And I sure hope you do not have Covid!

I'm glad you don't have Covid. Hopefully just recharging your batteries at home will be all you need.

I don't know where the cuts will be coming from - but would be surprised if my team doesn't take a hit or two or three. While my seniority should help, it all really boils down to who makes the cut list. And I don't have anyone to protect me anymore. No matter who and how many - it sucks for those who are really putting in the effort and those fake layers (Opex etc) will likely make it through.

I am grinding/clenching my teeth at night and waking up with a sore neck, head and teeth. I guess I better start to wear my night guard which I hate. I see the dentist for a cleaning in November. I bet he notices since he doesn't miss much.

My body is sore and I'm gaining weight. I have some Youtube senior exercise videos on my book marks and it is time to start doing them the days I don't go to Aquafit class. My menopausal belly is getting bigger. I'm sure it is sugar belly since I've had too many sugar cravings in this past year. I can never stick to a healthy eating plan. I have to get my head in the right place to eat right and not give in to sugar cravings.

Today is rainy and getting colder as the day goes on. So much for cleaning up the garden. I'm going to go visit Sarah this afternoon since I haven't seen her since before we left for our trip. I had hoped to ride my bike to town to see her but not today. I still need to unpack the rest of my clothes from my suitcase so today is the day. I also need to get my Roomba reprogrammed so it works again. It needs to remap the whole house which means I need to get cords and obstructions out of its way.

Off to get busy!

Work stress is the worse! I hope it all works out for you.

Yes grinding and clenching cause jaw and neck soreness and I get headaches too. Do you have a mouth guard?

Today I focused on exercise. I did 3 videos from Youtube. One was a warm up for seniors and the other two were exercises that focused on flexibility, strengthening and balance. All the same guy. They are for seniors so pretty simple but doable. Then I went to water yoga this afternoon. I hadn't been since July so it felt really good. Tomorrow I plan to do a video to work on belly fat. I will also start cleaning up the garden and prune my last lavender plant. I need to avoid sugars for awhile. I've eaten way too much sugar for the last 6 months and have gained too many pounds.

The leaves are falling fast but still is pretty around our county.

Volunteered today at Power Books. Aquafit tomorrow. I still haven't cleaned out the garden. Hopefully tomorrow!

What are you up to?

50? That is a lot of people. How many are left on the floor? How many in your dept? I hope you get to keep your job even though it doesn't thrill you. Money is money and pays the bills for now.

I went to Aquafit this morning and worked myself pretty hard. The teacher was really distracted and got started late and fizzled out in the last 20 minutes. I did crunches on my own, stretched and went in the hot tub. She has been moving into a new house and the buyer backed out on their current home.

After lunch I went to visit Sarah at the nursing home and took her some dark chocolates for Halloween. She has a lot of candy treats in her room.

My sister Becky and I just bought tickets to the local movie theater (where I use to volunteer) for a documentary called The Razor's Edge. It is about the homeless population and they did some filming at the place she volunteers that feeds the homeless.

Tomorrow I drive Lynn to her doctor's appt in Traverse City. She is having a diagnostic on her spine due to chronic pain and needs me to drive her there and home. Thursday I will ride with Russ to deliver books around northern MI.

Some of the English Muffins were good but some were dense and not cooked through. We froze some and the ones in the fridge look dense.

I picked up some paint swatches today to begin choosing the exterior color of the house. We need to coordinate with shingle color, choose a roofing company, and find a painter for next spring/summer.

Half way through the work week tomorrow!

I just pulled a headcount report and we are sitting at 377 hourly and 232 salary - that is just over 600 total and we were at close to 900 overall a few years ago. But still, with how slow we are - it's too many salary folks. Too many of the fluffer nutter layers - the opex and crew - that layer needs to go. But whatever. I hate it. And, no, just because it makes me unhappy some of the times, doesn't mean I want to have to go, this is what I know and it's money I can (could) count on. Sigh.

Do you think you will paint your house a color? I have always kind of loved a yellow house.

Halloween - can't believe it. The weather finally started acting like fall yesterday. The temps have been in the upper 70's and 80's until yesterday they dropped to low 50's. Some places might have snow tomorrow. While I was/am ready to turn off my a/c - not wanting to start with the snow and ice.

Friday eve

I'm glad your job is safe for now. I hope it stays that way. Did Bernie ever come out of his attitude slump?

