I have been plagued with sinus headaches lately. It seems a little too early for my usual bout with allergies, but we've been getting a lot of smoke in the air from all those horrible California fires.
The other day, at work, I told one of my co-workers that my head felt like there were tiny little people with hammers and scrapers going at my sinuses from the inside,with a special batch using my eyeballs for punching bags. I even went home a couple of hours early.
I've been useing a gel nasal spray called Zicam, but today I started on the new over-the-counter antihistamine, Zertec. What's with all these medications starting with "z"? Anything to get attention, I guess. I mowed the lawn and still feel human. Maybe I've found something that will help.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Exciting News!
I just got some wonderful news. My oldest Grandson, Sam, is engaged! His wife-to-be is beautiful, sweet, fun and very talented. I will be very glad to welcome Solanah to the family.
I have such a sense of continuity today. The next generation of my family is beginning to take it's place in the drama of life, taking the steps that earlier generations have taken, but putting their own spin on it all. And well they should. Each generation joins the dance of life, and does it's own version of that dance. It will be interesting watching things unfold.
I have such a sense of continuity today. The next generation of my family is beginning to take it's place in the drama of life, taking the steps that earlier generations have taken, but putting their own spin on it all. And well they should. Each generation joins the dance of life, and does it's own version of that dance. It will be interesting watching things unfold.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
It's All Attitude
Last Friday, I went to workwith my usual reluctance, It's just that it's like my Monday and going back to work after a weekend. However, things got worse. When I got into work and went into the office to pick up my pay receipt, there was my Team Lead, Pat. All I really noticed was that she didn't have her sling on her arm. She said she was in physical therapy now and we moved on to getting my check stub. Since our last Human Resources person had lost her job, I thought Pat was just helping out. When I got back to our kitchen, I found out she had been promoted.
I'm quite ashamed to admit that my first thought was of myself and how things were going to change in my department. I did though, spare a moment to realise how great this was for Pat. She would get weekends off with only an ocaisional Saturday to work. Her daughter plays soccar, and also bowls competively, so now Pat can be there for her. She'll also get off her feet a bit too. I also realised that if one of her assisstants gets the lead position, there may not be a lot of change.
When I found out that I had to demo individual servings of fruit and single serve pizza, I was not very happy again. I hate doing two products that don't relate to each other very well. Still, you demo what you're assigned. While my oven was heating and then baking pizza, I pushed fruit servings, then, when the pizza was done, I'd pull back the fruit and put out the pizza. At least they were things that most people are willing to taste. Unfortunately, people will usually only buy one of the two products, not both, so It's nearly impossible to reach set goals.
It's amazing how tired you get when you are griping and complaining about your lot in life all day. The next day, I demoed chicken marinated with a spice called "Kickin Chicken" and showing it being marinated in a ziploc bag. It actually is pretty fun, but there's a lot of behind the scenes prep work, like cutting up 18 pounds of chicken and putting it into the marinade. Since I was working with raw chicken, it needed to be cooked to 180 degrees for safety. Fortunately, most of our members are educated enough to understand the safety issue. By my lunch time, I realised that I wasn't going to have enough chiken, so it was back to the kitchen to cut more.
Again, I went home very tired. That night I tried to figure how to improve my attitude. I know that if I'm grouchy and feeling put upon, I'm not going to be effective at my job. After all, it's a "people"job as most selling jobs are. Besides, it really is no fun and I'm old enough that I can't see spending a whole 8 hours having a bad time if I can help it!
The next day, I tried to focus on the things I like about my job like talking to people and making them smile,and interacting with the kids, especially the toddlers. I love seeing the babies and talking about and admiring them is the easiest way to interact with the grown ups. I had a very enjoyable day feeding people salad with 2 vinagrets I was showing. Yes, the demo was easier in the physical sense, not too much preparation, more customer interaction, but my attitude was better as well, and that, I think made all the difference. The nice part was that my sales were better too.
