The Daily Grind

I am still sick if you can believe it, not contagious sick of course since I've been on Topedo Grade Antibiotics, but still the cough, exhausted all the time, etc... I've been running like crazy since I got back from vacation, one day just pours into another. I've been as late as 9pm, out the door at 4:30a, and just flinging paperwork as fast as I can. Of course as usual, when you're sick and can't move another inch everything becomes an ordeal, doesn't it? I think by the end of the week all I could do was sit at my desk and whimper - which didn't stop the flood by the way - arrgh! I was out early AGAIN today but got home early, took Molly out and fired up the vaporizer so after a couple of hours of Vicks therapy (while STILL fielding phone calls from the office) I feel a little bit better, but not a whole lot. David and Rich went out on their first hunt today - well, Rich's first hunt, David's second (or so he says).  They got three, David got one, Rich got one.....and Reuben who could not wait apparently went and fetched a pheasant before they shot it, so everyone got one. If he learns how to drive a truck he won't even need them! Molly would like to go, but cannot get over being gun shy - we need to work on her but with our busy schedules it's pretty hard. One person has to hold on to her leash while the other fires a gun  so she doesn't bolt and disappear. Maybe later in the season we can try. I am going to try to finish knitting my latest pair of socks, I have to pick up the pace and stop buying sock yarn. I have enough to knit into the next century but honestly - I cannot resist!! Hopefully this weekend will be quiet and I can actually take the time to get better. I am so sick of being sick!!

Picture Day!

 I was not going to take the annual Halloween picture this year - I am still not feeling well and my hip is uncomfortable with random screaming pain - I'm better but not great. But we went out to check on the Waynesburg house and stopped at the tractor store. I went next store and found a set of Molly sized  fairy wings at the Dollar Store and I was of course, off and running. I've been asked about how I get the dogs to do this, cost, etc.. it's actually pretty easy. The dogs are used to it, they know what to do and there will be cheese handed out when we're done. First of all, every picture we take is done on the couch, their favorite place. The backdrop is nothing more than cheap plastic table cloths ($1), one is taped on the wall, the other tucked around the back of the couch. Decorations are paper or felt so they can be taped to backdrop. I buy that decrotive mesh from Michaels on clearance and pile it around them, since I've done this for a few years I have it in just about every color. Most of their costumes are bought at Big Lots or The Dollar Store since they will be used for about 5 minutes (although Molly did not mind the fairy wings and we had to chase her to get them off). And they are really good - since we've done this so often they'll both sit and allow us to adjust them, then will sit for the pictures. I know it's silly but I really enjoy it and they both come out so well, don't they?

Anyhow, today is the last day of my vacation, so to speak. I have spent the last half of it being sick which really was not much fun. I have a vaporizer at night that helps with the coughing, since I can't take a lot of medications that the best I can do. The antibiotic is helping, my glands are no longer swollen - I have another 5 days of that. My hip is better, but I still cannot push off that leg which makes going up and down the stairs an adventure. Every once in awhile I'll forget and see stars. So progress is slow, but it is progress. But it's been nice to be off for an extended period of time, despite everything I did manage to get a few things done.

