I usually don't 'ooh' and 'ahh' over old cars ... but this one is an exception.
Look at the chrome, look at the detailing, look at the color of this vintage Caddy. Wow!
Kudos to Today is a good day!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
We have lift off
I usually don't 'ooh' and 'ahh' over old cars ... but this one is an exception.
Look at the chrome, look at the detailing, look at the color of this vintage Caddy. Wow!
Kudos to Today is a good day!
... just how I'm feeling
... it's 1:30 a.m., I'm tired and I wanna go home.
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
tetchy \TECH-ee\, adjective: Peevish; testy; irritable.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Flying time, layoffs and family crazies
Dragon Mood? -- tired, bewildered and muddling along
I can't believe it's been a WEEK since I last posted. Whew, where has the time gone?
I worked Tuesday through Thursday. I was supposed to work a ten-hour day on Friday, but Thursday evening, it was cancelled. I was ticked off to say the least. The reasons given seemed rather lame to me. Things continued to happen at work that gave me cause for worry that they might be laying us off ... as we completed our fourth week on the job.
S and I had a pretty busy weekend. I'll get to that in a minute.
Yesterday, I went into work at the usual time, fired up my computer and prepared to begin working. Steve, one of the other guys on the night shift came to me and said, "They're having a meeting in the conference room." I thought to myself, "Here we go." When I got back to the door into the conference room, Hany (pronounced Hah-nee), our night lead was there. He frowned lightly at me, waved his hands and shook his head. I took my cue, turned around and went back to my desk.
Sure enough, four people were laid off -- three from the night shift, one from the day shift. My coworkers, Steve and Mike, were laid off, as well as a Lansing guy who had only been there a week. Mike was the fellow teaching us how to swear in Romanian. They were told this may only be temporary, but I don't think I'll see those guys again.
Seeing people laid off cast quite a pall over our little, now even littler group. I started to get a headache just from the sheer tension of it all. Hany came and talked to me, trying to reassure me. He encouraged me to keep working, focus on accuracy and getting the drawings as "perfect" as possible. Talking to me about 'perfectionist' goals is like taking the proverbial coals to Newcastle ... but thankfully, Hany has a light and optimistic "touch" in his manner of speaking. I just buckled down and tried to get through as many of these machining operation drawings as possible.
Later, that evening, I called S as well as my sister, Ruth. I shared the job update with them. (big sigh)
As for this weekend, Ruth and I managed to eke out about an hour-and-a-half to meet up with each other. We sat over coffee (well, I had coffee) and jabber and catch up on each other's news. It was balm for my soul to have a chance to visit with Ruth. I believe she felt the same way. We have said countless times to one another what a blessing it is to have one another for talking, sharing and simply unburdening ourselves when life's events feel too heavy.
After I got back home, I changed into grubby clothes and S and I proceeded to unload a landscape trailer full of pine boughs that were originally headed for the dump, now euphemistically called a "transfer station?" When did that happen? Because of concerns about spreading the emerald ash borer, the dump/transfer station won't take tree debris anymore. So, now we've got a big pile of pine boughs and debris to deal with. ArrrghhH!
We finally got on the road, S in the truck pulling the landscape trailer and me in my little car, caravaning behind her. I felt more than a little annoyed with her because she doesn't take care of problems ahead of time, and then, the problems are inflated (by her) sometimes to crisis level and she turns to me to 'share' the inconvenience/annoyance/worry of them with her. More old family dynamics!
Thankfully, the trip was uneventful. I managed to listen to virtually the entire MSU/Eastern Michigan football game, first on a local Lansing station and then, further north, WJR, in its first season broadcasting MSU football. That was fun!
We pulled into Grayling and S peeled off to head with her brother-in-law, Jim, to load up the trailer at the storage unit where Sally has more of her too-many-belongings stored. I hit the local Rite-Aid and bought beer and a huge bottle of Piesporter. When I got to Sally and Grandma's house, I immediately unscrewed that bottle, poured us all a glass and started drinking. Nothing like alcohol to lubricate the machinations of family communication, eh!
Sally actually fixed us all a nice, sumptuous dinner that evening. Never mind that we didn't eat until after 10 o'clock. (And so much for observing Oprah's rule about never eating after seven!) I was starved and the food tasted good. We finally got to bed around 2:30 in the morning.
The next morning we were up by 9:00. I made us some single cups of coffee with our little coffee filter cup and some ground Alterra coffee I had brought. Jim and Michelle showed up and S and Jim began working on the running lights on the trailer. Again, her not attending to this problem earlier was an annoyance, but I'll let go of that (for now). They dinked around with those darn running lights for over two hours and were never able to get them to work. By now, it was after noon, so we all jumped in our various vehicles and headed the 30 miles north to Gaylord to work on another storage unit, an old pole barn that Sally's now deceased husband, Bob, had built over 15 years ago and filled with the flotsam and jetsam of his building trade, loads and loads of old lumber, some of it worth keeping, much of it not worth any thing.
To make a too-long story shorter, we made two trips to Gaylord, filling the landscape trailer four feet high with lumber and wood of every description, driving it back to Sally's house to pile and stack next to another pole barn she build two years ago. The goal is to cover it with a tarp and either use it or sell it. Hah! We'll see if that ever happens. We all joked (out of Sally's earshot) that when she's dead and gone, that pile of lumber will still be sitting there, old and rotting ... and we'll have a giant bonfire in her memory. I can see it now.
The other thing we 'rescused' from the Gaylord pole barn was an old aluminum fishing boat that belongs to S, along with a boat trailer. The boat looks in great shape (because it's aluminum -- what's to go wrong?) but the trailer was in pretty rough shape. The tires were both flat and totally decrepit. The winching mechanism needs some work. The last Michigan license on the boat was dated '92. That's how long that boat has been sitting there. Hmm.
