Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

It's like every introvert's dream. We all should just stay home? Fuck, yes. I've been signed up for that since time immemorial.

Back to working from home for now. It's nice, but it also sucks. Since it's medical information, everything has to be accessed through the secure portal, which means everything is sluggish and about three times harder to use and navigate. Bleurgh. I'm not cranky about the extra hour of sleep, though, for sure.

Beyond that, we're doing very well, introverts that we are. I'm feeling very glad - and truth be told, a little smug - that my kid is 21 and does not require home schooling. I would not be okay right now if we had to deal with that in addition to my working from home.

In other news, we've just finished the season of Picard. I loved it. We also recently finished Voyager, and have started Enterprise. And at some point, we'll get caught up on Discovery.

We also LOVED The Mandalorian, and are eagerly awaiting the next season of that.

I just turned 42 on Sunday, and this birthday was definitely better than last year. This year I got cake and presents instead of chemo and sleep, so it was automatically better. ;)

Hope you're all staying in, washing your hands, and keeping healthy!

EDIT TO ADD: How could I forget?! The new Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out, and I have been enjoying every moment, even though I can't catch that fucking tarantula! *LOL* If anyone else plays, I'd love to swap friend codes! I can't bloody figure out the chat function within the Nook phone, but hey, I'm another island to visit. I have pears, the resident services will be reopened tomorrow, and the Nook shop is open. Let's be friends? ;)

I say it every time, but it's true every time: it's been AGES since I last posted.

So much has happened, though looking back at it, it seems like piddly stuff.

Also, I forgot how to code a cut, so I apologize in advance for the length.

Boychild: IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. Seriously, where the eff does the time go?! He VOTED in November. (Not for the JOKE currently in office, TYVM. Kid is a hard-ass lefty. Why, yes - I AM proud of it.)

He also has been on meds since about September of 2015; he definitely hits the ADHD scale, though noticeably without the H. Doc's got him on 20 mgs of Adderall a day, with 5 mg supplements as needed after school for homework. It has definitely helped to start, though he may actually need to up it a little, as we are still having to drag him through getting homework turned in and remembering things.

Hubby: Had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in March 2015. He's since lost about 200 lbs, can buy clothes at regular stores now, and no longer hits the diabetic scale. He was off all diabetic meds within a couple months of the surgery. He is basically the poster boy for "Doing This Right;" I've never seen a surgeon bounce on his toes with pleasure before.

He's hit a plateau now, and has fallen off the diet changes a little, but is getting back on track now with this unseasonably nice weather. It's been a total life change for him, and he's really happy about all of it.

Me & Food: As part of the process (and in the name of being supportive), I started watching my diet, too. I hated every effing second of it and it didn't matter that I continued to lose weight, it took all the effing joy out of food and I hated everyone and everything. We bond over food, come together as a society over food, and having to watch it carefully like that - and deny myself of everything I love because everything that tastes good to me is "bad" - is the absolute worst. And it was harder, too, because Hubby was having the easiest time of it, and couldn't understand how it could possibly be difficult. I stayed silent about a lot of my anger over it.

I had actually started losing weight the previous August (2014); suffice it to say I had a week where Imodium was not working, so I just had to suffer through it. I must have lost ten to fifteen pounds that week alone, and so I continued to lay off the soda so much and stopped eating the snack cakes and stuff entirely. So when hubby started his pre-op diet, I started actually using the My Fitness Pal app every day, and it mostly sucked. I was almost always hungry, meals generally did not last me till the next one. I had enough calories available to me that I could have snacks, but I really had to watch it. I'd switched to diet sodas, which sucks because they all taste terrible, but I want soda more than I want to avoid the taste, and regular soda has too many calories, so-.

Since then, I've lost a total of about 80 lbs, give or take 5, and gone down 6 pants sizes and 3 shirt sizes (depending on the brand). Other noticeable changes are that I can sit in a chair with arms and the arms no longer dig into my thighs, and all my rings are too big, as they keep sliding around my fingers willy-nilly.

