DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

I haven't been feeling well for the past three or four days.  I wasn't going to say anything hoping it would go away.  I have had major heartburn and pains in my stomach and spleen.  I decided today that I would have to call the surgeon to get her input.

This morning I called, but couldn't get through the switchboard.  I got busy at work and didn't get a chance to call again.  But I started feeling better and have not been sick at all today.  Maybe I scared it out of me.  Ha, ha.  More likely it was all that restaurant food I was eating.  Better stay bland for a few days.

Tomorrow we are having a Dr. Seuss Party at work.  I am really excited.  It sounds like so much fun.  Target donated juice boxes, snacks, tablecloths, decorations, prizes and some books to give out.  There will be a unicycle rider, jugglers, and one of the teens that works for us is dressing up like the Cat in the Hat.  I am taking my camera to work so hopefully I will get some great pictures to show you.

 

A BUSY WEEKEND

I feel like all I've done this weekend is eat!  Yesterday Joe and I celebrated me making it to 12 weeks after surgery.  Well, I will be on Monday.  Supposedly I am fully healed at this point.  I am still not able to eat a lot at one time and some raw foods do not agree with me, but for the most part I am doing really well.  So Joe took me to Applebee's for lunch.  I had three cheeseburger sliders, but was able to eat only 2 so my wonderful hubby ate the last one.  It was a big sacrifice for him.  (Ha, ha)  It was nice to go to a restaurant, but really expensive.  We will not be doing that a lot.

Since the restaurant is in the same shopping center as our supermarket, we went food shopping afterwards and were able to get all of our groceries for $45!  We didn't need a lot this week, but I was still shocked we did so well.  I guess cutting coupons is paying off.

Today our senior pastor gave the message.  He is semi-retired so he speaks only once a month.  He is not that much older than I am so when he gives illustrations I can relate well to them.  Pastor Justin is such a great speaker, but I really miss Pastor Wayne's messages.  We are doing the life of Christ for the first six months of this year.  This month's theme is "Significant Events" and today's topic was "Rejection at Nazareth."  When Jesus spoke in the synagogue in his own hometown people saw him as "little Jesus Joseph's boy" and did not take his words seriously.  Never looked at it that way before.  They were not able to hear His message, just what they wanted to hear and ended up driving Him out of town.  Maybe that is the case in many families (mine included).  People don't hear what we are saying because they are so familiar with us and expect us to behave and believe in certain ways.  A lot of food for thought.

After church we went out for lunch with our friends Bud and Karen.  We ended up going to IHOP.  Karen had never been there before.  It was crowded!  Really crowded.  We waited 15 minutes to get a table.  We waited 45 minutes for our meals.  When we left there was a line out the door to get in.  IHOP?  The food is OK but not that wonderful.

Joe has joined the Pocket Testament League.  He has been looking for a ministry but because of his many illnesses is finding it hard to find the right one.  He prayed a lot about this before he joined.  He has small gospels of John which he hands out.  He left the tip for the waitress in a gospel on the table and handed one to the cashier on the way out.  She was so happy and thanked him over and over for the book.  We are praying for these two people.

NOT SO BAD

I thought today would be a bad day.  After all, I was the only Library Assistant in today until Tracy came in at 2 P.M.  But it wasn't bad at all.  The worst part was being stuck behind a trash truck on Aramingo Avenue.  I couldn't get around it with all the traffic coming in the opposite direction and so even though I left in plenty of time I was half an hour late getting in.  The guard and one of the librarians were also late, so I wasn't the only one.

We had a massive rain storm here today.  Lots of rain.  Thunder.  Then the sun came out.  Five minutes later it started all over again.  Sun again.  Now it is cloudy.  The weather can't make up it's mind what to do.

The weather must have kept a lot of people away, though, because it was very quiet.  Except for one man who was screaming at both me and the librarian and was asked to leave the building.  (He will get things straightened out at another library and will come in next week to "laugh in our faces".  We'll see.)

