KateP's musings

I had the best time yesterday.    I left here a little after 10 and headed to Killingworth.   Unfortunately some trucker from Unifirst was being obnoxious by blowing his horn at me.   Admittedly I wasn’t speeding but I may have slid into his lane inadvertently.   Not my finest moment. It was just about then when I realized I could get the phone map to play through over the Bluetooth and I didn’t have to hold the phone or keep looking over at it.   Then again the phone was going wonky throughout the day so a few of the aps didn’t work for me.   Like the map my walk and my pedometer wigged out on me too. The route to the farm was becoming familiar as it was close to my Nephew Jr. and his family’s home.   There were plenty of hills and beautiful homes.     I arrived to the farm shortly before the agreed time.   G, and a few others were waiting.   Eventually others arrived and we began walking around the pond.   There we...

Dear Mom,     It was a chilly and frosty morning and it didn’t     get any warmer than 60 today.  The rest of the week promises rain.       I had every intention of getting up at 5:30 this morning but after getting an early morning text message from Jim at 4 in the morning I saw no reason to get up that early.  I stayed in bed until 6.  I did get ready for work and was out the door a little after 7.  The things I had planned on doing can wait until I get home. Work was good.  Mail volume was late and light.  It allowed me to work on the re-address mail for most of it.  We had an in-house retirement party for Gloria O.  Her dinner is next week. I sent out the reminder yesterday for the 4th District this week.  We are having it at the Headquarters and so far its been six responses-out of twenty-five. It looks like I will be heading to PA for Thanksgiving.  Although Jim is g...

Dear Mom     There was a beautiful sunrise this morning the sun was coming up bright orange while there were clouds everywhere else.   It took your breath away for sure.  Tonight will definitely be a different story.  Clouds have moved in and severe weather is being predicted for tonight along with coastal flooding.  I am expecting thunder and lightening.  Apparently many areas across the country is having bad weather.     I felt better this morning then I did yesterday and I am able to move a little better than before as well.  By the end of the day was a different story.  My feet swollen and my legs tired.  I was still able to get up and out of chairs better and it did take time to get out of the car.  I just have to remember that I need to lay off the cheese or anything with salt but you know how I am.  I was pretty cold for most of the afternoon.  I am fine now. My appointment with D...

September 3, 2013 Dear Friends: I hope all is well with you all.  I had a very rough start to the day and ended up having to stay home from work.  I woke up with a migraine and had a serious Dizzy spell that lasted what felt like forever.  Mom and I believe it was the food I had yesterday at the two picnics.  When the dizzy spells finally stopped I was able to sleep all day.  I did get up a few times to answer emails and make some calls and try to watch TV but I was too tired.  I couldn’t get over how quickly time passed today.  I had to cancel my volunteering at the Union office for the phone banking today too. I wasn’t the only one who got sick.  Mom also got sick as well.  She did her own thing today and still managed to go to a Bridges Board meeting and got home just before seven.  Now she is in her pajamas and having tea and watching PBS News Hour (plug plug). It is clear I have to make better choices for eating.  Whether it be...

For the last couple of days I have been rushing around.  I overslept on Thursday and was caught in traffic getting off the street and coming home for the last two days. Work has been busy but good got a lot done but as always still have lots to do.  The retirement party for Hyacinth was wonderful saw many people I haven’t seen in a long while.   The weather has been chilly and had more rain.  It rained a little while I was at the retirement party but I was trying to remember if it rained earlier in the day  For some reason I couldn’t. I have also been preoccupied with some stuff here at home.  Mom has been disappointed in my housekeeping skills lately.  I have been pretty angry with her attitude and I am really tired of the crap.  I told her I am doing the best that I can and if she wants me to do something she needs to ask. I am not a mind reader despite what anyone else might think. So while I have the house to myself for...

Yesterday Mom told me how she spent her day and one of the things she did was to go to the attorney to have her will revised.  i asked her how it was done.  She gave him information and he will make sure it will be legal and so forth.  I just looked up how to make a will and found this out about a Social Media Will .  No it isn’t what you think (at least I don’t think it is) but it is what to do with the content and access of the social media accounts once you die..  It is amazing how social media has influenced our lives.   Work went well.  I got a lot accomplished again.  I got reminders for things that need to be done like compliance training and some other thing.  We also got a reminder to update our emergency contact now that Hurricane season has begun (June 1st). WE had some interesting weather today.  It rained for most of the morning.  The sun came out at lunchtime and from 3:30 on it was raining and rain...

