IS IT A PICNIC OR LUNCH?

Today I was supposed to go visit my foster kid and have a surprise picnic. Something got in the way of that and I got part way there and had to turn around.

When we spoke on the phone he told me someone told him were supposed to go on a surprise picnic. He told me he hated picnics. I asked him why? He said he just did. I told him we had a picnic when we went on his class trip and he had then. He insisted that was not a picnic. So I asked him to describe a picnic for me.

He said a picnic was people bringing a blanket to grassy area and putting it down and bringing a basket of food and putting it down on the blanket. Then the people sit on the blanket and eat.

I asked him what the field trip was. He said that was Lunch. Not a picnic. (On the field trip everyone brought their lunch and we sat at a picnic table and ate our food.)

He insisted that the field trip was a lunch but not a picnic but he liked the field trip lunch. But he hates picnics.

Okay. Best not to argue with the picnic expert.

Until tomorrow...

UPS

Today I was not supposed to be working.  I was going to use today to go to the doctor's, getting picnic supplies and cleaning my house.  Well, I got two out of the three things done thanks to my friends and family.  I texted my sister-in-law, half-sister and friend to see what they would bring on a picnic with a kid.  I got some good ideas.  I settled on sandwiches, chips, carrots, ritz bits (for a snack), watermelon, and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  I am also bringing apple juice and water (lots of water). 

I ended up dealing with UPS and 1) a package that did not get delivered due to the crazy traffic around Washington DC and 2) a package that needed to be shipped here from Washington DC.  You would have thought I was sending a package to the moon.  I now remember why I can't stand UPS.  Fed Ex is so much better for overnight packages.  Their tracking is so much better.  Ground shipping is better with UPS. 

Anyway, my house is still dirty but I am ready for the picnic. 

Until tomorrow...

GOODBYE TO SUMMER

I can't believe the summer is almost over.  This summer went by so fast.  I expected my summer to be a certain way with my foster son being with me.  Instead it ended up another way with me visiting him and him living somewhere else.  I went on my trip back East by myself instead of both of us going. 

At the end of the summer there was a chance he would be coming back but that is not going to happen now.  He will be staying away for many more months to get the help he needs.  He may be moving a bit closer though which would help.

It is almost time to say goodbye to summer. 

Until tomorrow...

SHOWING UP

Today I rushed to be somewhere by a certain time to attend a function that I didn't want (or have time) to attend.  But I made the commitment and it was important for me to be there.  So I showed up on time.

The person who came up with the idea for and organized this function emailed to say he would not be coming.  No important excuse.  No, my car broke down, my kid got sick, my dog had to go to the vet.  Nothing.  Just an email that said "you wouldn't mind if I passed on the function, right?  I have something else to do."

So, now I am stuck going to the function and I am now in charge of running it and paying for it.  All for a function I didn't want to have anything to do with to begin with and it wasn't my idea.

I handled it and I made the best of it.  We all had a good time in the end.

My day was lost at that point.   Now I was far behind on the work I was supposed to be getting done.

I think that when you say you are going to show up for something, you should show up.  Unless there is an emergency, you should show up.  Dropping your responsibilities on someone else just ruins their day and puts them behind in their day.

Until tomorrow...

GOING BACK TO SEE THE DOCTOR

I haven't really mentioned it because I really thought it would go away but my wrist is not getting better.  Back in May I was given a steroid injection and it immediately hurt worse.  It has not gotten better.  It feels pain/aches if I have it in a certain position or if I move it in a certain way. 

I am going to see the specialist in two weeks to see what she has to say. 

Until tomorrow...

LUNCH WITH A FRIEND

Today I took my car to be serviced. The blinker was making this high squeezing noise. Of course once I got it there they could not hear the noise. When I picked up the car the noise was gone. Either the noise is dormant or the guy fixed it without realizing it. Well, they didn't charge me so...

I went to have lunch with a friend. She used to be a client a few years ago. Once she left that place of business we started having lunch. We get along really well. We found out that we are now working a few blocks away so we are going to meet again soon.

Until tomorrow...

HULU AND CLEANING THE GARAGE

For the past four days I have had a problem with Hulu.  I have been so in love with Hulu I tell everyone how much I adore it.  I am so happy I got rid of most of my cable and as soon as a few final channels are picked up by Hulu or are made so I can purchase separately, I will get rid of cable all together. 