I don't religiously record my calories each day, and I stopped denying myself of all the things I love, because I've always said that's no way to diet. I do try to be very reasonable about how much I eat, and I try to avoid too much bread, because it's a freaking killer (even though it's OMGSODELICIOUS). I may not be actively losing weight now, but I'm also not gaining it back, so I'm much happier. We try to walk more, too.

Work: Never dull. I've done so much since my last work-related post. We've lost two supervisors, a manager, another supervisor, and plenty of people have retired because they just couldn't deal with the stress anymore. Another one is leaving in the next 45 days or so. It's sad, but maybe it will help mgmt (wishful thinking, right?) to reorganize the way they want. Some things are better, others are as bad as usual. But hey, I've got 18 years under my belt now, and am currently only minorly stressed, so I'll stick with it.

Also, I now work from home full time. It's AWESOME. They provided us zero clients, two monitors, keyboard, mouse, all necessary wires, a really decent phone with a headset, and anything off our desks we needed; I came home with well over $1.5K worth of equipment. We have flex time on top of this, so as long as I get my 40 hours in M-F between 6A and 6P, I can do it almost any way I like. This, of course, means I roll out of bed around 5:45 in the morning, lurch into the bathroom, pull on pants and shirt, then stumble to my desk, turn on the computer, and clock in by 6:00 AM. It is the BEST THING EVER.

I might not have gone home full time, though, without my two best friends leaving. One (CK) quit September 2014...about 3 hours after I unwittingly provided the clinching argument for it. He is SO. MUCH. HAPPIER. now; it is amazing how relaxed he is now without this place eating holes in his stomach lining, among other things. We try to get out for lunch or dinner (and in one case, breakfast) every other month or so, and chat via FB messenger quite a bit - which is good, because it took me a long time to get used to not having him there at work.

And in November 2015, the other (MG) quit. Also a good thing, she was much happier at a new place - understandably, as my current coworkers, by and large, were absolute DICKS to her the entire time she was employed. An old supervisor (who, incidentally, was fired for having sex on her desk and bragging about it, and also for calling someone in mgmt a "bitch" in an email that replied to all instead of one person) had actually known MG, and told everybody so, and so most people assumed MG only got the job because she knew said supervisor...and everyone hated that supervisor, to be clear. It was awful. So MG finally left, but now I can't even see her like I used to because she moved out of state in December 2016. So sad.

Other Stuff: Dad had a heart attack Thanksgiving night, but is doing okay now; it wasn't massive, and the blockages, which range anywhere from 30-80%, are all down in the smaller vessels at the bottom of the heart, where they can't put stents anyway, so they're treating medically. He's doing taxes again for H&R Block, managing only one office this year instead of two. And thrilled as hell, because he and Mom turn 62 this year and are taking early Social Security, so he won't have to work at all next year.

Mom's doing well; good days and bad days with fibro and diabetes. She had a month-long bout with seizures in August 2013, but hasn't had any since then, and is now off the seizure med entirely. She's mostly back to baseline (by which I mean she feels as good as she did before the seizures, but has less of a filter). The seizures at the time seemed to have caused a metric shit-ton of brain damage, but she gained all of her faculties back for the most part.

One of my sisters is pregnant with her fourth child, another had her second a few years ago. Yet another is happily living with her boyfriend. And the other one is still living with our parents.

TV: Missing DWTS right about now, but loving BBT still, as well as Flash, Mom, Two Broke Girls, and Brooklyn 9-9. Also really enjoying The Grand Tour on Amazon. Have also finally started watching bits and pieces of HIMYM with Boychild. Pretty good.

Man, I forgot how time can fly when you're typing up a post like this!

I hope everything is well with all of you! ♥

Wow, it's been a while. Which, of course, I say every time I post, and it doesn't encourage me to post more often. *rolls eyes at self*

Nothing too much is new; work is as beastly and deplorable as ever, so I'm viewing and applying for other positions every week.

