Monday, June 30, 2008

Monday already?

How did it get to be Monday already?

I shouldn't complain really, since both Jerry and I have the day off of work. We spent the day running errands.

Including going to Kroger for the gift card special, where you buy a gift card for $300 and they give you $30 on top of it. Then we turned around and spent most of the gift card. LOL But we really needed groceries and we got for the most part just things we needed.

My knee is still killing me. When I put wieght on it I get sharp shooting pains behind my knee cap, and it locks up a lot. I spent the weekend at work in a chair, but at self checkout, so I still had to get up and help people that were nincompoops. It would make more sense to just have me answering phones, or something else, but NO, that is too easy.

And I love the chain of communication at the store! My direct manager had no idea that I was on a "profile" and couldn't stand. Thank goodness I had thought to grab my copy of the workmen's comp paperwork!

We talked to the girls last night, and it sounds like they are having a great time. They were getting ready to go out to dinner at the beach, with Angu's family and my mom when they called, and then spend the night and today with my mom, because Angu was going into work for a while today. Tomorrow, I think they said they are going to Sea World with a bunch of people that we met at the wedding.

Hopefully they are behaving! ;)

Friday, June 27, 2008

They are there!

They got in about 2 hours ago.

They said that the flights were long and boring. LOL

Better to be bored, than have problems, I say.

Angela said that she went to the Northwest counter and they told her that they didn't have the girls down as unaccompanied, but they were brought out and she had to sign for them, so who knows, I guess they just didn't put it in the computer. Maybe that is why we didn't have to pay anything?

When the airline told her that they weren't in the computer as unaccompanied she called here, and the only thing I knew to tell her was that they would be walked out to the baggage claim and that she would have to sign the paperwork for them. I knew they would be the last ones off the plane. But other than the airline didn't give me any information for her end.

The girls said it wouldn't have taken as long, but an older woman who needed a wheelchair (because she is on crutches), the airline didn't have the wheelchair at the gate waiting for her, so they had to wait for that with her (the one flight attendent was in charge of all three of them.)

Angela was picking on the girls about all of the stuff they brought, and they laughed at her and told her that most of it was for her and Maddox. :) Coming home they should have about 1/4th of what they have now. LOL

Fat Ticker Friday,

Ok I did really good Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with walking and what not. Then I fell off the ladder at work and jerked my knee around, so the last 2 days not so much.

Today I crutched my way through Hartfield Jackson Airport with the girls and then back out. (that was fun, NOT)

I am on crutches for at least a week, but I have been and will keep doing arms, chest, back, and abs exercises.

As for weightloss, um I am not sure, still haven't bought a scale. ;) But my shorts are all getting looser each week.

They are on their way...

And made it to Detroit before DJ and I made it home from Atlanta. Natalie called and left a message saying they were there.

The airline checked them through as unaccompanied minors, so DJ and I got to go to the gate with them and we stayed until they had everyone boarded except standbys, then the gate keeper said it was safe for us to leave.

When the airline started the process of checking them in as unaccompanied, I was worried that they were going to charge us for it, but they never said a word about paying them.

DJ thought it was neat because he could see the girls luggage get loaded on the plane. Plus he could see the pilot doing preflight things in the cockpit.

Plus I made it up to the airport and 90% of the way home on a half tank of gas. I stopped in Macon on the way home and got gas there, I probably could have made it all the way, but there is NO WHERE to get gas between where I stopped and the base, so I didn't want to risk it. It helped that I didn't have to run the air since it was still cool out both directions.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

sneak peak

At the blanket that Kelsey and I designed and made for baby Maddox and Angela.









Angela said they were going for a whole surfing monkey theme to the nursery, and since you can not buy anything already out there with that theme, Kelsey and I designed our own. ;) Kelsey drew out the monkey and helped me create the pattern, and then we cut it out and I sewed it.

Xray techs...

Were midevil torture people in their former lives.

Or at least the one I had today was!!!

I slipped on the bottom step of a ladder at work yesterday and tweaked my knee. When I woke up this morning it was swollen even more, so I decided that I needed to go ahead and use my workmens comp and go get it looked at.

Which required x-rays by the said torture chamber maid.

YOUCH!!!!

