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Monday, April 6, 2015

Great Yellow Clouds of Pollen Whining

For real, pixies, you can *see* the pollen in the air. Oak trees the culprit, switching over to pecan. Blech. Also, the humidity.

I have very little in the way of brain waves or thoughts that are completely formed this morning, so I'm just going to put this here so we can all whine together.


51 comments:

kathy a. said...

Blech, Esperanza! Hope the pollen count goes down.

Easter dinner was fun! But I did preparation all day; first guests 6:30; dinner a little after 7:30. My son kept talking and talking -- his girlfriend finally dragged him off at 10:30. And I am one sore, tired puppy.

esperanza said...

oh, I hope you can find some time for some rest today, kathy a. Our collective butts were dragging this morning, too. Mr. E did preschool chapel and came back home to vegetate.

esperanza said...

AW: just found some knowledgeable help for Albatross #2. Hooray.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

You guys, why did I think that it would be a good idea to go straight from church camp to the farm? She's been awful here. Meltdowns, fighting sleep, extra-shy to the point of screaming during mealtimes because she's scared of someone at the table. And the little cousins play rough, which is unfamiliar: she likes it, but she gets too amped up, and it's causing her to hit and kick in general, because she doesn't know what's too much. (And it's hard to explain to her, because my usual rule for her is to be gentle.)

kathy a. said...

((( QWP ))) Everybody's tired. But I want to point out that E is right now at an age where she is learning a lot about social behavior -- and being with other people in different contexts is, overall and in the long run, really helpful. Even if today, you are pulling your hair out.

I think you mentioned that preschool is upcoming. That's a reasonably steady, controlled place for social learning. But all her life, she will end up being around people she doesn't know well. This may be a bumpy start, but she will be more flexible and caring with these extra experiences. xoxo

kathy a. said...

Yay, Esperanza, about albatross help!

esperanza said...

Re: albatross #2: I'm delegating all over the place, admitting I don't know what I'm doing, and asking for help. I hardly know myself anymore! Which is to say, it appears that I may have learned something from past experiences. Go, me!

QWP: ach, it's all a part of E learning her limits, and you learning them too. We have friends who (from my perspective) run their kids ragged every single weekend, with multiple birthday parties out of town, visits to relatives, etc. But the kids seem fine. Everybody's different. Hugs, though. I know it's exhausting.

kathy a. said...

We somehow ended up with odds and ends of leftovers, and not a lot of them. The dolma were VERY popular, but we had leftover grape leaves, tomato sauce, onion, broth -- so tonight, a meatless version also featuring rice, spices, garlic, and some bell pepper. I have no idea what else to do with leftover grape leaves, and I was unwilling to find out what they look like after 2 months in the back of the drawer.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh, that sounds really good, Kathy.

AW: we made it through the day. The last part of the day went mostly better, in spite of a couple of temper tantrums during supper. I ended up laying down the law and saying that E can't roughhouse too much, since she doesn't know her limits very well. I'm now working on being consistent with her, really making it clear what she isn't allowed to do.

AW/W: tomorrow, we're going to pick up my grandpa from the assisted living lodge, and take him to see Grandma in the nursing home. I'm feeling a little emotional about it, since Grandma has really deteriorated over the past year, and I'm not sure if tomorrow will be a good day or bad day. I'm making plans so that Mr. Q can take E out walking and playing.while I visit, if Grandma is having a bad day.

Sue said...

Yay for a good dinner and leftovers kathy a!! But 10:30? That's a loooong day. Hope you got to rest up a bit.

Go esperanza! Asking for help is such a huge thing to learn. Good for you!!

(((QWP))) Hugs and more hugs.

AW: Lovely dinner tonight with my in-laws. Hubby cooked and I cleaned up as usual. He also had a medical appt this morning, which went well, but he was pretty tired once dinner was over. His parents could see he was nodding off and graciously took their leave.

W: Missing our boys.

AW: They both called tonight. :)

Unknown said...

