Catching Up/ Grandma's Hands

Ok, where was I?

Oh yeah, I finally got moved to PA. Started my job......... which was right after the State had made their inspection, and found many, many faults with the facility. I will be busy for a while. Next time I will unload about the work I had to do, but for now, let's say I am working and loving it.

The move sucked. People lie.

#1. I rented my van online. I paid attention. I did everything they said. They said to move a one bedroom apartment TO a one bedroom apartment, I would need a 10 foot van. Well, evidently they didn't have 20-some boxes that are marked "crafts". And when you pick a truck up Friday night, to be returned Monday morning, you don't have time to negotiate.

I went to pick up the truck, looked at it. Said " it ain't gonna fit", and asked about a larger van. I could get one........ Monday morning! Well, that would have been negating my contract in less than 24 hours, so not only would I have had to pay the $48. for not keeping that contract, I would have had to do yet Another contract, and changed my date, etc. I could have done it, but on Monday, everyone would be working, and I would have been unloading a 16 ft van with nobody to help. (Life's like that, I'm coming to discover.)

Sooooo, I took the 10 ft, said I will get the important things here to PA and store the rest till I can get back to retrieve them. Oops, I forgot I was not the only one helping me move.

I had 4 guys from my work helping. I was trying to arrange stuff as they were running up and down stairs packing. One would say, "What do you want to go next?: I would point, and in the meantime, three others would be grabbing boxes and running.

Long story short, I drove straight through from Indy. We unpacked in Shiela's garage Sunday. And then I discovered that all the things I really Wanted to Bring???? Were still in Indy. I have summer clothes I can't wear when its flurrying. I have a billion boxes of craft stuff I should have trashed. I have dishes with no kitchen to put them in. Important papers? Winter clothing? Desk? Utility table? Uh, those are in Indy.

#2. And THEN, I was stupid. I forgot my age. When they asked at my new job when I could start, I said, I will be back in PA on Oct. 26th. So I think I will start on Nov 5th. Sounds good. Unless you have a shithouse full of stuff to do!

#3. Directionally challenged, I headed off to get fingerprinted. (If you have not lived in the state for two consecutive years, you need to have an FBI fingerprint check run; and they gave me directions to get to the one they use for work.) Two hours after I started, I came back home with no prints done. Never did find that place. I have since found out that any State Police barracks can do them, so I went to where I knew one was! And am therefore legal!

#4. Then I had to have a physical. I tried to do this in two days. Not good!! The doctor must have been near to the State Police that I couldn't find, because it took me forever to find them too. I finally called when I got lost for the third time. And with 8 minutes to spare. (This is with leaving home two hours before my scheduled physical. ) Turns out I was only 5 minutes from them, so I whizzed over. Failed my physical!!

I have never in my LIFE failed a physical! My blood pressure was wayyyyyyyy above stroke level! This scared me, and therefore took my mind off failing a physical. So the next day I went to an Urgent Care. They gave me blood pressure medication ( a water pill, if you will), and my bp dropped considerably. However, they said see my family doctor. Uh, I haven't been here for 20 years. My old family doctor passed away many years ago. And while in Indy, I had none. When I was sick, I would go to a clinic.

Thank Goodness Shiela's doctor is in my group for insurance at work. He agreed to be my family doctor, and perscribed yet Another medication for blood pressure.... an ACE inhibitor. The two medications now have my speeding pressure down to the legal limit. However, he does need my medical records. Those???? Are in Indy. Go figure. (And, now you can guess why my blood pressure soared!)

That should catch ya up.

Now, as to the "Grandma's hands" part.

I don't know about you, but I never really examined the palms of my hands. I know the backs have been aging along with me. I see them often enough. I grease them with "age defying cream". (That's what the box says, and I know the box don't lie!!)

But tonight, after raking leaves with Shiela all day, and then putting up Christmas lights outside, when I'm sure the wind chill was 0....... or maybe 20........... I looked to see if I had blisters.

I held my hands up, palms toward me....... and looked. OH MY GOD!! I was looking at Grandma's hands!! They are wrinkled!! I have way too much skin to cover the bones, so it lays in folds!! I can't see my lifeline in my palm because it is buried in a wrinkle!! I remember commenting to my grandmother once about her hands. She said, "That comes from hard work, honey." Oh Gawd!!

Test this. Hold your hands out, palms facing you. Cup your fingers just a bit, and look! Are they wrinkled? Do they look like your Grandma's hands??? Scary, ain't it!

The "NO CAR BLUES"!!

Ya know, all things happen for a reason, I truly believe that.

I advertised my car, thinking it would take a week or so. Was lambasted with inquiries, people wanting pictures, you name it. (Oh, and if you use craigslist.com? You can't delete the ad for a while, so now I have email every day... do you still have the car?)

