Foiled Plans

Well. I called work on Thursday to find out how to go about coming back to work on Dec. 31. I'm probably really just barely ready, but I seriously need the money. They said I had to call my doctor and get released, then they would see if there were any restrictions, talk to Skeeter to see where I could be assigned, and that would be that. Well, that wasn't exactly that. I called my doctor, who hesitantly agreed to release me as long as I could sit half of the time (generally I stand all day, but have often done sitdown work, particularly when Skeeter needed me to do a lower level job for his convenience). They wanted me to still continue therapy for a couple of weeks after starting back to work, too. OK, so I called the nurse at work back and she was going to talk to Skeeter and call me back. She called on Friday, saying that she had talked to him and to the HR person, and I am not going to be allowed back right now! It seems that orders are really down, and that there is no work in my area for someone with that restriction. They are on (previously unplanned) shutdown next week, and Dec. 31 will only be a 4-hour day. And then for the first week of Jan, at least, they are on 36-hour weeks. At first I was really angry about that, since they tend to rush people back to work if they are on workers comp (I'm not). And I was furious that this is all in Skeeter's hands to say when I can come back. But I got an email today from someone at work who said that it really was true that there is almost no work, and that they gave 5 lack-of-works yesterday. So maybe I'm glad I'm not involved there right now. It's legal for me to work my tax job while I'm off (since they obviously have no work for me) so I should be able to put in quite a few hours there doing the OJT that is required at the first of the season. That will bring in a few dollars, anyway. I guess I should be trying to be more positive about this. It's just that I am SO broke, beyond broke. And so far my winning-the-lottery plan isn't working too well. I guess I'll feel better after the Christmas spending has stopped, but I'll still have the bills to pay. I think part of why I felt so crummy about this whole thing yesterday was that I was having a pretty bad day physically. My knees are absolutely killing me because I've been walking so much more, just like they would after any unaccustomed exercise. They gave me a new brace at therapy, one more flexible and comfortable than the air cast, but very supportive. It's what they put their athletes in when they start back to playing their sport. It has no hard plastic parts, just a lot of elastic, strapping and velcro (LOTS of velcro), and it takes approximately 20 minutes to put on correctly. (OK, it's not that bad, but it does take awhile to do because there are three layers to it.) It feels great once it's on, which has led me to walk more, which is hurting my knees. On the other hand, I have virtually no pain in my ankle at all, just the occasional twinge in my Achilles tendon. I have to keep in mind that I have only been walking on my own for a week (actually, it will be a full week at dinner time tonight), so I'm actually doing OK. Yesterday was two months since I broke the ankle, today is two months since the surgery.

Christmas is Coming - SOON

I have SO much to do today! I have guilted Kym into being my little Christmas Elf today and we are going to run a bunch of errands, as well as setting up the Christmas tree (she slipped through my fingers yesterday). I actually got some Christmas shopping done last night on my own. Turns out that Meijer also has those little electric carts, and while I don't like that store, it was handy -- and practically empty. I consider myself completely off of crutches now. I looked at canes at Meijer and the only one I would have considered is one just like Dad's, and I thought that might be weird. Anyway, I am planning to go back to work in two weeks, so I really don't think I need it. I thought about getting it anyway (and letting insurance pay for it) so that if I needed it in the future I'd have it, but I don't think it's worth the trouble. So... I am starting what I think is my last two weeks of being off work. I haven't been having nearly the swelling that I had before, and it's practically pain-free when I am wearing the brace and a shoe. It's almost not too bad in just a slipper (no brace), either, though barefoot or in socks still zings me a little. Partly because I've only been walking on my own for a day and partly because it's still so stiff, I walk very slowly, with an exaggerated limp. I have to fight not to hitch up my elbows with each step to get momentum. It takes me forever to get far, which is why I got the cart at Meijer. I will have to call work next week to arrange my "physical" there (in quotes because we only have a nurse, and all she does is listen to your heart, take your blood pressure, and look at your incision). I will have a handicapped parking spot there, too, which will be ultra-nice in this cold weather because it's inside the gate, just steps from the door. I need a new lunch bag since I threw the old one away in October. I had had it forever and it was nasty and falling apart. I have a couple of little projects that I want to get done before I go back, too, like cleaning the hall closet and working in the small bedroom to try to clear more space in there -- a task not finished from the living room remodel, before I broke the ankle. Also, the computer room needs to be shoveled out, and we need to get the router working again. I have to give back this borrowed laptop so it can go to FL with my parents just after Christmas. But I can't start anything until I hit the shower, so I'd better get busy!

