Thursday, January 27, 2011

My previous place of employment, or is it wrong to bomb the place?

My previous place of employment barely deserves the space and time I'm devoting to it here, but I have some residual anger to spew.
My ex-boss, let's call her Stupid Lady, has a very bad managerial style. The more work you handle, the more she throws your way. If she cannot handle a terrible employee, she will talk about that employee behind his back, but take no steps to address the situation.
What does Stupid Lady wind up with? Lousy employees, and a huge ulcer (I can only hope).
My replacement complained to me in whispers yesterday via a phone call.
The Office Slug, who was listening outside the door,  ran in and told Stupid Lady about the phone call.
So my replacement got a verbal reprimand, and was told she cannot furnish some materials to me, unless I pay for the material.
In our industry, it's common for us to send and share materials all the time, free of charge....
I'm stewing in my own juices, and feeling terrible for my replacement.
Stupid Lady - I despise you. And that's not something I say lightly.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Fallout from Knee Surgery

For many years, I took a hard step aerobics/ kickboxing class. I even took a kettlebells class. Exercise became very important to me since I have a chronic health condition and my doctor told me, and I quote, "You need to get off your dead ass and exercise". Really, he said that to me.
So, I listened. I took this class for at least 12 years, 3 times weekly. I slimmed down, got healthy and felt good. When the instructor got pregnant, I even taught the class. I was good at it.
More than a year ago, I sat down on top of my step box prior to class starting, and felt something in my right knee go "sproingggggg!". I literally heard it and felt it. I was shocked. When class started and my right leg stepped up on the box, the pain was intense. Yep, I musta broke or snapped something.
I left class. Took the next 2 classes off. Went back. Again, too painful to step up on the box.
I went down to the smallest box, what I called "the weenie box". I could do the exercises but it just wasn't the same. And it was still painful for me, just less painful.
I had to give up the class. I had been a part of that class for so long, that if I wasn't there, other people stopped coming and the class disappeared. And I'm not saying I'm Miss Personality, what I'm saying is that many of the younger ladies saw how strong and slim I was at my age and were inspired. And they kept coming in order to become strong like me.
Back to the story.
I gave in and had knee surgery in October. The doctor got in there, said there was more osteoarthritic damage than he'd expected, more than he'd seen on the MRI, so he cleaned up a bit, and just closed me up. He said, "You're looking at knee replacement down the road."
So I have tried walking on my lunch break, doing situps and leg lifts at home, and I'm losing my battle.
I can just fit into my work clothes now, and I'm uncomfortable in them. I've gained about 9 lbs. I'm short so every lb. counts on my frame.
What do I do now?

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Don't touch that thermostat!

Woke up at 3 a.m., chilly. I had to get out of bed to turn up the thermostat. It being dark out got me to thinking:
"They" suggest you keep your thermostat set at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer.
Well, no matter how you look at this, somebody in the house is going to be upset for about half the year.
I'm a person who hates to be cold. I HATE it!
I lived in Denver for 25 years. Every winter I had the same thought- "why on Earth do I live here?" Every year.
Every summer I thought "Oh, yeah, THIS is why I live here." Hot, dry summers.
Back to the subject.
I am miserable in the winter with the thermostat at 68. I can layer but what happens with my hands? I can't walk around the house in gloves. I want to be comfortable.
Every year, I'm just marking time, paying way too much attention to the weather forecast on my laptop.
Summer? Aaah, summer! It can almost never get too hot for me.
However, here in the Deep South, we have humidity. I don't understand why, either. We're pretty far from the ocean. So confusing to me.
Anyway, so we have to use the air conditioner during the summer. And AC has an icky clammy feeling to me.
No problem keeping the AC at 78. As a matter of fact, I'm more comfortable with the AC at 80, and I will turn it on grudgingly because sweat is running down my husband's face. And I love him and want him to be happy.
The Battle of the Thermostat- do you wage this war in your home?

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Back to work- I'm an idiot.

That didn't even last for one month.
I seem to lack an identity if I don't have a job. I've been working for 40 years. Apparently it's all I know how to do.
I like having a paycheck with my name on it. I like knowing I'm a partner in my marriage. Mind you, not an equal partner since my husband make 4 times what I make. But it's better than nothing.
I enjoy spending money. And if I'm going to spend it, I feel like I better earn some of it.
So there we go.
I'm back to work and I hope I manage to keep a calm demeanor. I must remember that what I am doing today really won't matter 100 years from now.
Wish me luck.

My cold

I came home early yesterday because I was tired and just didn't feel well.
Next thing I know, my throat is super sore and my head is aching. I went to bed early.
Today, I have a full blown cold.
You know how sometimes you wish you could get a cold so you could take a day off work? And then you catch one and you're totally miserable?
That's me and then some.
I live daily with a rather serious medical condition. I had knee surgery in October and went back to work one week after the surgery. On crutches and with a knee the size of a football, but I was back to work.
I consider myself a pretty tough old broad. But this cold is about to make me teary-eyed.
I want to go to sleep and not awaken until I'm well again.
Where's my blankie?

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Auto accident

I had an appointment to get my hair cut today. I got a call from my stylist's coworker saying that Stacy would be unavailable to cut my hair. Since that's so unusual, I asked if Stacy was sick today, and Emily told me that Stacy's sister had been in a terrible auto accident.
Let me mention, I live in a very small town. I knew immediately who Stacy's sister was, it was all over our local news source's website last night.
Nancy is Stacy's sister. Eve is Stacy's niece and she is only 9 years old.
This is so terribly heartbreaking.
The word at this point, on our small town website, is that Nancy is in very serious condition, and perhaps Eve will not survive, and some are speculating online that Eve has already passed.
How can a mother survive news like this?
Of course, I hope against hope that this is a terrible mistake and that the rumor mill is horribly wrong.
Please pray for Nancy and her 9 year old daughter Eve.
Prayers work. God willing.

