Week 16 - At Max Vacation

It had taken since my December trips to accrue but I was back at maximum vacation, which meant I'd be using 2 days each month until I retire in August. It was time for more exploring with Rene.

But first my quilt. My knitting friends were more than willing to help with the layout. I randomly laid out the 7 strips and they helped me decide which end to cut off of each to reduce the length to something more bed sized. I sewed them all together after work on Tuesday and then made the backing after work on Thursday, using the cut off bits down the center of the back with some old fabric from my days of sewing dumpy dresses to wear to work. I had arranged to drop it with Danielle at spinning on Saturday. She has a long arm quilting machine and does beautiful work. She said it would take ~2 weeks. I can't wait to get it back.

Thursday was my exploration day with Rene and we were headed to David City, which is the county seat of the county west of me. I think I'd been there once years ago but can't recall why. There is an agrarian art museum and Buresh Meats just north of town and that was reason enough to go. We left my house at 9:00 for the 30 minute drive and our first stop was a thrift shop on the edge of town. I scored a sewing chest full of vintage sewing trims, including lots of rick rack (my favorite) and double folded bias tape that I use for strings in my drawstring knitting bags, for $5. First stop and I was already happy. We went into another thrift and an ancient hardware store downtown before the museum, which was tiny so only took 20 minutes. After hitting the 2 grocery stores, the 2nd of which had Clarkson Bakery goodies, we went to Buresh Meats. Their prices were crazy cheap (85/15 1 pound hamburger chubs for $1.95!) but a lot of their stuff was in huge 5 pound bags so too big for either of us to use. I still managed to spend $50 and with that done, it was time to meander our way home.

What Rene and I like to do is plan a route home that includes as many small towns as we can go through. I'm here to tell you that we saw some SAD small towns on our way home. Octavia was the first and had not a single business in town and their specialty was single wides with multiple junk cars in the yard. But you could see they used to have a big school (someone was redoing it and appeared to be living in it) and a small main street with businesses, all closed now. Linwood was about the same but less junky and had a single huge steakhouse/bar as the only business in town. We ate lunch at Abie's Place in Abie, which is in the basement of the old school. Lunch was delish and cheap then it was on to Bruno, which still has a couple of businesses, and then Prague. I used to be the Wahoo Newspaper school board reporter for Prague but their school has since closed and the town has dried up. There's still a gas station/convenience store but even their restaurant/bar is closed. That's sad. We got home in time for a cup of tea at my house. It was a fun day.

Friday flew by, as did all the work days this week mostly with training Dana on anything that came across my desk, and it was time for the weekend. Andrea had another commitment so wasn't going to spinning but I had to drop my quilt off so headed to Fremont. I didn't do my usual shopping so went right home after. I did some cooking and made one of the Buresh Meats steaks I'd bought for supper. Sunday was my typical phone chats, chores and puttering. Lorri did stop by after work and I did drag hoses out and got some water on my veg beds but those hoses won't stay how I hooked them up but redoing those will wait for official hose and set up later.

Between my quilt and my exploring day, it was a great week. Dana is wonderful to work with and picks everything up super quickly. I'm loving the spring weather. Life is good!

Week 15 - Productivity and Kindness

It was a good week with lots of fun, an eclipse, working with Dana and a random act of kindness from a total stranger. There was also a gas problem but it was fixed without incident so all good.

Lots of people went into the office on Monday because of the eclipse. We were only at 80% so it didn't compare to the last one when we were in totality but it was still fun sitting outside watching it, which made for a nice break in the afternoon. Otherwise I worked on grad allocations with my replacement, Dana, so the day went quickly. I had made rhubarb upside down cake for knitting, which is always well received but then I went home.

I had made some veggies to go with my supper and used the little simmer burner on my stove. I'll call it a senior moment but I didn't turn the burner off. The water must have boiled over and put the flame out so gas was building up the whole time I was at knitting. I smelled it the minute I got into the house, found the burner on and turned it off. I then opened all the windows and started fans all over the house. Within 2 hours, the smell was gone so I went to bed feeling lucky that it hadn't been worse. Sheesh!