Winter Arrives

We are in the midst of our first actual winter storm tonight. We previously had an ice storm, and some freezing rain, but this is snow -- big, fat flakes -- and it's piling up. Tonight was an annual Christmas program at the State Farm corporate headquarters, for which we had tickets. Braden was singing a solo. I rode with Mom and Dad, and we parked in a great handicapped spot. They let the "cripple crew" in early so we could sit down. Because of the ice and snow, and the possibility of problems using crutches on wet tile in the atrium, I left my crutches in the car and walked in, holding Chad's arm. And I actually did fine! In fact, I haven't used them all evening now. It's creeping Kym out a little to see me walk around without them. She asked how long I was "going to do that". :) Actually, I have had several milestones in the past few days. Yesterday I went to Target by myself. I crutched in, but decided that I didn't need an electric cart. I just got a basket, put my crutches in it, and clomped along, all the way to the bandaids. OK, it wasn't far, really, but it was enough. On the way back I had to stop several times because my calf was cramping up. This morning when I got up, I got out of bed on the far side so that I could make the bed, then walked without crutches or brace around the bed to the door. And tonight I walked up the stairs (I've been crawling up) to get my dress clothes for the Christmas program. I will probably pay heavily for it tomorrow or the next day, but I AM making progress! With this snow, getting back on both feet is absolutely essential to be able to get around. There is just no traction on wet tile with those crutches. I was thinking about getting a cane, but maybe I'm not going to need one. I'll wait and see how I feel in the next couple of days before I make that decision, though. Chad finally got the Christmas things up from the basement, and Kym and I will set it up tomorrow. While he was here, he also took more of his stuff (yay!) and he shoveled the drive and walk! The road was getting so slick on my way back from taking him home that I was getting a little worried about being able to stop at red lights. I can't say I really hate the snow, especially if I don't have any need to go out. A nice snowy day is good for setting up Christmas stuff. Maybe it will put me more in the mood for the holiday (my Christmas spirit is sadly lacking so far). I'm finally somewhat interested in getting some Christmas shopping done, which is good, but I'm pretty broke, which is bad. It will get done one way or the other, of course.

Warning: Icky-ness Ahead

Dad had knee replacement a week ago last Thursday. He was supposed to be in the hospital only for a couple of days, but it stretched into a full seven days. He was flaky and nauseous from the morphine at first, so they wanted to keep him an extra day. During that Saturday night Mom got up to help him (she was spending the night) and nearly passed out. After several hours in the ER, she was admitted and monitored, but they didn't really find anything. On Sunday, Dad needed some blood so they decided to keep him another day. Mom went home that night. During the night, thinking he was dreaming, Dad got up and walked to the door of his room where he fell, breaking open his entire incision. He then proceeded to crawl down the hall on his open knee. I can't even think about that part. Finally someone saw him. Fortunately, he doesn't remember much of it, or he remembers it as part of the dream. Long story short, he had to have more surgery to repair and clean and clean and clean it. Then he needed more blood and another surgery to insert a port in his chest so that he could have at-home antibiotics for the next six weeks. He went home on Wednesday. We have a regular Saturday night dinner at Steak n' Shake, and he wanted to go tonight. He can put full weight on his leg (better than me), so we tried it. I got there first, crutched in, and got seated at a table. Then they arrived, with Dad moving right along with his walker. So we had our own little handicapped section. We were supposed to get freezing rain this afternoon, but it held off (might even miss us all together) so that was good. No telling what kind of acrobatics might have ensued if we had had ice. Last week I skipped Steak n' Shake all together because we had ice then, too.

Almost There

Things change with my ankle almost every day. I spent two weeks in the first cast (the Duke blue one), then nine days in the purple one. At that point I got a removeable cast -- a boot. For the first time I could shower with both legs in the tub! The first time or two I was terrified that I was going to reinjure it, bump it, or something. It didn't have good feeling, so I had to be careful not to get the water too hot or anything. On one memorable occasion I knocked the bottle of body wash off the side of the tub with the hose of the handheld shower and it hit my foot. I made more noise then than I did when I broke the ankle in the first place. Kym was sure that I had really hurt myself, but I had to admit that I was mostly just scared. No damage done. Getting the boot required me to readjust my car seat to accomodate its larger size. It kept me from driving for a couple of days until Kym could take me up to the parking lot to try it out again. Did I mention how fun it was to have Kym take me driving? She clutched the armrests with a death grip while I tooled around the empty parking lot, terrified that the car was going to rocket out of control or something. I told her it was payback for when I had to go driving with her when she was learning to drive. Once the seat was adjusted driving turned out to be easier, since the boot could reach the floor (my foot was flat, not in the twisted position that it started in). Armed with the knowledge that I could now shower and drive (not at the same time, of course), I thought it was time that I tried sleeping upstairs in my own bed. Big mistake. I still had to sleep in the boot, and the rubber bottom and velcro straps got all caught up in the jersey knit sheets and I got my foot into a really uncomfortable position, waking me. I lasted about two hours up there, then came down and finished the night on the couch. A few days ago I had Kym change my bed to regular cotton sheets so that I could try it again. A week ago yesterday I went back to the doctor. I was going to ask for a smaller boot since the one I had was not the correct size according to the chart in the instructions. But because the bone had healed so well he decided to give me an air cast instead. An air cast is like two splints lined with cushy air-filled pads. I could once again wear regular athletic shoes on BOTH feet -- and I didn't have to wear it to sleep in!!! I was also told I could start putting weight on the leg. I started rehab last Tuesday. I go three days a week. The first day was an evaluation to see where I was to start with. The therapist told me that I was ahead of the game in terms of muscle tone and flexibility, which is what I was hoping he'd say. I still have a long way to go, though. They started me with exercises bending the foot up and down, in toward the center, circles in both directions, and writing the alphabet with my foot. Day #2 was, on the whole, pretty brutal. In addition to the exercises, the therapist spent a long time stretching my foot in directions that it would rather not go, thank you very much. We also did some resistance exercises and other things. Each time they end with ice and electric stimulation for the swelling. Day #3 was mostly exercises, stretching, and massaging the swelling out. I have exercises to do at home that seem to have helped a lot. I haven't really been wearing the air cast around the house much because I try to do the exercises as much as I can (can't do circles with the air cast on). Sometimes I get really discouraged by what I view as my lack of progress. I am so close to walking now that I think I should be farther along. I have to stop and remind myself that I was told in the beginning that I would be completely off of it for 6-8 weeks. Tomorrow will be seven weeks since I broke it, and I'm practically walking, so I'm NOT behind. I have to measure my progress in little things, like driving. A week ago when I first got the air cast, I could not push hard enough on the accelerator to be able to drive with that foot. Within a couple of days, I could do it, but I still used my left foot for the brake because I didn't think I could move my right foot over fast enough if I needed to. Today I got in the car and completely without thinking about it, I drove the regular way -- right foot for both tasks. I continue to try to put weight on the foot. Sometimes it's comfortable and other times it sends shocks shooting through my foot. I just never know. I think that's what discourages me the most. I can have a good day and really feel like I'm getting somewhere, and the next day it's shocking me so much I can hardly put it down. Part of the reason that I'm anxious about my progress is that money is becoming a really big problem. I hate even thinking about Christmas, but I'm going to have to get something done about that. I'm going to have to have Kym go shopping with me once she finishes her semester on Wednesday. How I'm going to pay for it is another issue, particularly since I'm buried in bills, but I'll come up with something. I think I'm done with the walker. I had gotten down to just using it when I went to shower, but I have been managing fine with crutches instead lately. Oh yeah, and I'm sleeping in my own bed now! I still have to crawl up the stairs and scoot down, but I get up there. So I just have to accept my "baby steps" and try to recognize new ones as they come along.

