Wow, It's Been a While...
Nov. 21st, 2018 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
not_hathor... I guess I've just been too busy the past couple of months!
Back in August, the Finance Team came in and asked me a bunch of questions about how much various office items cost, how much I ordered and how often, etc. (It's hammer out the 2019 budget time!) Then somehow someone decided that it was more cost effective to NOT purchase the more expensive per ream 11 x 17 inch paper I used for the Large Print Bulletins, and instead use at least 4 times the amount of normal size paper (8-1/2 x 11 inch) which I already go through like water through a sieve; which then have to be stapled together into booklets....by me, of course, adding at least two more steps to an already hectic Friday schedule. I'm waiting for someone to complain about tearing open a finger on a staple, which of course will somehow be my fault for not using the right staples... Ugh.
On the plus side, I've seen the 2019 budget, and yes, I get a 3% COL raise -- which brings my salary ALMOST back up to the pre-Hours-Cut amount.
I did get my week of vacation over my Birthday, as usual, although I would hardly call it restful. Mom and I did what I've been calling 'the Whirlwind Heritage Tour' -- we drove to New Jersey, and back in four days. Left Mom's house Sunday morning, stopped to pay our respects to Dad's great grandfather (and ate lunch) on the far side of Indiana, then drove across Ohio until dark then stopped for the night just short of the Pennsylvania border. Then Monday we gunned it across Pennsylvania and into New Jersey to our reserved Motel 6 room. Driving/navigating in New Jersey.....the words I have are mostly profane and not suitable for my Mother's ears.... we managed, despite the multitude of signs that contradicted what our bossy GPS system insisted we needed to do.
I have never seen such a tiny hotel room, that still encompassed two beds and minuscule bathroom. It was supposedly a non-smoking room, but there was a lingering aroma, and the duvet on one of the beds looked like someone had extinguished more than one cigarette on it. Didn't have much difficulty sleeping, though, despite there being a major traffic artery running right past us. Fortunately it turned out to be the road we needed to take to the Turnpike and Holland Tunnel, which we exited before getting to the Tunnel, in order to get to Liberty Park and take the ferry to Ellis Island for the Immigrant Museum, etc.
Tuesday: New Jersey needs better signage for it's parks; seriously lacking in even basic directions! The GPS kept talking about streets we couldn't find, the little brochure map was no help at all -- seriously, is it that hard to put up a sign or two -- 'this way to the Visitors Parking', or 'Ferry House this way'? Apparently so. Of course, there was also construction work.... did I mention that it was drizzling rain that day? We finally found a parking lot (had to pay), which much, much later discovered was actually OUTSIDE the park, and a good two and a half miles walk from the ferry ticket office building. Mom had reserved tickets, but because her printer was wonky we had to pick them up at the office..... long walk, in the drizzle, trying to locate where we needed to go from the brochure map; this is where signage would definitely been helpful!!! We did eventually manage to find the right building and pick up the tickets, and board the right ferry boat. WHEW! Good thing we'd allowed an extra hour onto our travel estimate!
Too bad Mom had also arranged for us to visit the Statue of Liberty that day, because I think I really would have enjoyed a thorough tour of the Ellis Island immigration museum and facilities. We did locate the name of Mom's great-grandfather (My twice great-grandfather) on the Memorial Wall (Mom took pictures); it was quite an experience. Then it was time to take another ferry to Liberty Island (got a couple of interesting photos). Seriously, I could have done without the Statue visit; we'd climbed it years ago during a family vacation... and it was still raining. And when we got to the 12th floor observation deck it REALLY started coming down. HARD! Mom tried to get some pictures but it was raining too hard, and her camera got stuck on the 'zoom' function. Lunch in the Visitors' Center was pricey (as expected), and I managed to talk Mom into letting me pay for it (she got back at me later --- I should have remembered that this is the woman who short-sheeted my bed in college!). Then we had to wait for the ferry back to Liberty Park, New Jersey -- there was also a ferry that went to New York; we didn't want that one, and of course, total lack of reliable signs and departure times. Then it was walking in the rain back to the parking lot, try to figure out the best route out of Dodge, er, New Jersey, because we had planned to at least get back into Pennsylvania before nightfall (it gets dark FAST in the mountains!). This was when we figured out that the parking lot we were in was in fact OUTSIDE Liberty Park, which was why none of the street names matched our mini-map.... Thanks to a friendly passer-by, we found our way back to the Turnpike, and thence to the interstate bypass connection, and then to the actual interstate. Thank GOD it wasn't actually rush hour at that point (3:30-ish)! Mom was driving, I was navigating -- and somehow we survived!
