YIPPEE!!

     I'm SO excited!!!  A very good friend got a promotion and it's FANTASTIC!!  I know she'll be an absolutely wonderful manager and I'm glad that her work environment is going to be ever so much better than it is right now!!

Welcome 2009

Health, happiness, contentment - my wish for a bright new year for all my friends and family.

Olympics - Finally

OK - I admit I finally watched some of the Olympics:  swimming (men's and women's) - simply wonderful, gymnastics all-around - beautiful, and dressage preliminaries - wonderful and the men's 100 m dash - wow!

I don't watch the Olympics much anymore - I used to and I don't know really why I don't but there you are!  Anyway, I'd exhausted my cable options (I either didn't want to see them or had already seen them several times) so there I was on NBC watching Michael, Nastia and Usain do fantastically.  Along with the Silver and Bronze metalists they were all great - and it was beautiful to watch. 

Congratulations to all the participants - Great Job!

I did get my fix (although I'd like to be able to catch the dressage finals) and I'm ready for non-Olympics again.  This week is going to be busy with meetings almost every day - but that's OK because I'll have a great time with friends one evening.  I'm really looking forward to that!!  Great talk, good nachos and wine -what more could anyone ask??

See everyone on Wednesday!

Thanks for small things

Reading a friend's blog I realize that I have it pretty easy in the "neighbor" department! Some problems - some lack of mowing, etc. but nothing like the mess she's facing every day. I wish there was some way to help . . .

My broken wrist silver lining - here it is 4 months after the "event" and I've still not started biting my nails again - and I actually have nails! To be sure, they're not really all that strong and a couple have broken but not as far back as I used to gnaw them! It's been a little hard getting used to typing with nails - never knew it could be so difficult!

There's a "new wind blowing" at MPOW and I, for one, am extremely pleased about it! Looking forward to the upcoming changes . . . The Winds of Change was a training video we used to have, narrated by Patrick Stewart . . . I can hear him now!!

It's Summer

Once again, Virginia Beach is going from Spring to Summer to early Spring! The weather over the Memorial Day weekend was absolutely beautiful - perfect temperature and sunny. Today it's hot and somewhat humid - summer weather - high 80s and sunny. Tomorrow is supposed to be 65 - after some thunderstorms roll through - back to early spring!

We're finally seeing many of our foreign student workers come to the library. In previous years, we've seen them come earlier - as much as a month earlier - but they're coming in now. It really is inspiring - I don't know that I would have ever had the courage to travel across the globe to a foreign country where I didn't speak the language well to work for 3-4 months. I'm just glad we can provide some contact for them to their friends and family back home. If only we had wireless!!

As the other area libraries calm down (somewhat) with school closing in a few weeks, we gear up for a really busy summer. I wonder how the gas problems and prices will affect the number of people who come to visit Virginia Beach and how many visitors we have coming in to use the computers. Only time will tell!

PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a good friend - I didn't forget - I'm just that way!

Baby Steps

Ok - here's the thing - the cast(s) are all off - the wrist is officially healed and I've got a brace which I've been using religiously. HOWEVER - it's been a week and I don't know that I've made the progress I should have - for many reasons! I do have an ulterior motive - I'd like to avoid physical therapy if at all possible!

• Fear - it's very strange to feel "afraid" to use part of your body that you've always used but there you are. I'm able to type with both hands but not as smoothly as I used to - yet. But I've been babying my wrist - probably too much!
• Relying too much on the brace - my wrist - heck the arm - felt naked without something on it so I left the brace on except for showers. It's scratchy and doesn't (of course) have the support of the cast but it does give a sense of security - but it definitely limits mobility!
• Feeling particularly old and vulnerable - this is my birthday month (in fact week) and the length of time this is taking to heal has pointed out, once again, that a significant amount of time has passed and "bouncing back" simply doesn't happen any more. That realization also causes mini - pity parties, which while temporarily gratifying (on some bizarre plane) are simply not useful or helpful

SO - what now!!?? Well, the brace is off today - I'm typing without it and doing ok - the old arm is stiff - of course it is! I don't have any real pain - just some soreness! I'll use the brace at night (at least for another few days) and I'm going to try to make myself use my hand and wrist more. Poor thing can barely hold anything but it's getting better every day!

