Love the internet

Comfortable in bed to get a few hours rest before heading back to the plant to work 3rd shift and checked my bank account and paid a couple bills. Now, you have to admit there is a lot of really bad stuff out there in cyberspace but it's a great tool also, it all depends on how you choose to use it.
Most of my bills I can pay on line, I can be sure they are paid and I can have proof they are paid. And I can do it any time of day or night and from anywhere I have internet connection. Now, that's convenient and makes my very busy work life easier.
I put in 16 hours overtime this past week and will be putting in 7.5 or more this coming week, so the credit debt got payments early and more than the min. amount, the city utilities all get paid and next week the savings gets extra $$ and the medical bills get paid, some will be paid off, a small loan gets an early payment again and I am paying extra on it every month too. And then the check after that, the house payment for January will get paid.
And I found some stuff called Blue=Emu that seems to really help with the foot pain, it's not some warm up, hot feeling stuff, and no smell so if it helps and makes life easier, I will make sure it's on the budget. I like feeling I am getting a few pieces of my life back into some sort of working order. I am starting to have a financial plan every week once again.
And I am thinking and talking next spring's flowerbeds and garden work. That too, it's part of my normal little world. I know I have a long ways to go, I don't expect the settlement with the accident to take place before the end of the year but I can hope.
It would be nice to be starting the new year with that done and moving on with my life. And Jake and maybe Red might be home on leave in early Jan., so I will hope they both can come and I will plan and hope to take my week of vacation time then.
I'm looking at flat screens for the bedroom and drooling over the IPAD but I don't have Mac computers so at this time an Ipad would be a seriously limited and very high $$$ toy..and they don't do any USB Flash drives stuff..so that means they are really limited when it comes to storage. I'm here in bed with my small netbook and it's got a lot larger hard drive than the biggest they put in an Ipad, and has 3 usb ports, does more and was far lower. But I still really like that Ipad, it's so cool, I can imagine reading e-books anywhere with it..and I am starting to really like e-books, some books I have in the attic I now have in the Toshiba as e-books, free e-books, and I have several in here. And I love the idea of downloading them onto a flash drive so I can move them from computer to computer. I don't want an e-reader, they have too small of screens to suit my old eyes.
So, despite the accident, I feel I have a really good life and it's getting back on solid ground, I am dreaming old house projects once again and knowing some will become reality as finances get better. The flowerbeds will improve, there will be a garden once again so I can share produce again with friends and people I know.
I am so liking this not dating and no man/relationship in my life. Just friends and pals works well for me, I don't want more, don't miss or want any more, don't want slobbered on, pawed or otherwise handled.
It's just a very good time for being solitary. I'm not alone, I have some close and valuable friends and my sons, and I have to admit that dog sure is devoted to me, even with the long work hours when he's outside on his cable run and Mom is gone...
Knitting and sewing are taking a back seat to work right now, but know that will balance out in time. We never go long with this much overtime to sign up for, I didn't plan to do any but I'm the 1 working the best schedule to work for most of the others, it's the 'advantages' of the supply clerk slot I have. And day shift/weekdays has the easiest work load..and I hope someday it's mine. But it's got to be posted to bid for first, and Max is still working, and I don't wish her out of her needed paycheck...I can wait, or most days I think I can.