Got most of the way through Pennsylvania, and found a Motel 6 more or less by accident (another instance of lack of visible signage!). Although to be honest, the route we took was NOT the usual tourist-friendly one, so we were probably lucky to find anything. Really wanted to take a hot shower.... but the shower only ran COLD!!!! Ugh, and the sink wouldn't drain.
Wednesday: Got up early, got on the road. Mom wanted to stop at Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio, which was okay by me. Manged to get there easy enough, but that was when Mom discovered that her camera lens was stuck in the Zoom function, when she tried to take a picture of Brandywine Falls. I took a fairly decent picture with my cell phone, and later made an extra print for Mom. We made good time through Ohio and Indiana; Mom was thinking we'd make it back to her house by midnight at the latest. We stopped for supper at a Cracker Barrel in Gary, Indiana --- and that's when my sneaky Mom got me back.... We were seated, and had placed our orders, and Mom said she wasn't sure if she'd locked the car door, so she left to check it .... or so she said. Seemed like it took her an awfully long time; so we had supper, and were waiting for the carry-out containers, because their Biscuit Chicken Pot pie was just too tasty to throw away, when the waitstaff showed up with a free dessert because Mom told them it was my birthday (which it was, but it had slipped my mind).....
From there it was another two hours rounding Lake Michigan and through South Chicago traffic (easy-peasy, after New Jersey!) and arrived back at Mom's around 10:00 p.m. Stayed the night (yeah, only 90 minutes to home, but it was dark and I was TIRED!); got a late start in the morning (more like noon) and got home around two-ish. And there was much rejoicing. The dogs swarmed me and told me that NO ONE fed them the whole time I was gone OR put them outside....um, grain of salt time....
Ahhhh it was good to be home....
And I can't believe I started writing this TWO WEEKS ago!!!!! and I haven't even mentioned the Boyfriend Z drama, or knitting or anything else....
More after Thanksgiving .... Promise!
Back in August, the Finance Team came in and asked me a bunch of questions about how much various office items cost, how much I ordered and how often, etc. (It's hammer out the 2019 budget time!) Then somehow someone decided that it was more cost effective to NOT purchase the more expensive per ream 11 x 17 inch paper I used for the Large Print Bulletins, and instead use at least 4 times the amount of normal size paper (8-1/2 x 11 inch) which I already go through like water through a sieve; which then have to be stapled together into booklets....by me, of course, adding at least two more steps to an already hectic Friday schedule. I'm waiting for someone to complain about tearing open a finger on a staple, which of course will somehow be my fault for not using the right staples... Ugh.
On the plus side, I've seen the 2019 budget, and yes, I get a 3% COL raise -- which brings my salary ALMOST back up to the pre-Hours-Cut amount.
I did get my week of vacation over my Birthday, as usual, although I would hardly call it restful. Mom and I did what I've been calling 'the Whirlwind Heritage Tour' -- we drove to New Jersey, and back in four days. Left Mom's house Sunday morning, stopped to pay our respects to Dad's great grandfather (and ate lunch) on the far side of Indiana, then drove across Ohio until dark then stopped for the night just short of the Pennsylvania border. Then Monday we gunned it across Pennsylvania and into New Jersey to our reserved Motel 6 room. Driving/navigating in New Jersey.....the words I have are mostly profane and not suitable for my Mother's ears.... we managed, despite the multitude of signs that contradicted what our bossy GPS system insisted we needed to do.
I have never seen such a tiny hotel room, that still encompassed two beds and minuscule bathroom. It was supposedly a non-smoking room, but there was a lingering aroma, and the duvet on one of the beds looked like someone had extinguished more than one cigarette on it. Didn't have much difficulty sleeping, though, despite there being a major traffic artery running right past us. Fortunately it turned out to be the road we needed to take to the Turnpike and Holland Tunnel, which we exited before getting to the Tunnel, in order to get to Liberty Park and take the ferry to Ellis Island for the Immigrant Museum, etc.
