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Monday, August 20, 2012

Setting free the albatross

Today's the day.  The unbloggable Giant Project will get where it is going!  Knock wood.  It's been a harrowing few days of cleaning up details; a bundle of lost sleep.  A lot of people contributed, and everybody's a hero today.  I'm bringing lunch for those who can make it, right before the big send-off.  And chocolate, on general principle.  Have some, my friends!  You have been ever so patient and encouraging.

Diva cat has been quite unhappy about the proceedings lately, since the work on my desk interferes with her bathing preferences.  Apparently, original documents are the best place to bathe -- so clean and pretty -- the staff has treated her quite rudely.  And those faxes and copies -- that machine is her throne.  (She has enjoyed joining the many phone calls, though, adding her two cents where she sees fit.)

I know there are a bunch of things that I've put off for the duration; now I just need to remember what they are.  "Bulldoze dust bunnies" is probably on the list.  Maybe it's time for the Easter display on my mantle to come down.  Also, maybe I'll go get me some of that fun.  And a haircut.  The possibilities are dizzying!

What's happening over where you are?

28 comments:

esperanza said...

AW: Father-of-the-Bride had surgery this morning to investigate skin cancer and lymph nodes. All clear! One win for the good guys.

W: grandmother still not doing well. Repeated judgment calls on whether she can stay alone. Maybe she just wants to be left in peace to die by herself? Hard to say. I think we are all ready.

W: Have I whined this before? Sweet will have foot surgery next week (Tuesday the 28th). This, combined with stress of above two items has led to not much sleep and too much stress for esperanza.

W/AW: looking for places to say "no" and take things off my list.

Sue said...

Congratulations kathy a!!!!!! Yaaaay.

esperanza, saying "no" to things and shortening up that list is a good idea. Do take care of yourself.

AW: Enjoying my sister's visit a lot. We do occasionally get on one anothers nerves, but when we're all together in one place we laugh. Loudly, according to my BIL.

W: Planned on joining the fambly at the cottage yesterday, but was house-bound with a tummy staging a cruel revolt against all things fun.

AW: Feeling better today.

I had placed three urns with kitty cremains in the car with the intention of burying them at the cottage yesterday. Of course, I didn't get there, so I now have three kitty urns in the car. I could bring them back in the house, but I'll just put them back in the car on Wednesday when I go to the cottage for the day.

AW: Good thing I'm not creeped out by such things.

esperanza said...

Have fun with the sisters, Sue!

As far as I can tell right now, the only things I can say "no" to are the things that are keeping me sane and/or I enjoy doing. Hm. But is it worth the reduced stress?

kathy a. said...

((( esperanza ))) thinking many good thoughts about grandma and the clan. xoxo

yay, about FotB's surgery going well and turning up good news!

it is way scary when a child needs surgery. even a surgery that will go well, and will help her. xoxo

and yeah, what's up with clearing the decks meaning giving up the parts that keep you sane? phooey on that. but maybe you can go part-time -- stop in for the sanity, back out of the time-consuming things for now?

sue -- yay for a good sibling visit! and glad you are feeling better today. the kitty urns will get where they are going soon enough -- hope you really enjoy the fambly cottage visit. xoxo

AW: it's official. the albatross landed! not without bumps, but done is done.

Anonymous said...

YAY kathy a!!!!!
:) Neighbor Lady

Sue said...

AW: On my way to the cottage to bless the kitty urns and find the perfect resting place for them.

W: Still filled with sputtering shock over that dumba*s in Missouri. He is the reason that sex education in schools is crucial. Some kid likely whispered this nonsense in his ear when he was 8 and no one ever corrected him (or they did, and he was too arrogant to believe he was wrong). That he holds public office is quite simply appalling.

**deep breath - bracketing the fury appropriately**

As you were.... :)

kathy a. said...

sue -- you are not alone in boiling with unspeakable fury at this particular dumba*s, and the idjits who feed this nonsense. willful ignorance, and willful disregard of the experiences of others, does not strike me as either a political or a personal virtue.

my cats send mrrows (tributes) to the dearly departed. and may things be peaceable and healing at the cottage.

Liz Miller said...

Rep. Akin: (doubles down, 'cause the bitches be lyin').

Rep. King: ("I don't know of any girls who have gotten pregnant from rape or incest") Seriously, he said that.

Gov. McDonnell: (The GOP Nat'l platform will include pushing for a constitutional amendment banning abortion with no exceptions.)


And that's just TODAY.

kathy a. said...

la la la la laaaa. quota of teh stupid for the day. maybe the year!

and speaking of stupid -- landing the albatross included me hauling heavy things hither and yon, because i'm hands-on and not too proud for dirty work. but i'm also not in shape for that. ouch.

Sue said...

Agreed on the quota of teh stupid. Oh my.

Thanks for kitty tributes. Our afternoon at the cottage was lovely. We had a moment of silence for our beloved kittehs, followed by memories of all our cats and dogs over the years.

