More Ice Pics

I just thought these were cool....uh....so to speak....

Ice car

After I got the 5 inches of snow swept off of my car, this was what I found. That's solid ice where my wipers should be. Even the tire and wheel cover were ice-coated.
(click directly on images posted here, for a closer view)

This photo really doesn't portray what it actually looked like...it was really kinda cool....like a car made out of solid ice.

Here, you can see how thick the ice was, and now it had formed in layers.

We decided to chance going out today. The temperature rose to 30, and we thought it was probably at least a good idea to try to get our vehicles out of their parking spaces.

I found my car as you see above. The photos really don't do justice to just how fully encased in ice my car actually was. It was nearly in inch thick in some spots....it was really kinda cool and fun to see. Fun to chip the ice off, too, oddly.

We managed to get both vehicles clear of ice and snow, and then we took Dave's truck, and went out for a nice salad for lunch, and a trip to the grocery store.

I have been wanting to make fruit smoothies for breakfasts, and needed some additional varieties of frozen fruit to have on hand, and we had thought of a couple of other things to pick up.

We did our major grocery run before the storm, thank goodness, since we've been iced in here for 3 days now.

Getting out on the 3rd day, though, makes it not really count as 3 days.

I had some trouble getting my car out of it's space. The pavement under it was sheer ice. But as the temperature went up, and the sun came out a little, it melted just enough. Dave was able to move it, with the help of a neighbor, after we got back from our trip out.

The roads are clear, mostly. Better than they were after the 14 inch snow on Christmas eve. The parking lot here, though, is pretty much a god awful mess.

No plows, don't ya know.

Anyway....it was good to get out in the fresh air, see some other humans, and get an errand done.

Iced in

It's a good thing I made that decision on Wednesday.

The ice started to accumulate around noonish yesterday, and by 2, there was a layer of it on the ground, and there was sleet piling up on top of it.

Little ice pellets fell from the sky all afternoon.

Tiny juncos sheltered in the hedge right outside our door (where I found an iguana growing back in warmer weather), and on the porch. They're so cute! But they were being buffeted about by the hard winds, and they had tiny ice chips clinging to their feathers.

I heard from one of my now-ex co workers, and she said that many employees got stranded at work, or at a nearby hotel, yesterday/ overnight.

NO way I was going to risk that...on my last day? Can you imagine having to sleep in a nursing home bed, and use a nursing home shower room, and eat nursing home food?

Nope.....

So, my final pay check will be short a day, but it was worth it. (have I mentioned that I will have never gotten a full paycheck from that job?)

Dave stayed home, too, and has today scheduled off as well. The snow hasn't started yet, but we're supposed to get a layer of snow on top of the piled-up sleet, which, this morning, appears to have solidified into pure ice.

Our power blipped off last night, just once, for only a moment. So far, so good.

Dave said that the devastating ice storm last year probably took out the trees and weak poles that downed power back then, so that, now, the power lines are pretty secure.

All of them are above ground, strangely. Probably because the ground here is all hard, red clay.

I need to figure out how to get some exercise today. It's been days since I walked, or went to the gym. My body aches from lack of use.

Maybe I will take my massage table down, and try doing a little dance work out. I haven't danced in MONTHS.

DONE!!

I know, I said TOMORROW was going to be my last day....but, you see, the weather is supposed to turn nasty tonight, and by afternoon commute time tomorrow, there's supposed to be a solid inch of ice on everything. THEN, we're supposed to get 7 inches of snow!

So, I went in this morning, and said "my husband forbids me to drive tomorrow, and since it was going to be my last day anyway, I am making TODAY my last day, okay??" ... or words to that effect.

I got no arguments.

I finished up all of the projects I had been working on. I cleaned my office. I got to take home the name plate off of my door.

I had visits from several people this week, who had NEVER spoken to me before, wishing me well, and asking for information about where I was going....

It's been amazing to me the stories I have heard in the three days I worked this week. People got word that the business office manager was quitting after only 3 months, and they came to visit me!

