It's Definitely Spring

After many months of no posts (where does the time fly?), it's time to get the fingers flying again, and I definitely need to write about all facets of my life, not just the big C.

So, I'm loving this time of year, the cool temperatures (not really a fan of hot summer months).  The birds are singing and the tulips and daffodils are long gone.  The grass is getting dry, and so sprinklers have been turned on this week. 

Tony is back to work as of a couple weeks ago.  There was a big, really BIG, earthen slide at Kennecott last month, which shut the mine down for a couple weeks.  Once MSHA gave the okay, DMC began inspections to verify operability.  Tony was called back, much to his relief, well to everyone's relief (I think he enjoyed about the first three days off and then realized how boring life is w/o a job, not to mention the money).  Fortunately, DMC is back to work, but cannot say the same for Kennecott workers, who are being laid off, as production is expected to be about 50%.  I have kept some paper clippings and if I actually get ambitious might put them into some type of scrapbook page for Tony. 

Victor is doing great, is very happy, just got transferred back to Bloomington, where he spent his first six months.  He loved it there and was thrilled (his excitement was jumping out of his email) to be back.  He is with his MTC companion for six weeks (which is dragging him down a bit, as evidently this elder is not shall we say as motivated to work), and then will receive one of two incoming elders (but 16 incoming sisters, yeah!!) to train for the remaining 12 weeks of his mission.  This will be his third time training. 

Jared is closing out his school year, is working hard, has an AP test upcoming that is stressing him a bit.  He has enjoyed going to two school dances in the last couple months, girls' choice and Prom, both with lovely girls.  He was just called this past Sunday to be the first assistant in the Priests Quorum, so that will keep him busy.  The quorum is huge, which gives me great delight.  It has been fun to watch this age group reach this point. 

Rafael has been working all the hours that he can when the opportunity arises, as TOSH got a 5% across-the-board pay cut this year, that in addition to no raise in like forever...ugh.  His good friend, Kerry, passed away unexpectedly.  It made him really sad.  I could see how deeply affected he was.  We attended Kerry's celebration of life last Friday.  It was held in an outdoor setting in the beautiful Heber valley, was very party like with live music, food, booze, open mike. 

Me?  Well, work has been very slow.  My account, Illinois Bone and Joint, that I've worked for the last couple years, and have LOVED, went to India a couple months ago.  Yes, again another account off shore.  After a bit, I started with a new account, Pioneer Health Systems (same company, Keystrokes out of Chicago) based in Mississippi.  These are rural offices, and quite honestly I don't like the platform, ChartNet, where we do straight type for a month or so and then the computer switches to editing of voice recognition (which means I spend almost as much time editing as if I were typing, for half the line rate).  We started with two of the seven facilities, have increased to three, with the full load by mid July.  Quite honestly, I'm sure that the lines have even gone down since the third location came online. 

My previous supervisor emailed that a new behavioral account was opening, but only with two doctors at first (wanting to test the water) and asked if anyone was interested.  I definitely was.  Turns out 30 of us responded, but she could only take two to start.  I did not make the cut, unfortunately.  Hope that something soon opens up, as I am hardly making enough in a pay period to fill a tank of gas or two.  Ugh. 

I am pretty much where I was a couple months ago regarding my health.  I still have the neuropathy in my feet, and at this point I wonder if I will not have it permanently.  Ugh.  I am not sleeping well, so I seem to always be tired.  The little white pill I take daily (the hormone suppressant) has side effects of insomnia and anxiety (which have definitely hit me) in addition to the joint stiffness, not to mention the hot flashes throughout the night because of the hormone suppression.  I have tried so many options to help me sleep.  I went the route of valerian (an herb to supposedly help sleeping problems).  I used the tincture and it smelled and tasted awful!!!  But I kept it up for a couple weeks, but quite honestly didn't see much effect.  I tried ZZZQuil, and it helped some, but not enough, so switched over to NyQuil.  It definitely helps, but after a couple weeks of using it nightly, decided that I needed to not depend on it, so stopped using it, hence more restless nights.

I decided the other night that I could go w/o the nightly half of a Norco.  I made myself some passion fruit tea (another natural remedy to supposedly help w/sleep...we were in Cali and Tia Mary grows it in her yard so I brought home a stash of leaves to dry).  The tea is palpable with lots of honey.  Can't say that it helped that much with helping me to get to sleep or stay asleep (I've used it now a couple nights, a full tablespoon of crushed leaves, per the internet), but it does seem to help with the anxiety.  Anyway, I finally got up at 11 p.m. and took half of a Norco, as my feet were fiercely burning with sharp little pricks of instant pain in the toes.  It takes usually an hour for the Norco to calm my body sufficiently to allow me to sleep.  I hate being on this medication, but it is the only thing that is working w/my chemo-induced neuropathy.  I am usually the first one to go to bed, but generally the last to actually go to sleep.  I sleep poorly and am frequently very tired during the day. 

I was planning to attend RS meeting the other night (a humanitarian project of making lunches for the homeless shelter) and was going to take my nonmember neighbor, but was soooo tired that I had to back out.  I frequently am tired at night and find myself passing up any signups that obligate me, as I never know if I will have the energy.

I was so tired the other morning that when Jared came to me for a ride, I was still in bed and told him to take the car (didn't even get up and fix him a lunch).  Yesterday morning I did take him to school and drove to Daybreak and walked.  I feel that if I walk each day, that exercise will contribute to better sleep.  I forced myself to walk this morning, but body wasn't cooperative...walked slowly and only did half the circuit. 

Well, I finished a bit ago my four-hour shift, but there was not one report to type.  Ugh.

I did spend some time, though, making some little flash cards for my Italian self-study course. 

I made my mom a homemade card this morning and got that plus some really good chocolate from the Chocolate Factory in the mail to her.  She and my dad were here over the weekend (just got back from Arizona and she had a doctor's appt. Monday).  It was good to see them, plus Nathan and family came for Sunday dinner. 

Nathan just got back from a deployment in Korea.  He had a seizure on the plane, but right now is doing okay.  However, he is on seizure restrictions, which means that he cannot drive, etc.  At the end of the month he should have more info regarding his condition.  It is possible that he may be ousted from the military because of this seizure. 

Well, I am going to head into the kitchen and boil some eggs.  I plan on having a salad bar for dinner, plus there's some homemade chicken soup to supplement my is-that-all-we're-eating-for-dinner? guys.