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hlmaueraThere's a lot to say so I've put it under a cut:
Today I'm feeling ok about work. There is a lot to be done but the alumni fellow reception was last night and the two days of activities with the new fellow prior to the reception went reasonably well. That's one thing I can mark off my list. And although it didn't go exactly as I planned when I handed some tasks over to the new dean's assistant, no one but me would know and I chose to let it be. It went fine so it didn't have to go my way. Although I did let her know why I'd made the specific requests she'd chosen to ignore...she panicked and blathered about what she could do to fix it but the important thing is she'll learn. (I hope!)
I also have confirmation that the office furniture will be delivered December 12th which puts us right on target to move in the week of Christmas. It's lousy planning and it means my Christmas plans in CA will have to be canceled. But it's the best we could do. I know we have to move in December. I knew the furniture couldn't get here before the middle of December so I didn't have any option but to plan it for the week of Christmas. It will give us time to make sure we finish moving, unpacking and reorganizing before Winter term starts on January 9th.
I believe the RFQ (request for bid) has been processed and put up for bids, at least one of my vendors has seen it, so I'm assuming it's correct.
The one thing that hasn't been ordered is the HD storage for the file room and he couldn't cancel that if the PO didn't come through. It had to wait until he had the PO, which came through on Friday. The OfficeWorld rep with whom I'm working thinks that they have a pretty quick turn around time. We'll see how it goes. If we have to, we'll move the current filing system. We may find we need those 5 drawer lateral files anyway.
I took the faculty on a tour of the building on Friday and revealed the offices to which they've been assigned. All but one seems ok with the assignment. The problem is that there were simply not enough offices to assign offices on the same floor to all the faculty working in the same discipline. There are also limited offices with windows. These had to be assigned to Tenured faculty (except for me, I pulled organizer's privilege and assigned myself one. I chose a location that made sense for my office and no one else's. Except maybe the dean's assistant but I also have all the personnel files so my office has to stay locked. She is currently in the cubicle farm in the open space.) The one faculty member who is unhappy asked me to switch her with a current department chair. That doesn't work when ALL her faculty are on that floor. So I asked SueAnn if she would mind. She's not obsessed with what office she receives but she is wondering about setting the precedent of giving the other person what she wants because she complains. I told her to take the weekend and think about it but she had no obligation. I've already talked with the Dean and he agreed with me that if SueAnn doesn't want to trade then this person will just have to suck it up. He doesn't play those games--thank goodness! (There are advantages to keeping him in the loop about how difficult these room assignments are to make.)
The move is looming. I still have to make the telecom connections. I've started the list but I'm waiting for a map that shows which jacks are where in the "new" building. I'm still working with someone on the video conferencing rooms. I'd thought that someone had taken care of ordering all the electronics. I asked multiple times but until a week ago they'd said it was taken care of--what they apparently meant is that the wiring is ready for the equipment. Of course that's not what they said. They said it was all taken care of. *sigh* This is a hefty budget item that I wasn't expecting. I still think this should come out of the project budget and I will talk to our project manager about it. I have an appointment with the movers this month to talk details. Then I'll start getting boxes out to faculty to pack. Hopefully they haven't had time to accumulate too much stuff in 18 months. I will be SOOOO glad when this is done and we are settled in. I'll still have to manage the 4th floor reno and the addition of the four offices that weren't built out in this reno (why weren't they built? I have no idea).
In the mean time, I'm still having no success with Catkin. I've once again torn out to the garterstitch band. I think there was only one section that had problems but I couldn't suss it out without ripping back 5 rows. I almost quit. This pattern is driving me nuts. I don't understand...Everyone on Ravelry says how well written it is and how wonderful. Many say how fast and easy it is. I am not finding it so at all. I did find a couple of comments that the first chart is the most difficult and that it takes concentrated knitting with no distractions (i.e. not tv knitting- or in my case netflix knitting). So, I'll try again. I love the finished product and I really want to get it made for my mom. I'd like one for myself but we'll see how I feel about the pattern if/when I get it done. Frankly, I may never want to see it again.
I've been doing a lot of crocheting lately, and not, unfortunately, on Robert and Carrie's blanket. I can't tell you what I'm doing until after Christmas but I'll make sure I take pictures. There is also some sewing on the docket.