work schedules might get crazy

The current sign up sheet has a lot of empty spaces, Anthony's hours this week, Max's hours tomorrow day shift, Gwen's hours Sunday. I have signed to work today Anthony's hours, and Max's day shift, will do splits with Friday night and Saturday night if needed.
I do know suspension is either 3 days or indefinite, and terminated is just that. The union can help if the plant decision was unfair or against contract. So, with Anthony walked out Tuesday that would mean he would be back Friday IF it was a 3 day suspension.
Friday's 2nd shift hours are up on the board so that means he is not expected back Friday or Saturday.
My foot might not tolerate all the hours I might be asked to work but I already talked to my dept. management and told them I would do all I could to help out. I know everyone had to work more hours than they wanted to with my absence for 8.5 months with this auto accident.
I plan to bid Anthony's slot when it goes up on the board. He won a bid to the kill floor so if he gets back, he will probably be leaving the department. And in time Max's day slot will be on the board to bid and I will bid that but probably won't get it right away.
I already told Ben I will need a lot more help around here so I can survive the overtime, my foot and I will need a lot of down time when I am not at work.
The extra money will be nice but I can make it without it, I will increase what goes into savings and I will pay more on the credit debts and on any medical bills from the appendix project.
I have some outside clean up work I will get Ben's help with but it's getting to be a good time to hole up and be inside.
Before the accident I looked at overtime as 'play' money and did that with a lot of it. Now I see it as opportunity to lower my debt load and increase my savings. Going to play is a lot harder now, walking is more effort, drives to Springfield are longer and harder now.
It would be nice to start 2011 with my savings built back up, with my debt load lower than it was at the start of 2010 and with the settlement done or soon to be done and knowing I could get the old roof torn off this house and a new dry roof on.
I might buy some new undies and get rid of some of my very old ones, Victoria's Secret stuff lasts for years and years, the weight I gained gives me a good excuse to toss out some old scanties and get new. I would like a few nice button front type shirts and will shop on line for those but I have enough pants/jeans. I will replace my cargo pants with Carhart work jeans, as they wear out. But clothes wise, I am in good shape for now.
I might subscribe to Piecework magazine once again, but I doubt if I buy any e-readers, I can download e-books, many of them free into my laptop and my netbook so cannot see spending the money. I like the IPAD but it's very $$$ and not a 'toy' I need. Liking it is not enough reason to shell out huge $$$ when I have debts that need the money more.
If I manage well I can be free of most or all of my credit card debt in 2-3 years. And that would be a good place to be. The house would get more money for improvements and I could save more and worry less.
I will say that Anthony's being walked out Tuesday solved my social delema, Darrell wanted me to go to Springfield with him today, and I want my Thursdays to be home and down a lot, do stuff here. My foot likes life a lot better that way, I don't want a dating relationship with Darrell and he's on vacation and bored, his problem and not mine.
I like him as a friend but I enjoy running to Springfield with Ben more, and when it comes to going out to eat, a book or Ben are often higher on the list for company unless Kim or Julie are free.
We dated once, it did not work, I can like him as a friend and not want more involved. I just don't want or need a dating/romantic/intimate relationship at this time. My life is way too complicated, I don't have the time or energy or desire. I don't even dream of men in my life or bed and right now I really like it that way.
Ben didn't come home, he's still over with James and Luis working on their water line or played games and slept late, I want him to come home, packing my DVD of How to Train Your Dragon so I can watch it again...before I go to work today, again. I did that last Thursday, was called in and here I am, this time I won't be called in, I signed the work sheet, no sense in making it hard on management, it's not their fault. They need me to work and I will do what I can. They do treat me well and do value me.

Work Fun..or something like

I headed to work in a great mood yesterday, lunch out with D.H., picked up a new pair of jeans ON Sale, and so the day started well. T.T. had problems with the label printer so did not receive much new stock, it's really backed up. Allen. would hand write the labels when needed but guess it's not done that way now....so not much stock to put away.
A.M. was back, after his 3 days 'sick' and 2 normal 'off' days and was in the office within minutes..I have no idea what went on or why, some gossip but not really my business. He was walked out, either suspended or terminated and no idea if he is gone for good or for just a day or 2... but I did enjoy the peaceful work shift.
I don't want a lot (or any) overtime right now, my body needs time to adjust and it's still healing from the accident. But it looks like I will be working a lot of overtime as we deal with manning problems in a department with few people and some who are not willing to help carry the load.
I will do what I can but I do know my limits and will not push them very far. The others can do their part, management can deal with it, I am human and much slower than I was before the accident and will not kill myself or do myself permanent damage.
And the order from Fort Western came today, 1 pair of jeans are back ordered but the other 2 are in the washer with what was left. I did most of the laundry yesterday.
Next will be to sort out the undies and toss some out and replace them when I can. It means a trip to Springfield and time at Victoria's Secret so that will all depend on the work load and how beat tired I am after work.
The truck is down at Bruce's for oil change and check the passenger front wheel area, there's grease all over the rim from center out so I am concerned about wheel bearings or something else. I don't think it's leaking brake fluid but Bruce can check it and fix it and I can pay the bill.
And payroll not only paid me the week of vacation I wanted to sell but also paid me the 2 days I had from last year coming so with the overtime and vacation pay I will be paying bills and have some breathing space. It does not go to medical bills this week but my credit and utility bills here.
Next week I might do medical bills again, and then the check after that will again be the house payment. I am starting to get some balance and pattern again as to who I am working for each week and who gets paid. It will take a while and I will be very glad when most of the medical bills are off my shoulders.
Well, the washer is done so need to toss that stuff into the dryer. And since my bed is buried under clean clothes I need to do something with them, get a shower, get down to the shop and check on my truck, get ready for work..same old thing..and probably a lot of stock to put away and possibly working alone again...makes for less work and far more peace. I can handle that for the most part...