I finished reading the book History Detectives based on the PBS TV show.  It was good, but after awhile I just couldn't read any more.  I actually didn't "finish" it because I didn't read the last chapter.  It was due yesterday and I just wanted to return it.  Today I started reading the book Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert.  She played Laura Ingalls Wilder on the TV show "Little House on the Prairie".  It is very good.  I can tell how slow the day was because I have already read 150 pages.

I am stopping off for Chinese food on the way home.  Just don't feel like cooking tonight.  Chicken and broccoli for a change.  We've gotten Moo Goo Gai Pan the last two times we ordered.  I will call before I leave and then it will be ready for me when I get there.  Sounds good to me.

EXHAUSTED

I loved having Monday off from work.  I did a lot of straightening up and the house looks beautiful.  I made a fantastic meal.  I set a beautiful table.  We had a lot of fun with our friends over dinner.  I went to bed happy.

Then Tuesday hit.  My stomach did not like the food from the night before.  I thought I was going to be sick.  Took some medication and went into work an hour late because I was waiting for it to kick in.

When I got to work I found that the kids had been let off from school because of the snow.  What snow?  The 3 inches we had was almost gone.  The computers at the front desk were not working.  We couldn't accept returned books, check out books or pay any fines.  Three people were out (my supervisor, the children's librarian and the guard) and my other co-worker had also come in late.  Can you say "madhouse"?  And it was that way all day even after we had the computers up and running.  I was so tired when I got home that I fell asleep without eating dinner.

Yesterday was nice and calm in the morning.  I got a lot done.  Thought we were getting a break.  Then school let out.  Lots of kids running in, yelling, throwing things, carrying on.  It was an early day so fortunately we closed at 5 p.m.  Even then there were kids that didn't want to leave and were giving us a hard time about exiting the building.  Go home already!  Have a nice dinner with your family and do your homework!

I had potato and spinach pierogies and left over meatloaf for dinner.  It was really good.  I felt tired, but wanted to spend some time with Joe.  Well, I fell asleep on the sofa watching TV with him.  When he went to bed he tried to wake me up to go upstairs with him and couldn't.  I was so exhausted and in such a sound sleep that no matter what he did he couldn't wake me.  Good thing there was no emergency where I had to get out of the house.  I woke up around midnight and made my way to bed.

I think this job is a little too hard for me at this stage of my recovery, but I have no choice.  I am still tired this morning.  My supervisor is coming back from vacation today so we will have another person which should make the day a little easier.  Tomorrow is my rotation to the Fishtown Branch.  I will be the only library assistant there from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m.  It will be another difficult day.  I am SO looking forward to the weekend.  Hurry up, Saturday, so that I can sleep.

THIS AND THAT

I hope you all enjoyed my library stories.  I just felt that so much of this blog has been about my sickness that I wanted to add some humor to it.

I haven't had a chance to write in a couple of days so thought I'd catch up with some things.

On Friday my co-worker from Richmond Branch, Diane, called me at Fishtown and said she had gotten the results of her Library Assistant 2 test in the mail.  Last September we had both taken the promotional test along with 22 other people.  I knew a lot of the people taking the test because I had worked with them at various libraries.  I thought the test was OK, but a lot of the questions were confusing and I didn't think I did very well.  In fact, once I had finished the test I went back and started second guessing myself and changing answers.  Then I realized what I was doing so I stopped, handed in my answer sheet and left.  I would have ended up changing every answer on that page!  So anyway, Diane had gotten the #18 spot in rank.  I figured I was around #11 or #12.

The other Dianne I work with (from the Fishtown Branch) came back from lunch.  I asked her if she had gotten her mail.  She did, but didn't look at it.  So when she got home that night she emailed me.  She got #11 in rank.

Later that night my friend Carol called me and told me that another LA I know (Connie) got #2 and wanted to know what my rank was.

I know you all want to know what I got.  I had Joe open the envelope and call me at work.  I'm #5.  Number 5!  I had no idea I did that well.  I did not expect this at all.  Of course it may be another year before the city has enough money to promote anyone, but I got #5!  So we'll see what happens from here.

