PattyAnn

The STUPID swine flu (H1N1 virus)

2010-01-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

OK, so I was recovering pretty well after the surgery. I never made it for a full 8-hour day at work, but was feeling better every day and had recovered the hearing in my left ear. Until, that is, about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks after I started back to work, so about 3 1/2 - 4 weeks after the surgery. I had no resistance, so was hit hard by the swine flu. The fever from that caused more swelling in my brain, which caused all kinds of stroke-like symptoms. The pressure in my head (from the brain swelling) was very painful, but on the RIGHT side, not the left. I lost almost all control of my left arm and hand (can't find the right keys to save my life!), and could only keep my glasses on for about 15-20 seconds because it was too painful, so couldn't read, work on the computer, or do anything else that required me to see closer than the end of my arm. So, off work again. And still off work, many weeks later. They have assigned my duties to other employees, for the most part.

This has caused big changes in our life. Maybe that was the plan all along. We have had to pull Dean from RVC and put him in public high school because I have no income, not even disability pay. Disability from the surgery expired when I went back to work the first time, and the flu itself is treated and gone, but these residual complications are falling through the cracks in the who-is-actually-taking-care-of-me-now floor. The surgeon has basically released me, it's out of the normal realm of my primary care doc, and I have an appointment with the neurologist, but not til the end of January. Oh, well, it is nice to be at home, and I needed to relearn how to live a simpler life, so... Unfortunately, Allen's company is on cutback, too, so his income is less than usual now. There is a meeting next Tuesday of the administration team at work, so I will find out Wednesday if they are going to take me back or not. Time will tell, right? As always, life is interesting.

The pain is gone! Hallelujah!

2009-11-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

So I did go to Stanford and ended up having surgery on October 19 instead of the radiation, primarily because of a much higher success rate. I had a hole bored into the back of my skull, and the nerve ended up being trapped in 2 places, so he fixed them both by placing small pieces of teflon sponge material between the nerve and the artery compressing it. I had 2 days in ICU, then 2 days on the neurosurgery floor, then home. Allen stayed with me the entire time (I really have the measure of this wonderful man now!) and we sent Dean to Uncle Mike & Aunt Sammi's so he could get to school every day. Then my friends banded together and have kept us well fed and spoiled since I got home. I went back to work yesterday and only lasted 4 1/2 hours, and my brain is still swollen, which creates pressure, so I talk and move slowly and am pretty uncoordinated on the left side, but that is expected to be better in about 3 more weeks. And my hair is really short, so the shaved off part can grow back in while the rest of it is growing back too. The best thing is that the original pain seems to be gone, and we are so grateful. I never thought I would be happy to have someone cut into my brain! It's all a bit strange, but I am so thankful that it worked and hopeful to get my old energy back so I can get on with raising a teenager. And thankful to have friends that are my local family. If you are one of them, know that we love you!

Pain

2009-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

So, pain. Pain that is constant, with you every second of every day, consuming, exhausting, overwhelming. That kind of pain. Hard to imagine, if you've never had it.

I had never had it. I have been in pain, of course, primarily when injured or after surgery. Let's see, there was a broken ankle that only needed a cast, a toe broken so badly they had to cut 1/4" of bone out and reshape the poor thing, all those surgeries for the dreaded gynecological stuff, a C-section, blown-out discs in my lower back and neck, that nasty pulmonary embolism last year, and more, all of which caused me pain. But I've never had pain like this. I have never had a migraine. I've never even had that "brain freeze" or "ice cream headache" that everyone else groans about. Oh, how things change.

In July of 2007, while cleaning out some old stuff in my new office at the school, I took down a stack of things from the top of the shelves and thick dust came down with it. That started me coughing and sneezing, and suddenly I had this horrible stabbing pain above my left eyebrow. That was it. It didn't go away, so I went home about an hour later, took some Advil and tried to rest. No luck. After a couple days of pain that went from "oh, my gosh, this hurts more than I can imagine" to "What the heck can be causing this?" to "I'm in too much pain to think and can't keep from crying", I went to my doctor, who sent me for an MRI of the brain and head. An aneurysm, perhaps? A brain tumor? Some other horrible thing that only Dr. House can diagnose? Nope. Just "hot spots" that could be so many different things, but the end result was that I probably wasn't in imminent danger of death. Advil did nothing to touch it, nor did codeine. A few weeks later, my doctor has decided I have trigeminal neuralgia. This is a compression of the trigeminal nerve - in my case, the upper branch on the left side. The pain radiates from a point above my eye behind/through and around my left eye, down to my upper jaw and up to my scalp on the top of my head. Oh, and did I mention also to the back of my head on the left side? And, although it gets more and less intense throughout the day and night, it never goes away. Never. Ever.

