Getting Ready for Company and a Weekly Update

Good morning! It is a rainy Saturday morning, after a very busy work week. But all is well, almost.

First of all here is the link to the video if you are looking for that this morning. You can watch it here. This is the week we were getting ready for life group coming over, but we had a little date night out as well.

Work Week

The work week went from “caught up and working on a payroll notebook of instructions (for the person after me)” to….”slammed against a wall”. We found out that another department has assigned an employee to the wrong state tax code ALL YEAR. So I have to go back and do an adjusted return for one state, have to completely register in another state, and then do the five monthly returns for Withholding for it and also a quarterly return for it as well as the unemployment return. Then we will have penalties on the late returns and a credit in one state to apply against the next quarter return. My head was spinning. It’s amazing how one small tiny mishap can create a nightmare for someone else. It is what it is.

It was a four day week and I didn’t have time to work on any of the above, sadly. I still haven’t even worked on the HOL pay eligibility but will have to do that Monday. I ran out of week in this short holiday week. I did get my month end taxes paid though for one side of the business. So that is good. I had adjustments for those too as I had credits in one state and had to pay more in another state. All because I didn’t realize when I printed my reports I was still in last year’s records. I had just pulled data for another department and totally forgot to switch back to 24. Have I mentioned I am looking forward to retirement? lol. We are almost there!

Mom

We went out to eat spaghetti at Demo’s and to get her groceries on Thursday night after work. So I arrived and she had me looking for a lipstick tube where she said the lipstick fell out of the case and fell to the floor. I cannot get down on the floor and look under things anymore, especially with the back and leg problems of late, but I bent over and took a pic with my camera. Nothing but crumbs were there.

As we were leaving I noticed she had a fuchsia bright pink place about the size of a small pickle jar top (lol – the only thing I could think of). I touched it and said what did you do? She said that was where her lipstick fell and she can’t get it off. I said “that is not lipstick, you hurt yourself there as it’s under the skin”. She said that is “what the lipstick did and I can’t get it off”. I said “no way”. But she started to get mad, as she does when someone does not agree with her. She does not accept anyone ever having a different opinion from her.

So, my guess is she has fallen and doesn’t want me to know it. Or she fell up against something and caught herself with her arm. Lipstick does not do that. I’m not stupid. I hope she would not lie to me. She may really think it was the lipstick if she dropped it. I will look at it again on Sunday and see if it has turned darker. I just can’t imagine lipstick staining the skin under it in such a massive way. Lipstick is not that big. lol If she is going to start falling, we have a completely different situation and assisted living is going to be a must.

That said her 2nd dishwasher went out again. I hope she didn’t open it while it was going and it short out. That happened at our house. We had to buy another. She can’t see when it’s running I guess. She says she didn’t do that but she won’t really say much about it so my guess is something happened. She is washing by hand but has run out of Dawn and forgot to put it on the list so we didn’t get any at the store. We’ll get some tomorrow. She can use Amway LOC meanwhile, as it’s ok to wash dishes in that and she has some. She goes to the eye doc next week and sometime next week we will get our nails done.

Me

Well, not sure where to start. So I’ll just start anywhere. These are not listed from any importance.

1. I’m just tired. When am I not? I’m struggling to sleep. Struggling at times to even walk. Something is starting to go awry with my back on the right side, the right leg and hip – where it all connects. Just that back hip area. I think it’s my bed. My alignment. I don’t know for sure. I have to make an appt for Rx refills soon so I’ll bring it up with the doctor. It comes and goes.
2. I’m in a state of “waiting”. I don’t like to live in a state of complete anticipation but I am, by default. Mainly because I don’t feel well, I always feel slammed, and it is really impacting my psyche, because it’s hard to have fun when you constantly feel overwhelmed.
3. The videos. The above comes across. I don’t look good in them. I don’t bring forth good vibes in them. But I refuse to do anything but keep it real. In earlier days I saw the numbers rising and community growing. And while I have had some growth, I also see the numbers dwindling. Gain three, lose two, gain two, lose three. I try not to let it get to me, but each unsubscribe makes me question myself and makes me feel like less a person. God reaches out and tells me I am worth it to Him, not to let it get to me, that people are vain and want to watch the pretty young things in their prime. He reminds me that I represent a niche too, and while it may not be popular, it’s still special and still genuine. I love that about God. There is no one that will ever love me and care about my feelings like God.
4. I realize I’m not much of a quitter. Some might argue. I have quit many things when I realized something needed to change or had to change. But I will continue the videos and work through the hard stuff because I enjoy it so much. I just hate that the rewards are slim in the numbers for the effort I do. I tell myself I will continue to get better. And I will. I will also have more time next year to work on them, to learn new ways of vlogging, and new things to do with the channel. I know that God is timing it just right. I cannot have time to fool with a YouTube partnership program until I retire anyway so 1,000 followers can’t come til January. And it IS true I’m holding myself back some from making content that is going to bring them in. I know what to do and will do those planned videos in 2025 and see what happens.
5. The camera. I have fallen in love with the new one I want. It’s easier to operate. It’s a Sony, a camera made for vloggers. I’m embarrassed to say that I want a new camera. The other has so many bells and whistles. I never get good footage. This one will help me. I was going to buy a new wider lens and go through a heavy training with myself in 2025 but now I think I’m just going to buy the newer easier camera. It’s a Sony ZV-1 Mark II. It’s a pretty steep grade from the Mark I too so I have to make sure and get the right version.

It’s $799.99 most places. I’ll probably get white just because it’s different. It’s smaller, lightweight, it has a wide lense, zoom, an app, different filters, stabilization for vlogging, autofocus, face detection, wireless, audio is about the same front and back of the camera. Lightweight. It also has an aspect where you can smooth facial lines (low, med, high). I need that! I love everything about this. It’s one that is easy to take and go! I cannot get my mind off of it. But I’m willing to save up for it.

6. I feel like I’m an expensive girl this year. Car petered out, so new car. Appendix removal surgery – even with insurance – was very expensive, making me question why we have insurance? lol I am getting new glasses in the fall as it’s been 3 years and I won’t have vision insurance for 3 more years. And I have a very expensive bed coming which is more of a medical thing than a luxury thing although some would argue. The new bed arrives on June 11 and I’m not sure I can hold on til then. It’s been so hard to sleep lately. That comes through on the videos too. So yeah. No new camera til next year. I want to have time to enjoy it also and spend time with it and learn everything about it.

7. Despite the above, I’m ok. It is a struggle but God is with me.

8. Almost half way through the year and I have to look at the to do list and go “not bad” considering all that we do and try to do. So I’m not as discouraged as I have been in the past.

9. I’m grateful for today, this rainy day and I’m going to both relax and get things done in my own pace and enjoy it. I’m not even rushing to promote today’s video. If they want to watch they can if not, pbbbbth! lol. But I hope they do. Really. But I’m not letting it get me down if they don’t is my point. And I’m not rushing anyone to it today.

And with all that said, I need to get on about my day. Love you all and will catch up with you soon. And here again is today’s VIDEO.

If you want to warm my heart, SUBSCRIBE to the video on YouTube, and make my day.

😉