I was in the office on Wednesday, as usual, but had signed up for a retirement seminar from 8:00-12:30. I had been to one years ago but with retirement just a few months away, I went again. I knitted through the whole thing and learned some valuable things, such as spend your Roth IRA's last because you've already paid the tax on those so the interest you earn is tax free. Who knew? I had been planning to use those first if my savings don't last until I start social security or drawing from retirement. Anyway.... 

Cindy was at the seminar too and so we decided to go out to lunch before heading back to the office. We went to Bahnwich Cafe and then hit St. Louise's on the way back to campus, where I scored the rare as hen's teeth sock yarn. As if that wasn't happy enough, there was a random act of kindness later.

I decided that I'd stop at Menard's (a midwest Home Depot-ish store) on the way home to get some pansies. Just pansies. But when I went into the garden center, they had all their flowers fully stocked and they looked fresh off the truck. When I saw that they were one sale for $1.50 each (!), I filled 2 flats and picked up a Park's Whopper tomato and a pot of hyacinths. I was waiting in line at the register and chatting about plants with the man in front of me, exchanging tips of best tomatoes and garden deals. He was just buying a hose and was using a stack of rebates to pay. When he found 2 that approximated his total, he paid. As we were saying goodbye, he handed me a $15 rebate card and wished me a happy spring. When I balked, he told me to enjoy my plants and walked off with his wife. So a total stranger paid for most of my plants. It made my already happy day even happier.

The rest of the work week was more training with Dana but I also chatted with Anne from Spain (love Messenger for that) and took 2 hours of vacation time on Friday to start my spring clean up. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I got the entire front, east side and around the deck and garage raked out before I petered out. I made a cup of tea and sat outside, happy with my progress. Rosie was loving being outside and didn't come in that night until 2:15 a.m.! Goodie was outside with her until 1:15, which meant I didn't sleep well because I got up every half hour or so to call them. Not the end of the work week I'd planned. Oh well.

Andrea and I were doing a Fremont run on Saturday morning to hit the Estate Dispersal Store sale, which is only one weekend each month. She was picking me up at 8:00 and we were getting breakfast too. I was tired but not too bad. We hit the Restore then got breakfast, which took long enough that we could do the EDS sale, which opened at 10:00, before our regular Goodwill and Aldi stops. We spent longer in Fremont than we'd planned but I was home early enough that I invited Lorri over for tea so we could catch up. It was a lovely day and productive too.

Sunday was crazy hot - 87 degrees! It had started to heat up Saturday but I'd kept the house shut up so it stayed cool. I was determined to not put on the AC so headed downstairs to my craft room when the temp upstairs started creeping up. I cut my stashing strips and sewed my crumb quilt squares into 7 strips. I did some bad math in my spreadsheet last summer so they were way too long so decided then and there to take them to knitting the next night, where I could grab a chunk of library floor to lay them out. It was a good plan.

So nice week, right? Dana was picking things up super quickly and we had chatting time to get to know each other. I had happy things left and right and made progress in the yard and on my quilt. I hope I have more weeks like this coming up. There's still plenty to do on all fronts, as usual.

Week 14 - Hanging with Friends

It was a fun week with lots of friends and training but ended with a stomach bug. Oh well.

Monday was the first business day of the month so Dana and I were in the office doing monthly reports, which went well. Dana skips lunch and leaves at 4:00 (she has kids in school/daycare) so I left at 4:30 so I wouldn't be so rushed with dinner before knitting. Good start to the week.

I was taking Thursday afternoon off for a Fremont run with Darla so after a remote day working with Dana, I started cleaning (nothing like having someone come over to motivate me to neatize and clean!) and then did my taxes. Productive day all around.

Wednesday was a campus day and I picked up donated cat food for Husker Cats on the way in. It was Dana time all morning then I thrifted at lunch. We had a long overdue FAC after work at Tico's, which means margueritas and nachos for me. It was fun hanging with work friends outside of work. I listened to the start of Survivor on my phone as I drove home and then settled in to watch the rest when I got home. I did a bit more cleaning and was ready for Darla.