Tuesday: New Jersey needs better signage for it's parks; seriously lacking in even basic directions! The GPS kept talking about streets we couldn't find, the little brochure map was no help at all -- seriously, is it that hard to put up a sign or two -- 'this way to the Visitors Parking', or 'Ferry House this way'? Apparently so. Of course, there was also construction work.... did I mention that it was drizzling rain that day? We finally found a parking lot (had to pay), which much, much later discovered was actually OUTSIDE the park, and a good two and a half miles walk from the ferry ticket office building. Mom had reserved tickets, but because her printer was wonky we had to pick them up at the office..... long walk, in the drizzle, trying to locate where we needed to go from the brochure map; this is where signage would definitely been helpful!!! We did eventually manage to find the right building and pick up the tickets, and board the right ferry boat. WHEW! Good thing we'd allowed an extra hour onto our travel estimate!
Too bad Mom had also arranged for us to visit the Statue of Liberty that day, because I think I really would have enjoyed a thorough tour of the Ellis Island immigration museum and facilities. We did locate the name of Mom's great-grandfather (My twice great-grandfather) on the Memorial Wall (Mom took pictures); it was quite an experience. Then it was time to take another ferry to Liberty Island (got a couple of interesting photos). Seriously, I could have done without the Statue visit; we'd climbed it years ago during a family vacation... and it was still raining. And when we got to the 12th floor observation deck it REALLY started coming down. HARD! Mom tried to get some pictures but it was raining too hard, and her camera got stuck on the 'zoom' function. Lunch in the Visitors' Center was pricey (as expected), and I managed to talk Mom into letting me pay for it (she got back at me later --- I should have remembered that this is the woman who short-sheeted my bed in college!). Then we had to wait for the ferry back to Liberty Park, New Jersey -- there was also a ferry that went to New York; we didn't want that one, and of course, total lack of reliable signs and departure times. Then it was walking in the rain back to the parking lot, try to figure out the best route out of Dodge, er, New Jersey, because we had planned to at least get back into Pennsylvania before nightfall (it gets dark FAST in the mountains!). This was when we figured out that the parking lot we were in was in fact OUTSIDE Liberty Park, which was why none of the street names matched our mini-map.... Thanks to a friendly passer-by, we found our way back to the Turnpike, and thence to the interstate bypass connection, and then to the actual interstate. Thank GOD it wasn't actually rush hour at that point (3:30-ish)! Mom was driving, I was navigating -- and somehow we survived!
Got most of the way through Pennsylvania, and found a Motel 6 more or less by accident (another instance of lack of visible signage!). Although to be honest, the route we took was NOT the usual tourist-friendly one, so we were probably lucky to find anything. Really wanted to take a hot shower.... but the shower only ran COLD!!!! Ugh, and the sink wouldn't drain.
Wednesday: Got up early, got on the road. Mom wanted to stop at Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio, which was okay by me. Manged to get there easy enough, but that was when Mom discovered that her camera lens was stuck in the Zoom function, when she tried to take a picture of Brandywine Falls. I took a fairly decent picture with my cell phone, and later made an extra print for Mom. We made good time through Ohio and Indiana; Mom was thinking we'd make it back to her house by midnight at the latest. We stopped for supper at a Cracker Barrel in Gary, Indiana --- and that's when my sneaky Mom got me back.... We were seated, and had placed our orders, and Mom said she wasn't sure if she'd locked the car door, so she left to check it .... or so she said. Seemed like it took her an awfully long time; so we had supper, and were waiting for the carry-out containers, because their Biscuit Chicken Pot pie was just too tasty to throw away, when the waitstaff showed up with a free dessert because Mom told them it was my birthday (which it was, but it had slipped my mind).....
From there it was another two hours rounding Lake Michigan and through South Chicago traffic (easy-peasy, after New Jersey!) and arrived back at Mom's around 10:00 p.m. Stayed the night (yeah, only 90 minutes to home, but it was dark and I was TIRED!); got a late start in the morning (more like noon) and got home around two-ish. And there was much rejoicing. The dogs swarmed me and told me that NO ONE fed them the whole time I was gone OR put them outside....um, grain of salt time....
Ahhhh it was good to be home....
And I can't believe I started writing this TWO WEEKS ago!!!!! and I haven't even mentioned the Boyfriend Z drama, or knitting or anything else....
More after Thanksgiving .... Promise!