It was farm week this past Saturday.  The theme this week was "Slavic Sensations!".  I thought last week was slim pickings, but this week was even more so.  We got  a head of Butterhead Lettuce (this is my favorite hydroponic lettuce), 2 lbs. of Mutsu Apples, 2 lbs. of Chioggia and Red Beets, a jar of White Sauerkraut with garlic, 1/2 lb. of Amish Swiss Cheese, 1/2 gallon of skim milk, and 1/2 lb. of Amish butter.  We were supposed to get some pierogies, but by the time we got there, there was none left.  So we were given 1 lb. of organic ground beef instead.  (We went shopping at the supermarket afterwards and got the pierogies there.)

We had a very good and very powerful message in church yesterday.  Pastor Justin spoke on Christ's temptation in the wilderness.  He emphasized that as believers temptation will come our way, but we are never alone for the Holy Spirit lives within us.  So good.  I wish everyone I know could have heard it.  It will be up on our website (www.MyWBFC.org) on Wednesday or Thursday if you want to hear it.

Yesterday for lunch I had my first hoagie since September.  It was so good!  We usually get hoagies after church for our Sunday lunch, but haven't been able to do it for months.  I am so happy I can eat again!

I have off from work today for President's Day.  It is so nice to have a weekday off and a three day weekend.  I invited our friends Carole and Walt over for dinner tonight so I have to get off of here and clean up some so there is a place for us to eat.  It's always nice to have friends visit.

YET ONE MORE STORY

This is the last one for awhile, I promise.  Yesterday a man was on the second level of the library, overlooking the checkout area and speaking loudly on his cell phone.  Rhonda, the guard, walked up to him and asked him to get off of his cell phone.  He put his finger in his free ear and continued to talk.  She said again, "Sir, cell phones are not permitted in the library.  You will have to hang up or leave the building."  He told the person on the phone to hang on, turned to Rhonda and said, "Do you mind?  You're making so much noise I can't hear on the phone!"  Yes, these people really exist.  And I love each and every one of them.

ONE MORE LIBRARY STORY

I wasn't going to post again, but this story is good.

A man comes in and wants to use a public computer.  It is very busy in here today and he has to wait 15 minutes for one of them to free up.  He approaches the Children's Librarian and asks her if she can't do something to speed things up.  "I only want it for a few minutes," he explains.  "I just need to know how long cocaine stays in the body."  At the look on Peggy's face he says, "Oh, it's not for me.  I need to know for my girlfriend."

Ah, life in the big city.  I would miss it living someplace else.

WHICH IS WORSE A PHONE CALL OR IN PERSON?

Here's my library story for the day.
The phone rings.  I answer it, "Richmond Library."
Person:  Is this the library?
Me:  Yes.
Person:  Are you open today?  Or are you just picking up the phone?

Yeah, I always hang around closed libraries just to answer the phone.  (I thought it but I didn't say it.)

==============================================================
Lady comes in line to check out some books.
Lady:  Is this the latest Danielle Steele book or has she written another one recently?
Me:  I'm really not sure.  I've been out for a couple of months and she writes books so quickly I don't know what the latest one is.  The librarian can probably help you.
Lady:  Why were you out?  Were you sick?
Me:  Yes.
Lady:  What were you sick with?
Me:  I had surgery.
Lady:  Exactly what kind of surgery?
Me:  I really don't want to answer that.  Here are your books.
Lady:  Oh.  It must have been female problems then.  Anything else you would be talking about.

Oh brother!  I love the library.  I love the library.  And I love my job.

FLOWERS

I promised I'd give you a picture of the tulips and irises Joe sent me at work, so here it is.

When they first came the irises were just green sticks with a little bit of purple on them and the tulips were drooping and tightly closed.  Just look at them now.

They have really opened up.  I love looking at them each day, but they are coming home with me this afternoon.  I am at the Fishtown Library tomorrow for my regular Friday rotation and then we have a three day weekend for President's Day.  I want to enjoy my flowers.  They would be dead by the time I returned on Tuesday.

