Trying to be...

Everything.

Employee:

Sometimes it feels as if I have so many hats I can never wear them all, and not just at work. I do my best to jump in and do whatever needs to be done at work. This can lead to an exhausting day, to say the least.

Home Maker:

Today, is my day off. I have so much to do and next to no ambition. I managed to get all of the housework done that I planned on, but I still need to plan dinner for tonight and tomorrow night, make said dinners, and get lunch together for tomorrow.

Student:

I also need to get to work on my next college class. I received my book a couple of days ago, and it is time to get started. I am a bit nervous about this one. I meant to take a class that was more of an introduction than this one, and now I am nervous. I also tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to get A's, and all that does is cause more stress.

Mom:

Last week we learned that Brendan broke his scaphoid bone waaay back in August. He had xrays on August 31st where we were first told the xray was negative, but given a referral to orthopedics and a brace. The next day we were called back in because the radiologist saw something on the xray that was questionable. We went back in, had more xrays and were again told the xrays were negative. At this time th referral was cancelled and the brace was taken away. In December we went back to the doctor because Brendan was still in pain. More xrays, another referral, negative results. This week we finally had the referral appointment and more xrays. Now we finally have answers. Answers that raise questions, but answers none the less. Brendan does, indeed, have a break. The orthopedist showed us what he called "A Tour of Brendan's Wrist."

Starting with the Aug 31st xray. There was a line right throught the center of the scaphoid bone. I don't really see how this could be a question, but the orthopedist who has seen many more xrays than I have says it could have been questionable.

2nd xrays on September 1st. Same line, maybe a bit lighter. Brendan's symptoms have changed a bit, and he is not showing classic scaphoid bone break symptoms. The result? We are basically told it must be a sprain it will hurt for a while.

3rd xrays Dec 17th. Here is where I start to really question the ability of the radiologist. I understand, to a point, why it was missed on the first two, but on this one? Not so much. On this one the line is still there, AND a halo shows around the top of the scaphoid bone. This is because the bone has started to tilt upwards, so we are starting to see the top of the bone.

4th xrays: There is now a large gap where the original line was, the bone is butted up against the radius bone, the bottom portion of the bone is white meaning inadequate blood flow to the bone, a bone spur, and he has scaphoid collapse.

Now, instead of a cast or perhaps even a simple surgery, we are looking at having a screw put in, and a bone graft because of the lack of blood flow. All this while Brendan is taking a course in firefighting and trying to get his certification.

Wife:

Right now this includes wearing a "dad" hat since Michael is deployed.

Daugher and Friend:

I feel these often get pushed to the side in an effort to fulfill my other roles.

Christian:

I know I often push my spiritual life to a back burner. The sad part is it is the most important, and everything would go so much more smoothly if I were more faithful in spending time with God everyday. Thankfully, God is always there even when I am not.

Michael's gone syndrome:Take 2

Apparently this deployment has gone entirely too smoothly, and the powers that be have decided I needed a little more stress in my life.

It all started a few weeks ago when my dad was visiting, and someone decided to sideswipe Michael's car which was innocently parked out on the street in front of my house. It wasn't too bad. It could have been worse. I just had to arrange for rides to and from the body shop, and $1400 worth of repairs later the car looks just like new.

Then comes this last week where the lesson is DO NOT GET GAS WHEN YOU ARE TIRED! And if you do, then ONLY GO TO THE SAME PUMP YOU ALWAYS GO TO! That way if you needed to you could get gas blindfolded.

I, needless to say, did not follow either of these creeds. After work B and I go and get gas. All is good. Then I go to drive away. Not so good. You know how the gas pumps have the metal arches to protect the pumps? Me too, I know. What I didn't notice, was that about 1 foot and then another 3 feet in front of that this particular pump also has concrete poles. Concrete poles that do not move when you hit them. My van door, however, does move. In fact, it moves a lot. So after hearing the heart stopping crunching noise, I readjust and pull out again and head home. I don't get out of the van yet since I am just getting some money for dinner, and B can get that for me. It took me 2 hours to get up the nerve to look at my door. All I can say is..Can I unlook now?

I call State Farm, who is wonderful by the way, and make a claim. Arrange for rides to and from the body shop...again. You know its bad when the body shop says "Is this the same accident? or another one?" and when your ride's husband says, "Didn't you just take her there?" Now, my van sits, awaiting the estimated $1800 worth of repairs. 1800 DOLLARS, ESTIMATED, It could actually be HIGHER. I would just like to say...Thank goodness I kept full coverage when I paid off this vehicle!

After all that I had to work on Sunday. I hate working on Sunday, but sometimes it is necessary, and I understand that. I try not to complain, but this Sunday? This Sunday was bad! This Sunday could cause me to be a stay at home mom. 'nuf said. We won't even go there.