One of them gave notice yesterday, and found out today that I was leaving. She said that the administrator (that would be my direct boss) threatened to sabotage her new job.

Nice.

Somehow, though, I believe it. Other visitors to my office this week have talked about how mean spirited she is, as well as the director.

Sad, really.

I am just glad I wasn't there long enough to have similarly negative experiences. Mine were negative ENOUGH!

SO...I am FREEEEEE!

Tomorrow, the health department is supposed to come inspect my massage therapy office here at home. IF the weather permits.

Then, on Friday, I have my 3rd interview with the potential new job.

Also, since Dave took the next 2 days off for the storm, maybe we can get my massage license finished if the roads are passable. That is, IF the inspection is not called off because of the weather.

Apparently, ice storms around here can get really, really bad. I've not had the chance to experience one yet.

NOT really looking forward to it!

Note:

I just want to thank my sister, again, for the Trader Joe's care package!!!

It's a done deal

I gave notice at work today.

I sat down in the Administrator's office, and told her that I had done as I was told 2 weeks ago (during that conference call that was really just an attack on me), and had spent those 2 weeks deciding if this job was the right fit.

I explained to her that I had determined that the fit was not good. That the nursing home industry is just not where I belong, and that I have learned a lot, and respect the industry a lot....but that I need to get out.

Now.

She was very compassionate, and even hugged me ... twice.... She also begged me to stay. Asked if I was sure that I didn't want to give it more time. Encouraged me because I had been doing so WELL lately.... (now that I finally got some real training, I wanted to say).

But, in the end, she said "I totally understand that you have to do what's right for you. We're sad to see you go."

My last day is next Thursday, which I chose because it's the last day of the pay period (the funny thing is, my last paycheck will be my FIRST one that's actually a full pay check!).
I was glad she consented to let me work through my notice, instead of saying "Why don't we go pack up your things now, and I'll walk you to your car."

Given that I am still in my 90 day probationary period, I didn't need to give any notice, and she didn't need to accept it...but it worked out nicely, just the same.

One of my direct reports assures me that it's not the nursing home industry that isn't the right fit for me. When I told her I was going to leave, she said "PLEASE take me with you," so I gave her the number.

She also asked me not to judge the nursing home industry based upon this one experience. She said that this place is the most disorganized, badly managed place she's ever worked, and she's worked in nursing homes for years. "This place is weird." That about sums it up.

I have a second interview with the medical billing company on Monday. It's about the same distance from home as where I am working now, just in the opposite direction.

It's also in a MUCH nicer area, where my step son doesn't have to kid me about being shot on my way to my car at night.

Heh.

The pay will be at least $10 less an hour, but the job will be MUCH easier, and, to me, now, that's all that matters.

I need to have as little stress as possible for a while. I've been under nearly constant stress for over a year, without ceasing, and my adrenal glands are going to stop working again if I don't change something.

The job was the thing that had to change.

And....so it did! I feel SOOOO much relief!!! Wheeeee!


P.S.--and I also found out that the other business office manager I met back in November....the one who called me from her facility in the next town over a week and a half or 2 weeks ago....quit last week. She had the same "trainer," and regional "support" person that I have, obviously, because her MUCH SMALLER home is just a few miles west of here.

When she called me not long ago, she was checking to see how I was liking the job. I told her the truth, and she literally said to me ... "It doesn't get any better. They keep piling more and more on you, and keep expecting you to do it ALL without knowing how. Good luck to you...." At the time, I thought it was odd that she was calling me.

But when I found out that she'd walked out last week, it became clear. Of course, if I tell anyone, they won't believe me, or do anything with the information.

Yeah.....you'd THINK the corporate office would get a clue, but I know how absurd it is to suggest that.

Enough

The interview at the medical billing company seemed to go pretty well...but you never know.

Regardless, though, I have decided to quit my present job.

I can't do it anymore. Dave fully supports this decision.

