All about work

I am back in the world of the working and I'm here to report that it is tolerable. Strange to think of how my identity has changed. For some reason I associate it with this island -- I'm not sure why I am so hard on it, but I am. I think at another time I would have had such a romantic vision of the island, and would have found it idyllic in so many ways. But now it symbolizes -- I don't know exactly what -- regression I guess. . . And regression in many ways -- comfort and security, health and welfare, happiness -- it has all declined significantly. Maybe it just has to go down before it comes back up. The cycle of life, so-to-speak. One of these days I may figure it out. In the meantime I will continue to stumble along.

So I have worked a week at my new job, but I am trying even harder to get the other new job. It's a full-time job just trying to get a part-time job! We spent the last 2 whole days getting info. out and it's been stressful! We both had our first drug tests ever on Friday. So that was something new. Then we had to get the employment package together and send it off on Sat. Of course, the closest FedEx location that is opened on a Sat. was at the airport, so it involved another trip into Seattle, which meant another entire day lost. I don't know why I decided to involve Brian in this application. Have I said that before?? He just makes things so much more difficult than they otherwise would be, if it were just me on the application. For example, on Fri. I wanted to get into Seattle early and get the paperwork complete and either send it out Fri. or at least get the fax out on Fri. But of course, Brian waited until Fri. am to discover he had no idea where his passport was, then spent the entire morning tearing apart the place looking for it. In the end, he found it, but we didn't get our of here until noon. I know, I know. It could have just as easily been me searching for my passport. Only I did get my stuff together the night before so I'd be ready to go, so IF I would have been searching, it still would have more than likely been Thur. night. . . On the plus side, we did get to take 2 great walks in Lincoln Park! That was definitely the best part of both days!
Anyway, I do hope we get this job. We'll be "in the money!" Ha. . .Ha. . .Ha. . . That IS a laugh!

More sh_t -- literally!

A quick note that I can't help adding, just so when I look back, I will have some confirmantion that my life was, indeed, as bad as I made it out to be.

So last Tuesday, I had a fun day planned for the dogs & I. We made the long journey out to the Argus Ranch so we could have a "practice session" on their agility course. I booked it over a week in advance and was really looking forward to it.

Of course, we made the trip, and got out to stretch and pee before the session, only to discover that Hanna was peeing blood. Not a good sign, in fact, I panicked, and we did an about face and headed back to Seattle. I took Hanna to the vet, and he tested her urine, even sent some away to the lab, thinking it was a urinary tract infection, but the test did not show any bacteria. He gave her antibiotics to take, and it is Sunday today, and she is better, but what was responsible for the blood?? I am concerned, esp. considering that Maddie's initial symptom of her cancer was blood in her urine. Not to mention that Tuesday was a total loss. Plus the bill -- $235.00

Wednesday I found out I got the part-time job with the Vet. Good news or bad?? Good question. I took it, but I have to say I am not excited about it. On the other hand, it is part-time and 6 minutes away, and might be a bit interesting. But I am still not excited about it.

I spent Thursday in a frenzy working on paperwork for the SAS job. We are still in the running for that. But it was a long day with a lot of paperwork. May be indicative of how that company is run. I'd still like that job. Don't know what I'd do if I got it. Hopefully I'll find out.

Then on Thursday, I had a loose crown, so I immediately called a local dentist and made an appt. for Friday. As it turns out, the crown was not that loose and it took a hell-of-an-effort to get it off, only to be ridiculed by the dentist for my poor teeth. I hate going to new dentists! As if I don't know I have poor teeth? Do they think I don't know I have a mouth full of fillings?? Where would I have had to have been to not know?? The end result was that the crown was reluctantly reattached, but the warning was issued; what I really need is an implant so I'd better start saving up, because that is definitely not the only one I need. Bill to re-affix the crown that likely wouldn't have needed to have done for who knows how long if I'd just let sleeping dogs lie: $150.00

Saturday we got a call from the Robbs -- aparently the sewer was backing up into the basement over at Orchard. So we called a plumber and he got the blockage taken care of. The good news was it didn't happen while we were living there. The bad news -- the bill, which of course I paid for -- $831.00.