I'm quite ashamed to admit that my first thought was of myself and how things were going to change in my department. I did though, spare a moment to realise how great this was for Pat. She would get weekends off with only an ocaisional Saturday to work. Her daughter plays soccar, and also bowls competively, so now Pat can be there for her. She'll also get off her feet a bit too. I also realised that if one of her assisstants gets the lead position, there may not be a lot of change.
When I found out that I had to demo individual servings of fruit and single serve pizza, I was not very happy again. I hate doing two products that don't relate to each other very well. Still, you demo what you're assigned. While my oven was heating and then baking pizza, I pushed fruit servings, then, when the pizza was done, I'd pull back the fruit and put out the pizza. At least they were things that most people are willing to taste. Unfortunately, people will usually only buy one of the two products, not both, so It's nearly impossible to reach set goals.
It's amazing how tired you get when you are griping and complaining about your lot in life all day. The next day, I demoed chicken marinated with a spice called "Kickin Chicken" and showing it being marinated in a ziploc bag. It actually is pretty fun, but there's a lot of behind the scenes prep work, like cutting up 18 pounds of chicken and putting it into the marinade. Since I was working with raw chicken, it needed to be cooked to 180 degrees for safety. Fortunately, most of our members are educated enough to understand the safety issue. By my lunch time, I realised that I wasn't going to have enough chiken, so it was back to the kitchen to cut more.
Again, I went home very tired. That night I tried to figure how to improve my attitude. I know that if I'm grouchy and feeling put upon, I'm not going to be effective at my job. After all, it's a "people"job as most selling jobs are. Besides, it really is no fun and I'm old enough that I can't see spending a whole 8 hours having a bad time if I can help it!
The next day, I tried to focus on the things I like about my job like talking to people and making them smile,and interacting with the kids, especially the toddlers. I love seeing the babies and talking about and admiring them is the easiest way to interact with the grown ups. I had a very enjoyable day feeding people salad with 2 vinagrets I was showing. Yes, the demo was easier in the physical sense, not too much preparation, more customer interaction, but my attitude was better as well, and that, I think made all the difference. The nice part was that my sales were better too.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wrong Direction
Lately, I've read so many letters to the editor in my local paper,"The Salt Lake Tribune", that are wondering what has happened to our country. How did all the changes happen? Where did we lose our way? As I was growing up, I always felt a pride in our country. We usually,if not always, took the high road in our dealings with other countries. I admit, looking back in history, we backed dictators in order to obtain something we wanted or needed, like oil, or military bases. I guess we just overlooked some things. Maybe that's why we are where we are now.
I'm very uncomfortable with our new reputation as a country that condones and practices torture. I wrote a post about this a few months ago, and I got a comment from someone that these prisoners deserved it for being terroerists and I wasn't a very good American to be questioning my President. How do people get that way?
I'm also not comfortable with the Administration's insistance that it be allowed to practise wire-tapping and spying without court orders and prescious little over-sight. Recently, a bill to restrict habeas corpus failed going through by only one vote, just one vote! We changed the make-up of the legislature last election, but we're still getting the same old stuff.
I guess polititions over the world and throughout time, have been aware that people are influenced by fear more than most other things, but the use of fear to push this administrations policies has been refined to an art, it seems.
We can look forward to a change of president this next year, but I'm worried that whoever gets elected, may find that playing to the fears of the public to get their programs across, will be too attractive to ignore.
I'm very uncomfortable with our new reputation as a country that condones and practices torture. I wrote a post about this a few months ago, and I got a comment from someone that these prisoners deserved it for being terroerists and I wasn't a very good American to be questioning my President. How do people get that way?
I'm also not comfortable with the Administration's insistance that it be allowed to practise wire-tapping and spying without court orders and prescious little over-sight. Recently, a bill to restrict habeas corpus failed going through by only one vote, just one vote! We changed the make-up of the legislature last election, but we're still getting the same old stuff.