Then comes yesterday with the little tiny pin prick sized scab that I must have rubbed off in the shower. I have never had so much trouble getting something to stop bleeding. I'm trying to dry off, and blood is running down my arm. I apply pressure, it won't stop. I decide I need to get my teeth brushed and then deal with it. I am brushing my teeth, and blood is dripping down my arm and into the sink and onto the floor. I was off my arm and get some tissue. Completely covered that in blood. Head downstairs and get a bandaid, put it on, and put moisturizer on my face, and REPLACE the blood soaked bandaid. The thing has now been bleeding for more than 15 minutes. At one point I was thinking two things: 1. I am not going to the urgent care for this, and 2. When I don't go and I die from blood loss no one is going to believe I exsanguinated from this itty bitty sore that is litterally smaller than the tip, the tip, not even the head of a pin. Fortunately after, soaking the second bandaid, it finally stopped bleeding. Holy cow. That was fun....not!

Breakfast with the President

So, next week I am supposed to have breakfast with the president, not of the United States, though, I asked. This is a breakfast with the president of the company I work for. They want one person from each store that is articulate, smart, and full of ideas. Apparently everyone else said no, and I am going.

I was chosen to go my store manager (Who insists I was her first choice. I have a great boss, she knows how to work flattery). When my direct manager found out there was immediate panic.

1st of all I am a bookkeeper, not only am I a bookkeeper, but I am the head bookkeeper.

2nd of all I have ideas. Ideas that are not so "home office friendly". I don't feel that home office supports the store the way they should, and I feel that many of the people there have been away from store level too long, and have forgotten what it is like to actually be the ones that are face to face with the customer on a daily basis.

3rd of all she wants me as her bookkeeper, and she is "afraid" that if I express my ideas she will be short 1 head bookkeeper.

Because of this, I have been issued a gag order. I can go to the breakfast, but I am not to speak. I am to go eat and come back to work.....still employed, not to pick up my last paycheck. I really don't know what she is so worried about. Unlike my husband, I went to tact school. I have ideas that don't include me getting fired. Some of my ideas have even been implemented in our store. I can share those ideas, right? I wonder how enforceable this gag order is.

Now, all I need to do is decide which ideas I should bring up if I am actually given the chance. Who knows, maybe I can make a change.

Some days you should just stay in bed

This was my day on Thursday. I should have never left my bed. My bed tried to tell me that by making me oversleep by 20 minutes--which I never do. Did I listen, no! I rushed my through my shower to get back on track.

My work clothes tried to tell me that when I couldn't find my pants. I looked on my dresser where I thought I laid them out. I tore apart my bed in case I really laid them out on my bed instead of my dresser, not there. I looked under my bed. I don't know why I even bothered, but you know they may have sprouted legs and walked there. I stood there, and wondered how well it would go over at work if I called in "pantsless", and then I decided to check downstairs. There they were on the table, where I thought I put my bag for physical therapy. I must have been tired because while the pants were where the bag was supposed to be the bag was where the pants were supposed to be. Anyway, did I listen to my lost pants? No!

Then I went to work. It was alllll down hill from there, and as you can tell, I wasn't very high on that hill to begin with. I never made it to physical therapy since I was supposed to be there at 4, and I didn't manage to leave work until after 5... More than an hour and a half after I was supposed to leave.

I finally listened when I made it home, though. My son wanted to go out to dinner, but I KNOW what would have happened, and let's just say I would be typing this from my hospital bed after being in, and probably causing a 20 car pile up. Gees, we're lucky the roof didn't fall in.

Good thing you start with a clean slate after a good 8, er....6 hours of sleep, or I may have never made it through the weekend.

The Biggest Complainers are the Worst Culprits

Everyone is complaining about prices—gas prices, car prices, grocery prices, and grocery prices and grocery prices…. While gas prices are helping to drive up the grocery prices, an ongoing problem is shoplifters.

It seems the same people who complain the loudest about the prices are the same people who are pushing them up. We pay for our food, and while we are at it we also pay for theirs with the higher prices caused by the fact they think they are better than the rest of us, so we just need to let them take what they want.

Yes, I’m talking to you .. lady with the slim fast hidden in the bag of rice cakes you exchanged, and you…man who just walked out with steaks stuffed down your pants, and you…over there in the corner snacking on the Jelly Bellies. You don’t get to have a snack while you shop. You haven’t paid for that!! If you want a sample, just ask! Then you won’t be stealing. Oh, and let’s not forget the guy getting a bag of chicken wings, eating them and leaving the bones in the bathroom. GROSS!!

These people are the same people who go through the lines, and complain to the cashiers about the prices—as if they can change it. It makes the cashiers uncomfortable, and basically makes for a very awkward moment. Cut them some slack. They can’t do anything about it, and if you are one of these folks, look in the mirror before you complain about prices.