Hubby and Boychild are both in good health and happy. Boychild is trying wrestling this winter at school - we don't have the slightest idea why, but hey, it's exercise. He'll do tennis again in the spring.

My parents and sister were approved to move into our apartment complex, and they actually got to have the one right across the hall from us. This is a really awesome thing, and so we've been busy helping them move in bit by bit each weekend lately. We both leave our doors unlocked during the day, which enables us to just go back and forth between the two apartments. They don't have a microwave yet, so they come over to use ours; if someone's in one bathroom, we can go across the hall to use the other one. It's just really nice, too, having them right there.

We've also been going to the Y when we can. Not often lately, but things have calmed a little, so we're going to try a few visits this week. We all love the pool, though we're going to try more with the weights, too.

Finally got a new library card (my wallet was stolen a couple years ago and I just never replaced the card), so we've been in and out of the library again. Have a few books on hold, but can't pick them up till tomorrow. Hubby's getting both The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (Max Brooks), and I'm getting Dreams From My Father (Barack Obama), What's So Amazing About Grace (Philip Yancey) and His Majesty's Dragon (Naomi Novik). I hear so many good things about the Temeraire series, I decided it was high time I looked it up and tried it. Thoughts?

I should really update my reading list here, but will wait on that one - formatting takes too long and I am too lazy at the moment.

In the meantime, I've been reading lots of Narnia fic, specifically rthstewart's work on both AO3 and ff.net - it is fantastic stuff and so worth the time it's taken to get through it all. The world-building is phenomenal and the writing exceptional.

I don't think I've anything else to report. How is everyone?

I hate my job.

Stop, rephrase. I hate what my job has become.

It's been a while since I bitched about work, so I might as well dive back in while my frustration is raging, right?

Everything has been fucked up and busy as hell since, oh, the last time I posted about work. Which was, admittedly, last year. Nothing got any better, and then someone decided to merge the professional billing with the hospital billing WITH ONLY THREE MONTHS WORTH OF PLANNING.

Which, of course, fucked everything into a billion more pieces than it already was, so you can imagine the headaches in this place.

My dipshit coworker finally retired at the end of April, but did literally NO* work the whole last week, and of course the only other person who knew how to do it was me.

Then they moved cash application down to yet another new manager and supervisor, and these ones, we've discovered, are micro-managers. We've been on our own for the better part of eight years, and suddenly we're under what feels like a microscope.

"You should only be taking two minutes in the bathroom."

"You need to fill out this stat sheet every single day."

"You need to log how many phone calls you get and how long each one takes."

And a bunch of other piddly things that while they do add up, it takes me fifteen to thirty minutes just to do the motherfucking recording of all this shit, and then they ask, "What took you this half hour?" and "You were gone from your desk for four minutes, what were you doing?" Well Jesus Christ on motherfucking stilts, calculating all that shit took half an hour alone! And I was in the bathroom for four minutes; if you can do it in two, then don't touch me or anything on my desk because you aren't cleaning yourself or your hands properly. Two minutes. It takes thirty seconds to walk there and another thirty to walk back, I cannot pee that fast, SUE ME. Fuckers.

I've been trying to train people and so I'm pulled away from my desk just as much as before, yet they're unable to see that it cuts into the time I should be able to use for actually posting the damn cash. It's like I'm back to the first couple years with my first supervisor here, and I am just about ready to tell them to fuck themselves running. Like, literally - just leave all of this stuff to them. They have NO idea what's untouched yet, because I can't get past this other shit Asshole McBastardPants left. It's a vicious cycle and there's just no end in sight.

I have been trying to be open minded about things because I know I resist change like nobody's business (Look, I just think you should make it perfectly clear - preferably with examples/proof - that the changes will make things better and smoother and not be a pain in everyone's collective damn ass, okay?), but I've given it over a month now and it should have gotten better but hasn't.