Add all that up plus the cost of my new computer, which was $950.00, and you could say it's been a pretty expensive week.

Thoughts on the Economy

I sat and watched quite a few of the Sunday morning talk shows and I have been checking in with many of the evening news/editorial shows and it got me thinking something that I've thought before, but never felt strongly enough about to articulate it. Why does everyone always, or at least almost always, talk about the same thing from the same standpoint -- they all seem to ask the same questions and come to the same conclusions? I know the former is a function of what the news item is "of the day" but the latter? I know you will get difference between the republican and the democratic perspective. But beyond that, there seems to be very little variation even if the participants in the discussion are different people. I guess it is because most of these people want to "approve" the questions they're going to be asked, so the real "tough" questions just never get approved. It is why Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" & some of the other late night talk shows have become some of the better resources for the truth, rather than the spin. Take the economy, for instance. The bailouts seem to have flopped and bonuses seem to be alive and well, while lending hasn't loosened up at all, but no one is asking why or what can be done to correct the situation. Everyone, including the administration and the congress who came up with the plan, agree, in varying degrees, that lending needs to loosen up and that bonuses aren't what we want to see as a result of the bailout, but no one knows why it is happening or how to fix it. Does that strike anyone as odd? You engineered the bill, so now engineer a revision to address the issues. And admit that you must have left out some critical elements because the results do not meet the intent.

This is only one of the many issues, besides Afghanistan & Health Care, that are not being pursued. Why isn't the stimulus package impacting the unemployment rate. Why am I hearing of major public works projects being put on hold due to lack of funding when this stimulus package is supposed to be so all-encompassing? We hear all about the sky-high unemployment rates, but what we don't hear is how inaccurate those numbers actually are, because of all of the people, like my husband and myself, who can't find jobs, but don't qualify for unemployment because we are self-employed.

As I see it, an entire section of this so-called american life is being ignored. The very foundation this country is built on, the pursuer of "the american dream", the small business owners, the independent contractors, the entrepreneurs, all who contribute substantially to the vitality of the economy during the "good times" are suffering at least as much as the banks on wall street or the employees who have been laid off, but who is helping them out. . . where is their bailout? No one is going to extend their health insurance coverage, there is no one handing them a thousand dollars, let alone 7 or 8-hundred million. . . Many of these people are the ones who were leveraged or over-leveraged, invested in their business trying to either keep their business afloat or get it ahead. Their unemployment insurance is their credit card -- I know this from personal experience, and I also know that the credit has dried up and not only that, even if it remains, it is far from reliable. It could be taken away at any time, or the interest rate could increase, and in many cases has, making it unusable. When are these people going to get a break? They could use a bit of recognition, first, and a boost, second.

A smattering of government contracts will help a few, but many others, from restaurant owners to retailers to electricians to massage therapists are hurting. Where is the stimulus to provide start-up funding for new business? Imagine trying to get back on your feet after you've just lost everything. You try to qualify for financing when you don't have a job because you were self-employed and your business went under or you just plain don't have any work to sustain you. Why is nobody talking about this very important & critical sector of the population?? This country consists of more than union workers and bankers. The dialogue should start addressing the plight of all americans. I can't believe it hasn't yet.

While I am going on, I need to add this bit about Health Care. If the Democrats can't put aside semantics and get it together among themselves to pass a meaningful health care bill, they don't deserve the seats they occupy. Shame on Pelosy and Reid. Why is no one saying anything about their leadership -- or lack-thereof. If the Democrats can't get their agenda passed now, there is NO HOPE! Step up to the plate, make the tough choices, take the hard line, and get something done!! No more watered-down compromises. I really, really, hope that they have a plan to implement some of the stuff they've left out once this bill gets passed. If they can pull a "republican-style" stunt and get the bill to pass in one form, then revise it to fit their agenda once it passes, it would be brilliant, but so uncharacteristic -- too devious for the dems. Or is it? As I have been known to say, "the public doesn't always know what's good for it".

