I can't get my act together and I don't know why

Anonymous

Wish, my dh husband used to be a very good painter.  But, he HATES to paint.  In fact he hates to do anything.  And with his back excuse (yes he's in pain) he can't do anything.  But I get so aggravated with him because he has BARELY worn his neuro stimulator.  So, how in the world does he even know if this thing will work for him.  He's depressed.  I'm depressed.  He needs to get a job, but here we go back to the back pain.  No, I can't get a job.  I'm too crazy.  I'd fail the CVS psyhc test!  LOL

Well, it's no longer dark.  Hope your survey of the gardens went well.  I'll go back downstairs and look at my paneling.

Shirley

kes

Hi Ladies,

Wish,  All of your gardening is making me tired. Please take it easy. I was reading about mastectomy with lymph node removal for one of my clients and the info that I got for her said to wear gloves for gardening to decrease the risk of infection. I did not know this but it also said to use an electric razor under that arm, not carry heavy purses, no blood pressure checks on that arm, no blood draws or I.V. starts, if you get a cut to wash with soap and water and use an antibiotic ointment and cover with a bandaid, no sunburn on that arm, also do not wear a top or nightgown with elastic at the wrist. All of these precautions are to decrease the risk of lymphedema. There were more, but I can't remember all of them, a side effect of not having my act together.

Just to make life more interesting, now I have sold my old car on the weekend and now the new owner wants to pick it up tomorrow. So poor DH had to do a ton of stuff with the car today to get it ready for tomorrow.

Only 2 more days of work, can't believe that I have already worked 4. Having a breakfast meeting in the am. I am hungry already just thinking about it. We just drive the waiters at the restaurant NUTS because we all come in at different times and we all want coffee NOW, and we all order as we get there. And we all leave one by one. And of course we are LOUD!!!! The only thing missing is booze.

Gotta go, a storm in coming in.

Take Care All and happy painting. My painter is cheap and he can get a discount at the paint store for the paint so it is worth it to hire him. My DH thinks that he is the only one who can paint. But I just hire the painter as he is a lot cheaper than getting a divorce over painting.

Wish,  My DH now snores. I told him that he HAS to stop snoring. I won't divorce him for his painting, I will divorce him for his snoring. Never used to snore. I need to get some sleep.

Shirley, Why are you looking at your paneling? Are you going to paint it? You always make me laugh!!!

Kerry

wishiwere

I actually enjoy painting.  Last spring/early summer, I repainted the upstairs in mom's house.  3 LARGE bedrooms, a wrap around hall and large bath (like a small bedroom in my home). Oh, and the stairwell.  What a job!  It's all plaster and there was a lot of decorative plaster and areas that had to be fixed b/c of the roofers cracking some, UGH!  But it was fun, to be able to replicate some of the neat plastering that was on it. I'm thinking of doing it some of my rooms now.  Maybe that is.  IF I ever get this shoulder back in Full ROM.

I remember waiting on groups like you speak of in my teens after the bars let out! OH MY!  Enjoy your breakfast, and be kind...could be someone you know or their child who waits on you!   I'll tell you, if I were younger, I'd do it again!  DD makes some big bucks waiting tables!

Anonymous

Kerry, I'm so happy you have a LIFE!  LOL  Breakfast sounds wonderful.  I believe it's my favorite meal to eat out.  There's a place at the beach that my dd (the gypsy one) took me before she left town.  Oh my!  They have the bestest food ever.  I had an omlet that was stuffed with crab.  I brought half of it home to dh.  And she took half to her dh.  She didn't want to.  She wanted to finish it, but was being "good."  And the pancakes, waffles..all that stuff...is to die for.  And they ALWAYS have a wait.  Not too long and it's worth waiting.  Shut up Shirley!  It's too late for another snack! 