Impatient? Me? Damn skippy.

Sigh.

*No, seriously, he did NOTHING the whole last week. He ignored everything that came up that was his, walked around and chatted with people, made appointments to talk to people in HR and was basically everywhere but his desk. When his ass actually managed to find his desk chair, he only took small piles of work THAT HE'D ALREADY DONE and pretended to look them up so it looked like he was working. I WATCHED HIM DO THIS. It wasn't surprising, really, but at the same time, just-. WTF.

I am flailing a bit at the thought of typing up All The Words. I haven't posted in ages, it seems - indeed, I am not even certain when my last post WAS. Summer. Probably.

Shall we see if I can sumarize?

1. Boychild started seventh grade and turned 13. Same curriculum, but new school, new approach to classes (he's got eight different ones and has to move between them, whereas in previous years it's been one teacher and mostly the same classroom). There has been much struggling, both for him and for us, and tears on both sides to prove it. Things are smoothing out some now, but it's going to be a work in progress.

( A little grainy, as I saved it from hubby's FB with my phone, sorry... )

2. Work is...better. I am still swamped, both overloaded and manager-admitted-underpaid, but-. Changes - big ones - are in the works. I just got my yearly review today, and it was actually really, really good. I was given more info than my other coworkers are being given because the manager is expecting bigger things from me. As a result, I feel very secure in my position, and am aware that doors will be opened in various ways soon, and all I have to do is step through them. I can be open minded, and he is aware that he'll need to give me details in some areas. I'm not feeling the need to seek employment elsewhere, so as far as I'm concerned, things are looking so much better than they were a year ago, even six months ago.

3. Dad had gastric bypass at the beginning of September. He's lost 70 pounds so far, has already lost several clothing sizes, is back into a belt he hasn't been able to use for five years, and is *this far* from being considered "no longer diabetic." This is a HUGE deal, and means that the surgery was really the right thing for him.

4. Sister number three (child number four of the five of us) went through extensive psychiatric testing over the last several months, and the results are in - she will never be able to hold down any kind of meaningful work, or be a functioning member or society. She will probably always live with my parents. While the diagnosis vexes me (I do not pretend to understand how depression or mental illness work), at least now she can apply for disability benefits and possibly bring in *something* to help with my parents' expenses.

5. Sister number two (child three) had her baby girl at the end of August. Eja Alessandra was born 25 August at 12:30 AM EST, 5 pounds, 10.2 ounces and 19 inches long. She was healthy at birth and mom came through it better than her first one. A day later, some kind of enzyme or something stopped working or started working or (Jesus, can we tell I'm not even remotely clued in to illness-related stuff?!) whatever, and baby had a partially collapsed lung, among other things. It was touch and go for a couple days, and then my sister and her hubby moved the baby to a children's hospital, where she immediately began improving. God bless children's hospitals, as well as their incredible staff!! Eja is happy and healthy now, and getting bigger each day.

( A few pictures of my pretty niece! )

6. Try not to pass out with this news: I am going to the doctor today. Not for most of the things I should also probably be seen for, but-. Last month, my right elbow started hurting. It only took a day or two for it to shift and spread down the outer part of my forearm and into my outer wrist and the ring and pinky fingers.

It's affecting my work speed; it hurts to add more than a couple pages of figures. Typing too long hurts. Sometimes writing - the act of holding the pen itself - hurts. And lots of other things are affected, too: I can't really open my own soda bottles anymore, or lift a pot of pasta to drain it, etc. I get out of having to help carry in the groceries, but that's not exactly a trade-off I can fully enjoy, as it hurts to do a host of other things I never actually realized used those particular areas.

I had to wait to be seen, unfortunately, but the day is here, so we'll see what's what, hopefully. Everything I've read points me away from carpal tunnel and mostly in the direction of tennis elbow, but again - we'll see what's what.