OK, so we have a name for it, now how about a way to stop it? Not so easy. Like I said, Advil and codeine did nothing, nor did heat, ice, massage, or anything else I or anyone else could think of. I couldn't sleep, I got short-tempered. (Yes, my husband, I admit that.) So I started some medication. Medication that they use to treat seizures, but it knocked me off my feet, so that had to stop. Hard to drive your son to school when you can't even walk without running into the wall. Try medication #2. That helped, a little, so increase the dosage, and keep increasing it until it really works, along with sending me to a neurologist for care, who sent me to physical therapy too. Therapy helped with the pain in the back of my head, which turned out to be related to bad discs in my neck. A visit to the ear, nose, and throat specialist and a CT scan of the sinuses told us that I have a cyst in the left maxillary sinus, but that it wasn't the cause of the pain either. Over the course of a year and a few months, my medication was increased until it was 12 times the amount I started with, and it was better but not gone. Unfortunately, the heartburn that came along with it increased too. Finally, the last straw - the burning got so bad that it made me cough non-stop, the coughing increased the pain in my head, which was the reason I took the medicine in the first place. Vicious cycle, huh? So, medicine #3 begins, along with medicine #4 to be taken shortly before bedtime. Better because it doesn't cause the heartburn, but makes me a little bit spacey. The bedtime medicine knocks me off my feet (deja vu, just like medicine #1) and I'm dead to the world within 40 minutes. The neurologist contacted the neurosurgeons at UCSF and Stanford. UCSF said they couldn't help me, and I should see a pain management doctor for different meds. (Gee, that's helpful.) But the good thing is that Stanford agreed to see me. There is a doctor there that invented a new treatment for TN using the cyberknife - pinpointed radiation - and he has had good success with it. I will be going down on Wednesday to see him, with high hopes for the possibility of treatment to finally take this thing away. So I will be running around getting my MRIs and CT scans to take along and my dear friend Mae is taking a day out of her life to drive me down.

So, have hope, cross your fingers, send prayers, and anything else you can think of that maybe, just maybe this can be dealt with and I can have a normal life again. I'll let you know the outcome.

Altered books, and other strange things

2009-03-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

Poetry. That's the unit the 9th graders are working on in English right now, and it is all consuming. They have to create an altered book for their poems, and have been working on it for about a month now (mostly on my dining room table). What you do is: take an old hardbound book, glue the pages together in batches, and then decorate them like scrapbook pages with your poems on them. Well, since I have all the left-over supplies from teaching all those art classes, I ended up with many other kids here working on their books. There is paper, wire, chain, glue, tape, and lots of other strange miscellaneous stuff on my table, and I'm not touching it until the books are turned in - which is tomorrow. What has been cool is being able to read the poems, which are funny and sad and touching and silly and some heartbreaking. Dean actually wrote a poem about how hard it is to get up in the morning, and he has a line that says something like "my mom yells 'get up, you lout'", which is NOT true at all. When I asked him about that line, he said "yeah, but it rhymes", so apparently that was more important at the moment than truth. :) He wrote a haiku about coffee, which he loves, and one of his friends wrote a poem about tea, which he drinks because he hates coffee. Pretty funny. Anyway, then they have a Poetry Night on Tuesday, where each one reads one of their poems, and it is not only the freshmen, but also sophomores and a few juniors and seniors. It's a pretty big deal, and they publish a small book with many of the poems in it. So, Monday night, we pick up and reorganize all the stuff on the table, then put it away. I'll try to get a photo or two of the book and put it up for you all to see.

We went to the RVC play yesterday afternoon. They did Harvey (you know, Jimmy Stewart and the big white rabbit), and the kids did a fabulous job with it. Then we came home, some friends came over, and we had a feast of BBQed ribs, baked rice, garlic bread, beans, fruit, salad, and this fabulous chocolate/raspberry cake for dessert. We were stuffed! We had so much fun, just talking and laughing, and catching up, and it was in the mid 70s yesterday, so we sat outside and visited until about 8:00. Because the dining room table was covered with stuff (see above), we adults had the kitchen and the kids sat on the couch and watched a movie while they ate. Kinda hard to eat ribs on your lap, but nobody seemed to mind.

What to plan for a boy's 15th birthday, which is coming all too quickly? Any ideas?

What to tell you???

2009-03-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm just as bad a blogger as I am a phone caller, so I'm sure there are lots of things to say. I have just been making my way through life and not sure what needs to be told. So, if you already know something here, just skip over it, OK?

Dean's basketball team finished with only one loss and solidly in first place. That's fun, but now it's over. He isn't joining the golf team after all, because we just couldn't manage the transportation issue. That's a bummer, because he really wanted to golf.

My new bosses are wonderful, and at my three-month review they agreed to adjust my hours. I am now working from 7:15 - 3:45 (officially), so I usually end up getting out of there by 4:00. I can actually get home in time to get dinner going and supervise homework, etc without feeling frantic. I was even able to pick up some kids at school last week and didn't have to rely on someone else to get them home. I am so grateful.

I'm trying to get the summer plans figured out, and that's always a bit difficult, but this year will be especially so. I'm actually starting to look forward to Dean getting his driver's license next year. (Please tell me I didn't just say that!) Calendar rearranging is going to be my biggest project this week.

I've been hating my office at home for a few years now, as it is not very efficient. So I've been trying to work out a new plan for it without spending a bunch of money on new furniture and stuff. I finally got it figured out yesterday, so am excited to just get some time to tear it apart and redo it. When it is done, it will be nice usable space, which will encourage me to keep it organized and discourage other people from just putting miscellaneous stuff in here. It will take a few weeks, I think, but my goal is to get it done before the end of April. That is a nice, long time away and it should be great when done. And the best part is that I need to get just a couple things and it won't cost much. Yahoo! Now if I can get something done with the yard this year, that would be a miracle!

Next Saturday Allen and I will have been married 17 years. There were times I thought that would never happen, and times I thought that our life was forever. Now I know that we just keep loving each other because we choose to, even when it's hard. Sometimes it's simply one day at a time, but here we are, all these years later, and I know some of you are shaking your heads. Amazing, isn't it? I better get taken out to dinner, though!

So, life moves forward, and days go by quicker than I think they should. If you are one of the many people I owe a phone call to, know that you are on my mind. I love you all.

It's nice to be loved.

2009-02-17T20:05:00.001-08:00

I am alone for the moment, with my boys gone to the last basketball practice of the season. We spent a lot of time together this past weekend, though, just getting stuff done around the house (really exciting stuff like purging old files that were stored in the garage). Dean had kids coming and going all weekend, and we ended up with someone sleeping over every night, but that's all good with us. We had some yummy food and watched several movies over the weekend.