Oh, and yes, I want the dark paneling painted.  And the cabinets (I'd love new cabinets, but forget that!).  And the windows (can't afford new windows..those nice ones that are so easy to clean).  I need a new floor in the den, kitchen, mud room and half bath.  I want new counter tops.  I want to jerk all the curtains down and trash them.  I want, I want!  My dh HATES to paint.  Remember how long it took for him to complete the spindles?  Plus, his back hurts and he probably couldn't roll all of that pain.  PLUS HE DOESN'T WANT TO!

Wish, I don't know how to paint.  I've helped hubby in the past, but I did most of the trim.  Heck, anything would look better than that 70's paneling.  Maybe one day I'll get the TSP out and clean it.  And sand the cabinets.  And then I'll be too tired to paint.  Wouldn't that suck!  Oh, and I need someone to replace some of the molding around a couple of doors cuz one of the cats I had used to use it as a scratching post.  Bless his little heart.  He's no longer with us.

I'm watching the storm that's gonna hit Texas.  It's no where near my family, but they're hoping for rain.

Nite all.

Shirley

gsg

Hello, girls.  My husband decided to try to clean my home office the other day...he was so disgusted with the cobwebs, old computer equipment stacked on the floor, etc.  When I walked in, he was using a putty knife to scrape some old gum off the floor.  I never noticed it was there and can't figure out how that happened, but it kind of made me laugh.   That's pretty bad.  What am I, 10? 

 How deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesgusting.

 Still working impossible hours and no time to catch up...so just wanted to do one of my post and runs. 

Hugs all around-

Patrice

wishiwere

Oooooooooooh!  Ewwwwwwwwwwww!  Thanks for the laugh! HA! The day my dh got disgusted enough to clean my sewing/hobby room would be the end of the world as we all know it!  Too funny!  It's my dh that leaves 'oil' stains on carpeting in front of his chair when I'm not home! It's the way I KNOW he's not taken his shoes off when I'm not home.  What's with men anyway?  We often work longer hours for less pay and still we do ALL the upkeep and cleaning!  UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

One reason I've put off going back to work.  I'm thinking half time is enough when you add in another 20 to keep up the house and gardens!   MEN!!

Did you pinch his arse while he leaning over that wad of gum patrice?   Evil mind made say that out loud!

gsg

Nope, Wish, I kicked it because I didn't like his attitude.

kes

Hi Ladies,

We have 1 day left before the BIG BBQ and what did my DH HAVE to do TODAY? Clean out the toy closet in the livingroom. Can you believe it? The TOY CLOSET. What does that have to do with a BBQ?. At least the cleaning lady is coming tomorrow to clean the house, so I can do all the crazy things, like get ready for the BBQ and strip the sheets on the beds for the overnight company. I am not going to stress over this BBQ as the 6 days at work were the PITS and way too BUSY. I am going to enjoy myself and have fun and see a lot of people and try and talk to each one of them. And act stupid and enjoy it, like before BC.

Wish, We are really good to the waiters at the restaurant and leave them good tips. It is a family run place and I think that all the aunts and uncles wait on the tables. I had some bacon and my gallbladder was giving me grief in the afternoon.

Shirley,  Sounds like if you start,that things will just keep on going. The snowball effect can be very expensive. Be careful.

Patrice,  Glad to see that you're not together yet. Neither am I. I can pretend to be together, but I am really not. Work helps.

Take Care All,

Kerry

wishiwere

Oh geepers, Kerry! Had my GB out in aug 05, along with an ovary and a D&C one morning!  Best thing I ever did!  I weighed about 144 before it started acting the end of april and by surgery the 2nd of august I'd lost 20 lbs and a whole lot of muscle mass. The only thing I could KNOW i'd keep down was fritos lay corn chips and vernors/ginger ale.It hit me fast and hard.

I still have problems occasionally with bacon, and some really spicy or high fat foods, but not like I did that summer! Whhooeeeeeeeeee!  Projectile stuff.  Scared the crap out of us!  Thought I would die!