My Computer Died Today :(

Well I had a bit of a peaceful interlude for a day or so, but it is back to it today with the death and then subsequent resurrection of my computer. Who knows what happened. . . It was nothing I did to kill it and nothing I did to bring it back to life. It is just a wake-up call to let me know that the end is near and I'd better get backing up -- problem is, I have no idea where my backup CD is or even where the blank CD's are. . . I don't know how much more of this I have it in me to take.

We were supposed to start working on the Wood Stove today -- Brian keeps saying that it will be A LOT of work, and I say, then let's get down to it!!! But it isn't happening. Today he went up into the attic to check out the situation, but ended up getting distracted by all of the junk up there -- it was a gold mine for him -- more junk!!!! JUST WHAT WE NEED IS MORE DAMN JUNK!!!! So as a result he got carried away bringing a small fraction of it down, with my help of course. I REALLY do feel that I am so close to reaching my limit. . . I just don't know what happens when that limit is reached. . . There really is no way out and nothing better coming up in the foreseeable future.

I guess there is a bit of good news -- Firstly, Brian brought home a third dishwasher and although it had a little leak, it has been repaired and it now works!! Not only that, but the other two dishwashers have been removed from the house(!) and now sit in the store with the rest of the junk. The other bit of good news, I guess, is that I made the short-list on 2 of the many jobs that I applied for. I should find out next week, mid to end of the week if I get one of them and if I make it to the next level for the other one, the one I really want, but really, truth be told, I doubt I'll get. I doubt I'll get either of them, and if I do, I don't even think it'll be a good thing. Menial work for no money -- something to really celebrate! Enough whining for now -- it is not a good day.

Flashback - Mexico Vacation - December 2006

I thought I'd digress and put something in here that isn't all doom and gloom and reminds me of better times past and hopefully of better times ahead. It is an account of a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico we took a year or two ago. So without further adieu,

How We Became “Cat-People”
or
All in a Mexican Day-trip (Part 1)

It all started innocently enough -- we were on our 4th trip to the Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico enjoying the 89* temperature and trying not to spend too much time “en repose”. . . Being someone who has vacationed with Brian before, (many times by now) I knew it would only be a matter of hours until he would suggest ditching the resort and heading out to explore. I managed to squeeze in one semi-tourist activity, which involved a ponga (which is a boat, not an animal) ride to Quimixto, a small, remote fishing village accessible only by water, south of Puerto Vallarta. There we chose to hike (rather than ride horses) to a waterfall and swim in the fresh and exhilaratingly cool (who am I kidding, it was cold!) water.

We wandered through the town, seeing how “real” life is lived in this part of the world. We were able to swim on a secluded beach, which is always our goal on any tropical vacation) and eat a fabulous lunch at one of several palapa restaurants. The area is also known for excellent snorkeling. We had a charming guide who is a good example of many of the young men we have met on our excursions to Mexico -- open, warm and happy to share his beautiful country with we lucky gringos. His name was Efram (as in Efram Zimbalist, Jr. -- the only way I could remember it) and he was working towards becoming a kindergarten teacher. The much older “captain” of the boat was very jovial, and although we were unable to speak the same language, he managed to show us many interesting sites on the boat ride out and back.

Well, having gotten that “tourist activity” out of the way, Brian could be contained no longer. The next day we rented a car and headed North to Sayulita and my favorite spot in that area, San Francisco, known locally as San Pancho. We spent the day poking around and I suppressed the urge to rent a surfboard and batter my body in the larger-than-we-remembered surf. (Not really, while the surfing-thing was something on my “To-do" list, my previous experience cured the urge and relegated surfing to the other list -- the one of “things I would have liked to do, had I started at an earlier age. . .”) San Pancho is worth driving the extra few miles for. It is a few phases of progression behind Sayulita, with only a small gringo population, and a few very distinct features. In addition to the relatively undeveloped beach that runs the entire western edge of town, there is a large lagoon, which is a designated conservation area, where one can view birds and various other animal species.

