Sometimes I can't even
Mar. 28th, 2023 07:14 pmMontana is a red state. REALLY RED in the east where I live and purple towards the west. We have a Republican governor and a Republican super-majority so they are destroying everything they can this year. No transgender minor can get so much as counseling. Dead-naming is no longer bullying. Rest homes are closing all over the state because the state only reimburses half of what they need in Medicare. So, of course, the gov and the lege are taking a billion dollars in unspent COVID money and giving it back as tax breaks to the wealthy. The gov hisself will get around $45,000. I may get $50.
Then there was this delightful news item. A county attorney got voted out after 22 years. New county attorney came into office in Gallatin County, a purple county with a state university with people who believe in science and weird shit like that. New county attorney is female and discovers 132 unopened boxes stuffed under an unused desk and in a closet. Turns out those are evidence boxes concerning sexual assault cases where the evidence was turned over to the county attorney to assign an attorney to investigate to see if charges should be brought. They dated back 14 years! If a sexual assault case came into the county attorney's office, whether it was rape or fondling a child, he not only made no effort to bring charges, he literally didn't open the boxes.
He now works for the county attorney's office in another county, no longer as the guy in charge. I hope they don't assign him sexual assault cases since it is pretty obvious he thinks rape is legal.
Some days I despair.
Then there was this delightful news item. A county attorney got voted out after 22 years. New county attorney came into office in Gallatin County, a purple county with a state university with people who believe in science and weird shit like that. New county attorney is female and discovers 132 unopened boxes stuffed under an unused desk and in a closet. Turns out those are evidence boxes concerning sexual assault cases where the evidence was turned over to the county attorney to assign an attorney to investigate to see if charges should be brought. They dated back 14 years! If a sexual assault case came into the county attorney's office, whether it was rape or fondling a child, he not only made no effort to bring charges, he literally didn't open the boxes.
He now works for the county attorney's office in another county, no longer as the guy in charge. I hope they don't assign him sexual assault cases since it is pretty obvious he thinks rape is legal.
Some days I despair.
The new year starts
Jan. 3rd, 2023 04:48 pmWe had glorious hoar frost all day today. I tried to take photos but I am not a photographer. Plus the heat in my room at the school is working! After a month of barely in the 50s, so cold some of the photocopiers refused to function, it was 69°F in there! Warmer than I keep my house. Husband's bloodwork is excellent from his latest physical so all is okey-dokey here in eastern Montana.
Had my first real, not a drill, lockdown yesterday at school. I am about to head down the hall to the ladies room and I look up from my desk to see three cops, waving guns around, faces scared, heading down the hall towards me. Have you heard shots fired, one shouts at me. No, I said and then shut my door and rigged up my booby trap involving a heavy fax machine on a light cart with the cord tied around the handle.
I wasn't the least bit scared. I was, however, freezing. The heat does not work in my room and with the door closed to the hallway, even with the space heater on, it was freezing. I was sitting well away from the heater -- which is for the photocopiers, not me -- so I could duck under the table if I heard shots. There are boxes full of paper between me and the door if I am under the table.
Anyway, I sat there, wrapped up in my blanket, getting colder and having to pee for about 45 minutes.
When the cops whipped my door open and nearly triggered the fax machine to attack (nobody uses it anymore) they said they hadn't found in problem and complimented me on the fax machine trap.
About five minutes later, the poor custodian nearly got fax machined and told me I was free to go pee. They let all the middle-aged women in the offices and me go to the bathroom before they let the kids go, which I thought was nice.
And we got the rest of the day off so I was home by 10:30 and got all sorts of things done! Errands run before bad weather hits next week, Christmas tree up and decorated. So yay!
It was a hoax and someone from out of state apparently called it into about a dozen school districts in Montana, saying they heard shot fired at the high school.
I wasn't the least bit scared. I was, however, freezing. The heat does not work in my room and with the door closed to the hallway, even with the space heater on, it was freezing. I was sitting well away from the heater -- which is for the photocopiers, not me -- so I could duck under the table if I heard shots. There are boxes full of paper between me and the door if I am under the table.
Anyway, I sat there, wrapped up in my blanket, getting colder and having to pee for about 45 minutes.
When the cops whipped my door open and nearly triggered the fax machine to attack (nobody uses it anymore) they said they hadn't found in problem and complimented me on the fax machine trap.
About five minutes later, the poor custodian nearly got fax machined and told me I was free to go pee. They let all the middle-aged women in the offices and me go to the bathroom before they let the kids go, which I thought was nice.
And we got the rest of the day off so I was home by 10:30 and got all sorts of things done! Errands run before bad weather hits next week, Christmas tree up and decorated. So yay!
It was a hoax and someone from out of state apparently called it into about a dozen school districts in Montana, saying they heard shot fired at the high school.
Emotional balance
Jul. 25th, 2022 10:08 amAs the wife, I tried to keep my worst disposition to myself to avoid upsetting my husband. My husband, on the other hand, feels a bad mood isn't for keeping in but for sharing with everyone and blaming everyone. He is snarling this morning and when I ask why, get a litany on how the cat wants fed. Which happens every darn day. Upsetting me doesn't enter into it, while I am constantly concerned about how my mood effects him. I wonder if younger, modern couples have overcome making the wife responsible for all emotions.
Coming up on our 44th wedding anniversary. Some parts of it have been grand. Some parts. . .I say "turn right" and he turns left. When it is wrong, he gets mad that I didn't tell him but he also gets mad if he acknowledges my instruction. Argh. I got him a tee shirt that says "My wife says I only have two faults. I don't listen to her and something else."
