, so this is a fun win.
Highly recommend saving/collecting cartoons. If I need a quick note to cheer someone I can just write - "thinking of you, here's some humor."
Also works to text. We have some very sick folks in our lives right now. Some get texts, some get snail mail and I use the same cartoon. For Christmas last year, we gave a friend "12 Days of Dogmas" which was a different dog cartoon for the 12 days of Christmas.
My Monday has taken an unexpected turn; our air conditioning is out. I live in S Texas and this is a true emergency. I am a dog groomer and have a home studio. I cancelled this morning’s dogs and keeping fingers crossed that the repair person shows up on time.
Right now: I’m sitting in my chair trying not to move too much. Moving= sweating, for me. Counting my blessings that it’s unseasonably cooler this morning; but back to HOT later and also the rest of the week.
I’ll see your 19,077 steps and raise you another 10,000 or so, from the day I went hiking through the Sandias with the President of the New Mexico Mountain Club, a fun group dedicated to “hiking and rock climbing the mountains, canyons and mesas of New Mexico” and sharing “organized adventures for both experts (him) and novices (me)”. I think it was at least another week before I could even roll out of bed.
So jealous. I grew seeing the sun coming up over the Sandias everyday. It's been over a decade since I've felt them under my feet.
I can see the Sandias, including those "watermelon" sunsets, from my adobe house. On a really clear day (of which there are many), I can see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Santa Fe and I can count the transmission towers on the Sandia peaks. You always know where you are direction-wise! The sun rises in the east; the hot air balloons appear, heading north/northwest; the sun may set in the west but it colors the sky and mountains in the east a beautiful pinkish orange as it does. So, the musical was right! On A Clear Day, You (really!) Can See Forever.
Waiting for there to be something to do at work, yesterday I got ahead and did a lot of deep cleaning. Today there is less to do as dishwasher because food hasn’t been served and there hasn’t been a delivery.
Getting to-do list items done: ordered pants, checked budget, made grocery list, and updated my running list.
Right now, I am taking a peek at the comments after my first day back at work after being ill for two+ weeks.
Today had some very welcome showers. And a lot of work.I must catch up with. I am thankful to yesterday-me to prepare some ingredients for healthy meals this week.
Right now, I’m expecting my parents to stop by so my sibling and I can take them to lunch in honor of a late Mother’s Day. I’m also frantically cleaning and looking at the movie schedules for later tonight so I can maybe watch devil wears Prada 2!
Right now I am
-- relieved that M Day, as someone called it, is over. Like many of you, I had a lot of stress because of that day. Remembering Miss Lucy Dog, who came to live with me on a Mother's Day over a decade ago; she died of cancer 14 years later. I now have Snuggles but I was so depressed, I wondered if he would encounter the same fate since I read his breed is prone to getting cancer, esp. if neutered prior to age 4. He came from the pound and they automatically spay and neuter every dog, and he was only 1 or 2 y.o. I also had a lot of bad memories about my childhood and an overbearing parent that cropped up yesterday.
-- incredibly tired this morning.
--stressed out over a VERY bad day at work yesterday. The teenybopper who worked the cash register before me did not keep the drawer filled with change and as soon as I got there she left and I discovered I only had 75 cents worth of quarters when I had a long, long line of customers. Had to call the on-duty supervisor for change and this delayed things in 2 areas. Then the new front end supervisor didn't know how to fix the register tape correctly, didn't do it right last night, and in mid-shift, all the journal tape was messed up. We then had to stop everything and rewind it. A woman I know from my former church came in and tried (illegally) to return an armload of nutritional supplement pills that no longer had the price sticker on (we don't use scanners at our store) and of course, she did not have a single cash register receipt. I explained I couldn't take them back without CRRs. So she came back to the store later with a Ziplock bag full of old receipts, hundreds of them, most of them crumpled up and with faded writing. At this point, she had 2 bottles with price sticker on them, but we could not find any corresponding price on the receipts. I told her it was above my pay grade to make exceptions, we had to find the receipt with the exact same amount on it, come back tomorrow when the store manager is there and he can handle it all. (Since this is not her first shenanigan, I hope he bans her from the store but that's probably never going to happen.) She then gave me a bag of chocalates, and when I started to ring it up, she said, no thi sis for you...but she wasn't going to buy it for me, she intended that I pay for it. So that made one more than I had to go return to the shelves. Sheesh! When wehad a little bit of a lull, we saw that customers had riffled through all the T-shirts and messed them up, so we had to fold countless dozens of shirts and put them back on the shelves. Meanwhile, I had to tell a poor lady that our store doesn't take food stamps, and it made me very sad for her. Later, we also got the town drunk (another regular we'd rather never see) in there bellowing at the top of her lungs, but the other cashier took care of her. (Drunk Lady was hollering that we no longer had the tins of 99 cent cookies; last time she came in, she hollered that those same cookies were too stale.) The poor workers in the perfume section were overwhelmed because they'd only scheduled 2 workers on Mother's Day, and of course we had tons of last-minute shoppers. (We have a name for customers who wait until the last minute to buy gifts. They are called MEN!) The only good thing was that we close down 2 hours early on Sunday.