Too many chores yet to do here

But I did wash the dishes and I might actually work on putting away my clean clothes today before I head to work. The garden clean up will wait a bit, the shovel I need is across town where Ben is helping with water line replacement from the new city meter into the house, lots of hard digging I am so glad I am not helping with.
Work is going ok, I come home miserable with pain often and beat tired but I think slowly I am gaining strength and feel in time I will have less pain most shifts. I am so very glad to be back at work and feel I am starting to get my life back into some sort of real world, real life living once again.
It's warm here for this time of year and we've not seen much rain, the roof is glad of that as are the farmers as they get the last of the corn and soybeans out of the fields. I look forward to this time next year and know I should be living with a roof that no longer leaks and a working plan for the continuing renovations here.
The knitting is going slowly, I really need to finish up the current pair of Jake socks I have going and get the pair for Julie cast on. I am seeing very slow progress on the blue work gansey but it's not because I am not knitting on it, it's a very slow knit, easy pattern but fine yarn, small gauge needles so it doesn't grow fast, something like 10-11 rows to make an inch. I am going to like it and enjoy wearing it once I do finally get it done but it's going to take a long while. I might be wearing it by the new year but no bets on that.
Wonder how the car hauling has been going and hope it's going well, that loads are there and that the truck and trailer are holding up well.
I know that now, at this time in my life, I have a lot to deal with, this accident has made a mess of my life and also made a mess of 'me' in ways. I have to get a lot of that sorted out before I can deal with much when it comes to other people and relationships with them. And I do not have the energy to spend time, quality time with much of anyone now that I am working.
I do hope that as the months go by I find myself with less pain and more energy and wanting and able to enjoy my days off. It takes time, I am not able to bounce back easily, some is the age of my body, some is the damage to my foot and leg, some is the long recovery time.
But I am making it through each work shift, I am doing my work load each shift and that is what I need to be doing. And I am getting back on track with a budget and with knowing what needs paid which week once again. It will take some time before I have all the medical bills cleared up, the ones from the accident will or should clear up with the settlement but the ones from the appendix are not even here yet so I have no idea what of that I will owe.
Looking at the income tax stuff too, did increase my state withholding as know it was not taken out of the disability pay so want to make sure that is covered so I don't have to dig up money when I file income taxes. I should do ok with federal this year, have not paid a lot in but did not earn a lot and won't by the end of the year.
It will take me a while to get everything sorted out, but at least I have funds going every week into savings now, that feels good. It won't build up fast but at least it's building once again.
And I am cleaning out clothes I don't wear and will replace some with what I will wear, no more tight jeans for me, gained a couple pounds, might loose some of that but am not too worried as I am still under 130 and that is ok for my frame/age. Comfort is the rule now, and what suits me, what I like, out with some things and look to replace some things in time.

Saturday's work shift is Done

And it was busy, production going and maint chasing parts and new stock to receive and put away, A.M. called in again, he went home 'sick' Thursday so I worked his shift, T.T. worked his shift Friday instead of receiving, G.D. worked instead of D.D., whose MIL has passed away. G.D. is working his hours due to the emergency so she will be taking off days during the week, calling in or given the days in exchange for the ones she has worked this weekend.
I am glad I will be having the overtime on next week's check, did make my first house payment since this accident yesterday before going to Springfield, have final (we hope) appointment with my orthopedic dr. on 11/12, tried to find jeans or pants I liked enough to buy. Was a change to be trying to buy something besides work clothes.
I ended up ordering what I wanted. Part was overpriced and part was nothing that suited my taste. I am not paying huge sums for jeans that look partly worn out before I even get them on.
My foot is tolerating work better than I expected but I come home with it hurting and want to be down with my feet up once I am home.
The knitting is going slowly, I need to put time into Jake's socks and get them done, they just need 2-3 inches of black ribbing at the top and bound off. My sweater grows very slowly but it is growing, I think it takes about 10 rows to make an inch.
Fall is here, it won't be long before it's winter again. My year has gone by so strangely and with around $100,000 in medical bills, 3 surgeries, far more pain than I ever thought I would be learning to live through. I want this year to end, maybe next year will be better for me.

