Just Another Herd Creature

dbubley came home Wednesday afternoon. After 3 weeks in the hospital and skilled nursing facility, she really wanted a shower. It took us about 3 hours to go from walking in the door to the shower and then to bed. She was pretty weak. Thursday morning she called me around 6:15 am for some help. Then I had to go to work. Thursday night was pretty hard and we both wondered if she'd been released too soon. But this morning was much better. Her pain level went down and her walker arrived. Now if the rest of the infection would go away, part of her leg is still swollen, red and warm. She came home on a 7 day course of an oral antibiotic. I'm going to keep a close eye on it, because the last thing she needs is a recurrence.

Now I'm planning on a little nap, then check on dbubley and maybe a little xmas decorating. This weekend will be my big push to get a lot done. I'm at that point when I look around at the mess of boxes and ornaments and think "why do i do this?", but then I turn on a string of lights and I remember.

dbubley update: She's still in the rehab center. I don't like the look of her leg. It is still very swollen, warm and red. The doctor didn't like the look of it either, so she ordered an white cell count. The count is normal. She thinks this is just an exceptionally slow process. dbubley has been on one sort or another of IV antibiotics since Oct. 24th. Her original discharge date is this Wed. I really hope she can come home, but not if the infection is just going to flare up again. I know she'll continue on oral antibiotics too, but I wonder if they're strong enough.

In dbubley house project, that means I only have a few days to get her house together. Right now her kitchen is tore apart and has the first coat of paint on the walls. I really hope my friend/co-worker is planning on coming back today to finish. After he paints, he needs to move the fridge back and put the cabinets back up. And we need a grab bar installed near her bed - her new bed. I hope she likes it. Then I have to put everything back in the kitchen and do some final cleaning.

And I've almost got dbubley retirement papers together. Yesterday a notary came to the rehab center and notarized the main retirement paper. God, there are so many decisions to make. No wonder they tell you to start filling this stuff out 6 or more months before you plan to submit. Since she's out of sick and vacation time, she applying for something called NDI available for State workers who are not hurt on the job, but in a situation like she is. It's very little money, but the most important thing is it pays her health insurance payment, which is kind of critical right now. And she's also applying for Catastrophic Leave, where her co-workers can donate vacation or sick hours to her so she will have some money. Her co-workers are all ready to do this, we just need to get the paper work in. God, I hate paperwork.

And did I mention I'm in the middle of decorating for xmas? For those who know me, you know this is a feat unto itself. 6 boxes unloaded and 14 to go and then there's the bags and other assorted items. The boxes are those big plastic Tote like boxes, just to give you a reference. I've promised myself I will do what I can until Turkey Day and then I need to stop. If I don't have everything up, then so be it. (stonebender Stop Laughing!)
I still want to have my xmas open house but I haven't set the date yet. And then there's the production of the Gilly Greeting Card. I have a great idea but I might not have the time. Maybe I'll do what I did one year when I was totally overwhelmed with the holidays and life. I used a cartoon dog and said this was Klipper's (our dog at the time) year off per his contract. One year when he didn't have to dress up in some god-awful xmas themed outfit and sit patiently while I fiddled with the camera. Last year I was running so late, I dressed Gilly up at the 2006 Baby New Year and sent out cards the week after xmas.

I also have to get everything together to leave my old job (which is quite a lot, since not one other person there does what I do) before I start my new job on Dec. 4. I'm trying to schedule or re-schedule any doctor appoints for Feb. or later. I hate to go into a new job and the first thing out of my mouth is "I need this day and this day and this day off."

Well, I've spent way to much time on LJ. Time to grab a cup of coffee and get back to decorating. Soon stonebender will wake up and then we get to do the breakfast thing. Oh wait, I think there's some choriso and eggs left over from yesterday that serenejournal made for him. Yay!

And I'm not talking about Tuesday's election. To change jobs or not? clever_doberman suggested I act as if I'm taking the job. Then sleep on it and see how it feels in the morning. I just don't want to make the wrong decision. Maybe there is no wrong or right decision. In either case, I will continue to work. Will less responsibility, more money and a more restrictive schedule make me happy? Will the same money, same pressure and a somewhat flexible schedule make me happy? Am I happy now? Is "happy" really something I should expect from a job?

