My sanity is on a three week vacation

In an hour and a half, it's true. My sanity is going on vacation. My youngest son, nearly 14, is coming to visit. I have not seen him since Easter '03. We speak on the phone each week, but it has been so long.

Next week my three day week begins. It seems one cannot just drop insurance. It must be done at open enrollment, which at JCP is in October, or with a qualifying change of status.

Alternately, when one's hours fall below the weekly minimum, eventually a letter is generated suggesting how many hours are needed to keep insurance active, and how long one has to make up these missing hours.

I will be covered, likely, until about December 1st. Once I get the letter telling me when my last day of coverage is, then, and only then, may I pick up outside insurance.

Sweet.

My new schedule is:

Wednesday 8-5
Thursday 12-9
Friday 8-430

Again,

Sweet!

Why can't it be easy?

Health insurance is such a pain in the ass. To keep it through my job, I need to maintain 35 hours. That makes my productivity, and as well my commission go into the toilet. To find it on the outside is just a runaround.

Once I get it settled, however, I will be able to go to a three day work week at 25 hours and still maintain my other benefits. And have higher productivity. And higher commission.

Work less. Make more. I like it.

Absolutely perfect

Last night, E and I went to see Sarah McLachlan.

Can I say swoon!!??

It was simply put a purely perfect moment. I first saw her 6 years ago and it was a bit of a spiritual experience. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say it was the pinnacle of a spiritual ecperience. A definite time of spiritual definition and significance.

I consciously went to last night's show with no expectations, and I came away absolutely delighted. Sarah performed every song I could fathom her doing and she was so present in the moment. If I have to coonsider something missing, she did not do Black and White, but that is about the only song I can think of that I missed. I mean, she sang everything. Did I say swoon? Delight? Perfect?

Now for my bitch. No 2X t-shirts. None. So I am taking this as new motivation to double up my weight loss efforts so I can look oh, so fine in my new 1X Sarah t-shirt. I hope to wear it to Beth and Irina's Laboor Day beach wedding. There. I said it out loud.

Too early to hope

My dear cousin Wes is something of a techie geek. In discussing my fucked laptop with him, he said:

Me: Can you believe, $240 and sending it out?!? And 3-4 week turnaround.
Cuz: I can use $240. And, I have a better turnaround time.
Me: I could use $240, too. That is the problem.
Cuz: Duh, Cuz, send it to me. Sounds like a simple solder.

He is such a babe. abd also a babe, E will Fedex it from work with a return label so it will cost me nothing more than a batch of cookies.

Let's hope my delight is not premature.

Whatever happened to the $5 minimum?

$240 minimum investment to get my laptop repaired.
 
The decision becomes wait until I have the $$ to repair? or use the credit advance with Dell and buy a new one.
 
Fuckers.

Day five

I have been off work since Thursday as a sort of mini vacation. I don't ever want to go back. I suppose if I am to have dollars to fix my laptop, it is necessary, but I am just liking being home too much. This just reinforces to me that I need to get on the insurance deal so I can switch to a three day work week.

Doing some laundry this morning and then I think it will be out shopping and shooting pool this afternoon.

My laptop is fucked

My laptop fell off the chair today as the dog stretched. When it landed, the place where the ac adapter plugs in broke on the inside. We managed to get it opened up enough to glue it, but the connection is still fucked.

I have battery power, but the plug also is what charges the battery.

Thankfully, all else is working properly even after the surgery we attempted. I need to find out if I can use an external battery charger and maybe get a spare battery.

Or, I need to get it fixed professionally which there are no funds for.

Or, I need a new laptop altogether.

Fuck.

Fresh off the tree

Three days in a row I have managed to be up between 730 and 8, and this morning, I even went out to procure a bowl of figs fresh from the tree.

I did not think ours would be that good this year as the fig tree/bush is leaf wise looking pretty poorly. That is, excepting the portion that is far too tall for us to think about getting to. So, I braved the chiggers or whatever else the grass gnats are, and went out to gather.

Luscious. Full. Divine. Juicy and oh, so sweet! Yes, I am still going on about figs.

On Wednesday night we went to Slick Willie's to shoot some pool. As we were cashing out, I rather matter-of-factly mentioned to E that I thought Eva Cassidy was not car music and should be brought inside. Boy, was I in trouble. She was not stoic, but was indeed rather put out with me. Suddenly it became a total criticism of her taste in music. Just a tad reactionary.

We went over to MoMong and enjoyed some mango spring rolls and shrimp fried rice, but E was less chatty than normal.

We came home (not listening to Eva, by the way) and went to bed fulfilling in a grand fashion her resolution number one.

In the morning I knew all was forgotten and likely forgiven.

At about 2 at work yesterday, there was a floral delivery for moi. Lovely. Roses. and the card said simply "IFLY".

Perfect.

Life, is good.

Early in the morning

I realize it is nearly 8 am and that is not terribly early. My yogi would like me up by 7 I think, and preferrably by 6 or 6:30. I explained to her how 8 is real progress, and I am going to attempt getting into 7 as normal. Today I was awake at 7:30 and out of bed. I was actually up tp pee around 6, but not awake.

Not a whole lot going on here lately. I am taking a 5 day weekend beginning Friday as it is our 6th anniversary next Tuesday. It will be good to be away from work that long.

I was reviewing some calls for submissions last night, so I might try to make a plan to submit some things over the weekend. I found a few anthologies which I might have something done for previously. I figure the weekend will be a good time to formulate a plan.

I just hope it does not serve to reinforce how much I would prefer to be home full time.

Peace and quiet in the evening

A couple of days of family company go a long way toward rediscovering an appreciation for the quiet found in life lived in an ordinary manner. We have had E's neice and nephew staying with us for a few days, since Thursday evening, and man do they require entertaining.


She is 12 and he is 9, if I am not mistaken, and they are just a little rotten. Presumptuous. Bratty.

I opted out of going this evening to E's sister's house where she and her husband and her 3 yr old and one month old are hosting the other brother's wife and three children. I decided that a 2 to 1 child to adult ratio was just more than I could bear. I think just the nephew is coming home with E, and with any luck, he might decide to stay with everyone else at Kathy's.

The plan was to meet everyone at Kathy's tomorrow, but that was before Papu's most recent email, so the plan became meeting up to attend fireworks.

I adore going to see fireworks, and E knows this. We graciously bowed out of attending them en masse, but might go on our own to see them as they are done by Disney this year.

While staying home tonight, I decided on a little culinary therapy. I took a tub of sauce out of the freezer which I made a few weeks ago, and made some pasta with sausage. I also made some Tollhouse cookies with milk and semi-sweet chips and pecans. and Butter. Real butter. Tres yummm.

Tomorrow is still another day.