KateP's musings

Well good morning everyone. I am at work and doing lockbox. It is not very large volume so I am hoping to get it done before I leave today. Pray that everything I touch today is done before I leave for PA. I still haven’t heard from Jim yet. I called last night and got the answering machine. I checked emails at work and the phone message at work. I have heard nothing yet. I am going to try my other email and see if he did and it just didn’t come through outlook. A few have wished me a good trip and to be careful. One person suggested I put it off. I said nope. I am not doing it. I got a little extra prayer from Stephanie Gulley today. No word from Jim as of 9:53 AM. I have to go and pick up my prescription and candy. Hey everyone it is after 6 cloudy night...My road trip was okay. I took a wrong exit and ended up on Garden State parkway..found my way to I-78 W..iow went way out of my way. To find that big brother is out of town! So I went to a local hotel I have been to before (that di...

Hey everyone I am at work and I just wanted to keep you updated. I have already submitted my PTO request for tomorrow and both Susan and Patti have approved it. Well Patti approved it verbally on the phone this morning because she isn’t here today. I sent an email to Jim this morning and let Mom know about before I left. She asked me about calling him and I told her I was going to do that when I get home. I also posted a vent on one of the lists since it was vent day. I also told Liz I was going and she said “well you should let him know you are coming” and my favorite “don’t be disappointed or hurt if”. I thanked her and told her I loved her for saying it but I will call him tonight. She says she has a gift for him and wants me to take it to him tomorrow.

Everyone is in a weird mood today. Not in a bad way but a good way. This week is Month End so they have a goal to get the most money in. Apparently they want to get three million dollars posted today. I am leaving work early today because I have a Hygienist appointment at 3 pm. So that means I have to make sure everything is done before I leave. Right now I am finishing up yesterday’s lockbox. I am waiting on today’s and I am really hoping there isn’t much. I still have to get the mail from downstairs. I haven’t picked that up at all this week. I suspect it is going to be heavy because it contains Saturday’s mail, Monday’s, and yesterday’s. Thanks to Mary from Torrington for the great suggestion to call Waterbury Republican American for the article on Father Whitson. She emailed me last night with the tip but she also told me she would keep an eye out for articles in her newspaper. Wow I am all finished with this morning’s mail and I am waiting for any other campus/post office mail fro...

It is almost 9:30 Tuesday morning and I am working, and surfing the net at the same time. That’s got to stop and I will force myself to do it. Last night was a good night. Mom had just gotten home when I did from the Doctor’s. She had to fill a prescription for Prednisone. She said she had exposed a nerve. She felt and looked a lot better than she had in the last few days. She went to her Bridges Meeting and got back probably about 9. Before Mom left I asked her if Mike sent out an email about the meeting and she told me it will be at 6:30 before the Town Committee on Thursday. That’s okay by me. I had dinner, watched TV, and read the two newest pen pal letters I received. One is from Edie in Prospect CT, and the other one was from Nancy Padgett. I received an FB from Edie and I am looking through it to see if there are possible pen pals. Last night I just printed up envelopes and will do the rest tonight. I won’t be able to mail any of them until Friday. I don’t know where the stamps ...

It is almost 10 and I am doing what I normally do on Monday’s. The mail (and of course surfing the net) and work in general. I really didn’t want to get up this morning. I woke up after 5 and dosed until quarter of 7. I haven’t done that in quite some time either. I got ready for work. Stayed on the computer until 7:30 and managed to get here a little after 8. I heard from Mardi this morning. We were discussing how much snow both of us got from Friday. There has been snow up in the Northwest part of the state and this last storm brought them another foot of new snow. There is more on the way as well. I also heard from her yesterday tooJ. The reason for that was I had contacted my Northwest CT Pen pals/friends to ask them a favor. I am not sure I mentioned this yesterday but Mom says there were articles on Father Robley Whitson in the Waterbury Republican American and Hartford Courant. Well I couldn’t find anything online for the Waterbury newspaper but I did find it in the Courant. Wel...