Off to bed and hopefully to sleep, if not, I'm sure you'll see another post before morning.

stonebenderjust went to bed.  I should be there too.  I haven't made a decision yet.  I find myself talking as if I have made it.  As if I'm going to take it, but then I think of everything else and I get all weepy.  Breaking the news to my boss and co-workers.  Taking the pictures off my office walls - many of which were given to me by my co-worker T.  Cleaning up and out all my files both paper and electronic.  This is the first job I've had where I kept any personal items.  I'll need a couple of boxes.  

See what I mean - I'm talking as if . . .

dbubleyis all settled into KPAC for about 2 weeks.  The have a great bed (finally) for her.  It's a full size air mattress and it can move from flat to a chair.  She has such short legs that they have to deflate the bed for her to get into it - even when the bed is in it's lowest position.

The other big thing I've been meaning to post about is that I have my first job interview in 20 years.  It's today.  I don't even know if I want the job.  When my current supervisor started last year, one of his first questions to me was "what do I want to do?"  He couldn't believe I've been in my same classification for all 20 years with the City.  I said I do the work of an Admin. Assistant, so it would be nice to have the title (and pay) of one.  When the City had openings for an AA (and hence would take applications for it), he urged me to apply so I could get "qualified" in the city system for the position.  The problem is, he didn't really understand how the City works.  Just because I pass the test, does not mean the position is in our budget.  But I went ahead and applied, went and took the test when called, now I have an appointment tomorrow with the Information Tech department.  I was #8 on the list out of about 100 people who took the test.  I heard about 800 people applied originally.  

Anyway, of the all the city departments, IT is one I would like to work in.  I know I wouldn't want to work in Police or Fire Department.  And Public Works or the City government offices don't interest me much either.  

So here's the real problem.  I never really wanted to leave my current site.  I like what I do.  I like most of the people I work with.  While no one is indispensable, I really am the only one who does a lot of critical functions - payroll, pricing of classes, tracking A/R, populating the registration software with our classes, refunds, and I'm the general "fix it" person.  I know my leaving would demoralize several staff people, people I consider friends.  I've always felt appreciated by my co-workers (if not always the "big wigs" above), but since I got the call for this interview I've paid attention to what they say.  And not 1 day has gone by that one of them didn't say something akin to "I don't know what we'd do without you."  

And we are in the middle of the transition back to our rehabbed site next year.  Part of me really wants to be a part of that, but then I'm also so tired of the level of responsibility that gets thrown on me.  My old boss, J gave me lots of responsibility too, but she usually checked  first.  Or I could say to her "I'm overloaded" and she would figure it out, either shifting something off my plate or taking the new project elsewhere.  My new boss, he's so swapped from above, that he just keeps dumping on me.  Mostly I've taken it - only once did I just say "No" to him.  

It's late and I'm rambling.  I'm just so torn.  If they don't offer me the job, I'll feel disappointed, but if they do, I might not take it.  Or I might.  Either way, I see a lot of hard stuff there too.  This is so weird.  This is only my 5th job interview in my life.  This is only the 4th job I've had and it's been 20 years.   What would it feel like to work in a whole different office?  And to be the newbie? 

dbubley should be coming home today.  I'm trying to get to the hospital by 8 am this morning.  Don't know if I'll make it.  Her doctor wants to talk to us before she releases her. 

It has been a long afternoon/evening/night and now early Tuesday morning. Nothing moves fast in an ER. We never saw the first doctor again - the one who said she probably wouldn't be admitted. A blur of doctors, nurses and aides later, she has been admitted. Actually, I left her in the holding area, finally on a more comfortable gurney, awaiting the transfer to her room. Her white blood count is 25, which they said is high. They have her on IV antibiotics, morphine and vicodin. She is in much less pain, not comfortable, just not in the "crying out loud" kind of pain.

I think the cellulitus is in her right leg. The antibiotics should take care of that, but they seem to think the white cell count is higher than they'd expect for the cellulitus.

I'm starting to make very little sense, even to me. I'm bushed. Guy and I are off to bed.
Tomorrow's another day . . . .

Dear stonebender
Happy Anniversary. It has been 24 years of living happily in sin. In sickness and in health, in good times and bad, in rain and shine, in laughter and tears, through Republican and conservative administrations, through frustration and relief, through births and deaths, through itches and scratching, through stubbornness and mood swings, through polite disagreements and major fights, through NRE and ORE, through home buying and through remodeling. Yes, we have lived in our own little version of interesting times.
We can only see to the end of the headlights' beams, we know not what hazards lie ahead or where the road will end. So, let's roll down the windows, turn up the radio, sing at the top of our vocal range (or lack thereof) and enjoy the ride.
"I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow."