alafaye

I did give a heads up last post that I'm here but not here and uh yeah wasn't here. (To be honest I opened up my laptop only because I got a new CD i need to rip to mp3 format and I was like huh yeah should check in.)

I do miss the days where we were all so busy on our DW/LJ! It just isn't the same, is it? I know that's the nature of things especially for fandom, but it's sad. And to be honest unless I'm missing something fandom just isn't the same now we don't have the forums or the journal sites. Tumblr isn't the same and AO3 is a library, not discussions or fests really. And as someone pointed out on tumblr, the way we interact with media isn't the same — shows drop a season all at once with no filler episodes; the way fandoms were built before isn't the same now we aren't getting one episode at a time.

I mean podcasts do that, but podcasts don't have the same pull of fandom as shows and movies do.

For my part I stopped checking in so often when there was less posting, but in that time I was doing some growth - personally and professionally which impacted how I spent my time off. And of course the covid shut in times changed us all.

Well, anyway, I am still here. Still more active on tumblr and mastadon, but most of my non work time is with books or crafts. *shrug*

Work continues which actually is nice to have something steadily quiet. May not stay that way for long - one of my team realized she didn't want to work full time so she's pivoted to a part time float (we couldn't keep her as part time in our office or we'd never get back that full time position). She's in our office until we hire her replacement so that's something, but she only works three  days a week now. And then another one has taken a job somewhere else (which is actually a blessing for me because she was the one I had the most trouble managing) and while we had posted for three positions - to cover the one who is now part time and two more we got  approval for since our office has grown - we now need to find four people and it means I have to be way more patient facing than is good for anyone. Anyone who has been involved with my healthcare knows that I should not be interacting with other people for long lengths of time and for good reason, but needs must. I'll have to trust my manager to have my back and help me work with solutions.

Our nurses union got their contract finalized without striking so that was good news all around and one of the benefits is that schedules get posted two months in advance. I like it because I have to constantly be looking month ahead in our appointments and knowing staffing helps me manage everything. The campaign to get non clinical staff unionized is under way and it looks like we're at half support, but it may be down to lack of understanding and also lack of time to actually talk about what it means and what it can bring since non clinical staff tend to not get time between tasks (my team alone can spend all day just answering calls with no room between calls for food, drink, or bathroom time we're that slammed). We'll find out I suppose.

I did have to tell one of the campaigners to back off me though - they're looking at just getting people talking and connecting right now and I don't have the space in my life to not only do that, but also practice my social skills for it. I'm having to do it enough at my job, but to also do so outside it? Uh yeah no that's...no. But also personally there's too much going on for me to put time aside to figure this out as well because I have no social graces or tact so gently guide those kinds of conversations - I'm just like "union? yes this is good benefits okay? ok bye." but it requires a bit more tact that being direct. So I've told the campaigner talking to me that I'm not the person she is looking for and if that's all that's needed right now count me out. I'll give my vote, but that's all you're gonna get out of me right now.

In non work items:

Recently took a week off work - during Pesach. Mostly because I knew from last year it was easier for me to manage the diet change if I wasn't working. I did learn more this year so I think next year will be easier for me to work part time during that week. It was nice though having the time off. I did an errand that's a bit far for me normally to get my CBD medical stuffs and went on a hike that day. Very nice. I went to a natural history museum and art museum - much fun. Lots of shells. Went to a small book shop during small bookshop saturday and scored a good deal on books plus a freebie. Did much resting. Caught up on Murdoch Mysteries and did some cross stitch. Caught up on the weekly Torah portion. Good week off.

Got my sterilization surgery scheduled so that's happening in July. I'm so excited, but also it will be a huge weight off. The idea of pregnancy is worse than a horror movie plot to me so having that removed from my body will be amazing. Uh, got to the neurologist about my migraines - first appointment had to be cancelled because we got a snow storm and there was an accident that took hours to clear out, but scored one the next day yay. We started a new medication that seems to be working so far. Fingers crossed it keeps working. My follow up is actually a week before my surgery lol. I had to changed my prescriber for my testosterone to my PCP - I was seeing someone at planned parenthood, but they require an appointment for every refill and they keep messing up my injection needle. Now the only issue we're hitting is medication shortage (of course what isn't on shortage now)

The cats are still good and healthy. Daeglan remains not happy with my sister's cat being in my space so I'm being more cautious around her so she feels a bit less welcome in my company. Seems to be working, but we'll find out. This weekend is difficult for both of them though because my sister is away in her old state to check on her storage unit and visit her partner (long distance, poly - they're happy and its working for them) - so my sister's cat is needing to be with me more. It's been interesting.

