You Can't Make Me

This year's invitation to my family reunion arrived in yesterday's mail.

Family Gatherings, family reunions, whatever you call them...show of hands, who HATES them? 

Yep, me too. I like all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins, I really do. I simply do not want to spend time with any of them. 
http://www.alonelylife.com/showthread.php?tid=8005
(Found this thread when I googled so, yay, I'm not the only one.)

My father was an only child and apparently no one on his side ever felt the need to host a family reunion. (Maybe I take more after him than I thought.)  However my mother was 1 of 13 children who got together at least once every stinkin' year. Even as a child, I HATED going to those things.  I was (am) an introvert, although I wouldn't come to know that word for a very long time.  Not shy, mind you--introverted, and so you can imagine how being in the midst of a large family gathering made me feel.  And so the year that I turned 18, I told my mother that I was not going to any more family reunions.  We actually had a nice little discussion about it, where she all but admitted that she, too, would have preferred not to attend.  But she felt obligated, you see.

I don't feel obligated.  And I've never been one to do things just because "it's the right thing to do".  Pffth, whatever.

I'm 54 freakin' years old, man, and I simply don't want to go.

Let me tell you...when I start thinking about the possibility of going to my family reunion--just thinking about the possibility, my stomach starts churning and my breathing gets shallow.  The nerves kick in, and it's ridiculous, man.  I've got enough stress and worry going on in my life as it is than to voluntarily add more.

Now, some of my cousins are on Facebook, and having contact that way is great, because they're at a distance and I can disconnect whenever I want.  In other words, I don't experience sensory overload.

Okay, I feel better now; sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

8/02/2016

Hair

Even though I've been a Pantene gal for years, every now and again I get the urge to try something new.  So recently, last Sunday to be exact, the 24th, I started using (drum roll, please) Herbal Essences Body Envy shampoo and conditioner.  With my fine, thin hair, I need a shampoo that gives me oomp, and the Body Envy line fits the bill.  When I switch product lines I always like to do an ACV rinse first, to help cleanse away any residue--clean slate and all that.  Since I'm not washing my hair every day, I've only used the HE shampoo/condish about three times, but so far I'm liking the results.  In all honesty, the HE doesn't seem to be doing any better than Pantene, but it's definitely on the same (great) level with it.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Nonsense

The new boss has been here a week.  I really like him!  I was hoping I would, and I know one week isn't long enough to form an official opinion, but I really like him.  I mean, I was on the hiring committee that met with him a couple of months ago, and liked him then.  But people can fake certain qualities in interviews long enough to get hired.  This guy though, is genuinely nice.  He's down to earth, funny, chatty, has good stories and is SO like-able.  (Did I mention that I REALLY like him?!)  I'm excited to see where he'll take us (my department) in the future.

My daughter will be starting a new job tomorrow (yes, again!), working as a medical assistant for a local doctor, making $15 an hour, a lot more than her soon-to-be-old-job was paying.  As a single mother, or as just a normal human really, you have to go where the money is, and her old job simply was not getting it.

My granddaughter is taking swimming lessons through her day school, and she's loving it.  That girl has lived in a swim suit this summer, literally...she would wear them everywhere if we'd let her.  Next year she'll go to kindergarten--hard to believe.  Ugh, let me not think about it.  LoL

The Mister's shop is doing so-so...the economy is awful right now, which has a negative effect on his business.  He's paying the bills, most weeks, but only just.  He's certainly not getting rich.  Which is why I've decided to NOT retire next year and go to work for him.  He literally can't afford me.  LoL  If I did retire next year, why I would just have turn around and get a job someplace else.  Well...why do *that* when I can just stay here, where I know what I'm doing and I know everyone, etc.?  Now, if I could land a job that paid a heckuva lot better than what I'm currently earning--?  Meh, I might consider leaving.  But in this economy and in this area?  That's highly unlikely.

The public schools start here next Thursday, the 11th; and classes here at the university start on the 22nd.  The school year beginning means summer is on the run and my beloved Autumn isn't far behind!  I can hardly wait for the temperatures to drop enough so I can resume my daily walks.

6/22/2016

Hair
Really nothing new or important to report.  I did try the, uh, I don't even know what to call that routine...the one-step condition and shampoo, where the conditioner goes on first and then one shampoos as regular.  Yeah, anyway...I tried it a couple of times and it simply did not work for me.  But oh well, I tried it.  *shrug*  I still haven't measured, but will make an effort to do so for July.  Daily style has been an updo held with a claw clip.

Nonsense
Well, summertime heat and intense humidity has arrived in Southeast Missouri, and you know how much I love that.  (SARCASM)  The usual summer funk arrived with the extreme heat, as it always does.  All I can do is be aware of the negative emotional state and try to keep an even keel.  I've taken to employing all sorts of mental tricks, including counting the days until Autumn (91 days, 23 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds, as of this writing), and thinking "cold" thoughts--of brisk fall breezes and wearing jackets and drinking hot beverages to keep warm.  Aaaah, refreshing!