Last night we watched "Fireproof". I had heard so much about it that I pretty much knew the plot, but it still affected me somewhat, in that it did make me laugh and it made me cry some too. When all was said and done, though, I could honestly say that I can understand why so many people are impressed with it. The idea that you do have good and bad times in a marriage, and that you made the commitment "for better or worse" is one that many people can understand. What is hard to take in for so many couples is that you can make your "worse" times better with some major dedication to the person you're married to. I know I tend to be old-fashioned sometimes, but I believe that we have made it too easy to leave a relationship that struggles (and they all do sometimes). Once the word DIVORCE has been spoken, you can't take it back, and then it just sort of sits there like the elephant in the room. You may not want to talk about it, but it's still there. Obviously, I am not one to judge, having been divorced myself, but, now that I'm older, I do think it's all just a bit too easy. You think if it was harder to get divorced, maybe couples would treat each other better? Makes me wonder.

We have a few couples we know who treat each other with love and respect, even when they aren't happy with their spouse. That's a hard thing to do, but I am working on that part of my life. I have been trying to be less critical and more patient (you all know I am NOT a patient person under any circumstances) when things don't go my way, but now I am vowing to stop trying. I will simply commit to doing it. So, since I started out saying "It's nice to be loved", I will amend that with "and to love back". It must sound like I mean romantic love, and Valentine's Day did just go by, but I also mean any love. Friendship, family, romance, whatever. It's nice to be loved.

And so, my loved ones, I commit to you to be more patient and loving and less sarcastic and critical. Because I appreciate so very much how patient and loving you all are with me. I will make my love fireproof.

New stuff in the house

2009-01-24T16:25:00.001-08:00

OK, the exciting thing is that after 26 years, I finally got a new fridge! (OK, I'm a cheap date; it doesn't take much to make me happy.) I got the kind with the freezer on the bottom and the french doors, and it is bigger than the old one, which is a good thing for someone who hoards food the way I do. And it's black and shiny, so it looks a lot different from the old almond one, but very nice. Of course, I had to put a few magnets back on it so it doesn't look too perfect. :)

The not-so-exciting thing is that our water heater started leaking a couple of days ago, and it had to be replaced. Of course, it held out for 36 years, so that's not too bad. Allen and his brother just finished that. We certainly didn't plan to have to buy two new appliances at the same time, but life has a way of not fitting into our plans, doesn't it?

Speaking of plans, it's time to start making the summer plans. Seems early, I know, but it sneaks up on us. Allen is riding a Double Century (200+ miles in 2 days) from Seattle to Portland in mid-July, so we need to be there in time for him to prepare. Then my dad's birthday on the 14th so we'll stay there til then, and a very close friend in Oregon's birthday right after, so I'm hoping to be there for her on her day, working our way home. Dean is planning to go to music camp at Donner again and he will be stepping into the drum major slot year after next, so he is supposed to go to drum major training camp this summer and next with the current drum major. Somehow I have to reconcile all this stuff with the fact that he will only be 15 and not able to drive himself and I can't take off to drive him everywhere this year. It will be interesting, that's for sure.

Dean is getting so tall and skinny; he's starting to remind me of my older brother. Typical teenage boy, he goes through days when he eats everything in the house, then he hardly eats anything for a couple of days. He's planning to join the golf team this year, so we'll see how he likes that. It will give him lots of practice, that's for sure. Tonight is the Winter Banquet, so he'll get all dressed up and go to an appetizer party first, then they go to Ca' Bianca for dinner. Yum! I wish I was chaperoning; I haven't been there for a long time. When I was in high school (and dinosaurs roamed the earth), kids didn't go to dances and such without a date. It's nice that they just go solo a lot now and hang out in a group when they get there. Lots less pressure that way.

Several years ago one of our couple friends came over on Valentine's Day and we had fondue. What a fun time that was! They have since moved to another state, but I remember that night with fondness. I'm thinking about having fondue for Valentine's Day again this year. It's on a Saturday, so we can take our time and have some fun with it. It's just as much fun looking through all my fondue recipes and planning it as it is actually making it, I think. (Remember, I told you earlier that I was a cheap date.)

OK, I've rambled enough. I have work to do. Love to all my family and friends.

It's a new year, so why do I feel so old?

2009-01-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

That probably won't make much sense to you all, but it makes sense to me. If the year is new, shouldn't I feel new too? OK, OK, just kidding (sort of). I'm a little behind these days, because the year has been "new" for almost two weeks now. I don't think I goofed and wrote 2008 on very many things, so that's a good way to start off.

Dean and I had a play day the day after Christmas. He got some streaks in his hair and I got mine hacked off about 6 inches, then we went out to lunch and to a movie. We saw "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey, which was pretty funny, but had a few parts that we both were surprised about, since it was rated PG13. I don't understand why script writers feel the need to add swearing to almost every movie these days. It usually doesn't add anything to the movie that wasn't there already, so why not leave it out? Maybe more families could bring their children - although, now that I think about it, there were quite a few children there that were quite some distance away from 13. Maybe I'm just more sensitive than other people. I know I'm more protective as a mother, but hey, if mothers don't protect their children, who will? Anyway, blah, blah, blah.

I'm having a hard time getting revved up this week. I think it's time to do some purging, starting with my closet and then the office. Maybe even get rid of all those boxes of books collecting dust in the garage. Sounds like a project for this weekend.