Vacation

I have not blogged in a couple of weeks - I have been running like a crazy thing. I knew I would be off for a week so I had to cram all my clients into one week - I was out of the house by 5 am some mornings, other days not home til 8p, but I did it! We started driving toward Tennessee Friday, the game plan being we would drive as far as we could, then stay overnight. It's almost a 12 hour drive and there's no sense in driving through if you're too tired to see straight when you get there! So stopped in Bardstown KY, then were at Jackson and Brandi's by 11 ish.We discovered David had left his cellphone and charger at the hotel so he called, they said  they would mail it next week. He really needs a new phone but it was MY charger he left! Since it was such a short visit we hadn't planned on doing too much but we went to the  Memphis Pyramid which is also the Bass Pro, it was great. We rode the elevator to the top and it over looks all of Memphis, we were going to eat there but since it was Saturday the wait would have been close to an hour - so we went to a Mexican restaurant. Sunday we hung out, then went to a great graveyard - it was so cool. Full of old statues, angels, crypts, I was having a great time until I saw the headless angel. I got so caught up in getting over to take a picture that I was not watching where I was going and stepped on the edge of the road, turned my ankle and went over sideways. It happened so fast I didn't have a chance to  break my fall and landed hard on my hip- and of course I fell on the paved road not the grass. Sigh, always batting a thousand, arent' I?  I felt it move and boy, did it hurt, Jackson helped me up and I was able to walk, but it slow and painful when I put any weight on it.Since I've been a klutz my entire life David made sure I wasn't actually dying and we went out to dinner and then back to their house. It was hurting but I could still walk and after that fall, I would have been surprised if it didn't hurt. Aside from that - and the sore throat I was developing I had a great time, I seriously could not ask for a better daughter in law and I'm so glad to see Jackson so happy. We left Monday afternoon, Jackson had to work the next morning and Brandi left for work around noon - we headed towards Adam next. It was further than I thought it was going to be and we ended up at the same hotel after a 7 hour drive - they hadn't mailed the phone yet so we got it back. We got to Adam's around 9a and spent most of the day with him. We took him out for a late lunch - we ate at the bar and grille he works at which was very nice, it's pretty upscale and he really likes the people he works with. He's currently got one more year of school left and he is doing well, he looked happier than he has in a long time so we were pretty happy about that. (isn't it interesting that if your kids are happy  and healthy the rest is gravy?) He had to work the next day and by now I was really not feeling well so we left late afternoon and got home around dark. While David picked up the dogs I drove myself to the doctor's office - in West Virginia by the way, the jack ass doctor in PA can blow it out her ass - I'm done with DR BEABOUT in Waynesburg. They X-rayed my hip with the conclusion is it might have gone a little out due to the force I hit it, but it is where it is supposed to be and there is no fracture. So it's ice, tylenol and elevation. I am on antibiotics for the swollen glands and congestion and am already feeling better. I'm glad no one caught it, score one for fastidious handwashing!! So, I am spending the rest of my vacation hanging out with the dogs and an ice pack, I guess there are worse ways to pass the time. 

It's Been A Week.

This week started off a bit rough - I knew I would be out of town for the Bayada conference, then  visiting my sister and her wife so I had it tightly scheduled. Tightly Scheduled. Of course we all know what happens when you do that, don't we? Tuesday I had it planned to be at a client's house at precisely 7am, to the office to interview the HHA, finish paperwork, interview the nurse, go to my other clients, zip home. I did get to the first client at 7am - after that it all fell to crap. Traffic, tsunami-like rain, more traffic, A FIRE DRILL THAT INVOLVED TWO TRUCKS AND FIREMEN, more traffic.... by 5:10 I was a wet, sad noodle.  I didn't get home until after 7:30p and needed to send my resume out  - which for some reason was locked to editing. SO I had to re-write it - the whole thing - which was difficult as I was weeping copiously  by now and trying to make myself sound good. In the event you're wondering I'm not leaving Bayada but am looking into an interesting possibility. I don't think I'm qualified but you don't know if you dont' ask. THEN I went to submit my resume and of course I already had an old password, but could not remember it,  Of course. 

OF COURSE.  I finally got to get it to go through after multiple tries thank goodness. So, I went to the bed, then up before you know it and back to Pittsburgh to finish up my paperwork. I decided to go to the office as I actually drive by it

 on the way to Philly. I left around 11:30 and hit... traffic! But was sitting in a restaurant with a co-worker by 6:30, drinking margaritas and having fun. The conference d-r-a-g-g-e-d since I was waiting to go see Janet and Diane all day. But released in a timely fashion and on the road again by 5 and into ...... traffic...rain.... more traffic.... but there was wine and Pad Thai waiting for me when I got here so I was ok with that. It is still raining but I'm taking a real vacation day so I really don't care. I went out to Lancaster and went shopping, hit the pretend Amish shops, etc... it was raining and cold but I don't care. My car has heat and I have a jacket so we can adapt, can't we?