Another year older.....

Lol, well I'm a bit past 29.....and I just spent 20 minutes looking for a good meme.  Here I am wasting my time looking for something funny, haha. 

I took a vacation day today, the first time I've taken off for my birthday, but it just gave me a reason to extend my 4 day weekend to 5 days.  I may be old, but not stupid  :-)  

Along with the birthday wishes, I was just notified that one of our dental assistants tested positive this morning.  If anyone else tests positive, we may be off for a week.  The office across the hall closed for a week because of Covid, so I guess it's likely.  And, I ordered my free testing kits this morning too.  Not sure how long it will take to get them, aren't they saying 7-10 days?  Something like that.

BTW, I have 19 weeks of work left....but who's counting?  

The consensus on the new girl has toned down a bit.  I did a bit of training with her yesterday.  I think she's shy and unsure of how things will go.  I asked her if she wanted to have a go at entering in our electronic insurance payments and she said no ~ then I handed her some and said, just go for it, I know you can do it.  I should not have asked, I should have said let's do some posting!  Poor choice of words.  One of my other co-workers said she probably was intimidated my Ms Loud, and I agree.  She is totally in your face.  If she wants to show me something, she's like so close it's uncomfortable.  

I am still having trouble with posting comments ~ I have to write it on my word processor and copy/paste.  Once I've done that I can write more, but I find it really odd.  

Well, that's enough of a ramble for today!  Have an enjoyable day y'all....

Love, 365

 

A dog named Butters........

This past summer I met our new next door neighbors when I was searching for a bra I ordered.  They have a dog that is a beagle mix (how do I know? the howl).  I learned that day that this dog's name is Butters.  I could not figure out how they managed to name a dog Butters, until one of my co-workers said it's the name of a character on South Park.  Ah, that explains it, because I don't watch it.  

I don't know what this couple does for work.  I see his vehicle come and go at the usual 8-5 time frame.  I never see her come or go, but I assume she also works, or she hates the dog.  I say this because Butters is outside all day.  Even on weekends.  I don't have an issue with Butters being outside during the day, it's when they come home from the work day that is a problem.  

"Poor Butters!" is a phrase Romeo and I say often.  He wants to come in when they're home.  But for some reason they leave him out until 7pm or so.  How do I know this?  Because he barks constantly ~ with a howl in there every now and then ~ until they let the poor thing come in.  Sure, it annoys us, but mostly we just feel badly for Butters.  I think he's lonely.  Why have a dog then?  Who knows.

Have you ever gone over to a neighbors house to discuss an issue with their dog?  I did once.  Our neighbors dog jumped over our fence all the time.  The woman who answered the door told me to *f* off.  I filed a complaint with the city, and they retaliated by building a small cage for the dog right next to our house, so that back fired in a number of ways ~ they never did anything with the dog except when her husband went hunting, and that dog barked constantly too.  I don't think you should have a dog that only goes out with you hunting unless you have a couple of dogs so they could at least keep each other company.  That cured me, I haven't done a face to face with anyone since then about their dog (or other pet). 

So, I've written a letter that I will send anonymously.  Basically it says we sure do feel badly for Butters, and could they bring him in earlier so he doesn't bark for 2-3 hours straight?  I doubt it will change their behavior, but it's better than doing nothing.  I think.  Maybe.   

Poor Butters.

Love, 365
 

The highs and lows of this week..........

 

I picked this meme because I love little Grogu (the child on The Mandelorian).  Look at that ugly/cute face....

This week started out pretty darn good!  Even at the end of the day on Tuesday and Wednesday I was in a great mood!  That's pretty rare as usually I feel like I've escaped prison when I leave at the end of the day :-)

Thursday was OK, but I had to stay an hour late waiting for the doc to finish the fillings on a guy who has Parkinson's.  Poor guy, he can hardly hold still for the fillings to be done.  Took nearly 2 hours. 

Today I found out that there has been talk about the new girl.  And she is a girl, she's only 26.  She seems very nice, doesn't hesitate to answer the phone or greet patients.  One of the docs came up to us today to discuss it with us.  And Ms Loud immediately goes into the list of undesirable behaviors ~ she said she isn't very motivated, and she's on her phone a lot.  I mentioned that she might not feel comfortable jumping in, especially after we told her not to post any patient payments (which has to do with a complicated switch over from two docs co-owning the business, to one owner).  You know, maybe she's feeling a little less confident after Ms Loud goes to her and says "don't post any patient payments until we're able to get you up to speed on making sure we credit the right doctor".  Which sounds reasonable until you hear the tone she says it in.  I mentioned this, and also mentioned that maybe - just maybe - 4 days isn't enough to make the determination?  Ugh.  