And you know.....I had started on that estrogen stuff in october or so...about 6 months of estroven. That's when the ovary thing happened, and then the gall bladder and then 2 years later this stuff!  UGH! Get thee to a doc lady!  I swear, I looked and felt more ill all that time than all through chemo!

kes

Wish,

That sounds wicked for sure. Mine only bothers me when I have home made french fries with fried fish and now this bacon at the restaurant. I could lose the 20 lbs for sure, but what a way to do it. I am sick of surgery for now. The thought of another one cannot even enter my mind at this time. I am just starting to feel a tiny bit like the old me, before BC. It all started for me last year with my yearly mammogram on June 5/07. Looking back I don't know how I got through the last year. What a trip. We are stronger than we think.

Take Care, I will be a crazy fool by the time the BBQ gets here. I work best under pressure and I like to be busy. It keeps my mind active and I don't sit around thinking. That is when I get into trouble. My GF says that I think toooo much and she is right. If I could just shut it off.

Kerry

P.S.  Shirley, I hope that you are not still staring at your paneling? I think that I am going to stare at my bills this week. Do you think that they will go away if I stare at them? I should not pay any of them and see how long it takes for the various companies to call me and remind me to pay. I am sick of bills too.

sueper13

Kerry,

Have your guests stare at the bills, and let me know if it works! We have way too many of them, I believe your bills increase to match your income. And now we are paying out-of-state tuition for my ds.....oh, well, I'm just glad he's going to school.  He decided to leave tonight instead of tomorrow, and I actually feel okay. I cried a little in the kitchen after he drove off, but I know it's right.  It's just weird to realize, okay, Sue, your years of having children in the house are over.  I think I can learn to love this.  He took his greyhound and husky with him, I will miss those dogs!!!

Have a great evening and hope your BBQ goes off without a hitch tomorrow!!!

Sue 

Anonymous

Kerry, I'd sure like to be at that BQ.  Sounds wonderful!

Sue, don't worry.  DS will bring home some grandkiddies for you to play with.  My two wear me completely out.  Seems like I'm constantly jumping from one thing to another.  Plus their mom has things planned HER way. LOL  My grandmother never played with me.  I have to play with mine. LOL Kids are so different than when I grew up.  Or, is it Grandmas are different?

Shirley

Anonymous

Oh, and Kerry, no. I'm not staring at the paneling.  I'll do that later.  It bugs me, then I say, OH WELL...one day.

Harley44

Wish,

I am so glad that your bx was B 9 !!!!   YAY!!  I am glad to hear that you got some ESTROGEN!  YAY, ESTROGEN!! 

I don't remember if I answered you, but I remember reading somewhere that you posted and asked me how my gyn onc appt. went.  It was a real joke!  I have posted under the bitchy thread so if anyone is interested in the details, I posted it there.  I won't bore you all with the details here.  

But the end result is that I am back on Tamoxifen starting TODAY since my regular onc doesn't believe me that I am post menopausal... they need the bloodwork to prove it, but they don't know how to interpret it, or they don't think it is very accurate.... WTH??   

Anyhow I am scheduled to go back to see this fool on Aug. 21st, but he called today to tell me that he will have his office call and schedule me for Aug. 11th and maybe he can do the biopsy on Aug. 13th.  I keep telling him that I had the breast bx, and it was bc, so I am very nervous about this....  stupid idiot drs.!!!

I STILL refuse to clean!!

wishiwere

You MOST definitely need to see someone else for goodness sakes!  Do you know what the numbers are on your estrogen levels?  Was it for the FSH, LH and E2?  And who did it?  Surely the gyn would know, wouldn't he?  Who did the test?

kes

Sue, 

I think that I will hand every guest one of my bills to pay when they arrive at my BBQ and that is how I will get rid of them. I am almost ready, and I cannot believe it. Just have to put the DD's laundry away and put clean sheets on the beds and do one more load of laundry. The cleaning ladies came today. We have the BIG bbq that we rented and the DH is getting up early in the am to pick up the 35 fresh chickens and we can get into the community hall in the am. I am truly amazed at how organized we are this year. Last year it was a pig roast. Wish you all could come. We counted up the people and we will have about 55 people and kids here. I want to have a good time and enjoy myself. Hope that your DS makes out O.K. When my DH and I had the DD it was so weird to have a baby in the house because we had been just the 2 of us for 16 years, I kept wondering when someone was going to come and take the baby home. My house was sooo noisy with the crying it took a while to get used to it. Now when I go to a quiet house it is just soo weird for me. It will take a while to get used to it.