Making Adjustments

It doesn't seem possible that Thanksgiving could be in just two days. Of course, the past month has been strange since I have mostly spent it sitting around healing. Tomorrow it will be one month since I broke my ankle, and Thanksgiving will be one month since my surgery. In that month I have had two casts and now have a removeable cast/boot. My incision is still partly taped (two tapes came off yesterday). The bone is healing well, I guess, but my foot still has a general lack of feeling that bothers me a little. It swells easily and I still get the burning sensation across the top of my foot at times. I know that a lot of that is nerve damage, which takes a long time to heal. It feels like the cast is tight sometimes but when I put my fingers down in to check it, it's not tight -- just my foot's imagination. In the first cast, my foot was turned up and inward at a 45 degree angle to allow the torn ligaments on the inside to heal. With the second cast the angle was lessened. With the boot, my foot is flat again (which hurt like crazy the first couple of days). I can't put any weight on it yet. The boot set back my driving for a day or so. I had gotten relatively proficient at driving with the cast, though my leg would get tired before long because my foot didn't reach the floor. The bottom of the boot is thicker, so it's easier to reach the floor when sitting at a table and such. But it is so huge that I thought it would be completely in the way and keep me from driving. I had Kym take me out the next day, and I found that with a seat adjustment or two it was actually easier to get comfortable to drive! Yay! There have been highs and lows along the way. One day last week I made my first solo trip to Target. I parked in the handicapped spot, crutched in, got one of their little electric carts, shopped, put everything in a backpack, and crutched back out. I was thrilled beyond reason that I had accomplished that -- and exhausted the next day. On Saturday I went to some friends' house to play dominoes. I got home at 10:30 or so, and I guess I was more tired than I thought. Somehow I just didn't quite make the last step into the house. I didn't fall, I just swung backward, hanging onto the grab bar. I whacked my back hard on the spigot next to the door, resulting in a big, painful bruise, and in trying not to fall I pulled something in my shoulder. I ended up having to crawl into the house because I didn't want to try the step again. Once I was back on my feet I put ice on my back and heat on my shoulder. I still have the bruise, but the shoulder is fine now. The best thing recently is my new ability to get my foot wet. I have now had two showers without the boot -- absolute heaven!! It felt SO good to run warm, warm water over my foot and get some relief from the contant pressure of the boot. It worries me a little that I get tired so easily, but maybe that's to be expected. I'm trying to do more for myself around the house. I'm still not sleeping upstairs. I've become somewhat nocturnal, going to bed at about midnight, but I sleep pretty solidly for 8-9 hours and then I'm up all day. I keep intending to get upstairs during the day for a nap, but I can't seem to find a good time. I'd kind of like to do it when someone is here in case I have trouble getting out of the bed (waterbed). I really should try to do that tomorrow because the next couple of days will be tiring. We'll have dinner at Pub II on Wednesday, and I have cranberry salad to start. And, of course, Thursday is Thanksgiving -- a very long day.

