I am currently hooked up to an IV and enjoying the splendor of my bi-Monthly, 2.5 hour Remicade Infusion, which is always a great time to blog.

Things are going along status-quo here at Idle Eyes. Once again, I have nothing witty, humorous, scandalous or thought-provoking to share, (to be fare, I rarely do, so this is not really a change) so I’ll just bore you with my mundane life updates.

Work:

I am now 7 weeks into my position as manager. Things are going … stressfully…but they’re going. In my inaugural 2 months, I’ve worked through demoting an employee, patching up a bad relationship with another employees, and asserting my authority over a rebellious support staff person that is used to bullying her supervisors into submission (not happening with me, folks.) I’ve had to learn how to  fix a database that is our sole source of records keeping while trying to prepare for a transition to a new system that does not want to play nice with our existing data. (I am so NOT a tech person, so this is very challenging for me.) I’ve also been part of a team working on a plan to completely overhaul how we do what we do, while cleaning up two decades of poor/lazy record keeping and outdated procedures. Its what comes from having a previous manager that had no idea how to actually manage a unit or its staff (or, at the very least, never bothered to try.) Sigh. I also found out I was on the verge of being offered another promotion in a different unit for which I had applied and interviewed for but subsequently decided to withdraw my name from consideration. While I had maybe an ounce or two of regret out of passing on what would have been another increase in salary (in addition to the one I just received) I truly believe I would have been miserable in that position (even more than I am now, at times) and I’m inclined to stick with “the devil you know.” Nutshell: The money wasn’t worth it.

Health:

I’m in a good stretch, knock on wood. I made a decision to stop taking a prescribed med that had some negative side-effects I was tired of dealing with. So far, it does not seem to have impacted my health negatively and, in fact, I seem to be feeling and doing better off of it. I will discuss with my GI at my next appointment.

We (hubby and I) made a decision to get serious about losing weight (again) and have cut out almost all carbs. We’ve been sticking to lean meats, eggs, dairy, and veggies as the bulk of our meal ingredients, while increasing our activity when and where we can. I’m down about 4 pounds in 3 weeks, which isn’t too bad. I’m under no illusion that this will be quick or easy, but the older I get, the harder it become. Additionally, low carb fits in well with my gluten intolerance, gastroparesis issues, and weight issues so it’s really the ideal eating plan for me.  I’m giving myself 8 years and 6 days to reach my ideal weight [side note: that’s how much time I have before retirement.]

Home:

The giant weight bearing springs on our garage door broke, making it impossible to open the door electronically or manually, trapping one car in, and one car out. After meeting with a guy from the overhead door company we contacted, we decided to replace the whole door. Of course, we don’t have a standard sized garage door so it had to be special ordered. (Sigh.) In the meantime, the springs have been clamped so we can use the old door, but we’ve chosen to park outside in the driveway to avoid using the door to avoid any risk of trapping another car (or two) in the garage should the clamps not hold for any reason.

We are discussing getting our basement refinished, but discussions have been postponed thanks to the garage door fiasco.

With the return of spring weather (bordering on summer temps at times) we’ve been enjoying the screened-in back porch and pavilion area of our patio, grilling several times and hanging with the dogs who are thrilled to have their back yard kingdom back, free from snow and ice.

Dogs:

What can I say? they continue to be a source of great joy and comfort to us both, and every time I think I can’t possibly love them more, I am proven wrong. Seriously, how can it be possible to be so smitten with these shedding, licking, barking, whining, needy creatures? (Maybe I just identify with them way too much.)

Plans:

I am on probation in my new position for a year, which means I have limitations to how much time I’m allowed to take off, so I have to limit my time off to my pass days, weekends, and state holidays as much as possible. This just means no week long vacation until after March 2019, but that’s OK. I made it 15 years without taking a week off (save for medical issues), I can certainly make it 10 more months.

My birthday is in 6 days. I will be 47. In celebration, I’m allowing myself 1.5 days off and hubby Jeffrey and the bf Jim are taking me back to Binghamton to visit the giraffe family we visited last year. The baby, Tajiri, (pictured here with mother April)

is now a year older, and I look forward to seeing how he’s grown. Visiting Giraffes is starting to become a birthday tradition for me ( 2 years running), and I hope to continue doing it as long as we are able. Also, we discovered a great restaurant and adjacent lounge across the street from the hotel we stayed at last year, the Lost Dog Cafe and Lounge, so I look forward to returning and having my birthday dinner and cocktails there.

Since I have a long weekend the following week, for Memorial Day (Pass Day Friday, State Holiday Monday) we are going to Provincetown.  Although it’s been great going new places (Phoenix and Key west, most recently), there’s nothing like Provincetown and nothing will ever replace it. We need to start going more often, like we used to, even if it’s only a weekend here and there along the way.  While back to back trips aren’t our usual M.O., it would be crazy not to  take advantage of the long holiday weekend.

After that, I need to start making some solid plans to reconnect with some blogger buddies (and maybe meet some new ones?)

Cheers!