( On the TMI scale... )

7. We had our week at the lake in August, which was lovely, and we just had a long weekend up in Duluth, which for the first time ever was GORGEOUS, weather-wise. I would LOVE to live up there. I never, ever get tired of it, even in the rain and gloom and snow. There weren't many leaves left on the trees, but the ones that were there were that stunning autumn red.

8. I've been writing quite a bit, working on my next-gen HP piece I started years ago. I'm revamping quite a bit and writing new scenes, too, and enjoying every second of it. Speaking of HP, one of these days I should post another of my one-shots.

9. Um. I think that's everything? If you'd like me to expand on anything, please let me know! I am reading entries, but haven't commented in ages; I will work on that, but am making no promises as we head into the ever-busy holiday season. Please know that I read you all and am thinking about you. ♥

Well, holy shit.

There was a meeting this morning for my little team - me, my two other cash application peeps, and the two people from the cash office, one of whom is the supervisor for us. Also in attendance was our current manager - the bane of everyone's working existence - and the hospital's new controller (not comptroller - I verified).

And beginning Monday, all five of us will be reporting to the controller instead of the collections manager.

Picture me with my jaw on the floor.

I'm looking at this as a good thing, but there are clearly SO. MANY. THINGS that no one thought of when this decision was made. I brought up at least three different things that our current manager should have considered and so obviously didn't, judging by the new person's stricken "deer in the headlights" look.

She thought it was going to be a straight up transfer, but there are more things involved than they seemed to consider; job classes/titles, the possibility of moving us down to the basement, and the file system that I alone understand or have access to store, to name a few things that are - or should be - Relevant To Their Interests.

I'm currently most obsessed with the idea that someone who speaks English as a first language will finally be in charge, and seems willing to hear what I have to say instead of talking over me. I think my hopes are a little higher than past gained wisdom might be comfortable with, but I can't help it.

Still, we'll see where this goes, and how. There are Many Things to discuss, several of which no one considered. It may not necessarily be smooth, but I'm hoping that's a light at the end of the tunnel and not a shitload of oncoming traffic ready to flatten me again.

We Shall See.

They've been building offices and moving people around quite a bit up on my floor at work, and today, they finally moved one of my favorite people - whose desk has been near to mine for seven or so years - to the other end of the floor. I'm happy for him, he finally has the space he needs and is away from the constant stress that is my manager (she is not HIS manager).

And I feel suddenly, unimaginably divorced.

I was going to post pictures this weekend, and I completely forgot. So I will post them tonight or tomorrow night, and for now, just do a basic update.

( Life, the Universe and Everything. )

8. Back to the grind today, but it's a quiet day, as Evil Manager is out, so I'm enjoying the quiet. I hope everyone is having a lovely Monday!

1. I have an interview in the Contact Center tomorrow. Please send good vibes and/or thoughts, say prayers, make small sacrifices, do a little dance, whatever - I need to get out of here, and I need to do it about eight months ago.

2. Seriously, I am so done with this woman. I keep bitching about it, but my brain is absolutely breaking. I want to go curl up in a corner and just cry.

3. I've just been forced to move to a very small desk - there is no room here, and there's still a few things to bring over here, including a printer. I'm already saying my four favorite words. Fuckers - why does no one believe me till it's too late? I am always right about these things.

4. I've spent the last two days with my headset on and earbuds jammed in my ears so I don't have to listen to her grating, poorly-communicated voice. HAAAAAAAATTTTTEEEEEEEE......

5. We go out of town on Thursday, and don't come back till Sunday. I can't wait - I love going up north and just getting away from everything.

Nothing too new or different going on. Home life is going just fine. Work is worse and worse, but instead of telling you about yesterday's gross atrocity of Epic Managerial Keysmash Fail, I think I'll take another day or two to calm down and instead give you The Friday Five.

I haven't done it for a while, but I like it, so here you go:

( The Friday Five )