We didn't leave Grayling until 9:30 Sunday evening. That's after only six hours of sleep, physical labor outside in the fresh air all day and I'll tell you -- I was pooped. S caravaned with me (this time) south on I-75, as I was heading for the pied-a-terre here in Detroit and she peeled off at Flint back towards the pine forest. After 190 miles and three hours, I pulled in the driveway. Mission accomplished!
I can't believe it's been a WEEK since I last posted. Whew, where has the time gone?
I worked Tuesday through Thursday. I was supposed to work a ten-hour day on Friday, but Thursday evening, it was cancelled. I was ticked off to say the least. The reasons given seemed rather lame to me. Things continued to happen at work that gave me cause for worry that they might be laying us off ... as we completed our fourth week on the job.
S and I had a pretty busy weekend. I'll get to that in a minute.
Yesterday, I went into work at the usual time, fired up my computer and prepared to begin working. Steve, one of the other guys on the night shift came to me and said, "They're having a meeting in the conference room." I thought to myself, "Here we go." When I got back to the door into the conference room, Hany (pronounced Hah-nee), our night lead was there. He frowned lightly at me, waved his hands and shook his head. I took my cue, turned around and went back to my desk.
Sure enough, four people were laid off -- three from the night shift, one from the day shift. My coworkers, Steve and Mike, were laid off, as well as a Lansing guy who had only been there a week. Mike was the fellow teaching us how to swear in Romanian. They were told this may only be temporary, but I don't think I'll see those guys again.
Seeing people laid off cast quite a pall over our little, now even littler group. I started to get a headache just from the sheer tension of it all. Hany came and talked to me, trying to reassure me. He encouraged me to keep working, focus on accuracy and getting the drawings as "perfect" as possible. Talking to me about 'perfectionist' goals is like taking the proverbial coals to Newcastle ... but thankfully, Hany has a light and optimistic "touch" in his manner of speaking. I just buckled down and tried to get through as many of these machining operation drawings as possible.
Later, that evening, I called S as well as my sister, Ruth. I shared the job update with them. (big sigh)
As for this weekend, Ruth and I managed to eke out about an hour-and-a-half to meet up with each other. We sat over coffee (well, I had coffee) and jabber and catch up on each other's news. It was balm for my soul to have a chance to visit with Ruth. I believe she felt the same way. We have said countless times to one another what a blessing it is to have one another for talking, sharing and simply unburdening ourselves when life's events feel too heavy.
After I got back home, I changed into grubby clothes and S and I proceeded to unload a landscape trailer full of pine boughs that were originally headed for the dump, now euphemistically called a "transfer station?" When did that happen? Because of concerns about spreading the emerald ash borer, the dump/transfer station won't take tree debris anymore. So, now we've got a big pile of pine boughs and debris to deal with. ArrrghhH!
We finally got on the road, S in the truck pulling the landscape trailer and me in my little car, caravaning behind her. I felt more than a little annoyed with her because she doesn't take care of problems ahead of time, and then, the problems are inflated (by her) sometimes to crisis level and she turns to me to 'share' the inconvenience/annoyance/worry of them with her. More old family dynamics!
Thankfully, the trip was uneventful. I managed to listen to virtually the entire MSU/Eastern Michigan football game, first on a local Lansing station and then, further north, WJR, in its first season broadcasting MSU football. That was fun!
We pulled into Grayling and S peeled off to head with her brother-in-law, Jim, to load up the trailer at the storage unit where Sally has more of her too-many-belongings stored. I hit the local Rite-Aid and bought beer and a huge bottle of Piesporter. When I got to Sally and Grandma's house, I immediately unscrewed that bottle, poured us all a glass and started drinking. Nothing like alcohol to lubricate the machinations of family communication, eh!
Sally actually fixed us all a nice, sumptuous dinner that evening. Never mind that we didn't eat until after 10 o'clock. (And so much for observing Oprah's rule about never eating after seven!) I was starved and the food tasted good. We finally got to bed around 2:30 in the morning.
The next morning we were up by 9:00. I made us some single cups of coffee with our little coffee filter cup and some ground Alterra coffee I had brought. Jim and Michelle showed up and S and Jim began working on the running lights on the trailer. Again, her not attending to this problem earlier was an annoyance, but I'll let go of that (for now). They dinked around with those darn running lights for over two hours and were never able to get them to work. By now, it was after noon, so we all jumped in our various vehicles and headed the 30 miles north to Gaylord to work on another storage unit, an old pole barn that Sally's now deceased husband, Bob, had built over 15 years ago and filled with the flotsam and jetsam of his building trade, loads and loads of old lumber, some of it worth keeping, much of it not worth any thing.
To make a too-long story shorter, we made two trips to Gaylord, filling the landscape trailer four feet high with lumber and wood of every description, driving it back to Sally's house to pile and stack next to another pole barn she build two years ago. The goal is to cover it with a tarp and either use it or sell it. Hah! We'll see if that ever happens. We all joked (out of Sally's earshot) that when she's dead and gone, that pile of lumber will still be sitting there, old and rotting ... and we'll have a giant bonfire in her memory. I can see it now.
The other thing we 'rescused' from the Gaylord pole barn was an old aluminum fishing boat that belongs to S, along with a boat trailer. The boat looks in great shape (because it's aluminum -- what's to go wrong?) but the trailer was in pretty rough shape. The tires were both flat and totally decrepit. The winching mechanism needs some work. The last Michigan license on the boat was dated '92. That's how long that boat has been sitting there. Hmm.
