Work Computer . . . RIP

Well, today my (almost) 7 year old work computer breathed it's last and was taken away.
When I tried to log in this morning I got a strange message that Windows couldn't find the domain . . . or that my account might be inactive.  Since I could sign in to other computers, I was fairly sure my account was fine and the computer itself was the problem.  Sure enough - it was the ol' thing. 

I was really hoping that it would hold out until the new one came - our new laptops are due soon . . . but such was not to be.  Hopefully I'll have a loaner tomorrow - and that will last until our brand, spanking new one arrives!!

*SIGH*  It's very strange having to use another computer . . . luckily we had people out today so there was a computer available! 

Change NOW

What a day . . . there are many changes and adaptations that are needed and needed quickly because the new fiscal year starts soon.  Changes that seem minor impact so many things - tentacles are everywhere!  And while a lot of work was done prior to now there were many things that couldn't be done until the budget was finalized.

So madness has set in . . . everything will work out, everything will get done - but in the here and now it's a lot of work and angst!

Weekend Reflections . . .

News from Florida continues to be positive - the relief is almost overwhelming - and the situation certainly puts the rest of my life (and problems) into perspective.  My family is what's important - my brother, my sons, the other important people in my and their lives - those are the critical things. 

Budget woes at work, staffing changes, management problems - all are problems and all require time, energy and work but compared to my brother's life they're manageable problems.  I don't want anyone from my place of work to have to leave - unfortunately I didn't make the decision, I just have to live with it.  I'm happy that none of my co-workers will lose their jobs - but I'm certainly going to miss them - a lot. I think the faster we find out the results of the surveys, movements, etc. the better we'll all be - uncertainty is what is so hard to deal with - knowing lets you plan and prepare. 

Changes aren't easy - even when it turns out that the change truly was a positive event.  We'll all get through this process, growing pains and all!

A Future View??

This week has been interesting – after the luggage arrived home on Tuesday that is! – it's been a view of what retirement might be like. Not having to get up in the morning – not having much of anything that has to be done. (There's plenty to do but I can't seem to get the ambition to actually do any of it – I am planning to at least LOOK at the mess in the living room!!)


I'm not sure I can do this every day – I mean really – West Wing reruns only capture me for so long – so I guess I'd be compelled to look for something outside the house to do – WORK! I don't want full-time and I don't want to continue working part-time at MPOW. If I stay there I might as well be paid my full salary!

I don't remember ever thinking about being old enough to retire – let alone getting old enough to retire! But here I am.


PS I applied to refinance the house – it's all done online – very strange – no one to talk to! We'll have to see how it goes.

Once a Manager - Never Again!!

Well - my career as a library manager is over.  It was interesting and, I must admit, fun.  There were parts that weren't fun or even enjoyable but for the most part I had a agood time and learned a great deal.  It's a lot harder than it looks!  For 3 1/2 months I feel that I haven't been in the building at all - there were weeks I didn't work my regular schedule at all - and so much of my work was falling by the wayside - but somehow it all got done (at least no one has come asking for something that wasn't done!!). 

In the meantime, we're settling in with our new manager.  Things will be different but I know we'll be fine and do well.  In October we'll be celebrating our 5th anniversary in the "new" building - have to get started on planning our party! 

Back at Work and Other Problems . . .

It's a bad time economically everywhere and I guess I thought we'd weather the crisis better than some other areas because we do have such a large military base that will continue to be paid and who, for the most part, pay rent and mortgages - but maybe it will be worse than I imagined. 

There are going to be even more changes at work - people moving, positions not being filled, general cutbacks.  Even more reason to be thankful that we've got some nation-wide changes coming - not that any one man can "fix" this mess! 

One wish - PLEASE no more Sarah Palin - I'm totally tired of her and the whole family.  Can she stop talking to everyone with a video camera?  Can can the networks and cable news shows stop showing all the film??  Please???  Pretty Please????  SIGH . . .

A LONG Week

This is been a REALLY long week - interviews, training and meetings filled all 6 days but the week is almost over!!  Last night I went to bed (and sleep) at 8 pm and didn't wake up until 6 this morning.  I know the TV was one when I fell asleep and I (dimly) remember hearing someone talking during the night (probably evening) but I didn't really wake up enough to know who it was or turn the TV off.  Oh well - needed the sleep for sure.

Next week looks much calmer - we'll see!!

Worn Out!

I don't think I've ever had 6 meetings in 4 days before - one on Monday, two on Tuesday, one on Wednesday and two on Thursday! 

     Whew!

Finally Friday

I wasn't sure this day was going to get here - not before I went crazy that is!  Monday, each hour seemed like two - Tuesday was the same.  Thursday was faster but not necessarily in a good way!