I have a New Favorite Movie

How to Train Your Dragon. I have waited for many months for it to come out on dvd, right now it's a huge splurge in a very tight budget...I am going to drive everyone batty watching it, it's funny, it's cute, I made a lot of knitting errors on the current sweater project that I then had to correct and I Don't Care, they can be fixed...and I have to work today, called in so is 1.5x my regular pay and when I get home, maybe I will take that disk to my bedroom and go to sleep watching dragons...
Ok, so I am very juvenile, but it's a cute movie and I needed the fun escape...now to get ready and head to work, go in 30 minutes late, not sure why but am sure I will learn more once in plant..off I go, overtime, overtime, ya, ya off I go.....

Another Monday

And today, before work I will pull on my bib overalls and go do some clean up work in the garden and also pick a bag of chilies to take to work and leave for a woman I know on sanitation, I have her locker # so can hang the bag there if I don't see her. She knows I have it planned so will know who they are from and knowing her, if the bag is large, she will share with others.
Work is going ok, I do come home tired and hurting but that is to be expected. 8.5 months off work at my age does make it very hard to go back and my job is very physical and busy most of the time.
It's great to be back and now I am expected to make coffee if the pot is empty in the boiler room when I go down there to get a cup of coffee, to me, that's a step up in being a dues paying member of that coffee club. It's nice to have that 'back home, finally' feeling I have at work, on Sundays with our Sunday work and crew.
I miss going to church, the people there, but I am going to try and make Sunday night Bible study instead. It was hard to get up haul me to Rushville, foot, right hip really hurt but I am so glad I went.
The blue sweater is making slow progress, I decided it was going to be too snug around and ripped out the 6 inches I had done and started over with more stitches so now have the 3" of ribbing done and the first 'set' of the body pattern done, that makes about an inch of actual sweater body, it will be slow going.
Fall is really here and I need to start doing some outside work on the garden and such. I had hoped to move/divide my hosta plants this past spring and it was a job I couldn't do alone and didn't have help when it really needed done. But I can probably do some of that this fall and then they will have some time to start growing new roots and getting settled in and do better in the spring.
Julie will help me if we can manage a day off the same time and Ben will work with me, pal Darrell will NOT be helping me, he's scheduled for surgery for torn roter cuff in his left shoulder, work related and done on a Friday, right now it's looking like the first Friday in November.
Several years ago he and pal Nancy helped me move the brick mess, and then dig and divide the pampas grass, now he gets to come and enjoy the change that made and take some credit for the work/improvement. Nancy has pampas grass at her place that came from sections of my plants.
Kid is still growing and does in a rawhide chew bone in about an hour now. I will have to buy him really big ones if I want them to last.
And I am thinking electric fence and a collar will help that dog know where those property lines are and which side of them he belongs on. He needs to stay here, other than chasing cats out, he can chase them across the street, they will still come back but I will let him chase them that far.
Well, need to eat and get some outside work done before going to the paycheck job. That sounds so much like the 'normal Maggie' life I had before this accident..