My knee is just strained and I am on light duty at work for a week or so, but it hurt more leaving than it did going in I think.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Back on the band wagon

Photobucket



Summer of Me


After I got home from work tonight DJ and I took the dogs out for a walk.

It wasn't a very long one, but it was a start! And a lot better than last week. ;)

For more information on the Summer of Me campaign, go to Baby Tea Leaves


By the way did you know if you do a search on photobucket for Bandwagon, you get all sorts of interesting results? ;)

Monday, June 23, 2008

Spoiled little girls

Ok its official, my girls are spoiled.

Angela's baby shower is in a week, and they both wanted to go, soooooo bad.

We, for obvious reasons, can not afford to send them out there.

So the girls wrote Matt and asked him if they could go.

And wouldn't you know it, Angela made it happen! I told her a couple of times that they didn't have to, and that they could wait until after the baby was here to visit and help.

I think she is lonely with Matt out of town still for work.

But it will be a good experience for the girls. They get to go for a week (spending the 4th with Angela). They know not to expect to do much with the heat and Angela being pregnant, but they just want to go and see her, and of course my parents who will be there for the shower.

I just hope that they are on their very best behavior, and remember to not let Angela get over tired.

Maybe some answers

Jerry had an appointment this morning with a specialist.

They took 9 vials of blood. Glad it was him and not me!

His Hemoglobin levels were up from last weeks appointment with his primary care doctor on base, from a 9.something to a 10.something, which is good.

The specialist is checking into the possiblity of lead poisoning, an allergy to wheat products, and some bacteria in the stomach lining, all of which could be causes of the anemia, and all of the problems.

I am not sure what else they are checking, but from what Jerry said the specialist is being very through.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Sometimes he knows how to break my heart

DJ that is...

The other night as we were getting ready to go to bed he told me:

"I want to go to your house."

"What do you mean DJ, we are at our house."

"No momma, your house that has my Lighting McQueen room! My house with my friend Colby on the corner."

Sob

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Grade School Horror Stories

My dear friend Kate over at One More Thing Posted a story this week about the different teachers that she had as a grade school student, and the memories that they left behind with her.

She started her post with:
"How old were you before you had a nightmare in place of a teacher? And while we’re at it, how long did it take you to realize that teachers could love their jobs?"


I only had to think for a few seconds about this one.

I can clearly remember the teacher that made me want to become a teacher (other than my mom).

And I can clearly remember the teacher that made me HATE school with a passion.

But lets start from the begining.

In Kindergarten, the only thing I clearly remember is the teacher asking my mom and dad what I went by. You see there were 3 Patricia's in my kindergarten class. There was already a Pattie, and a Tricia, and they gave me the option of how I wanted Patty spelled. I liked the way the Y looked at the end of my name.

In first grade I remember that I had my mom's cousin's wife for a teacher, she was a nice woman. I thought it was cool that she had the same last name as my grandparents, and that I would see her at different extended family events. I know we had a student teacher that year too. We had a butterfly house that year.

I don't remember a whole lot about second grade, other than having a student teacher.

Third and Fourth grades I had the same teacher. She was so much fun, and I remember learning a TON of things. Mrs. J always came up with new ways for us to learn, and new things to try. If you did something wrong, Mrs. J always took a few extra minutes to explain to you what you did wrong, and how to fix it. I was on a lower reading and math level than most of the kids, but that was ok with her, she took the time to read with us, she took the time to give you a hug if you needed it.

Fifth grade was the year from H*ll for me! The summer before 5th grade my family moved from Iowa to Arizona. I had a very racist teacher that year, racist against white people. Every little thing that I or any of my friends did and we were in trouble with her. I remember standing outside the classroom one day at the end of lunch under a little tree, she thought she saw B and I swinging on the tree, so she sent us up with referrals. The teacher next door tried to tell her that we weren't even touching the tree, but she was positive we were. Then I was in both chorus and band that year, which meant every day for 45 minutes I was out of the classroom. She gave me a D in Social Studies because I was never there for the class. When my mom called her on it, she told my mom that I had a problem with her because she was black, and that I gave her a hard time because obviously I had been raised that black people were "bad". I believe my mom probably had to laugh her hind end off, since Mrs. J in Iowa was black as well, and well I loved her! We finally came to a time of peace after that meeting of the minds between her and my mom, but I never forgave her. I hated school that year, did not want to go ever!