Good morning! It is after 8 on chilly sunny Sunday. I have been up for a while now. I got the papers so Mom wouldn’t have to go out and I cleaned up the sink (she must not have been feeling well last night she rarely leaves stuff like that). Mom’s back is bothering her again. She walked down the stairs gingerly and very slowly. When I finished the sink I told her to call me if she wanted me to do something for her. She says she has an appointment to see the Doctor tomorrow but she is not sure if she will keep it. She has a bunch of meetings to attend that she can’t get out of. The way I see it is if she is driving and something happens she won’t be going to the meetings anyway. Then again she was driving fine yesterday it was the whole getting in and out of the car that was uncomfortable. I got an email from Telka a couple of days ago that I just saw yesterday. She defended her thesis and it was accepted. She is now Telka diFate PhD. She will be graduating on May 10, 2008. ...

I am so shocked! One of the longest running movie theaters in Orange is closing! That’s right the Showcase Cinemas on Marsh Hill Road is closing in March. I have spent a number of times there to watch the various movies that came into Orange. I can’t remember some of them right now but it was accessible. I had thought because Cine Deluxe 14 at the mall was beating them out (not realizing they are the same company) and its possible it could be but the company is citing financially not feasible. What will this mean for the residents of Orange? Well obviously they no longer have their own theater but some of them live closer to either Derby or New Haven or will come to the Mall. Well it is almost 10 in the morning. I have been doing laundry and trying to read various blogs. Unfortunately I have work to do so I can’t be doing that. I have letters I want to write and send out. I managed to write my weekly newsletter to the groups. I have had one response from Diane in AL on the lady divas ...

I have had me another day. The snow started during the night and there was a lot on the ground by 6. As I was getting ready for work Mom got up and was having a really hard time walking. I got really scared and admittedly over reacted. Anyway I calmed down and helped her to the bathroom. When she finished she went downstairs. I went with her and got the newspaper. I also shoveled the sidewalk and put the de-icing pellets on the ground. I even tried to get the snow off the sidewalk. This was all done in anticipation of taking Mom to the Doctors. When I left for work I told her to call me one way or another about the Doctors. She said she would. The ride in was long. I had fallen near the car as I was trying to clear it off. I used the broom to get the heavy stuff off and the pulled out of the driveway and headed up to Woodmont Road and exit 40. The traffic was slow but I went twenty miles an hour. As I got into Orange and West Haven I managed to get over to the far lane. U...

I was talking to Sue F next door before leaving and Mom got all excited and told me I was going to be late. I was getting a little embarrassed. Sue was defending her and I said it was rude (which I am pretty sure Mom heard). I was up a little after 6 and got the garbage from the upstairs and put it down stairs. Then I got it ready to go out before I left. That’s when I ran into Susan and her dog and chatted with them for longer than I should have. Around 10 I called Mom and told her I got her on time (well a little after 8) but she asked me why I was standing out there when I knew I had to be at work. I told her I didn’t realize how late it was. I thanked her for letting me know. When I called she was making business calls for the board. She seemed a little edgy but it wasn’t me it was her back. Mom told me that she was telling the EX-Director of the board she is on about her dream two nights ago and she said that he told her that when he has a dream he wakes up and tells his wife. Mom...

I am so aggravated today. L It took me longer than I planned to do the bad address pile from yesterday. My computer froze (or I think the mouse did) again. I think it happened at least three times. I was miscounting the envelopes (a few people were interrupting me) and the piles I had here were falling on the floor! The printer on my desk was jamming and I don’t mean to the music either. I talked with Mom at break time and she isn’t feeling better. I asked her this morning and she was a little better than she was last night but I discovered this morning that she had vacuumed and washed the floors on Saturday. That’s what threw her back out! At least it aggravated the stenosis. During and after lunch I worked on the bad addresses for today and the chart requisition list. Once they were done I worked on the lockbox. I filled out some PTO sheets for Miriam’s Wedding and my dentist appointment. I am sure I will have more but I can’t think of them right now. I sent out some emails. I sent o...

Well it’s after 9 in the morning and I have been here since 8. Everything is fine if it weren’t for the fact that my glasses are in the car (this time they are), my ID is at home on the desk (I believe), and I am worried about Mom. Mom’s back seemed to be worse this morning then last night. I helped get the bath mats put in place (for her shower). She says she will call the doctor today in between her meetings (I am assuming the part of “in between meetings”). It seems that Jodi Rell the current Governor of CT is approving a plan/bill to remove all billboards through out the state. According to this article it litters the landscape and detracts from the beauty of the state. Unfortunately, the latest Conservation billboards happen to have her picture on them. This has caused a great deal of concern and aggravation to many Outdoor Communication companies including my friend Bruce and John Barrett. John was interviewed on Cablevision 12 yesterday as well as the New Haven Register....