AND - no more pity parties! I had some whine (with cheese and wine actually) but it's time to "let it go".

I'm going to depend on my friends to reign me in if (ok when) I get going! That's what friends are for - listening, supporting and smacking upside the head when it's needed! It's been a while since we've been able to get together - really looking forward to that!!

Saturday - May 3

It's my first Saturday to work in a long time - my co-workers have been wonderful in giving me the time to heal! I was able to do the money (rolling the pennies one penny at a time was interesting) and I know the day will go well! Apparently the NCIS marathons on USA are over - at least there wasn't one last weekend so I'm not missing Mark & the crew! It's supposed to be a picture perfect day at the beach today!!

(Picture courtesy of AmericaninCanada - Flickr.com)

A good friend's Mom had to go into the hospital this past week - Delilah - all good thoughts to you and your Mom and don't hesitate to call whenever!

Rainy days and Saturdays

Another Saturday - another NCIS marathon (yipee) - and more rain. Best news of all, my taxes are done and filed!! I'm waiting for an acceptance email, I sign a form verifying I am who I am (and no I couldn't immediately find last year's return) and then wait for the money!!

I'm getting ready to pack for Computers in Libraries next week - it's always fun and educational!! So many interesting things to learn about - and bit by bit we're starting to implement some of them at work! It's going to be a bit more difficult with one arm but that's the way it's going to be this year! Maybe next time!!

Speaking of casts (ok I really wasn't but I am now!) this one is worse on the inside than the other two - it's almost gummy (yuck) but fans help. The pain is a little more because of the arm rotation - I REALLY have to remember to take it slow (not a strong suit) and be assured that it will be better. 3 more weeks to my next appointment - splint time I hope!

Unfortunately there's no "group" meeting this month -- watch out May!

Truly Blessed

I work in a great place for terrific people. Everyone's been so supportive and concerned with my progress with this hunk of plaster on my arm! Emails, phone calls, opening my soda bottles!! (I can open cans but not bottles!!). It really makes the entire ordeal a bit easier knowing that kind of support is there!

I'm very lucky that I have wonderful support outside work too. My friends, neighbors and family check to see if I need anything on their way to run errands and I've gotten lovely flowers and delicious fruit!

In case anyone is interested/concerned - yes. I woke up at 3:30 a.m.! I fell asleep at 10 p.m. and, in my dreams, I heard one ring - like a phone - which it wasn't - and "bink" my eyes flew open! I'm not good at lying in bed so I got up and here I am! I'm sure I'll be back in bed soon. In the meantime, a little surfing, a little reading and I'm good. What's really strange is that there are more interesting TV programs (in my opinion) on at 4 a.m. than during regular "daytime" hours - go figure!

Happy Valentine's Day

May you have a wonderful day with friends & loved ones!

Thanks!!

I'm so excited - a friend said that my room would be added to the list of rooms she's going to paint!! . . . there was something else about turning blue . . . but as you see THAT's not a problem!

(PS I was going to add this as a comment on her blog - but there's a problem with too much HTML in comments!!)

Good TIme Had By All!

It was really good to get together with a few friends last night and "dish dish dish"! It's been a while since we've gotten together and life is trying to get in our way but we managed a get-together last night and it was FUN! (I'm sure the very young waiter was convinced we were absolutely ready for the funny farm - but as mentioned, he's young!!)

Thank you Delilah, Carter & Maggie Mae for the excellent time - and great talk!! Fingers crossed that all stays sane for our next meeting!!

PS - Maggie - OF COURSE you could handle anything - I mean geesh - a walk in the park!!

A Friend's Name

ARG!

I'm looking forward to our "meeting" tomorrow - been a long time - lots to catch up on!

See ya!!