Adventures in Crutchland

It's kind of amazing how quickly your life can just change course. Last Sunday I was coming down the stairs from my bedroom, thinking about taking down a couple of pictures to have the glass replaced with nonglare, when I slipped -- I guess. I was about three stairs from the bottom and somehow I just missed the last one or two. I fell, throwing my cellphone against the door and dropping my half can of pop on the new ceramic tile. As I fell, I heard/felt my right ankle snap. It actually didn't hurt. It felt, as best I can explain, like how it feels if you hold a piece of chalk in both hands and break it in two. I rolled over to my back as Kym came running, asking if I was OK, and my foot didn't exactly come with me. I told her I thought I broke my ankle, but I actually thought I was overreacting at the time. I was oddly calm, and I took a quick look down. I saw the inside bone jutting against the skin in a way that I knew was NOT right. She came into the room, took one look, and dialed 911. While we waited for the EMTs I held my leg off the ground because I couldn't find a way to lay it that didn't make things move around inside. It was completely creeping me out, but still it didn't hurt that bad. I had Kym clean up the pop and rinse the throw rug before the EMTs arrived. Hey, she needed something to do, and the tile and carpet are NEW! The ambulance arrived without lights or sirens, thank God. The guys were cute and very nice. I was joking with them and I think they thought I was lying when I said it wasn't that painful. They had a cool new hydraulic gurney that they were obviously enjoying trying out. When they got me into a room in the ER, the nurse said they like to jack people up 8 feet in the air so they can play with the buttons. I believe her -- I was just under the ceiling-mounted TV when they rolled me in. :) In a few minutes the nurse said "the family" was coming back. Oh.My.God. In trooped Kym, Mom and Dad, Lynda, David, Caleigh, Braden, and Caleigh's boyfriend Tyler! They finally had to shoo some of them out because the room was too small. They gave me a tiny bit of morphine and took me for x-rays. THAT hurt, but still not unbearably. The verdict was one broken bone on the outside, and torn ligaments on the inside bone. On Monday I had surgery to repair everything at the Surgicenter. I was religious about taking the pain meds exactly on time and it wasn't bad. On Wednesday I went back to get a hard cast. I got my first look at the incision (17 staples), then they casted it and took me for more x-rays to make sure it was in the right position. They showed us the x-rays (I never saw the broken bone ones). I have one screw holding the two parts of the bone together, then a plate with six screws. They fixed the ligaments internally so there is just the one incision. After two weeks I will get this cast off and have the staples removed, then it will be recasted for another 4-6 weeks. It's been a week now since it happened and I'm still getting used to getting around on crutches and all. Dad loaned me a walker that I use in the house. It's harder to use but more stable when I get up at night to go to the bathroom. It also has a basket on front that I can use to carry things from one room to the other. My world is my recliner, with a TV table on either side. Dad also loaned me his laptop. I finally slept on the couch for the first time last night, which was heaven because I could get onto my side. We now have a handheld shower, a bath stool (another loan from Dad), and a grab bar outside the door to the garage. My front porch steps need jacking up again and there is nothing to hold onto there, so they attached the step in the garage that's been loose forever and added the grab bar. I guess it's OK that it looks like a convalescent home, since it is one. I hate being dependent on everyone. I'm asking a lot of Kym. Chad seems to mostly avoid me, or he gets all kinds of nasty if I ask him to do something. I honestly just think it's because I'M not supposed to have anything wrong with me, you know? I try to ask as little as possible in the way of favors if I can do something myself. But before they leave I make sure I have a drink, or clean underwear brought down from upstairs, or whatever I'll need while they are gone. I have managed a couple of real baths, but haven't used the new showerhead yet. Everything takes forever to accomplish. A couple of days ago Mom and Dad took me to Walmart where I drove around on one of their little carts. I've always wanted to do that. :) Today I went with them out to the farm to see new lighting that Lynda and David have put in their kitchen. When we came back, Dad parked across the street, forgetting that I needed to be closer. But I hopped across OK, then hung out inside while Dad and David worked on the step. We went to Steak n Shake tonight (instead of last night, since we did Lynda's birthday then) and we had to park around the corner of the building -- another long hike on crutches. Tonight I am completely exhausted. I don't think I could manage to get up or down those stairs one more time today, and my foot is tingly and swollen-feeling. Hopefully, being able to come and go through the garage will be easier and safer than the front steps. I'll be off work until near Christmas, living on short term disability payments. I found out today that they are only 60% of my usual pay, though, which is really going to hurt. Really, I'm not sure how I'll manage money-wise. I'll get my first check next week, and until I see that I won't really know just how bad it will be. The good thing is, the disability people said there was nothing wrong with me working at my tax job even if I am still on disability at my factory job. I'll make sure and double check that before the time comes, just to be sure. But I'm not sure how I'm going to manage to stay out of real money trouble in the meantime. Hmmm, maybe I ought to send someone out for lottery tickets... on second thought, my luck hasn't been that good lately and I might need those dollars later. :)

DAVY!!!!!

Things are smoothing out here. Kym's stuff is put away, and school and work have started for her. She's looking for a different job, though, because she'd rather have something not food-related (she went back to a former employer here). We have accomplished internet connection in her room, but are still working on cable TV. I'm looking at a different company for my carpet (we've had another measuring) because I got a sale flyer in the mail the day before I went to order the other carpet. It might be a much better deal, so we'll see. I'll get the estimate Wednesday. Installation is free, though, so how could it be worse than the first estimate? This Friday is an event I've been waiting for for, like, well, lots of years. I'm going with a friend to see DAVY JONES in concert. Yep, the Monkee. MY Monkee. I would have died for this chance all those years ago, and I'm not missing it now. The sad thing is that he's playing at a skeevy little local club where I once took country-western dance lessons back in the Urban Cowboy days. Still, it should be fun. The whole audience will no doubt be women in roughly my age category. I have no idea whether it will be empty or packed -- but it's general admission, so what does that tell you?

Moving On

Well, the carpet has been measured for, I'm back under Skeeter's rule, and the move has been accomplished (though I still have a living room full of Kym's stuff). We (Kym, Chad, and I) had the truck loaded by 10:30 on Saturday and were back in town by 2:00 or so, only to find that the power was out. It had been about 100 degrees in Troy, and we were all exhausted by the time we got back -- and then we had to unload into a hot house. The whole neighborhood's power was out, and it didn't get fixed until 4:15. The UPS on my computer said the power had been lost at 11:46 AM, so it was off about 4.5 hours. Luckily, it cooled quickly after it came back on.