The garden seems to be doing okay; no produce yet, but we got a late start.  The Mister proposed, and I agreed, that next year he build some raised beds for us to plant.  I wish we had done that this year but, as I said, we were running late as it was.  I simply do not have the time, patience, or inclination to weed a full-size garden spot.  I laid down ground cover this year, but it doesn't reach everywhere, so some places are just going to be on their own.  The garden is primarily my baby, although The Mister is the one who tills the thing.  Neither of us is getting any younger and raised beds will be so much easier to tend.

I'll be getting a new boss soon, July 25th to be exact.  My old boss, Assistant VP for Information Technology, officially resigned one year ago this month, but offered to stay on part time until his replacement could be hired.  It took one year to find someone suitable enough, that should tell you something.  My old boss will be sorely missed, there's no doubt about it.  However, I'm pretty excited for the new guy to get here, to see what he has in store for us.  Change is in the air, children...

6/2/2016

I sort of dropped off the face of the earth for a while there, didn't I?  Sorry about that!

Hair

Haven't measured in...oh, probably three months; the above photo was snapped a few minutes ago.  Just from doing a "feel", I'd say my hair is at least an inch away from the top of the band of my bra.  I'm still practicing benign neglect--just a wash and condition every 2-3 days, and keeping it up most of the time (either in a low pony or a clip).  I read a tip somewhere online the other day that sounds so simple that I wonder why I didn't think of doing it myself.  On wash days, where you would normally lather up, then rinse, then apply conditioner, then rinse again...basically you lather, do not rinse, apply conditioner, THEN you rinse it all out at the same time.  It sounds interesting enough that I'm going to give it a whirl soon.

Nonsense

Not much has happened between April and now.  Well, I broke a pinky toe, so I guess that's not nothing.  At least I'm pretty sure it's broken, or fractured at the very least.  I did not seek medical attention because I know nothing can be done, medically speaking, for broken toes.  The short story is that a heavy door closed over my foot, rolling the pinky toe into an unnatural position and SNAP.  It felt like a gash; in fact, I expected to find a pool of blood when I removed my shoe at home.  Instead, the toe was red and swollen, and already starting to turn lovely shades of purple.  That happened on...I think it was the 17th of May, so I've already gotten in some healing time.  I can only wear sneakers (my wonderful Asics), but at least I am at the point now where I can mostly move at a normal gait, provided I am careful.  Oh, it lets me know when I move the wrong way, trust me!

We're experiencing a very wet spring here in Southeast Missouri, one of the wettest ones I can remember.  My daughter jokingly says it's my fault for planting a garden.  LoL  I planted tomatoes (17 plants...why did I plant so many?!), edamame, cucumber, eggplant, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, cataloupe, and The Mister planted 2 rows of sweet corn and 1 of bush beans.  Sugar Cookie has been helping with the planting and the watering; it's good experience for her.

4/5/2016

Taken just this morning; you're getting a photo instead of a number, since I didn't have time to measure.  Length is coming along nicely.  It seems...thinner since I got it cut this last time.  Don't know if I'm simply imagining it (hopefully) or if the thinning has truly gotten worse.  I try not to focus on that issue too much, because worrying does no good.  As long as I keep it clean, or use the dry shampoo, the hair on top of my head looks all right.  Still using Pantene "thickening" products and washing about every other day.

Nonsense
March was a busy month, and not entirely a good one.  One of my three remaining aunts, my mother's twin sister, fell in her home on the 7th and broke a hip.  (I don't know what it is about older folks breaking hips, but it happens a lot.)  She turned 89 in February.  Aunt "Em" has some sort of dementia; she's been showing all the typical signs for at least three years now.  But she's an old farm gal, and country folk tend not to thrive in nursing homes.  Maybe it's a caged animal type of thing, I don't know.  So anyway, her children were trying to keep her at home for as long as possible.  They would check on her daily, more than once every day.  But sh*t happens, you know.  *shrug*  After healing from hip surgery, my aunt is now in a nursing home, where I'm sure she will live out the remainder of her days.  I visited her once during the hospital stay; she didn't know me.  It didn't upset me, because I've been around enough people with dementia to know how to navigate those murky waters.  But I doubt I'll visit her in the nursing home.  The part of my brain that is always concerned with social niceties makes me feel that I should go.  But I mean, she doesn't recognize me, so what would be the point?

Turning to happier news, on Sunday, the 20th of March, The Mister and I both qualified for a conceal carry permit.  My state requires 8 hours of training, 4 of those in a lecture setting and 4 on the shooting range.  I was happy to see a good amount of ladies in the class, 7 out of 19 total.