6th Grade I had two teachers, Mrs. E and Mrs. R team taught us. Our classrooms were one huge classroom. Mrs. E taught certain subjects and Mrs R taught the others. IT was a great year! They took the time to take care of all of us. We did many fun activities and learned so much that year, because they both focused on what they were the strongest on to ensure that we had a positive year. Both of them were just the right level of strict, and both of them showed that they cared a great deal about each of us as a person. They gave us our first "dance", and did all sorts of nonconventional activities, that taught us about the real world. They taught us to accept people for who they were in their hearts, not by the color of their skin, or their religon. Mrs. R got remarried that year and invited us to the reception at her church. They were the best teachers, ever I think. I loved that year, I still wasn't the best student, but I enjoyed it a whole lot more.

I had other teachers through the years that meant a lot to me, but none like the two of them.

But I would be remiss if I didn't thank,

Mr. Z for giving me a love of science and telling me every time that he saw me from 7th grade till Jerry and my wedding that I could do and be what ever I wanted.

Mr. S for giving me a love of history, through his Cival War reenactments.

Mr P for encouraging me to go for my dreams.

Mr. F for never letting me give up my musical dreams.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Exercise? Schexercise...

This has been a BAD exercise week.

Sigh...

Can we say backwards slide?

I did something on Sunday to my left leg while I was at work, and it has killed me all week long. To the point where the only thing that helped was not being on it at all on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday I did a little bit of walking in Macon, but I paid the price when I got home. It was throbbing.

It felt better Thursday, which was a good thing since I was on it all day at work. Then I got off late, so I had called Jerry to tell him to wait until I called to head over to get me. When I called he was in a different shop so they had to track him down.

I decided to start walking towards the base. I think I went about a mile and a half before he met me. So there is my only exercise for the week.

Hopefully next week is better, cause next week the Summer of Me weightloss challenge over at Baby Tea Leaves kicks off.

Found this tonight, and it is so me!

Photobucket

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Come out of the closet!!

I have declared today to be Blog Lurker come out of the Closet day!
Out of the Broom Closet

I stole this idea from Renee

If you read my blog and comment every day, leave me a comment here...
If you read my blog and only comment once in awhile, leave me a comment here...
If you read my blog and have NEVER commented, leave me a comment here...
If this is your first time to my blog, but you think you might come back, leave me a comment here...
If this is your first time to my blog and you are NEVER coming back, first tell me why and then leave me a comment here...
If you fall into none of the above categories, but you're somehow reading this post, leave me a comment here...

PLEASE?! :)

Thursday Thirteen


Thirteen Things I dislike


1. Beets SPICED PICKLED BEETS I used to like them when I was really little, but I don't any more.

2. Cooked spinach Spinach Something to do with when I was little my cousins teasing me that if I ate it I was going to look like Popeye popeye

3. People who smell like cigarette smoke. I don't mind if they smoke, I can even handle being around it, but when we are in an enclosed area and all I can smell is your cigarettes that you smoked before you came in. YUCK

4. Liars

5. Cheaters

6. Child Abusers

7. Women abusers

(ok so that four you could say I hate!)

8. Sci-fi movies even Star Wars

9. Goat cheese

10. horror movies

11. Gas prices

12. People who are not in education who try to tell educators how to do thier jobs.

13. Greedy people who have a lot, and will not help the less fortunate.



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



We Buy Ugly Houses?

Does anyone out there know someone that has sold a property through this We Buy Ugly Houses program?

Or even a similar program?

A person I met today suggested that we look into selling our house to one of the investors on the program, because they supposedly knew someone that had done it and had success.

But since I just met this person, I don't know how much I should believe them. So I am hoping that someone out there in blogger land will know something about the program and can help me decide if it is worth looking into or not.

I understand the concept of the program, but I am wondering if with the housing market the way it is, if it would work for us.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

And the stress goes on

I just got an email from the people renting our house in Florida.

They have found a house to buy and are trying to close on it before the first of July.

This has always been a month to month deal, but more than 10 days notice would have been nice.

Especially seeing how earlier this month I got an email from them mad that I have had the house "for sale" on my blog, saying that they didn't know we were trying to sell it with them in it.

