How do you feel today? v. 3.0

[Menolly]

Where are you off to this time, deer?

[Sorus]

Leaving Nigeria today, just as the country is shutting down due to lack of fuel. In fact, we could even be stranded if the plane needs jet fuel and there isn't any-- domestic airlines have already shut down, and cell phone service and banks have truncated services. Fun times!!!

Well, I came here to gripe about inefficiency and such, but you win.

Stay safe.

[Avatar]

Didn't you just get back?

(I'm feeling better than I was yesterday, so that's a win. ) (For me anyway. )

--A

[Phantasm]

Thanks Av. Been busy with life lately

I'll pop in more often now though.

still working at the prison?

saw Rush last night excellent show.

Hi Sarge, yup still working at the prison. I imagine they'll have to carry me out in a coffin at the end of my last shift, which is still quite a few years away at the moment.

[aliantha]

Sorry for my absence here (and my near-absence from Facebook, as well). I guess I owe you guys an update on the job front. I wish I could give you one.

I forget where I left off.... We're adding three new secretaries in Denver. Two of the positions are definitely going to be filled by secretaries coming over from the partners' old firms. That leaves one -- for an intellectual property/patent/trademark position. Which I have no experience in. That doesn't mean I couldn't do the job, and the firm does offer training, but there are various reasons why the IP Department folks want somebody with experience for this position. I'm going to try to talk to the partner who does patents on Monday. I keep hearing from everybody in the Denver office that I'm doing a terrific job, etc., but the reality is that they may end up hiring somebody else. Which doesn't mean I'll never get to move here permanently -- it just means I'll have to wait 'til another secretarial job opens up, and that may take a few months.

I was pretty pissed off about it at the end of last week, but I'm more philosophical now. Especially after one of the partners in charge of the office told me Monday that he was very much sold on bringing me out here permanently, and then bought me lunch.

I was *really* hoping to avoid another sticky summer in DC, though. Bleah...

Oh, and my brother finally sent me the appraiser's report on our mother's house, and it's higher than I expected. Of course, that happened in early May, and I still don't have a check. Anybody surprised? Yeah, me neither.

[Linna Heartbooger]

I am having a super weeeek... had my last chemo almost 2 weeks ago, and started feeling like I have energy again on Tuesday. Yay.

Went and hung out with a friend for a whole morning the other day while she moved some things to her new house.
Then we had a student who was in the Chinese church with us a few years back over yesterday. <3
And I had an interesting conversation with one of my tutoring students last night, for which I am happy.

I keep hearing from everybody in the Denver office that I'm doing a terrific job, etc., but the reality is that they may end up hiring somebody else.

Right... I don't like it when that happens...

Wish you could find out some way to exploit the fact that, truly, you are a bit of a nerd, and possibly you would like the challenge of learning IP law... "sell" them on that.
But usually that involves an initial investment to even find out if you'd like learning that stuff, etc., etc.

[sgt.null]

Linna - prayers for a full recovery.

Phantasm - I am trying to go back to my old unit. five years at this one is long enough.

[Linna Heartbooger]

Thank ya! So far, seems good.

Radiation begins in... about 1 week.
But I expect it to be not nearly so bad.
(plus... it's spring/summer now!!)

[Sorus]

Sorry, Ali. That sucks, and I know how you feel - I've been passed over for stuff that I would be great at, and it's frustrating, so frustrating.

Glad your treatment is going well, Linna - hope that continues.

[Avatar]

Good luck to them that need it, congrats to them that deserve it, and commiserations to all the rest.

--A

[Avatar]

Cold. I feel damn cold. Winter has finally arrived (it's late) and it's -1°C outside right now.

--A

[sgt.null]

well this sucks, but we have to do something.

I was riding to work with a fellow sergeant but our idiot captain moved her to the building and me to the camp. going in at 1:00am is too hard for Julie. (I don't drive, don't know if you know that.) and the other sergeant turned into the psycho she always was, but I had been able to stave off the worst signs of it while she was at the camp.

so I put in for a room at the BOQ (bachelor officers quarters) - I had one at my old unit for emergencies.

if they allow me to have one I will be staying at work Saturday nights until Wednesday after 5:30 when Julie gets out of work. it is up to the Head Warden right now. I live too close for a room, but he can allow for one in special circumstances. waiting for his answer.

we both hate the idea of being apart, but it would be easiest. and allow me a place when Julie takes care of her mom in Houston a couple weeks each year.

and it will be hard on Sonny. he is 14 and 1/2. right now I am home during the day and Julie is home at night. he only spends a couple of hours a day alone right now. his health comes and goes. like anyone his age, he has good days and bad days.

sometimes life just sucks. Julie already doesn't sleep well without me here. and of course I won't be able to see you guys but the days I am home. the Watch does not do well on my phone. FB will be ok. and I'll be able to keep up sports wise with my New England teams.

[Sorus]

Sorry, Sarge.

Wish I had something upbeat to say, but I'm in a bit of a work-related life sucks situation myself right now.

[JIkj fjds j]

Me too.