I've settled on a color for the living room -- I think. The estimate for the carpet was higher than I expected, but I can live with it. I want to look it over again, though, before committing to it. Once I have paid for it the carpet will be ordered, then it will be two weeks or so before it's in. Then I have to schedule the installation. So if I get busy, that gives me three weeks or so to get everything else done. Hey! I could have new carpet before I go to Florida!

Everyone but Jenny and I have been in Florida this week, so we have been going out every night to put the chickens to bed. Two of the girls, Blackie and Goldie, fly out of the pen every day, and you have to retrieve them from the pine trees to put them in for the night. Goldie is always on the same branch, which must be reached by a short ladder. Blackie has been switching branches all week, but always chooses one that I can reach from the ground. Sometimes they flap their wings, but otherwise they don't fight you or try to get away once you have caught them. Still....I'm glad my career as a chicken whisperer is over for now.

Now I have to be a ferret wrangler. Kym is going back down to her former town for a couple of nights before her school starts on Thursday, and I will be taking care of my little grandferrets, Freddie and Ashley. I don't have much planned for this week, so maybe I can get some things done to get ready for paint and carpet.

Kym's Adventures at the Fair

Things are changing quickly around here. I've been getting used to the new work schedule (5 AM - 1:30 PM), with its afternoon naps (sometimes) and early bedtimes. Actually I've been getting quite a bit more done around the house with the "extra" time. And it still feels like I'm getting out of work early all the time. But this morning I was informed that I was being recalled to my former area, which means I'll be going back to the regular 7 AM - 3:30 PM (and I doubt that I'll get up at 3:45 AM to do the stuff I've been doing between 1:30 and 3:30 PM). I'm happy to go back except for having to work for Skeeter again. I had the option of staying on my current job, but I want to be back up the ladder, another level away from being laid off "out the door". I'm not sure when this will be effective, but since it's a shift change for me they are supposed to give me a week's notice. It will most likely be Monday. So, it was a short term on the paint chain, but I got some overtime out of it! The other big change is that Kym is moving home. She intends to find an apartment, but for now she'll be living at home. Several things have happened leading up to this. She was working for a restaurant whose owner also has a concession trailer that goes to fairs. She worked at the Heart of Illinois fair in Peoria a few weeks ago, and during that time there were a series of incidents with her boss that completely creeped her out. It's a very long story that I don't even want to get into, but in essence he was trying to separate her from everyone, not allowing her to chat with other concessionaires, giving her a curfew to be back in the camper (they stay onsite while they are at fairs), not allowing her to go to first aid when she was burned....and ultimately starting rumors about her to keep other guys away from her. Oh yeah, and introducing her to people as his "fiance" and "future wife". Iccckkkkk!! Thank God he never touched her or anything -- or I'd be in jail now. After the rumor incident, she called me crying at 1 AM (just after the fair closed for the night), wanting to leave. She knew if she did she'd lose her job, and I told her to come home. We had to get the police to help her leave because her boss came back to the trailer, drunk and yelling. They got her out quickly and calmed him down, I guess, but no charges were filed because there was actually no crime committed. The next day we went back to talk to the police in Peoria to see what we should do. They basically lectured her about what a rough place fairs are, and that she got off lucky, and should have left sooner. And they gave her some good advice about collecting her last paycheck. After that weekend, with no job and no real prospects, she decided she wanted to get serious about finishing school (YAY!!!!). She has been trying to move away from her roommate for awhile, and her other close friend in the town where she lives has gotten back into drugs in a big way, so there's really nothing there for her. She says it's too hard to try to go to school around people who aren't going to school, and there are no jobs other than food jobs. So she will be enrolling in ISU in the spring (the deadline is past for the fall), and for now she'll be going to Heartland Community College. She already has a job lined up here, too. It's going to be kind of fun and kind of strange to have her living here again. And somehow we have to fit an apartment of furniture into her room for the time being. I am thrilled, though, that she made this decision. She was registered for SIUE for fall, but will cancel that. And I have her books ordered on Half.com again -- I got spoiled when she was at SIUE because they rent books there. Oh, and her final paycheck? Payday was last Thursday, but they told her to come back today. They agreed that they owed her for three weeks, and they'd have a check for her this morning. Nope. This morning they told her it might be two more weeks, they aren't sure. So, on the advice of the Peoria police she has contacted the state Department of Labor to file papers with them to collect. The place has 13 days after the payday to get her money to her or she can file. Still, the delay is a problem, given her upcoming move. School starts Aug 16 (she came up yesterday to get registered), so she'll be here within the next couple of weeks. She and I spent the weekend in St Louis last weekend going to Union Station and eating at Hard Rock Cafe, attending "The Lion King" at the Fox Theatre, staying over at a Sheraton (thanks to Lynda, for use of her points), and spending Sunday at the St Louis Zoo. Kym claims she had never been to the zoo, but she most certainly has. Her first trip there was at age 5 weeks (for some reason she doesn't seem to remember it), on the hottest day of all time. She was also there when she was about 7 and Chad was 12. She does remember that trip, but thought it was at another place. Anyway, we had a great time -- it was a nice little getaway and a good chance to talk things over regarding the pending move. I'm getting new living room carpet, and the guy will be coming to measure later this week, so I need to get busy cleaning, and pitching stuff, painting the living room, and pulling up carpet to paint the floor with Kilz before the installation date (2-4 weeks from now, I guess). How I'm going to accomplish this while also moving Kym, I'm not sure right now. She spent a good portion of yesterday moving things around in her room to make room for the furniture, but she didn't get done. I can foresee some late nights and busy weekends ahead. But for now, even though things are crazy, it's good crazy and I can deal with it.