The wrath of the tree pollen has hit our house. Everybody is sneezing, but we all seem to have gotten over last week's crud.

KLee said...

Thanks to all who commiserated on my predicament here. Yes, we are unionized, and I am a member, but there is little I can do to stop the suspension from actually happening. The attorney that I spoke with is going to help me formulate a response to the suspension paperwork, once I get it. I am in a sort of limbo now because we are on Spring Break, and I don't expect much to get done before then.

All the staff that I have talked to are shocked and some even seen angry. I'm torn between feeling angry and upset that I got myself into this situation, but I still think he has it out for me. There have been too many others that have come out badly as a result of his tenure here for me to feel like I'm the only one, however. Small consolation, but it is what it is.

I've put in a handful of applications for pretty much anything, but I have yet to hear from even one of them. I plan to keep looking. I can't stay there anymore. It is like living under the gun.

Thanks for the words of support. Made me feel like less of a colossal screwup.

Liz Miller said...

(((KLee))) You are not a screwup. You are in a bad situation. Sending you love.

kathy a. said...

What Liz said. I'm sorry, KLee -- but glad you have a plan of action, and glad you are not the only one. Not a fabulous place to work. xoxo

Sue, yay for the lovely dinner; yay for the calls home!

We got rain! It poured much of the night, over 1" where we live. This drought thing is getting tiresome.

Sue said...

Oh KLee, so many hugs.

kathy a. said...

Cute report: Minnie and Spot. I was petting Minnie, and Spot came in for some sugar, and they ended up hugging and Spot kissed Minnie. (You have no idea how unbelievably shy Spot was. No human besides me got to pet Spot in the pre-Minnie era. Now he is smitten, and so very brave.)

esperanza said...

Pompous Know-It-All from Albatross #1 just sent an email to say he has some thoughts and will send an email in a few hours. What is that? He is not improving my opinion of him.

kathy a. said...

Save us all from the Pompous Pronouncements.

esperanza said...

Well, to be clear, we asked him for his thoughts (political reasons, wanted to hear pushback on our idea before we actually presented it, etc). We did not need time to prepare ourselves for his pronouncements!

kathy a. said...

To be fair, he probably has other things to do, and wanted to get his thoughts in order. I do give timeframes for when I can send a response (as a courtesy), but usually this is with people I've worked with for years.

No sense worrying when you don't know what he'll say, yet.

esperanza said...

Right. I sent the email with the proposal 12 days ago. He immediately (and courteously) replied that he would get back with us soon. So the "I'm going to email you in two hours" seemed a bit unnecessary. But I don't like him anyway (see above re: Pompous Know-It-All), so he's apt to annoy me.

kathy a. said...

Sometimes people get all specific when they realize that they, the perfect one, haven't gotten something done. Doesn't solve the pomposity, though; demerits for that.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

AW: what a wonderful day. My Grandma was having a really good day, and we had a nice time together at the nursing home. E even snuggled on her lap for a while. And then, just before supper, we went across to my uncle's farm (which was my grandparents' farm), in time for milking. My uncle is so patient (as he was with the previous generation), and takes the time to teach while he's working. And there were kittens!

My heart is full.

Sue said...

Ugh. Pompous Know-It-All people are truly annoying.

Yay QWP!! Kittens! Grandma visit!!

AW: Two days off - In A Row!!! *happy dance*

esperanza said...

W: Mr E has YET ANOTHER staff issue at work. Someone has resigned from about 75% of her job but wants to keep the other 25%. Complicating factor: she's also a member of the congregation. Ugh.

W: Mr. Pompous replied to our 16 pg document with 6 pages of his own comments. Sigh. He and I are going to talk by phone tomorrow. I think there are about 1,259 things I could think of that I would rather be doing, many of them also unpleasant.

AW: Sweet has advanced another reading level, moving beyond the end-of-year kindergarten expectation. Hooray! And whew!