You know the saying that we "always live up to our means?" I'm finding that to be uncomfortably true. I am loving the fact that I can be self sufficient and don't have to rely on Robert and Carrie or my parents to make it through a month financially. However, I'm still having a hard time figuring out how to come up with the money required to pay a higher rent. I'm hoping in January it will clear up a bit. I paid off my credit cards this month which frees up the $200 a month I've chosen to pay on those. There just always seems to be something, and I'm not buying everything I want (my inner clothes horse wants a shopping spree and hasn't gotten one). This month the car needed an alignment and oil change; Holly needed to go to the vet; and then there is the $150 bill for chiropractic/physical therapy/massage therapy (more about that later). Of course there is also some output for Christmas projects. It all just adds up. I'm sure you all are familiar with the concept. Somehow, in January, I need to free up $200 to put in a Roth IRA and another $200-250 to increase my rent. I'm not planning on moving just yet, although it can't come soon enough. I need to make sure I can budget the money for a few months, build up some money for the deposits and then I'll have to find a place. *sigh* Somehow, something will work out but I can't see it yet. On a morning following a 3:30 wake up by the neighbors upstairs, I really want to get out of here.
There is some good news on the diet front I've lost some weight. I think it's about 7 lbs since the term started. My brain is refusing to remember the number from the last time I weight myself. I've had some rough spots this week with all the halloween candy but it's gone now so hopefully it will be a little easier. Of course dieting during the holidays is not always easy. I prefer to think of it, not as a diet but as a dietary change. I'm not cutting anything out, just being a little more careful about my choices. In January, I'll have to join weight watchers. My insurance won't give me any choice. I'm not looking forward to that at all.
On the physical front, my chiropractor prescribed regular massage therapy for me last month. I got a massage every week and while if felt good, it really wasn't fixing the problem for more than 24 hours. My hip would be painful again within a day. The last time we tried something a little different. We did some resistance exercises and some facia stretching. That gave me a lot more relief for a about 3-4 days. I then had to go back for a re-evaluation with the chiropractor. He re-upped the prescription but also assigned me a physical therapy exercise to do every day. I think he is trying to kill me, but that probably just means it was necessary. He calls it a bridge track exercise but the only way I could find it online was under pelvic lift. I do five sets of 10 reps every day, holding the position for 10 seconds each rep and only allowing a half a second pause between holds. However, bad me, I missed yesterday. The first day I felt like crying by the 5th set. I have persisted but it's not getting much easier. I know there are additions to this exercise (like doing it with one leg at a time) but I'm definately not ready for them. I hope it helps. Right now I have so much muscular soreness I can't tell if I have to usual pain too. After the first day, just having my swim suit on hurt my gluts. I'm sure it will be good to get some strength back into my hip extensors and gluts. Apparently sitting on them all day doesn't help the muscles. *chuckle*
It was nice to have Thursday off this week. I had two medical appointments and managed to get a vet appointment for Holly too. I've got two labs in for cytology. The usual annual exam and a sample of the discharge I've been getting from the galactorrea. I don't expect any thing to worry about but it's better safe than sorry. I'm also going to have to go have an ultra sound of the large lypoma I have on the inside of my left thigh. It's growing some and very sore so we just want to see what's underneath the fat. I may go see an ear/nose/throat specialist regarding my chronic rhinitis but we'll see if that got put into the doctor's notes with everything else we talked about.
Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print. I need to get my day started. I think Robert and I will go to the gem show this afternoon. Carrie went yesterday while we were at work, so Robert and I will go today while she's at work. I don't think I'll get much else done today. I need to change the bed and vacuum but we'll see. There are also clean dishes in the dishwasher that need to be unloaded. That might happen tomorrow morning. Housework is definitely not my favorite thing to do and it really cuts into my crafting time.
See ya on the flip side.
Today I'm feeling ok about work. There is a lot to be done but the alumni fellow reception was last night and the two days of activities with the new fellow prior to the reception went reasonably well. That's one thing I can mark off my list. And although it didn't go exactly as I planned when I handed some tasks over to the new dean's assistant, no one but me would know and I chose to let it be. It went fine so it didn't have to go my way. Although I did let her know why I'd made the specific requests she'd chosen to ignore...she panicked and blathered about what she could do to fix it but the important thing is she'll learn. (I hope!)