And I eventually got those Christmas cards sent, but just in case I didn't send enough of them, here is the photo on the card. My sister-in-law took it on Thanksgiving Day, and though it isn't a fabulous photo, it really is us. (And yes, Dean was standing on the hearth, so is not quite that tall. He looks about 3" taller there than he really is.)

Love to all - and Happy New Year!

Countdown to Christmas

2008-12-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

OK, the shopping is done - not that I am that big a shopper, but some things have to be bought. I've been in the kitchen a bunch and we have yummy gifts to give. Dean made dark chocolate peppermint truffles and fudge cookies, and Brandon came over yesterday and we made toffee fudge that is absolutely amazing. I have a few things left to wrap, and we ordered Christmas cards, but they have yet to leave the dining room table. Maybe they'll get sent before Christmas; maybe not. I've been happily listening to Christmas music; Allen is anticipating the day after Christmas when all the stations will be playing regular music again!

This is the first year in more than 20 that I'll have to work at Christmas/New Year's time. It's very strange. I work until 4:00 on Christmas Eve, then Allen, Dean, and Grandpa will meet me at church for the 4:30 service. I'm off Christmas and the day after, back to work on Monday, and only off for New Year's Day. Obviously, Dean is out of school and Allen will be off starting at noon on Christmas Eve, so I'm sure I'll grumble a little about being the only one to have to get out of bed the week after Christmas. On the other hand, maybe dinner will be cooked by someone else that week. Ya think?

Life, as always, is interesting. I keep wondering what is in store for me next. I am working with some wonderful people, but I really miss the kids at the school, as well as the event planning, marketing, etc. Not a lot of room for creativity these days, so I will need to find another outlet. In the meantime, I continue to pray for my friends still job hunting.

So, if you don't get my card, I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Oh, yes, and a flu-free season!

Holiday Eating Tips

2008-12-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

I was given these last year shortly before Christmas, and just now received them again. In the Spirit of Christmas, I offer you these 11 simple tips. Feel free to share them with all your family and friends. After all, I just did, right?

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.
This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
Same for pies. Apple,Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, cookieless January is just around the corner.

The Day After - or - Black Friday

2008-11-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and the traditional Spend-all-the-money-you've-ever-made-on-gifts-your-people-don't-really-need-or-want day. But, here's the thing: I got all the Black Friday ads again this year, and there was really nothing worth going out for. OK, there are a few things that are on sale for a good price that I really could go out and pick up, but absolutely nothing worth getting up early and going out to fight the crowds for. Which is a good thing, don't you think? So I slept in, had a leisurely breakfast, and am now just doing some list making, recipe finding, and such. I will go out soon (primarily because we're out of bread and low on veggies) and I will pick up a couple things for Christmas, but not much. I am listening to Christmas music on the radio, though. (Yippee! Christmas music!)

And another thing: I refuse to say "Happy Holidays" across the board just to be politically correct. I do say things like "Have a good holiday" at times, but I say "Merry Christmas" most often, and I see nothing wrong with that. So, sue me, or just don't hang around me. Geez, if I keep writing stuff like this, I'll have quite a few less people hanging around me, and therefore, will have less to think about in the gift shopping department, too.

We went to Mike & Sammi's for Thanksgiving yesterday. They had a small group, but it was fun and we consumed more than enough food for the number of people at the table. Drank some wine, watched Get Smart, and got home well before it was time to fall asleep. Overall, a good day. Maybe we'll BBQ burgers tonight. That goes well with Christmas music. :)

Tuesday I turned 53 (OUCH!) and when I was at work, they all came out of the back singing and Jessika was carrying a raspberry cheesecake, which was fabulous. What a great group of people. Then, when I got home, there was a card on the counter and three crabs in the fridge, courtesy of my in-laws. Then Allen came home with roses, chocolate, and a new timed crock-pot, which I have been wanting for a few years. We had our study group Tuesday night, so we had a great dinner of crab, salad, and french bread Wednesday night, and I used the new crock-pot yesterday to keep mashed potatoes hot. I feel blessed on so many levels. I did have a little pity party due to missing my family, but Dad & Kitty called Monday night and Beth texted me and Dave called Tuesday, so I knew they were thinking about me.

I've probably dawdled long enough. It's 10:45 and all the early-bird shoppers should be home napping by now, so I guess I'll put my shoes on and head out. I'd much rather stay home and bake something.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

The Don't Song

2008-11-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

The Don't Song from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

Check this out. It's absolutely hilarious. I can't decide if I like the hair or the big white teeth best! Enjoy!

Almost the end of Week One...

2008-11-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Thursday night and I've been at the new job for 4 days; tomorrow makes the end of Week One. It's interesting work, but I'm still so new to it that I can't just take it and run, so I sometimes have to wait for my bosses to finish what they are working on to give me something else. It's usually only a few minutes, so not really a big deal, but I occasionally have to find something to do to fill my time. As in any office, during downtime there is always filing! I am learning new stuff each day, and hoping to have them just give me files to work on soon without asking for them. They seem to be pleased with my work, which is a good thing. The best thing about working there is that they are all so friendly and nice. After being someplace where they acted like I was the odd one if I said "Good morning", this is a welcome thing.

I made and labeled all the meals for this week, so have just had to heat them up on the right day, which is nice. Tonight I actually needed to toss a salad, too, but that's the most intense thing I've had to do to get dinner on the table. It's been 5 1/2 years since I couldn't be there to pick Dean up after school, so trying to make pick up arrangements is strange. I hate to burden my friends, but they did offer to help, so...