Update 1-20-11
Eve didn't make it. Her family kept her on life support in order to make her a viable organ donor. I hope that Eve's donations to others will give some measure of relief to the family.
But however one looks at this tragedy, it's a terrible loss.
My condolences to the Wilson family. May God hold you close during this difficult time.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Happy Birthday Betty White!

Since my blog is titled "Half a Century Already...", it seems only fitting to wish Betty White " ¡Feliz cumpleaƱos!" today. It's her 89th birthday.
And don't you wish you know how I got those upside down exclamation points in there? Not to mention the squiggle over the "n"?
Well I'm not telling.....
Anyway, Betty White gives me great hope for the future.
The woman is bright, vibrant, funny, seems healthy and happy. This is what 89 should look like, am I right?
Not like some broke down old woman, just waiting to die.
I'm going to name Betty White as my role model today. I want to be spunky and adorable like she is, and I want people to be happy and excited to see me when I'm her age.
Happy birthday, Ms. Betty!
And many more......

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Makeup Counter, or Am I on Another Planet?

I may have mentioned that if you were to try to categorize me, you might think of me as an aging hippie. While I came of age after the apex of the hippie movement, I DID live in Denver, which held onto the movement for another decade and a half after California had moved on to it's next incarnation.
My hippie-ness translates itself thusly:
I don't have a hairstyle to speak of and my hair is probably too long for my years.
I don't dress very well. I do NOT own a pair of heels. I love cotton clothing.
And, the makeup counter at any store is incomprehensible to me. I have no clue what most of that stuff is, and do not know how to wear it. I own no eye shadow. When I got married, a friend of mine came over and put eye shadow on me. She stated "You have great eyelids!" Whatever that means.
I can not abide the feeling of foundation on my face. The best I can do is that powder stuff and that's only for a short period of time, until I get home and can wash it off.
I have very light eyebrows and I know most women would like me to use eyebrow pencil.
One time, I allowed someone to put makeup on me. I think it may have been at the Lancome counter. That was about 15 years ago.
I thought I looked like a clown. Was that lady making fun of me? Or did she really mean to make me look that way? I'm still unsure and even if I could locate her after all these years, I don't think she would tell me the truth anyway.
Do I need a makeup intervention? Shall we ambush me on "What Not to Wear" and give me the works?
Is there any help for me?

Thursday, January 13, 2011

My hero- Judge Judy

If you had told me when I was a young lady, drinking and carousing my way across Denver, that there would come a time in life when I would idolize a lady who rips the tonsils out of people who scoff at the rules, I would have called you a liar.
What is so compelling about this woman? Is it that she gets paid millions of dollars to scream at and humiliate idiots, something I wish I was brave enough to do for free?
That's got to be it.
I have low tolerance for human failing. I feel my jaw tighten and my teeth start to slowly grind when faced with idiotic remarks, rudeness, liars, or fools.
But I am unable to voice my feelings so I clamp my lips closed and grind away. I suppose this was a good thing when my children were young. We know parenthood- there are times, many times, that you just cannot say exactly what is in your mind. A small psyche could be damaged badly.
So while I'm "between jobs", I will clear my head living vicariously through my favorite Judge, the Honorable Judith Sheindlin.
Thanks for being there for me, Your Honor!

Touching hamburger- blech!

I'm going to make stuffed bell peppers for the spouse today.
I'm mostly vegetarian, but you can put bacon bits on my loaded cheese fries and I won't scrape it off.
Back to the bell peppers.
I don't mind the preparation, except for the touching the meat part. See, here's the problem. That stuff is cow flesh. Ground up cow flesh. Have you ever owned a cow? Many years ago, when I lived in The South (this is the only time I'm going to tell you that it's "The South"- don't even question it), we had a herd of cows. Not cattle. Cows. These beasts served no purpose that I could see. They did follow along when I took off into the woods to escape the Evil Aunt whom my darling brother and I depended on for a home. (That's another story.)
Cows are disgusting. They slobber.  They can stick their tongues clear up their nostrils. And they do. They don't care where they crap, as long as it's right in your foot path. So really, what's the point of them? I guess it's so I have to wear those thin gloves to handle the meat when I make something using hamburger.
I don't even know what hamburger tastes like. I like Morningstar Farms Grillers. And anyone who eats hamburgers tells me my grillers are nasty.
I digress.
Because I have to mentally prepare myself for the smell of the ground beef and the cold of said ground beef leaching thru my thin latex gloves.....
Here I go.

5:20 a.m. E.S.T.- why am I up already?

So, here I am. I'm between jobs right now, my choice. I'm at leisure to sleep in as late as I want, my day is mine to do with as I will. And I'm awake for no good reason. Weird....
I left my last job on December 20th. This was my Christmas gift to myself, with my dear husband's blessing. My grown children were on the bandwagon as well.
I've been working since the age of 15 (that was in 1970, for those of you who are keeping track, or who are "50 youngs" as am I) and I have a character flaw that causes me to become way too emotionally invested in jobs that probably don't require any heavy investment.
After years of hearing me kvetch and nearly tear my hair out, I finally have taken the plunge and gone jobless.
Here's the trick though:
I do have another job lined up. So, I don't really leap without making sure I have a net below, do I?
I really haven't made a life change at all, have I?
Sigh......