We didn't leave Grayling until 9:30 Sunday evening. That's after only six hours of sleep, physical labor outside in the fresh air all day and I'll tell you -- I was pooped. S caravaned with me (this time) south on I-75, as I was heading for the pied-a-terre here in Detroit and she peeled off at Flint back towards the pine forest. After 190 miles and three hours, I pulled in the driveway. Mission accomplished!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Labor Day weekend recap
Dragon Mood? -- subdued
It's Tuesday evening -- I'm back at work. Unlike some of my coworkers who made the usual comments about the weekend not being long enough ... I'm feeling like I did have a weekend. It was relaxing, it was long enough and I'm still feeling extremely thankful to have a job right now. Which I'm glad to be working at right now (actually I'm on my lunch break).
S and I did have a pretty low-key weekend. We putzed around the house a bit. We re-installed the fountain on the deck after she waterproofed it two weekends ago. We visited and shared a spicy rib dinner with our eager-to-entertain neighbor and young-78-year-old lawnboy, Bill. I threw some cole slaw together and we took a store-bought apple pie as a thank-you for Bill. We watched an absolute wasteland of TV on Saturday night and I was bummed that we hadn't rented some DVDs for the evening. Just how many commercials can the broadcasters jam into one hour's worth of TV ... while re-airing tired and/or violent old movies? Yecch!
Sunday, J & J invited us over for a pontoon ride and dinner. Geez, did we have fun! At least I did! I think S was tired and feeling a bit under the weather from her ongoing thryoid problems. The weather was gorgeous. We spent at least a couple of hours toodling (is "toodling" a word?) around the lake, watching other boaters, picnickers, houses around the lakeshore and drunken partyers in the middle of the lake.
The highlight of the pontoon ride (for me) was at dusk as we watched the whooping cranes return to their lake "safe harbor" for the night. Their yodel-y warbles, calling and replying, never fail to enthrall me with nature's primeval beauty. And, of course, the sunset on the lake was lovely, with Mother Nature putting on a spectacular watercolor show. I wish I could paint like that!
Monday was another beautiful late-summer Michigan day. The temperatures were in the low 70s and the humidity was low, as well -- in a word, perfect! I sat out on the deck in the morning, did a few sudoku puzzles, and called my Uncle George. It was great to hear his voice after these many months of not talking. My cousin, Brenda, was there too so I got to talk briefly with her also.
Late in the afternoon, we took a ride into south Lansing to deliver numerous boxes of children's books to Matt and Sarah, in anticipation of their little girl, Madison, making her appearance in the world ... 17 more days to go! Bless her heart, Sarah was very gracious about having four boxes of books rather unceremoniously dumped in her living room. S was happy to get them out of the back of the truck and delivered for Sarah and Lindsey to divide.
I complained to S that I couldn't remember the last time that I had had a hot meal (not including burgers and/or ribs). She responded by driving us to an all-night diner for a mashed-potatoes-gravy-peas-and-pork-chop dinner! It was heavenly! We got home, packed up our stuff and headed down here to the pied-a-terre. A nice long weekend!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Learning my Romanian
Dragon Mood? -- not tongue-tied
I work with a fellow at this new job who is Romanian ... or who at least can speak Romanian. A couple of us have been bugging him to teach us how to swear in Romanian. As a polite and rather gentle gentleman, he has refused so far.
But today, Steve and I did learn this:
I work with a fellow at this new job who is Romanian ... or who at least can speak Romanian. A couple of us have been bugging him to teach us how to swear in Romanian. As a polite and rather gentle gentleman, he has refused so far.
But today, Steve and I did learn this:
- "Buna zuia" (pronounced boon-ah zoo-ah) which means "Good day!"
And then later, we did manage to strong-arm him into this one also ...
- "Rahat" (pronounced ruh-hot) which means "Shit" as in bad stuff OR manure.
Stay tuned, Girls and Boys, for MORE Romanian language lessons!
the road less traveled because it's a hard road!
Dragon Mood? -- yeah, I *get* that embattled feeling this thing talks about
From Astrodienst, here is one of this Sagittarian's longer term forecasts:
From Astrodienst, here is one of this Sagittarian's longer term forecasts:
Solid and real
Valid during many months: At this time in your life you will be able to get along with very little if necessary, and you will be able to keep plugging away at tasks with tremendous discipline. As a result this is a good time for getting your life ready for hard times, even if this is not an especially difficult period.
However, even if this is a difficult time, you can be sure that this influence will help you make it through. It gives you tremendous tenacity and toughness and the ability to apply constant pressure on a situation until it gradually changes. Patience is the watchword of this influence - not that you need patience, but that you have it.
Whatever your objectives, you will keep working at them until you achieve them. In a slow but powerful way, this influence helps you realize your goals, and because you work so slowly, the results you obtain are very lasting indeed.
You will also probably discover that you are changing during this period, not drastically and suddenly, but slowly and at a very profound level of your being. And these changes will make your life more solid and dependable. In general your life is moving from the less solid and abstract to the more solid and real.
You may work alone for the most part now. You will probably prefer it that way, at least until you have come somewhere near achieving your goals. This is a very good time for researching alone, especially when painstaking work is required. Your ability to discipline yourself is extremely high.
Transit selected for today
Pluto Sextile Saturn
activity period from beginning of February 2005 until beginning of December 2006.
Thursday morning with my coffee
Dragon Mood? -- surprised and delighted!
Sitting here, drinking my morning coffee, I noticed the first hints of autumn in the air.
But, wait a minute. I feel like blogging so I'll check to see if our computer has emerged from its coma? Yes? Yes! YES!!!! Don't ask me, but it decided to turn on this morning. Hurray!
Anyway ... back to my morning coffee thoughts. Ahem.
Our sadly unhealthy tree out front here at the pied-a-terre has already begun dropping leaves. S mowed and mulched them up last night, not only to make the lawn look better, but to hold autumn, which is NOT SUMMER, at bay, I'm sure.
