Tired, tired, tired!!!

I am tired!  I didn't do that much over the weekend, but it seemed we were on the go constantly!  Don't get me wrong, I had a great time.  Got to spend some time with my daughter, my son, my daughter-in-law and my wonderful grandchildren. 

I think what I'm tired about is my job.  I'm tired of all the double standards that we must endure.  Tired of changing something (anything) when we're in the middle of a project or event.  I'm tired of only certain people being the 'bad' guys.  Always getting blamed for things that happen . . . even if they're not anywhere near what happened.  But I'm sure it's their fault!  It's so discouraging to be gone for a couple of days and come back to piles and piles of work, half of which was complete when I left, but now, were changing this and that and you better get some of this work done.  I've already put in extra time today.  Missed lunch (we grabbed a sandwich on the way back to the office and I ate a cold burger and something to drink) while I tried answering phone calls, getting information together for someone that had to have it yesterday (why they didn't ask for it before they absolutely had to have it . . . I DON"T KNOW!!!  It's more fun to watch someone rush around like mad to do work that someone else probably is more than capable of doing.  Found out today that we now have to do paperwork on anyone that has a doctor's excuse for sickness and/or surgery.  We've never done this before and two of us questioned it, but that's the way we do it and as HR I should have known that.  Well . . . if someone would tell me that this is the way we're doing things, I can assure you that it would have been done before I left last Wednesday!!!! 

I have 4 reports due to State, need to get a purchase order for 3 different stores to complete things for an all-agency staffing planned for Monday.  Once I get the stuff I will have to put name tags together, stuff the folders (after I buy them), run off the agendas, sign-in sheets, and whatever else I volunteered to do.  I understand we're working Sunday afternoon at the church decorating tables, and getting things together for giveaways to staff.  Oh goodie, I can miss either a NASCAR race or a football that I'd like to see.  My boss has had to leave early when the Cardinals play or because he's been putting in just too many hours at the office!  And I'll be expected to be at the church before 8 so that I can check everyone in!!  Oh, and take pictures of those that get awards and just shots of everyone and everyone thing that is going on!  Oh heck, I love my job sooooo much!!!  The real problem is I won't get credit for half of this work (or paid for it either).  We do not pay overtime, get your work done in the 40 hours we give you, if you don't, you damn well get it done anyway and not bitch about it!!

Spent the morning on the road.  I went with one of coordinators to Manchester and Hopkinton (you haven't lived until you've been to Hopkinton Elementary).  I had a couple of orientations to do.  And of course the paperwork wasn't done when I got to the office this morning.  All the program manager had to do was sign her name and give it to the Executive Director so he could sign his name.  But NO, she didn't have time.  Doesn't matter that we were late and ended up driving in that downpour this morning.  Couldn't see in front of yourself if you tried!  Slowed us down a bit!!!  But I did get all the paperwork that needed to do complete so they (the new employee) will be paid November 2nd.  I still have about 5 more sitting on my desk.  The Head Start program approved a number of employees and substitutes for their program.  You dont' get paid if you don't have the correct paperwork.  Makes sense to me but we've been waiting to get these people approved for almost 6 weeks.  The Head Start Program couldn't get a quorum together to make any decisions! 

Guess I'm just tired.  I am hoping to work for a couple of more years.  Would like to get in 30 years at New View.  Then I can retire from there and find a job I like!!!!  No, I'd really like to find something on a part-time basis that brings in a little extra income and hopefully enjoy my life a little bit!!!

I did enjoy Charlotte and Oliver.  They are such darling children.  Charlotte has an imagination that never quits.  If Oliver is half that creative . . . well he's going to keep them going!  He's a snuggler!  It's such a wonderful feeling to hold him and have him cuddle down into your neck (and then, of course, he pops his head back up and wiggles all over the place).  He is a delight!  Won't be long and he'll be cruising wherever he wants (or is allowed) to go!  Both of the kids are so beautiful and so wonderfully healthy!  Oh, they get a cold and Oliver has some teething problems from time-to-time but nothing major.  I say my prayers for all my family each night that they are health and happy. 

Went to Lutheran Church of Hope while I was in Ankeny/Urbandale.  It's a wonderful church to attend.  It may be just me, but whenever I go there I get such a feeling of peace.  I feel so comfortable there.  I dearly love their senior pastor.  He's so funny at times.  He's a very compassinate person and cares so much for his fellowman.  I'm pretty sure he lives what he preaches!  I wished that I could find a church like that around here.  Lord of Life is close, but it's a very small congregation.  I just want to go to a church that I feel comfortable at and not have to worry about feeling guilty if I don't belong to this committee or that committee.  I've given my time to my church.  I worked very hard for Grace to become what she did.  I made linen for the altar, I kept the books for years.  And then it was over.  Grace was too small to make it on her own and way to close to Dubuque.  It was a wonderful experience.  My son was the first child baptized at that church.  Both my children were confirmed at Grace Lutheran.  There's some history there.  Life goes on, even if a church doesn't make it.  Religion is a business like everything else in this world.  If there's no money, there's no church!!!  Sad.