Time to drop back and punt again

Monday, June 16, 2008

Talked to my Grandma and Grandpa in Iowa

Last night I called to tell my Grandpa happy father's day.

The family is all safe and sound, and still in their own homes.

But my Grandparents farm was hit pretty bad by high winds/tornados on Saturday night. The lost a machine shed, windmill, and a lot of the crops.

My Grandpa said that some of the fields look like they were never planted because of the hail.

I know that their farm was not the only one effected by this.

Please keep all of the Iowan farmers in your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's day to all of the Daddy's in my life!

To Jerry, My Daddy, Grandpa, and Matt, thank you all for being you!

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket



If you notice, I have put pictures of my brother Matt, because in just a few weeks he is going to be an official Daddy in his own right! :) Not to mention how great he is with my kids. :)

Friday, June 13, 2008

Please keep my extended family in your thoughts and prayers

Most of my mom's side of the family live in and around Iowa City, Iowa and Cedar Rapids. As I am sure most of you have seen, they are experiencing the worst flooding that the area has ever seen.

As far as I know right now, everyone is still in their own homes, and is fine, but it is an ever changing situation. Last I heard the flood waters were fairly close to my one cousin's house, and the water was still rapidly rising.

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, as my Grandmother recently had knee surgery and both she and my Grandfather are in their middle 80's.

There are articles about this at CNN, the Press Citizen

Another great giveaway at 5 minutes for Mom!

The gals at 5 Minutes for Mom are giving away 5 copies of Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden a book co written by mother and actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley to co-author this book with with her father, professional writer Gurney Williams III.

Then you can also win Cranium Super Fort as well as a cool game, Zimbbos, Elephantastic Pyramids, thanks to Education.com.

Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and enter today!

”csdsmbutton.jpg”

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Please continue to keep Tricia in your thoughts and prayers!

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Strike Two

Well maybe we will get some answers now

Last week when Jerry was back in the hospital his commanding officer got TICKED about the situation.

Not at Jerry mind you, but at the base medical personnel, because Jerry did not have a profile, stating that he should not do PT, or that he could not go TDY.

So the last 3 months Jerry has been showing up to PT every Monday and Wednesday and getting sick, or getting sick half way through the day because he was doing too much.

I guess the LT went to the head of the medical clinic and basically laid it on the line, with how can you say he is world wide qualified? He is back in the hospital for the second time in 3 months.

So NOW Jerry has a case manager from the base that is in charge of communicating between all of his doctors. (even though they were supposed to do this from the start.)

Hopefully she will be able to make sure that all of the i's are dotted and the T's are crossed.

And the first thing she can start with is the bill for his ambulance ride from the clinic to the hospital last week!!!! Stupid idiots, the letter they sent said that he did not have insurance. Hello! You picked him up in uniform at the hospital!

Thursday Thirteen


Thirteen Things about The Peach Tree farm


On Monday we went to Lanes Southern Orchards, so here are 13 things that we learned on our visit.

1. Peach trees are very picky about how they are watered. They have to be watered as if it is raining, so falling from above.

2. Georgia is no longer the #1 producer of peaches in the United States, that falls to California.

3. Arizona and California will not allow fresh peaches to be shipped in (which sucks for me, since we have family in both places.)

4. The Lane Packing Company has been in operation for 100 years this year (owned and operated by the same family). They are celebrating on the 4th of July with a big party.

5. In 2006, The Lane Family and B&H Georgia Orchard, LLC formed an alliance. B&H Georgia Orchard, LLC is a joint venture between the Banack and Hazel families of Vero Beach, Florida. Lane sells their citrus fruits, and B&H sells the peaches and pecans for Lanes.

6. Last year Lane's sold 1.5 million pounds of Pecans.

7. Pecans are not picky about how they get watered, in ground irrigation works just fine for them.

8. Pecan trees do not need to be watered once they reach maturity, they can handle almost any drought we have.

9. The average Peach Tree has a life span of only 18 years, after that they stop producing. They replant the field once with peaches, and then turn plant Pecan trees in between the peach trees, so that when the peach trees have stopped producing there is only a couple of years until the pecan trees start producing.