The air this morning is cool, cool, cool -- refreshingly cool after so much heat and humidity this summer. The temperature and dryness of the air ENERGIZES me! I keep reining myself in -- hold on, you just woke up -- take it easy, enjoy the moment. But it puts me in mind to paint, to ride my bicycle, to make hearty, yummy soups -- oh, so many things! And then, I think of other fall-ish things like football games, bonfires, pumpkins, gourds and all other manner of orange-y goodness! Yup, I LOVE autumn!
Sitting here, drinking my morning coffee, I noticed the first hints of autumn in the air.
But, wait a minute. I feel like blogging so I'll check to see if our computer has emerged from its coma? Yes? Yes! YES!!!! Don't ask me, but it decided to turn on this morning. Hurray!
Anyway ... back to my morning coffee thoughts. Ahem.
Our sadly unhealthy tree out front here at the pied-a-terre has already begun dropping leaves. S mowed and mulched them up last night, not only to make the lawn look better, but to hold autumn, which is NOT SUMMER, at bay, I'm sure.
The air this morning is cool, cool, cool -- refreshingly cool after so much heat and humidity this summer. The temperature and dryness of the air ENERGIZES me! I keep reining myself in -- hold on, you just woke up -- take it easy, enjoy the moment. But it puts me in mind to paint, to ride my bicycle, to make hearty, yummy soups -- oh, so many things! And then, I think of other fall-ish things like football games, bonfires, pumpkins, gourds and all other manner of orange-y goodness! Yup, I LOVE autumn!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
A tired blogger
Dragon Mood? -- pooped
Just a quick posting while I'm at work.
I interviewed for another job today. It was with a "foreign" automaker, not one of the Big Three. I was one of nine people out of 30 to make the first interview. I will be most surprised if I'm called back for a second interview. Just a hunch, an intuition. I could be wrong. I feel curiously indifferent about this prospective job.
I got way too little sleep last night. Partly that was my fault. I didn't remember that I was supposed to print out and fill out four lengthy documents prior to the interview. I realized that last night while sitting here at work. ArrrghHH! Googled, found the nearest 24-hour Kinkos, accessed my trustworthy gmail account and forwarded the four docs to Kinkos. I picked them up this morning about 2:30 a.m. Sheesh! Talk about unprepared!
Part of my general discombobulation is that our computer appears to have died ... or is in a light coma. S and I suspect that the electrical switch that fires it up has conked out. Whether that's an easy repair or not remains to be seen. But the timing is just downright lousy!
I'll post this now .... before I fall asleep sitting up here at work.
Just a quick posting while I'm at work.
I interviewed for another job today. It was with a "foreign" automaker, not one of the Big Three. I was one of nine people out of 30 to make the first interview. I will be most surprised if I'm called back for a second interview. Just a hunch, an intuition. I could be wrong. I feel curiously indifferent about this prospective job.
I got way too little sleep last night. Partly that was my fault. I didn't remember that I was supposed to print out and fill out four lengthy documents prior to the interview. I realized that last night while sitting here at work. ArrrghHH! Googled, found the nearest 24-hour Kinkos, accessed my trustworthy gmail account and forwarded the four docs to Kinkos. I picked them up this morning about 2:30 a.m. Sheesh! Talk about unprepared!
Part of my general discombobulation is that our computer appears to have died ... or is in a light coma. S and I suspect that the electrical switch that fires it up has conked out. Whether that's an easy repair or not remains to be seen. But the timing is just downright lousy!
I'll post this now .... before I fall asleep sitting up here at work.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Blogging by email?
Hi .... the ol' calypso Dragon herself here, reporting LIVE from my gmail account.
Will Blogger know what to do with this email/blog posting?
And now ... a quote to ponder:
"Today was good. / Today was fun. / Tomorrow is another one."
-- Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
[UPDATE] Whoo-hoo! It WORKED! Dang, this computer stuff is COOL!!
Will Blogger know what to do with this email/blog posting?
And now ... a quote to ponder:
"Today was good. / Today was fun. / Tomorrow is another one."
-- Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
[UPDATE] Whoo-hoo! It WORKED! Dang, this computer stuff is COOL!!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Pssst!
Dragon Mood? -- ???
Can you keep a secret? I've got another interview for another job next week, Tuesday.
I don't know about this job -- whether I'd like it or not. But, it promises more security. A foreign automaker. That's why I'm investigating.
Wish me well!
Can you keep a secret? I've got another interview for another job next week, Tuesday.
I don't know about this job -- whether I'd like it or not. But, it promises more security. A foreign automaker. That's why I'm investigating.
Wish me well!
Old dogs CAN learn new tricks
Dragon Mood? -- mind balloons and connecting the dots
Doing Sudoku puzzle this morning
I always date them
Reminded me of VISA payment due today
Eeek! -- then I remembered -- no balance on my VISA anymore
Huge sense of relief!
A little history
I've always been able to pay it down before
Couldn't do it this time
Ignored the evidence and reality based on prior experience
Is that the sign of an "old dog?"
Way back -- Josh said, "Mom, pay it off." I didn't listen.
Recently, S said, "Mary, pay it off." I finally listened.
Liquidated a stock market fund, paid it off. Whew! Good, GOOD feeling!
The MORAL of the story:
Sometimes, it pays to listen to others even when your previous experience tells you otherwise.
This old dog CAN LEARN new tricks! *SMILE*
Doing Sudoku puzzle this morning
I always date them
Reminded me of VISA payment due today
Eeek! -- then I remembered -- no balance on my VISA anymore
Huge sense of relief!
A little history
I've always been able to pay it down before
Couldn't do it this time
Ignored the evidence and reality based on prior experience
Is that the sign of an "old dog?"