Spent a lovely afternoon at the Mercy Center to hear a friends poetry reading as well as music and art.  Each of them experienced life threatening events and learned how to deal with it through different aspects of art.  It really was a lovely way to spend a rainy afternoon. The only downside was I had been sneezing and sniffling through the entire day and I just was beginning to feel miserable.  It all started before I left for bingo.  I am thinking that the pollen and the rain started it all for me.   I left the house just after 8:30 my plans to attend an early mass went out the window and so I headed to Dunkin donuts for breakfast.  I went to the nursing home and had breakfast and then went in and hung around.  I was there before everyone came in.  AFter awhile people came in and so I spent time chatting.  Time sort of just got away from us and then we got ready for bingo.  We did start on time and finished on time...

Well  it looks like the local weather forecasters over reacted to the snow.  It did come overnight but it was not a lot.   From my fellow statesmen it would the same for them as well.   The current temperatures in Milford right now are mid 40’s  and will remain this way for the rest of the week.  That much they had said late last week..  I stopped at D&D this morning and there was no waiting to speak of.  I told the girl who waited on my that Kristina works at a D&D in Allingtown.  When she asked me how she likes it I said “she is 17 how do you think she likes it?”.   It cuts into her rather short visits here  and I would imagine it can be frustrating at time yet liberating because she is getting paid. I showed up at the nursing home close to 9:30.  I went directly into the nursing home and visited with the residents and then started getting coffee.  I had to get the key from the nursing supervisor ....

I didn’t get to work until after 8:30.  Joanie was here and told me there were muffins and bagels in the boardroom and we were to help ourselves.  At lunch we will be having pizza and of course Joanie told KBunko I would be here.  I chatted with Joanie once I got here and then checked in with KBunko.   Now I am just working on a batch (for the past freaking hour) of Tricare.  I also set up my scanning spreadsheet and I was informing Joanie about Larry Hagman’s death.  She didn’t hear about it until today. Hey it is now quarter of 12.  I have managed to scan about seven batches.  Joanie reminded me its okay it depends on lots of factors (size, preparation, problems etc).  I think we all know what else has been going on. Weather report?  Well it was very cold and windy out this morning.  I nearly lost my hat in the middle of the street this morning.   There is no snow on the ground nor is it raining either. ...

I left the house later then I should but I did get to stop at the DD near the nursing home.  I chatted with the picket line and then went inside.  Shelly was there and so was Matt we chatted.  Some of the residents were getting a little rowdy and I put my foot down.  I just said if they couldn’t behave they would leave.  As the morning progressed we had six or seven games but no coin for the games. After the games I went to church.  I  was only a few minutes late but they were just finishing prayers between the two readings.  After church I was about to call Liz (I had the gifts that Claudia sent) but I got a call from Dave.  He wanted me to accompany him to Vinny’s Garden Center and run some errands with him and then we would go to the movies later.  We agreed to meet back at the house by 1:15. After the call I called Liz and made arrangements to come over for a short time.  Chris, Audrey, Jason were tehre when I got ...

I left the office in plenty of time.   Traffic was not in the least bit cooperating (what a shock Phelan!).   I got to the Eye appointment on time but didn’t get in until 3:15.   I had to call IMM and cancel today’s INR reading until Monday.   I was finished by 4:30 and everything is normal and I can continue to take the plaquenil.   After the appointment I drove to Liz’s and spent time there.   They were getting ready to come here to give Mom flowers for thanksgiving.   They were here when I got home. Before coming home I had to run some errands (dinner rolls for tomorrow).   Mom couldn’t hear me tell her where I was and that my eyes were dilated.   I finally picked up rolls from Trader Joes (Costco had run out).   After that I went to Card smart to get holiday cards and my dinner.   I had Chinese.   After some story telling Nelson and Liz left.   Not before I gave a tap/hit to nelson because he can’t see...

You would never know today was Columbus Day or a federal holiday. Traffic was pretty steady for some (mine was okay). Some banks were open. I still had my regular volume of mail. There was nearly 470 pieces of mail. The rest of the time I scanned EOB’s. I did it for about an hour in the morning and then after I finished the mail. We have been given permission to work OT for every night and possibly on Saturday. I will be taking advantage of that this week. I put in an hour tonight. We got an update from AC regarding G today. It seems that she is having a few set backs in her legs and her back. She can’t seem to stand straight or walk as well as she was hoping. I feel terrible because I haven’t called her and I don’t know when a good time is. I don’t feel comfortable doing it from work. By the time I get home I am too tired and I don’t know if or when she is sleeping. I met with Debra and talked about the week’s events and activities. They include my aggravations, and disappoin...

Morning everyone! I ended up staying the night over at SIL’s. It was her first full night alone in the house. The student/boarder who had been troublesome left and my niece went back to the city. We were clearing out stuff (she was looking for forms for potential places to live). She tells me there are a few places she is looking at to rent. Most of them were in New Haven. We ate a late night supper and then went to bed. This morning we had breakfast and I have been home an hour. Mom was up and doing her morning ritual. I got cleaned up and have been doing laundry. My plans for the day are not really firmed up maybe get things straightened up and vacuum the room. Do some errands. I will probably go to church this afternoon. Tomorrow is a full day. I called the Nursing home again this morning to see what the status of the “quarantine” was and again Natalie has not returned my call. I probably could call the main number but I left a message on the answering machine so there ...