10. The average Pecan tree has a life span of over 60 production years.

11. Lane's has over 30 varieties of Peaches grown and sold. And is constantly working for make new varieties.

12. The company has an agreement with the Mexican and American governments for guest workers. They provide the guest workers and their families with housing, and all of the comforts of home as well as work.

13. They recycle any rain run off water and water used in cleaning the peaches to water the trees. There is a 20 million gallon pond on the property that holds this water until it is used in the irrigation process.



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Please join in this time of prayer and positive thoughts for Tricia, Nathan, and Gwyneth Rose

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Join Us in Prayer Wednesday morning Please consider dedicating the hours of 7-10AM EDST tomorrow, Wednesday, June 11 to pray specifically for Tricia's tests and her health. For more check out Nathan's blog.

Father's Day giveaways at From Dates to Diapers

Photobucket

Another great giveaway site! She is doing give aways all week for Father's day!

Five Minutes for Mom Give Away

The ladies over at 5 minutes for Mom, are at it again with their give aways!

Today you can enter to win: Yum-O: The Family Cookbook Rachael Ray’s newest cookbook.

Head on over, enter for a chance to win!

”csdsmbutton.jpg”

Monday, June 09, 2008

Our day at Lane's packing company

Today, Kelsey, DJ and I traveled out to Lanes to get some freshly picked peaches. YUMMY!! We went on a farm tour and learned a lot about the peaches, and the company.







We had a good time, the ice cream is to die for, and the peaches are cheaper there than they are in the stores. :)

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Plans

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Plans Tricia, Nathan, and Gwyneth are traveling back to Duke tomorrow for a few rounds of tests. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

He's home

Sorry its been a long weekend.

Jerry called me about 930 on Saturday morning and said he was being released. I went up to get him and we didn't actually leave until noon.

I had to work shortly after that, and he was on the computer all day and all day yesterday. (rolling eyes)

We still do not have any answers. He has appointments all week.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Slim Down Summer Final check in

Ok final offical check in for the Slim Down Summer over at Baby Tea Leaves!

I can offically say that:

I am down 2 pants sizes.

I can walk Roo (the dog of the finger dislocation event) 3 miles and not feel too horrible, as long as its not 100 degrees out.

I have 3 pairs of shorts for work that I can not longer wear to work because they fall down. :)

I am and have been averaging 12000 steps per day for the last 3 weeks. I have had a few days where I did a LOT better with it than others, thats why its an average. LOL

I have no idea how much weight I have lost, because we don't own a scale, but I feel like I have lost some, and thats all that really matters to me!

Now to get my husband out of the hospital so that I feel like I can leave the house to just go for a walk and not worry about missing a call from him. LOL

Go over to Baby Tea Leaves and check out everyone elses progress!

Jerry update Friday PM

Still no new news on Jerry.

The doctor decided to wait until his next set of appointments before running the next set of tests.

His arms look like drug addicts, so he wants to give his veins some rest.

He is still in the hospital until at least tomorrow, as long as his potassium levels straighten out they should send him home around noon our time.

So a wait and see game.

He is bored out of his mind, and his LT took him their laptop to watch movies on, plus the shop took him Wendy's for lunch. So that made him happy.

K-Mart Rocks

Or at least the one near us does.

Wednesday afternoon, after DJ and I took Jerry some shorts and his tennis shoes at the hospital, we ran to K-Mart.

The original plan had been to run to either the Walmart that is on that side of town (the "good" Walmart) or up to Target.

But as I was driving west I saw the K-Mart sign at the top of the hill, and thought what the heck, I have not ever been to this one, lets check it out. I am sure that they have the couple of things I was looking for.

Of course they did. :)

PLUS...

They give 10%-20% off to all military id card holders, depending on what you are getting and how you are paying.

The only catch that I could see, is that if you are paying by credit card it has to be a Sears Charge card. But they will let you pay cash or by debit without a problem.

Hey it saved me about $10 today, and I only got about $30 worth of stuff!

Jerry update Friday morning

I just talked to Jerry.

The general practioner doctor just was there, and the only thing he mentioned was that Jerry's potassium is still low, so they are going to run more of that today, and he might get to come home tomorrow.

No mention of the other tests that we were told about yesterday, so we don't know if those are still happening this morning or not.