Way back -- Josh said, "Mom, pay it off." I didn't listen.
Recently, S said, "Mary, pay it off." I finally listened.
Liquidated a stock market fund, paid it off. Whew! Good, GOOD feeling!
The MORAL of the story:
Sometimes, it pays to listen to others even when your previous experience tells you otherwise.
This old dog CAN LEARN new tricks! *SMILE*
Monday, August 21, 2006
Monday, week TWO
Dragon Mood? -- antsy
Starting my second week of work today. And Thursday is PAY DAY! Hurray!
Here's what's happened since my last posting:
Starting my second week of work today. And Thursday is PAY DAY! Hurray!
Here's what's happened since my last posting:
- Finished up my first week of four ten-hour days. Whew!
- Friday felt weird. S called in sick for a mental health day. I think we both felt disoriented by my new schedule. I just felt plain old tired.
- Picked up medication office samples from my doc's office. Her providing those for me these past months has been a financial lifesaver. Literally!
- I couldn't and didn't sleep in Saturday morning. ArrrghhHH! So darn fatigued!
- S and I shopped until I almost dropped Saturday afternoon for the big, upcoming baby shower. S spent an obscene amount of money. I'll save my soapbox on that subject for offline.
- We hit Buddies again (second Saturday in a row!) for nachos and a mug of beer. S got on a talking jag until I almost fell asleep sitting up.
- Thankfully, she noticed how truly tired I was. We went home, got horizontal, I crashed. I slept for over two-and-a-half hours. You think I was maybe a little tired?
- S and I watched three DVDs this weekend:
- Eight Below which made my heart hurt. Those dogs have such soulful eyes! Reminded me of how much I wanted to and yet hated watching Lassie as a kid. Anxiety, nervousness, sadness! Oh, the angst!
- Failure to Launch which never got off the ground for me -- what a dumb premise for a movie!
- And finally, TransAmerica, which I was all set to really like; again, it just didn't work for me. We listened to some of the director's commentary before watching the movie; he said the movie was really about parenting. Then why make said parent a transsexual? Bree's coming to terms with her sexuality completely overshadowed her coming to terms with being a parent, IMHO. Oh well!
- Sunday I slept until 11 o'clock. Yup, ELEVEN! It's the first day that I truly felt rested since starting these crazy hours.
- S finally got to waterproof the deck. All the interruptions over the past several weeks had made her cranky about the slow progress. I was very happy she was finally able to finish it.
- I made banana/oatmeal/blueberry bread. Turned out yummy!
- I deskunked the dog. Damn dog -- she acts like SUCH a dog sometimes! Here's the recipe:
---
Vet-approved Deskunking Recipe
1 tsp. dishsoap (preferably a degreasing one like Dawn)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 qt. hydrogen peroxide
Mix all together and apply to the dog's fur. Rinse thoroughly.
---
After applying the deskunking stuff to her face, ruff and shoulders, I drug her inside into the bathroom and thoroughly bathed her, with two latherings and two rinses. We can still smell eau d' skunk right around her skunk-sniffing nose. I couldn't scrub on that too much, unfortunately. - Sat out on the deck and visited with our pushing-eighty neighbor, Bill. The old guy, I'm coming to conclude, is overly preoccupied with sex. He keeps bringing it up and S and I comment politely or clam up with no further conversation. (sigh) Geez, you'd think he'd take a clue!
- Chased dust bunnies and cleaned the floors in anticipation of a house-full of people again next weekend. Grandma and Sally are coming down for the big baby shower. Yosh is taking the ferry over from Cheeseland just to visit. I'm looking forward to his visit.
- Had a nice long telephone conversation with our friend, Joanne. Joanne has had quite a tumultuous summer selling her mom's house and moving her out of her residence of many, many years. In a family of many, it sounds like much of the work and decision-making fell to one, just Joanne. It sounds like a marathon of exhaustion and stress to me!
- Also had a late-night telephone conversation with Dad and Evelyn while I drove to the pied-a-terre. It's become quite the routine for them and me, a good routine, and something to which I believe we both look forward.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Hump day update
Dragon Mood? -- fatigued
It's Wednesday, early afternoon. I've finished the first half of my first work week at the little design shop. I think I'm gonna like it. And -- we're working four 10-hour days this week, with hopes to make it permanent. Wouldn't that be nice to have a three-day weekend plus half of Monday off? I think SO!
The biggest adjustment so far is just trying to not-so-gently bump my circadian rhythms towards the afternoon and evening. My body is protesting. It wants to wake up at 7:30 a.m. no matter what time I went to bed (2:30 last night). The first night I only got five hours of sleep. I just absolutely could NOT sleep yesterday (Tuesday) during the day. Last night I got more like seven or eight hours. I feel better today than yesterday but still fatigued and a little disoriented. I must remember to drive the twelve-minute drive to work with EXTRA caution.
Right now I'm multitasking. Posting on this blog, frying up some barbecue-flavored turkey burgers for S's dinner and my dinner (sadly apart), thinking about what I'm gonna wear to work and hoping to still grab 30 minutes of shuteye. Do you think I can do it???
Later, alligator.
It's Wednesday, early afternoon. I've finished the first half of my first work week at the little design shop. I think I'm gonna like it. And -- we're working four 10-hour days this week, with hopes to make it permanent. Wouldn't that be nice to have a three-day weekend plus half of Monday off? I think SO!
The biggest adjustment so far is just trying to not-so-gently bump my circadian rhythms towards the afternoon and evening. My body is protesting. It wants to wake up at 7:30 a.m. no matter what time I went to bed (2:30 last night). The first night I only got five hours of sleep. I just absolutely could NOT sleep yesterday (Tuesday) during the day. Last night I got more like seven or eight hours. I feel better today than yesterday but still fatigued and a little disoriented. I must remember to drive the twelve-minute drive to work with EXTRA caution.
