27 January 2012

Pride/distress

Pride in my daughter, who got an awesome job last fall, with the costume department at D_____ Resorts in Florida. Then, worry, as she was working more with performers who are treated as expendable, as for D_____, they are. She figures out how to ask her boss, politely, if that is company policy. Her boss says yes. H grieves, stews, and helps be supportive of one performer on her own. A bit later, boss asks H what disturbed her about the situation. H details how destructive the methods used are, of self-confidence. Boss say oh, hadn't realized how rough it could be on people, see about fixing it. Comes back to tell H that higher-ups not concerned. H gives notice. Now working at a sandwich shop in Naples, Florida. H is feeling very guilty that she has taken her daughter so many miles from grandparents, feeling like a failure. She is too far from all her support networks. And I can't help her, I can't hug her, nothing.

23 January 2012

Power!

No work all last week, due to snow. Monday through Wednesday ok. Did some housekeeping, worked on a cover letter, guided D in baking. Thursday, woke up, said rude things, and told D, "Go back to sleep. No power." As we are on a rather small power loop (489 customers), and we are not between substations and anything major, we are NOT high on the priority repair list. Friday, went out to get livestock food, sterno, charge phone, sponge bath. Friday eve, ushered at Washington Center. National Geographic special, by the first woman, with children, to be a photographer for National Geographic Society. Very cool treat! Then, going home, flat tire. Least said, the best. Got to go to work on Saturday. Also, friend texted to say, "Hot water available for shower." And a studio family gave me a coleman stove, with several small tanks! Sunday. Hot coffee! Hot beef stew! Clean dishes! Whoo-hoo, the simple joys of life. Went out in early afternoon to do laundry at J.'s, and saw crews removing tree from the power line on our road. Hopeful! Going home in the evening, we are both chanting power mantras, to no avail. No blinking red light at intersection. No power. Have a lovely hot meal, and crawl into bed, because it is warm, there. The power comes on! Joy! Hurrah! Run and turn off anything that had been left on, that we didn't need on! Reset the clocks! More rude words as the power goes back off again. (droop). Burrow back into bed. Power back on a bit later! Ignore it, as a false temptation. It goes back off again. Sometime later, while asleep, it comes back on. Crack an eyelid. I refuse to get up yet. Go back to sleep. Ah-ha! it is time to get up, it is light out, and we still have power! Jubilation! And through it all, my daughter keeps nattering about missing snow, and wanting to move back here!

10 January 2012

T'other night, biking home

Have done a fair bit of biking in the wetter, cooler weather, and don't mind the coolth. Anybody who might be riding on my shoulder at night would laugh at me, particularly when I am going down Emu Hill. I do NOT want to have a close encounter of the four-footed or winged kind. To prevent this, I engage in a long monologue, "Okay, coyotes, raccoons, oppossums, aplodontia, nutria, weasels, wolverines, deer, owls, could you all please just stay behind a tree, just until I get past you." Well, the other night I did this, got down the hill, and across the street, and THEN, behind me, the coyotes started up. They had to have been watching me, possibly laughing at me, as I came down the hill. I thanked them for staying out of my way, and we all continued on.

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me---NOT. Tomorrow is my birthday. I will be spending it in the bankruptcy court AGAIN, trying to get GreenTree to LEAVE ME ALONE. So that I can continue trying to figure out how to have more money coming in. I will also be at Target, spending money to get a few on my anti-depressants, as my doctor and I don't know where the company shipped the free meds to. Spent yesterday at the local WorkSource office, learning how to use their services. Mostly online stuff available, or workshops that I can't get to because I would have to miss work! The one REALLY useful thing is that they have an account with Microsoft E-learning. I can work through the Office 2007 classes that I haven't taken, and then get certified in them. Useful skills when job-hunting, plus just material I want to know. Starting with Outlook, which I dislike, to get it over with. Then do Word. Then can run quickly through Excel (spreadsheet), which I use weekly and got an A in, previously. Then Access (database), which was also an A, but on 2003, which is very different than 2007. Then finish off with PowerPoint for dessert. Also, got a suggestion of a good, not too obnoxious typing tutorial, online. Knowledge and skills are never wasted. Sent Doug a link to the typing site, also. He likes games, if he plays typing games online, that is at least teaching him something. Didn't bike much during the colder weather, but now have an armwarmer/shrug, re-purposed from a thrift store sweater, that does a wonderful job keeping my arms warm. The wool gloves are too hot, so want to see about a really thin, light-weight pair. Wool? Silk? Frustration in trying to figure out how to post to this blog from my cell phone. Codes that should have come through on my phone, don't seem to have done so. Frustrating, as posting to via the phone would be a good use of bus or bus stop waiting time.Time to head to work, which at least is a cheerful thing.