Thursday, December 8, 2011

Brrr.  After a day during which we got a total of over 3 inches of rain (and we could see lots of flooded yards from the train)yesterday,  today the temperature is 20 degrees colder.  It feels even colder because it's so damp.  I'm sitting here wrapped in the Wool Peddler's shawl that Kate made me and I have a blanket on my legs and the space heater is on to try to drive off some of the damp chill.  If I had some whipped cream, I'd make a hot rum drink. It's probably better that we don't.  I don't need the 1,000 or so calories!

I was home with some stomach bug on Monday and Tuesday.  At first I thought I had food poisoning or I was having a reaction to a new medicine for cholesterol (Lovaza, a fish oil) but I was feverish and exhausted Sunday night.  And I had stomach cramps and diaharrea.  I did what I thought was the sensible thing and stayed home.

I had supervision today and was "coached" because I have too many occurrences in the past year.  It doesn't show up in my employee record but if I'm sick one more time before next July, it will result in a written warning.  And then I can't have any infractions for an entire year.  It well and truly sucks.  I told Pk that it doesn't matter how sick I am, I have to go to work all through the winter.  If I pass along germs, then so be it.  I still have 2 weeks of sick time on the books but that doesn't matter.

I am making a pair of mittens for myself.  I chose the Hansa mittens and am using some brown knitpicks merino/silk and some rose/brown from artwalk sock yarn.  It's coming out better than I hoped.  See that braid?  It's not really a braid but two rows of purled stitches with the colors twisted around themselves.  When it's done and blocked?  It'll be spectacular.  And I'm enjoying the colorwork.  It's been a while and I wanted something different to play with (and I need new mittens).

How're your holiday preparations coming along?  We have been busy at work so the decorations will wait until Saturday.  Pk and Emily are going to go shopping on Sunday and I think I will as well.  I ordered a few things online and most have come already.  I still have a few handcrafted gifts to finish but they won't take long.  I like giving people something I have made with my own hands.  It feels like giving a bit of myself.

My poor mail delivery person.  She has been working till past 5 and it's dark while she's walking her route.  The other night she had a headlamp on.  Smart cookie!  It helps her to see the addresses and to be seen by drivers.

Our knitting group is branching out!  They're finding patterns they like and trying to learn new things.  It's so very cool!  Most of it is crochet but that's ok.  I have another pattern to try to figure out for someone who said "I don't get it".  I figure it out and then help them figure it out for themselves.  No one learns anything if I'm always doing it for them.

We have no holiday plans, other than to take the week between the holidays off.  I will have just enough time to take all four days off and then I have to start saving vacation days for when it snows.  The Old Farmer's Almanac says we'll have a snowy winter.  I'm not holding my breath and with the attendance issues at work, I'd rather have a normal, quiet winter and no drama.  Unless it snows on Friday/Saturday and we have Sunday to dig ourselves out.

Well, I'm off to finish the last of the holiday knitting.  The mittens are calling!

7 comments:

amy said...

I'm sorry you've been feeling poorly (and the attendance thing at work makes no sense, but you already know that). That's a lovely mitten pattern. I have some yarn I'm saving for the day when I can concentrate on colorwork like that!

DrK said...

i am ignoring christmas. thats all im saying on that. im sorry to hear about the poorly. i dont understand your work thing either. how can you have sick leave youre not allowed to use? how you can you have an infraction when you are actually sick? is the being sick not punishment enough!? (all rhetorical questions!) and im going to make my first every colourwork thing for next winter, and it will be mitts as well. im looking forward to trying something new.

Saren Johnson said...

Very nice looking mittens.

Yea, I've had that talk with my boss as well a couple of times. He's a you can work sick person, and I'm a if I'm sick and don't rest, I'll never get better person. Sometimes, you just can't win.

Alwen said...

If your work sick leave policy was a person, it would need heavy-duty mental health care, it is so clearly disconnected from human reality.

Rose Red said...

Ugh, I've commented before on how crazy your work sick leave policy is. It is ridiculous to me that an organisation which is trying to look after it's clients fails so fundamentally to look after the employees who are the ones who actually help the clients.

Thank goodness you have knitting and lovely family things to do to escape that bureaucratic nonsense. The "braid" on the mittens is fantastic! So clever!

Olivia said...

Like everyone else I find that sick leave policy baffling. But even more confusing, supervision? How is that supposed to help? Even if there was a 'problem' with the amount of leave you take - it wouldn't be occurring while you'r eat work!

I do hope you don't have to go to work sick this winter.

Bells said...

mittens! Lovely! You've reminded me I'm supposed to sneak some in before Christmas!

I worry for you trying to get through winter without being able to take sick leave. That's crazy. And very unhealthy for an organisation.

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