what you think on grows

I thought today would never end.  This was an odd week for me.  On Monday, my computer at work wouldn't come on when I pressed the control, alt,del like normal (one of the IT guys told me to shut it off and let it restart at the end of each day so it would already be booted up in the morning).  I got a BSOD (blue screen of death).  Usually, a blue screen means bad things are happening.  It also said something about dumping my files.  I thought that couldn't possibly be good.

I turned it off and called the marvelous folks at our Help Desk.  And I do not use the word marvelous lightly.  They are always polite and helpful and they are all so smart.

The nice man I got to talk to on Monday told me in essence, I should have probably allowed the dump to continue and then I might have been fine.  But now, my hard drive had crashed and was probably not salvageable.  He gave me a ticket number and I answered some questions during which I admitted this was not an EMERGENCY.  No direct p…

This is a back view of our car, newly repaired and being driven home from the mechanic's on Friday afternoon.  I am following Pk in Em's car and  no, I am not taking a photo while moving.  If you look closely you can see that the brake lights are on.

Here on the left, is our car after it's beauty treatment.  It got the works on Saturday morning.  Washed, vacuumed, rugs and upholstery shampooed and all the cobwebs and dirt removed.  I was going to do it myself but it would have taken me hours and hours and I don't have the equipment to do the rug cleaning and upholstery shampooing without making things very wet.

The place we went to did an excellent job.  I could do without the Armorall shine on the tires but it'll wear off.  It took about an hour and a half.

We took Emily back her car this morning after adding new lift gate parts and a spare tire.  Our car needs to be inspected but we had to drive it for 75 miles or so since the battery was disconnected and "t…

So, how was your weekend?  We finally did the grocery shopping Saturday morning.  Come Thursday, it was finally a glorious day (way too nice to go to the grocery store) so we headed out to the park for dinner.

The Delaware River is a tidal river and I know this.  I have seen the mud flats on the sides when the tide is out from the bridge in the morning. 

I've never seen it up close.  The tide has never been out while we've been there for a picnic.  I have no idea what was different this time.  You can see how far out the water was.  Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone so the quality isn't as good but if you click on it, it gets clearer.  You can see the flock of geese that lives there all over the mud.

It has a rich, earthy smell and a green cast to it.  We haven't quite hit drought conditions here this summer but the first part of it was very dry.  The park was crispy the last time we were here.  Thursday it was green and soft again.  It was so delightful to sit and…

Know what one of the really cool things about my husband is?   He's cooking dinner.  And all I had to do is say, "when are you cooking dinner?".

Today, well, this whole week so far really, was not smooth.  With all the upheaval going on at work (doctors leaving and coming and having surgery), things are not smooth.  And it's prime vacation time so there's always someone covering for someone else. 

All this means is that I'm tired today.  We were supposed to go grocery shopping this weekend but my inability to leave the vacinity of the bathroom squashed that.  Monday, Pk was late getting out of work.  Tuesday he wanted to work on the car.  Today?  We figured we'd wait till tomorrow and we see what we get in the CSA share.  Thankfully we have food in the freezer and on the shelves so we can eat.  We really do have to go shopping tomorrow.  I'll be out of cream for my coffee you see.

We sat down upstairs after work and I said those words, "when are…

I visit my doctor every 12 weeks to monitor my blood pressure (among other things) and yesterday was my regular visit.  On Tuesday, I left work early because I was just feeling out of it and really tired.  I totally blamed it on Peter Kevn's cpap mask not working well and him keeping me up but I think it was probably more me than him.

(His mask needed a new gel pillow and we ordered some online before I thought to look locally and found a supplier within 5 miles.  Yay for never paying more in postage that the cost of the object!)

I went to work on Wednesday and since we slept better on Tuesday night, I felt a bit more normal.   Thursday morning I just felt blah.  I was pretty sure I had a sinus infection from the headaches and general yucky feeling and was glad I had a dr appt.  By the time I got to the doctor's office, I was a rather fetching reddish color.  Turns out, I had a fever (the dr told me the inside of my ears was "hot", not red but "hot like little o…

I haven't watched any of the Olympics (am I allowed to use the word in conversation?) but I was aware of the phenomenon known as Michael Phelps.  This made me laugh today.  It's XKCD, one of my favorite online comics.
Life at work goes on.  Since the Exec Director was the unseen presence on the third floor most days, it's not immediately noticeable that she's gone.  I'll notice today when we have a meeting and she's not there.  She was more involved in client affairs than any other director before her and knew more folks by name, which was a rare and good thing.  I think the committee meeting today will miss her.
And another really good thing?  The car started right up.  After Pk put the essential parts into place and stepped away, he gave me the honor of starting it for the first time in over 3 years.  It turned over and went vrooom just like it's supposed to.
Now, it needs to go and spend some quality time with a mechanic to get all the fluids changed an…

Um, sorry for the stress filled post from yesterday.  It is not all doom and gloom.  My attitude is to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward with my eyes firmly down the road. 

I am avoiding getting involved in the gossip and speculation at work regarding the stuff going on.  I have firm trust that things will work out.  They usually do. 

Some positive things have been happening as well.  There is a team of experts on adult autism coming to work with us (ME!) in setting up a new program for the eastern half of PA.  I was interested in this before they came yesterday to explain what it actually is but I am excited now.  I will get to work with them in helping adults with autism and their families identify the diagnosis and also get to help implement behavioral interventions that may help them have more fulfilling lives without unnecessary medications.

This is so cool.  It's a new facet to my job (which makes me a bit more valuable as an employee) tha…

Here at work we are in a state of un-settled-ness.  I don't know how else to put it.  Everyone is unsettled.  It started with the announced and predicted budget cuts (which we are still waiting to hear the fallout from).  Everyone still has a job so it was all good.

Last Friday, we got an email saying our Executive Director was resigning and that day was her last.  This came out of "a clear blue sky" (as my mother used to say).  We were stunned, shell shocked, surprised, pick your word for having your feet completely knocked out from under you.  I mean no warning at all.

I went up to see  her before she left because we had worked together on several projects for the last 8 years and I wanted to say goodbye if nothing else.  She wanted it this way.  No notice, no fanfare, just walk out the door at the end of the week and not come back (sounds a lot like my fantasy Friday).  She has plans to work with international relief agencies and travel and said she was ready for this…