I am off to work here in a few minutes.

Matt's adventure's in China

As some of you know, my brother Matt, on top of being a musician out in LA, works for a company that does a lot of work for the oil companies.

He also does A LOT of traveling. Enough that 80% of the time I am not sure if he is in country or not.

I think this year already he has done 3 trips to China, at least 1 to the far Northern reaches of Canada, at least 1 to Abu Daubi, and thats just the ones I can think of when I am tired.

On his latest adventure to China he took some videos and has them up on Youtube.







Drunk Chinese Dinner theater
Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Jerry Update Thursday Evening.

They did the endoscope this morning around 8, and everything there looked better than Dr. Campbell thought it would after only 6 weeks, so we are back at square one, as the erosion in his esphogus is not what is causing the problem.

They finally moved him up to his own room, and out of the ER about an hour ago.

He will be there until at least noon tomorrow. They are running more tests first thing in the morning.

Thursday 13~ Thirteen Books I would like to have for my class


Thirteen Books I would like to have for my classroom library


1. If You Give A Pig A Pancake by Laura Numeroff

2.The Mary Celeste An Unsolved Mystery from History by Jane Yolen and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple


3. Magic Tree House Series, yes the WHOLE Series! :) I love these books!

4. Little House Series Again, I loved these books growing up, and most of my students seem to enjoy them.

5. Katie Kazoo! Great books for lower level readers! Again, yes the entire series.

6. Math Curse

7. Patricia Polacco books any and all

8. Hank the Cowdog

9. Series of Unfortunate Events

10. Gary Paulsen Books

11. A to Z Mysteries

12. Beverly Cleary Books

13. Wayside School Series


Other Books that would be great to have:

Teaching with Great Tomie DePola Books And of course the books to go with it.

The Three Little Pigs~

The Three Little Pigs


The True Story of the Three Little Pigs


The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig



The Three Little Cajun Pigs


Three Little Javelinas


The Greedy Triangle

The Grapes of Math

Double Trouble in Walla Walla


Piggies in a Polka

Give Me Half


The Rag Coat


Grandfather's Journey


Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!


Boxcar Children Set

Eddie Dickens Trilogy


My America Series

Mad Science Series

All of that being said, I got to see my classroom on Tuesday.

IT IS LITTLE!!

About 1/2 the size of the classroom that I was in to finish out the year.

I am going to ask about decorating the door like most of the elementary teachers around here do with fabric that they tie the clasroom "theme" into. None of them seem to do it out there, but I can ask.

That and I want to make it a cheerful place to be, with lots of pictures and fun things. It is going to take a LOT of work, but hopefully Kelsey and I can do it.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Back on the OBX!!!

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Back on the OBX!!!

Nathan, Tricia, and Gwyneth Rose are all home on the OBX! Proof positive that some prayers and positive thoughts work.

Jerry

Jerry is in the hospital again.


He had an appointment yesterday with the doctor for his heart burn, where he told the doctor that everything just wears him out, and the doctor said he was sure, but didn't waive his PT stuff.

Then we got home and he got sick to his stomach, so he called work and told them that he was staying home the rest of the day and going to the doctor this morning (general practitioner).

When he was at the clinic on base they checked his hemoglobin and all of that labs stuff, and he was low again, so the called the ambulance to take him to the ER at the county hospital.

When I was there they were saying that Dr C (the heart burn doc) and Dr. B (the heart doc) as well as Dr. T and Dr P (the base general practitioner docs) had all been notified and were going to be consulting on the next step. But what they know for sure is that he is there over night, and they are running potassium in, and probably another transfusion before too long.

The sucky thing for him is there are no beds available upstairs, so as of right now he is stuck in a private room in the ER.

He doesn't care about that part, just that they told him he could not eat until after they do an endoscope tomorrow (possibly).

Its a never ending saga around here I swear.

Dislocating a finger

Is NO FUN!!!

Last night I was walking Roo and she managed to dislocate my pointer finger on my right hand, so it hurts to use my hand, and its swollen to all get out.

At least I was smart enough to get my ring off right away.

Well after I popped it back in so that I could.

When I came home and showed Jerry he was like you need to get your other rings off because your whole hand is starting to swell. GREAT!