As I sit here trying to decompress from Manic Monday I can actually say it was a pretty good day. There were over three hundred pieces of mail from the Post office and very little had to be sent back. There were a few things that have to be readdressed but that can be done tomorrow. I still have to finish the pile of lockbox and then sort and deliver but again that can be done tomorrow as I plan on getting into work early. Today I did a phone survey/interview from a fellow co-worker Kelly P who works in Registration. It was a five question survey on how to make the work place better. I mentioned not having bulk mailings such as the CT medical society (or things of that nature sent to the office but the MD’s homes). When changes are implanted and asked to be relayed to staff members it should be done. I also made mention that peoples attitudes need to be looked at. I let a few people know including Elia V who is a union steward/organizer. She said not to worry about what was said a...

Well got a late call from Debra asking to move the appointment time back to 4:30 as she was running late. That was great because I could stay a few more moments to work on some of the bad addresses from Friday. I still have today’s to work on. I was so happy to have the daily work done. All that I need to do is the lobby mail tomorrow and the readdress mail. The session went well. I told her all the stuff that went on the past week within five minutes of sitting down. I then said okay it was good talking see you next week. A little spiel from NCIS (yeah I have it on the brain). I was really tired but managed to talk about the week a little more detail. We talked about woman stuff, my headache experience yesterday. We talked about the plans for the next week and the weekend. I told her about the birthday dinner we are having for Mom and Bob. She asked if Jim and the kids were coming up and I didn’t know. We got the discussion of periods. She wanted to know when I got mine (I explai...

The 31 year tradition is over. This may be the last one and those words came from Mom after we learned about the numbers of people who were invited and confirmed and who basically showed up. Tessa told us she sent out 300 invitations/flyers in the mail. They were to those who were in the fourth district that were families with children in the school system, Single mothers with teenagers all that could come and meet the candidates. Of the 300 people 28 confirmed (RSVP) and said they would be here. Guess what? This was the list: Three of our neighbors from the street came One of my neighbor’s sisters and two friends of hers. 1 friend of Mom’s from Bridges Six Candidates Four other 4th District Members Kevin Lembo the state Treasurer One woman I didn’t recognize My friends Mike and Roberta came in support. Tessa was thoroughly disgusted. She says and I agree with her that the people in this town are apathetic. They are not informed and could have learned so much...

Hey everyone its the end of a busy weekend. Friday my vacation came to an end and the beginning of going back to a regular routine started on Saturday. Mom presided over a wedding here at the house and we had 20 people in our small living room. I also was having my computer reinstalled as it crashed on Friday. Today I had my bingo and then went to my sister's for a family gathering to introduce the family to the newest additions to the Rivera family. Now I am just relaxing and keeping an eye on my computer (Mom's letting me use hers until mine is all set with updates and stuff). I am sort of aggravated right now as somethings that bothered me today during the family gathering and during bingo have been going over in my head: 1) As a friendly gesture I was getting to know a new resident and her daughter. The daughter thought my asking her where she was from was a little "too personal". My response is to fucking grow up. (the bingo session) 2) I picked ...

I had decided that today I would make an effort to clean my room and do the chores that needed to be done that I have neglected. As you know when I work most Saturdays by the time I get home I am really not in the mood to do anything. Last weekend I wasn’t home long enough to do them. By the time I did get home I was sleeping. Today is no different. Mom went to the Opera with Stella today. She left around noon and should be back by 4. She really slept in this morning. I had called around 9:30 to just touch bases with her and instead I got this really groggy sounding voice. We didn’t talk long just gave her traffic update (it wasn’t bad this morning). Work went well got a lot of the EOB pulls done. There was one that was a Medicaid pull that I left for another day. The file itself is massive and if any of you work in the medical field dealing with insurance EOB’s and files then you will understand why. On some Medicaid EOB’s they are not in alpha order and sometimes huge-o...

Today was very cool. I got up early and started getting ready for breakfast and the walk. Mom was having breakfast for her self and then realized she had to get ready for the birthday party. I called Liz for some directions for Mom and had a few moments to chat with Liz. Dave came after 9 and we headed to Cracker Barrel Old Country Restaurant up by the highway and we were seated promptly and ordered our pancakes. Dave had blueberry and I had plain with cherries on top and whip cream. I had juice and coffee. We had some time to catch up on some things and we even chatted with waitress who waited on us. She was quite nice. After we ate it was about 10 and we headed to Killingworth and to Chatfield Hallows. We arrived about 11 or so despite our not paying attention to the GPS. However it got us back to where we needed to be and we began following the huge sign that said “Chatfield Hollows” this way. We registered and chatted with the organizers Genovese Salvatore (my friend from...