-- Happy that my new-to-me desktop works great. Ditto, the laptop. It rained hard last night so I didn't turn on the desktop due to fear of a lightning strike. Thank goodness for battery-operated devices!
....Sorry for my venting but it's very therapeutic....
Wow, Lisa, that's a load. Best wishes from afar.
And I confess I've considered creating an alternative Mother's Day (call it "Non-Mother's Day"?) for those of us ladies who are not mothers, for whatever reason. One of my two Sunday morning walking buddies asked me a week ago whether I had any Mother's Day plans. I replied, "Well, I'm not a mother, you two aren't mothers, [NDN1] isn't a mother, [Ms. Bestest Neighbor] isn't a mother, and my mother and my MIL are both long gone. So, no, I don't."
Fru-gal Lisa,
That sounds like the Work Shift from H*ll. Ugh. I've worked my share of retail jobs, and I will never understand why some shoppers feel so entitled to special treatment.
Why that horrible woman handed you a bag of chocolates and expected you to pay for them, I will never understand.
I hope you've had today to unwind and relax.
From what I've read, neutering at a young age read: old enough and weigh enough is better for a dog/cat. So I'd not fret too much.
I’m setting here and enjoying the sunshine we have missed for awhile. Also excited for our grandsons wedding this Saturday and it is suppose to be warm!!!
Went to see Michael yesterday with my daughter and we had such a good time. Oh the fun memories!
Having tea after sunrise yoga and chores. Back door neighbor came for tea, but she took a call, so I came to visit y'all! Have a big day today. We are smack in the middle where 35 miles North gets you a mid sized college town, 35 mi South gets you a bigger college town, or 35 mi East gets you a very large city.
Today we go big city for replenishing the pantry. I am out of mayo, butter and cheese. We had 43 show up at Mother's Day pizza. I made a big green salad, but I swear the two qts. of ranch dressing evaporated! My neighbor and childhood friend had over 50 for her bbq. She has 5 siblings and we are at that age where our kids are having kids. When you see a farm with a bunch of large buildings, one of them is for family gatherings and barn basketball.
Right now, I'm feeling nervous/anxious about my brother-in-law who had to get an emergency blood transfusion yesterday, my daughter who is taking the Calculus AP test today, about not touching to my MIL yesterday (and some potential aftermath - we sent a card and my husband called but I wasn't able to get on the phone and neither did my kids - long story), and about all the things we need to prep for our annual Yosemite trip later this week. So I'll use the whole "action is the answer to anxiety" thing and go start some laundry, put a placeholder on my calendar to call MIL later today, clean up my packing list, and plan on going for a walk later today. Happy Monday, everyone!
Right now...I am eating breakfast and harassing the cat. Getting ready to go to a dr appointment (trigger finger)
Right now I am . . .
Eating a lunch of leftovers that includes free food my mother in law gifted us. She volunteers at the food bank, and after they have given away food to everyone who wants it, they send the rest home with the volunteers. Depending on what they have received that week, sometimes there isn't much left over, and sometimes it's a bumper crop. This time it was the latter, which is like Christmas morning for me. My challenge will be eating up all this food before things go bad.