Tomorrow Dean goes to Mt. Hermon down near Santa Cruz (think curvy mountain roads) for a youth group weekend retreat. Hopefully, he will get in a car with someone who understands carsickness and is willing to let him sit in the front. There was one soccer game up in Boonville that had 3 kids in the same car that got sick on the way. Must be hard to play a good game right after you barf! Why is it that when a guy is driving, he is so reluctant to pull over and let the kid be sick? Moms will whip right over to the side of the road, but dads, well that's a different story, isn't it? Anyway, he should have lots of fun and we will have a busy weekend around the house. As usual, I'll miss him.

Well, I think that's about all the "news" I have to tell you right at the moment. My week is good, my friends are great, my family is awesome, and God is amazing. Oh, yeah, and it was about 70 degrees, beautiful, sunny & clear today. What more could I ask for?

Yippee Skippee! A new job!

2008-10-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

I love my friends! I happened to run into a friend I don't see often at the RVC homecoming football game last weekend and we talked about my still being unemployed. She lives next door to another RVC family, and mentioned to them that I was looking. They just took on a large batch of work from a failing company and need someone new to help, so they called me. I met with one owner and a VP on Friday and they called me Saturday morning to offer me the job. What's especially good is that I get to learn something new (which is always fun) and that they will be understanding when I need to take off for a doctor appointment for me or Dean. And, it's not too far away, just on the west side of the freeway, right here in SR. I will be starting next Monday.

So I spent yesterday doing one of the things I love to do, which is cooking all day. I made several things to freeze so I can just pop something into the oven and have it turn itself on and be ready to eat when we get home. There is something so great about coming home and having the house smell good and dinner ready to put on the table. If I get really organized in the morning, I can even have the table set for dinner before I leave. (OK, that doesn't happen very often.)

This is the last week of soccer and there are 4 games. Today we go to Point Arena, then home on Wednesday, Mendocino on Thursday, and home on Friday. That wouldn't be quite such a big deal except there is no school Thursday or Friday. It would have been fun to have a field trip to Jelly Belly (we have some friends who have never been) one of those days, but that will just have to wait. Of course, having games on two no-school days means the homework thing isn't so crazy. It's hard to do homework when you don't even get home after the game until about 9:00. It's actually even hard to talk coherently when you don't get home until then. The next sport is golf, but that doesn't start for a few months and shouldn't require so much parental driving.

Anyway, it's going to be a full week, but there is such a feeling of relief that I don't have to continue job hunting. I can actually get other things done - when I'm not on the road for soccer games, that is! And yes, I'm still returning calls and emails. I DO think of all of you; somehow it seems that I have time to call when it's way too late to call! Don't give up on me.

Free time?

2008-10-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Up front, I tell all of you who are waiting for me to return your phone call and/or email, that I am working on it. I know I should have free time now (since I'm still not working full time), but somehow that doesn't seem to be the case. Still searching out all possible job opportunities, and starting to think that I'm too picky. Better that than that I'm unwanted!

I organized the school carnival, which was last Friday, and now am just cleaning up/putting away/debriefing for next year. Homecoming was Saturday, so Dean went to his first high school banquet after the games. They had a 1950s theme; it was fun to see all the kids dressed up in poodle skirts and leather jackets. This Saturday is the big carnival at church, and I'll be spinning sugar into cotton candy while Dean takes the money. Allen gets to pick up trash (lucky guy).

Anyway, that's about it for the moment. Stay tuned for the next fabulous installment of my exciting life!

Did I happen to mention that I love all my family and friends? Well, I do.

Starting all over again

2008-10-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm pretty sure that was a song title in the 1970s!

So the job at the church is done as of yesterday, and now I'm starting all over again, looking for work. I know, I did keep looking for the past month while I worked at the church, but didn't spend so much time on it. Now I have to get back to the big search. I have friends who have done temporary work and loved it, loved going from place to place and meeting new people every couple of weeks. I'm not that kind of person. Not that I don't like to meet new people, but I don't like to just pick up and leave every couple of weeks. I don't leave well. (Airports are the worst, seriously.) It always makes me think I should be able to say something profound, but what I usually do is get teary. What I'd really like to do again is just settle in and make a place my home and my coworkers family. Anyway, blah, blah, blah...

It's raining a little, and I'm wondering how that will affect the weekend. Dean has a soccer game today at 4:30, and they don't really care about rain and mud unless it's pouring, but Rock of Ages is tomorrow and I can't imagine what they will do to protect all that concert equipment if it rains. We will be going to an art show tomorrow evening at a winery that belongs to one of Allen's customers, so Dean and Megan will be concert attending/hanging with Dylan and his family. Hope it all works out for everyone.

I'm just feeling dreary both inside and out. Not even chocolate will help this day!

More fun - especially for moms!

2008-09-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

Not much new and exciting today, so I thought I'd post this little video. I hadn't seen it for quite a while, but it gave me a laugh again.

It's a woman who has taken many of the things we moms say and put it to the music of the William Tell overture. It's fast, funny, and so very true! In fact, I'm sure I've said several of those things in the past couple of days. Copy, Paste, and Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

Soccer Mom

2008-09-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

I have joined the ranks of the soccer moms. Dean played when he was little - literally, like age 4 to 7 or 8 - and then not again until last year when he played on the 8th grade team. Junior high soccer is co-ed, and it was fun to see the kids all muddy and ragged, then just an hour or so later all clean and dressed up to dance at Nordquist. This year it's high school soccer and we don't have enough boys for a JV and a varsity team, so it's only varsity. What a difference. These boys play tough! Here is a photo of part of the team after a win on Monday. The newspaper came out and took a bunch of photos and wrote up an article about the team. Dean is number 9 and the muddy boy is Garrison, a good friend. He really earned that dirty uniform that day! It's a great group of boys and parents, so it's been fun so far. Dean is learning a lot about soccer, since he really didn't play much before this.

