Less Hustle More Coffee

Sitting here drinking coffee and getting my thoughts together for this update. Sometimes it is a challenge to remember what happened two days ago through the present. We have mainly been taking care of ourselves, the dog, work, and checking on Mom, moving Mom’s appointments and rescheduling and making notes of future things that need to be done.

Sunday was relaxing and I was able to get much of our laundry done, ironing, packing items for work (mostly food/drinks for the week) and I was able to get a chunk of the next video done. So we will have a video Saturday at 7 unless something unforeseen happens. I’m almost to the end of 21 in the videos and at the point where I will stop and create the 22 files. I *think* I have less coverage in 22 (I may surprise myself) but I am anticipating that the catch up will be quick once we get to 22. I need to stop and delete pics from files and move over pics to my photo files as well as the upcoming video files.

Mom’s gout is improving and she has been able to get up and clean and cook and walk. Some days she says she over does it but yesterday she was better. She sounded tired however. I hope she can get better and be able to start exercising some because when you are in motion you can stay in motion. Once you become sedentary it’s pretty much a given you will remain that way as you lose what you have. Your muscles go and your stamina and it becomes hard to move. If she can’t care for herself, fix meals, get showers, do light cleaning etc, then it will be time for assisted living or worse, a nursing home. Sadly for her George and I are unable to be assisted living staff. Even with her gout, we have still had to work our jobs but offered to help find her care – she started feeling better at the mention of it. But I’ve asked the Lord to help in the situation. Luckily or hopefully the gout is only a temporary thing. George has had it also and got better. So hopefully all will be well for now. We shall see. I’m coming over Thursday to get her mail and take fajitas and we’ll eat together. That is tomorrow!

I moved her Echocardiogram to a date in August. That works better for me anyway with quarter end.

Dexter had his vet appointment and last set of shots Monday. He has to wait 2 weeks now as these last shots set in, to be able to socialize. We are looking forward to that so we can take him places. I have to call the vet (on the to do list) to get his neuter scheduled and chip scheduled. He has been a pretty good boy and still has those hours periodically where he just goes insane and berserk. Usually 1 to 2 hours a day. The vet said he will lose the puppy teeth. Thank goodness. George plays with him and sometimes the teeth get him. He has bandaids all over, lol. Me, I’m more cautious and guard my hands and limbs when he starts to play. He will jump up trying to grab a toy or treat and grab your hand as he lands down and it has a rip effect ::ouch:: He doesn’t mean to. He is learning to sit but won’t do it if he has something in his mouth as he will try to play keep away.

I let him lay on my bed for a little while as a test last night and he did pretty good. If you remember I through him out to the hall overnight with his water and bed because he wanted to play. I just have been tired and when I work it’s rough if I don’t get enough sleep. So sadly he probably won’t sleep with me until I know for sure he can make it 7 hours at least without bothering me. My days are very long and my mind has to be clear and focused on what I do in paying payroll taxes, doing returns, and doing payroll. It is very easy to make silly mistakes when tired and off focus and not feeling well. I have been doubly tired lately – the past two weeks. A doc appt is coming up later in the month and I will bring it up. It could be that my blood pressure is up, or current meds not working as well, or something else. I pretty much want to be laying down. It might just be that I am overworking myself to get everything done. Most of our life is enjoyable though but I guess it can still be overwhelming when you think of it. Having full time jobs with a commute, caregiving with two household schedules, cooking and cleaning and laundry duties, ordering and obtaining groceries and supplies ongoing, a new puppy to train and care for, running a blog, an instagram and Facebook account, maintaining a YouTube channel and doing several videos a month, economic crises and expenses going up, trying to see friends when we can sneak it in, not to mention the looming nuclear war that is inevitable. No wonder I am wearing down. So sleep is a must. But when he gets to where I can sleep with him in the bed, possible at retirement, that will be nice. But maybe I’ll just move his bed in my room at some point. He will have to be out of chewing stage too.