Remember my one red rose?  Look how beautifully it has opened up.

I love flowers.  I can't wait until the weather warms up and I can get out in my yard and plant some!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I have had such a wonderful day.  Joe got up with me this morning and handed me a red bag with the word "love" on it.  Inside I found a heart-shaped box of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (my favorite candy).  There was another little box in there too.  When I opened it up I found an amethyst and diamond necklace on a silver chain.

How beautiful!  The picture does not do it justice.  I wore it today and showed it off to my co-workers, but I certainly won't be wearing it to work very often.

I had been at work for only a short time when there was a knock at the door.  We weren't open yet, so the guard went to the door to send whoever it was away.  It turned out to be a fed-ex driver with a package for me.  Joe had sent me a beautiful bouquet of red tulips and blue iris called a hugs and kisses bouquet.  I was VERY surprised.  I left it at work and will try to remember to take my camera to work tomorrow so I can get a picture of it to post.  Later in the day Diane's boyfriend came in with flowers and a card for her and Donna's husband sent her flowers and candy so we all had flowers on our desks.

On the way home I stopped and got pizza and bread sticks for dinner.  We are going to go to the store and get ice cream in a little bit.   So all in all it's been a great day.

A GOOD DAY

At church this morning we were continuing with our series on the life of Christ.  Today it was about His baptism.  Pastor Justin took this and turned it into a message on love to fit in with Valentine's Day.  He focused on God's never-ending love for us and how we should love others.  It was excellent and really spoke to a lot of people there.  Some were even crying at the end.

At the beginning of the service Pastor Wayne welcomed us by saying how spring was on its way and we should all be encouraged.  He said, "Amen?" at the end of it and little 2-year-old Elise yelled out "AMEN!"  We all started laughing.  It was so cute.

Our friends Karen and Bud were there today.  Bud is our pianist and is almost always there, but because of her work schedule Karen seldom is able to show up.  They are probably our best friends at church.  They didn't have anywhere they needed to rush off to, so we all went to the Country Club Diner for lunch.  Yes, another diner.  I had a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and fries.  It wasn't very much, but filled me up and here it is almost 6 hours later and I'm still full.  I will have a little something later on.

 When we got home there was a note on the front door that a package from Ideal Florists was waiting for me next door.  I went there and my one red rose from Joe for Valentine's Day was there.  It has a little stuffed bear holding the vase.  So sweet.  And because she took in the flowers, my neighbor Chrissy is able to get a free floral arrangement from the florist.  That was nice.

When we were first engaged, Joe was not able to work and had not yet gotten his Social Security Disability.  He saved up what little money he had and was able to afford only one rose for me for Valentine's Day.  It was so sweet.  So every year I get one red rose.

I look forward to my rose each year.

DATE NIGHT

Before I got sick Joe and I used to go out to eat about once a week.  We haven't been able to do that since last October.  So earlier this week we decided that we would have a date and go out for dinner tonight.  We would be celebrating my first week back to work and it would also be my Valentine's Day gift to Joe.  We went back and forth as to where to go, but finally decided on the local diner.

It wasn't too crowded and we got served very quickly.  I had meatloaf and Joe had roasted turkey.  Everything was good.  We were even given free cheesecake for dessert.  They are known for their cheesecake.  I had to bring some of my dinner home, but it was very good and now I have lunch for tomorrow.

BACK TO WORK WEEK

This has been a difficult week for me.  I am not used to being at work.  Although each day has gotten easier as I am getting used to the schedule and getting back into the rhythm of the work day, my body is protesting and I have had quite a bit of pain in my stomach and spleen.

Yesterday my boss was late getting in.  When he arrived he had my favorite cake with him and everyone sang "Welcome back Kathy to you" to the tune of "Happy Birthday to you."  Then at lunch they had pizza to welcome me back.  I work with a great group of people.  It was so nice.