Life is interesting, isn't it?

It's been a while...

2008-09-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

OK, it's been a while since I've posted. Seems like there is a lot going on considering I'm essentially sitting home these days. Just kidding! I don't think there's been any time that I have just sat at home.

I'm working part-time temporarily at the church, helping out in the bookkeeping office. That's OK for now, but I'm still wondering where I'm meant to end up. I've been working with a friend a bit, trying to get her business start up plans figured out. School started a few weeks ago, and soccer practice is every day after school unless they have a game. My in-laws just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and we all got together for a family BBQ for them. Bible study starts tomorrow night, and I'm looking forward to that.

We did something really fun this past weekend. We were gifted with tickets to a benefit event in Rutherford that included a concert by The Pointer Sisters. What a great time we had, tasting some fabulous local wines and dancing to some great music, then going out to dinner in Napa with friends. Not the kind of thing we do often, but soooooo much fun. Then a relaxing impromptu BBQ Sunday after church with our very best friends and the weekend was topped off quite nicely. We're so blessed!

Is your time going by as quickly as mine? Before we know it, we'll be making Thanksgiving and Christmas plans!

How smart is your foot?

2008-08-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is just plain silliness, but give it a try. I'd love to know if you can outsmart your foot. Here's what you do:

Without anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......and they might just be right) and while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

Now, while still doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.

Your foot will change direction.

There's absolutely nothing you can do about it! We both know how dumb it is, but before the day is done, you are going to try it again, if you've not ready done so.

So- that's my fabulous post of the day! Just a little light-hearted silliness to take a few minutes away from working, thinking, whatever you're doing. Have a great day.

Just stuff

2008-08-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

OK, I admit I haven't posted for a while. Dean is back in school, after having two weeks of P.E., a week of band camp, and lots of soccer practice. The coaches are determined to get these kids in shape before the first game, and they're working them hard. Football players have to practice twice a day, the first being 6:30 in the morning. The school schedule is crazy enough, with jazz band starting at 7:00, so I feel for those who have to get their kids onto the football field by 6:30.

I'm still job hunting, finding lots out there that don't work for me and a few things that might. Along with this, I'm working on some projects for others and trying to just get stuff done that's been lagging. For example, I have been cleaning up old email. I came across this one that I saved because it was just plain funny. It is a phone call that was played on the radio in Texas and they had so many requests to replay it that they put it on their website. A man was leaving a message for someone else and witnessed an accident involving four elderly women. His laugh is contagious; I was cracking up when I heard it, and it made me laugh again yesterday. There is no swearing, so copy and paste this link and turn up your speakers. Enjoy it!

http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf

Absolutely nothing new to say

2008-08-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday now, and I have nothing to say. OK, I never have nothing to say, but I have nothing new to say. I'm still job hunting; had a good interview yesterday for a job I was a little leery of when I got called about it, but somehow it feels right. I have a second interview there tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. I am getting tired of searching all the websites and reading job descriptions galore. The perfect thing would be too get a job now that didn't want me to start for another week. Hey, I can dream, right?

Even the file review I'm doing for my old boss doesn't feel like I'm actually working, and I'm feeling unproductive. So I'm not to going to look today. I have a big bag of apples and I'm going to pick up Dean today, take him to buy new shoes, and come home and make apple crisp. I have a good recipe, it's actually for berry crisp, but I'm using apples. I'm going to do a few things around this messy house of mine and ignore the fact that I am unemployed. Here's the crisp recipe (and remember I'm substituting sliced apples for the berries):

Berry Crisp
2 12-ounce packages frozen mixed berries (such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries; about 6 cups), unthawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour and lemon juice in large bowl; toss to blend well. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish.
Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, oats, brown sugar, spices and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping holds together in small moist clumps. Sprinkle over berry mixture. Bake crisp until berry mixture bubbles thickly and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy your day!

Life is back to normal - sort of

2008-08-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Dean is home from Mt. Gilead. He had a great time, as always. Lots of dirty laundry, but that's fixable, and no injuries this year. Yay! Now we just have to do some stuff to get him ready for school.

Another interview tomorrow, and it's hard not to get discouraged. I need to remember who's in charge and learn to be patient.

Heather turned 35 yesterday. She's coming tonight for dinner and a movie. Hard to believe that the tiny girl who came home from Germany when she was 1 is now all grown up, has her PhD, and is such an amazing woman. Sometimes I still picture her in her little red and white dress with her first tricycle. I never actually feel old until I look at the kids and wonder how they got to be the age they are so quickly. Maybe I'm getting senile! I love just talking with her; she's so smart and funny.

Anyway, I'm just babbling. Think I'll go talk to Dean while I get dinner ready. Happy Saturday!

Wednesday again

2008-07-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I realize I posted last Wednesday, so it's been a whole week without too much change, but it sure seems like I've been busy every second. I had another interview for my most attractive job yesterday, so now I wait for feedback. Grandpa came to town to pick up his new glasses, and we went out to dinner at Mary's. As usual, I got the mushroom burger, ate half with my salad, and have the rest in the fridge for today. Yum! Then we watched a silly movie called Fool's Gold, which was lighthearted and predictable - perfect. It's so hard to go to sleep when you've just watched a movie that is scary or heartwrenching. No problem there with this movie.

There are a couple photos of Dean on the Mt. Gilead website. This one looks like they are having lots of fun. It must have been taken Sunday night. I am really looking forward to picking him up Saturday morning. There are so many things that need to be done before school starts, and it's hard to believe it's almost here. Besides buying new/bigger shoes and clothes, I have to cut his hair too. We plan to cut it the day before school starts. It's been funny to see how many of the kids are "rebelling" with their hair this summer. Dean's is long, as are some of the others, and Dylan has a mohawk. I figure it's only hair and it's temporary, so no big deal. I am much more concerned with their hearts than their hairstyles. Plus, I think it looks good. (OK, maybe I'm a little rebellious too.)