BUT FINALLY today arrived and it was good!  Now for two full days of weekend - stuff to do - sure but not work - not customer service - not dealing with police!!

Monday will come soon enough!  Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!  I intend to!

Another Day - Another Arrest

Well, it's Thursday and we had another eventful morning at work!  We had not been open long when the guard came and said that there was someone who'd been falling asleep a lot - and had then gone into the men's room.  And had been in there about 30 minutes!  Since he'd been falling asleep, there was concern that there might have been something wrong!  So . . . I asked a male staff member to go into the rest room - he reported that the man was awake, shut into the stall and not responding to talking.  So . . . a call to the police was made!  Two officers came and spent quite a lot of time in the rest room - then a third officer came and the three police officers and the man left to talk outside.

Eventually the man was arrested (after the police discovered outstanding warrants) but not for the incident in the bathroom where (allegedly) he had been packaging marijuana for sale!! 

Oh well - we banned him for a year - the police arrested him and it was just another day in libraryland!

What is it about Thursday???  Last week was "interesting" too!!

Weekends

Just for the record - one day weekends are WAY too short to count as time off!!  I know that I have two days off per week, but when I work Saturdays (every other week) I have Friday & Sunday off - just isn't the same!

Friday was good though because my hair got its 6 week overhaul - including a much needed cut.  Hopefully it will last another 6 weeks without getting too shaggy - one can only hope.

Saturday was a quiet day - the economy has definitely affected our business - tourists just aren't coming in the numbers they have in the past.   Until, of course until the last hours of the day - when, once again, we had to call the police - SIGH.  This time it was some people out front yelling, cursing and threatening.  Of course, by the time the police got there (and they were quick!) the offenders had moved on - and they didn't come back (at least not before we closed).

Ok - I've whined about work, hair and weekends - Great Start to the Week!!

Whew - what a week

Yippee - an early weekend and a longer one too - I took Saturday and Monday off - just because! I'm going to see Lion King at the Kennedy Center on Saturday - and REALLY looking forward to that!

Sunday will be more cleaning in the "spare" rooms that have become general dumping grounds for all things not in favor! Hopefully I'll be able to get all junk & real garbage out of my assigned room and move on to actual cleaning! There's still another room for me to do - but that's going to mean heavy lifting so I'm going to have to have massive help!

Monday will be a day of rest and relaxation (along with dusting and working from home - I know but there are things that HAVE to get done before Tuesday!!).

PS There are 131 days until the election - if it were over tomorrow I'd be very very happy!

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!!

Almost Sunday

It's almost Sunday, I can't sleep (probably slept too late this morning) and we're heading to NVa tomorrow morning to make sure the grass is cut and all is well! I'm sure I'll be sleepy soon!

I did have a productive, if frustrating afternoon. I worked on my library's Summer Reading Club web page(s). It was productive because I got some of them finished - frustrating because the program's preview doesn't work and requires publishing to view the results. Things didn't line up exactly the way I'd like (or the way it appeared within the program) but it's not too bad! I have more to do - the teen pages in particular so I may work on them some more and see if I can't get it straight!

It was supposed to rain today but it didn't - but it certainly was hot. The first day it was really hot - upper 80s - and humid. Can't wait to see this summer's electric bills!

I'm amazed that it's June already - on Monday it will be the start of the fourth month of the "broken wrist". Amazing. Of course, my wrist isn't broken anymore - it's fixed (a little crooked but that's ok). But it certainly isn't back to "normal" and I just hope it will be someday. It gets better day by day - sometimes it's two steps forward, one step backwards but, in general, progress is being made! I can hold many things with my right hand - I can write with it (although it gets tired and sore easily) but I can't easily make a fist unless it's in the morning - my hand (and fingers in particular) still swell and I can't turn my hand palm up - it goes further than before but still not all the way. Oh well - I guess it really is time for physical therapy - much as I've been hoping to avoid it!

Well - it's after midnight and now June 1 - time for some sleep and a trip later this morning.

Later . . .

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!

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!

Back to Work . . .

Today was my second day back at work - and I want to thank everyone who suggested I go back part-time! Four hours seems to be the limit my arm and I can handle!

Monday I did too much with the arm - I had the sling but not the waist band and that just allowed me to do more than I probably should have.

Today I had the waist band but I was still tired enough and my arm ached enough that when I came home at noon I took a pain pill and had a nice nap!! This evening has been much better!

I know that slow and steady is the way to go but I don't have a lot of patience - I'm sure that will come as a complete shock to my friends! - and it's hard for me to wait - - but, of course, I will!

PS: to my bank, co-workers for whom I've signed leave slips, etc. - that's not a forgery . . . it's my poor attempt to write with my left hand!!

PPS: kudos to the programmers who created an easy way to switch mouse buttons!!