Things went wrong. Things that haven't gone wrong before. Things that I made the HUGE mistake. Things that some teachers really, REALLY need to plan in advance. Then my husband did one of those odd things that make me think is he losing it or was it just a fluke? And I tripped on the stairs and hurt my foot just enough to be annoying.
AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO SNOW 10 INCHES TOMORROW.
Four day weekend coming up and I need it.
AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO SNOW 10 INCHES TOMORROW.
Four day weekend coming up and I need it.
Been having a few odd ones. I need to clean out my sock drawer and the cupboard under the sink where I store cleaning supplies so I dreamed I was having to clean out a drain full of socks and cleaning supplies. On the upside, I was visiting Lookfar with my husband and we were having a lovely dinner, even if the food was weird looking and tasteless. Problem with my dreams. No flavor.
Healthcare in Amurika
Mar. 10th, 2022 05:11 pmGot a call to "pre-register" for my extra radiography of my dense breasts. Turned out they wanted my credit card number. Do you have an NON-MEDICAL questions the lady asked helpfully. So I pay the $350 and today found out that is the clinic's charge. What the radiologist charges will be extra. And people wonder why we have such terrible healthcare in this country. I'm glad I can afford it. I'm glad we could afford my husband's $6,000 dental bill. But what do people do who can't? Suffer and die.
Your lack of planning
Jan. 17th, 2022 06:26 pmI am working at the high school as a para this year, part time copy room and part time taking notes for students who have trouble taking notes. Today was the first day of the new semester. Friday we had off. On Thursday afternoon, the stuff started piling up in my in basket with hopeful notes I could get it done right away. Nope. Poor planning on your part does not mean panic on mine. I disappointed a lot of teachers today but it's not my fault they forgot to give me their hundreds of pages of copies a day or two in advance instead of after the last minute. Maybe they thought I was working Friday. Nope.
I'll be lucky to get caught up tomorrow. And these people are all adults who knew the semester was ending. They are as bad as the kids sometimes.
I, on the other hand, got a shitload of stuff done on my day off and am proud of myself.
I'll be lucky to get caught up tomorrow. And these people are all adults who knew the semester was ending. They are as bad as the kids sometimes.
I, on the other hand, got a shitload of stuff done on my day off and am proud of myself.
Back to school
Sep. 4th, 2021 10:54 amThe principal at the elementary school where I worked moved over the high school to be assistant principal and I went along with her. I attended that high school but somehow, when I was there, back in the 1970s, I don't remember that many stairs. Yikes. Plus I was in a disorganized room now that I am now in charge of -- the copy room -- and my OCD kicked in. ALL the ink cartridges were stored on their sides when they are clearly labeled to be stored upside up. And the toner cartridges were on a shelf in front of a window, also upside down, when they are clearly labeled keep away from direct sunlight. So I nearly killed myself in fits of reorganization. I also take notes for kids who need help in classes. Except for one teacher who basically told me to leave the room. She didn't want me there for some reason. Okay. Whatever. I relayed that up the command chain and will worry about it on Tuesday.
Summer chores
Aug. 9th, 2021 11:24 amEarlier this summer, I did a quick scrape of the worst parts of the porch floor. I alternate balcony railing one summer, porch floor the next. Usually I scrape and scrape and wash and scrape and prime and put down two coats. This year, I dashed out this morning when the temperature was only in the 70s and did one quick coat on the worst spots. It was TOO HOT this year to paint properly. If the weather cooperates next year, I may do both the balcony railing and the porch floor. At least the smoke is a wee bit thinner this morning. You can actually see a bit of blue sky as you watch the fire planes fly over.
My husband used to need to keep track of multiple events a day because he was a photographer for a newspaper. Now he is retired and worries about when and where all the time. He wants to know what I want for dinner at breakfast. I have a couple of minor appointments tomorrow. He has nothing to do with them and we had a long discussion this morning about when and where even though none of it pertains to him.
Patience. He is still adapting to retirement after two years. He took over the doing the dishes and laundry when he retired and snaps at me if I do either because I have no clue how to do it right. Which makes me laugh. Who taught you?
Ah, old age. She is challenging.
Patience. He is still adapting to retirement after two years. He took over the doing the dishes and laundry when he retired and snaps at me if I do either because I have no clue how to do it right. Which makes me laugh. Who taught you?
Ah, old age. She is challenging.
Unexpected organization
Nov. 19th, 2020 04:00 pmI wasn't planning on reorganizing the linen closet but then I noticed the hard water build-up on the TOP of the water heater while I was dusting the upstairs furnace before turning it on. There should not be hard water build-up on the top of the water heater. It is 13 1/2 years old so I called and the plumber and said, when you get a chance.
They were on water heater replacement patrol today. So I had to move a bunch of stuff to get access to the spot so they could remove the old water heater and bring in the new one. (My water heater in upstairs, on the second floor, since plumbing wasn't added to the house until about 30 years after the original construction.
So I sort the linens and threw some stuff out and put some other stuff somewhere else.
My back hurts but my water is heating up and my linen is all tidy.
They were on water heater replacement patrol today. So I had to move a bunch of stuff to get access to the spot so they could remove the old water heater and bring in the new one. (My water heater in upstairs, on the second floor, since plumbing wasn't added to the house until about 30 years after the original construction.
So I sort the linens and threw some stuff out and put some other stuff somewhere else.
My back hurts but my water is heating up and my linen is all tidy.