I better quit while I'm behind.  The baseball game is on, a football game will soon be on and the presidential debate is tonight.  Glad I have a remote that works!!!!

And I probably should get something to eat, take my meds and then like Ron (my brother-in-law) take a nap before I get up and go to bed!!!!  I leave you with that thought!

Peace.

It's my birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!  I'm all of 65 today!  And righg this minute (3:21 p.m.) I feel like I'm 82!  I'm so tired!!!  I worked late last night to finish a couple of projects that needed to be done before I leave for Des Moines and my Planners Meeting.  I got done, but I'm not used to sitting at this desk for 12 hours.  I really do need to remember to get up and move around occasionally!

My co-workers surprised me this a.m. with singing happy birthday and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting in the shape of the BIG 65!  They made me blow out the candles too!  It was fun and very thoughtful of them.  Sometimes this place isn't all that bad to work at!! 

I received a greeting from my baby brother (you know, Mark, 6 foot 5??? and younger than me) this morning.  That was a nice surprise.  I'm planning on spending some time with my children over the weekend.  How much?  I'm not sure.  Jim said something about supper tomorrow night and Barb has already told me that we're going someplace 'nice' on Friday night!!!  It will be a nice time to be away from home and with the people I love the most in this world.

I miss my grandchildren.  I wished that I lived closer.  I miss my children too, but they aren't changing as much as Charlotte and Oliver are.  But then I have friends who get to see their grandchildren once a year for a couple of weeks and then remember that I don't have it so bad!  Although the trips to Des Moines seem to be getting longer and longer.  I think it's my bones that complain when I finally arrive at my destination that hurt the most!!!  I told Jimmy when he was home a couple of weeks ago that I plan to live to see my grandchildren graduate from high school, college, get married and eventually give me great grandchildren.  We figure I'll have to live to 90+!!!  Hope that happens and that I'm still able to take care of myself!!  Just me and my cane enjoying my family!

Well the front desk just called and said the mail is here and no one is able to bring it upstairs so I'm going down and get it.  Leaving a little early today as the car could use a service job (oil change) and maybe I can drag my stuff down tonight rather at the crack of dawn tomorrow.  Time to rest for a while.

Happy Birthday to me!!!

More

More, more of everything!  I went to the dentist for a cleaning (or so I thought) and found out that they need to do very extensive cleaning and that sedation was thought to be necessary.  So, okay let's do that.  Well, not until I pay out another $1,035.  Guess that'll
have to wait until after the first of the year!!  My mouth is slowly healing.  My dentist said it looked good.  I did have a stitch come loose and got caught in some food and made for a fun morning at work.  My tongue worried that poor little stitch to death!  Finally it released and then only my tongue and my mouth was sore!!!  It's much better now.

I went to the doctor again today.  I have had such an awful time with my legs lately.  They're extremely dry, cracked actually.  They itch something awful and actually keep me awake nights.  Last night I woke up about 3:00 a.m. and scratched and scratched until my legs were so darn sore.  Couldn't sleep at all then.  I didn't leave any marks on my legs (I have long nails at this time, thought sure I would have broken the skin some place) but lucked out there.  But they ITCH!!!  Constantly.  I can't stand to have anything on them, like covers or slacks.  I finally called the doctor and went in to see if they could figure out what was wrong.  I haven't change my laundry soap, my body wash, my shampoo, my food is the same.  I couldn't come up with anything that I've actually changed.  They now think I am allergic to whatever.  What, they aren't sure.  I have some extra greasy lotion to put on my legs at least twice a day.  Some pills to take before I go to bed and hope that this works out.  It's very uncomfortable.  Guess I'll continue to wear capris to work.  I have a board meeting tomorrow night and plan to bring dress slacks to wear during that time.  He said there's a lot of people having different problems this time of the year with things like that.  Well, I've never had any kind of allergy before.  This is so frustrating.  And very itchy!!! 