After the doc left, I said that it was kind of the pot calling the kettle black about the phone thing, since the person who made the comment is on her phone all the time.  I don't know.  Maybe I'm just a sucker.  Maybe I'm too compassionate (yeah, it's not a good thing if you know me, I cry at commercials).  And we all are on our cell phones.  Ms Loud is on hers even more than the person who made the comment.  

Well, it's all over now until Tuesday, so we'll see how it goes.  In a few short months it won't matter to me anyway.  

Hurray for the weekend!

Love, 365

I love being off on Mondays.......

 

When you wake up late and see this in the mirror, it might be Monday.

I love the pew pew pew.....

One of my all time favorite memes.....(unfortunately the "true story" line doesn't really show up on this one.  

If you never watched Game of Thrones, you won't get this one......but accurate.  One of the most evil characters in a series.

Even in this position, there's nothing cuter than a Corgi.

I'm off today so I won't see our new hire nail it or not today.  She has experience, she should do fine, but I do have a bit of sympathy to my co-worker, who gets first shot and the newbie's first day.  

Goodbye to Sidney Poitier, and to Bob Saget.  RIP

The sun is out and the whole of the day is in front of me.....

Love, 365

2022 thoughts.....

 

This meme is perfect......a few years ago I gave up on making resolutions.  They are more like empty promises you make to yourself that you know you'll never make a habit of ~ if you never worked at staying active and fit, it's unlikely you ever will (although I've heard that you can make something a habit after 40 days, but I tend to think of these habits as negative ones, like drinking every day, or constantly being late for stuff).  Oh my, how I used to write down my resolutions and worked very hard to make them a reality, but unfortunately for me most of those were weight loss.  😀  Yeah, I find that funny, because there are so many more things that should be at the tops of our lists.

Mom, I do miss you.  And I am glad that you did not see that I waited until Jan 7th to remove the Christmas tree and decorations.  My Mom was always so tired of it that she usually took the tree down the day after.  Yes, I mean the 26th!  My sister and I would be so sad to see it all go.  

It is an exhausting business.  I started working on it at 8:30 and really just finished up at 1:30.  To be fair, I did re-arrange the closet where I store it, threw out a few things, vacuumed it, etc.  But it's done, and now I'm tired and unmotivated to do much of anything else.  Hence, here I am at my desk blogging :-)

Yesterday we said goodbye to an employee of 21 years at our dental practice.  I will both miss her and not.  She is fun to be around, has a great sense of humor.  Unfortunately she was awful at following up with some of her work.  If I happened to speak to a patient about their benefits, suddenly she would just assume I would be the person to speak to them every time they had a billing question or insurance issue...I could never understand how I inherited this person's problems just by talking to them once.  There are other things, but it seems senseless to bring them up now.....right?  Haha  We will miss her, regardless of her shortcomings ~ I mean we all have them!  

Well, I think I'll go make some popcorn and watch a movie!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Love, 365

Happy New Year!

 

Yay!  I'm officially over ~ well, whatever that illness was ~ and am feeling good again.  Our dinner party went well.  The only glich was I burned the bacon that was part of the cajun corn maque choux.  Which turned out really good, except I put too much heavy cream in it.  Romeo and I decided it was our Christmas, since we didn't really have one on the actual day :-)

I know the gumbo was good because one (of our two) guests had thirds.  And when I offered a container of it to take home, he grabbed it out of my hand in a rather aggressive manner :D

It's one of those days that just feels like Sunday, you know?  Mostly it was because there was a church service today that we went to this morning.  At the end we had tsureki cake.  Some lucky person probably found a coin.  It wasn't us, haha.  Maybe some year one of us will get it ~ it's supposed to mean you'll have good luck in the new year.....which is kind of a funny thing as we don't believe in luck.  Conclusion: must be a Greek thing.

I left the Christmas tree up on purpose until today, thinking it would create a nice ambience for the dinner.  But there is no way I'm taking it down tomorrow.  I can start with bringing the boxes down from upstairs, and then let it go for next Friday.  In some ways I'll be glad to have the stuff put away, and I think I might miss it a little bit.  Nah, just kidding.

Well, I hope all of you have a wonderful 2022.  I only have 20 weeks of work left!!  

Love, 365

 

On the mend.....

 A little taste of New Year's Eve at our house in a few days...    ;D

I am returning to my usual self ~ I thought I would be at work today, but yesterday I had another bout with nausea and decided to treat myself to another day at home.  So, I've been planning the food for New Year's Day, for the couple we invited to come over a month ago.  I hope they are still planning to come!  Just wondering if they are hesitant since I've been sick for a week :-)  Maybe I better check to see if they're still planning on coming before I do too much more.