A lady emailed me, and I responded. She called. Ok, we'll call this Point #1. She was a nursing student. Has 3 weeks before graduation. Has children, is divorced, and trying to make her own way in the world. That's Point
#2. She had a car. It was totalled while sitting in front of her parent's house while she was out with her parents. Thank Goodness she has insurance! Her mom let her use her car........ for a month, while she looked for a decent vehicle. She had an offer for a part time job while she finishes school, and they will work around her school schedule. She was to start today. That would be Point # 3, and is also the reason that I am now carless, and still have over two weeks to survive here! (She paid cash, which is Point #4.)

Ok, I can walk to work. It is only 3/4 mile. That I can handle. However, everything else happened so fast, I have money that I need to put into the bank, and I'm not walking 5 miles to do it. I have bills that are ready to go out, but am not mailing them because I don't know when the money will be there. And talk about smoking! This may make me quit! I count my cigarettes out, and lay them in a line...... I can't have THIS one until, oh, say 10 at night. If I smoke all before them by 7, then its a loooooooooooong way till 10!!

I have done such a good job cleaning up all foods in the apartment, that I may starve to death. I am not walking to the store for food.

Tomorrow I'm going to check into renting one for a week. After all, I still have to get my PPD at the Health Department. ( The new job said I could get it here, and bring or fax the results, so that there won't have to be a break between when I get there and when I start work. Hmmmmmmmmmm, starting to think about that now. I might have wanted to take a break between moving, situating, breathing, and starting a new job. But never mind.)

I'm tripping over boxes now. And I am OUT of boxes now too. And with no car to go get some, today I took a nap! lol

Anyhow, things are moving right along. As I said, all things happen for a reason. At the present time, I'm just looking for the reason!!

?????? Wtf????????

Ok, its been a while. I have tendered my resignation, last day is the 26th of October. And I have already got a new job..... in a huge nursing facility in Pittsburgh, 20 minutes from Shiela's house, and I start there the first Monday of November, whatever day that is. I'm excited and scared. Its a huge place, and all the elite send their family there. (choke, choke..... its a JCC, I just know it is!!!!!!)

So I am selling my little car. Makes less for me to worry about getting back home. If I tow it, I have to get a 16 foot rental van. If I have nothing to tow, I can get an 11 ft. van. It is all a matter of money.

So, I put my car for sale in Craigslist. Local. 2001 Toyota Corolla. 4 dr, 4 cyl. a/c. That is the extent of the description, because it is your basic car.

I am surprised at the number of people who have called, and asked if it has power windows. (They need instructions on how to raise and lower a window???). And asked if it has cruise control. Gimme a break!!!!!! Its a freaking FOUR CYLINDER!!!!! What they gonna set cruise on? 12???????

I've had like 50 calls. The last was just a few minutes ago. Some of these people are serious about it. One guy said if you sell your car before you are due to leave, what do you do? I said, I can walk, or I can rent a car. I only have 3 weeks left in your fair city. (Oh, and as an aside, one guy called from.......... ready???....... Pittsburgh! He goes to IUPUI downtown, and is looking for a car to run back and forth to PA!!!!!!!!)

So, anyhow, today I cleaned and packed. My kitchen cupboards are all cleaned out. My bathroom has been scrubbed down, and all I will have to do is touch up in those rooms. The other two, I may have to hire somebody. Gawd, I hate moving and I AM NOT doing it again!!!!

This move does get me to within an 8 or 9 hour trip to Em's though, and now THAT will be my vacation destination of choice!!!!! Esy and I are already planning a trip to the race in Loudon next year. Wooo Hoooo.

Anyway, that is all for the present. I will post when I am ready to rip down my computer, and go into withdrawal until it is set up in PA.

Oh, and I talked to Mom tonight. It was her Birthday. My sisters were there, and they called me, so I could be there with them. I should have been there!!!!! I will be soon!!

Its GONE!!

I bared my soul! And it disappeared!! Gawd, I hate the whole WORLD tonight!!!!!!!!

The Day Before the BIG DAY

Well, here it is, Saturday night. Tomorrow is the big event of the summer at work. Our water park will be open to the public for this one day....... hoping to get more members. They named it.... gimme a break, they really did!.......... BIG SPLASH. Now I tell you, it took a loooooong time to come up with that name, I'm sure.

I have to be there tomorrow. Why, I am not sure. I guess the administration figures there is safety in numbers. I am not pleased. Since I have such a dependable staff, I imagine 3 of the 6 will call off, so I will be the one sweating their........ wait, never mind , I have none. However I WILL be sweating. I have been doing my rain dance.