It is after 10 and I am just doing readdress mail and the chart requests for tomorrow. It is not overly busy here because of Presidents Day. I can hear some people chatting about something but many have work from previous days to do. Last night I managed to watch most if not all of the Knight Rider movie…it was good. David Hasselhoff the Original Knight Rider appears at the end and looked good. I find it kind of funny that the man to replace “Michael knight” is non other then former AMC star Justin Bruening . Considering David Hasselhoff also was on Y&R back in the day. I guess it was okay. Can it survive a limited run? Time will only tell. It is now after 1:30. I am just putting the personal/readdress mail into envelopes. I did have some mail from the weekend and I will sort it later. It is just after 9:30 and I have been home about 30 minutes. I have been watching a little bit of the TV and about to go to bed. I have a little bit of headache and I am not sure what’s causing it....

I really had fun yesterday. I was invited to go to Great Barrington MA to Butternut Ski Resort for tubing. Yes I said Tubing. I have done it only once before and that was in Canada at the Winter Carnival in Quebec. Dave picked me up around noon and we drove to Torrington and we then drove to Great Barrington with our friends Mary and Steve and their two sons. We drove through Winsted and Canaan and then up to Route Seven through Shifford and Stockbridge then to Great Barrington. We got there about 10 of three. There were a lot of people there and we got our tickets $15 for two hours. They would write the time we were to finish on our sticker ticket. I did it for an hour or so. Then I kept Mary Company in the car with her son. Garrett wasn’t interested in going down the hill this time. Mary’s husband went tubing for the last 45 minutes. Dave came and asked me if I was going to any more and I told him no. He was persistent (a trait I don’t like). We went to dinner at Barring...

Well Happy Friday everyone. I am sitting in my office trying hard to finish this mail. I managed to get up about 6:30 and get ready for work. I was late by 5 minutes. I was writing out checks for Mom and the Credit Union. I got one of my tax refunds so it’s going directly to the Credit Union. Last night was a good night. I got home by 4:30 I think. Mom was working on her taxes and dinner was cooking in the oven it was pot roast. JI watched TV and read my mail. I got a letter from Kinga my pen pal in MA. I started a letter to her. I also started the newsletter for the groups I will post that on Saturday before going with Dave to Torrington.

It is after 3 and I am working on the readdress mail. I should be finished by the time I leave here. I have a lot of “bulk mail” I can do tomorrow and Monday. Today went very well. I managed to get the lockbox and post office mail done. I still have not gotten the lobby mail. I will most definitely have to do that tomorrow. I got an email from Ethel thanking me for the e-card I sent her. I sent one back to her thank her for her wish. She called mom today to tell us that John starts training tomorrow for Rangers. It sounds very scary yet I am very proud of him. I called Mom around noon time. That’s when she told me about John. She also said that it’s been quiet and that I have a little bit of mail waiting for me. That was all the news she had for me. I called Liz and Nelson but they were not home. I will call again later. Mike sent out an email about delegates for all the conventions this coming summer.

Good Morning! It is just 10 in the morning and I am finishing up yesterday's mail. It should be done soon. I don't see this morning's lockbox here yet so that must mean it's late. I am not concerned as you all know I am not exactly strapped for things to do. The weather is messy out there as to be expected. It has caused some major problems on the highways. I have to say I wasn't one of them. It was icy on the ramps in the garage but I made it. SEveral hours have now passed. The woman's meeting was cancelled because of the weather. It is rescheduled for Monday same time. Cool. I really didn't want to go out tonight. Now that my monthly has started I am really glad we didn't have the meeting. When I got home it was nearly 5. I left the office late and traffic was okay. Mom had left out the potato soup as she promised earlier in the day. I ate the entire container. I think it was like 2 cups of it (at least I am hoping). I also made a phone call t...

