Melting

 We dodged another ice storm bullet, but we DID get a couple of inches of sleet.  I can't say I have ever known sleet to pile up like snow, and to form drifts because of the high winds.

The sleet piled up so fast, and then it froze solid.  Our front steps became impassable, and just stepping out onto the porch, front or back, was a fall risk.

The mail carrier somehow got up onto the porch every day, and the ice was so hard, he did not even leave tracks.

All around the area, terrible accidents happened on the road ways, because people either had to go to work, or were foolhardy enough to think that they could drive on two inch thick ice.

So, since we could not exit our house due to the ice all around, we were literally trapped inside since Tuesday night.  The temperature remained below 20 degrees for three days.

The sun finally came out on Friday, and I was able to scrape the ice off of the front porch, but the steps were still an ice covered slope, frozen hard as a rock, until yesterday.  

Dave was able to chip a path to the shed, and got out his square shovel.  He carried it through the house, and out front to chip off the 6 inch thick ice on each step.

We now have two broken plastic snow shovels.... need to replace them before next winter.  They cracked under pressure, HAHA.

As the day went along, the temperature finally got above freezing, and we were able to remove more ice.

Today, the ice should continue to melt, and we are sure we can now get the car out. I'm returning to my weekly office trip tomorrow, and am glad I won't have to worry about not being able to.

The fact that we don't have gutters really causes a problem when snow or ice melts off of the roof and car port.  It pools under the carport, and then freezes again, making getting into the drivers side of the car a dangerous prospect indeed.

And this time, there was also a drift of sleet about 8 inches high that had the melt falling on it, compounding the problem.

That drift now has a hole in the middle, and today, with the temperatures rising to the 50s, it should melt away.

We are going out later to run a couple of errands, and I have a dance work shop this afternoon (on line).

Anyway, I am going back to the office tomorrow, because the covid numbers have declined sharply over the past week and a half or so.  The positive test rate is now below 10%, and I have used that as a guideline in the past.

The Safety officer is going to meet me when I get there, and fit me for the N95 mask before I go over into my office area. Looking forward to it!

I also have an online meeting tomorrow afternoon with the consulting team that's been brought in to help us get through this transition in management.  Should be interesting.  Others who have already had their meetings say that they feel encouraged afterward.

H/R posted a job last week.  Revenue Cycle Director.  Unfortunately, they require a bachelor's degree....so my 22 years' experience, which includes most of the other qualifications listed, won't get me that job. 

I don't have a Director's wardrobe, anyway.... HAHA.  

I just want a raise, and maybe a management title.... Directors have to be in charge of, like, everything.

Well, breakfast isn't going to make itself.  Wishing you, gentle reader, a lovely week. 

Between storms

 The storm this past week was not nearly as bad here as they had predicted, but it did get very, very cold. At least for Oklahoma, where people, plants, animals, and buildings are, in general,  not adequately prepared.

We did not get ice, and we got very little snow, but before the temperature dropped, we got a good amount of desperately needed rain.

This coming week, we are supposed to have more storms, and again, the potential for ice.  It might rain tomorrow, but the worse storm isn't due until Wednesday.

They're calling for about 24 hours of "wintry mix," which usually means ice. So... we are a bit nervous about what is to come.  The PTSD from fall 2020 is very real. 

As this past week went along,  more people from my office tested positive for Covid, and people from the Medicare/Medicaid department stepped in to help, by pulling stuff off of the printers, and sending out the paper billing that I generate from home.  My work was stacked on my desk, and the Safety coordinator delivered it to me on Friday evening.

Being that there has been no one in the office full time for two weeks, I am thinking it will be safe for me to go back a week from tomorrow.

Safety is supposed to be putting up hand sanitizer stations, and signs reminding people to wear their masks when not sitting in their cubes.

By the time the covid patients are cleared to come back, they will all be full of antibodies, so I think I'll be okay.

The numbers in Oklahoma are dropping steadily, too, which helps my peace of mind. As of today, the positive test rate is 15.8%

I took most of the day off Friday due to another bout of vertigo.  This was brought on entirely by pre-existing congestion (that I always seem to have), which was made worse by my consuming too much dairy this past week.  

The vertigo was REALLY intense first thing in the morning.  I clocked in for an hour and a half, and got the billing, and some other things done, but then I couldn't take it anymore, and put in for sick time.

I took decongestants faithfully every four hours, and it cleared up, thank goodness.

In between the storms, we have a nice weekend happening, and Dave hopes to get out and do another shed-organizing project.

My zoom with my sisterhood was canceled yesterday, because our coordinator had no power after that horrendous storm raged across the southern parts of England  (she is all good now, though).

As a result, I found myself at loose ends, so I did all of my chores yesterday.

We hope to go for a woods walk this afternoon, when the weather is warmest, but other than that, I might do a load of towels, and will be making pot roast

Our freezer will be full of yummy home made meals for the week.

