Work, Work, Work

 So, I am doing ok at my new job.  Finally getting into a routine and developing some systems around how to do my job and be most efficient and effective.  The learning curve was the first couple weeks and now I am settling into a way of working that seems to be working pretty well.  I think I will even come to enjoy it, once I feel more confident. 

Although the money is nice (got my first paycheck), I hope that the mandatory 60 hours a week does not go on too long.  I mean, I have done 60 hour workweeks before - and NOT at home, but it is a lot and gets old after a few months.  We figure with the pandemic ramping up all over the country, we will probably have to continue this schedule through winter, and maybe through spring.

I had a treadmill that I found used.  I used it probably not even 20 miles and it went kaput.  So I ordered and received one from Sams.  It was very heavy in a huge box.  DH and I opened the box in the driveway and took out the pieces we could.  Then we dragged the bottom half of the huge box into the house and down the hallway to the spare guestroom.  DH spent about 3 hours yesterday putting it together.  Today was nice, so i did couple miles at lunch.  I am going to do 2 more miles on my new treadmill after work today.  I have been conditioning so well, hiking and such, i don't want to loose my strength I have built up.  Plus, I still need to lose about 15 pounds to be more comfortable in my clothes.  Good luck during a pandemic!

Anyway.  Just pretty much working and getting my routine down.  On my only day off that I did not have to go anywhere, Sunday.  I raked my front yard and tore down my raised veggie garden.  Then i had a nice long walk inthe sunshine and listened to my newest library book on tape.  Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.  The subtitle is "A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis".  He is a young man who grew up pretty poor in Appalachia with a mother who abused pain medication and a father he did not know who managed to get through law school and graduate from Yale Law.  It is really good.

Well, I hope all you out there stay safe and aren't running out of TP.  Our Sams was out on Sunday.  Here we go again!

Friday of a Long Weekend for me

Happy Friday.  We were supposed to get storms, but I think that is later today.  We are gonna run a couple of errands before the weather comes.

I went to Aldi yesterday.  I do all the food shopping for my house and in-laws.  I toyed with the idea of DH doing it, but think I am going to have him continue to isolate for another month.  My state governor talking about opening things up in the next couple weeks - May 4.  Since DH is not very healthy and has underlying medical conditions, we will take it slow and then probably just plan on isolating again near September.  I have thoughts that the virus will make a comeback in fall.

I finally told my "friend" I was resigning from the charity we started.  I told her last year before I got the paperwork done, that I would just get it up and running and then focus on job prospects.  Well, I have a new job (sort of) and with all the stuff she was asking me to do and all the group texts...I had enough!  I just blamed it on my new job, but honestly, I was not in agreement with some of the information being shared on the charify Facebook page.  Primarily, my friend is a zealous Christian and vegan.  I do not feel we are qualified to tell cancer patients what they should and should not eat.  Friend also comments about people not giving donations and I pointed out that some were possibly waiting for 5k (which has been canceled as of Wed) and some gave in work/filing fees - me.  She remarked back that we ALL have given money or time...uh, not our working friend.  The boss friend told me to assign working friend as Vice President - so "she does not have to do anything".
Boss friend pointed out that VP worked and was too busy and was not good about following through.  Meanwhile I get new job - she was just asking me do this, do that, post this, share that, etc.  Enough!

I feel like a weight lifted off me!

As for the job with the government agency- well I did 2 days training and did at least get paid for that.  But I have done literally hours of emails and paperwork and get emails anywhere from 5:30am to 10pm and have yet to get paid for that!  I finally got my laptop computer UPS to me Wed and email 6am this morning saying we will have more training - next Tues.  Ugh.

Here are some nice flowers to make me happy.

I will just consider today and Monday 2 more days of freedom.  But honestly, I am in work mindset, ready to get into a schedule and make a little money.  I feel grateful very much because I really do worry about the country right now and think the rest of 2020 could be ugly.

Be safe and find beauty where you can!

Well It's Friday...Time to Post

So heard this week I was indeed scheduled to start my new (temp - 6 months to a year) job.  It is a branch of the federal government using temp agency and agency hired me.  I started training yesterday.  It was a bit of an ordeal to get all the clearance/paperwork submitted.  I hope it is worth it.  I am excited, but also a bit sad to lose the freedom of my days any way I want to structure them/and miss staying up late.  I will adjust.

I did do a small hike outdoors with a few of the hiking group ladies.  Just 6 of us.  We do NOT carpool and mind social distancing very carefully/cover our face with masks if pref.  It was a beautiful day!  Lots of wild flowers.

I have done a bit more work outside with my own flowers and hostas/veggies.  Has been very cold week.  3 nights we dipped below freezing so I was out running around covering things with tarps/sheets/towels.  Most of our stuff escaped unscathed.

I am not complaining, my friends up north about 4 hours are having snow today.  Wed and Thurs were pretty, sunny and nice.  Today it is cool and gray.  I just lit a few lamps around the house and a candle for coziness.  I am stuck again day 2 here at computer for training.  It seems crazy introducing all these concepts to us with no written/electronically accessible material and no context of operating system we will be using - but they didn't ask me.  We get our dept issued laptops and cell phones next week.

Well.  That's about all.  Oh, I did trade my little pick up for an SUV.  I really do prefer SUV's.  I just hope I don't miss the bed of my truck for hauling - maybe it will save me money in the yard!  I can't easily just go buy dirt/rocks/pavers, plants.  My DH is now going to sell his bike and get an older truck.

I hope you all have a nice weekend!

Hello it's friday!

I have been busy working like crazy in my yard - I LOVE it.  Love being outside.  During the last couple years I have frantically downsized, but during this quarantine I actually thought to myself yesterday how grateful I am to have a nice big (1 acre) yard.

My biggest task of the past week was moving 7 large bushes out of my sister in law's yard.  She is making her yard less maintenance and I seem to be doing the opposite.

Here are four.  The middle forsythia was already there.  Not a place I would have chosen.  But I keep it pretty trimmed.  So, I figure what is 4 more?  I like how it softens the yard and make a welcoming look.  I also planted 2 (1 each side) of driveway and couple flanking my barn in the back yard.  So I guess its closer to 10.  Only 7 large ones tho, 3 small ones.

My azalea.  I also have started my veggies.  The square ones mostly planted.  I have seeds and plants I can fill in, I am staging the planting so that they are ready at stages.  The round ones will be 5 nice tomato plants.  2 cherry tomatoes will be in pots on the deck.

Well today it is cold and rainy.  So I cleaned the house.  Made DH help me.  I hope you all are staying well and finding nurturing things to do for yourself.  I signed up for an online yoga class and have been doing a few times a week.  It is good.  

Oh, my most exciting news...I think I have a job!  Working from home.  Stay tuned for more on that later.  Ta ta.