Less Hustle More Coffee

Well, the Katebug (dear daughter) is currently in the hospital. They checked in at 4 and will induce today. I will be on pins and needles at work. As you know in this world, we cannot be in the hospital waiting room. If we could we would already be there! We had to decide what was best for all as far as travel timing. She will either be released late Friday or sometime Saturday. We will arrive in Texas Saturday afternoon. We are only driving 6-7 hours each day, making our usual stop in Hot Springs on each end of the trip. To push through is possible but not very wise. I decided that we would not be worth anything to anyone after 14 hours of driving.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a week vacation or holiday where there was not some crisis immediately beforehand. Well maybe that is not true. It’s been better since I’ve been in payroll. At least things are more predictable and fewer surprises – although there are some at times, especially if not given much notice in your schedule for things. I also usually try to time PTO where it works best for everyone. Truth is – it’s never a good time to be out. Keep in mind I didn’t get to put in my order for when my grandson will be born! lol I think that we are very thinly staffed at times and when someone has to be out there is just not enough manpower to go around. And so it becomes a crisis in itself. But life happens and life can’t be stopped. But still before I go, I will have done nothing short of hanging a moon, maybe even more than one, and scattered a few stars about the sky. LOL. Just kidding. Only God can do that. If I do that it would only be with God’s help. Which is what I did when I was asked twice yesterday to please do all this extra work before I left. I was worried about getting the month, quarter, and year end done by Jan 31 and now they are pushing for the 15th. I believe I actually laughed upon hearing it. Not out of disrespect, but out of unbelief. It was as if someone told me I’d be getting an RV and going traveling until my heart was content. I would laugh at that too. Just not a believable thing. It was already impossible before. But perhaps things can be sortof wrapped up in guestimate fashion, but yeah – it won’t actually be wrapped up. It will take several weeks for all that to be done to file withholding returns, unemployment returns, year end reports for each state and w-2 reporting. But I will get most of my spreadsheet done, Lord willing. It may not balance, but I can at least get a head start on it. I did a lot of it yesterday. I think they mainly just need that from me for now. I do plan to basically live there when we get back from Texas. As I’ve said before, you don’t actually get the vacation time off – it’s still worked – just other times in the month. Matter of fact I’ll probably have to double it just to get through by the 30th since it’s the time of year it is. So that way there are no penalties for the company. I’ll be the only one penalized, if I survive til February. lol. I miss the good old days when you actually got the time off and only Monday after and the Friday before were the rough days. Nah. No more. Today’s companies are too thinly staffed. Retirement = 4 years and then I hope I get to spend time with my grandson without having to go through such crises and turmoil to get to see him.

I’m texting with Katy right now. She is 5 cm dilated. I looked it up and it’s considered an active stage of labor. She thinks he will be there in the afternoon. She is drinking grape juice. She said she is hungry but of course she can’t eat. She will forget about hunger soon. I’m not sure how on earth I’ll be able to work today but we have to do what we have to do. I wish I could have taken two weeks off but I’m doing good to get the 6 days, which is more than people usually do at once. And I’m grateful that I can go and not have to quit or be fired for going. It’s a critical time at work. Hell it always is, but it’s more so right now.

So after work this week, I’ve been so tired as the days have been long, that it has been hard to get anything ready for our Texas trip. Yesterday morning I prayed for strength to be everyone’s ALL. I just don’t have enough to go around and needed His strength. It got me through. That and the system I’m on. I drank a shake, took my vitamins, took my Ionix stress formula and we (my boss and I) ordered Cracker Barrel for lunch, which is always a morale booster. So I was able to get a few more things organized and changed my purse over. I washed a couple of loads of laundry. I ordered chinese for dinner and George picked it us as he ran a few errands. We picked out our hotel room for Texas. I have to make our reservations for Hot Springs. George is making the reservations for Texas. He found one that will work better than the one I thought we would have to stay at. I also prayed about that yesterday, b/c while I was looking forward to seeing my grandson and Katy and Cody, I was actually dreading the hotel stay in that dingy place. But I feel better now as long as we can get in that hotel George and I picked out. The insides looked better and looked more like a little efficiency apartment instead of dingy hotel room. We have Roger and Roger is not allowed in Katy’s house I don’t think so we will have to take turns going. So whoever is stuck back at the hotel can at least have a more pleasant experience. I’ve worried about all this (work and how it’s going to go down) so much that I’ve actually dreaded January. I’m excited about my Grandson but as you know none of this is coming easy with the way it’s happening. I will say it’s easier with the one dog than the two. And of course we’d get luxury accommodations if we didn’t have the dog. But we make our sacrifices don’t we? lol This little Roger dog that Katy brought home to us. Did we know we’d love him so much?

He needs a grooming. He is old and tired but still hanging on. He can’t even walk straight, can’t hear. Has a hard time getting water out of the water bowl. But he’s still hanging on. We may see if a groomer can help us while we have time in Breckenridge. If nothing else to trim his nails. He just has to be treated with special care and picked up a certain way.

I’m not sorry for being the honest, direct, sincere, let you know my feelings kind of person I am. I know that at times it seems like I complain. I do state exactly what is transpiring most of the time as it is is seen or happening in my corner of the world.

It seems that even in the easiest or hardest of times, the universe is always doing something to mess up my world. A coworker witnessed the computer not even allowing me to order Cracker Barrel yesterday. I did everything right but the items would never show in my cart. She sat and watched me. Maybe my computer has some kind of blocker on it. My coworker’s computer would work just fine. Why is that? It’s out of my control. But life is hard sometimes for me. It just seems like things try to work against me. And when they do I point it out. Why not? If I have to be present for the annoyance, it’s worth mentioning. LOL

So thanks for always reading this little spot in my world where I can park my daily annoyances and leave them. Even though it seems the universe is a bit nuts, I am happy to say that my God watches out over me. He is evidently my “bobcat” in life, LOL He hears my prayers. He knows my heart. He protects my world. He makes my world and makes life beautiful again.