I've started doing that again in anticipation of going to the office full time, which will eventually happen.

 Given the long commute to the new building, I will be getting home much later than I used to, so if I have already re-established this habit of meal prepping on the weekends, that won't be another stress to add to the changes of going back to the office.

I'm also cleaning up our diet a bit again.  After two years of eating whatever we want, basically... it's time to get back to better choices.  I need Dave to stick around!!

I haven't gained much weight, but Dave sure has, and he also has different health issues from mine that really do require a healthy diet to manage properly.

We are probably not going to die from covid at this point, so it's time to shape up!

That being said, I am off to get breakfast going.  Have a good week!

Being seen

 Well.

I went to the office, like usual, last Monday.  I picked up my work from the cube of a co worker who had a terrible cough.  She keeps insisting that she's testing negative, but she's been coughing like that for two weeks.

For some reason, our hanging files cart, where our incoming work is placed, is all the way inside of her cube.  It used to sit out in the open, which I think is how it should still be.

Anyway, I went to my desk, and did my sorting, scanning, and printing.  Filed away my completed work, turned off my computer, and got ready to leave.

As I was leaving, the interim person (they're not even using the words supervisor or manager,  but they're calling her "liaison"), and one of my co workers, were in a small office, both without masks.

I had not seen my co worker for a long time-- two years -- so I headed that way to say hello.  NO, I did not enter the office!  

The "liaison" had a mask hanging from her ear.  The co worker had hers in a box she was carrying.  I later found out, she is getting an office, and was bringing some things from her home office back to the building.

As I approached, my co worker (let's call her E) said "OH!  I forgot my mask!"  She put it on, and we said hello at a distance.  I waved at the "liaison," and left.

Tuesday, "liaison" goes home sick.  

Wednesday, she emails us that she doesn't feel well, and will be working from home.  

Then, that afternoon, she texts me to tell me she's tested positive for covid.

By the end of the week, two more people are out sick.  Probably with covid.  One is an older lady who works in the office, instead of at home, because she is "high maintenance" (does lots of things incorrectly, and has lots of questions, despite having been with us for several years).

SO... E starts texting me Wednesday afternoon.  

SHE is FINE... no symptoms, but she was worried about me.  I told her I was fine...and reminded her that I had stayed distanced, and was wearing my KN95, as always.

Then, she texted me again on Friday, checking in again.  We are both still fine.

We chatted about being in the building, and about how we are currently feeling about it.  

She had gone on Thursday, but felt so uneasy that she left by 11, because a different co worker was there (who goes once a week for a full day), was not wearing a mask, and was walking around talking to people

During our text conversation, I told her that I was worrying about having to go Monday (now tomorrow), to do my usual exchange. But if I don't bring work home, I will not have enough to do. Period.  

Then.

On Friday afternoon, the Safety department called me.  The safety department is a new thing, and I had, quite honestly, forgotten they exist!

Anyway, the safety coordinator, who is also a registered paramedic, and a friend, asked what I do when I am in the building.

He said that E had emailed their department head, concerned about ME having to go to the building right now, as well as some others (one is that older woman, who is now sick).

My heart filled with so much relief, and a feeling of being supported -and SEEN-that I almost started to cry.  I'm almost certain that my ex boss would have wanted me to go ahead and come in.  

But she's gone, and they listened to someone at my level of the company, because she had no reason NOT to advocate for me anymore.

That's a wonderful thing. You have no idea.... 

Anyway...

He stated that they want to fit test me for an N95 mask the next time I am there...but that, well, I really shouldn't come in next week, and should work from home, without an office trip.

I pointed out the fact that I will not have enough to do if I don't come get my work.

Then, he suggested that my work could feasibly be delivered to me.  I assured him that there is no protected health information in what I bring home 90% of the time.  There can't be.

I told him to go see the coughing lady in my department, and that I would email her to give her the heads up that someone was coming to get my paperwork.

I texted the "liaison," and notified her of this development.

At the end of the day on Friday, the safety coordinator himself came to my house with my work for next week.  

Granted, I couldn't exactly give him the completed stuff to take back, but to have my work brought to me, so that I am not worrying about having NOTHING to do after about 10 am every day next week...well... that was a HUGE relief.  Almost MORE of a relief than not having to go to the building.

While he was here, I asked him why there are no hand sanitizer stations in the new building, he said they are coming.  I really think they weren't ready for us to move in, but we were out of time to vacate the old building.

Anyway, he said that they were going to send out another covid safety protocol email to our department, because, apparently, some people, including our "leadership," forgot. 

Everything.

He also said that he will be happy to continue to bring me my work as long as necessary (as mentioned, we are also friends, and he honestly cares about me and Dave).

Hopefully, it won't be necessary for very long, because I have come to rely on my trip to the office to give me some time out of the house, and it helps the feeling of isolation that has been so strong.

SO. That's that, and I can't express in words how this has lifted so much stress away from me.

