Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Mini Vacation

I returned from Jackson victorious.  Just not the way I'd hoped.

I had a nice three days.  Was telling Jim on Sunday that I thought I would come home Monday.  But Monday morning arrived and I just felt like staying.

I wish the story ended with 'and it's a good thing I did because I won a huge, life-changing jackpot' but that is not the ending.

Still, it was a nice few days stepping away from home and work.  And while I didn't win much of anything, at least Monday resulted in a day of staying pretty much even - enjoying little jackpot hits here and there and thus restoring my faith in.....well.....just the faith that everything works out the way it's supposed to.

Compared to so many others in the casino, I gamble for the fun of it.  Jackpots under life changing amounts are nice but not uber-exciting.  I don't scream like a crazy person when I win $50 (as one woman not far from me did). I don't hit the machine when I've lost.  I sat down at a machine last night and hit a bonus round first spin and the guy next to me had to grab the sides of the machine and take several deep breaths at my luck - compared to his, I guess.  I don't 'need' it - so I don't have to fret that much.

So as usual, more than anything, the time away reinforced just how incredibly blessed I already am. We already are.  Sure, I wish I had won hugely - don't we all wish that when we venture into a casino?  But truth is other than truly life changing amounts (the few and far progressives in the millions), winning or losing is no big deal.  Winning is a lot more fun than losing...but either way, it's all good.

There's one more players event on the 30th of June that I plan to go to - 'cuz entries into the drawings are based on your previous months play and I've played a lot this month.  After that, I will go back to normal - my 'extra' money will still go into Fun Money and once in awhile, I will venture to a casino. I also have a September jaunt to Prescott, AZ and will venture to a casino there with my sweet cousin and she and I are going to live it up on my accumulated fun money.

After that, fun money will accumulate and I think I'll start increasing donations to charities we favor. It will feel good to use 'extra' money for good.

Tomorrow is back to work.  Three days this week and two days next week.  I'm off W-F next week (Friday is the 4th holiday).  Then two weeks until I'm off for a full week.

I plan to wear jeans this week and work on cleaning out files and getting things staged for our annual shredding event.

I've been busy as a bee since I got home - played with Chloe until she collapsed on her side to catch her breath.  (Petco closed here in Tracy so we are sans groomer at the moment.  The groomer at Petco that always took care of Chloe lives right around the corner from us - but we waited too long and she's getting married and not available for a bit.  Poor Chloe needs a trim pretty badly 'cuz it's hot under all that fur).  I've been tidying up, taking out recycling (three times so far); ran a load of towels; took H. to get some lunch at McD (which he didn't eat much of.....he worries me).  Waiting for J. to return from his golf trip down near Fresno - he stopped at Gallo in Modesto to pick up tickets and we're going to see The Music Man this Sunday!!

That's all the news at the moment.  Quiet here at the homestead and looking forward to seeing my sweet hubby soon.  I've missed that man!

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Greetings from Jackson

I'm drinking wine out of small plastic bottles and eating Hostess Powdered Sugar Donettes.  I feel like I'm 16.  The wine is not bad (Sutter Home White Zinfandel) and the donuts are delicious.

I procured supplies for my weekend away at Walmart yesterday and went when I was hungry.  Big mistake.  The donettes were an impulse purchase.  Yes, I regret it.  But they are delicious.  I am enjoying them.  We stopped shopping at WalMart pretty much - but I needed a variety of things including food, non-food and garden items - and going there saved a couple other stops on my list of places to go yesterday - so guess I will add it into the errand rotation once in a while.

There is a concert here tonight - Salt 'n Pepa - never heard of them - but there is quite a crowd here. The casino was mobbed so after losing more than I wanted to on my first day here, I headed back to the room.  Internet is spotty and a call to the front desk revealed 'there are a lot of people here and we thing that's causing issues'.  Hmmm.  It's up for now so will try to do a quick post before I lose it again.  Hopefully, the wine will kick in and I can try to get to sleep soon.

I look forward to this get away with great anticipation.  Yes, I miss 'my guys' - I really do.  But I relish the time alone and look forward to a couple days of 'just me' time.

Yesterday (before WalMart), I visited a podiatrist.  I've never sought out care for my feet - never had a single pedicure; avoid people touching my feet.  I stopped wearing open toed shoes in my teens and just never thought my feet should see the light of day.  I've spent years dealing with ingrown toenails on both big toes and the methods used to manage them over the years have left those nails less than attractive.  But that will all change - 'cuz on July 21st, I'm going to have an in office procedure that will remove the sides of both nails that grow in - and stop them from ever growing again.  With some healing and tending as they heal and regrow sans the constantly ingrown sides, they should look 'normal' after a few months.  Maybe six.