I also have confirmation that the office furniture will be delivered December 12th which puts us right on target to move in the week of Christmas. It's lousy planning and it means my Christmas plans in CA will have to be canceled. But it's the best we could do. I know we have to move in December. I knew the furniture couldn't get here before the middle of December so I didn't have any option but to plan it for the week of Christmas. It will give us time to make sure we finish moving, unpacking and reorganizing before Winter term starts on January 9th.
I believe the RFQ (request for bid) has been processed and put up for bids, at least one of my vendors has seen it, so I'm assuming it's correct.
The one thing that hasn't been ordered is the HD storage for the file room and he couldn't cancel that if the PO didn't come through. It had to wait until he had the PO, which came through on Friday. The OfficeWorld rep with whom I'm working thinks that they have a pretty quick turn around time. We'll see how it goes. If we have to, we'll move the current filing system. We may find we need those 5 drawer lateral files anyway.
I took the faculty on a tour of the building on Friday and revealed the offices to which they've been assigned. All but one seems ok with the assignment. The problem is that there were simply not enough offices to assign offices on the same floor to all the faculty working in the same discipline. There are also limited offices with windows. These had to be assigned to Tenured faculty (except for me, I pulled organizer's privilege and assigned myself one. I chose a location that made sense for my office and no one else's. Except maybe the dean's assistant but I also have all the personnel files so my office has to stay locked. She is currently in the cubicle farm in the open space.) The one faculty member who is unhappy asked me to switch her with a current department chair. That doesn't work when ALL her faculty are on that floor. So I asked SueAnn if she would mind. She's not obsessed with what office she receives but she is wondering about setting the precedent of giving the other person what she wants because she complains. I told her to take the weekend and think about it but she had no obligation. I've already talked with the Dean and he agreed with me that if SueAnn doesn't want to trade then this person will just have to suck it up. He doesn't play those games--thank goodness! (There are advantages to keeping him in the loop about how difficult these room assignments are to make.)
The move is looming. I still have to make the telecom connections. I've started the list but I'm waiting for a map that shows which jacks are where in the "new" building. I'm still working with someone on the video conferencing rooms. I'd thought that someone had taken care of ordering all the electronics. I asked multiple times but until a week ago they'd said it was taken care of--what they apparently meant is that the wiring is ready for the equipment. Of course that's not what they said. They said it was all taken care of. *sigh* This is a hefty budget item that I wasn't expecting. I still think this should come out of the project budget and I will talk to our project manager about it. I have an appointment with the movers this month to talk details. Then I'll start getting boxes out to faculty to pack. Hopefully they haven't had time to accumulate too much stuff in 18 months. I will be SOOOO glad when this is done and we are settled in. I'll still have to manage the 4th floor reno and the addition of the four offices that weren't built out in this reno (why weren't they built? I have no idea).
In the mean time, I'm still having no success with Catkin. I've once again torn out to the garterstitch band. I think there was only one section that had problems but I couldn't suss it out without ripping back 5 rows. I almost quit. This pattern is driving me nuts. I don't understand...Everyone on Ravelry says how well written it is and how wonderful. Many say how fast and easy it is. I am not finding it so at all. I did find a couple of comments that the first chart is the most difficult and that it takes concentrated knitting with no distractions (i.e. not tv knitting- or in my case netflix knitting). So, I'll try again. I love the finished product and I really want to get it made for my mom. I'd like one for myself but we'll see how I feel about the pattern if/when I get it done. Frankly, I may never want to see it again.
I've been doing a lot of crocheting lately, and not, unfortunately, on Robert and Carrie's blanket. I can't tell you what I'm doing until after Christmas but I'll make sure I take pictures. There is also some sewing on the docket.