Happy because I had a good 1st round interview for a job I want. I am now a contender for three good jobs, which improves my chances that at least one will come through. I'll cry tears of gratitude if/when I land one of these jobs just to know that I will have health insurance after my current contract expires on July 31.
Also glad to see that our business's outstanding invoice balance is higher than it has been in a while. It also gives me peace knowing that we have money coming in.
About to go have coffee with a friend who was just awarded a contract for the same job I am finishing up. I'm so excited for him. It is a great job. It's also the second time I have assisted him in getting an opportunity at this university. He got both on his own merit, but I still get to feel good for helping a friend.
Yay for your job prospects!!
Right now I am on vacation with my whole family. The beach is beautiful and not crowded; it is a wonderful time to be here. We're not being exceptionally frugal, but we did save up for it, so I consider it money well spent, as this is the first time we have been able to go all together in a while. And as my boys are now all adults, it might be one of the last times. I pray not, though - my goal is to have family vacations with my grandchildren at the same beach one day.
Right now I am lying in bed with my leg elevated and an ice pack on my fractured knee. Entering week 3 of stay-at-home living. Next x-ray is at the end of next week, and I am fervently hoping that I have made progress. I'm enjoying reading the variety of comments and getting a glimpse into other people's lives.
Sending best wishes to you in bed, MB. My 70-year-old knees (both the one with the partial replacement and the other one) aren't any too cooperative these days. But I haven't actually broken either one, so I can imagine your feelings.
Thank you, A. Marie! Bum knees are no fun, and neither is aging, so we just need to be tough old broads.
My gentle, wise grandmother used to say that getting old is not for sissies.
MB, that sounds miserable! I would probably watch a lot of TV. Speaking of which, I'm doing a rewatch of The Handmaid's Tale and right now I'm feeling sad after a particularly intense episode! I hope the x-ray is positive and you feel better soon.
Thank you, Sophie!
Sending fast healing wishes to you!
Thank you, Kristen!
I am…about to log on to today’s continuing ed class (topic: menopause and strength training), while coaxing a sleepy not-quite-5-year-old through a plate of dinner so I can tuck him into bed when class finishes.
…grateful for some sunshine this evening, although it was a wet gloomy day (it feels like we got everywhere else’s rain this winter!)
…caught up on sheets laundry after redoing our kitchen (which is where the laundry lives) a few weeks ago which left me massively behind on the laundry after not being able to do laundry for a week. Which is good because the cleaner comes tomorrow to change the sheets and I’d run out of clean ones, but after running several loads over the weekend and today we now have a full cupboard of clean ones.
Please be with me all...I lost my dear sis on Thurs (Alzheimer's) and am struggling. Will continue reading the blog because every day I feel uplifted by all of your comments. God bless all of you.
I am so sorry for your loss, Linda. What an awful wretched disease. I am hip deep in the dementia morass with my Mom. Thank heavens she is a happy soul.
"Awful wretched disease" is right, BFG. (It's good, though, that your mother, like my DH, has retained her sweet nature.) And, Linda, my heart goes out to you.
I am so sorry for your loss. Sisters are special ❤️
Comfort and strength to you across the miles (and screens)! May your memories of her be a source of joy!
Oh Linda, I'm so sorry for your loss and the disease leading up to it. Like others in this caring community, I will be holding you close to my heart as you grieve your sister.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Linda. I hope one day soon the good days will outnumber the sad days. And you’ll smile instead of feel sad when you think of her.
Aww, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Alzheimer's is such a long series of losses. Sending you a big hug!
Linda,
I’m so sorry. We lost my dad last August after 2plus years of battling Alzheimer’s. It is so hard to see someone you love slip away a bit at a time. Keep all the wonderful memories close.
Sending grace and prayers to you and yours.
I am so sorry to hear that. May the memories be blessings.
I'm so sorry for your loss!
Joining in the chorus of support - I'm so sorry for your loss, Linda.
so sorry for your loss. may her memory be for a blessing.
Right now I am recovering from trigger finger surgery I had this morning. This is the third finger I have had surgically released and the first time I did it with local anesthetic instead of anesthesia. The OR nurse asked if I wanted to watch. Uh, no. I can't even watch them draw blood when I get labs.