It still hurts like heck, my entire hand does, so when he gets home from his doctors appointment on base I am going to call to get it looked at to make sure all I did was dislocate it.

Walmart update...

When I got home on Sunday night there was a message from someone at the Walmart. Could not tell you what her name was, or what position she had, because, she has no phone manners and didn't give them to the voice mail.

At least someone called, last time I filed a complaint, it was ignored.

It was a really stupid message though, about how they are working on the issues, and hope that I will give them another chance. Of which they have to be kidding me.

The only way that store is going to get any better is if they fire the store manager, and get in someone that busts balls and doesn't put up with the crap that gets done in there.

Because as they say, crap runs down hill, and if the store manager would step up to the plate, and take charge when people are in line, or busts the ones not doing their jobs, the ones that need the job will step up to the plate, or else find other employment.

I could walk in there tomorrow and point out about 10 people that I have had to deal with, that should not be in a customer service related position. Starting with the cow that works in the money center, and going on to probably 90% of the CSM's. Plus whoever does the scheduling that has it so that there is only ever maybe 4 registers at a most open!

Working in retail, and being a teacher some times sucks.

Because I am BIG on manners, and BIG on the customer always comes first. (Sunday, I actually told the outside garden manager to apologize to a customer that had to wait for 10 minutes for an override, he probably was about it anyway, but he was taking too long to do it. LOL I apologized later for saying it, and he just laughed and said it was not a big deal.)

I went Monday morning to the Walmart across town, and had such a better experience, it was rather funny. I wanted to purchase some fabric so that I could make a clothes pin holder to go on the clothes line. There was no one in the craft section, and as someone walked out of the back of the store I asked if he could page someone for me. Which he did gladly (why doesn't Walmart have the customer assistance bells like Lowes?). I stood there for a few more minutes kind of looking around, not too impatiently when another customer came up and said that the gal would be right out, she was in back logging in the new stock. I told her that it was ok, as long as she was out in the next 25 minutes she would beat the other stores record. She just laughed and agreed with me. You see, she also lives closer to the Walmart that gives crappy service, and drives to the Walmart we were in for what she needs. I find that really sad, and a disgrace. We should be able to expect the same customer service at every store, one would think. Heck I also went to the Lowes over here and was asked by every employee that I saw if I needed help with anything. Which is spot on for customer focused.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Slim down summer check in

I am late, again, I know.

Or else early, depending on how you want to look at it.

I think I like the early version of the story better, with just a week skipped. ;)

Since my last check in I haven't done as well. (insert big sigh here).

I did walk to school every day, but Jerry picked me up from school both Thursday and Friday.

I didn't walk around the classroom as much, because I was cleaning out file drawers and what not when the kids were working.

And I didn't walk around the school as much during planning, for the exact same reason.

And it was too hot when we had break to walk the track.

But I did go swimming once.

And Jerry, the kids, the dogs and I, did go for a long walk on Monday night, as well as this Sunday night.

Before I reset my pedometer I had 32000 steps for the week, however I did not wear it consistantly.

Saturday and Sunday I got in 27,000+ steps at Lowes and with our walk. So that tells you how crappy of a week walking was at school.

Here's to hoping for a better week!

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Oy vay

Today was another long day at Lowes. I was scheduled for 9 hours, which translates to 12 hours away from the house.

I left this morning at about 7:30, and got home probably close to 8, because I had to pick up a couple of things at work for our garden, and then stop at Win-Dixie for bread (and I got the stuff for fruit salad).

I swear some times it feels like someone in the Lowes kingdom hates me and is trying to kill me working that long of a shift all on the outdoor registers, in this heat. According to our thermometer it was 100 out there today.

Just a wee bit warm...

It aggravates me to no end because today there were 4 of us scheduled to work "outside", and for all intents and purposes 3 of us did it. The fourth gal, managed to work a front register almost all day.

One of the gals that works outside with me doesn't mind being out there all day, because she hates the front.

And while I would much rather be outside, than stuck at self checkout or even on a front register, I would like to have the same privileges as the one that stayed inside almost all day. Considering the couple of times I did get to run inside she was in the break room, taking a "break". We asked if the gal could come out and give us a break, and some how it took another hour before she came out, and then she still managed to get back inside within an hour so she could do her "worklist". Give me a break.