I picked up grab & go lunches mid-morning and Darla arrived at noon. She wanted to meet my cats but they wanted no part of a stranger in the house. (Gansey was the only cat I've ever had who liked people.) We enjoyed our lunch then headed to Fremont. We both found things at Thriftology, which is a small thrift shop that used to be open on Saturdays but isn't anymore so I can't go on my regular Saturday Fremont runs. I filled a bag with fabric scraps at the quilt shop and then we meandered up Main Street, ending with a latte at the local coffee shop. From there it was Goodwill and Aldi. It was a lovely afternoon with Darla, who is one of my favorite people to hang with.

Unfortunately, I was up in the wee hours with digestive issues. There was clean up and a shower involved so it wasn't pretty. I took immodium that was WAY out of date and called in. I have trouble calling in sick but not when I have things leaving my body explosively. I napped and watched TV. The runs were fixed with the old drugs (time to add immodium to my shopping list) but I was still cramping on and off until the evening. It's always something.

I woke up feeling 100% on Saturday, which was a good thing because I had plans Saturday morning. Jennifer, who used to work in Accounting, was in town for a class at the satellite campus of the Southeast Community College so we met and shopped our way through downtown Wahoo. We went to the Senior Center Thrift Shop, where Barbara, who also worked in Accounting before retiring, was volunteering. It was old home week. We ended with lunch at Mocha C's, where I didn't get my regular grab and go choice. Shocking!

Since I was done with Jennifer in the early afternoon and my house was clean, I invited Lorri over for tea so we could catch up after her trip. We had a lovely chat and then I forced myself outside to prep and plant my early veg bed. We had rain due overnight so it'd be watered in. While I was completely unmotivated, I was glad I got it done and we did get a bit of rain. We were inches behind with precipitation last year and with almost no snow all winter, are inches behind this year already. I hope we don't have another droughty summer.

With all my social commitments over and my house as clean as it gets, Sunday was my usual chores and cooking. Knitting too, of course, and I finished my first challenge sock, which is the dreaded toe up method. They're going right into my gift bags when they're done. Toe up is loathsome so I need them out of my life. It was a relaxing end to a full week.

Week 13 - Welcoming My Replacement

The week started with another 4 hour zoom for the F&A proposal on Monday morning. It was supposed to be our last but we had 2 more hours on Tuesday and that was our last until the actual last one first thing Wednesday. The proposal was submitted later on Wednesday so it's finally done. My last F&A proposal - yay!

It was brutally cold at the beginning of the week and everyone bailed on knitting Monday night. I had to unlock Lorri's door for her cleaning lady to get in on Tuesday morning, when the windchills were crazy cold so I got a grab & go lunch since I was out in the cold. Perfectly warm spring weather was back by the end of the week - in like a lion out like a lamb. I took Rosie outside for the first time Thursday evening since it was warm enough. It was her first time outside so she was pretty timid but seemed to enjoy it.

Dana, my replacement, started on Friday. She's a lovely woman and I spent the morning doing financial 101 with her then the team went to Green Gateau for a welcome lunch. Lacey let us out at 3:00 for the Easter weekend so it was a short day. I went straight home for a cup of tea and time outside with Rosie. While they're not best buds yet, Goodie was more interested in playing with Rosie outside so that was good. The temp plummeted after supper so it'd be a chilly weekend.

I had a cozy, warm weekend inside. It was above freezing so I did laundry and hung it out but otherwise was inside on the phone with friends, knitting and streaming. I started some seeds and stayed up late to watch White Lotus. 

Sunday was turkey day. I was flying to Finland on Thanksgiving so thought I'd make a turkey over Christmas break but with my toe surgery, I never did. I was missing having a freezer full of turkey so Easter turkey it was. It was ready mid-afternoon so I tore it apart immediately and put the bones in the crockpot to make stock. I was still picking turkey at 10:00 pm.

All in all, it was a nice week. Dana seemed smart and nice and with her hire, my retirement was feeling more real. Rosie was OK being outside, which made her feel like a normal cat for me, and my freezer and fridge were full o turkey for the next week. All good.