The podiatrist was amazingly nice - said this 'issue' is one that many people just like me have dealt with for years - and she knows that when it's done and they are growing more normally, I will be thrilled with not having my status defined by the state of my nails.  I can't wait!!  They will be sore for a few days but she said most folks wear shoes the first day - and I am coincidentally off the week of the procedure so it will be fine.  I can limp around the house in flip flops if I need to -

We've installed five gallon paint buckets in two of the three bathrooms to catch the water that runs while the hot water gets to the shower.  We've been using that water to keep the patio pots moist and also sometimes are able to work on some of the dryer parts of the lawn.  We're trying really hard to conserve.  J. did an experiment with the dishwasher and put in plates with dried on food - no pre-washing - and they came clean!  So we aren't pre-rinsing dishes quite as much.  I shut off the shower after I'm wet, soap up, then rinse off.  I wash my hands with a little water, turn water off, add soap, lather and then rinse.  It's sort of amazing the small changes we've made that we hope are helping - while simultaneously thinking 'these are things we should have been doing all along'.  Water is precious. Especially in California.

I want to profusely thank two dear friends who mentioned that they'd notice the lack of postings; that they still check (one every single day!!).  It's nice to feel connected to people I care about via these musings and I do miss these ladies so much!!  I have been remiss in posting mainly 'cuz of time but will try really hard to do better.  Even if I have to move my wake up time ahead another 1/2 hour or so.

J. said one day not too long ago 'what happened to the good old days when we'd just get out of bed, make coffee, shower and go to work'?  Facebook is my short answer.  Followed closely by "The Internet" and online banking.  There's just so much out there now to 'connect' to daily - and I sure can't do most of that at work.

The conference in Livermore was very good and I will try to post more on the topics that revealed themselves over the course of the two days.  We had a great time - most of the district admin team attended and it was a lot of fun 'bonding' time as well as very informative.

OK - time to think about going to bed.  I forgot to turn the AC on when I left the room around 5:45PM and it was really hot in here when I got back...but it's cooled off now and I feel sleepy.  Wine in teeny bottles does that.....

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Still Here. Are You?

I've officially become a blogger who never posts.  Geez.  How did that happen?

It's OK 'cuz I'm pretty sure no one is reading.

Another month whizzed by.  Last night, the 2015-16 budget for our school district was officially approved and I can segue back into something that remotely resembles a life.  Budget is always the absolute hardest task I have on my plate of hard tasks and it is always a long, not-slow slide into frenetic last minute stuff that never ends.  Until it does.

Life observations:

Sometimes, I feel like I control my emotions so well, I simply have none.

And then B. comes home.  

And then B. leaves.

And both those events leave me pounded with emotion.  I drove him to the airport on Sunday and drove home with the hugest lump in my throat.  He heaved sighs all the way from home to the freeway until I finally asked 'you OK?' and he replied 'the goodbyes are never easy'.  And that's the truth.  They never are.

He will hopefully be home again in a couple months for his mandatory summer leave.  Fingers crossed.  Though he did gently venture out and say 'maybe I will take a little trip' - and I vividly recall my very first true adult vacation wherein I did not visit my mother - and how liberating that felt.  It's one of my strongest young adult memories and I know how amazing that 'break' is - so I hope he does that.  It's time.  He'll be 26 in January so it's logical that visiting the homestead is not the only option.

Other news:  we have a family of Blue Jays living in our tree.  The mama and her four (!) babies come down from the trees every day for a little bit and hop around.  They stick close together and it's so fun to watch them.

We are getting that same tree (and every other tree on our property) trimmed next week so I'm sure hoping it won't be an issue - just thinning out a bit.  Since they are old enough to come down and fly around, I think they will be fine.  I hope so.  I'd rather do it now when I know they can fly vs. waiting until there are nests with eggs again.

Today, I'm heading over the hill to Pleasanton/Livermore for a work related conference - and again tomorrow.  I sort of got strong armed into going and wish I hadn't agreed to go but I'm sure it will be interesting.

I'm off Friday through Tuesday and heading up to Jackson for a few nights - can't wait!  Yes, it's Father's Day Sunday but J. can do what he'd most like to do - watch golf all day.

I am having horrible cramps in my feet and this morning, I awoke at 4:30AM and hopped out of bed trying to get my right foot to stop cramping.  Finally just gave up the repeated in and out of bed and got up for the day.  Which I regret at the moment 'cuz it's approaching 6AM and I am so sleepy, I can barely keep my eyes open.

The commute over the hill will wake me up.

March

I'm starting to think maybe I will just do a monthly post and call it what it is - whatever month we're in.  Here we are winding dow...