They arrived safely on Friday evening, and we have been having a nice, relaxed visit.
Yesterday, we went out brewery hopping, possibly beating their record for the most breweries visited in a single city outside of their home town of Chicago.
Today we are going to a drag show brunch, and a couple more breweries.
Just taking things as they come!
There were strong storms in the middle of the night last night, but the hail was small, thankfully.
Hope you're having a good weekend!
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Almost ready...
The guest room is starting to shape up.
A friend at work gave me some light blocking curtains a few weeks ago, and they fit the windows perfectly. Dave got those hung up yesterday.
We will finish getting the room ready today.
The other things that need to get done are smaller projects, and mostly, they are the stuff Dave has put off until the last possible minute, since he leaves town tomorrow.
I did two of his projects yesterday, because it was driving me nuts!
There are cleaning projects that I can work on during the week in the evenings, too. Unlike many people I have stayed with, I like my house to be clean and tidy when house guests arrive.
This house will be my version of tip-top by Friday afternoon when my sister and brother in law arrive.
I've gotten over my anger about the situation at work. It's not worth my energy.
It's time to send the lease renewal to my tenant in the condo. I am really glad that I have not had to raise his rent for a long time. The refi I did last year has guaranteed him another year at the same rate, without me taking a shortfall.
Other than that, I need to get off my butt and get this day started. Daylight's burning, and we are getting together with friends in the middle of the day on top of it!
Oh, and it's Fathers Day. This one is harder than Mothers Day for me, for a completely different reason. Miss you, Daddy.
A friend at work gave me some light blocking curtains a few weeks ago, and they fit the windows perfectly. Dave got those hung up yesterday.
We will finish getting the room ready today.
The other things that need to get done are smaller projects, and mostly, they are the stuff Dave has put off until the last possible minute, since he leaves town tomorrow.
I did two of his projects yesterday, because it was driving me nuts!
There are cleaning projects that I can work on during the week in the evenings, too. Unlike many people I have stayed with, I like my house to be clean and tidy when house guests arrive.
This house will be my version of tip-top by Friday afternoon when my sister and brother in law arrive.
I've gotten over my anger about the situation at work. It's not worth my energy.
It's time to send the lease renewal to my tenant in the condo. I am really glad that I have not had to raise his rent for a long time. The refi I did last year has guaranteed him another year at the same rate, without me taking a shortfall.
Other than that, I need to get off my butt and get this day started. Daylight's burning, and we are getting together with friends in the middle of the day on top of it!
Oh, and it's Fathers Day. This one is harder than Mothers Day for me, for a completely different reason. Miss you, Daddy.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Ch Ch changes....
Well, I was interviewed for the job last Wednesday, and I was told on Thursday that I was not being offered the position.
All three of the people in my department who applied will have to be trained intensively, but I was told that "we need someone who is going to hit the ground running."
I have no idea what that means, but oh well. It's clearer than clear to me now that the favoritism factor has not changed in the least with the new structure.
The other two from my department are actually requiring TRAINING for their second interviews! They're taking up hours of other people's time....getting....TRAINING...but yet, they seem to be able to hit the ground running, and I am not??
That is complete....Bull. Shit.
A friend suggested that they don't want to lose me from my current position. If that was the case, THAT is what they should have told me, rather than something that made me feel worthless.
So, a friend is working on my resume, and I might just have a different job some time this year.
We'll see.
I also found out that a man in my office, who has only been there 2 years, has far less responsibility, and has multiple absences and disciplinary write ups, makes .40c more an hour than I do.
He was disqualified from applying for the job due to his absences, and he was whining to me about it, and said how much of a raise the job would have brought him.
Anyway, it was discouraging, to say the least, since I was the one who was the most qualified, but am NOT the one who hangs out with the boss socially.
I am underpaid, undervalued, and underutilized, and I have had just about enough.
We had some heavy rains this past week. The street outside of my office turned into a raging river, and the parking lot flooded. Fortunately, my car was not there that day (Dave and I usually ride share, and whichever car we are using gets to sit in his parking garage all day).
Of course, water came into the building, part of which was condemned after a flood in 2013, the summer I started this job. The part that was condemned is where I sit.
We are pretty sure there's still mold in the walls, because most of us spend our work days with allergy symptoms that go away over the weekends.
Of course, the company line is that the building has been tested, and it's mold free.
Whatever.
There's not much else to report. I got lots done yesterday, from mowing to painting patio furniture. Today will be a bit easier, with guest room prep being the main focus.
Maybe we'll get some lottery tickets today....
All three of the people in my department who applied will have to be trained intensively, but I was told that "we need someone who is going to hit the ground running."
I have no idea what that means, but oh well. It's clearer than clear to me now that the favoritism factor has not changed in the least with the new structure.
The other two from my department are actually requiring TRAINING for their second interviews! They're taking up hours of other people's time....getting....TRAINING...but yet, they seem to be able to hit the ground running, and I am not??
That is complete....Bull. Shit.
A friend suggested that they don't want to lose me from my current position. If that was the case, THAT is what they should have told me, rather than something that made me feel worthless.