Week 12 - Fun at Fiberpalooza

It was a much better week. Since I didn't end up bleeding, it almost had to be, right?

Work was the perfect amount of busy with projects between training, a Ripples zoom and a 3 hour F&A zoom to end the day Friday. I also had lunch with Dodie on Wednesday, which was my only day on campus for the week.

Thursday was the 4 year anniversary of the beginning of lockdown. Seems like yesterday. It was also the 4 week anniversary of Hazel's death. I'm still sad about that but Rosie is starting to settle in a bit more. Goodie is hissing less and starting to show some interest in playing, which Rosie is doing more of. Still a ways off but some progress.

The highlight of the week was Fiberpalooza - a fiber event in Winterset, Iowa. I missed it last year so told my friends I was absolutely going and asked who wanted to come with me. Anne, Rene and Andrea chimed in. Anne was driving in her much nicer car so Andrea and I drove down to Gretna to meet her and Rene and we drove from there. It's a small event in a junior high school but it was lots of fun. I showed restraint and only bought 3 skeins of sock yarn, a few mini skeins and a project bag made from 70's fabric. So fun!

There was a fiasco at the winding station though. Anne was having 2 skeins wound by one of the volunteers and the first one was fine but the second exploded off of the swift. It took 4 of us nearly 2 hours to untangle the mess. Anne was embarrassed for no reason and was a bit of a mess. We headed home on the scenic route, which was shorter but took about the same time as the interstate because of all the small towns. We stopped for ice cream in one of them, which was delish and a nice break. It was a fun day.

After such a busy Saturday, I had a relaxing day Sunday knitting, streaming and cooking a few things. It was a nice end to a decent week. Some spring weather would be nice. Hopefully some will get here soon.

Week 11 - A Cat Attack

No, not one of my cats. It was Andrea's psycho cat, Bajo.

Andrea left for a trip on Tuesday so I was on daily cat feeding duty. I went Wednesday before work and was still on campus by 8:00 (!) and went again before work Thursday, which was my 2nd day on campus. The attack happened on Friday. I was working from home so ran over mid morning and had to go onto the enclosed front porch for kitty litter to top off the box. Bajo followed me out there and I picked him up and chucked him back inside. A bit of a growl but no biggie. He scooted by me when I opened the kitchen door to leave and was waiting by the back door. When I tried to pick him up to throw him back into the kitchen, he attacked. It was SO fast and my fore arm was a bloody mess with a grazing bite along one side and a row of scratches along the other. I was bleeding like a stuck pig. I'll spare you the picture of the gore.

I went home and started cleaning it up. One wound on my hand bled for 2 hours and after consulting with my pharmacist cousin, I called my doctor to ask for a prescription for antibiotics. When you've had joint replacements, there's always concern that a cat bite will create an infection that will settle in your joints - knees for me. My doctor called in the Rx and I went to the pharmacy after work. It was Augmentin so I'd be had intestinal issues to look forward to.

On a nicer note, Thursday was Pi Day so to keep up my annual tradition, I made a small apple crumb pie to take to work, which was a hit with the few people who were in the office. Most people seem to do their 2nd day early in the week so there were only a few of us in. My reason for going in Thursday was Jessica, one of our old water aerobic instructors who we keep in touch with, was going to be in town and we were meeting at YiaYia's for a baby shower-ish thing. I had made cute baby socks for her and we'd all pitched in for a gift card because she and her partner are having twins so need double of everything. We had a great time and she loved the socks.

Saturday was spinning so I fed Bajo before heading to Fremont, keeping my distance for sure. It felt weird to be doing a Fremont run without Andrea, especially because it was the Estate Dispersal Store weekend. I didn't find anything there or at the Restore but found some brand new LLBean t-shirts at Goodwill before doing a huge stock up at Aldi. I was out of everything.