Right now I'm multitasking. Posting on this blog, frying up some barbecue-flavored turkey burgers for S's dinner and my dinner (sadly apart), thinking about what I'm gonna wear to work and hoping to still grab 30 minutes of shuteye. Do you think I can do it???
Later, alligator.
Monday, August 14, 2006
The BIG Monday!
Dragon Mood? -- throbbing scales too!
Today I start a new job. FINALLY!!!
My left upper back muscles are as tight as a drum ... I'm definitely nervous. I know that once I get there, settle in, and get to work, I'll be fine. It's just the time between now and then.
S and my weekend was quiet and relaxed. We did some errands separately early Saturday afternoon and then met up at Buddies for nachos and a beer. Then we drove home and promptly took a two-and-a-half hour nap. How's that for relaxed?
Yesterday, we got a surprise, impromptu visit from our nephew Luke and his friend, Andrew. S was working on cleaning the deck for a staining update. I fixed a fresh pot of coffee, nuked some turkey bacon for them and rustled up three-egg omelettes for the two guys. S drank a beer while cooling off. We had a wide-ranging conversation (would you expect any less from S?); it ping-ponged from Myers-Briggs personality types, seeking life's purpose and jobs to the gnostic Gospels, mu waves and quantum physics. Whew! I actually had to write two notes to get a word in edgewise. S was on a roll! And to Luke and Andrew's credit, they rolled right along with her!
The guys left around 4 o'clock, I believe, and I vegged and took a nap. S did some more work on the deck, I think.
I also got to talk briefly with Yosh as he prepared to fly to Boston last night. And, Lina and I had a lovely catch-up-with-each-other conversation later in the evening as I drove down "here" to the pied-a-terre for the impending work week. Feels almost funny to say that.
My orientation starts at 3 this afternoon. Wish me well!
Today I start a new job. FINALLY!!!
My left upper back muscles are as tight as a drum ... I'm definitely nervous. I know that once I get there, settle in, and get to work, I'll be fine. It's just the time between now and then.
S and my weekend was quiet and relaxed. We did some errands separately early Saturday afternoon and then met up at Buddies for nachos and a beer. Then we drove home and promptly took a two-and-a-half hour nap. How's that for relaxed?
Yesterday, we got a surprise, impromptu visit from our nephew Luke and his friend, Andrew. S was working on cleaning the deck for a staining update. I fixed a fresh pot of coffee, nuked some turkey bacon for them and rustled up three-egg omelettes for the two guys. S drank a beer while cooling off. We had a wide-ranging conversation (would you expect any less from S?); it ping-ponged from Myers-Briggs personality types, seeking life's purpose and jobs to the gnostic Gospels, mu waves and quantum physics. Whew! I actually had to write two notes to get a word in edgewise. S was on a roll! And to Luke and Andrew's credit, they rolled right along with her!
The guys left around 4 o'clock, I believe, and I vegged and took a nap. S did some more work on the deck, I think.
I also got to talk briefly with Yosh as he prepared to fly to Boston last night. And, Lina and I had a lovely catch-up-with-each-other conversation later in the evening as I drove down "here" to the pied-a-terre for the impending work week. Feels almost funny to say that.
My orientation starts at 3 this afternoon. Wish me well!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
two of the seven dwarfs
Dragon Mood? -- ???
I'm sleepy, I'm dopey .... I just downloaded two free fonts from here and didn't know where to put them. Where DO you put downloaded fonts?
I'm sleepy, I'm dopey .... I just downloaded two free fonts from here and didn't know where to put them. Where DO you put downloaded fonts?
What I am ... and am NOT!
Dragon Mood? -- benevolently amused
At least I'm not a Benevolent DICTATOR!
(move your mouse over the blocks of color)
At least I'm not a Benevolent DICTATOR!
(move your mouse over the blocks of color)
Job details
Dragon Mood? -- catching up with dragonly duties
It's Wednesday morning ... I wanted to post yesterday, but instead, took a mental health day and didn't even log onto the computer.
Plus, I chased and cleaned up dust bunnies yesterday. Our friends, Patrick and Kevin, drove down here to join up with us. We had cocktails on the "loggia" (our aluminum-covered concrete patio out back), dinner at Zumba's in Royal Oak and then we headed for the "main attraction" of the evening, a Tigers' game downtown. Never mind that we didn't get there until the middle of the fifth inning, when the Tigers had scored all their runs for the game and ended up losing 4-2 to the Minnesota Twins. We still had fun!
Now to the job details ...
I will be working for a small design shop within a ten-minute drive of our pied-a-terre. The work is not automotive-related, but tied into the aerospace industry. Also, as my son, Yosh, pointed out, with some of my work there "now, Mom, you may be tied into the 'war effort.'" Yup, very possibly true, son. Which I'm not crazy about, but it doesn't feel so contrary to my values that I'm gonna lay awake nights worrying about it, okay?
Primarily, I will be taking 2D drawings and converting them into 3D models using the CAD software with which I'm so experienced.
Money? It's decent, not great. It's about 15% less than I got at my automotive job, but that's okay. It keeps the wolves away from the door for now.
Bennies? There is health insurance, but honestly I don't have the particulars on that right now. And even if I did, I probably wouldn't post about them here.
The biggest advantage? This job gets me back in "production" modeling, working on actual parts (rather than training parts which aren't supposed to have inherent problems), working under real deadlines and generally pushing me to sharpen and hone my skills again. Those are good things.
The biggest drawback? My work day will be from 3:30 p.m. until midnight. Yup, second shift. Because this is a contract job, the shop has a limited number of software licenses and a looming deadline. To meet the deadline, they have instituted a second shift, of which I will be a member. I start next Monday at 3 p.m. with an orientation meeting.