So, a friend is working on my resume, and I might just have a different job some time this year.
We'll see.
I also found out that a man in my office, who has only been there 2 years, has far less responsibility, and has multiple absences and disciplinary write ups, makes .40c more an hour than I do.
He was disqualified from applying for the job due to his absences, and he was whining to me about it, and said how much of a raise the job would have brought him.
Anyway, it was discouraging, to say the least, since I was the one who was the most qualified, but am NOT the one who hangs out with the boss socially.
I am underpaid, undervalued, and underutilized, and I have had just about enough.
We had some heavy rains this past week. The street outside of my office turned into a raging river, and the parking lot flooded. Fortunately, my car was not there that day (Dave and I usually ride share, and whichever car we are using gets to sit in his parking garage all day).
Of course, water came into the building, part of which was condemned after a flood in 2013, the summer I started this job. The part that was condemned is where I sit.
We are pretty sure there's still mold in the walls, because most of us spend our work days with allergy symptoms that go away over the weekends.
Of course, the company line is that the building has been tested, and it's mold free.
Whatever.
There's not much else to report. I got lots done yesterday, from mowing to painting patio furniture. Today will be a bit easier, with guest room prep being the main focus.
Maybe we'll get some lottery tickets today....
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Sum Sum Summertime
This past week has been eventful.
I got to work on Tuesday to find a job opportunity in my email. They've created a new position at work, Training Coordinator.
I meet ALL of the qualifications, so, I tweaked my resume, and applied. It would be an .89c an hour raise, and it COULD mean that I would get an office, and not have to deal with sitting in the call center anymore.
The posting just closed on Friday, so I would imagine that interviews will start this coming week.
I know of one other person in my area who also applied, and who I also know meets NONE of the qualifications except that she graduated high school.
Then, my boss finally came back to work on Tuesday as well. We found out why she has been gone for 3 weeks. She has cancer.
Neuroendocrine carcinoma. It's in her abdomen. She started chemo on Wednesday.
I think maybe she needs to retire NOW.
Had my monthly visit to the clinic. It was supposed to be labs, doctor, and injection, but the doctor wasn't there, so it was a nurse visit... I just didn't KNOW it was going to be a nurse visit.
The experience itself was pretty awful!
I had to wait 30 minutes to get my port accessed, flushed, and labs drawn. My doctor appointment time came and went before anyone ever even acknowledged that I was sitting there.
Then another patient in the treatment room was in distress, and no one bothered to pull the curtain. This was upsetting to some others in the area, and was highly inappropriate. The curtains around each treatment chair are there for a reason... someone getting their first chemo treatment doesn't need to see another patient throw up and pass out in the next chair.
A nurse I had never seen before (there has been a rotating door in this department ever since the take over) finally arrived at my chair.
She asked if I was just there for my Xgeva injection.
I said no, and explained to her that she would need to do my port flush and draw my labs now, and that I would be back after my doctor appointment for the injection, if my labs showed that I was good to go.
First, she asked me a question about my port that I had NO idea how to answer... "Do you have a 3/4 inch?" I said "I have no idea, no one has ever asked me that before in 3 years of treatment It's a Power Port, if that helps."
She just grunted, and said "I bet it's a 3/4" without telling me what the HELL she meant.
It took her two tries to access the port (Actually, NONE of the nurses in the treatment room can access ports well except the ONLY ONE who is left from before the take over and she was off that day. I have learned to request her)
As if her difficulty with the port wasn't bad enough, she almost pulled out the access before she drew my labs.
When she said "Okay, done! Now take a deep breath..." I asked, in astonishment, "You drew my labs already?"
She looked at me blankly, and I reminded her that I had already told her I would need my labs drawn through the port.
She actually argued with me and said "you don't need your labs today."
I said "Yes, I do....that's why I have been sitting here for 30 minutes! I was supposed to see my doctor 10 minutes ago."
She walked away, talked to the nurse as the desk, came back, and apologized.
She put the syringe on the port access, and drew my blood.....
Then, she said "hold this."
I looked up at her, and said "Did you say you want me to hold something?"
And she had me HOLD THE SYRINGE FULL OF MY BLOOD that was attached to my port access, and she walked away again. I didn't have sterile hands or gloves on....
What the actual fuck? (I've since been told that she can lose her license for that)
She mumbled something about a cap or a tip or something....went back to the nurse at the desk, and had her come back over to my chair with her, where she took the syringe back from me and did whatever she needed to do.
Wow.
So, my labs were finally drawn, the port flushed, and I was ready for my doctor.
Found out it was a nurse visit, which is fine... that went fine, other than the fact that my labs weren't ready yet.
The nurse didn't really have an answer about my sudden and drastic weight gain, other than to say that the removal of the chemo probably is now allowing the latest hormone blocker to make me gain. These fucking hormone blockers have been the worst part of all of my treatment protocols.
Anyway, l later, when it was time for my injection, and I went back over to the treatment room, another nurse that I had never seen before (who was an LPN, not an RN) hit a bad spot with the needle, so that it burned all the way in, and then bled.