Joe has been dropping me off at work and using the car a lot this week.  Today there was a funeral for one of the ladies at church.  I wanted to go, but couldn't so he went to pay his respects and then took his step-mom, MaryAnn, to Walmart to get some food because she said she had none in the house.  We have just a couple of dollars ourselves, so he had to charge it for her.  

She gave him all of Dad's medications to see if he could use any of it (they took some of the same drugs) and three huge bags of Dad's clothes.  We do not have room for all of Dad's clothes in this house.  We hardly have room for our own clothes, so I have a feeling the Salvation Army is going to get a big donation from us.

I've made it through four days.  One more day tomorrow at the Fishtown Branch and I will have made it through the first week.  I am praying and hoping that my records made it through the Payroll Department so that I actually get paid for this week next Friday. 

FIRST DAY BACK

I went back to work today for the first time since my surgery.  It was very strange being up the entire day and not being at home.  My desk was all messed up from different people using it while I was out, so the first thing I did was to get myself all settled in.  I forgot what I was supposed to do and how to do so many things.  I even forgot my password to get onto the computer and had to call the Help Desk to get a new password set for me.  I was actually locked out of the computer system.  Before I left in November I had made myself a list of the things I need to do each day, so that was very helpful.  I just went down the list.  Shelve books, shelf read, pull books that have not gone out recently, etc.  So that wasn't too bad.

I was on the front desk at 11:00 when Joe called me.  He started telling me stuff about his dad's will and talking with his step-mom.  I told him I couldn't talk and would call him back at lunch time.  The next thing I know he was walking in the front door.  I had only been at work 3 hours and he missed me and wanted to talk.  The women at work thought that was so sweet.  So we ended up going out to lunch.

I wasn't sure how parking would be this morning at work, so Joe drove me to work and had the car all day to run errands and then picked me up after work tonight.  It turns out there was lots of space, but I didn't know that.

We had to park way down the street yesterday.  Joe went to get the car this morning and bring it up in front of the house.  He didn't see the snow/ice bank in front of the car and ended up straddling it with the tires.  The car was very stuck.  I thought we would have to call a tow truck to get us out.  He shoveled and pushed and shoveled some more.  It just would not move.  One of our neighbors, Kelly, came over to help push, but she and Joe together couldn't move it.  She had to get to work, so she had to leave.  Then the dad of our next-door neighbor came around the corner.  He saw us stuck, got out of his truck, and he and Joe together were able to push the car off the snow pile.  But now the tire rim is all bent up.  We think the brakes may be damaged and there is a weird noise when we are in first gear.  So off to the garage tomorrow.  We have our friend, Carole, helping us out with rides so I can get back and forth to work.

I was really tired when I got home tonight.  My stomach is swollen and hurts.  I just wanted to sleep.  We had some leftover pizza from last night, so I just heated it up in the microwave and we had that for dinner.  Then I slept for about 3 hours.  Woke up with Joe's step-mom calling at 11:00 p.m.  I know I should be in bed instead of doing this, but I wanted to get this written because I know some people read this in the morning and wanted to know how my first day went.  At least I don't go in until 11:45 a.m. tomorrow so I can sleep in.

I also want to check on my sister Elaine before I go to work.  She is very, very sick.  She can hardly talk and is coughing so much.  She went to the doctor today (yesterday now) and got some anti-biotics.  I'm worried about her.

FARM

I woke up at 5:30 and can't go back to sleep.  I usually write my blog around 9 p.m, but Joe was on the computer, so I didn't get it written.  Well, here I am now.

It was another farm day.  We headed out and all the streets were clear, so we had no problem getting there.  As we were driving along we wondered where we were going to park because it is really tight around there and we figured with the snow all the parking would be taken.  But God was good to us and we got a space across the street from the farm.  Walking to the front gate we had to jump over puddles (yay the snow is melting) and avoid dog dirt.  Why don't people pick up after their dogs?  I have friends with dogs and they all carry bags and pick up after them.  That is so inconsiderate.