I gave this job my best shot. I tried my hardest. It's a clusterfeck all the way around, and I will never be able to fix it, and they will never think I am good enough, based upon the fact that I can't fix it.

Vicious circle. I'm out.

That is all.

Wha?

Another good day at work?

I have an interview scheduled for Wednesday. They're willing to stick around til 5:30 to meet me...but the pay scale for the potential job is pretty low. At it's TOP, it's $10 less an hour than I am getting now, and $5 less than my last job.

...and you can bet your bottom dollar, they don't start ANYONE at the top of the scale.

But we'll see.

It's these good days at this job that really throw me off, though. I've been having more of them recently.

Oh, and I don't have to go to Tulsa tomorrow after all.

What, I didn't tell you about that?

Thursday, my supervisor came into my office and announced that I would have to drive to Tulsa on Friday (the next day) for some training.

Um...scuse me?

I told her that I have never been to Tulsa, and I am literally terrified to drive on highways, especially to a place I've never been, that's 2 hours away!

She laughed, and said "Okay, let's google the map." She completely blew off what I had said.

So, I called Dave when she had stepped away for a second.

He called back after she returned, and WHILE she was sitting there, I explained to him that they were requiring me to go to Tulsa the next day, even though I explained that I have a literal phobia about driving on highways.

He said he'd take the day off and drive me. I got off the phone, turned to my manager, and told her this.

She NOW realized that this was not a laughing matter to me...and said "....well, we can't ask him to do that....let's see what else we can arrange."

I explained to her that I filled out the NO TRAVEL box on the job application....she said "Well, we assume that means you don't want to go out of state. Not that you don't want to go to other buildings within the state."

I said "It doesn't SAY that...it just says TRAVEL: Yes or No. I marked NO, because that was what I meant. NO travel for work. My commute is all the travel I am comfortable with."

She said Okay, and left to go see what else she could work out.

Later that day, she came and told me that she had to go to Tulsa the next week, on Tuesday, and that she had arranged to reschedule my training for that day, and that she could drop me off.

Fine.

I thanked her, and apologized...but also said that people DO have phobias. " I have no idea why I have this fear, but thank you for working with me on this."

She said it was fine....she understood now.

Then today, she said the trip, which was to be tomorrow, was canceled, and I would have to get the training over the phone.

So...now I have to ask.....why couldn't we just have scheduled the training over the phone in the first place?

It hasn't stopped them before!

Whatever.
It actually fits right in with all of the other clusterfecks I have witnessed....but it ALSO made today a better day than it already was!

Fake lake

There are no naturally occurring lakes in Oklahoma. Nope. No lakes.

The lakes that DO exist are man made.

We visited one today. It was "opened" around 1987, according to Dave. It's one of the sites within reasonable driving distance where one might spot bald eagles in the winter months.

Arcadia Lake was built to provide a reliable water supply to the city of Edmond, OK, where my cousin and her family live.
It's surrounded by a camp ground on one side, which was where we went in, and it was hard to see what was on the other side. It's really big.

We tried to go eagle spotting, but there were none to be spotted. It was in the 50's out, though, and partly cloudy, so it was a good day to start Dave's exercise program with a walk.

It was nice to get out in the fresh air, and, as I like to say, "man made" nature is better than no nature at all.

Results

I actually got a little training today, from my direct supervisor.

I wonder if SHE got some heat for not training me on the stuff I got called on the carpet for not knowing yesterday.

Today was a better day. I had time to FINALLY get caught up on all of the stuff that had to wait for month-end close before it could be done.

My desk is clean, the files are put away, and the boxes I packed back in November have FINALLY been moved to the hallway.

I could walk out now, and feel good about having had a temporary job to go in and clean up their damned office!

But I am going to wait. If I can get the training I need, I can handle the rest....

Oh, dear Gawd

So I had to undergo an "employee progress" conference call today, with myself, my direct supervisor, the director of our facility, and the regional rep above me, who appeared unannounced at our facility today.

