Saturday, December 8, 2007, 01:02 PM EST [General]
I have a 83 year old mother who I am legal guardian to due to dementia. I had to fight my older brother to get her out of her own house and into a safe environment.
Last year she fell and broke a hip, but after nonstop hospital, rehab, and $17,000 in sitter fees we ( older sister and I ) we got her back to her facility.
So then Thursday, the one day I try to keep for "ME", I was informed I had to work over......I was angry, but hey, it is "the job" and you have to have the income. So I am loaded up and driving out to my route and my cellphone rings. Now we know we are not allowed in the Atlanta area to be on the cell phone while working, but when this number (the facility ) shows up, you pull over and answer it.
Mom fell again.
So I tun around, head back and leave the mail in the truck for the next carrier....who....I don't know nor care.
I then spend two days at the hospital, running tests, sleeping in chairs (as if my back wasn't already bad) only to find or should I say luckily to find out that she doesn't have anything broken. My sister and I then take her back to the facility and will have rehab coming in during the next few weeks.
I guess we are lucky that it isn't worse, and there are a lot in wheelchairs where she is so that is not an issue. But it is hard to say goodbye to that last parent. She may back bounce again, and luckily she has the income to live comfortably. But it is work. We are stressed out, working past dark. Most days because of visiting Mom I don't get home until 9pm. This strains any relationship, and it is starting to show there also. I commited myself to the guardianship and will see it through, but my life is making so many changes because of it. I am out of shape because I have not time to work out, I no longer do the things I love because I have other obligations. I mean I want to get something for all the staff that cares for my mother, so I guess it will just be gift cards to hand out. I haven't been out for a month now because of work keeping me out so long that I am just tired. And there is no longer a relationship either, hey, they take work and I don't have the time.
To top it all off, I had an MP3 player ordered for my nephew. The post office got it on the 23rd of November and said they delivered it on the 24th, to a po box where I work, I NEVER GOT IT. The clerk shows it being in Phoenix Az and my branch manager doesn't care. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Oh well, back to work monday, but hey.....I got a lot of half days scheduled and a lot of extra annual leave to roll over......I see me putting in for one hour for a lot of Monday's, Friday's and Saturday's next year........try to make me work over then boss man.
Boy, has it been that long since I posted last........busy...busy....busy.
Well, when I last posted I was about to go back to work afer a wonderful 10 days off. In Atlanta, V Time is now an everyday occurence. One of the offices had over 160 hours of v-time last week. And of course management is angry because we are eating into their "bonus". Oh well, hate it for you. I personally don't want to be working 7am until 6pm, but you are in charge boss man, not I. Oh I will take the check and cash it though, and laugh the whole way to the bank. The TE's have no training so we senior carriers have to go out and clean up the mess. And we have no problem going out there on overtime to do it. Sooner or later they will figure out by looking at the senority list here, that almost one third of us are retiring in the next few years.....Hate it for you boss man.....my boss sctually has a whopping 7 years service......whoohoo.......he may be back to carrying soon......LOL.
On the Atlanta front , we finally got some cooler weather and the leaves started to change at last. And luckily we have gotten some rain.....not nearly enough but we will not scoff at any precipitation we get, we are that grateful. I have gotten my rain barrel hooked up and it has water in it now.....YEAH! ! !
I have a business route, so I took today off because of all the businesses that were closed for four days. It will be interesting to see how the sub fared on a Monday after a holiday. I went out and got some shopping done for the family. Had lunch with and old friend and generally goofed off. I am off now to a movie. Going to go see Michael Clayton.
I did get a lot done.....there curently are no leaves in the yard but I am sure the neighbors leaves will blow over while I am at work. And I got all the paper work done, saw a couple of movies and ate out way too much.....but it is time to face the grind.
So in essence, you shall hear less from me.....time for the 10-11 hour days to start up again......but hey....it will pay for the new tv and the computer for the niece and nephew.......
Saturday, November 17, 2007, 07:52 AM EST [General]
So yesterday I got up at the usual time( why is it that when you are on vacation you cannot sleep in.....that infernal internal clock just keeps getting you up at 5 am) and get going to the dealership. I swing in the Chick Fil A to get a biscuit ( WE IN ATLANTA APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF YOU WHO DO NOT HAVE CHICK FIL A ) and a diet lemonade ( found out lemonade helps to get rid of kidney stones and I am over 50 so EVERYTHING IS DIET NOW) and when I come back out......THE DANG SERVICE MAINTENANCE LIGHT IS OFF.....so after I had a good laugh, called my brother at work so he could laugh too, I went back home. The light has not come back on so I am just hoping that it was a fluKe. Still want A HONDA ELEMENT.......
So this morning same scenario. Can't sleep past 5 am, get up shower get online and then he called......"Bubba, can you take me to Cracker Barrel?"..."Sure"....."And Bubba, can we go to the toy stoe afterwards?"....." You got any money?"..... "I got two dollars"...."Okay, you pay the taxman"......and so it goes.....NO SLEEP PERCHANCE TO DREAM.....aint complaining .......I love this life.....THANK YOU LORD ! ! !
