Slow news week

 Not much to report here at Dragons' Roost.

Mama Sammie cat keeps coming around for her meals, but we have not seen the kittens again.  I hope they're doing okay.  She is clearly still nursing.

The house next door has been worked on a bit, and huge quantities of the junk that was left behind has been moved out to the curbside, and is falling into the street.  

"Trash pickers" have been by, and they sling stuff all over, looking for treasures, and then leave the mess all over the yard, and in the street.  Some of it was even in our yard this morning.

It's awful, but this coming week is "big trash day," so it will be picked up soon.

I am just glad I can open the shades in the kitchen again.  I've been keeping them closed, because looking across to that mess in the back was causing me distress.  I know there isn't a dog living (surviving because of us) out there any more, but it was reminding me of those stressful weeks.

We are having another respite from the heat this weekend.  It was supposed to be near-record-breaking heat, but there have been clouds and rain instead, keeping the high temp about ten degrees less hot than predicted.

It was only 95 yesterday, instead of 105.  This morning, it's cloudy again, so we're hoping for another less intense afternoon.

Since I now earn three weeks of vacation a year, and the only other co worker who has been there longer than I have gave me a heads up about that, I have scheduled a couple of weeks off.  

I have also cashed out some of my vacation hours, because, apparently, at a certain point, if you have too many saved up vacation hours, they stop adding them.

I think that's awful.... I mean.... I am earning that time....maybe I am saving it for a reason?  Like my co worker who THOUGHT she was saving up hours to go to Europe, only to find out that she hit her maximum, and the hours stopped accruing.

Grumble.

SO, since I had not been aware of that stupid rule, I have fixed my hours so that I am not in any danger of losing what I earn.  The extra cash from "selling" a week of vacation back to the company will help us pay for a little trip we want to take, so that will be good.

After scheduling two weeks of vacation (one now, and one at the end of October), and selling some, I still have two left in the "bank," and will be adding more to it every pay period.

Nothing much else going on here.... just working and sleeping, basically.  

My department has a new manager (it's the position I didn't apply for last year because it required a) a college degree, and b) occasional travel to the Tulsa office.

I can't quite make her out.... I definitely do not trust her yet.  

She is coming to sit with me again tomorrow, to observe one of my many, many concentration-intensive tasks.  

This one is one that was always only ever done by the director, or the VP...but was given to ME when the entire management team quit, because I was the only one capable of doing it.

I hate having someone watch me do these more difficult tasks, because I get nervous, and I am afraid of messing up.  It's more likely, then, that I will mess up.... Ugh.  

She doesn't take notes, and she isn't going to remember any of it.... because there are so many steps.  But, it is what it is, and I will get through it.

SO, on that note, have a good week!