Front door slam!

So, our hoped for, really cool, wooden screen door did not happen.

The first one arrived from the manufacturer badly damaged.  Our contractor refused it, and asked Lowe's to order a new one.

The new one was worse.

Instead of a screen door that looks right for the age of the house, we now have a storm door just like on the back, only in brown instead of white.

It looks good, matches the colors of the woodwork, and will actually provide much better protection against the elements than the screen door would have.

It was also about $100 less expensive!

(We got white on the back of the house because it will reflect the heat.  The front door is under the front porch roof, so the sunlight rarely hits it.)

It stormed last night, and this morning, it's refreshingly, delightfully cool and breezy outside.

Both doors are open, storm door windows are dropped, and the fresh air flowing through the house is heavenly.

THIS was our goal, so we are happy.

It just took 6 weeks longer than we wanted, but that's okay.  It's done, and we got a break in the hot weather to test it out.

In anticipation of the rain last night, we got the back yard mowed yesterday.  The front didn't need it yet, but it will, now that the rain has come.

After my share of the mowing, I did my usual chores, got my MUCH needed monthly massage, and made dinner for a friend.

Today, Dave is going to make his weekly visit to Pop, and I have a couple of cooking projects on the menu.

It should be a nice, relaxing day.

Which is good, because the stress level at work has been higher lately, and I need to adapt.

I have been there almost 5 years (July 29),  and all of a sudden, every TINY thing that I do (or do not do) is being scrutinized.

I am being watched, and I know it.

I actually got "thrown under the bus" for asking someone else to do THEIR job, so that I could do mine.  And the funny thing is, it was such a TINY task that I asked them to do, yet someone tattled on me, and I got a nasty email from my boss.

I always do my work with utmost integrity and efficiency, and just lately, they're trying to find ANYTHING to pin on me.

For one thing, they are NOT used to employees with a solid work ethic.

It's HIGHLY unusual in my place of employment.  My own co workers joke about how I am the only one in our area who actually WORKS ALL DAY LONG.

For another thing, I know for sure that my boss has grown to dislike me.

A year or so ago, there was an incident having to do with a form for Medicare that she misunderstood the meaning of, and assigned me to fill out and submit.  I didn't have most of the information needed for the form, because I do not work in the Medicare department, so I had to get the information from her.

The result was that we didn't get Medicare payments for several weeks, and then, when the error was corrected (by my boss's boss, who oversees our department AND the medicare department), we were slammed with weeks worth of payments to post.

When I was asked why I submitted that form, I was honest, and said it was a task that was assigned to me with high importance, and that the assignment, AND most of the information on the form, had come from my boss.

Naturally, as a result, my boss had to take the blame for her mistake, instead of me.

Ever since then, she rarely speaks to me or looks me in the eye.  She emails me from the other end of the office, instead.  Mostly I don't ask her for ANYTHING anymore.

If I have an issue or a question, I go to the supervisor, instead, even though I am at the same level as the supervisor, and the supervisor and I both report to the director.

BUT, the good news is, there is at least a rumor that the boss is planning to retire this year.  That would be very, very good (for ALL of us)....so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I already do half of her job, and the other half will probably go to the department supervisor.  Who knows?

Whatever the case, we all know that our boss is a complete flake. That form was only one example of her flakiness.

She forgets words in mid sentence, she forgets to do things, and she clearly needs to retire.

I suspect she may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's, some other form of dementia, or that some medication she is on does this to her (I know she is on psych meds, she told me).

Anyway.... I have always been a "keep your head down, and do your job" kind of person, and that will never change.

I deserved that Team Member of the Month award I got, and I will continue to do my job to my utmost like I always have.

If they are trying to find a reason to fire me, they are going to have to work very hard at it.
Hopefully, time will run out on my boss before that happens.

AND, in a final note, the assistance program check for my January and February treatment bills has finally been cashed. 

We are now waiting to see what comes next from SSM Health.  Last thing we knew, they were going to turn me over to collections for non payment.

Since the bills have been paid, and THEY cashed the check, that had best not happen. 

I am breathing a little easier, though, knowing that the check cleared the bank.

Off to the kitchen to get started.  Have a great day, gentle readers!