In an attempt to do something beyond chores and cooking on Sunday, I went downstairs after I made breakfast for lunch, which is a Sunday thing recently. I had hash with my eggs and that's as close as I got corned beef for St. Patrick's day but it'd do. Anyway, I made a cute project bag with a fat quarter I'd gotten at Dollar Tree. Cute, right?

Carolyn told me that eating a daily baked potato while on Augmentin would help minimize stomach issues so I set about cooking things to go with potatoes on Sunday. I was going with mashed potatoes but figured that'd work too. I made meatloaf, turkey casserole mix (2 small casseroles went into the freezer with stuffing on top but I kept a serving out to serve over potatoes lunch lady style), banana bread and Brussels sprouts. I has happy to be set for the coming week with food.

So quite a week. My arm was a mess and my intestines were still OK but Helen said the intestinal issues might take a couple of days to set in. I had high hopes that the potatoes would work but had already arranged to work from home on Monday instead of going in so I'd be closer to a bathroom. Wish me luck.

Week 10 - Finally Some Tears

Everyone says grief has its own time table and you never know when it will hit. It hit on Tuesday. Finally.

I was 3.5 hours into a 4 hour zoom on our F&A project when I realized that Rosie was sleeping on the pillow on the file crate under my desk that was still there from when I was elevating after my foot surgery. While feeling good about her wanting to be so close to me, I headed to the bathroom. When Goodie came charging in because she wanted me to run the faucet in the tub, I realized Hazel wouldn't be coming in too and the tears started. I knew it was going to be bad but splashed water on my face and went back to the zoom, crying with the camera off and sound muted. I made it to the end and then completely lost it. I was sobbing in my chair and continued for the next hour. When I went back to my computer to finish my work day, it was with burning eyes and a fuzzy head.

I cried more over the course of the afternoon and evening but hopefully the numbness left with the tears. I had a quiet evening of knitting while watching knitting YouTubes but I could tell I'd be fragile for a bit yet. Better fragile than numb.

I'd worked on campus on Monday and was pretty much all alone in the office but had a lovely chat with Layton. As usual, I'd packed in stuff on Wednesday so had lunch with Lana, Cindy and Erica at Bison Witches and a movie after work - The Zone of Interest. Odd movie but worth seeing. Anyway, the fragility was still there because after making a snarky comment to Brook during our team meeting, I apologized to him after lunch and was instantly in tears. Of course he hadn't even registered the snark so I guess my apology wasn't necessary. It begs the question - why do men rule the world? So clueless.

I was presenting at BCUG (Business Community Users Group) on Thursday morning and was ridiculously nervous for being on a zoom talking about something I know like the back of my hand. Fragility again? I got my favorite grab & go lunch then did some mad neatizing after work and baked a banana cake for the birthday dinner I was hosting on Friday for Andrea and Lori.

Their birthdays are a week apart and we usually celebrate one night between them at BW's in Ashland but Andrea was going out of town so we were doing it sooner. Lori had made a hair appointment in Wahoo so it was Chinese at my house, which is the only local option for a vegan (Lori) and a devout Catholic (Andrea) on a Friday during Lent. I used 2 stray vacation hours (I like my vacation bank to be in full days) so was off work at 3:00. After I did some final cleaning, they arrived at 4:00. We knitted and chatted then enjoyed dinner and cake. My gift got a squeal out of Andrea, which has only happened once before. Who knew a yarn cake holder that goes on your wrist so you can walk and knit would be such a hit. Lori didn't even know what it was but Andrea was pleased enough for both of them.

With my house as clean as it ever gets, the weekend was my oyster. I know that some laundry got done and I talked to a few friends but otherwise can't tell you what I did all weekend. I didn't cook because I had leftover Chinese food. Hmm.... puttering. Yeah, that's the ticket. At least I can't blame my lack of ambition on numbness. That went away with the tears I had finally shed. I'll always miss Hazel and this quote from a book I'm reading (The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - can't say I'd recommend it) sums it up exactly. 

"She was gone. Just like that. And the absence of her meant a thousand tomorrows empty of whatever promise they once had."

I read this in the wee hours Saturday night when I was awake thinking of Hazel and so had to read to shut my mind off. I cried into my pillow.