Work has been ok. I’ve been doing payroll and filing unemployment returns. I was met yesterday with a couple of requests to rush it up on payroll (not by my department though – my department knows that you can’t rush payroll). Apparently someone moved a meeting up and I had two people (one was an executive) that came to me as they needed the data from the payroll sooner or they needed to be in the system to do their reporting b/c not many can be in it at once when running reports. You can’t rush payroll though – if you do it can cause simple mistakes or missteps that can cause a whole day to fix and involve programmers. If payroll needs to be done early it has to have at least a day or two notice as supervisors have to go in and have their time and piece work fixed earlier so I can close an accurate payroll. We have done it for holidays and for when we knew a big snow was coming. But once you are already doing the payroll it’s too late then to decide you need to finish early. LOL LOL It makes me giggle to even imagine it. You have to plan such in advance. Payroll will be what it is going to be and will take the time that it takes. All I could say was “well hopefully I will be through”—while trying to be polite, b/c the time to plan to be over sooner was past. It’s just the way it is.

Matter of fact b/c I knew people were now rushing me, I made a mistake by accidentally skipping a step but I was able to rectify it, thank goodness. I don’t think I have had that happen before where I have had staff rushing me through payroll because of a meeting but I decided to bless and release. But blessing and releasing is just important these days. I understand that everyone is out for their own agenda so I’m choosing to forgive instead of letting my ire get to me over being made to feel rushed. I get it – well, in a way. I get it. Everyone is out to get their own agenda done even if it means rushing mine. It’s just life these days and the way God warned it would be. We often don’t think of our brother. And certainly we don’t think in advance, LOL.

I saw this on Instagram yesterday and it reminded me of how I feel at this stage of my life. I still do pick my battles though. I am not one to just slink under the desk and let others run over me, but some times on some days you just say “whatever” or “bless and release” and go on. Because some days it just isn’t worth the effort or the drama. When you can’t really change anything you are left with just saying “sure” and going on. Here’s a screen shot of my buddy “mysharonno” sharing an Instagram post of @mypostiveoutlook and that is the way I feel sometimes too at this age and stage in my life. I still am caught sometimes between setting people straight in their thinking where it belongs to things that impact me. But on the inside realm looking out, sometimes it just is a waste of time and you have better more productive things to be done and focus on. I would never take that attitude though for something like taxes or things that would impact us negatively but on some things to prevent drama, I’m in!!!! Or out!!! However you want to look at it. Just too much going on and sometimes your opinion is not sought after anyway. lol

We have still been enjoying Hello Fresh but the last couple of times I made it, while being tired, I’m thinking why am I doing this. Last nights meal was all involved. It was easy enough but had a lot of steps. A lot of veggies to chop, forming turkey meatballs with your hands, making a sauce, and making a bulgar salad. My brain was just not ready for that after closing 4 payrolls. So perhaps Tuesday night is not the best night for me to cook. My brain is not that frazzled after a normal day. I didn’t feel good anyway. I got it done though and it was delicious and packed with flavor. And I learned a lot. Just learning so much how to cook in ways I’d not considered before and with flavors I’ve not had. But I was worn out after this meal and while we tried to eat Dexter was a nightmare. But he finally settled.

I finally fixed it to where the recipe was straight on instead of having to bend over and read. Anything to help.

The veggies were pretty. I always like to get them out and wash them. Truth be known I usually enjoy fixing hello fresh but I was just so tired last night. I was informed I am cooking tonight as George has to push mow. The mower is still in the shop and so it takes longer. It’s ok. But I was planning on working on the video. So I told him instead of watching a movie I want to get that finished up tonight after we eat because I won’t have tomorrow night as I’ll be going to Mom’s and Friday is too late as that is upload day and it will take all day. ::sigh:: Always the fight for time.

This above was good. It was from Hello Fresh. It was pork chops with apple chutney, grilled Brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes. Oh so good! I also order a salad kit from Hello Fresh each week too. This week I got the Kale salad with poppy seed dressing and cranberries and pumpkin seeds. I added white albacore wild caught tuna because I needed a hearty bit of protein yesterday. This was so good. I enjoy salad days at work.

Dexter got a gift from his fur baby friends Gus and Reese. He hasn’t met them yet but one day soon. His real first gift Katy sent from Texas though so want to mention that. Anyway he will enjoy his cookie.

I’ll probably be back on Friday. But plan for a live video Sat at 7 on the YouTube channel (same name as the blog). I’ll come back here and do a reminder.

Well, I need to get ready and get to work. It seems we are always at work. lol But at least we are in the “over the hump” day. I don’t think we have any grand plans for the weekend and I’m fine to keep it that way because if not I’m going to have to take a PTO day for a self care, resting, rejuvenate day and I really don’t want to have to do that as I’m trying to save my time. But I feel so blahhhhh right now. I could go back to bed and sleep a month.