So, I've missed the Nativity services at church, and a wedding yesterday.  I am bummed about that, but life moves forward, so I'm doing my best to focus on today.

My grandson, who is 1 1/2, has been so sick with allergies and an ear infection.  My DIL said he is feeling much better and hopes he'll be back to his usual by the weekend.  I certainly hope so, he sounded so terrible on the phone on Christmas. 

Well, I want to take advantage of feeling better and finish cleaning out my closet, do some laundry, and clean my stove top.   Fun times!

Love, 365

Merry Christmas to all!....

 Ok, I'm a day late.....the reasons are both good and bad 🎄  Hmmm, while I tell you the bad, I'll see if I can dredge up how there's some good somewhere.

On Wednesday we had our office Christmas party.  It would be the last for so many of us ~ one of the long term employees gave her notice last week (shocking pretty much everyone) ~ the other four, which includes me, are retiring at various points in time by mid-summer.  So, I had taken more care with my white elephant gift than I had in the past, and curled my hair (lol, that is a big deal) and went off to work.  It had been decided that everyone attending the party would need to have a rapid Covid test that morning before the 2 pm party.  There are a few other folks that were coming, retirees, and one of our largest supply reps.  As usual, we would work half the day, then go to the restaurant for the party.  Around noon people that could started to peel off and go home to change, or go to the restaurant early.  I was one of the last to leave, discovering a number of computers weren't turned off, shutting everything down as I walked out to my car.  As I walked through the parking lot, I thought ~ hmmmm, I don't feel great.  I feel ok, but not great.  Dismissed that and drove on to the destination, which isn't far from work or home, which turned out to be quite lucky.  For me.  Sort of.

I arrived, and as I got out of my car, I thought ~ no, I really feel weird.  I peeled off my coat thinking maybe I was just too warm.  Grabbed the gift and went in.....and almost instantly went in to the restroom to vomit.  So, you see, I missed the last Christmas party...because I doubt I will go to next year's, even if I'm invited.  It'll be too odd, and I won't know or have any kind of relationship with all the new people.  Truthfully, I probably wouldn't go any way, even if there weren't lots of new people.  Not to mention a new dentist. 

I spent the next 72 hours horribly nauseated and not to be disgusting, but the other end wasn't much better.  So, not covid, which confirmed my negative test Wednesday morning.  I could not eat, and was barely able to hold down liquids.  Lost about 5 pounds from Wed - Sat.  I was able to move around a bit by Christmas day, and had a little food, and today I've been much better.  But if I over do my activity, I feel like I'm going to faint.  No stamina, and a slight headache.  I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, it was truly dreadful.  You know, a simple gastroinstestinal virus.  They show up at the most inopportune times.  

My poor Romeo had to care for me, and although I survived :-) he leaves a lot to be desired as a nurse.

No, of course, I would never say that to him.  

So, I've been thinking about the good part of all this, and I haven't really come up with anything.  I caught up on my sleep?  Oh, yeah, there is the loss of pounds, but of course, that won't last, haha.  

I already told my OM that I won't be in on Tuesday, and that will be true even if I feel good enough to run a marathon.  (imagine an evil grin)

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!  I am looking forward to New Years, we are have a couple over for gumbo, which is sort of my specialty dish....and the rug I ordered for the dining room will be here tomorrow, so it looks like my luck is changing a bit.

Love, 365

Uh oh..........

 

It started with a bit of pain in my hip.  Arthritis I figured.  It would come and go....and eventually I noticed it is better if I kept active.  The inactivity of the pandemic made it a little worse until the spring and we got out more often.  There were brief periods I didn't notice it much at all.

I don't know what changed things a few weeks ago.  I began to notice my lower back was achy.  Sometimes a little, sometimes more.  

Yesterday it was no more noticeable than any other day, until I went to bed.  Walking up at midnight with horrible pain shooting up and down my leg and lower back.  I couldn't sleep, it was too much.  I got up and took some ibuprofen, snuck downstairs and waited for the pain reliever to work.  An hour and a half later I went back to bed, found a comfortable position and fell back to sleep.  It was a bit uncomfortable when I woke up, but the hot shower helped, and I managed to make it to work.  

So, apparently I have experienced a bit of sciatica.  I am ready for tonight though, I have my heating pad ready, and plan to do some stretching, more heating pad, more ibuprofen, and hopefully no waking up at midnight.  I've always felt so blessed and grateful that I'd never had back pain....now I know why I was so grateful!  That pain made me gasp, it was so intense.  

