working for a living

I think I'll record my work day-

I tried to get here pre 8:45 as I had to take minutes at a meeting at 9 and didn't want to be too rushed. Didn't work, got here at 8:47, early enough to get an extra 15 min for lunch. Proceeded to meeting with proper equipment and handouts. No one needed the extra handouts - everyone remembered to bring their agendas (small miracle). Also had 1 no show who said he was coming - typical. This is a fairly big deal as it's a mayoral meeting. Had no new loan applicants to review but the meeting took 2 hrs 15 min anyway - those folks like to talk. Done with meeting, work piles up while I'm gone. I say to my co-worker so diplomatically "I didn't put it on my calendar - did you remember I'm taking an hour lunch?" She nods. About 10 min later she asks me, "so, you're taking an hour lunch today, right?" yes. She only asked once - we usually go through this 3-4 times in one morning. Sigh. Meet friend for lunch at fairly swanky downtown restaurant, but she has to go home and pack and drive to airport this aft. so all I'm thinking is "eat, you fool, and get your butt on the road." So conversation was not great. My task-oriented mind. I get back from lunch for a discussion with co-workers on what did you have, was it good, do you like to go there, etc. etc. Sunny nice day so leisurely work on paperwork this aft. A boss comes out and asks "how many drug tests did you schedule?" due to lack of communication one organization thinks they are getting 300 kids from us and they are only getting 64. Person in charge is out of office until Tuesday. Some scrabling goes on, but I am a lowly admin clerk so there is only so much I can do, or need to do :)

And now it is 5 pm.

Oh dear it's been a while.

I've been on Facebook now for a month or two - since then I've seen 3 old friends. Someone told the story that their daughter asked "how did you make friends before the internet?" I thought that was pretty funny. You did it face to face -real life.

I haven't decided how much I enjoy facebook - is it just distracting me? Is it adding to my life? Should I write to all my friend? Sometimes I get wrapped up in how many friends I have and is that respectable.

But it's improved my real life social life. Go figure.

Dad

When the weather gets warmer I wear a corduroy blue pea coat that falls right about where a suit coat would. I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window and I thought "it looks like my dad" - skinny long legs sticking out, leaning slightly forward like I know what I'm going to do next- which is a dad trait. All I needed was to flip my right foot forward like I had nerve damage, and I'd be all set. Well, plus grow a beard.

Dad had to have back surgery when I was in 5th grade, and suffered nerve damage as a result. He had to pick up his right foot and kind of fling it forward rather than take a normal step. Every once and a while I see someone else do this - usually men.

Dad was quite the athlete before this happened. It was HARD for him to take, not like he'd ever complain about it though, or talk about it for that matter. The older he got, the slower he had to walk. When it got close to the end, he'd sit down at the top of the stairs because he needed to take a break. Mom and I would help him up and he was a brick! Like trying to move solid cement. He got a belly when he got older so I thought other parts might have, well, gotten mushy, but they didn't

My dad the brick. I don't think a word of nonsense ever fell from his lips. He said what he meant. True blue.

Friday

I found out my brother is coming home from Iraq today - for good. He's been there for about a year and a half, with a trip home in the middle, but now he'll be stationed in Kansas. I know you can get hurt anywhere, but I figure if you are living where folks don't run around with automatic rifles your chances increase dramatically.

He is in Kuwait at the moment. What a relief. I feel like I had divine assurances that he would be ok, but it is still a relief.

My mom is going to drive to Kansas, where his next station is and where he'll be flying into. My mom is a bit nervous, but she will be fine. I have absolutely no doubt that she can do it. Since dad died she has had to refind her way so her confidence is a little shaky, but she can do it.