Russ and I drove all over northern MI today delivering books and learning bags to baby pantries, churches and health departments. We stopped for dinner in a town up the Lake MI shore and just got home. We left around 7am this morning. It is 5:30pm. It was nice to spend the day together and chat in the truck without phones, TV, and house chores interfering.

Our weather is in the 50's and the wind is blowing. Almost all the leaves are off the trees now.

I hope to go to water yoga tomorrow and I really need to knit the rest of Ellis' poncho! Bad me!

TGIF!!

I somehow haven’t logged in in like a week it seems. My anxiety is through the roof with all the political stuff. I’m stressed about the results but also want it done.

My sister sent out a group text to me and mom wanting to have thanksgiving at her house. She sent hers like a day before I was going to text just her because I wanted to ask her if having mom and dad driving is safe. So I did text her but she thinks it’s fine as long as they spend the night at her house. Whatever. She did ask if we could get together this. So it sounds like we are going to meet Thursday or Friday. It’s been almost a year. I guess she’s ready to talk. So I’m anxious about that too

I was wondering if she just wants to meet to plan Thanksgiving or is it to clear the air between you both? It soundsl like you feel she wants to discuss where she has been emotionally this past year. I hope you get your answers and I think it is normal for you to be nervous and unsure as to what to share with her. Let her start and see where it goes. I'm glad she will finally talk with you.

I am pretty upset about the election results and am scared about the years ahead. Woman have very little respect in this country and our rights may be further diminished. Feel free to express differently. I do respect other's right to have a different opinion and vote how they choose, but I'm struggling with Americans' intellect right now and what the vision is going forward.

I took my car in to get the snow tires on, oil change and have them inspect the brakes. My brakes need over $1200 worth of work! This day sucks!

I am eating my emotions today...

I am so stressed out about seeing Michele tonight. This day is taking forever and I don't even want to know how high my blood pressure is. I want to be able to express all the feelings I have had for the last year after being shut out by her - but again it feels selfish to even consider it.

And I'm just feeling unhappy and mad at everyone probably in response to all this anxiety coursing through me.

well it went kind of how I feared. Not bad, just it was mostly pretending that there wasn't a rift. (Ok, maybe the rift feeling was only on my side - but still) She mainly just wanted to talk about Behlen (which she still knows more than me due to all the other people she still has contact with here), our folks (dear heavens at some point I will try to get into that). I did get a little bit about Caitlin - where I had thought/feared something was going on with Caitlin and her husband - it is really more issues with her work. Caitlin has been a foster care licensing specialist for over two years now. She has been getting grief from her boss due to being 'slow' on paperwork. Partly because her tumor is making reading harder for her, but mainly because her load is larger than anyone else's and she cannot work overtime per company rules. And then recently she was told she had to go pick up a child for removal, apparently all alone and the father took the girl before Caitlin could there and then the father proceeded to threaten her online and this man has familial relations to the largest gang in Omaha. Her bosses advice was to remove her personal picture from her Facebook account. Like seriously???? How about reporting it to the police??? And why didn't she have police support when they expected her to do a removal. WTF. And WTF writing her up because she is taking longer on some paperwork because they have given her more load than anyone else. Wow. And people wonder why no one wants to work in that industry. Michele is hopeful she will leave after her next round of tests. You know, it just sucks everywhere.

Wow, your niece is dealing with a horrible job. No emotional support and putting her in danger too. I hope she leaves. Did your sister say what the marital issues were? That is so sad too.

I think you have every right to tell your sister that you felt hurt that she didn't talk to you about Behlen or share that she was leaving her job. She may have wanted it to stay low key which is her right, but may also not know you felt hurt by her silence. Maybe you just need to discuss it with her rather than wonder why? Maybe in person instead of a text? Does she know anything about what is happening with lay offs and whether you are safe or not?

I went to the Y but yoga was cancelled. I swam laps for 30 minutes and then joined some ladies that had shown up for class to do some or our stretches in the therapy pool.

What's up with your parents?

I really enjoy watching various Holiday Baking Championships. But I despise the Holiday 'wars' or the Cookie ones. Weird right?

I don't like the Wars or cookie shows either. I also can't stand the Halloween themed baking shows. We only watch the adult and kids holiday baking championships this time of year.

I went to aqua fit and then bought more exterior paint samples. The second roofing company came today to give an estimate for re roofing our house and pole barn. Wowzer!!!!! We have one blue and two green paint colors that we like. I am leaning towards green to blend in with our surroundings of the pine grove, orchards, and meadows.

Do you plan to talk to your sister soon?