W: BIL not feeling good at all. Possibly an inguinal hernia but he will know more tomorrow. Poor guy.

Yankee, Transferred said...

Serious whine: Womens' rights are going to be totally obliterated if we are not careful.

I cannot even rhyme about it. I'm scared shi*less.

Liz Miller said...

Amen.

esperanza said...

kathy a's "me hauling heavy things hither and yon, because i'm hands-on and not too proud for dirty work. but i'm also not in shape for that. ouch. " is genius. That poor combination has gotten me into trouble more than once. Just the "not too proud for dirty work" has gotten me a reprimand by my boss. For reals.

Agreed on Teh Scary, YT.

W/AW??? Grandmother is doing somewhat better. She sent my mom back home and has been on her on for ~48 hours with no mishaps that we know of. Thus extending the "what-do-we-do" limbo. Sigh.

kathy a. said...

YT! so glad to see ya! but no shit, this is bad bad stuff. lot of economic bull-puckey going around, too.

i'm happy to pay my fair share of taxes, because of the common good and all. but it freaking astonishes me to hear a multimillionaire bragging that he never paid below 13% -- because here on the planet where people work for money to support their families, and have to make actual sacrifices because there is not all that much money -- 13% is ridiculously low. scandalous, for someone who will never run out of money.

esperanza -- i stand by not being too proud for dirty work.

and hugs about the limbo. all we can do is gauge things, wait and see, sometimes.

esperanza said...

Yep, I am proud of not being too proud for dirty work. Wait a minute. Did that just backfire?

kathy a. said...

i don't mean ALL the dirty work. delegation is a virtue, too. not every need must be answered.

i don't want my head to get too big; to just assume that other people will handle the lesser tasks or that they happen by magic.

it's admittedly kind of a juggle sometimes, trying to be somewhere between "entitled bitch" and "doormat."

Liz Miller said...

Sometimes tho, you gotta ask the question, "What could I be doing right now instead of this that would help the organization?" and if the answer is something that other people CAN'T do, you should do that instead.

Sue said...

**waving*** Hi YT!!!!

I think kathy is on to the primary challenge for women in the workplace - finding that perfect place between "entitled bitch" and "doormat".

I can't say I've ever put it those terms *Mullet - cough - Mullet* but that's a perfect description.

Liz Miller said...

[whispering, so as not to jinx it. I may have a better job. One that pays quite a bit more, and doesn't suck out my life force]

kathy a. said...

** fist-bumping sue **

[whispering] LIZ! you go, girl!

awards tomorrow, so keep going. i'm still working out the last few kinks on albatross-related matters, put-off projects, and etc. ok, i'm lazy. and also it made my day that the appraiser liked the dogs, and did not call my house a total trash heap.

Sue said...

Quietly cheering for Liz!

esperanza said...

secret dances of happiness for Liz.

W: for reals. The getting-ready process is maddening. What works one day is a disaster the next. I'm feeling guilty because I'm thinking, well, after the surgery we won't have to go through the 20 minute process to get her braces and socks off every morning. (She'll be in casts for 6 weeks.

Also, any hints on how to give a person a bath who can't get her knee-length casts wet?

Liz said...

Yikes. Garbage bags taped over them and sit her crossways so her legs stick up out of the tub?

Sponge baths?

Kiddy pool?

Kitchen sink?

kathy a. said...

yikes indeed, esperanza. liz has kinda covered the "what would mom do" short list, but maybe the nurses will have suggestions about what works. if you still have a baby tub around, that could be a way to do a decent wash while not submerging the casts.

and oy. casts for 6 weeks! in TEXAS... xoxoxoxo i think your dance card is full on the "dirty work" front.

Sue said...

Oh my. Extreme Dirty Work for sure Esperanza.

W: a friend and colleague passed away this evening. It was not unexpected but very sad. We will have an opportunity to honor and celebrate her life next week. She loved music so that bodes well for a great service.

esperanza said...

This is why we waited till the END of the summer.

Nurses' suggestion was sponge bath. Because that will be fun. I'm not opposed to taping garbage bags over them, but I am opposed to taping duct tape to her skin so the water won't run under the casts. That's where I'm getting stuck. We have been experimenting with the shower wand, but not happy with it yet.

So sorry, Sue. Even when it's expected, it's still hard.

Liz Miller said...

((Sue))

Esperanza, the more I think about it, the more I like the kiddy pool idea. Fill with warm water and have her sit down in it with her legs over the sides. Use a tupperware container to get water all over the rest of her.

kathy a. said...

((( sue ))) so sorry about the loss of your friend.

here are some tips on bathing a child with a cast. the really brilliant one is to wrap a washcloth around the top, in case of any small leakage. another place suggested using masking tape around the top of the plastic -- easier than duct tape!

what if you run a shallow bath, and put a small plastic stool [or inverted dishpan?] in there to prop the legs above water?