So anyway there really wasn't a theme this week.  I think they are having trouble trying to get things for us.  The pickings are kind of slim.  We got:
     a package of baby arugula
     3 Asian pears  (never had them; this will be interesting)
     2 lbs. of sweet potatoes (I haven't used the ones from last time!)
     a 4-oz. jar of pear preserves
     2 lbs. container of heirloom white corn meal
     a piece of Cowtipper cheese (there were all these different kinds of cheese I had never heard of so I just blindly chose this one.  Hope we like it.)
     2 yogurts (one chocolate, one vanilla)
     a dozen eggs
     4 chicken sausages
     2 small jars of honey made on the farm 


I didn't know what to do with most of the things this week, so I went on allrecipes.com and got some ideas.  Since I have been out of work we have been very frugal with our food money.  I have gotten it down to $50-$75 every other week for the two of us by using all the farm stuff.  I plan to keep it up even when I start getting paid.


Don't know if I mentioned it yesterday, but I was told I may not get on payroll for this next pay period so I might not get paid until the first week of March.  That's a long time to wait!


After the farm we met my friend Carol for lunch.  She works at the library I used to work at and she was working today.  We went to Mario Brothers across the street from the library.  It's a pizza/sandwich type restaurant.  We again drove on icy streets and couldn't find a place to park.  I went into the parking lot behind the restaurant even though it was ice covered.  It was a LOT icier than I thought it was.  There was a lady there whose car had fallen into a huge pothole covered with ice.  She was very stuck.  A letter carrier and Joe both tried to get her out, but it was impossible.  When we left she was calling for a tow truck.


I decided to move out of the lot.  Since it was getting late, I dropped Joe off at the library and told him to get Carol and meet me at Mario's.  I drove around the block and was able to get meter parking.  I don't know if they were even checking to see if anyone paid, but I did.  I didn't want to get a ticket.


We had a nice lunch.  Ruth, whom I also used to work with, came in to pick up her sandwich and I got to talk with her.  That was nice.


Then it was home again to put the food away and take a nap.  Still not up to these whole days.  We'll see how I do this week.

CITY DOCTOR

I went to the city doctor yesterday.  Because of all the snow and bad weather I left really early to get down there.  It's a good thing I did because there were streets blocked off and no parking anywhere.  Joe was with me.  We drove around and around and parked someplace only to find the snow was so deep we couldn't open the doors to get out of the car.  So we drove around some more and finally found a place about a block and a half way.  That wasn't too bad.  But people, really, CLEAN YOUR SIDEWALKS!  It was so dangerous trying to walk that block and a half back to the clinic.  All ice!


We were surprised when we got inside because it is always crowded with people and there was only one lady ahead of us.  I have never seen the clinic so empty or gotten taken care of so quickly.  

The doctor really did not want to let me go back to work.  She said it was too soon.  She didn't think I could lift 50-100 lbs. at this point.  She didn't like it that I wasn't eating everything.  She even said she didn't think it was wise to rush things.  But I finally talked her into letting me go back when she looked at my incisions and saw they were almost completely healed and a couple were already starting to fade.  So she checked "approved" and sent me back to Human Resources.


After looking for another parking spot, I got into the department. They took my paperwork, gave me a bunch of forms to fill out (pension, life insurance, W-4, etc.) and gave me the paperwork to take back to work on Monday.  So my sick time is over.


I'm sort of looking forward to going back, but in another way I have really liked being home taking care of my house and taking care of Joe.  This time off and almost dying has made me look at life in a different way.  "Things" are not as important to me anymore.  Yes, I like a nice place to live and pretty things around me, but that is not important.  My perspective on life has changed.  My faith in God's care and protection has grown.  Whether people like me or not doesn't matter so much.  So this was good for me.