I finally did a closet clearing out - got rid of clothes that I didn't really vibe with anymore, got rid of clothes that didn't fit me well anymore (having been stretched out in the chest due to breasts that I don't have now), got rid of clothes that are too small for me now. I did add to my closet, but not to excess, just filling in the gaps I created with the getting rid of. Wonderfully I didn't spend too much - Walmart has been having some good stuff for clothes and they're soft! I am so happy with my clothes these last few weeks. I've even gotten some PJs.

I had to replenish my supply of books since I got through the last big batch I'd gotten sometime last year. Been a bit more choosy, but also it's harder to pick which ones - I now have a dedicated budget for books which means I can buy actual books instead of just mostly e-books and also now in addition to having the space to return to sci fi and fantasy I'm also reading horror! When I buy I like to make sure to have a good mix of genres, but there's just so many and especially since the libraries I live near have their book sales - cheap books! So hard to choose.

And lastly I guess I can mention that I am buying a house!!!!! Yes, it is happening. Now, it won't be much bigger than a decent apartment, but it's a house! It's property that's mine to do with and help me build up my financial self. There are actually a good handful of grants and programs in my state that help with down deposits or foundations (for manufactured homes) that I'm actually making out nicely. The sales people I found are being helpful with getting signed up for the programs and yeah they're legit - I checked. Given my budget, I don't get much wiggle room for options - or any really. I mean we get to choose colors and wood and all the fiddly bits, but not for the layout. Still, we'll get two bedrooms and two full baths and an open concept common space for the kitchen and living room. We also get to choose the size of the rooms within the length we've been offered which we've decided will make it so we each get a master bedroom size space; it'll end up with 24 feet of common space. It's a 13 foot wide unit so I mean altogether that isn't bad.  We could have chosen a unit with only one bathroom, but this way we can each shower without worrying about waking up the other (since we work such opposite shifts) and also the cats can keep two litter boxes without one being in someone's bedroom (which is where it is now, but the bathroom should be for their poop boxes too!).

Right now we are waiting for the grants/programs to come through so I can then apply for the mortgage. We'll be put on a wait list then and from there we wait, but the company said we're likely looking at August. That'll be July for actually picking out all the bits (e.g. paint) so we can put in our order. We don't get much choice about where we get to live - the grants limit which parks/communities we can choose and of course the housing crisis limits availability, but we scoped out the community and it will definitely do for us. The company will do all the foundation work and hook up for water/sewer/electric/gas plus installing the house. With the lot rent, my mortgage payment will be a bit under $1200 a month. Not bad, not bad. It's not what we wanted, but it'll hold us over until I can get paid more and I can use it as deposit for the next place that we actually want instead of being stuck with what I can afford without anything to put toward the purchase.

I've got a meeting to talk with Fidelty who holds my 401K from work and I'm considering using some of that fund to buy some furniture for the place - my little 5 foot futon will definitely look absurd in a 15 foot living room and also my bed is 10+ years old so it does need replacing in addition to being a 7 foot bed that'll be going into a 12 by 13 space. I'll see. I don't want to take out a loan in addition to the mortgage or even another credit card. It'll work out I think.

And yeah that's...that's it. Busy, but in good ways and for good things.

Looks like my last post was about Casper; I didn't mean to just...disappear. Things have just been weird in my brain.

Work has continued apace/as it had been from the last update in August. We had a bit of a...I don't know what to call it. But in December, the strongest non clinical coworker we had took a month off for bereavement — she lost her mom and then had to sort out all of the mess that that took. And this was after I was trying to get everyone to where they needed to be with all the new changes and like. I was short and snappish and having to pick up slack and my last three members of my team were at random times out sick or snowed in or something. None of us were okay and it just exploded in a way it shouldn't have — mostly because of a difference in how I function vs how others function. The biggest issue was one of them wanting me to say to everyone hey this happened sorry, but not in the way I tried the first time it was brought to my attention. So we had a big non clinical team meeting and i didn't have to apologize, just say ok it happened. I remain super confused.