I sent a resume in to a place in PA. Their automated response said it could take a few weeks to respond. That doesn't help me one hellova lot. However, my kids, love them to pieces! all said, "Mom, forget finding a job. Just come home! You can live here (or here, or here or here) until you find one and are settled. " (My son in law, Mike, was appalled at my salary. Seems he and my daughter BOTH make more than I do, and they are peons, he says. That also upps a person's ego, let me tell you!)

Anyway, I have vacation, starting the weekend of Labor Day. I intend to hit the pavement running. I will find something before I leave PA!

My job isn't fun anymore. The staff I hired are great. Those I inherited suck. And I have my hands tied, so I'm stuck with them. I won't look back. A lot of the people there, I will miss a lot. Including my boss. He was the greatest! But the job, I will not miss.

Ok, gonna go do something constructive........ like watch TV a while.

Aging....... oh Gawd!

It seems like yesterday I could run all day, and then go out and dance all night, eat breakfast, shower and go to work again! Sleep? Who needed it!

Now, as I sit here waiting for time to go to bed, I wonder where that time went.

My job is very demanding. Ok, so maybe it seems so to me. They tell me all the time to let my staff do the hard work. Well, they don't have to work with my staff! I want it done right, so I am right there along with them, and most of the time, I am doing the most and sweating the most! I work, then run and check other areas, and then run back and work some more. I sit and eat my lunch at my computer so I can catch up on the emails that people shoot off to me, asking for something "special". There is a word I am beginning to HATE!!

Since I started out this way, even my boss depends on me doing that. He does not hesitate to call and add to my burden. All the departments do, because they know one way or other, it will get done. And I'm getting tired of doing it.

I have perfected my resume. It sounds awesome. And now I am looking to find a job back home. But THIS time, I am doing it right. I hope. lol

I would love to come home and clean. Or go shopping. Or do something with a friend. I am tired of coming home tired. I sit down, and my body stiffens up. I limp and cripple my way to the bathroom, to the kitchen for food, to my computer. This is not right!

They tell me all the time at work they have never seen anyone with so much energy. I am on the go constantly. Should I tell them that the minute I sit down, my day is over? Ya know? Age catches up with a person. I think my mind might not know it, but my body sure says, "Hey lady, you are heading toward 60. You shouldn't be doing this!"

Some day, I promise not to whine. I will be able to get online and hop up to do something here at the house. I will have that energy that has somehow disappeared. Gawd, if the woman whose boys I raised and potty trained while she worked would walk into my house, she would shit! She used to say my floors were so clean I could serve baby food from them. I am not obsessive-compulsive. I just always liked a clean house. I sure don't live in one now! And I hate that.

I hate not having the time or the energy or the inclination to paint! This job has taken all the fun out of my life, and I need to move on.

Enough whining!

Me and Computers

And this is only Monday. I can hardly wait for the rest of the week. I forgot what I was going to say, because for the longest time, they tried to tell me I was not ME! They always tell me that when I try to respond to Em's blogs. I may have to make up a new name and password to make a comment! (Which, by the way, was funny. I loved the bird poop story! And the others I had to catch up on, naturally!)

So I am job hunting from a distance. I go once a week to papers around my hometown in PA, to see if someone, Anyone! needs my services. Last Saturday, I found one around Pittsburgh. It sooooo sounded just like what I can do, and have done for ages.

So I went to my resume that I have saved on here. Brought it up.

I needed to add a few things. To make it sound better. (They weren't actually lies, honest!) Then I needed to create a cover letter. I have already set up accounts at all the local papers around there, so that I can email all my stuff. So I did.

Now, did I send it? Noooooooooooo. My computer won't communicate. I get some "error" message. I checked everything, and even emailed stuff I didn't want to, to people I never see. But when it comes to the resume, it will NOT send it.

I thought I'd print it out, and just send it snail mail. You can't do that if your printer will only print half a page. It wasn't doing that before! I tell ya there is a conspiracy! Anyhow, I tried sending it to me at work. I could print it out that way.

Evidently I created spam or a file that was too big...... it wouldn't accept it! (Our expert tech doesn't like me. He probably has my computer at work booby-trapped!)

Sooooooooo I came home, said I'll put it on a disc, take it in and plug in. Then print it.

Wrong. Esy sent me a bunch of discs. All empty. And all, evidently, NOT working in my computer! I thought maybe I'd have to re formulate them. No. It says they are fine.

I would like to blame it on the old computer. I would like to blame it on pretty much anything! Truth be known, I am probably just not smart enough to know what I am doing! Maybe I better go back in my resume and delete a few things!

Ok, tomorrow is Tuesday. I'm sure it will be better!!!!!!