Shirley,

I think that Grandmas are different now. My Mom is an absolute lunatic with my DD. They play and have sooo much fun together and bake and act just silly. It is fun just to watch. My Mom never did that with me. She would read to me, but not the silly play. I will have to sue her for that, the emotional trauma of it all.   LOL,LOL,LOL

Harley,

I hope that you can get things figured out. You don't need any more stress. Hang in there.

Take Care All,

Kerry

Harley44

Wish,

Because of my insurance, I can't switch drs.  Oh and the FSH test and LH and estrodial levels were done TEN years ago, in Maryland, so who knows WHERE these drs. are?  So I guess I will need to get these levels tested again.  Maybe I'll get my primary care dr. to do them, and send them a copy.  BUT, it really ticks me off that they don't believe me.  WHY would I lie about this?  Even that dopey gyn onc said, 'well, you had tests done, and they determined that you were post menopausal, right?', so he believed me... 
I STILL think if this gyn onc would just do the hysterectomy and save me another biopsy, that would solve my problem with the bleeding and my un trusting regular onc!!  I could switch to an AI if I didn't have this extra stuff that I worry is a time bomb that could turn ca... any day!

Kerry,

You sure have been busy!!  Hope you have a wonderful party!  It sounds fun!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Harley

wishiwere

Gosh after seeing your pic, I didn't suspect you were old enough to be post for 10 years?  Or are you the one with pre-mature ovarian failure?  Gosh I'm mixed up!   Anyway, YES, have them do the test to see if you are post if you think you aren't and then make the switch for goodness sakes.  You've already had the increase in endo stripe, it's time to stop tamox.  I do thing I remember reading thought that arimidex can cause euterine cancer too, can't it?  So at least maybe you should have the bx to be sure of that till you can find someone that will the hyster?

Dang I'm so sorry you are STILL dealing with this crap!  I'm thinking of starting that estrogen cream today.  just soooooooo scared to put estro INTO my body and yet take arimidex?  Sounds stupid, but....I'd give it ONE good try for 2 months and see....

Again, I'm sorry dear you are dealing with this whole mess!   Sending some {{hugs}} for your decisions.

althea

Shirley, you cracked me up the other day when you broke your fingernail on your 'bird' finger.  And then to imagine you staring at your paneling in a hypnotic stupor, I can feel my eyes glazing over with you. 

Harley, I know I have crappy insurance but your is bound to be worse if you can't change doctors.  How can that happen??  I feel a rant coming.  Moving on...

Kerry, you're going to get yourself banned from this thread with your whirlwind of activity.  lol  If you don't crash and burn big time after the bbq, perhaps you can graduate to a fully functional thread that you could start.  

I had one day of feeling functional.  Friday of last week.  I had lunch with my mom and her neighbor.  Then I baked cookies.  I applied for a job in a bakery.  If my work ethic ever comes out of its coma, I'm thinking about marketing my cholesterol-free molasses cookies.  Then I mailed cookies to my brother for his birthday.  Then I mowed the lawn. 

That was a huge day of activity in my world.  I've been crashing and burning ever since.   I'm officially blaming Dolly.  The direct hit was south of where I live, but here there were two days of wind and much needed rain.  Now the humidity is mightily oppressive.  The last two days especially I've felt like a limp rag.  