Well it is after 8:30 and I just got into my pajamas. It has been a long day and I can’t wait to get to bed. Work went well. I wasn’t able to finish today’s mail but I can do that tomorrow. I am making some headway on the readdress mail. I still have to get the lobby mail that’s waiting in the lobby mailbox for me. I am sure it is really full by now. It started snowing around 3 and as of right now hasn’t stopped. I think there are about 2 or three inches on the ground by now. It made for some slippery walking to Debra’s after work. The session went well. I talked about work, and how my week went since our last session. I also talked about how worried Mom is about Jim. I even told her that if the chance ever arose I would tell my in-laws and siblings off in so many words. After the session I headed back to the car and headed for home. The drive was slow. I slid only once and that was over on Anderson. Mom thought I was going fast. No I am not kidding. She also said even...

My plans didn’t exactly work out as I had hoped this morning. I woke up at 5 but stayed in bed until maybe 6. I wanted to work on the journals. I didn’t. It was so cold in my room that I wanted to stay under the covers and then I got up and showered and then watched TV. It was just about then when Mom got up for her day. She had an early morning breakfast meeting with Representative Jim Amann and I think she said Judge Beverly but I am not sure. I think the rest of her day is full with meetings. I managed to mail the cards for the little ones. Of course I forgot to sign Audrey’s. What a dork I can be. I will have to email Liz and Stephanie and Chris and let them know Well it is late and I need to head to bed. I am feeling a little stiff but I think it was the way I was sitting watching TV. I spent most of the night answering a letter I got today from L Bunch. I haven’t done anything else relating to pen paling. I will tomorrow though. I got home rather late tonight. I left the...

Good Morning it is almost 8:30 and the clouds are moving in again. I am just reading some emails and about to get dressed for my day. I do bingo in the morning and then the Valentines Card Delivery with the club. I should be back by 2 at least. When I get back I have to finish these journals for the people I owe them to. I had gotten an email bright and early from Kayla. She didn’t sound angry-yet but I have to get them out. I heard from Mardi yesterday too. She responded to my weekly newsletter that I sent out (I sent one to the Kate’s Diary Group) and she tells me that Northwest CT got snow. She said about three inches. Joanne H is asking for help for information on Grandparents rights. She didn’t go into a great deal about it but I would imagine her sister is having a problem. I am sure we will find out more as time goes on. Before I go today is Jamie's Birthday. He is nine years old. He is my youngest nephew and one of the nicest, smartest boys I have known. I miss ...

It is another beautiful day. Yes I said a cloudy, rainy day is beautiful. Actually it is sleeting right now and has been for about 20 minutes. The day started out pretty sunny and that was at 8:30 this morning. Around 11 it changed to cloudy and then rainy. According to the weather forecast for today it is going to be like this for the entire day. The entire week is supposed to be cloudy with showers. That’s okay. I have only a few meetings to attend and will be home most nights. Well it is now after 10 and I am heading to bed. I spent part of the afternoon working on my taxes. I was really nervous because I used that 2007 H&R Block Tax cut and I am not sure I really did it right. But I will find out. I also watched TV for a bit. I can’t begin to tell you what I watched. I would say the usual staples for Saturday and Saturday night. . I went to 5:30 mass this evening because tomorrow is going to be busy and I certainly didn’t want to go to church at 4:30 tomorrow afte...

I fell today in front of the parking garage in the city. I was walking from the elevator to the corner talking to a woman who is on another floor here in the building. Anyway, I got to the corner and slid and fell to the ground then got onto my knees and swore. The woman helped me up. Now my entire left side is all dirty and the new stockings are messed up. It is now 20 of 12. I am working on the lockbox. Everything seems to be feeling better but the lower part of my back. Shirley suggested I go get it checked out and said nah it would be okay when I get home. It is almost 3:30 and in 30 minutes I will be leaving for the day. The afternoon went well. I was able to get the rejections sorted and delivered, and I was able to get some of the individual mail done. I didn’t get to the lobby box but I can do that Monday. Howard B sent around a memo about internet use. I have to be careful from now on. Well it is time for me to go. It is almost 10. I have been home since 4:30. I left a littl...

Well it is after 7 and I am just getting dressed. I had a good sleep but I stayed in bed until 6:30. I have already put the rest of the recycle stuff. I just have to take the regular garbage out. Yesterday was a productive day. I manage to get the mail opened and rejections and some of the individual mail done. I was able to get a lot done before the day ended. It was also the first day of the Lenten season that starts off with the Ash Wednesday. The YNNH had an Ecumenical service at their chapel. It was very crowded. After work I went home and Mom and I had dinner then afterwards we went to the wake for Stella C’s son. He died on Saturday from the brain tumor. Mom reminded me that funeral Masses can not be held (at least in the Catholic Church) on Ash Wednesday. So it had to be delayed a day. We were back home by 7 and I spent the rest of the night either watching TV or trying to write a letter to my pen pal Linda B. I am almost finished and will have it mailed when I get home. Today ...