Enough babbling; back to work.

Another day, but not another dollar

2008-07-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back to Monday and my son is back at camp. I took him to Mt. Gilead yesterday with an old friend and his mom, they took their stuff to the cabin, waved good-bye and walked to the pool. We were dismissed! What old fuddy-duddies we must be. I know they're having a good time, as they always do. The theme this year is Uncle Gil's Barnyard Fiasco, which sounds like it will be crazy and dirty. Hmmm - maybe I want to bring some plastic sheeting for them to sit on in the car coming home. Did I mention that he had a great time at that dance last week at Donner Mine? They did a random "time out" thing, where all the campers went back to their counselor for head count, so it was very well controlled with no wandering off. Good thinking, huh?

Dan & Patty came over for dinner last night, so we BBQed and played washers and had some fun. That was nice, a good way to relax and end a crazy week. Now today I'm trying to get some stuff done. I'm beginning to think I don't have time to work! How did we ever get it all done when there were three kids at home? Maybe I was younger and more energetic then. In fact, I'm sure of it.

OK, no more dawdling. Back to work.

Happy Saturday

2008-07-26T11:20:00.001-07:00

Well, we went to Donner Mine yesterday, heard some amazing music and brought the kids home. They both said "I want to go back next year", so I guess they really did have a good time. There were about 100 kids there, all of whom were in the concert band, and many of them did secondary music activity too. Dean took theory, and he started composing a new song. Megan took choir and had a couple solos in the concert. Some of the kids grouped up for small ensembles, duets and such. All the groups sounded really great; the entire concert was about 2 1/2 hours long. What a great group of people. On the way up, we parents went to Grass Valley and found the Main Street Cafe, where we had a delicious lunch. It was an old building with the original brick walls and some murals on the interior sheetrocked walls. Very cool, and the food was fabulous. We actually arrived at the camp somewhat early (but we were not the first parents) so we wandered around a bit and claimed some good seats for the concert. Next year, we'll remember to bring seat cushions, though. They talked about 2 hours of the way home, made some new friends, learned a lot of music, and absolutely loved it - but boy, was it good to see them. I think he has grown another inch taller this week.

I did call on that job, decided to at least pursue the possibility of commuting, since it's apparent that I won't be driving any less than 20 minutes anyway. I will meet with the general manager of the company early in the week, hopefully Monday, get more information and see if I'm the right fit for the position.

So Allen is riding with a friend and Dean and I are hanging out together today. I've always loved spending time with my child, but now we have discussions instead of just talking. He's growing up so fast it amazes me. We are going to get everything unpacked and cleaned, then repacked so he can go to Mt. Gilead tomorrow. It's strange to think he'll be gone for another week right away, but he loves going every year and I wouldn't want to keep him from it. (I am hoping, though, to get him back with no injuries this time. He still has a tender spot from the BMX incident last year!) We will go over all his stuff for school; hard to believe that it all starts so soon. I think we have most everything, but we do need to find some jeans that fit and he has nothing to wear on chapel days except the khakis we stole from Allen's closet for him to wear to Joe's wedding. Bigger shoes will be on the list, too. And running shoes for PE. I think I need to make a list!

Prayers of thanks for a safe and wonderful week the kids had; prayers for safety while Allen & Dan are riding; prayers for my friends and family; prayers for the life I love. I'm saying them all, and more.

Two interviews today

2008-07-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

OK, it was a banner day. I had two interviews - amazingly enough, the two jobs I find most attractive so far. The downside? Both require a drive. So what I need to think about is this: Do I have any options at all in my current loop? Nope, because there is no place to work near either home or school, so no need to spend any more time on that one. So, next question: How much would it cost me to commute, because it seems sure that I will be driving somewhere farther than my ideal of not at all? Allen says I need to get a smaller car (but you know I love my car) and he's probably right. What would the job need to be and what would it need to pay to make a commute worthwhile? And how much would I have to rely on friends to get the boy home for me? That seems a lot to ask, and I apparently need to find someone to carpool him to school with. Hmmm... Not that I have an offer yet, but I do need to decide if I want to pursue these or keep looking. I have to call one back tomorrow morning, so will spend the evening thinking, talking, and praying. Might have to do that with a glass of wine in hand.

The good thing is that we leave tomorrow morning to head up to pick up Dean. We are planning to go have lunch in Grass Valley with our best friends, and then wander around some until late afternoon, then head over to the camp, have a picnic dinner, attend the concert, and drive back. With a little luck, we'll be able to sleep late on Saturday!

Halfway through the week

2008-07-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

OK, it's official. I miss the boy. You know, the 14-year-old, 5'7" tall, 125-pound, size 10 shoe, little boy. I miss the bedtime prayers and talks, the non-stop eating that is followed by "I'm not hungry", and I even miss the eye rolling - and the laugh that comes next after I've seen him do it. I'm really looking forward to the concert on Friday night and bringing him home, even if it's only for one day before he goes away for another week. Won't be long now before he starts spending all his time doing homework and we won't see him much then, either, but at least he'll be home (some).

Still job searching. I know the right thing is out there and I just have to find it. I interview tomorrow for one that sounds interesting, and people are starting to contact me with ideas. Allen says to put the word out on my network, but I don't know many people looking to hire right now. We'll find out, though, won't we? Keep those prayers and wishes coming.

I guess it's all relative.