Before I sign off, I gotta tell y'all about a story about bacon on a show called texas country reporter.  There's a restaurant in Snook that created a menu item called chicken fried bacon.  They take pieces of thick sliced bacon, dip it in their batter and flour for fried chicken and then fry it.  It's served with a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping sauce.  Can you imagine eating something like that??  A nutrionist they interviewed estimated that each piece of the fried bacon was 150 calories, and it looked like each serving of the stuff had at least five or six pieces.  Dang, if that doesn't clog your arteries, nothin will!

sam408

I saw that chicken fried bacon on a Food Network show along with other restaurants across the US that were deep frying all sorts of things. I love my fried food, but coated bacon???!!! One thing I can say is that when they showed people eating it, they were all men! They showed another restaurant that I can't remember what it was called, but they deep fry hamburgers in oil that hasn't been changed since something like 1945, eeeewwww! When they pulled the burgers out of the grease they didn't even drain them, they just slapped them dripping grease and all onto the bun. Once again, the customers they showed were men. . .guess they'll eat anything.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend. I've spent most of the day trying to get my pool cleaned. Normally I don't mind doing it, but since I haven't been able to use it this summer, it just gripes my butt to be the only one who cleans it. It's done and now I need to go to the grocery. Grocery shopping is pretty near the top of my list of things I hate doing. But we gotta eat, so I gotta go.

Later!

wishiwere

It's saturday!  Isn't there anyone to help with that stuff?  I know....dh isn't home from his week gone again, so I understand, but dang it!  There are things that they could do also, or not?  I'm thinking my dh is really enjoying being home on 34 hours (includes his one hr to and from the shop). This way I feel guilty about even asking him to take the trash out, so he's getting away with everything.  Mind you he isn't working all that time away, but works each day and long hours, but man....there are things a woman just can't do!  Like clean gutters!  I helped this year, but can't do it alone anymore.  This arimidex makes me dizzy at times at heights esp, so I hate ladders now   And besides, I've only got ONE arm now that's fully ROM functional! UGH! MEN! anyway!

Anonymous

Here's a shout-out to Ms. HARLEY --    Oh, and I'm very happy that you still refuse to clean.

So, Kerry, today was the BBQ, right (Saturday)?  I hope you had/are having a ball!  No, do not present your guests with a bill.  That would be tacky (like my paneling! 

Kerry, I have to fess up and tell you that I'm EXTREMELY jealous of your energy.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm happy for you BUT DAMNED JEALOUS! 

Wish, Harley does not look her age.  It's disgusting!!!!  I look like her grandmother!  I stay off ladders too.  I climb on chairs. LOL

Althea, when one gets their fingernails ALL the same length, one dosn't like to break one's fingernail!   It looks like the tip of my finger has been cut off.  And, I'm not about to cut all the other nails.  The nail will just have to catch up.

And, the paneling.  It's YUCKY!  One day (when I get my act together..HAHAHAHA!) I'll start on the paneling with hopes that my dh will help...another HAHAHAHAHA!

You know there are women who start an successful business by first making whatever (in your case cookies) from their home.  Heck, sometimes QVC looks for new inventions...LOL  Haven't watch it in a long time.  Anyway, you could be an entrepreneur (glad we have spell check).  Heck, I'd buy some cookies from you.  Paula Dean started off in her kitchen and she's a rich woman today.  Heck, you could even have your on show on the Food Network!  Gotta dream big!

Ewwwwww...the deep chicken fried bacon!  My dd told me that her mil (who knows little about cooking) was going to cook some bacon one morning or lunch time.  Her mil poured some olive oil in the skillet (I'm laughing as I'm typing this), and dd told her she didn't need any oil.  She can make Chicken Devan though.  She always makes that for my sil because he likes it.  And, bless her heart, when she sees a recipe that says "4 servings" she never doubles it.  If she has four people eating she thinks it will be enough.  When sil was a teenager the poor guy would only get one chicken thigh.  LOL  He loved coming over here to eat because I also had junk around.  He said it was a teenager boy's dream.  He cracks me up (except that he took my dd away from me...far, far away)!  Oh, they called me last night.  They're now in Durango Colorado..loved Santa Fe, N.M.

I vote that you your fat-free molasses cookies.  Sounds delish to me!

Sheila, another Ewwwww on the deep fried hamburgers.  What's wrong with MEN!?  My husband would probably like both the bacon and the burgers.  I will not be trying the "recipe" for either one of them!