The bad news:  can't get in to a massage therapist for at least 6 weeks....that long to get in to my doc too.  I haven't tried my acupuncturist yet.  It's been so long, I don't even know if she's still operating her business.  So, I guess I work on it myself and hope that it will settle down a bit.  Sheesh.

Yesterday I received a check from the Treasury Department for a bit over $500 ~ all it said was that it was a refund of "ss ins".  I puzzled over that, wondering what that's about.  This morning I checked it out on Google, and was a bit alarmed at seeing reports of fraudulent checks.  Finally found a site that verifies that the check is for real.  But to be safe, I stuck it in a bank I use here in town (my main bank is in Texas).  

Then today I get the letter that explains what the darn check is for ~ the social security department is finally refunding me the overlapping payments to part B when I applied for and received my ss checks.  It took a whole year.  A year.  Government.  A model of inefficiency.  Bah, humbug.

Love, 365

Oh, this is too good........

 Before I get into this, I can't comment on any of your comments, nor can I comment on any of your blogs....a little glich on bloggers part?  Or maybe my computer....

Oh, yes, the rooster here has a point in this story....

My youngest son, in his middle 30s, is single.  He's never had a long term relationship ~ he's not spent the time, nor does he apparently feel the need.  He dates someone for a month or two and then it's over.  He may end up as one of those lifelong bachelors you hear about.  I was hoping he would get married and have a child or two, but a parent's hope often goes unrealized, haha. 

Anyway, he recently started a new job, and he is back to being a diesel mechanic.  Prior to this he took on a job in a garage dealing more with the public, but after a year he hated it.  He's a lot like Romeo, he has very little patience with fools and I imagine he had to deal with a lot of them at that particular garage.  It looks like mechanics are in short supply, which sadly means he is currently working 12 hour days, and has been having mechanical problems with his own car.  He's stressed and tired ~ no wonder.  Well, I knew he would probably not do anything as far as Christmas decorating.....I saw a small live tree that comes complete with lights and decorations, so I ordered it for him.  Let him know approximately when it would come, and then ~ with all the nonsense that is going on at work, I promptly forgot about it.  Earlier this week he asked me again when it would come..here's that story.....

For some reason I couldn't find any information about my order in either of my email accounts, which I thought was odd.  Nor could I figure out the payment method after a quick check (usually Paypal, but not this time!).  So, I called the company, gave them information, and they had someone call me back.  

Did the guy have an accent?  Of course he did, but it wasn't too bad, his English was pretty good.  Our phone connection was awful, I had to keep asking him to repeat himself, which prompted him to inform me he was calling from his home.  And there was this horrible crowing sound, about every two minutes.  And it was loud!  I tried so hard to pay attention to what he was trying to tell me, but that stupid rooster was on a roll....

Finally in frustration I said  "if you could just get away from that damned chicken, maybe I could hear you"!  

I have never said that phrase to anyone in my life, and don't expect I ever will again, haha.  

My son had a nice little chuckle over that :-)

Love, 365

As the tooth turns.....

 

Well, not quite true, but almost.....

Truth!

Oh, the drama.  I mentioned my boss is planning on retiring at the end of February, the office manager is retiring the end of February.  On Wednesday everyone was asking "had I heard?", which I had not ~ I had taken Tuesday off to lengthen my Thanksgiving break.  One of our dental assistants found a job closer to her home and Tuesday was her last day.  We just hired a dental assistant for the other doc, and now we are back to square one.  

The interesting thing is that one of our employees, who has been with the practice the longest, had arranged to be off on Friday's, and the assistant who left us is the person who worked for her on those Friday's.  So now there's a question if she will have to come back on Friday again ~ which she will not do, so she may retire at the end of December.  

Although I'm not calling any of these folks a rat, it does seem as though we're all leaving.  Which is scary to the employees that will be left.  How will they ever find enough people to fill those positions?  

My plan is to keep my head down and do my job until May 31st.  If they ask me to stay (as I stupidly offered) I will say no.  I don't want to get caught up in it.  

Out of 16 people, 2 have already gone, and 5 more are due to leave before June of next year.  I have no doubt that they will be able to use the bilge pump to right the ship, it's gonna be a rocky, bumpy ride.  No one has said anything about who will take over the office manager position.  I still think there's a possibility that the wife of the dentist who is staying might do it......I've never worked in an office where that was a good thing, nor have I heard of an office where it didn't cause more than a few problems.  It's pretty hard to remain impartial when your husband is the dentist.  

Well, I have a luncheon to go to, so I better get ready.  How I dislike dressing up, ugh.  It would be great if we could just wear jeans and a tee shirt ~ my outfit of choice.

Love, 365