I had no warning of this conference call.

The call was conducted by the person who has been coming here to train me since November. She, who spent 90% of her time when she was supposed to be training me on....you guessed it....conference calls.

She was the only one not in the room with us.

It was perfectly awful. They cornered me and put me on the hot seat.

It started out with "Paula does a good job at this, and Paula does a good job at that....." but then it shifted to "But...these are our concerns....."

Apparently, I have not been supervising my direct reports sufficiently, nor have I been making enough collections calls.

I tried to defend myself as tactfully as possible.

I was honestly not trained on what I was supposed to DO to supervise my direct reports, and had even complained at one point about how I was hired to manage PEOPLE, but that this had not yet been included in ANY of my training.

I was also not trained on how to make collection calls, how to issue collection letters, which I did not even have copies of in my PC until after this meeting, or how to follow up on said calls and letters.

I was given an aging report, and told "call the people in these columns." Period. That was ALL the instruction I got....so I did that...but, of course, I didn't know how to document that I did it, didn't know what to SAY to the people if I got them on the phone, and didn't have a clue how to issue the follow up letters that I didn't even have access to!!!!!

And so now, according to my direct supervisor, it's never been done, and no one believes that I did what I did, because no one showed me how to cover my ass.

And apparently, my direct reports were asked last week if I was doing what I didn't know I was supposed to be doing, and, of course, they said no...so that made it harder for me.

I guess I am just supposed to know these things. By what? Osmosis??

It was perfectly awful.

My face and neck were beet red. My blood pressure was sky rocketing. I know I will have the joy of digestive upset later, too (that's how my body reacts to stress....been having a lot of digestive upset lately!)

When given the chance to speak, my voice shook. But I did my best to speak clearly, and to state plainly that I have been doing my best with the tools I have been given, and I suggested that perhaps some TRAINING on the items brought to light might be of some use.

Thus, I finally at least got copies of the collection letters that I could download.

Jeezuz.

It's bad. Really, really bad. I need to get out.

I have put in 3 applications since Friday. What else can I do? I have to try to tolerate it, and keep the paychecks coming as long as I can.

Operatic adventures

Yesterday was a very busy Saturday.

We started out sort of late, around noon, with the knowledge (thanks to a message from my sister) that my Dad's favorite/our family favorite opera was being broadcast on the local classical radio station at just that time.

As I have blogged elsewhere, this opera is actually, in a way, responsible for the existence of myself and my siblings.

All I really know is that Dad was passionate about music, and that this one opera, "Der Rosenkavalier," by Richard Strauss, was his favorite.

I don't know if it had been his mother's favorite, too, or anything else about it....

...but there's part of the opera's story wherein a silver rose is presented to an intended bride, and the reason I say that this opera is responsible for our existence, is that Dad proposed to Mom in just that way.

I do not know any details, like did he have a friend present the rose, or did he do it himself? No idea.

Anyway, I am not, over all, familiar with opera as a genre. There are some I remember from my growing up, having to listen to opera every Saturday, but this one, in particular, is very, very familiar.

It was a treat to find out it was being broadcast.

So---first, we set out to go look at a new car for Dave. He has a strong idea of what he wants, and he was all ready to go look yesterday.....but when we got to the dealer's driveway, he bypassed it, and said "I am just not ready to have to deal with a car salesman!"

On we drove!!

Next stop, we got an oil change for the truck, and they let us sit in the truck during, so I could listen to the radio.

Unfortunately, we had heard all of the first act, and it was intermission.

Then, we visited Dave's parents, and arrived in the drive way JUST as act two was starting.

I just KNEW we were missing one of the favorite, most beautiful scenes, "the presentation of the rose" as we sat and chatted with his folks.

Sure enough, by the time we got back in the truck to head home, that scene was over....but we heard the rest of the second act.

Stopped at home, changed vehicles, loaded up dishes and clothes to donate, as well as the recycling, and the reusable shopping bags, and the grocery list.