Sorry about you having to clean the pool when you can't even use it.  I wouldn't clean the pool and see if anyone else does.  Just make sure they don't jump in to the nasty water.  Besides, it's too hot to clean a pool if you can't even get in it!

It's Saturday and what have I done.  NOTHING!  Oh, yeah, I did put a couple of dishes in the dishwasher.  And watched a bunch of stuff on the Hallmark channel.  I've got to check my dryer.  I can't remember if I put the towels I washed a couple of days ago into the dryer.  Ewww...they're gonna smell if I didn't.

Tomorrow's another day.  Perhaps I'll do something tomorrow......and then.....maybe not.

Shirley

PS I wonder if Patrice had to work today.  Either the Senate or House voted today on the Bill to bail out people from foreclosures.  I wonder if they'd do that for us.  Or is it only for the people who bought huge expensive homes with not enough income that had variable rates and now that the rates are going up they can't pay it?  Nah!

Shirley

wishiwere

YEAH!  That's what they'll do.....Like EDdie McMahan....what a nut case!  Just laughed my little arse when I read he was 600,000 behind on house payments!  HAhahahhahahehehheheheheohoohooo!  Oh my, oh me! Give me the 600,000 eddy and you can live in my basement for free honey! Geepers, that doesn't sound right...just give me the money ol' man, you and your young idiot wife..Oh do not get me started....

Anonymous

Wish, I think I heard that poor ole Eddie couldn't work because he broke his neck, so that's why he can't pay for the house.!?  What happened to all the money he made in the past?

I wonder if he broke his neck while getting in one of those new bathtub/shower stalls he's "selling" on TV.  That wasn't nice!  That was ugly!  Shame on me. 

Sorry I got you started, Wish.  LOL

Shirley

wishiwere

   Ti's okay!  He got a job cnn reported, doing commercials on someone's show.  Bought time!  He really thought people would bail him out of the fix! HA!

Harley44

You ladies are TOO funny!  ED McMAHON, the guy from (was it ) Johnny Carson show?  Is he the one who can't pay for his expensive house?!!  Oh dear!  I think we BETTER help him!  lol  What a riot! 

Wish,

I AM the freak who was dx'd with premature ovarian failure, at age 35!  But, that was TEN years ago, so I'm 45 now.  Yes, use the estrogen, I wish I could, too!  But now, with this intermittent bleeding issue, I can't even think about having sex again!  Heck, I can't even go out for a walk, without having spotting later in the evening.  Oh, I have read that the reason Tamoxifen causes uterine cancer is because it acts like estrogen on your uterus, and we know that estrogen without progesterone is a BAD THING!!  So WHY do they do it this way??  I don't think Arimidex works that way, as an estrogen, but I could be wrong.

I decided that I will go ahead with the biopsy, and at least now I have my Xanax, and even if I don't need to use it, I have it.  I will make a list of questions, like:

1.   can they put me to sleep for this procedure?  I know, it's ONLY 15 minutes, but that will be 15 minutes of pure HELL, if he's in there, scraping around!  I do not want to be AWAKE for this!

2.   can he do the blood test, and send it to my regular onc to PROVE that I'm not lying?

3.   can he recommend someone who can do a hysterectomy, IF he refuses?  Of course, this is  assuming that this THICK endometrial stripe is nothing, as the drs. suspect. 

Shirley, you are TOO sweet!!  Some days I feel like I'm 80!  and you DO NOT look like my grand mother!!!  But, my two oldest sisters are 60 and 62, and they took care of me when I was a baby!  So you could be my older sister!

Hope everyone is having a great day, enjoying the rest of their weekend!

Harley 

 

kes

Hi Ladies,

The BBQ was a blast. Lots of good food and some music afterwards. Girlfriends cleaned up the community hall last night. DH did the rest of the community hall this am. Now we have to do our yard and kitchen. We have a TON of leftover food. Had a pinata for the kids. One of the ladies wanted to know when I had time to do the candy bags for the pinata. I told her it was the afternoon before people started to arrive. It was a lot of work and a lot of money spent but it was well worth it. DH is having a nap on the couch. I am going to start to clean the yard and the kitchen. My Mom was here and did not say anything stupid. I'm amazed. All went well.