2008-07-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

OK, the test results. I still type 70 words per minute, but I made 2 mistakes, so drop that down to 68. I had some trouble with the MS Office testing, in that I kept wanting to do what it told me to do and it kept asking "Are you done with this question?" instead of taking my keystrokes. Nevertheless, I got a 91% on Word, but I stunk on Excel with a 78%. When I got the email response back from the recruiter, though, she said I did great, and that the national average for XL is 65%. I guess I feel better, because I really did know how to do almost everything they asked me to do (I just couldn't make it work faster than the pop-up), but on the other hand, I was appalled to only get a 78, which equals C+ in grading language. So, maybe I am much more qualified than most of the other applicants, which is a good thing for me and a bad thing for local employers in general. On the other hand, all I have received today are 4 emails from different companies wanting me to do insurance sales and direct sales is definitely NOT my gift.

I'm feeling pretty unwanted. Maybe this is supposed to teach me patience. Ya think?

Monday, Monday

2008-07-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a new day in a new week, and it still feels odd. Dean is gone to Donner Mine Music Camp for a week. We took him and Megan up there yesterday (not a bad drive, just 3 hours going up and a little longer coming back) and left them at audition time. Auditions for placement, not for acceptance. They are accepted already, obviously, or we wouldn't have left them there. They have a concert Friday at 6:00, then we drive home late and do all the laundry Saturday so he can leave Sunday for Mt. Gilead for a week. Busy boy! It should be a great experience for them both. The place is VERY rustic and funky, literally an old mining camp, but the people all seemed so nice and kids were sitting in every available spot practicing and warming up for their auditions. The days are broken up into pieces, most having to do with music practice of some sort, but they have some free time every afternoon and "camp fire" activities every night. Wednesday they bus them out to a nearby lake for swimming and then have a dance on Wednesday night. Dean says "I just don't see the point of a dance at camp", but we'll see if he feels differently when he gets home. I reminded him that he had seen the original Parent Trap, which may have been an error on my part. He didn't seem any more convinced that it was a good thing. Now that I think about it, maybe the dance scene in that movie wasn't so great, after all, as a comparison. Oops!

I just spent an hour with the newlyweds. Joe & Ashley came by to pick up their gift and visit for a while before they went home. They had a good time in Maui, although Joe is peeling on his back from all that snorkeling time. Ashley had her first-ever plane ride and said the descent into Maui was pretty bumpy, so I don't think she was all that thrilled, probably won't sign up to be a frequent flier quite yet. They were pretty much sat on by the people in front of them on the plane when their seats were inclined, so felt like flying sardines. They had one very expensive dinner out, some great snorkeling trips to Molokini, etc., and have some fun stories. All honeymoons should have at least one thing that goes wrong, don't you think, so the memories bring laughter later. (Mine has to do with sand fleas, but that's another story, if you haven't heard it.) Anyway, it was nice to visit with them. I added the link to Ed's photos on the lower right, if you want to see some pics of the wedding weekend.

OK, back to the real world now. I have been emailed some pre-employment testing that I can do online. Half of me hopes it is easy so I breeze through it all; the other half hopes it is harder than the batch I took on Friday morning. Those were so ridiculously simple that it was almost condescending. I hate to think there are people applying for any type of office jobs who can't pass them. Most of them were questions that could be on "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" and probably very few of them would be labeled as 5th grade questions. If that is indicative of our graduates as a whole, we should be worried. Does it sound like I'm stalling here? I think I must be. Off to test, and hope the phone doesn't ring, because once I start, I can't stop until I'm done because it's timed. Wish me luck! Again!

It's very strange to be looking for work.

2008-07-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

OK, I admit it. I think it's weird to be job hunting. I've always been the one who got the "Come work for me" phone calls. Most of them I didn't go to, but a couple I did. I worked at Dr. Ramsey's office for so long that, when we were closing last year, I thought maybe I'd do something different. If I went back to school and got my certificate in Resource Development, I could work for a non-profit and put all those years of volunteer work to good use as experience. Well, I did, and that was fun; then I worked at the school for a year, and that was fun, but now it's over and I've cleaned out my office. So now I'm suddenly searching for a job, along with thousands of other people. And looking for a job IS a full-time job! You don't just look in the paper anymore. Now you have to search every website there is and hope you find something that is right for you in your own town. There are tons of jobs out there and you just have to wade through all the ones that are labeled as what you're looking for, but are really something else. Truck driving is not an administrative assistant job! Really - I'm absolutely sure of it! I don't know if I should go back into the medical field, try for another school job, look at other non-profits, or something entirely different. I'm thinking I could use some answers here.

Anyway, I met with two different recruiters today, and actually felt very good about one of them. She seemed to understand me and what I can do and what I want to do, and she has a possible opening to consider me for. Then I got a phone call to go for an interview next week. Yippee! At least that's something that feels like a step forward instead of back.

I know that God has a plan for me, but I confess that I'm having a hard time waiting to find out what it is. I'm praying - and searching the internet!

I'm up and running (sort of)

2008-07-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well, based on my friend Katy's blog, I finally came in and set this one up. I answered some questions and chose a photo of myself and my husband and didn't get much farther than that. It's a nice diversion, but what I really need to do today is get some work done. My nephew's wedding was Saturday and we had family here for several days. Every bed was in use, the couches were full, and there was an airbed on the floor, so it was a bit crazy - but, oh, what fun to be together! We laughed a lot, ate lots of good food, drank lots of good wine, and reconnected some who had drifted apart. It doesn't get much better than that. Anyway, they're all gone now and I have no excuse not to get some work done (you know, the kind that pays the bills). I have to go to the school and catch up on some paperwork and then come home and catch up on some more paperwork here. Wish me luck!