But honestly that wasn't the icing on the cake of people skirting their responsibilities on the job.

There is a woman that works with us, in her mid twenties, married, but this is her first real job.

When she first came to Lowes, I thought she would be a hard worker, because she seemed to do a lot.

Turns out not so much.

Every time you look at her on the register, she is on the phone, talking to who knows who. Or else 5 times an hour she pages one of the people we work with to call her on her extension.

Now I know that we page departments all of the time to get an item number or what not. But not normally by name unless the customer says that so in so helped them. She calls them to gossip about everyone that we work with, or to flirt with the men.

And if she is "on" one of the middle registers? FORGET IT! She is not "on" the register at all, she is running around the store, flirting with the guys as they walk by, stopping fellow employees so that she can talk to them etc.

I am the first one to admit that if I am on a register and one of the "supervisors" asks me to handle something for them, that takes me off the register, I am ON IT! But she is always all over the store. Ticks me off to no end.

Then this afternoon as I was going back outside from lunch, she was pulling a red cart with some potting mix on it, that had been returned, to the outdoor garden area. The pallet that this stuff went on was 30 feet in front of her, in plain sight, no WAY she could say she didn't know where it was. But instead of walking the extra 30 feet and putting them at least close to where they go, she shoved the cart down between the two main registers (one of which I was about to get on, because we had 10 people in each line).

When I called her on it, she told me that she was too "busy" to haul it all over the store.

I kindly pointed out the fact that it was 30 feet further, and she turned around and huffed back into the store.

I know when I take back returns to a lot of the departments I will drop off buggies at their desks, because I don't know where everything goes, and it is usually just faster to let the CSA's in the department do it. But most of us, will at least let the department know that they have returns at their desk, or volunteer to help put the returns where they go. She just thinks that because she has been at the store for 90+ days that she is better than everyone else.

I put the potting soil up for the guys, who busted hump today in that heat, then helped the customers, because trust me, if I had left it where she put it, someone would sueing Lowes because they tripped over the dang thing trying to get to my register!

I mentioned it to the new team leader of the front end. I wasn't naming names, but I did tell her that we needed to review the PROPER procedure for if you return items to the floor. The teamleader figured out who I was refering to quick in a hurry like. I am sure that the gal will deny it all if she gets questioned about it, because she is like that. But hopefully something will be said just in general about helping out like you should.

I also think about half of the store smokes pot. I have heard a BUNCH of conversations lately about buying it, or sharing it. I know at least 2 of the employees smoke it occasionally when they go to lunch, because they have made the plans to go to lunch together they will ask the other one if they have it with them in the car. But whatever to each his own, I am not going to go to lunch with any of them that I think may do it, I can't afford to even have the chance of being around it and being caught.

I hate Walmart

I went to our local Walmart Friday afternoon to cash my subsitute check, before I had to go to work at Lowes.

Walking up to the Money Center I noticed that the line was 8 people long. However, I also noticed that there were 3 customer service people in the Money Center, I assumed that the wait would go smoothly.

Well you know what they say about assumptions!

The first woman, was busy helping a customer figure out the copy machine, and when they could not figure it out she looked at the woman behind the counter, and said I give up, you will have to do it.

The second woman was busy tying balloons to every post in the money center, and ignoring the line that was getting longer by the minute, so that she could make the area look pretty for their special shingdig that they had to promote the money center.

The third woman, who ALWAYS works the money center, was her typical witchy self. Gossiping with the other two about fellow co-workers. Gossiping with the customer that she was helping at the time, because obviously this is a close personal friend that she has known for 20+ years, and ignoring the fact that after I had stood in line for 15 minutes she was still serving the same customer.

I gave up after 15 minutes in line, with the first two women leaving the money center, and the third woman still helping the same person as when I walked in the door. There were 4 new people in line behind me, that were happy to see me leave.

I really do not think that there is a need for all of the customers to hear who got knocked up in the neighborhood, who is sleeping with whom, who is divorcing whom, or any of the other nonsense that this woman was LOUDLY proclaiming. Especially not on a Friday night, when people are just trying to cash their paychecks so they can go buy groceries.

Talk about customer service that is lacking!