Romans 8:28 -- We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose.  (CEB)

CHINESE NEW YEAR

 

Today is Chinese New Year -- the year of the rabbit.  The Chinese character above says "rabbit".  To celebrate Joe and I went to a Chinese buffet near our house.  The last time I was there I ate 2 forkfuls of fried rice, had 2 sips of iced tea and ran home to throw up for 5 hours.  Today was much better.  I did not overdo it and was able to have a nice meal with my wonderful husband.  I had "money bag" dumplings and long noodle lo mein for good luck.  And I didn't get sick.

After we ate we went to Parkway Central (the main library) to the Human Resources Department.  When I handed in my letter from the doctor, the receptionist gave me a hard time because the letter was dated 2/1 and I hadn't come down yesterday.  Fortunately I know the head of the department and he came out to talk to me.  As soon as he said, "Hi, Kathy.  How are you feeling?  Glad to see you looking so well." and I said, "Hi, Rob.  How are you?  How's your mom?" (I used to work with her) the whole atmosphere changed and everything was suddenly fine.  So I have an appointment with the City Doctor tomorrow at 2:45 p.m.  If he approves, I can return to work on Monday.

When we left Parkway Central, we went to the Richmond Branch where I work.  I was able to speak with my boss and give him a heads up on what was happening.  Everyone is looking forward to me returning.

Next we went to Target.  I needed a new iron.  I had to borrow my next-door neighbor's to iron Joe's shirts and suit for the funeral.  So we got that.  Joe also bought me two pairs of shoes (one black, one brown) and a gray sweater.  He said they're for Valentine's Day but I get the feeling he would have bought them even if Valentine's Day wasn't so close.  We also got some groceries we needed and just generally had fun looking around.  Have I mentioned I have a wonderful husband?

To end the Chinese theme I made fried rice tonight for dinner.  It wasn't the best I ever made, but it was good.

I guess I had better get enough sleep tonight so I can get the OK tomorrow to go back to work.  I'd rather stay home and be a housewife, but we really (and I mean REALLY) need the money.

GROUNDHOG DAY

 

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today, so hopefully that is a good sign that all this snow and ice will soon go away.  Even though he has been wrong 98% of the time, there is still the hope that this time he is right.  I'm so tired of this weather.

I was going to go downtown to Human Resources this morning, but the streets were pretty bad here.  By the time things got good this afternoon (including having our street plowed-- yay!), it was too late.  I plan on heading down first thing tomorrow morning to get all the paperwork done.  Hopefully I can return to work next week.

I made chicken salad sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Joe doesn't like chicken salad, but he liked what I made.  I used a recipe from the cookbook "Mad Hungry" that my friend Debbie gave me for my birthday.  There hasn't been one recipe I tried from that book that did not turn out wonderful.  It was a great investment, Deb.  I love this cookbook and use it all the time.  For dessert we had more fruit from the bouquet my sister sent us.  Everything is gone now except the melons.  They will probably last another day.  So good.

Spoke to my mom-in-law today.  She is overwhelmed with paperwork.  I told her I would take her to lunch soon.  Sunday is supposed to be a nice day, so maybe I can do it then.  She needs a break.

 

GOOD NEWS

I had my surgeon's post-op follow-up appointment today.  Fortunately my appointment took place in between the two storms so I was able to get down there without too much trouble.  Once I got to center city all the streets were clear and dry.  Guess it's all the traffic and businesses around there.

My appointment was for 1:15 p.m.  I got there at 12:45 p.m.  I was seen by the doctor at 2:20 p.m.  She saw me for a total of 3 minutes.  She should be paying me for my time!

But the good news is she said I am healing beautifully.  I can start eating anything I want as long as it doesn't get stuck in my throat.  If it does, let it alone for a couple of weeks and then try again.  I can have red meat again.  I can go back to work.  I have the letter saying I can return with no restrictions.  So now I just have to go to Human Resources and then the City Doctor and get all the paperwork done for my return.  I probably will be able to start back the middle of next week.

It was so good to have some good news for a change.  Joe and I celebrated by stopping in Wendy's on the way home.  He got a grilled chicken wrap and I got chicken nuggets.  We both tried their new fries with sea salt.  Yum, yum!