You know the saying that we "always live up to our means?" I'm finding that to be uncomfortably true. I am loving the fact that I can be self sufficient and don't have to rely on Robert and Carrie or my parents to make it through a month financially. However, I'm still having a hard time figuring out how to come up with the money required to pay a higher rent. I'm hoping in January it will clear up a bit. I paid off my credit cards this month which frees up the $200 a month I've chosen to pay on those. There just always seems to be something, and I'm not buying everything I want (my inner clothes horse wants a shopping spree and hasn't gotten one). This month the car needed an alignment and oil change; Holly needed to go to the vet; and then there is the $150 bill for chiropractic/physical therapy/massage therapy (more about that later). Of course there is also some output for Christmas projects. It all just adds up. I'm sure you all are familiar with the concept. Somehow, in January, I need to free up $200 to put in a Roth IRA and another $200-250 to increase my rent. I'm not planning on moving just yet, although it can't come soon enough. I need to make sure I can budget the money for a few months, build up some money for the deposits and then I'll have to find a place. *sigh* Somehow, something will work out but I can't see it yet. On a morning following a 3:30 wake up by the neighbors upstairs, I really want to get out of here.
There is some good news on the diet front I've lost some weight. I think it's about 7 lbs since the term started. My brain is refusing to remember the number from the last time I weight myself. I've had some rough spots this week with all the halloween candy but it's gone now so hopefully it will be a little easier. Of course dieting during the holidays is not always easy. I prefer to think of it, not as a diet but as a dietary change. I'm not cutting anything out, just being a little more careful about my choices. In January, I'll have to join weight watchers. My insurance won't give me any choice. I'm not looking forward to that at all.
On the physical front, my chiropractor prescribed regular massage therapy for me last month. I got a massage every week and while if felt good, it really wasn't fixing the problem for more than 24 hours. My hip would be painful again within a day. The last time we tried something a little different. We did some resistance exercises and some facia stretching. That gave me a lot more relief for a about 3-4 days. I then had to go back for a re-evaluation with the chiropractor. He re-upped the prescription but also assigned me a physical therapy exercise to do every day. I think he is trying to kill me, but that probably just means it was necessary. He calls it a bridge track exercise but the only way I could find it online was under pelvic lift. I do five sets of 10 reps every day, holding the position for 10 seconds each rep and only allowing a half a second pause between holds. However, bad me, I missed yesterday. The first day I felt like crying by the 5th set. I have persisted but it's not getting much easier. I know there are additions to this exercise (like doing it with one leg at a time) but I'm definately not ready for them. I hope it helps. Right now I have so much muscular soreness I can't tell if I have to usual pain too. After the first day, just having my swim suit on hurt my gluts. I'm sure it will be good to get some strength back into my hip extensors and gluts. Apparently sitting on them all day doesn't help the muscles. *chuckle*
It was nice to have Thursday off this week. I had two medical appointments and managed to get a vet appointment for Holly too. I've got two labs in for cytology. The usual annual exam and a sample of the discharge I've been getting from the galactorrea. I don't expect any thing to worry about but it's better safe than sorry. I'm also going to have to go have an ultra sound of the large lypoma I have on the inside of my left thigh. It's growing some and very sore so we just want to see what's underneath the fat. I may go see an ear/nose/throat specialist regarding my chronic rhinitis but we'll see if that got put into the doctor's notes with everything else we talked about.
Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print. I need to get my day started. I think Robert and I will go to the gem show this afternoon. Carrie went yesterday while we were at work, so Robert and I will go today while she's at work. I don't think I'll get much else done today. I need to change the bed and vacuum but we'll see. There are also clean dishes in the dishwasher that need to be unloaded. That might happen tomorrow morning. Housework is definitely not my favorite thing to do and it really cuts into my crafting time.
See ya on the flip side.
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-05 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-05 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-06 07:21 am (UTC)I don't know if it would work for you, but I'm just throwing this out there--I started doing MyFitnessPal.com, and it's working really well for me. It's free. I've lost about 4 pounds over the approximately two weeks I've been on it, and I haven't given up anything. (I've even had a couple of Serious Splurge Days in there.)
Does your insurance require that you join Weight Watchers specifically, or are they okay with pretty much any fitness program? I ask partially because Weight Watchers costs money (if I recall correctly), while My Fitness Pal is free.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-07 07:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 02:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-08 04:44 pm (UTC)Yesterday I had the "deprivation irritation." I didn't have enough calories for dinner of anything I wanted to eat. I had a tostada salad but it didn't make me happy. And you know me, when I'm hungry, I'm cranky as a bear.