Took the donations and recycling first, then went to the oil change place again. All this time, intermission #2. I was starting to get nervous.

Act three started JUST as we got out of the car.

We got my oil changed, and my tires rotated, and we missed almost all of the 3rd act. BUT, we made it back into the car before the Baron shouted "LEOPOLD! Wir gangen!!" (which is to say, "Leopold, we are OUTTA HERE!")

We drove to get the groceries.

In the grocery store parking lot we sat. And listened. I was NOT going to miss this next part!!

Dave reclined his seat, and I borrowed his handkerchief, and we heard the climactic scene at the end, which is some of the most resplendent music ever written.

I wiped my tears, and composed myself.

We went in and got the groceries.
We came home, unloaded the groceries and the recycling bins, and, put everything away.

We were both SO tired....so while we rested for a little while, I asked Dave to find the "presentation scene" on the internet.

We watched and listened to it.... and then I had some energy, and made dinner!

So, we really got a lot done yesterday (the tires on my car were past due for rotation by about 6 months!), and we got to hear most of the opera!

Thanks, Sister!!



Today....stay home, be lazy, do laundry.....

A GOOD day at work???

What is it about that? I actually had a pretty good day at work yesterday.

The trainer was gone, taking her insults with her (she was on a roll this last time, jeebuz....)....and I was able to catch up on work that had to wait until month end close was finished....

and it actually went okay.

What insults, you ask? The first one was on her first morning in our office. I had to go to the daily meeting, and when I got back, I was supposed to check in with her.

She was in the bathroom when I got back. I had to wait for her to come out. She actually said that I was "sitting there doing nothing."

I stood up for myself, and said "I JUST got back from the meeting, and YOU were in the bathroom! It was maybe 2 minutes, and I was NOT sitting here doing nothing! I was updating the census while I was waiting FOR YOU!"

She smile, and said "Oh. Okay."

Then, at another time, she inferred, not very subtly, that the Admissions person's job was more important than mine, and that I should drop everything to do something else in order to accommodate the Admissions person.

Excuse the eff out of me!!!

And then, she ranted frequently, over the course of our 24 hours together (two consecutive 12 hour days), that I had dropped the ball on preparing for month end...even though I told her- every time she said something demeaning- that I had been fully aware of what I needed to do to prepare, but that my direct supervisor instructed me to do OTHER THINGs, so that I was NOT ABLE to do the pre-close work she had wanted me to do.

I wanted to say, but didn't:
"Remember, you called me last week, asking how my husband was doing? You KNEW that I had been off all but 3 days of the 2 weeks prior to close, due to my husband's heart attack, and the holidays, and the corporate-required unpaid time off! No overtime was allowed on the days that I DID work, so since I was only allowed to work 7.5 hours on those three days....how was I supposed to do EVERYTHING??"

Even the last moment before she sent me home on Wednesday night at 8, "THIS is why you have to do your reviews BEFORE month end."

Again, I wanted to say, but didn't : "Okay, I'll be sure to tell my husband to time his next heart attack at a different time of the month."

But...anyway.....

Having a good day, after so many bad ones....THAT confuses me now.

If I can actually have a good day here and there, is that not a sign that things can get better? Is that not a clue that I should not throw away the highest paying job I have ever had in my life?

Gawd.....

It seems that, as long as I don't have to deal with that woman, things can maybe get better.

I dunno.

Still feeling the effects of working 24 hours in 2 days. I have a bit of a cold or something. Blech.
Woke up today, after 10 hours of sleep, feeling pretty crappy.

Dave's doing well, though, and we might go out to Lake Arcadia today to see if we can spot an eagle or two. We also have our old dishes to take to the thrift store, and the recycling to drop off, and the groceries to get, and the parents to visit.

Groan.

Busy day

I took today off, primarily to go with Dave to his follow up doctor visit this morning.