It took me four different guns and four hours but, by golly, I did it.  Of course The Mister had no problems.  Show off!  :-)   I own a S&W .38 hammerless revolver, and that's initially the gun I was shooting.  But the recoil was too much for me; it hurts my hands, not to mention scaring the crap out of me.  So my instructor had me try different pistols.  First a .38 *with* a hammer; a little better, still way too much recoil.  The Mister's 9mm had less recoil than both .38s, but still too much for me.  Finally the instructor brought out a sweet 1911 .22 -- it was smooth as glass...no recoil whatsoever!  Once I found the right gun, I had no problem placing 15 out of 20 required shots within the black silhouette.

A few days after the class, The Mister took me to a local gun shop and let me pick out a new (to me) .22, another S&W.  He even constructed a couple of target holders for us to use at home, clever man!  Anyway, the right gun makes all the difference.  This one is a joy to shoot and I want to practice every day.  (Realistically, I don't have time, but I *want* to shoot every day.)  I have not yet worn the .22 concealed.  First, I don't yet have a holster for it.  Secondly, I spend most of my week days at the office, on a university campus, where conceal carrying a weapon is against the rules (and could be a firing offense, if severe enough).  Thirdly, I have to decide if I want to carry on body or off body (a purse or bag).  I do intend to carry concealed, however I'm in no hurry.

And good news for The Daughter, as she started her new job yesterday, hoorah!  It was all orientation crap yesterday for eight hours, and another four this morning.  But this afternoon, she'll get started at the actual job.  She's so happy to be working again, and I'm happy for her.  The Mister and I will continue to provide financial support, until she starts seeing how much a normal paycheck will amount to.  Just happy we can help.

Spring is here, GLORIOUS SPRING!!!  Everything is green and blooming, the birds are singing and the bees are, er, bee-ing.  LoL  Soon the hummingbirds will arrive, hungry and demanding their sugar water.  I kept track of sugar use for a three year span a while back, and I average 60 pounds each summer, so I've already been stocking up.  And of course the grass already needs cutting, but first there's a ton of sticks that have to be picked up and done away with.  Always something to do on the farm!

3/2/2016

Hair
Today was going to be a day for washing, measuring, and photo-taking but, alas, lack of hot water shot down the washing which of course did away with the other two.  *shrug*  Maybe tomorrow...

Nonsense
Let me preface the following long story with praise for God.  When the turmoil started I reminded my daughter that God is in control, that he had already worked out a solution for her, and all she had to do was believe and have patience.  God is so good!  All right, read on...

Thank god for January and February being over and done with.  My daughter got fired on January 18.  (I still find it ironic that my "mixed" daughter lost her job on Martin Luther King Jr Day.)  Now I'm not going to sit here and say that what she did wasn't a stupid mistake on her part.  She knew better after 8 years of working at a doctor's office that is owned by a hospital.  I also know that there must be strong rules and regulations anytime a medical facility is involved; there are too many people who would abuse a more lax system.  I could also understand if there were serious narcotics involved.  Her mistake?  She neglected to chart cough syrup and an antibiotic that she called in for a patient.  

As you can imagine, my daughter was pretty upset, yet she didn't spend too much time wallowing.  Oh, she had a couple of days of verbal self-flagellation:  (Why did I do that?  I know better.  I'm such an idiot.)  But she got busy right away, looking for another job and, luckily, had several job offers at various places around town.  --The problem being that none of them were right.  One was physical labor at a wood flooring company, that she was willing to take in order to get some money coming in.  Honestly, I don't think she could have done the work, yet she was willing to try.  Two other job offers were more in line with her training and experience (medical field) but the hours were wonky, meaning I would have had more babysitting hours with Sugar Cookie.  I would have done it, but I'm not as young as I used to be.  And then the perfect solution appeared...

When my daughter first got her CNA certificate years ago, she interned at the place where I had received my chemotherapy.  (Coincidence?  I think not.)  Patsy, the lady in charge, liked my daughter so much that she offered her a full-time job.  They became friends and, even after my daughter left that job, they remained friends.  At first, my daughter didn't want Patsy to know she was job hunting; she didn't want Patsy to feel obligated.  So a month had probably gone by before Patsy knew that my daughter had been fired from her job.  She said she wished she had known sooner because she had just filled an open position.  Now here comes God working behind the scenes.  It couldn't have been more than two weeks later when Patsy contacted my daughter...the new-hire was leaving because she wanted to return to her old job!  I'm sure the formalities must be observed, as in going through applications and interviews, etc.  But for all intents and purposes, my daughter will be offered a job soon, working again in the medical field.  God does indeed work in mysterious ways, and I'm so glad he does.    

February 2016 Measurement

Hair
Current length is 19 1/2", a full inch of growth from last month.  Not sure what caused it, but I'll take it.  No change in products (Pantene) or routine.  I'll snap a picture when I'm not wearing a dark colored shirt.

Nonsense
January started out very cold; we even had a smattering of snow.  Then last week the temperature began to climb to the point where yesterday I was walking around outside in my short sleeve shirt.  Freaky (but enjoyable) to say the least.  February is typically our worst winter month, so we'll see what happens.