I guess polititions over the world and throughout time, have been aware that people are influenced by fear more than most other things, but the use of fear to push this administrations policies has been refined to an art, it seems.
We can look forward to a change of president this next year, but I'm worried that whoever gets elected, may find that playing to the fears of the public to get their programs across, will be too attractive to ignore.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Marking Time
Today is July 8, 2008. It has been 2 months since my Daughter, Michele died. It really isn't that much time, I remind myself when I start thinking that I should be farther along the road of mourning. I think sometimes we think that if we put in a certain amount of time feeling the pain, remembering our loved one and missing them, that it should be done and the pain gone. I suspect that is not the case. I've never lost a child before, so have no frame of reference. I pray that I never lose another child, it is not only painful, but seems against "the way of things" as well. I've talked to other mothers who have gone through this, some just a few years ago, another more than 15 years ago. The concensus seems that the pain never completely ends. Many things can open the heart to memory and bring pain again. It seems though, that eventually, the pain is less intense, memories more bittersweet, as time goes by.
My Mother died just after Thanksgiving, in 2005. The grief was intense in the immediate moments after she passed, but feelings soon were tempered by the fact that her death had been expected, and also by the fact that she was 87 years old and in very poor health. She lived with me for over 4 years, her quality of life deminishing gradually, until the last few months, her life seemed only trips for dialysis, a little TV and lots of sleeping. It seems to make a difference in the grief process, if you can recognise that for some, death is a release from pain and loss of freedom and interest in life. We still miss them greatly, but can feel they are in a better place. My Father's release from his life was like that. He suffered from Parkinson's disease which he experienced less as a trembling disease, than a freezing disease. He lost his ability to walk without falling, then his muscles became frozen,unable to straighten, unable to swallow, unable to even talk without having to force words out in a shout. He went from a very active man, sure of his ability to take care of himself and his family, to a shadow of himself, dependant on his wife for everything. In the end, I sensed that he was waiting for death.
Losing a child, on the other hand, seems quite different. You expect to be outlived by your children. Maybe, if you have a child who is sick, it might be different, but even then, you are probably praying for a miracle. Having that child die with little or no warning also makes things difficult. I see children killed in auto accidents or other kinds of violent loss, like the little 7 year old girl who died from a drive by shooting this week, and my heart goes out to the families. While I can't really say that I know what they are going through, I don't really, I can imagine pretty well due to my own experience, but only that, imagine it. I can't imagine how the parents who lose children due to some preventable accident can keep from being angry and bitter. Still, all the anger in the world can never return a loved one. As for myself, I just try to remember all the wonderful memories, and be grateful for the time I had my daughter, and be grateful for the rest of my wonderful family who are well and with me in this life. I also look forward to seeing my sweet Michele and my loving parents once again when my time comes to join them.
My Mother died just after Thanksgiving, in 2005. The grief was intense in the immediate moments after she passed, but feelings soon were tempered by the fact that her death had been expected, and also by the fact that she was 87 years old and in very poor health. She lived with me for over 4 years, her quality of life deminishing gradually, until the last few months, her life seemed only trips for dialysis, a little TV and lots of sleeping. It seems to make a difference in the grief process, if you can recognise that for some, death is a release from pain and loss of freedom and interest in life. We still miss them greatly, but can feel they are in a better place. My Father's release from his life was like that. He suffered from Parkinson's disease which he experienced less as a trembling disease, than a freezing disease. He lost his ability to walk without falling, then his muscles became frozen,unable to straighten, unable to swallow, unable to even talk without having to force words out in a shout. He went from a very active man, sure of his ability to take care of himself and his family, to a shadow of himself, dependant on his wife for everything. In the end, I sensed that he was waiting for death.