News from Scotland hasn't been good. My dad took a fall Thursday and broke his hip. Hospitalization. Morphine to ease the pain. Which meant postponement of any surgery that's needing to be done.
He has Altzheimer's.
Several months ago he bumped the car. Not serious in itself, but my step-family thought it best to take away his car keys. More news always seems to show a steady downward spiral.

Swings and Roundabouts - as they say here, south of the border.

[sgt.null]

vizidor - our prayers are with you.

sorus - thanks. and prayers for your situation as well.

my aunt in New Hampshire just texted me today to tell me my older brother has passed away.

Vernon Wood was a product of my father's first marriage. (Leon, Vernon, Brenda, Allen, Perry John) I am a product of my father's second. and my two younger siblings (Kristine and Kevin) are from his third marriage. the woman who married me - Dolly. the woman I consider Mom.

Vernon was 62 when he died, in Concord New Hampshire, my home town. he had a brain tumor removed a couple of years ago and never quite recovered. he developed breathing problems and it seemed a heart attack killed him.

for awhile he lived in Minnesota and when I was in junior high the family, (mom, dad, two younger siblings) loaded in the car and drove there to stay with him for a week.

my dad and I really connected on that trip, as he would take me into the truck stops with him to get coffee and donuts early in the morning. dad was a truck driver all his life and he drove straight through.

Vernon lived in tiny little Brownsville, Minnesota. while there we visited Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Silver Lake and the Mayo Clinic.

he eventually moved his family with him back to New Hampshire. living in my hometown of Concord for a bit and then moving back to Weare, New Hampshire - where my father and his family are from.

he was married to Joan, but at some point the divorced. the had one child together - a son named Shane.

I had not talked to or seen Vernon in a couple of decades. but harbored the hope of reconnecting with him and the other kids from my dad's first marriage.

my family has an odd quirk. my dad produced children delivered on the same day, twice - years apart.

Vernon and Kevin shared the same birthday. and Allen and Kris share the same birthday. what a coincidence.

Godspeed Vernon.

[Linna Heartbooger]

So many stories are really about family.

Thank you for sharing that with us, sarge.
Sorry for the sad circumstances that bring it all to mind.

I had not talked to or seen Vernon in a couple of decades. but harbored the hope of reconnecting with him and the other kids from my dad's first marriage.

...only just now read your earlier news... argh.


And vizidor- sorry to hear that.

[sgt.null]

thank you Linna.

[deer of the dawn]

Didn't you just get back?

(I'm feeling better than I was yesterday, so that's a win. ) (For me anyway. )

--A

Our visit to the US in March (when it was too freakin' cold to live) was unexpected, because my brother-in-law passed away suddenly. This summer is a scheduled furlough.

I haven't been around the last couple weeks much because I am working on a Masters and some of the work was unexpectedly demanding! Also I was still decompressing from the stress... pretty depressed for the last few mornings because of waking up with pain that doesn't always go away when I do yoga or walk...

So I got thinking and in the past 12 months,
1. I had a serious bout of malaria, life-threatening.
2, Got stuck in Liberia at the start of the ebola crisis. The trip back was the trip from hell...
3. Went through 3 weeks of quarantine when we finally got back to Nigeria.
4. Taught for 2 days and then the whole country went into a 3 week shutdown for ebola.
5. Found out my mother's cancer is never going away. May have a couple years to live.
6. Another month of school and government shutdown, this time for elections.
7. Lost my brother in law. Found out my FIL and my Dad are both pretty advanced in dementia.
8. Had my salary for 2015 to May frozen into the account of a person who was still in custody when I left Nigeria; after months of fighting I did get paid.
9. Finished up the school year not knowing if we will be able to return because Nigeria's immigration is playing stupid games.

So here we are in the US. Trying to just integrate all of this. My kids are here and they are pretty great. Also my Mom is awesome. But we do wish it would warm up, dang it. We're used to the 90s for temps!!!

Lots to be thankful for, too. Just too much stress. Those instrument tests that help you calculate your stress level don't usually even have stuff like "national crisis" in them.

More later. Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!!

[lorin]

I am so sorry for you Sarge. I have been thinking about you recently during the Houston floods. I am sorry to hear about your brother. I understand the void with a sibling as the chasm widens every year between my brothers and me (or is it my brothers and I).


Deer......you sound like you have had a year worse than my worst. I am glad you are here safely for now. I am leaving for a while but when I get back maybe we can meet. I think I remember you are in NY, right?


I am out of here tomorrow. Headed to Europe for 5 weeks. A gift to myself for my 60th. We are starting in Barcelona for 5 days, taking a mediterranean cruise for 12 days and the rest is a road trip. Hoping to see some new places like the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany. I am hoping my health holds up. Will post pics as we go.

[Linna Heartbooger]

I am out of here tomorrow. Headed to Europe for 5 weeks.

Have a wonderful trip!

Meredith- I feel like there should be a caps version of that hug.

We went to grad party today... two of my hubby's tutoring students, cousins, graduated. I'm tired now..
I have been doing laundry lately. It makes me kinda happy.