The doctor was an hour late, so they re scheduled Dave. Unfortunately, he missed the phone call. So, we went and tried to do an errand, unsuccessfully, and decided just to go back and wait.

The visit went well. Everything looks good, including the EKG taken today (though I had to step out of the office so the girl could get an accurate reading...don't ask). He is to continue on the same pills for now, and in 3 months, see the doctor again.

He can start mild exercise in 2 weeks.

From there, we came home, put in some laundry, and gathered all of my massage therapist licensing stuff.

We ate some lunch, and headed out on the mission.

First, Kinko's, to get my pass port photos (better than having to get mug shots taken, like I had to do years ago to get a Lombard license), and to get copies of my certificates and driver license made.

Then to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Have to prove I'm not a crook (read: hooker), don't ya know.

Then to the bank to get everything notarized (applications all in triplicate, all had to be notarized). The notary made me the extra copies I needed of my clean criminal record.

Then to the health department to drop off all of the copies.

The clerk was sleeping when we arrived at her desk.

No, really.

She seemed put out to be asked how long it might be before I hear anything.

Next up, the health department has to come and inspect my office. If I pass, the inspector will give me back two of the copies of everything I turned in today, and THEN I get to go apply at the licensing board.

Anyway, THEN we stopped at Dave's favorite little antique mall. Almost immediately, I got the feeling that I was in trouble.

We found a 45 piece set of really cool dishes (just like Russel Wright, only called Holiday of California, mixed gray and peach colored).
Vintage.
On sale for $65.
I HAD to buy them....we now have dishes that are OURS, and that are really cool! Instead of a hodge podge from our respective past marriages!!

Turned a corner in the store, still browsing while the clerk started packing up the dishes....and saw a big book with SOONER across the front of it.

OU year book, I thought....so, out of curiosity, I looked at what year it was from.

1949.

My mom's senior year.

Dave was a few feet away. I pointed it out to him, then I handed him my purse, and found a table to put the book on to open it.

I took a deep breath, opened to the index, and found her name.

Yep.
I bought that, too!! After I stopped crying, of course.

Month-end close was the past 2 days at work. It was, as it was last month, horrific. 2 twelve hour days in a row....without overtime pay for the extra hours....but I figure, the extra hours make up for my being off one of the 3 unpaid days off this pay period (two of them were required, and then there was today).

Now, I am getting ready to make New Orleans style scallops for supper.

I do NOT want to go back to work tomorrow. I really am getting to where I hate my job. I don't just dislike it anymore.

I literally dread going to work. I get that feeling of anxiety in the pit of my stomach when I think about work while I'm not there.

And it's only been my job since 11/9.

Pitiful.

Onward, Upward, Etc. (random thoughts)

Trying to enjoy the long weekend, and not think about having to go back to work. I have to be re-trained on month end close stuff next week, since the trainer admitted that she did a crappy job last month.

She's coming back in from Montana, to start over.

I do not look forward to it AT ALL.
It requires an accounting degree, from what I remember. It's horrible.

I still am not sure why they hired me.....they SAID it was for my people management skills, but I have not yet done ANY people managing. It's all been accounting and collections!

At least we go back to full hours starting next week. I will finally see, at the end of January, what one of my real pay checks comes out to be.

I will finally be making what they offered me back in October.

*********************************************

We made some muffins this morning.

I usually really like the recipes in the South Beach Diet cook books, but the pear bran muffins....guh.

They stick to the paper horribly, and they are as bland as hell!!

If I even try making them again, I will double the cinnamon content, to try to give them some semblance of flavor, and maybe use apple instead of pear, because we couldn't taste the pear at all.

*********************************************

We did a new year's day home blessing yesterday, hopefully bringing in some good juju for a much better year to come.

The anxiety of preparing to move, the terror of leaving everything I knew, and the stress of settling in, and getting a job, are all behind me (though the job is truly less than ideal, and extraordinarily difficult and stressful).

Then, Dave's heart attack....good god....what the fuck??

2010 can ONLY be better.