The other important point about this job to note is that it is a contract position, based on a finite contract with a volatile industry. As the interviewer so gently reminded me, "... there are no guarantees these days." Ahhh, yes. The faltering economy. Especially here in Michigan! So, I am not seeing this as a permanent position, but a temporary one, perhaps lasting until the end of the calendar year ... at which point, I may be looking for another job. Whew! -- ain't life exciting?
One of the curiouser things about me is that I always have these delayed emotional reactions to events. I mean delayed. Just now, 48 hours later, I'm starting to feel some dismay that my "semi-retirement" as neighbor Tom called it is coming to an end. No more languid summer days and evenings. I'm feeling relief that our money worries will be alleviated -- not completely gone -- but certainly alleviated. I'm feeling a bit of anxiety that S and I will be on opposite shifts ("Hi Honey, Goodbye Honey") although we will still be able to sleep together each night. S was hoping to take a vacation soon. She most likely will be vacationing sans me. So the emotional ups-and-downs of getting a job, losing some freedom and regaining some economic viability -- well, I'm experiencing them all. One minute up, the next minute down. (big sigh) Whew!
It's Wednesday morning ... I wanted to post yesterday, but instead, took a mental health day and didn't even log onto the computer.
Plus, I chased and cleaned up dust bunnies yesterday. Our friends, Patrick and Kevin, drove down here to join up with us. We had cocktails on the "loggia" (our aluminum-covered concrete patio out back), dinner at Zumba's in Royal Oak and then we headed for the "main attraction" of the evening, a Tigers' game downtown. Never mind that we didn't get there until the middle of the fifth inning, when the Tigers had scored all their runs for the game and ended up losing 4-2 to the Minnesota Twins. We still had fun!
Now to the job details ...
I will be working for a small design shop within a ten-minute drive of our pied-a-terre. The work is not automotive-related, but tied into the aerospace industry. Also, as my son, Yosh, pointed out, with some of my work there "now, Mom, you may be tied into the 'war effort.'" Yup, very possibly true, son. Which I'm not crazy about, but it doesn't feel so contrary to my values that I'm gonna lay awake nights worrying about it, okay?
Primarily, I will be taking 2D drawings and converting them into 3D models using the CAD software with which I'm so experienced.
Money? It's decent, not great. It's about 15% less than I got at my automotive job, but that's okay. It keeps the wolves away from the door for now.
Bennies? There is health insurance, but honestly I don't have the particulars on that right now. And even if I did, I probably wouldn't post about them here.
The biggest advantage? This job gets me back in "production" modeling, working on actual parts (rather than training parts which aren't supposed to have inherent problems), working under real deadlines and generally pushing me to sharpen and hone my skills again. Those are good things.
The biggest drawback? My work day will be from 3:30 p.m. until midnight. Yup, second shift. Because this is a contract job, the shop has a limited number of software licenses and a looming deadline. To meet the deadline, they have instituted a second shift, of which I will be a member. I start next Monday at 3 p.m. with an orientation meeting.
The other important point about this job to note is that it is a contract position, based on a finite contract with a volatile industry. As the interviewer so gently reminded me, "... there are no guarantees these days." Ahhh, yes. The faltering economy. Especially here in Michigan! So, I am not seeing this as a permanent position, but a temporary one, perhaps lasting until the end of the calendar year ... at which point, I may be looking for another job. Whew! -- ain't life exciting?
One of the curiouser things about me is that I always have these delayed emotional reactions to events. I mean delayed. Just now, 48 hours later, I'm starting to feel some dismay that my "semi-retirement" as neighbor Tom called it is coming to an end. No more languid summer days and evenings. I'm feeling relief that our money worries will be alleviated -- not completely gone -- but certainly alleviated. I'm feeling a bit of anxiety that S and I will be on opposite shifts ("Hi Honey, Goodbye Honey") although we will still be able to sleep together each night. S was hoping to take a vacation soon. She most likely will be vacationing sans me. So the emotional ups-and-downs of getting a job, losing some freedom and regaining some economic viability -- well, I'm experiencing them all. One minute up, the next minute down. (big sigh) Whew!
Monday, August 07, 2006
JOB JOB JOB!!!
Dragon Mood? -- excited, elated and electrified!
Halleleujah ... I've got a job!
Details to follow...
Halleleujah ... I've got a job!
Details to follow...
Friday, August 04, 2006
Quick update
Dragon Mood? -- hopeful
It's too early to tell ... but things are looking a bit more hopeful on the job front.
I heard from a recruiter that my resume got past the first gatekeeper on a job at one of the Big Three (you know, the OLD Big Three, not the NEW Big Three which now includes Toyota).
I sent off my resume for a job in the Windy City that -- well, that I think I should be a shoo-in for. But it may join all my other resumes in the galactic black hole of trashed resumes. We'll see.
And then there's Adam. An old colleague called me after networking with another old colleague and I most likely will have an interview for a job right here in Motown next week. The catch? I would be working a second shift, from 3:30 p.m. to midnight. ArrrghhhH!
And now ... I need to get off the computer, gather my shhhtuff and get ready to head home to the pines. S and I are watching Baby Preston, who is now scarily mobile and FAST, for the entire weekend! Will we survive? Breaking news -- or broken news-- on Monday!
It's too early to tell ... but things are looking a bit more hopeful on the job front.
I heard from a recruiter that my resume got past the first gatekeeper on a job at one of the Big Three (you know, the OLD Big Three, not the NEW Big Three which now includes Toyota).
I sent off my resume for a job in the Windy City that -- well, that I think I should be a shoo-in for. But it may join all my other resumes in the galactic black hole of trashed resumes. We'll see.