Sugar Creek

This is my favorite weekend of the summer, the Sugar Creeks Arts Festival in downtown (not "uptown", I will never say "uptown") Normal. It's a juried art fair (not cheap stuff). This year is a special one, too. It's the 150th birthday of Illinois State University. In past years the festival has covered two downtown streets, but a lot is torn up down there because of massive construction and renewal projects going on. A lot of the former parking is gone now, so it was necessary to rearrange the festival a bit to accomodate visitors. Because ISU wanted to draw attention to its birthday, too, much of the expanded festival this year is on the In Exchange sculpture garden and on the quad, and ISU opened several of its parking lots free for the festival. There are 60 new vendors (210 all together), two music stages, lots of food. Normally, this weekend features one blistery hot day and one day where it pours down rain. This year, though, both days promise to be sticky hot -- in the 90's. The quad portion of the festival was absolute heaven under the trees, and the Shakespeare Festival performed a Green Show on the steps of Hovey Hall. (The Green Show is a brief, funny version of whatever the current night's play is.) I managed to buy some things for upcoming birthdays and other events, and I bought myself a beautiful Pegasus made out of woven rope (hard to describe).

Tonight is my second Illinois Shakespeare performance, "Much Ado About Nothing". Last week, for "Henry V", it was perfect weather. Tonight it's supposed to cool off after dark, but I'm afraid it will still be humid so I'm debating about how to dress. Dad will be my date this time.

I have been off work since Wednesday, and I'm amazed at how quickly my little mini-vacation has gone by. Since I still don't know if my September week of vacation will be approved, I have nothing to look forward to now as far as time off. I think I need to plan a long weekend or something.

Summer Stuff

Kym's and my birthday celebration was nice tonight.  We got nice loot, and had "steak with red junk" and chocolate cake with glaze -- and homemade macaroni and cheese for Kym.  Normally we don't share a birthday dinner, but Mom and Dad were in Scotland last week.  It was still a little weird, though, because Lynda, Courtney, and Caleigh are in Israel right now.  We could have waited (Courtney will miss her own birthday on the 8th) but it will be the 21st or something before Courtney is back (the others come back earlier).  That's almost a month past Kym's real birthday and three weeks past mine, so it was just easier to do it now.

Shakespeare Festival season has started.  On Saturday night Chad and I attended the first of the performances, "Henry V".  It was really good, though the histories aren't usually my favorite.  It helped that it was one of those perfect summer nights -- it cooled off to near 65 by the time it was over, with low humidity and no bugs or rain (it's an outdoor theatre, so that matters a lot).  Next week is "Much Ado About Nothing".  I think Dad will be going because Chad is working.  The grounds of the manor are torn up because they are still working on the big garden project.  They were bequeathed something like $5 million to develop gardens around the manor by a man in honor of his wife, who loved both the festival and gardens.  ISU wanted to name the gardens in honor of both the husband and wife, but his instructions insisted it be named after only her.  It will be stunning when it is done, but right now it's a winding brick path surrounding a lot of dirt.  One bonus this year is that I got my favorite seats for all three plays!

My new job starts at 5 AM, so I need to get to bed -- 3:45 will be here before I know it.

Work Drama

It's been quite awhile since I have posted here, partly because my Spain trip. Nothing much of any importance has gone on since then until recently. Tomorrow will be my last day in the job I have had for over eleven years. I received a lack-of-work notice at the beginning of the month, effective tomorrow, which bumps me back down to a lower level position that I held before, years ago. It's weird and sad to be leaving "my" job, though I know it will go away altogether soon enough, when they take the line out. My bump could still be canceled (some have been), but I'm not expecting it. I'll only be working across the aisle from where I am now, but I still have to move my personal belongings (fan, clock, CD player, etc) as though I was leaving the building completely. My shift will change slightly. I'll be going in two hours earlier, but also getting off two hours earlier. If I really hate that part, I might be able to switch with another woman who is getting bumped with me. She got the regular shift, but would like the earlier one. I want to at least try it for a bit -- I like the idea of getting out of work in the early afternoon, but I don't know how much the early bedtime required will work with everything else in my life. On the plus side, Skeeter will no longer be my boss! Yay!! We have a new contract, too, which is good. It's a four year deal with some nice improvements. My health insurance and drug costs will go up, but I expected that. We have been royally spoiled in that area for a long, long time. It's interesting to think, too, that by the time this contract expires, I will be within days of being eligible for early retirement. If the plant is still here by then, I would seriously consider taking it if it were offered. Of course it's easy to say that now, since I have four years to go before I could really do it. I might not be that brave when the time comes. :)

Spring Cleaning

The weather has been glorious this weekend. Yesterday was sunny but windy, but today was absolutely perfect. It got up into the mid 80's with a perfect breeze. I really felt like a road trip to visit the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, which I have never seen. I messaged Kym to see if she wanted to meet me there, but she had to work, so we'll go another time. Instead, I got a number of projects done. 

Actually, I got several things done yesterday, too. I took the cans to recycle in the morning before going out to Caleigh's soccer game at 11:00. I got laundry started and did some cleaning around the house, did my hair, then went to Steak n Shake before going over to Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts to work at the Cherryholmes concert (which was excellent, by the way). After the concert I went and did my grocery shopping. Even though it was nearly 11:00 I wasn't tired yet, and the store was basically empty of shoppers, so it was quick.

