My new ride, Fraelsi

My new ride, Fraelsi
Fraelsi means Freedom in Farose

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Doll sewing is making progress

I am working on small, 10" Tonner child doll dresses, Ann Estelle and such as I have a doll club Christmas party and gift exchange coming very soon and the dog does not sew.  Nor do the parrots or Jake so that leaves me.
So, after work, after walking Shadow, feeding Shadow, getting work boots and leg brace off, having a cup of tea and checking my e-mail and Facebook, I am off to the attic studio and my sewing projects.
Since I also have dolls of this size I cut out in sets of 2, 1 for the gift box and 1 for my dolls, unless I trade or sell it.
Monday was a write off due to pain but I am making better progress every night since then, and getting dishes done more often, laundry caught up, doing some real cooking.  I might get to really like this working day shift stuff, I might actually join the human world once again.
I know it is a lot less stress right now than the past couple months in the frock room and I am not missing the stress.  Money will be tight for several weeks but not impossible and I know I am happier and feel better on the harvest/kill floor where it is warm than I do working 8 or more hours per shift in the cold on the cut floor.
We are having rains, today walking out from the plant to my truck I thought about Ireland, if I had been walking there I would have said we were having soft weather.  Not a hard rain and no wind, not too cold with just my lightweight fleece jacket on.  
And I though how blessed I really am, a job I can like going to every day, a home I like coming home to every day, people that matter and that I am important to in my life.  3 loud birds that care about me in their way and this new pup, coming on 6 months old and often wild, into things, creating a mess but he loves me too, and he depends on me.  Jake named him Shadow and it is a good name, he likes to be our shadow, and like a shadow, he is underfoot some of the time.
Jake is at class, he has evening class on Thursday nights so it is just me, Shadow and the birds, no music going and no loud tv either.  Not many of my evenings home are this quiet so I am going to enjoy and appreciate this one.  And go play dolly dressmaker for a little while before tucking myself into bed once again.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The new job and all the fun at work

Well, I got pulled a week early to make my job change, this left the new crew with no one trained or even aware of what needs done during that hour between shift changes.  I did do cheater notes and hope they all had fun last week.  I admit to being thrilled to escape early.
Now I am learning to shave hogs, finally got all the job sheets signed, am dealing with the most ditzy trainer working in the plant, and the 1who skims through stuff the employee signing on that job is to read each and every line before signing any forms.  But I spent several years on the harvest/kill floor, 2nd shift so know I will manage without the trainer.
The prescription safety glasses are ordered, the new lenses are in my good glasses and I want to keep them in good condition.  And I will be getting lace up waterproof boots, they are ordered but I am not sure if I will end up having to pay for them or the plant will.  Part of this is issues of wether I need to do a written request asking for the company to accommodate my disability, that brace I wear every work shift and that now needs something waterproof to cover it and that has safety tred, is plant approved to wear where I am working.
But I keep thinking I will manage to get through the issues with the job change and the tighter finances I will see for the next couple weeks.
And I am making slow progress on the sewing for our doll club Christmas party.  I do have some doll outfits done and a small mountain of things cut out.  I sewed the seam on 8 small white collars, 2 per dress, and ran gathering stitches in the skirts for pinefores and dresses, used the fray check on things that are now drying.
Shadow is working on being a brat tonight, I did get his squeaky toys and brought them into the kitchen so he could torment me instead of Jake but I might have to go fetch them several times.  Jake is trying to study, and our 6 month old wild dog child is absolutely no help at all.
I did get the roses and day lilies planted and so far I have not seen any dug up by my own dog, maybe they will manage to get settled in and start growing those roots so I can enjoy them when spring comes.
And I got the batteries out of both the scooter and the Rebel this past Sunday, I still need a cover for the scooter but once my lost vacation days from the job change are paid out, next Friday, according to HR, I can afford to order a scooter cover on line.  I can get a better 1 for less money by shopping on line instead of getting 1 from the local Honda shop.
The current sock knitting is for me, pink Trekking that was bought with a bit of that insurance settlement money from that damn life changing car accident.
I came home from work last night hurting more than I have in more than a year, sure is discouraging, I expected my hands to be making me miserable but find it is that damn leg and foot.  I did better today, also was able to sit some, rotated with another woman so 2 of us worked on shaving the back/spine side of hogs and traded spots back and forth so we both had turns working seated.
I have been back to work over 3 years now since being injured in that car accident, and not once did I find a reason to, or have to, look at myself as disabled.
Now, a pair of needed, lace up, short rubber boots have me looking on line about disabilities in the work place and laws and what I might need to do in order to have my employer help or totally pay for the boots.  But I do have a job, and I have insurance and even paid vacation days, pretty good life here, despite all the areas in my attic space that need drywall yet, the 2 windows that need replaced, the ugly asphalt siding that needs removed and replaced with something, some day down the line.

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Dealing with job changed

I am counting down days, have been working on helping G&K employees learn the tasks that they will be doing as they take over and do the equipment bagging.  So far they seem to work hard and want the jobs they are taking up, that helps.
I know I will be facing some huge changes going back to production, and changing to day shift but am looking forward to that and maybe some new life opportunities it might give me.
The plants I ordered have finally arrived, and it is pouring rain at this moment so the ground will certainly be wet enough for them.  I have them soaking now and will start planting them tomorrow and hope it goes fast.
Our lead is on leave, someone is in a snit if I try and talk to 'her' trainee, did tell her to 'take it up with our department head' and she snipped back she was taking it up with me and I was to stay away from her trainee.  Oh, gee, and here I thought we all were to do what we could to help all the G&K employees learn all the stuff they needed to know for their jobs.  They are Not 'our trainees' but the new equipment room crew.
She is on vacation next week, it will be my last week and I have someone checking with our dept head about creating some sort of check list for G&K employees on 2nd shift so they have less chance of something slipping through the cracks.
The 'trainee' is who asked me about a written check list, which at this time does NOT exist and she did not ask her 'trainer' about a list, she asked me.  There is not one but I will ask about getting one done for them.
The days will get better, I will get the plants into the ground, I will get the doll outfits done for our club Christmas exchange, I will survive the next few days, it is my turn to work the Saturday overtime if only 1 is needed, paycheck this Friday will pay down some more of my debt load and allow me some spending at Joann's for a change.
Time for bed.