And then there's Adam. An old colleague called me after networking with another old colleague and I most likely will have an interview for a job right here in Motown next week. The catch? I would be working a second shift, from 3:30 p.m. to midnight. ArrrghhhH!
And now ... I need to get off the computer, gather my shhhtuff and get ready to head home to the pines. S and I are watching Baby Preston, who is now scarily mobile and FAST, for the entire weekend! Will we survive? Breaking news -- or broken news-- on Monday!
Thanks for closing the oven door!
Dragon Mood? -- scratching her dragon head and scales
Wow! Where has the week gone?
Like so many other bloggers I've been reading, S and I are slowly emerging from the state of air-conditioned seige we've been in for the past eight days. Record temperatures and unbearable humidity have kept me in the house like a summer BLIZZARD. I've got cabin fever! It was so hot and humid that two or three nights, at 10 p.m., after sticking my head out the back door, I told Cisco, "Sorry, girl -- we're not going out tonight." On the other hot nights when we did venture out, we weren't even a block from home when she was panting hard and I was dragging along.
The heat and humidity felt downright UN-natural. Like Mother Nature left open a 500-degree oven door AND a steam bath door. The stifling feeling was horrible. How do people in Florida and Louisiana stand it? And it really did feel unnatural for us cool-air folks in Michigan.
I can't tell you how good it felt last night to OPEN THE WINDOWS, let in the fresh, cool air and fall asleep listening to the windchimes moving in the breeze. Thank you, God, for cool air, breezes and restful sleep.
Restful sleep until 3 a.m. anyway. Then I was awakened. The dog heard or sniffed something outdoors, jumped at an open window and I heard this crash of glass. I jumped out of bed and found the drinking glass that I thought had broken still intact. Meanwhile, Cisco is madly pacing back and forth, whining to be let out, so I accompanied her outside, at which point she immediately charged at the sideyard fence. I got this faint whiff of ... skunk ... and immediately whisked the dog BACK inside the house. Broken glass (yet to be found) is bad enough; I didn't want to have to deal with an odoriferous dog too.
Now my brain is on avoid-the-skunk alert. I used the bathroom, drank a short glass of milk, took an herbal Valerian, got back in bed and lay there. And lay there. Wide awake. The brain gerbils were going a 100 mph on the mind-treadmill. STOP that! Go to sleep!
At four a.m., I got up, started laundry, tidyed up some in the kitchen, and sat down in our one remaining living-room plastic Adirondack chair to play a mindless little iPAQ game, hoping that would get me sleepy. It did ... finally at 5:30 a.m. I heard S's alarm go off around six, but I had enough of The Sandman's sleep in my eyes, ignored it and continued to slide off into sweet sleep.
I woke up at nine ... should an unemployed person tell you that? It felt GOOD to get back some of the sleep stolen from me in the middle of the night. Ahhhh, another day!
And .... what about the broken glass? Well, stupid with sleep, I never even thought to worry about the dog STEPPING on glass shards. I found the remnants of a large votive candle that got knocked off of a window sill and fell harmlessly UNDER an end table where the dog couldn't reach. Thank you, God, for protecting Cisco's paws when I couldn't.
Wow! Where has the week gone?
Like so many other bloggers I've been reading, S and I are slowly emerging from the state of air-conditioned seige we've been in for the past eight days. Record temperatures and unbearable humidity have kept me in the house like a summer BLIZZARD. I've got cabin fever! It was so hot and humid that two or three nights, at 10 p.m., after sticking my head out the back door, I told Cisco, "Sorry, girl -- we're not going out tonight." On the other hot nights when we did venture out, we weren't even a block from home when she was panting hard and I was dragging along.
The heat and humidity felt downright UN-natural. Like Mother Nature left open a 500-degree oven door AND a steam bath door. The stifling feeling was horrible. How do people in Florida and Louisiana stand it? And it really did feel unnatural for us cool-air folks in Michigan.
I can't tell you how good it felt last night to OPEN THE WINDOWS, let in the fresh, cool air and fall asleep listening to the windchimes moving in the breeze. Thank you, God, for cool air, breezes and restful sleep.
Restful sleep until 3 a.m. anyway. Then I was awakened. The dog heard or sniffed something outdoors, jumped at an open window and I heard this crash of glass. I jumped out of bed and found the drinking glass that I thought had broken still intact. Meanwhile, Cisco is madly pacing back and forth, whining to be let out, so I accompanied her outside, at which point she immediately charged at the sideyard fence. I got this faint whiff of ... skunk ... and immediately whisked the dog BACK inside the house. Broken glass (yet to be found) is bad enough; I didn't want to have to deal with an odoriferous dog too.
Now my brain is on avoid-the-skunk alert. I used the bathroom, drank a short glass of milk, took an herbal Valerian, got back in bed and lay there. And lay there. Wide awake. The brain gerbils were going a 100 mph on the mind-treadmill. STOP that! Go to sleep!
At four a.m., I got up, started laundry, tidyed up some in the kitchen, and sat down in our one remaining living-room plastic Adirondack chair to play a mindless little iPAQ game, hoping that would get me sleepy. It did ... finally at 5:30 a.m. I heard S's alarm go off around six, but I had enough of The Sandman's sleep in my eyes, ignored it and continued to slide off into sweet sleep.
I woke up at nine ... should an unemployed person tell you that? It felt GOOD to get back some of the sleep stolen from me in the middle of the night. Ahhhh, another day!
And .... what about the broken glass? Well, stupid with sleep, I never even thought to worry about the dog STEPPING on glass shards. I found the remnants of a large votive candle that got knocked off of a window sill and fell harmlessly UNDER an end table where the dog couldn't reach. Thank you, God, for protecting Cisco's paws when I couldn't.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)