Well Good Morning everyone. It is Tuesday 7 am and I am about to leave for work. For the first time in a very long time I actually got up a little after 5 and started my day. I got on the computer for a bit to check emails and stuff like that. I got ready for work after a brief nap. I even answered another article from the Inky News Trail e-newsletter. I told them about the two bad experiences with e-pals. IF you remember it was the guy who insisted on sending the flowers three days after initial contact and the woman in a prison camp in some African country who wanted me to hold money for her until she got here. I wrote it out first before just writing it cold. Then I sent it to Wendy. Today is a big day in Connecticut and 23 other states. It is Primary Day here in CT. It is where both parties cast their votes to see who will represent their party in the General Presidential Election. The morning is going okay. I have been working on the lockbox from yesterday and I just opened today’...

Hey all it’s almost 1 and I am working on the Medical Records “crap”. It’s been a rather productive day. The lock box seems high in volume but that’s okay. I plan on having it done today as opposed to tomorrow (if possible). I have been on line but not excessively (work related mostly and did check emails). Senator Clinton and her campaign made a visit to the Child Study Center bright and early this morning for a round table discussion. We could see the activity from our back windows here (the windows face South Frontage Road) and the media was out there in full force it looked like. A few people such as Alita spotted Mrs. Clinton from the window. The whole thing ended by lunch time. I talked with Mom this morning. She had a rough night. She has been sick all night again. I am not sure if the moving the bed and putting it together contributed but I am certain the rich food we had last night was a big factor. Well I have to get going. I will be leaving for home shortly. Well it is just ...

Hey everyone this is going to be a quick entry. It’s been a rather long day and I am tired. The day started off with bingo and had a great day. A total of 18 residents played and we did very well. Virginia was there setting up and had a great day herself. Sam did very well at keeping his comments to himself. Claudia the receptionist tells me she feels that the Tibbits don’t belong at Mediplex because she doesn’t seem to think they are sick or injured. She feels someone else is more deserving of Mediplex. I am not so sure what I think about that. All you furniture buyers and shoppers will be happy to know that Milford will be the newest location for Pilgrim Furniture City . What is this story you ask? Well it is store that was first founded in Bristol CT. I had read about it coming to Milford and wasn’t sure where it would be but now I do. It will be right across the street from Costco. In an old abandoned factory (it is currently being renovated). I managed to get Mom’s birth...

Hey everyone! It is after 2:30 on this very windy Saturday. I have been spending most of the day trying to update pen pal files, get rid of emails and record them on the different files I have. I know that sounds a little anal but it helps me to keep organized. It is a running record of stuff I get for things (or need to know) for bills and all the other things I am involved with. It’s also a way of condensing stuff. Hey I heard from my new pen pal Shelley. It turns out I have written her before. It’s really funny too. She was already listed in my address book from a long time ago. I recently found her ad in the Inky trails E newsletter . I didn’t know it was her at the time until she gave me her address this morning. I sent her an email letting her know we were pen pals or about to be pen pals before. Mom is out getting some greeting cards. She is going out to dinner with the gang at Mercy Center because it is Father Whitson’s Birthday today. Mom is bringing her famous Grandma’s cake...

It is very stormy night out on this first Friday of February. I am supposed to be writing the minutes but I have been paying bills, updating pen pal files, and printing out an intro to Rhonda G from MO. I got a lovely thank you card from Kristina today. I am about ready to get a little note off to her and to her brother and sister. It’s been a while since I wrote them. I did email Jim earlier today. I got a response this evening. He wants me to check to see what sponsors are supposed to do for confirmations and he wants me to talk to my Pastor (or in this case Father Callahan). I was going to tell Mom that he emailed me back but when I asked her if she heard from Jim and she said not since he left a message the other day I decided not to. I did tell her I emailed him today. I also got a beautiful hand made hot plate from Gail W in California. It was for the raffle prize I won last month. I will be getting a thank you note off to her and to the donator. I sent her an email l...