Mondays are such fun

It's my mid-week day with my work schedule and such fun. The rules have not changed in our dept. They do apply to everyone, not my problem if other clerks did not do it by the rules, I do and if you have a problem with the rules, please talk to my dept head or my supervisor, and as a supervisor yourself, I am sure you expect the employees in your department to obey the rules, my boss expects that of me, it is part of what I am being paid to do so please respect that.
Oh, ya, it's going to be a change for people to have me back in plant and in supply. I do it by the rules and I am quite willing to tell people that until my boss tells me otherwise, it is by the rules, sorry, it's part of my job.
Friend Otto will now feed Kid his meals while I am at work, I pack up puppy chow in sour cream containers and take them across to Otto, this way I touch base and chat with Otto and he has something to do. Kid can get by without the meal but it's good for all of us.
My body is adjusting some to work but it will be long and slow. I did work on accident paperwork today, have 2 letters to go in the mail tomorrow, also have to pay on my house insurance and pay Dish Network bill.
I added up the medical bills from the accident and they are under $60,000. And my health insurance statement for last year was in the paperwork, it came after the accident and ended up in that mess, last year my total medical costs were under $2,000. And most years it's been less than that, the first 3-4 years here I didn't see a doctor at all.
Oh, well, guess that car accident sure made up for many years of not seeing doctors.

Fulmar is done, next sweater is started

And Kid is having problems adjusting to my going back to work, especially as Ben isn't here right now so Kid is outside on his run for about 9 hours.

He's a clinging vine once I am home from work and bugs me to get more attention. He doesn't like me sitting in the kitchen with the laptop or in the living room at the desk, he wants me on the futon so he can be almost on my lap.

But the red Fulmar is done, washed and dry and it's what I have worn to work the past 2 shifts, mornings are cool enough for the sweater, but we are expecting rains to come in this coming week so I might need something more waterproof for my next 3 shifts.

Yesterday I took a nap after work, tonight I hurt but am not as beat tired. I need to wash dishes and will probably do them this evening.

Friend Allen Tippy has been finally sent to the job bid he won before my accident so Tina T. will do the receiving for now. Allen has to qualify on that job before the receiving clerk job is put up for bid. I can't do it, physically I am just not up to the challenge right now and don't want the nit-picking from everyone that job seems to bring.

It's good to be back to working, know I am tired but hope that in a couple weeks I have less pain and less feeling beat tired. I know it will be after the end of the year before things can be settled with State Farm, I will make payments on medical bills and I will keep a tight budget here and get by. At least with working I now have a few $ going into payroll savings once again.

It's getting cloudy now and the trees are moving so we must be having some wind. I really need to do some shopping at Save a lot and Dollar, Kid needs chew toys and I need some canned things from Save a lot.

Kid can go with me and be truck dog, he's needs to learn to sit and wait in the truck for me, it's good training. And he's not going to be good about being tied out on his run, having to be there while I am at work is hard enough for him to adjust to, and yes, he is spoilt and I do know it.

Woo, day off work and I earned it.

Foot and body found it to be a long and hard work week, ya, after 8 months, 17 days off, 1 car accident, 1 bout of preforated appendix, 3 surgeries, it was a very long time off and a very out of shape body.
But it was good to be back in plant, working again, lots of changes in supply, some new faces, some new blue (supervisor) bump caps on familiar faces. Now to get my password at HRdirect fixed so I can bid on jobs, check my up-coming paychecks early, change my tax with holding, change what I have pulled for savings...another battle with phone and people who aren't here in the USA and who don't always understand my language, whose accent makes it hard to understand theirs..
But I will get some work done on the red Aran, do have yarn for 3 sweaters, 1 out of a book, complex but at least I don't design as I go. 1 I am designing as I go, part is on graph paper, part is in my head and needs worked out on paper and with calculator, part will get figured out once I see the waist 'skirt' or ribbing I plan to do and the bottom textured pattern I have graphed out.
Love ganseys and this 1 will my my own design and my future work sweater in a blue that reminds me of well broken in jeans.
And I have some white Aran type wool that I want a front zip, with pockets, and a hood Aran type sweater, in my size please. And once knit, I plan to give it a bath in some periwinkle blue dye I bought years back with that very idea in mind, I just did not know what I wanted for a sweater out of the gifted yarn.
Friend Darrell has said he would try and come today and we could walk the park trail with my wild dog, it would be nice to have a human companion on the walk for a change, and Kid loves to run and romp and chase leaves and smells on that walk.
I limp terribly now, it is very noticable and no, it won't ever go way, I won't get much better than I am now, but I can get a lot worse. No, I have not gotten rich but I have racked up close to $75,000 in medical bills and 3 surgeries in less than 9 months. Yes, I do hurt, always, and some times a lot, but I am walking and I am finally back to work.
Now to deal with all the paperwork, like the appeal on my health insurance denying the emergency room in Rushville--because they put 'appendicitis' on it, not accute, no comment about it needing immediate surgery they could not preform. The phone call was easy, it should be covered, fill out an appeal, we have all the supporting documentation, that should fix it. Great, but over 1 hour to get signed up at the on line site and get the form downloaded. Son Ben and Foxfire browser finally got the form I need. I will fill it out and get it in today's mail and make sure I make a copy first for my file...
Now back to working on the red Aran..want it done so I can play guilt free with my other yarns

