an update

The new job is great! I come home from work very tired, very sore and feeling quite
productive. The first week, I only worked 3 days, which is fine by me. That gives me plenty of time to visit Spouse and get things done around the homestead. There has been a lot to learn, like certain codes to enter into the register for the produce, selling the lotto tickets and the like. Most of the customers are surprised to learn I've lived here for over 3 years, too. I'm learning which customers are favorites and the few who are chronically difficult to wait upon. My co-workers are a nice lot, mostly women my age, with the exception of a few school kids who work part-time evenings and weekends. I had no idea there was so much heavy work that goes on behind the scenes, too. On stock days, when the shipments come in, we must haul tons of foodstuffs from the back rooms of the store to the front, where we must quickly rotate the old stock to the front, clean the shelf and then put the newer supply in back, then restock the older goods. Rotate, kids! Rotate!

Since there's already a gal named Kim at the store, the bookkeeper has taken to calling me by a shorter derivative of my first name. THAT makes life interesting, as I am getting used to not responding when Kim is paged to come help check or do a courtesy *bagging and carry-out*. It's kind of funny, at least to me, how for years I've loved the name that I am now being known as at work. Always wished folks would call me by that, and now my wish is a fact. Cool, for me. :D

Spouse is holding his own, but has begun the slow, painful spiral downward again. He's now having good mornings and bad evenings. If I tell him something at night, I must tell him again the next morning or he won't remember it at all. He is having more and more pain, so much that they have doubled his phentanol patch and giving him morphine to help it cover the pain level he has. He's getting more & more agitated with some of the other residents at the nursing home, too. Not good, since he gets quite vocal about his irritations. It seems he has a level of paranoia, too, thinking the staff at the nursing home is "out to do him in". I've made friends with a few of the more cognizant residents who tell me that the staff is very attentive to my husband and he just seems to not understand when the staff is trying to be kind and helpful. Hence, I find myself apologizing to the staff at every turn, for his outbursts and rude accusations. They are very understanding, so that helps to alleviate some of my distress.

Got my Jeep back from the mechanics and it runs great now. The heater works *yeah!* and I'm glad to have such a road-worthy rig now. I plan on selling our Suburban, the pick-up truck and some of Spouse's tools. Anyone want to buy a lathe? The money I make from those sells, I'll apply toward my Jeep payments &/or other bills, so that I won't have the big money woes that I'd be facing, otherwise, once Spouse has passed. It sucks that he wasn't able to get some good insurance, but at least I am able to work, so things won't be quite as frightening as they might be if I couldn't. It's probably in bad taste to mention things like this, but it's my life & something that has been on my mind. My blog, too, so there ya go.

Now that I'm working at the grocery store, I've learned about another place that is hiring, constantly *there's a clue for ya*, but they have excellent benefits, plus. If I could get on there, for just two 12 hours shifts a week, I can receive full benefits, so I'm leaning very strongly in that direction. It's a government facility, so the pay would be excellent, in comparison to what I earn at the store, too. Very tempting. The only drawback is, the facility is at least 40+ miles from me, actually in the same town as the nursing home where Spouse currently resides. I wouldn't want to apply there until after he is gone, however, so that I will still have some days to spend with him. It feels as if time is racing faster and faster, especially now that I am working outside the home. Perhaps, it is because winter is fast looming upon us, with the days getting dark earlier and the cold winds rushing across the prairies.

We had our first snow of the season just two days ago, on Monday. Nothing to write home about, but it was still blustery & cold. I'm going to have to find a way to keep my neck warm, but still be dressed within the "uniform" of black slacks & white shirts. Turtleneck sweaters always feel like they are choking me *must've been hung or beheaded in a previous life... ;)* so I've got to come up with another solution. As long as I can keep my neck and back warm, the cold doesn't bother me. Once either gets a chill, though, I usually wind up with a horrid headache.

Anyways - I have to begin getting ready for work now, so that's it, in a large nutshell. I've gotten way behind on my alerts, so will probably have to just do a group delete & hope my friends understand. Once life settles down (it will, won't it?), maybe I can keep up again. I miss reading up on what's going on in everyone's lives and hope you all are doing well. I'll peek in when I can. And someday, I will figure out how to add a shoutbox, too. Someday... for now, I send you all hugs, loves and warm lurgles. Happy Turkey Day, too - if I don't see you before then!!