Right now I am snacking on Red Vines which are far superior to Twizzlers but not as good as Australian style licorice.
Right now I am sad it got so hot so fast. Last week was a rainy week with highs in the 50s. Today we are expecting 90 degrees. My melting point is 80. :-/
My dear girl, you were chosen as Circulator because I'm sure they recognize the fact that you're excellent at your job. And, the fact that your good heart and caring nature rolls off you like waves in the Pacific. I know your "tootsies" are tired, but that's what pedicures are for and I highly recommend one while you're off for these next several weeks. Take care of your feet and they will take care of you for the rest of your life. At least, that's what my podiatrist tells me...hahaha.
I think it is a compliment for sure!
I love the "right now" posts.
Though it is now 6:45pm, so I feel it is too late to do my "right nows". Hopefully I can get on the bandwagon next time around.
I am about to eat dinner, and will enjoy reading through all the comments while I eat. (p.s. I mostly read your blog including comments on my big screen TV, hence eating at the coffee table).
Haha, I love imagining you reading comments on the big screen!
I read this earlier, but I didn’t have time to comment. Instead, I had to drive 30 minutes to the allergy clinic where I get my maintenance shot. I stopped at the church on my way, ran an errand, and stopped at the church on my way home. My stop at Fred Meyer (Kroger) on a Monday morning netted me 3 bags of marked down produce. Once home, I’ve piddled around. I did get laundry folded and put away. We’re off to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 shortly. It’s cheap ticket night, but getting dinner there will not be! Oh well!
Ooh let us know how the movie is!
I saw it last week and thought it was so much fun!
Surprisingly, for a sequel, I thought DWP 2 was really good! What did you think?
Right now it’s 8:21 p.m., and I’m late taking my sleep meds. I’m in bed trying to get the energy to get up to take them and my vitamins. Mondays are always exhausting, tho it was a good day. There are about 14 days of school left, and some days are half days because of final exams. Graduation ceremony is this Friday, and I’m looking forward to it! I just remembered I promised some teacher friends some banana nut bread for tomorrow, so I’d better get up!
This is off-topic, but I've noticed Bee hasn't left any comments lately. Kristen, have you heard from her? Just hoping she's okay. Bee, if you're reading this, pkease know you are missed!
Right now I am doing nothing but reading the blog. I’m currently not very motivated. My kiddo is with his dad tonight, and this is my last teaching week for the school year. Tired and ready to finish report cards tomorrow so I can officially start summer on Thursday.
Mother’s Day was a mixed bag. My former spouse is great about celebrating me as a mom, but he went to ER(he’s ok) on Saturday early morning, so all the plans understandably went out the window. My son’s annual card choice is my favorite thing, and that was missing due to the situation. We were all tired from the emotion of the shocking 4AM hospital visit. So grateful and blessed to have such a wonderful son, but it wasn’t a celebratory day.
Right now I am drinking some lemon water with a pinch of salt. I was going to go to the gym, but it's pouring outside (sideways, downways, upways) and I walk, so I did yoga at home. It felt sooo good to stretch and was a reminder that being productive can be some stretching and hydrating.
Right now...
I am greatful to have survived a trying day.
Glad I had leftovers to eat for supper.
Looking forward to bedtime.
Reconciling myself yet again to plans gone away.
Grateful that God's mercies are new every morning, and tomorrow has a clean slate.
Leftovers are the best! The gift that keeps on giving.
Kristen, you are so cute and inspiring. I too am a nurse (going on years 30 now), & do my best to get to bed by 9 pm the night before my dayshift, although it hardly ever happens! I love that your hospital does a nurse's evening out for you-I got another umbrella, ha! But I am thankful for my job, and just appreciate a little recognition from my boss every now and then. I love how you are pacing yourself but pushing through for your BSN. I was so burnt out by the time I finished my ADN, and was ready to start my family and not do school. Hang in there and keep pushing but giving yourself breathing room for your finish date. Life is too short not to be able to enjoy the journey! Prayers for you as you work and do school and life all at once and do it so humbly and energetically at the same time. 🙂
Aww, thank you for the encouragement!