Althea,  You could start a home business and sell your cookies. Gotta start somewhere, look at Martha Stewart. My typing went really big. Don't know how that happened, but it is easier to read.~~ I am not ready for a fully functional thread of my own. I would miss all the ladies here. Can't graduate yet!!

Shirley,  Don't get too excited about my energy. I don't have much today, but it has to get done. Now my typing has gone small again, and I do not know how that happeded either. I am soo tecnically challenged that it is not funny. I am more of a phone person. I don't even do e mail. Can't be bothered.

Wish,  Why is it that people with a lot of money cannot pay their bills. If we had Ed's money we would pay everything off and travel and have a good retirement in the bank. The more money they have the more they spend. I do not feel sorry for people like this. Did he not SAVE any money?

Harley,  I hope that you get things figured out soon. You do not need the aggravation.

Sheila,  That is a drag that you have to clean the pool. I wish that I had a pool. I would go to the beach today, but I have no energy and I need to clean up my party mess. Maybe if Ed McMahan gave me his spare pocket change I could get a pool. I only want an above ground one, not too expensive.

Take Care All,
Kerry

gsg

hi, everybody.

 shirley:  yes, i did have to work yesterday.  that place has completely exhausted me.  i slept almost all day today and still feel tired.  going into the week tomorrow with no clean underwear.  won't be the first time that's happened and definitely won't be the last. 

 i'm going back to bed.  everybody have a nice week!

Anonymous

Patrice, you'll soon be having a break, right.  If not, what do you do when the Senate is out? 

Darn, I wish I could ask you questions about "people."  LOL

Hope you have some new undies in a drawer somewhere.  If not, don't forget to turn the dirties inside out.

Hope you sleep well.  Well, by the time you EVER get around to reading this it will be old.

Nite nite anyway.

Shirley

gsg

Good morning, Shirley (& everybody else, too).   I logged in while having my morning cup of coffee.  You're right about the break, Shirley.  There are a  few of us who don't have to work while they are out of session (but we are on call 24/7) because our jobs relate to only when they are in session and on the floor.  However, we must be available to go in there at a moment's notice if something happens and they go back into session for some emergency, etc.   And we each have to go in and answer phones during the breaks...we take turns.  So I'll be in there a couple times in August.  Makes it real difficult to plan anything....We do not get "vacation" time and cannot take time off normally for doctor's appointments, etc, while they are in session.  When we're in session, we never know what time we're going to start work (we're told right before they recess each night) and what time we're going to get off.  All day long, we wonder how late we'll be there. We're there as long as they are...and then for maybe an hour after they've recessed.   So when we're out of session, we hope they stay out so we can get caught up on all appointments and maybe get away for a bit with friends or families.

 The rest of the departments are all still in there working and have normal benefits.  Because even when they are "out of session" the Senators are still working...they go back to their States to work.   They're just not coming to the floor to make speeches and pass legislation.  I think most people would be very surprised at how hard they work down there. So many say they don't do anything, etc.  So not true.  There may be stalemates and logjams, but the hours worked are crazy.  I could never do what Senators do.  I often wonder how the older ones handle it. 

It makes for a very different life.  You have absolutely no control over it.  You need very understanding spouses who are willing to pick up much of the slack, especially if you have children.  I don't know how people with small kids do it...especially never knowing when you're going to start or get off work.  Many times I don't get home until 1 a.m. and have to be back the next morning.  During fillibusters we're there around the clock.  

But still...I love my job and still pinch myself when I walk in there each day.  Feel blessed to work in such a beautiful old building and have a front row seat as  history is made.

 Okay..my cup of coffee is gone and now I need to get busy.   Have a great week everybody.

 Patrice

p.s. Shirley...I bet you're sorry you asked if I had a break coming up. LOL.