Booted Out, LOL

My Long absence from Cargill Supply has gotten my name booted out of the computer system we use in supply. It will take upper management to get me put back in so that means I did not mess up with my password change Saturday, we password in 2 times, and I was still in the first, plant computer system but not in the other one.
It will be fixed today, and I am also to get re-trained and re-certified on the fork truck, that is on some schedule too. And that suits me. I can't use fork truck until I am re-certified but still have the hand jacks to use and I can do a lot of what I need to with that and did in the past, no big change there.
Whole body hurts and gets tired fast but that is to be expected. I am making a tiny dent in the dis-order and dust and such each shift, not a big improvement but as it's continual, it will slowly make a difference, day by day.
The red sweater doesn't gain much each day, but I am knitting on it, and I will be wearing it before the end of this month and be working on the next sweater or should I say sweaters. I want the blue 1 for work to replace the 1 that was cut off me at the hospital so want to start it, and I am designing that 1 from scratch. The purple 1 is going to be my light casual "look nice" sweater so I want it started and I am adapting another Alice Starmore pattern to suit/fit me. Again out of Fishermen's Sweaters, this time I will be using Eriskay for my base and just doing some size adjusting to fit me better, need to do a swatch and see what I get for measurements first though so I can make sure it's not too snug around but not way too loose.
It's getting cool nights now but so far no frost. I have a lot of canna roots to dig, dry and store when it frosts hard, and need to work on the grass and weeds in the garden too, will do some of that Thursday if the weather allows.
I want to play with designing a heavy Aran and do have yarn to knit it but know it will be a harder or more coarse feeling sweater, the yarn is, so not sure what size I want to make it, as not sure I will want to wear it. I am thinking if I adapted a zipped front pattern I would wear it more than if I had it pull over, and again, if I did a hood that fit me comfortably, that too might get it worn some, as would pockets. I have a man's pattern in 1 of Mom's books that would work for a base to start with. But I have other knitting that needs done first and is more important so it's on the 'later' list for now
Need to get myself fed soon, heard the front door so imagine Kid bugged Ben enough to get let out for a bathroom break. Kid is very good at getting Ben to give him bathroom breaks but not always as good about getting Ben to remember it's dog supper time.

Lazy Monday mornings

The nice thing about working my split shift stuff is that I get lazy Monday mornings. And I slept pretty good for a change.
Kid had me up early so he could go out for call of nature but I crawled back into bed and asleep for another hour or so.
The sun is out and I plan to take Kid and the knitting to the park so he can run wild and I can knit and watch him, will be good exercize for him and good for me.
Sunday wasn't too bad, still working with Tina T. and we got some cleaning done, some things put away that needed put away and had a good work shift. Sundays were always my day to clean and deal with things that didn't get done during production shifts, less run to the window with production supplies and such and more time to do something in the warehouse or upper storeroom area.
I did finally get the first ball of yarn knit into the 2nd sleeve of the red sweater, will have 3 balls/skeins of yarn per sleeve so the first sleeve is 2/3 of the way done and the 2nd sleeve is just over 1/3 of the way done. All the yarn ends are worked in to this point so that 's another small 'job' I won't spend much time on once I finally get this sweater knit. I have yarn for a lighter wt sweater waiting and yarn at Sticks and Stones waiting to pick up, another lighter weight sweater so want this red Aran done, washed and drying so I can be guilt free when I start casting on the next sweater or both of them. The only problem is they are both lighter weight yarns and will knit on the same size needles and I am not sure I have enough circular needles in the right size to have them both cast on and going at the same time.
Well, Kid needs a walk, I need out of my jamies to do that so I better get moving...

And I am heading to bed...