I'm so tired of all this crap.  I just would love to have a full day when something didn't hurt to the point where it stops me in my tracks.  Will that ever happen?  I'm betting not.  Maybe I'm just tired.  I have no life.  I get up in the morning, get ready for work, work, come home at night, do some housework, read or use the computer, go to bed . . . and start all over the next morning.  It's pretty darn boring!!  The majority of my friends have children so it's hard to do something with them after work or on weekends.  Once in a while we plan something and go out of town for shopping, etc.  But those times are so few and far between!  Plus the majority of the time I don't feel right spending money on things that I really can live without!!  I'm surely hoping that after the 1st of the year things turn around a little bit for me.  I truly don't believe I can go on like this.

Sandie had surgery on Tuesday.  Mark said she came through it pretty well.  She should be able to come home Friday or Saturday.  I'm not sure how long the recovery is for that type of surgery.  Hopefully it will help her with her pain and she'll be able to work again and do some of the things she loves so much.  I know she missed her gardens very much this past summer.  I say my prayers every night that God Bless my family. 

Think it's time to get off my soapbox!  I'm tired.  I need to take some meds and oil up my legs again.  Hope I can get a few hours of sleep.  Tomorrow will be a long day!

More Dentist

It's back to the dentist today!  But only for a cleaning!  Hope none of the teeth I have left fall out after a good cleaning!  I'm guessing the next thing will be to schedule the cavity work to be done.  Having everything done in one sitting.  Put me out again and get the work done!!!

My stitches are still with me.  My  mouth is a little sore and it's hard to remember not to chew on my right side.  I automatically push my food to that side of my mouth!!  And I don't eat as much as I used to either!!!

I'm not looking forward to the visit but I'm not scared out of my mind like I was last week.  Maybe I'm growing up!!!  Using my lunch hour to have the work done.  I'll pick up a sandwich on the way back to the office so I get something in my tummy before supper time.  It will be nice to have clean feeling teeth!

Dentists!

I lived through the surgery at the dentist office!  Actually I knew I would, but I was so darn scared.  Scared enough that I caused an anxiety attack on Monday and more sickness on Tuesday.  By Wednesday morning i was ready to challenge the world and get those teeth pulled!!!  Excuse me . . . extracted!  My driver came and got me around 9:30.  Got to the offices and filled out some necessary paperwork.  They finally called my name and I went back to the surgical unit.  The extraction wasn't bad at all!  But then, I don't remember any of it!  If I had known it was going to be that easy I wouldn't have fussed so much.  Live and learn!  The hardest part of the whole thing was finding a vein to put the IV into.  Two blew immediately and then two of them grabbed my hand and my left arm.  I think they were having a race to see who could find one first!!!  I ended up with the IV in my left arm.  They actually threatened to put it in my feet (I was wearing sandals) and they gave me a rough time about that.  I have some beautiful combat scars from the IV's but everything else went real well.  Betsy picked up my medication and a few groceries that I could eat.  We stopped at Hardee's and got me a milkshake and her some lunch.  She had lunch with me, made sure I took my pain meds and finally left to sleep.  And sleep I did.  I actually didn't have much pain throughout the whole thing.  Maybe I was just lucky.  I am so glad it's over with. 

I stayed home on Thursday as my mouth was still pretty sore.  I can still feel the stitches, but there's not much or any pain.  I had some swelling (to be expected).  I spent Thursday being lazy and got up Friday morning ready to go to work.  I had a medical doctor appointment in the a.m. but went to work first and then onto the appointment.  That one was for my diabetes.  All my numbers were good.  Even lost some weight!  Which for me is a constant battle!!  I didn't feel real good when I when to the doctor's office but figured it was just nerves.  I was lightheaded (of which I usually am) and had a bit of a stomach ache.  After getting back to the office all symptoms seemed to get worse.  Figured I was probably hungry as I haven't eaten much of anything for about a week.  Went out to lunch with a friend.  She told me I looked like hell (actually she told me I looked exhausted!) and I was.  The stomach pains didn't get much better so around 2:00 p.m. I just gave up and came home.  Did some more sleeping.  Think maybe I had a reaction to the pain meds.  Quit taking them.  I had a very quiet weekend at home and feel much better today.

Missed Jackson' birthday party since I fell asleep and didn't wake up until after 4:00.  I try not to sleep during the day as then I can't sleep at night.  I'm planning on heading toward Beth & Karsten's soon for a pizza/birthday party with Beth and her family and Glee & Ron.  Can't miss out a birthday party! 

The trees are absolutely beautiful on the hills in Dubuque.  Such wonderful colors!  Bet the hills around Guttenburg and McGregor are the same.  Sounds like colder weather coming toward the end of the week.  I'm wearing my short pants (capris) until it gets real cold!!  Hate to give them and my sandals up!

Enough . . . you all take care out there!