This time of year makes me emotional....

And it took me round to thinking about 2008 and what a ride it has been.

Last year at this time, i worked a crappy retail job. I took the bus to work every day. I continued the 7+ years of not having health insurance.

Now (thanks to the influence of a neighbor and some hard work finally getting a GED in 2007), i have a moderately stressful part time job and get anywhere from 5 to 15 calls for "extra" time a week. It could be full time hours. If i were not sick, i could have worked today 3pm - 11pm, tonight 11pm - 7am, tomorrow 7am - 3pm... but i am saving what little strength i have for the 3pm - 11pm i am already scheduled for. Last pay week, i worked about 37 hours, having turned down every overnight shift offered to me. The job itself requires me to be mentally alert and ready for any kind of emergency situation. I avoided being bitten twice last week. My boss's boss yelled at me for not knowing something that a co-worked was in the middle of telling me about and her boss came to where i was at to apologize to me on her behalf. Nice to feel appreciated now and then. I work with some amazingly wonderful people that are not even aware of how highly i regard them. And some completely lazy asshats who mightbe very aware. It's a good job.

Got a driver's licence. Got my frist car. Got my second car. Both used (my dream car, the mini cooper, will have to wait for now... *sigh*). First one written off after being rearended on 9/11 by some old dude who should not be on the road anymore and if i had my way, he would not be. Loved my first car. Appreciate my second. It has brand new snow tires and some cinder blocks in the trunk for extrta weight since i work in West Seneca and HATE driving in the snow. Being a new driver and this being my frist winter driving, i reckon i miss taking the bus sometimes.

I have health insurance for the first time since i moved to the US. It costs me almost $200 every pay for (e:uncutsaniflush) and myself... and i still take home enough bucks to pay for car insurance, gas, a few cups of chai and a lunch here and there, so i suppose that makes me ahead of the game.

Having health insurance means going to the doctor. Meant finding out i have some health issues. Some i should have known about, just looking in the mirror and down at the scale, but it's interesting how we can fool ourselves sometimes.

I met some incredible people when i was doing my training for work. Some i miss like crazy. Wished they lived closer so i could see them more... but if driving to West Seneca and its snow scares me, imagine driving to Fredonia and Dunkirk and Cassadaga and Gowanda?!?!

Socially, i have been a bit of a recluse in 2008. The changes have brought about more of an introspection, more thought, more growth and less of an ability to engage in what others might be doing or thinking. I hope 2009 will be different in that way. I would like to make new connections and reconnections to some interesting people that have been on the outskirts of my life.

I may even make a short appearance at the (e:strip) party on New Years Eve... on my way home from work... if the love of my life has no other ideas for the 5 or so minutes we might see each other before 2008 turns to 2009.

Which brings me to him. And how he and i are both misfits, often unable to connect with others, or understand the socail norm. But somehow, i get him, understand how he feels and know, no matter what anyone else may think they see, he is the most kindhearted man that i have ever been lucky enough to know... and i hope he gets me sometimes. I love him more now than i did when i met him 8 years, 2 months and 14 days ago.

Here's to 2009....!!!

You know who you are. Hope your day was the bestest it could be.

OK, so i am a day late. We had to have our American Thanksgiving on Black Friday because i worked yesterday (and OH what a day it was!!). I guess we had a Black Thanksgiving?

Here is the Tofurkey ready for the oven.


With celery and onions for flavouring and some carrots and sweet 'taters for a side dish.


My chive parmesan mashed taters.


Some veggie gravy made with a rue, some veggie stock and lots of sage and taragon.


(e:Uncutsaniflush)'s plate of food, with some cranberries.


My plate, without... and lots more gravy.

The holidays are stressful. I wonder why it is that i am prestressed thinking about schedules and how we are going to manage to balance (e:Uncutsaniflush)'s, mine and my family's so that i can see everyone this xmas. Plenty of time to work it out... i think....

I do think, however, i have my wee tofurkey day worked out. I am thinking mid day Black Friday. NO WAY i am going to any shops that day... and i don't start work until 11pm.

I am so boring,

Lately, my life consists of working, sleeping and eating. I try to slide chores in there, too, when there is time. Oddly enough, i am not working tons of hours, but my hours are always being changed on me. Ah, but i have kvetched about that many times before and it is not about to change, so i guess i have to get used to the chaos of it all.

Today, however, i FINALLY got 'round to doing a few things that so needed to be done. As well as cleaning -- those of you with a big house like us will understand that sometimes, it takes a whole day to dust and vacuum -- i also did some rearranging.

The bookshelf in our sitting room can now accept more books. Having to stay up all night while working overnights has led me to more reading, which i forgot how much i love doing, despite the severe limitations on what i can read while working. But i digress.

We also got to hanging up a few peices of artwork... and photos and such. Would you believe that i finally found the *perfect* place for that lovely framed pciture of the geese you gave me many moons ago, (e:Matthew)?!? I still adore it and it now has a permanent place above my rolltop desk.

This is the veiw of my desk in the den, sitting here at the computer, just behind and to my left.

To the asshat tailgating me all the way from Filmore to Richmond on Best/Summer this morning around 7.30am, i just want you to know that since me driving 40 in a 30 wasn't enough for you, i thought perhaps 28 would be better. I had just gotten off work and not in a hurry, so i slowed down just to piss you off. Looked like it worked, too. Have a nice day.

Yesterday, (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i decided to celebrate the nice day with naturey kinds of things. Our camera was in my purse and i took a few snaps.



























(many thanks to (e:Tinypliny) for your attempted assistance last night, to (e:Paul) for your emailed assistance and the lovely (e:Uncutsaniflush) for his always valuable techy assistance)

I can't remember if i have posted this, or someone else did. But, it has been a while and cuteoverload (thanks for the addiction, (e:Hodown)) reminded me about it.

Gotta love that song, man....

So, the Hepatitis B vacination is a series of three that has to be done over a period of time. After many calls, i finally got myself in to see the nurse at the clinic at work so i can get my second of three.

I was supposed to go on my way to work, between 3.15 and 3.30, since i was to start work at 4pm. Then, my supervisor asked if i could change my work day from the 4 - 8 shift i was supposed to work to a 7am to noon shift. I said yes.

And called the nurse to change the time i would come get the shot. She said that she is at lunch at noon and could i come at 1pm? I figured waiting 45 - 60 minutes would be ok. Better than waiting around until 3.15 or having to drive there and back (90 minutes) on a day off -- or "pass day" as the lingo goes there.

So, this morning, i arrive at 7am and my supervisor looks at me and says "why are you here so early?" and my reply was "because you asked me to be here now" to which she said, "oh, i meant to call you and tell you to come in later". All i could think of to say was "but you didn't". So, she asked me if i could stay later... until when, she wasn't sure. I told her yes, but on one condition -- SHE had to call the nurse at the clinic to reschedule.

Instead, i was driven over there from the building i was in along with an individual going to a doctor's appointment. We both had to be there at 1pm and surprisingly, we were both on time. Rare event at my unit.

After my jab, i went and got another individual for his appointment and shuttled the first one back to his work program. Then, at the end of the "work" day, i drove him, the other individuls at the same work site building over to the clinic to get the individual who had the second appointment and drove everyone back to the living unit.

I left work at 3pm. I could have kept the same 3.15om appointment.......