Also, a funny: Yesterday, when I took Sweet into kindergarten, there was a weird, quite large, bug on the ceiling of her classroom. Mrs. P (the teacher) was contemplating the bug. One boy calls out "Kill it with your chancla" (FYI, in Tex-Mex Spanglish "chancla" = flip flop). Blue eyed, blond haired boy says "Yeah! Kill it with your chancla!" I start cracking up because I'm almost certain he has no idea what he has just said. Mrs P has the same thought and asks him "what does chancla mean?" He looks down at his breakfast and says, "pancake???" I lost it completely at that point--could not stop laughing. Mrs P is obviously the professional, because she didn't laugh, only told him not to repeat things he didn't understand, then made the first boy tell the second what chancla meant. Too, too funny--the mental image of her whacking the strange bug with a pancake!

kathy a. said...

Hooray, Sue, for the days off!

QWP, your girl is the cutest. Except maybe for the kittens, but kidlet + kittens is Very Cute.

Esperanza, I prefer a vacuum cleaner for bizarre bugs. But that is a hilarious story with a good lesson attached.

YAY, Sweet! She's doing great! If you are not already spending a lot of time at the library, that day is coming.

Blech about Mr. Pomposity. But if he spent 6 pages: [a] he didn't just say "this sucks" and leave it at that; [b] maybe some of that is agreement?; and [c] at least you can narrow down his points. Also [d] there are probably good answers to most of his points. And [e] dare I hope? But maybe this kind of dedication will put him behind most of it?

kathy a. said...

Pixies, I am depressed. Work's not going well. Various family issues, past and present, are really bothering me. I wanted to bring this up with my doctor last visit, and wrote her in advance, but apparently I have stacked up some medical issues, so everything else got handled and this didn't. So I made another appointment, but the first slot is not until the 21st. Yuckity blah.

In related news, I did something stupid and let a toxic relative know something. Mistake. Plus, I realized I might have been wrong about some particular thing. Which probably feeds the "OMG you are so stupid" part of the program. I need a divorce (not from my husband).

esperanza said...

Some of his points are quite helpful, they are just buried in lots of unnecessary verbiage.

Sorry about the sads, kathy a.

kathy a. said...

I nominate "unnecessary verbiage" for a Pomposity In Need of An Editor prize.

Sue said...

esperanza, ugh re: Mr E's staff troubles. I totally understand the extra challenge of having a staff person who is a member of the congregation. I say two words to myself several times a week - "Never. Again."

(((kathy a)))) Lots of hugs. Be gentle with yourself until you see the doc again.

Liz Miller said...

(((Kathy A))), remember also that depression re: external stuff can be exacerbated by internal stuff. In other words, by taking care of some of the physical stuff you may also be reducing some of the psychical stuff. But I'm glad you're setting up another appointment to address it directly.

XOXOXO

kathy a. said...

Thanks, guys. And Liz, yes -- I think working on the physical stuff is helping some.

Ironically, I have been backing away from one sector of the stress, but that is putting me farther behind, which is not helping in the bigger picture.
Maybe this is my midlife crisis, having the burning desire to do some mental housekeeping? Because my mind keeps going to some of the big life issues -- rethinking what I want to do when I grow up; rethinking some family crap; pondering the nature of decency.

Sue said...

I'm not sure I'd call it a crisis, kathy. Perhaps a coping mechanism?

When I start thinking a lot about the Big Stuff - the wider arc of what's happening in my life - it's usually because one part of my life feels like it's spinning out of control. Because I can't control that one thing, I try to put the rest of the pieces in some semblance of order. Maybe that's just me, but it seems to be my go-to method of managing the unmanageable. Yes, it can feel big and overwhelming, such Big Picture thinking - but maybe that's okay. Maybe that's the best way to make small (and big) changes that are necessary for your sense of well-being.

kathy a. said...

Right; "midlife crisis" means red sports car, dressing like a teenager, and running off with someone you met at a convention... ;)

This really is sorting out the things I can't change, and the things that are no longer working, and what is actually important now. I am surprised at how much I am thinking of certain items -- some things that I thought were long resolved; some that I consider a core part of who I am; but maybe those pieces of furniture could be moved to a different and more useful spot.