For the past four days I have not been in love with Hulu.  I have been getting a Network Error every time I click on it.  At first I thought they were having an issue, so I would just watch something else.  It was Thursday late at night so I didn't think anything of it.  It continued into Friday and I thought okay they are still having a problem, I am sure someone has called in and complained, it will be fixed by tomorrow.  Saturday I was away all day and when I came home it still was not working.  I was too tired to do anything about it.  I was really annoyed now.

Today is Sunday and first thing I called.  The first customer service person spent an hour going over all the steps (most of which I already did on Saturday night by myself) but I am willing to do them with the person to show it didn't work. She insisted that my internet provider was not giving me enough Mbps (megabites per second).  I told her it was plenty a week ago why is it now not enough.  She could not answer.  She insisted that I had to disconnect all the Roku's that I had except the one I was watching and that would work.  While we were on the phone, I got it to work for a short time so we hung up and it immediately stopped working.

Call number 2.  I got a smarter more experienced customer service person this time around and she did not make me do the rounds of restarting and unplugging.  Instead she listened and agreed with me that it can't be my internet because in between phone calls I disconnected almost everything and it still didn't work so that theory didn't fly.  She agreed that it had to be the Rokus.  Some upgrade must have happened that caused Hulu to not work and I am the first person to complain.  I must watch too much TV, is that what she was saying??  No judgement. 

She elevated the problem and told me she would call me back before her shift ended.  I know.  I have heard that before too.  I really didn't think it would happen but it did!  She called me back to tell me that phone calls have been flooding in!  I was just the first.  I always wanted to be the first in something (probably not this).  Now the tech staff is taking my complaint seriously.  They should have it fixed in a few hours.  Yahoo!  It helps to be diligent, an advocate, a nag, a pain in the ass, whatever you want to call it. 

While I was waiting for the second customer service person to call me back, I started working in the garage to get my mind off things.  I was already doing laundry and changed my sheets.  I decided that this weekend I would work on my workbench.  When I moved in my house the previous owners left a workbench.  I thought what will I do with a workbench?  Well, it has become like a exercise bike and clothes.  Everything gets dropped on the workbench.  Papers, broken things, various nails and screws, mail, etc.  I took everything off the top and bottom of the workbench and organized it, cleaned it, threw stuff away and put stuff back.  I wish I took a before photo but just image two layers of junk on the top and more junk on the bottom.  Here is the finished product.

I didn't get so crazy as to organizing the screws and nails and such but that is a task for another day.  I am working on the macro not the micro right now.  Two sides of the garage done.  Now I have to work on the middle.  That will take a bit longer.  I figure if I work for 1-2 hours each weekend I will get through it in a month more.  I need to take a bunch to donate and clear out some space. 

Until tomorrow...

FOOD

My house was out of food. Not just "hey, I need to go food shopping." But more like I have nothing left to eat for breakfast. I was out of butter, mayo and peanut butter.

It was hard to make any type of nutritious meal unless I wanted dried beans or lentils with ketchup.

I went and got four bags of staples and now I can eat meals again.

I know not everyone has this privilege and I do not take it for granted.  There was a time years ago during the recession in the 90's when I could not find a job for a long time and my unemployment had run out.   I had to go down to the city's General Assistance office and ask for help. For a short time I received assistance money and food stamps.  It is a humbling experience and one I am most grateful to have experienced. I will never take food and the ability to have food for granted.

I am now dreaming up things I can make for dinner.

Until tomorrow...

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

I got up this morning and called the location where my foster kid was and made a complaint of inappropriate behavior.  They took the complaint seriously and are going to deal with it.  I feel better.

Why is it that professional people do not think before they speak?  I am not just talking about this instance but there have been so many lately that people just open there mouths and don't think before they speak.  I even read an article in the paper about this recently.  That some people feel they can say anything they want without thinking through what the consequences are or who they could be hurting or what they are saying could mean down the line.  I don't understand.

I started a practice a while ago.  Before I send an email where I am angry or upset, I write it and then I walk away.  I come back and read it before I hit send.  That way I take a minute before I send something that may hurt someone or I may not really mean.

Think before you speak, please.

Until tomorrow...

INTERESTING NEWS

I went out for tea with my friend S this evening.  We caught up and hung out at this lovely tea cafe.  It was a nice night so we sat outside.

About an hour into the evening I got a call from my foster kid stating he was going to be adopted by someone else.  Oh.  Okay.  It was a staff member of the location he was at.  Oh.  What?

My head blew off.  It is so inappropriate for a staff person to tell a kid this information. Plus she told him to keep it secret!  Adults in power do not tell kids to keep secrets.  Ever.

My whole evening took an unexpected turn.

Until tomorrow...