The window got shut, the sweatshirt got zipped and I will deal with fixing it so it just zips part way down, I can live with that...and supper was eaten, house is quiet and I know I need to get to bed. I did take something for pain and hope to sleep better than I did last night.
I will say it really did feel good to be walking into the plant, to be heading into work once again, finally. I know the shifts are going to be long and hard and painful for me, maybe for the rest of my work life. But I hope the pain lessens and I get into better shape soon.
So many faces glad to see me back at work, it really does life my spirits. I've missed those faces, people I see at work, and people I enjoy seeing at work. I don't want everyone coming to visit, I don't need or want a very social life, I like the job for that. And then come home to Kid, Ben and the birds, and I don't mind if I come home to just Kid and the birds, know that day will come too.
I did get a few rows knit on the 2nd sweater sleeve but not much, it's going slower than the 1st sleeve, which still is not done and it seems to have not gained as much length for the same amount of yarn but that's probably just me. I do know I do have enough yarn to finish it.
I still need to get my yarn picked up in Jacksonville, it's in and I do have a start on designing the next gansey. The purple yarn I have will be ERISKAY or my tweaked version of Alice Starmore's Eriskay from her Fisherman's Sweaters book. It's a pattern I really like and that yarn will make a lovely lighter weight dressey sweater that I can enjoy wearing to places besides work.
I am determined to NOT dread going into fall and winter this year. I will pull the air conditioner from the kitchen window this year, I didn't even get it covered or insulated last year. And I am thinking about pulling the 1 out of my bedroom window also.
I will be selling back 1 week of my vacation time, with the year so far gone I don't have need of 2 weeks of vacation between now and March 30, 2011. And I am already thinking about income taxes and needing to increase my pay in for the state taxes so I don't have to pay in when I file.
I have a long way to go before my life even starts to feel like it's going back together but at least I feel that I am starting to find the pieces and that is an improvement.
Time to walk Kid and get to bed, know the alarm will have my up and running fast in the mornings, my work Sunday are always started at a run and no time. But it worked well for me before the accident and it will work for me again.

Zipper eating Kid..

The black sweatshirt only cost $5 at the gun show Jake and I went to last spring, his last leave. The replacement zipper cost almost $6, Kid, the dog damaged the original one. Now, home from work, sweatshirt was damp from today's rain, hung it over the back of the kitchen chair and Kid got this zipper, while Ben and I were both sitting here in the kitchen...I will turn it into a pull over sweatshirt.. and Give up on keeping it safe from that dog.
Work was ok, Saturdays and Sundays are the easy days of my work week. Have the foot up and will take something for pain before going to bed tonight, am in plant by 6 am tomorrow.
It's cooling here and I need to get the attic window shut before it's dark, will be down in the 30's tonight.
Really felt great to be back at work, to see people I know and miss, and to be working once again. Know I have a long way to go with getting my life back in order but at least now I feel like I am finally starting to find those pieces of my life to rebuild with.
Now to get the window shut and ladder put away and go sit and enjoy my sweater knitting for a while...and hope Kid doesn't decide Mom's knitting is a good chew toy...silly pup, he has plenty of chew things, he just likes that sweatshirt because it's Mine.

Heading back to Work

Tomorrow, Saturday I will be back in plant and at work. After 8.5 months off with this accident I will have a ton of policy changes to catch up on, need my password in the our computer system re-set so I can do my paperwork/computerwork. It will be hard and challenging to go back after this long off but I am looking forward to finally starting to see my life getting back into some sort of order and pattern.
Speaking of patterns, I am working on designing 1 for the new blue gansey, have a start and the yarn is finally in, I should pick it up today. I also have to decide what pattern to use with the purple yarn I got earlier this week, have a pattern in Fisherman Knits I think I will tweak to suit me, it's a lovely light wt knit that would look good in the yarn I have.
My red aran is gaining sleeves, 1 is close to done and the 2nd is finally started. I will have enough yarn to finish it with no problems, a worry when I started it, more than 2 years ago.
Got a long list of things needing done, including a lot of clean laundry to fold and put away, other 'before work' stuff I need done, including some phone calls..not sure if I have a run to Springfield to make today or not..know I need to get to Jacksonville and get my yarn...