While there are some vacation rentals in town, they are less prevalent than in Sayulita and one is able to wander the streets and get a real taste of old Mexico. There is a large new development near town called Las Olas, where, if you look up onto the hillside, it is hard to miss a structure that resembles an Islamic temple, obviously looking quite out-of-place. In doing a little exploring, we managed to locate the caretaker, who gave us a short tour and told us we could rent the place if we were interested in staying for the night! The rent was quite reasonable, and the story of how it came into being was amusing, so if you get there, it would be worth a look or even a stay. While it was impressive in scale, it was a little eerie in atmosphere, so be forewarned.

On the way back to Puerto Vallarta, we encountered the one damper of the day. It was a poor dog on the side of the road, standing next to his dead buddy who had been run over -- he had such a forlorn look on his face -- it created a lasting image that was hard to shake, especially to two very ardent dog-lovers.

The next day, we decided to keep the car and head south, beyond any of our previous destinations. Our goal was to reach Costa Careyes, an area we’d heard about and become interested in visiting. It was a bit of a hike -- 150 miles (+/-) but that didn’t mean we got off to an early start, after all, we were on vacation to relax and that didn't include rising before the sun or getting a cup of coffee "to go". The drive was quite enjoyable, despite its length, and we were tempted to do some exploring along the way, but decided to leave that for another trip so that we might actually reach our destination and be able to get back at a moderately reasonable hour. We were cruising along the relatively smooth highway, well into the trip, having given up on the Mexican music station in favor of Brian's effusive running commentary. He was pointing out the huge vultures at the side of the road, and as we came up to a group of them, we saw they were gathered to feast on a dead cat. As if that wasn’t bad enough, on the center-line of the highway, crouched a teeny, tiny kitty, most likely the baby of the vulture feast and not much bigger than the can of diet coke that I was drinking. He was white and orange and blended in pretty well with the yellow line he was on, but we knew despite his camouflage, he would not last long in that location. What could we do, but a U-turn and hope our rescue effort would not be in vain.

As we re-approached the scene, we found the kitty now on the side of the road and out of eminent danger, but by no means “home-free” considering the group of vultures drooling over him. So we scooped him up and the next thing anyone knew, he was in the front seat of an air-conditioned car with two gringos who weren’t particularly cat-people wondering what the next step should be. I took the driver’s seat in deference to my allergy to cats, and Brian became the primary care-giver. (The kitty was lucky he didn’t know how scary a prospect that really was. . .) Since there was no SPCA or equivalent nearby that we knew of, we did the only thing we really could do -- carry on with our day. Be sure to read part 2 to find out how a Mexican day trip is actually possible, or even enhanced by the presence of a tiny kitty who we named Felix.

Life As I Know It

Now that we are "settled", let's see, we have a fridge, a range, a washing machine, a dryer (if you unplug the Hot Water Heater, you can use the dryer) cold and HOT running water in 2(!)sinks, a NEW toilet, I mean, we are living in the veritable lap-of-luxury!! As a result, I have managed to re-focus what little energy I have left into the job search. It is not going well, in case you were asking. Talk about an exercise in not only futility, but humility. I am worth less now than I was fresh out of high school. It is the pathetic truth -- not even an exaggeration. (I wish it were!)

These are the jobs I've applied for: Vet. Assistant/Receptionist (got an interview for that one, a $12./hr part-time position here on the island), Insurance Inspector (have a telephone interview coming up for that one -- no glamour, but flexible hours and also part-time) (also, I applied for it with Brian so we are a team -- their suggestion, not mine, but at this point, I am reaching for whatever it takes. . .), dog walker, tutor, instructor for the LSAT or something like that, I don't even remember by now, several architecture jobs, most of which require experience on either school or hospital projects, assistant to a realtor (does it get any lower? you betcha. . . that was one of the jobs I was hoping to get. . .) what else. . . well, for general, menial jobs, not office but "on the floor" jobs at Safeway, Whole Foods, Ikea, I know there's more, but my mind is blank, now that I am trying to think of them all.