Today I got up and got busy cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, then started on the front bay window. I washed the window inside and out, then scrubbed the screens before installing them for the summer. Late in the morning Don and Chad came over to look at my battery-backup sump pump project to see what needed to be done and if I had everything I needed. They then went to Kappa to do some work and fetch the tools for the project. I finished up the laundry, helped with the sump pump project (OK, I was more of a consultant except for assembling the float mechanism and the control panel), changed the battery in one of my smoke detectors, and returned some unneeded materials to Lowe's before dinner. Oh yeah, and Chad mowed the front yard. Yay me!

End of Season

I did it! I passed my goal for number of tax returns for the season! I needed to do 135, and I now have 136. For doing that I get a special business card holder for my desk. Oh, and bragging rights. :) Just two more nights to work and then the season is over. Saturday there is a ladies-only lunch at a tearoom at 1:00, then a wine and cheese party at the boss's house at 6:30. And the annual awards luncheon is on May 5. I should get a 3-yr pin, but I'm not expecting anything else in the way of awards. It looks like my bonus will more than pay for the Spain trip, too, which is nice.

Thoughtful

Something reminded me today of this song, and I found this version online.  It gives me chills and makes me cry every time I see it. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BI6SlqIUG4s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Prayer of the Children Lyric and Music by Kurt Bestor Can you hear the prayer of the children on bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room? Empty eyes with no more tears to cry, turning heavenward toward the light. Crying Jesus help me to see the morning light of one more day, but if I should die before I wake, I pray my soul to take. Can you feel the hearts of the children aching for home, for something of their very own? Reaching hands with nothing to hold on to, but hope for a better day, a better day. Crying Jesus help me to feel the love again in my own land, but if unknown roads lead away from home, give me loving arms, away from harm. Can you hear the voice of the children softly pleading for silence in their shattered world? Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate, blood of the innocent on their hands. Crying Jesus help me to feel the sun again upon my face, For when darkness clears, I know you're near, bringing peace again. Da-li cu-je te sve dje-cje mol-it-ve? (Dol-ly chew-ye tay sfay dyay-chyay mo-leet-vay?) Can you hear the prayer of the children? Note: this is the original version, but not the original video to this song.  Who could have known, in 2007, that such a thing as Sandy Hook could ever happen?

"Weather" It's Right or Wrong

OK, so what's the deal with the weather?! Two days ago it was in the upper 70's, sunny and gorgeous. Yesterday it poured down rain half the day, then was overcast and chilly, in the upper 50's. Today it's supposed to get no warmer than 40F, but right now at 3:40 pm it's only 36F. And it's supposed to get down into the 20's tonight -- oh yeah, and might snow! And when it's not been cold or raining there has been this awful wind that makes it sound like the siding is coming off the house. I could live with warm or cold -- I just wish it would stay the same way for a whole day. Actually, I wish it would choose "warm" for this week, since I'm off.

Updates

Just reading over my few entries since my first one just over a year ago, I thought some updates might be in order: That trip to Spain I was talking about for last September? It's happening this May instead! The new flooring for the kitchen? Done this past MLK day! Job loss? Not yet! *knocking on wood that I remain employed* My boy Maxx? Maxx had to be put down on March 5. He was 16 years old. I miss him every day, and still expect to see him in the kitchen, waiting for a potential handout, when I get home in the afternoons.

Planning Continues

Today was fun.
I slept late, then did absolutely NOTHING all day! Jorge was supposed to call, so I didn't want to leave the house. I didn't get around to showering until 3:00. I sat around watching two episodes of "Planet Earth" and "The Pursuit of Happyness", and did some reading and planning for my trip. It was completely wonderful to not have to answer an alarm clock, or prepare for the upcoming work week. Since I have the week off I can run all of those errands LATER!

Jorge has been sending Google Earth images and suggestions for itineraries for my trip. I love having him to guide me to the good stuff. The only bad thing is that I will have to make choices between things that all sound good -- there's just not enough time. Ah, well.... NEXT trip!

The Dislike of Skeeter, Part II

Yep, more job whining ahead..... Today I was going about my business, doing the jobs of two people. All was well, though a large order had to be set aside while they waited for parts. I had almost everything packed when I noticed that there was an order of eight waiting to be picked and sent down to the builders. They were stainless steel cases, which require 3 hubs. These also needed two pushbuttons, two lights, two lenses, a transformer, a circuit breaker, 3 fuses, and a handle each, as well as eight sets of paperwork. While I was working on this, the parts they had been waiting for arrived, so they all set about finishing up the order of 20 and sending them down to be packed. This made the pack station get backed up since I was the one who was supposed to be down there. When I had finished the order of eight and sent them down (and saw what a mess the pack station was by then) I decided to go to the restroom before tackling it. When I came back no more than three minutes later, Skeeter was waiting for me, demanding to know where I had been. Among other things he said he was "sick and tired of seeing the line backed up like this", but it hadn't been backed up all day and I told him so. I told him that when I left (to do the stainless steel) there had only been one case left at the pack station. He then said, "You're trying to tell me that all of these came while you were in the restroom??" I said, "No, they came while I was filling the stainless order -- then I went to the restroom." *sigh* What an ass! I don't mind him wondering where I was, or asking why the line was backed up, or even expressing displeasure. But I think he should have apologized for his tone of voice, if nothing else, after I explained. No, not "explained", "defended". He treated me as though I had been slacking off and was lying about it before he even knew what had happened. I don't deserve to be talked to like that by anyone! I talked to a union person about it, who called the plant manager over (he was out cruising around at the time). He said poor little Skeeter was under a lot of pressure and not to take it personally. Sorry? I'm under pressure too but I'm not snipping at people. He never did apologize. Later, though, he came to ask if I could send some things down to be built (I had been waiting on some paperwork). He basically followed me up there, then stood in my way while I filled three orders or so, as if I needed a babysitter to make sure I didn't wander off. And the first one, the one I was awaiting paperwork for? As soon as the order was ready to go Skeeter picked up the papers to read them. And stood in my way. Then huffed off when I went around him to do the next order while he took his time moving. What is his problem??? At least tomorrow is Friday -- and then I don't have to see his little Skeeter face for 10 days!!!