Clear as mud, right?

Sue said...

Got it, kathy... those are items well worth some intentional reflection.

W: With apologies to any pixies who have ever posted one of these....

You know those challenge posts on the book of faces? The ones that have some darling poem or sentiment followed by "I know most of my friends won't share this, will you?" Ya, well fireplace that.

That is all.

signed,
Cranky pixie

kathy a. said...

PUT ME ON THE CRANKY BUS, TOO.

esperanza said...

oh yes, I'll join in. It's the new century's version of the chain letter, only with public guilt.

T minus 1 hour till phone call with Mr. Pompous. I bet he shares those posts on the book of faces.

W: Apparently I will spend the call sneezing into the phone. The allergies are haywire today.

kathy a. said...

Sending Be Decent brain waves to Mr. Pomposity. And a hug for you, Esperanza.

Sue said...

Allergies - not fun, especially when speaking with Mr. Pomposity. Bleh. I hope it goes well.

esperanza said...

Eh it was ok. His main deal is that he really really likes his own idea, and doesn't want to hear any modifications, all the while saying it's ok if we "throw it out." You know how some really smart people make you feel really smart, too? And then there's the other kind of smart people, like Mr. Pompous. He has been duly consulted, which I can report to the people who care about that kind of thing.

kathy a. said...

Huh. Usually some kind of compromise is on the list. But maybe he just wanted to explain his point of view? Encouraging that he said you can "throw it out," anyway.

One of my big fat issues involves what could fairly be called a pomposity problem. But it festered too long, and there appear to be too many bricks in the bed. (Which is how someone once described a marital breakdown, but it works OK in a different sort of context....)

Liz Miller said...

Allergies are kicking. My. Butt.

I am sneezing loud, violent, JUICY sneezes.

My nose. She itches.
My throat. She itches.
The roof of my mouth. OY WITH THE ITCHING.

And this is WITH the miracle of the Zyrtec.

kathy a. said...

I feel like a drug pusher, but cannot sing enough praises for Flonase (available OTC; takes down the allergy crap in the nasal area) and Singulair (RX, originally for asthma, but it does some mojo that takes down allergens).

Once allergy symptoms get going, it just makes everything worse. Neither will directly address the itching -- these are preventive meds -- but if your body doesn't have so much to deal with, the itching might not be a problem. Call the doctor!

xoxo

kathy a. said...

The 14 year old daughter of my cousin is on the book of faces. And it is kind of killing me, because she presses a lot of "like" buttons on teenybopper sites. (Which I know her mom also sees.) I wish I could do something about places like Dud3 P3rf3ct, because Oh Really? But there are worse things out there. Or so I've heard.

esperanza said...

Being Dumb Award for me: while pouring boiling water off potatoes, it is not smart to reach in the sink to rescue a small plastic dish from melting, because then boiling water goes on your hand. And it hurts. Small plastic dishes are expendable. At least I got cold water on it quickly, and it is only blistered where my wedding ring made things worse. Dumb. And ouch.

kathy a. said...

Oy, Esperanza! Aloe gel really helps with burns like that. And ice every so often. And take the ring off. xoxo

kathy a. said...

And advil!

esperanza said...

Ring was off quite quickly! And it is small, so not as bad as it could have been, had I had a giant diamond or something. Aloe is a good idea...we have some around here somewhere.

Sue said...

Ouch!! More proof that the kitchen is the hazardous zone!

esperanza said...

ha ha ha, Sue! You are quite right. I have also cut two of my fingers in the past week in--you guessed it--the kitchen!

kathy a. said...

All kitchens should have "danger zone" signs. ;)

AW: My daughter called from work today. She needed to respond to a client who had recently lost her brother, and wanted to know if her note was OK. And it was very nice. (She had spent some time googling and found some helpful stuff, but was shocked at the awful things people sometimes say after a loss.) Long story short, daughter is a good person.