The jobs that pay approx. $10/hr are hard to go after with too much gusto if they aren't located on the island, since by the time I make the commute and pay for the ferry, I will end up with very little money in my pocket. But I do recognize that some is better than none, and since I have reduced my expenses, I can exist on a fairly meager salary. The problem is, I won't be able to keep Brian living in the manner to which he's become accustomed. So far, it hasn't really sunk in with him, or at least the basis for his existence, shopping for junk, has not altered because now he has a bonafide reason and actual things that he needs -- replacement faucets, windows, vent-pipes, you name it. . .So while he isn't making the caliber of purchase he was making, he is getting to buy, and that's the main thing. I will say that he is not enjoying this any more than I am, other than the getting to shop for junk part. I think it is especially tough for him, because he is now getting to live the reality of his dreams -- and he's realizing that the dream is not always what it professes to be. . . one of the few life's lessons that I've learned by now, imagine, only a few of life's lessons have actually been learned by me at this middle age of 47. . .not because I haven't had them, I just think I am a slow learner in some of these areas. . .Anyway, I learned this lesson through the experience of owning my VW van. I actually like dreamers, I have been known to be one, but compared to Brian, I am a hard-core realist -- B & W, no gray what-so-ever.

So I just had a phone call returned from my home/car insurance agent, whom I called to cancel my policies. He is a good salesman, plus I kind of like the guy, but he convinced me to keep the min. liability on my car plus the ins. on the houses, with increased deductibles. These are the phone calls of my reality. We have also let the health insurance go. No health insurance for the first time in my life. At 47. Just when things start to go wrong. Not a good feeling.

Especially because right at this moment I have a bit of an injury, that I think incurred as a result of the extended, fairly intense Otter Island Row that I did not last weekend, but the weekend before. It is an annual event and this is the third time I've done it -- with never a problem before -- it is a scenic row along the Snohomish (I think) River and its tributaries in Everett, with a Salmon BBQ that follows the row. It is always a lot of fun and this year it, along with the Agility Trial I did the previous weekend, were the highlights of my summer!! Alas, I think I did something as a result of not rowing for so long, then launching into it full-on, and I have some sort of tendinitis in my left forearm muscle, the extendor I think is what I saw on the Web MD diagram, then I did some major work at home a few days later, and now it is swollen and sore if I move it certain ways and makes a funny noise too. It has been over a week since I injured it, so I am concerned. I know it isn't life-threatening or anything, but I want it to heal, because I really, really want to get back to rowing. I NEED some physical activity, and I like to row and I know that these sort of injuries can go on and on. . . So I perpetuate the misery of it all. . .



I have been taking the dogs out on the extensive system of horse trails that are on the island. Who knew?? They rival KVI beach in their appeal, esp. on high tide days -- they really are great for extended dog walks -- and do provide some exercise to the old Mama, and a lot of fun and excitement for "the guys". Brian has been joining us when he's here, but luckily, mainly for me, he has a job building a deck, which he has been procrastinating on, like only a builder can, and finally yesterday and today he is working on that, so we have peace and tranquility -- I love it!! The downside is that now it is time to think of heat, which we are lacking, and the longer we put that off, the more desperate we'll become for it. But I will defer to Brian's motto "Why do today what you can put off for tomorrow?"

One glimmer of good news -- our Henri-boy's photo was chosen to be on Martha Stewart's website's profile of Italian Dog Breeds. His photo was submitted among 50 others by the Bracco Club, so I didn't even have anything to do with it. It will be fun to see. The other glimmer of good news is no rats yet. . .but touch wood, they could start showing up any day. . . I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best, on the rat front and others. . .


BTW, the above shot is NOT the photo that will be on the MS Website. . . in case you were wondering. . .