The Dislike of Skeeter, Part I

My how things can change in a short time! Last Friday it was announced that our plant will be shut down for Easter week. We already get Good Friday off, so we now have to use four more vacation days to cover the week. Sux, but in view of how things are going there with my little boss, Skeeter, I'll be glad to be out of there for awhile. This has been a very difficult week. Things were screwed up last week, too, but I thought it would be more normal this week. Umm, nope. Skeeter makes me crazy. I have never, ever had trouble with a boss before and it bothers me that I do now. But he does things just because he CAN. He denied almost everyone at least some of their requested vacation, though it seems impossible that SO many of the few people we have could have asked for the same weeks. (I got only six days of the 3 weeks I requested.) But today was a new low. I was supposed to go in to my doctor's office to have a procedure at a particular time of the month. This is that time. So I called yesterday afternoon and got an appointment for 2:00 today. As soon as I got to work, I wrote Skeeter a note saying that I needed to use two hours of personal business time. (Note that it's called PERSONAL business -- you're not supposed to have to even explain why you need it.) At 10:40 (20 minutes till lunch) he came out to tell me that I couldn't go because "it's the last week of the quarter". He asked if it was something that HAD to be done this week (yes -- or wait till next month). I told him it was a medical problem, personal. He still said no. I wasn't about to actually explain WHY it had to be this week. I called at lunch to cancel the 2:00, and of course they couldn't take me at 3:00 (he would allow me to leave at 2:30 if that worked). So when I got back from lunch I told him to cancel the whole thing -- it would have to wait another month. It served no purpose to ask if it was important, etc., since obviously there was no answer I could give that would satisfy him. He had already said I couldn't go. So why keep asking? Because he CAN. Also, he is making me do both my own job and packing, which requires me to walk back and forth between the two stations (100 ft or so) all day. I asked what his priority was if I had to let one or the other get backed up, and he told me his "expecTAtion" was that I would do both. OK, that's a helpful answer. The problem is that one of the well-known disability game-players has been down at packing this week, and apparently it's just too much for her to handle. But of course I'M Superwoman. I shouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing I'm mad about it. I should just do it. But that would mean that it COULD be done -- and I don't want to do it. I don't want to be bossed around and taken advantage of by some little twerp that knows nothing about what I do. He has no idea what actually goes on at my station. He just sees me standing still occasionally (usually because I'm running the line manually and HAVE to stand there to push the buttons) so he thinks there is a lot of down time. Gah! It just makes me furious. And for the first time ever, at any job, I just hate the thought of going in there tomorrow.

Plans....for Spain

Well, I'm still working! In fact, until two weeks ago, I was on almost constant overtime in addition to lots of hours at my tax prep job. It seems weird now to go to work at the normal time (we do our OT before our normal work day begins at 7:00 a.m.).

There were eight layoffs in February instead of the 19 they originally announced, and we have not yet heard when or if or how many for the April layoff. Months ago I decided that I couldn't live my life worrying constantly about something that may or may not happen. I've maybe been a bit more careful about money, but I haven't avoided doing something I would normally just because I might someday lose my job.

A case in point is the trip I am in the process of planning to northern Spain. I have had an online friend for several years who lives in the Asturias province of Spain, an area that is not generally on the tourist path. He is now married and has a daughter who is nearly three, and the time has come for me to visit! Actually, Virgin Atlantic opened a new route from Chicago to London and had special fares of $171 each way (incredibly cheap) and I couldn't pass it up. I booked the Chicago-London leg right away, then took some time finding cheap flights from London to Spain. I settled on a Ryanair flight to Santander, about two hours from my friend's home in Mieres. It was 14.99 GBP, plus fees. When I return, I'll fly Easyjet from Oviedo (very close to my friend's town) for 20 euros.

I've also been in touch with a friend in London who runs Ball of Dirt, and he gave me some insight into how to get from Heathrow to Stansted airport for the cheapie flights. I think I will have to take a bus from Heathrow to Stansted, but I'm hoping that on the way back I can get him to collect me at Standsted. I will be arriving on a Wednesday evening and my flight won't leave for home till Thursday morning, so I have a free evening. Maybe we can work something out. I plan on just sleeping in the airport overnight.

My Spanish friend has booked me a cute little hotel about 5 km from his home. They offered to house me, but I thought that was asking a bit much of them considering I've never actually met them before in real life. He is taking three days off from work to drive me around, though (I'm buying the gas). There is not a lot in the guidebooks about the area, so I'm trusting him to come up with great things to see and do. Can't wait!