All in all, it was a pretty horrifying experience!
Unfortunately, I never saw either nurse's names, just their big RN and LPN badges... but I logged everything on my patient portal, and it will be seen by the doctor and others when he gets back from vacation.
SHEESH!!
Yesterday, Dave got his big tattoo worked on some more, and while we were there, I went ahead and got the 3rd piercing in each ear that I have been wanting.
Today, we had a break from the heat, and got the back yard done before he left to go meet his son for a beer.
I stayed home and watched part of the Cubs game, and will be doing a little bit of house work.
Sadly, it's already 3 pm.... I hate that our time off goes by so freaking fast. Those winning lottery tickets keep illuding us, though.
I got to work on Tuesday to find a job opportunity in my email. They've created a new position at work, Training Coordinator.
I meet ALL of the qualifications, so, I tweaked my resume, and applied. It would be an .89c an hour raise, and it COULD mean that I would get an office, and not have to deal with sitting in the call center anymore.
The posting just closed on Friday, so I would imagine that interviews will start this coming week.
I know of one other person in my area who also applied, and who I also know meets NONE of the qualifications except that she graduated high school.
Then, my boss finally came back to work on Tuesday as well. We found out why she has been gone for 3 weeks. She has cancer.
Neuroendocrine carcinoma. It's in her abdomen. She started chemo on Wednesday.
I think maybe she needs to retire NOW.
Had my monthly visit to the clinic. It was supposed to be labs, doctor, and injection, but the doctor wasn't there, so it was a nurse visit... I just didn't KNOW it was going to be a nurse visit.
The experience itself was pretty awful!
I had to wait 30 minutes to get my port accessed, flushed, and labs drawn. My doctor appointment time came and went before anyone ever even acknowledged that I was sitting there.
Then another patient in the treatment room was in distress, and no one bothered to pull the curtain. This was upsetting to some others in the area, and was highly inappropriate. The curtains around each treatment chair are there for a reason... someone getting their first chemo treatment doesn't need to see another patient throw up and pass out in the next chair.
A nurse I had never seen before (there has been a rotating door in this department ever since the take over) finally arrived at my chair.
She asked if I was just there for my Xgeva injection.
I said no, and explained to her that she would need to do my port flush and draw my labs now, and that I would be back after my doctor appointment for the injection, if my labs showed that I was good to go.
First, she asked me a question about my port that I had NO idea how to answer... "Do you have a 3/4 inch?" I said "I have no idea, no one has ever asked me that before in 3 years of treatment It's a Power Port, if that helps."
She just grunted, and said "I bet it's a 3/4" without telling me what the HELL she meant.
It took her two tries to access the port (Actually, NONE of the nurses in the treatment room can access ports well except the ONLY ONE who is left from before the take over and she was off that day. I have learned to request her)
As if her difficulty with the port wasn't bad enough, she almost pulled out the access before she drew my labs.
When she said "Okay, done! Now take a deep breath..." I asked, in astonishment, "You drew my labs already?"
She looked at me blankly, and I reminded her that I had already told her I would need my labs drawn through the port.
She actually argued with me and said "you don't need your labs today."
I said "Yes, I do....that's why I have been sitting here for 30 minutes! I was supposed to see my doctor 10 minutes ago."
She walked away, talked to the nurse as the desk, came back, and apologized.
She put the syringe on the port access, and drew my blood.....
Then, she said "hold this."
I looked up at her, and said "Did you say you want me to hold something?"
And she had me HOLD THE SYRINGE FULL OF MY BLOOD that was attached to my port access, and she walked away again. I didn't have sterile hands or gloves on....
What the actual fuck? (I've since been told that she can lose her license for that)
She mumbled something about a cap or a tip or something....went back to the nurse at the desk, and had her come back over to my chair with her, where she took the syringe back from me and did whatever she needed to do.
Wow.
So, my labs were finally drawn, the port flushed, and I was ready for my doctor.
Found out it was a nurse visit, which is fine... that went fine, other than the fact that my labs weren't ready yet.
The nurse didn't really have an answer about my sudden and drastic weight gain, other than to say that the removal of the chemo probably is now allowing the latest hormone blocker to make me gain. These fucking hormone blockers have been the worst part of all of my treatment protocols.
Anyway, l later, when it was time for my injection, and I went back over to the treatment room, another nurse that I had never seen before (who was an LPN, not an RN) hit a bad spot with the needle, so that it burned all the way in, and then bled.
All in all, it was a pretty horrifying experience!
Unfortunately, I never saw either nurse's names, just their big RN and LPN badges... but I logged everything on my patient portal, and it will be seen by the doctor and others when he gets back from vacation.
SHEESH!!
Yesterday, Dave got his big tattoo worked on some more, and while we were there, I went ahead and got the 3rd piercing in each ear that I have been wanting.
Today, we had a break from the heat, and got the back yard done before he left to go meet his son for a beer.
I stayed home and watched part of the Cubs game, and will be doing a little bit of house work.
Sadly, it's already 3 pm.... I hate that our time off goes by so freaking fast. Those winning lottery tickets keep illuding us, though.
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