Yesterday, I made a batch of beef, barley, vegetable soup, and took it out to Mustang for a friend recovering from hip replacement surgery.

Today, Dave is going to Costco first thing, and then later, we hope to go for a woods walk.  I surely could use it, and the weather will be nice enough.

More potential nasty weather later this week, but as long as it's not ice, I don't really mind. We need the moisture!

Have a good week! 

....into the unknown....

 So. That's that.

We have no management at work now.

I deactivated them all from the websites I manage, and they left us with very little direction or idea of how to move forward.

They. Don't. Care.

My boss gave me a few new tasks to add to my already-long list of tasks.  HER boss gave me something that only she has done since taking over for the VP who bailed in October.  Prior to that, the VP had been the only one to do it.

I am sure I am up to these, but they are highly detailed.  I will get used to them after doing them a few times.  They are only done once a month.

On the day after my boss left (she exited 2 days before everyone else for some reason), I sent my full, up-to-date job description to the interim CEO and COO.  One of my co workers did the same.

Just my way of saying hey, this is all that I do, and all that I have done over nearly 9 years ...let me help with this transition. 

I made sure to include the major projects I managed, back before my Project Manager title was stripped away.

Those of us who remain have been communicating with each other pretty regularly.  I've talked to a couple of co workers in the past few days, after not speaking to them for 2 years due to us all working from home.

The culture of secrecy and cronyism will now stop.  We will see to it.

Unless, of course, the interim CEO is a mole for Angie, the VP who left, and who created this chaos intentionally.  

She was, after all, brought into the "white tower" of upper management by Angie, because they were besties.

So. Time will tell.

In other news, we had a beautiful winter storm, that spread over 2 days, this past week.  

The world was blanketed in thick snow.  Unfortunately, it was so cold that I could not get out and enjoy it.  

Just like last February, the snow was followed by a deep freeze.  Not as cold as the one last year that killed trees and animals and people.... but -4 is too cold for me to go for a walk in the snow.

Especially when the deep cold makes my tendon pain flare up severely.

Sigh.

The snow stopped by Friday after work, and I was able to get out and shovel.  That was fun, but I had to limit myself because of pain.  I really wanted to get the porch and steps cleared, and tracks for the tires of the car, at least.

The minute I was finished, Dave escaped the house, and went to the liquor store.  That was the first time either of us has been out in a while now.  Other than my weekly trip to the office, anyway,

Now, all of the snow and ice is melting, and almost gone.  And, miraculously, so is my pain. It's weird how it flares up in the deep cold.  I guess the tendons shorten or something.

Today, I feel fine!  I mean, there's still pain, but it's manageable. 

Our feral kitties have re-appeared.  Even though we have shelters, they never stay here when the weather is like it was.  

We tucked the heated shelter under an additional shelter that we fashioned out of a folding table, draped with a blanket, and protected by sheets of plastic.  

It needs to stay dry, because it's got an electric heating pad, and it's not water proof, only water resistant. We had planned to purchase a small tent or something, but have not done so yet. I'm afraid that a tent would have collapsed under the weight of 8 inches of heavy snow, anyway.

Our little Silver was using the heated shelter every night, but when the storm came, she disappeared, along with the others.

I think they either go under that house across the street, or into the storm sewer system under ground. We've seen some of them go down into the sewer openings at the corner. 

They must feel that they are safer there, and they're certainly safe from the terrible winds....but there is no food.

Most of them are now accounted for, though, and Silver is back in her little, warm house.  

There's another that's gone missing since the previous really cold weather, and we're a bit worried about him.  But, he's also one that comes and goes, so we are hoping to see him again some time.

We are grateful for the moisture the storm brought, as we have been in a severe drought.  I think the last time anything fell from the sky to nourish the ground was October.

Dave's birthday is this coming Tuesday.  I got him a chain saw... HAHA... It's what he wanted!

I forgot to order a box of brownie mix with the groceries, though, so maybe I will suggest that we order dinner delivery or something.

He doesn't really care about birthdays for himself, so we'll see.

The positive test rate in Oklahoma is "down" to 35%.  

This is big progress....  Yeah, Illinois is at 8%, buy contrast... and my family and friends back home are back to doing things normally.  Like going out to celebrate birthdays and stuff.

Sigh.

I am feeling more relaxed since Friday, with the completion of the mass exodus.  I've finally slept well this weekend.  

We have some stuff we want to do around the house today, and I need to get back to focusing on my meditations, and such.

It should be a good day, and the roads will be dry by the time I have to go to the office tomorrow.

Although, now, I am pretty sure that I can dictate when I go, since the micromanagers are all GONE!! 

What a tremendous relief that is.  It was like a huge weight lifted off of me when my boss clocked out for the last time.  AHHHHH!!!  

Going forward, we will make it a much better place to work.  Provided we HAVE a place to work.

But that is not something I need to get back into worrying about just now. 

Have a good week, stay well, safe, and warm!