Losing a child, on the other hand, seems quite different. You expect to be outlived by your children. Maybe, if you have a child who is sick, it might be different, but even then, you are probably praying for a miracle. Having that child die with little or no warning also makes things difficult. I see children killed in auto accidents or other kinds of violent loss, like the little 7 year old girl who died from a drive by shooting this week, and my heart goes out to the families. While I can't really say that I know what they are going through, I don't really, I can imagine pretty well due to my own experience, but only that, imagine it. I can't imagine how the parents who lose children due to some preventable accident can keep from being angry and bitter. Still, all the anger in the world can never return a loved one. As for myself, I just try to remember all the wonderful memories, and be grateful for the time I had my daughter, and be grateful for the rest of my wonderful family who are well and with me in this life. I also look forward to seeing my sweet Michele and my loving parents once again when my time comes to join them.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Just Rambling
It turns out that we had, I think, 9 days of 60 degrees in June this year, in the Salt Lake City area. That's 2 0r 3 times normal. We even had a day in the 50s. We have not had 100 degree days yet except in Tooele, on July 1st. Still, it went from 60s to 70s to 80s in about 4 days. Now we are in the 90s every day, usually mid to upper 90s. Yesterday was 98. I keep remembering last year when we had mid to upper 90s for a record number of days, plus a record number of triple digit days as well. It's hard to remember the very snowy and cold winter we had when you're cooking. To add insult to injury, despite the snowy winter, we had a cool but dry spring, so we still need to conserve water.
I finally got my daughter's paintings hung. One is slightly crooked, but I can live with it. I put it above my Aunt's computer and could barely reach the wall to put the hangers up, so it will have to do. I went through the clothing that I kept here for Michele. I got it as far as the basement. That will do. I have other things in bags down there to give away. Someday, I'll put everything together,and it will all be anonymous by then, and I'll give it all away. It will be 2 months since her passing next Tuesday, I think I'm doing okay, not "fine" yet, but"okay".
I'm working on the 4th of July. I think that's the first time in years that I've worked. I won't get to see the parade here in Tooele, but I've seen and heard the Tooele High Scholl Band. We live just down the street from the stadium, so we hear them practising.They also practise their marching down our street at least one day a week lately. It's been fun to watch them improve over time.
My Aunt bought me a manual lawn mower. I've been getting up early to get the lawns cut before it gets too warm. Tuesday, I cut the back lawn about 6:30 am. I was serenaded by a cow all morning. At first I thought the cow wanted to be milked, but then realised that most people who have cows here are raising them for meat. Anyway, that cow bawled all morning and into the afternoon. Maybe it had been moved to a new pasture and wasn't comfortable yet. I'm still not quite used to hearing livestock in my nieghborhood yet. I enjoy the quail and mourning doves, but I miss the ducks and geese. At least I'm not far out enough to hear coyotes howling like I did when I was a little girl.
I finally got my daughter's paintings hung. One is slightly crooked, but I can live with it. I put it above my Aunt's computer and could barely reach the wall to put the hangers up, so it will have to do. I went through the clothing that I kept here for Michele. I got it as far as the basement. That will do. I have other things in bags down there to give away. Someday, I'll put everything together,and it will all be anonymous by then, and I'll give it all away. It will be 2 months since her passing next Tuesday, I think I'm doing okay, not "fine" yet, but"okay".
I'm working on the 4th of July. I think that's the first time in years that I've worked. I won't get to see the parade here in Tooele, but I've seen and heard the Tooele High Scholl Band. We live just down the street from the stadium, so we hear them practising.They also practise their marching down our street at least one day a week lately. It's been fun to watch them improve over time.
My Aunt bought me a manual lawn mower. I've been getting up early to get the lawns cut before it gets too warm. Tuesday, I cut the back lawn about 6:30 am. I was serenaded by a cow all morning. At first I thought the cow wanted to be milked, but then realised that most people who have cows here are raising them for meat. Anyway, that cow bawled all morning and into the afternoon. Maybe it had been moved to a new pasture and wasn't comfortable yet. I'm still not quite used to hearing livestock in my nieghborhood yet. I enjoy the quail and mourning doves, but I miss the ducks and geese. At least I'm not far out enough to hear coyotes howling like I did when I was a little girl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)