Lots of things going on right now. Somedays, I am on an emotional roller coaster. The job thing is finally coming together. I mentioned the other day that I got hired to be a caregiver a couple of weeks ago. I got 2 days of work from them and that just is not enough for me. I was offered some shifts but they were not working for me... mostly 24 hour shifts for 4 days at a stretch. I would literally be living with the client and not able to go home. Well, you know I spent 3 months away from my family last year not to mention the 2 week long jaunts I did several times looking for work before I finally moved down here when James broke his leg and then I was gone the 3 months. I figure I can always make more money but I cannot make more time. And time with my family, human and furbaby are much too important.

I answered an ad for massage therapist in a chiropractors office, going to farmers markets and stores as part of a promotion for the chiropractor and I got it! The pay is much better and since I have 6 years experience I have more opportunities to get back into that line of work. I stopped working as a massage therapist when we moved to Chico because the pay was so low. I guess those college students at Chico State have better things to spend their money on besides massage. I just decided to go back to restaurant work and did not think about it again seriously until I saw the ad. The hours conflicted with the caregiver position though... I was waiting for a job to start... the hold up was with the family... they were deciding when I was to start. First it was last week, then Monday of next week and then they did not know when and I was left hanging. Not a nice feeling for me who has issues with patience anyway. Everyday I don't work is another day without pay. So when the chiropractor's office called this morning to find out my availability again I told them any day they wanted and then I called the caregiver office and quit.

I start this Wednesday doing massage which I love and I am great at it. It is 3 to 4 days to start but then who knows...

The other thing that is staring John and I in the face daily is Olive, my Chihuahua. She is 17 years old (I am guessing, woman like to keep their true age a secret) and her heart disease has progressed. She collapsed last December and has been on meds. Lately we have been taking her into the vets to be checked out and her stomach has to drained of fluids because her heart valve is not closing properly. We were told in December that the meds would not cure her but they would buy her time. We took her to be drained last Saturday and Sunday night she was getting bloated again. She is also taking a diuretic which makes her pee alot but lately she is not peeing as much as she did a couple of months ago. Tomorrow we take her back to the vet. I hate having to put her through the ordeal of getting her stomach drained. I know it has to be painful. The last time she had a bruise for a couple of days. John says it doesn't hurt her but I don't believe it. She is a tough broad and just because she does not cry out does not mean it is not painful. I was told in the animal kingdom that they do not cry out in pain because it is considered weak and if she was in the wild she would become food for a predator which sees her as weak. The vet says even though she has health issues, she is doing good and not ready to go yet. Still, it is something I think about and try to prepare myself. I do not want to waste a lot of time on it though because I want to focus on the time we have together. The present moment. I haven't seen an expiration date on any of us so no one knows when any of us will cross over. I want to enjoy each day and not upset her by constantly checking on her breathing. I am sure she is living in the moment and not worrying about how much time she has left. If there is anyone out there in blog land who has gone through this I would appreciate any input you have.

Hope your weekend is spent in the moment and full of laughter.

xoxo Inge

My new job has caused me to reflect about who I am and where I am in life... mainly it has helped me realize some things I might not have thought about... like I am definitely not as young as I used to be. Who is really? We get older with each minute. I think of myself as still 20 something at times... ok... most of the time. I like to dress like the 20 year olds but then so does
Gloria Steinem... have you seen her in a mini skirt? That girl can still rock it in her late 60s! But so can Tina Turner and loads of other women.
For me though, I feel it most in the mornings. I stretch 99% of the time before I go to bed and 50% of the time in the mornings. I watch these young servers carry these very heavy trays of food all day... well 5 to 6 hours a day. But even so they still have lots of energy. My GM who is probably somewhere in his 40s requires only 4 hours of sleep a night and he is back in the game. I am sick and have been for a few days now... nothing earth shattering but a bad cold just the same. I can't keep up... There I said it and I hate to admit it. Those 10 hour days are taking its toll on me and I have only been doing this for a little over 3 months.
Let me back track a minute. I have a new GM. I was transferred a couple of weeks ago to another restaurant located inside a mall. This is my 4th store in 3 months and it's like starting a new job all over again. Each one operates differently even though they are part of the same restaurant chain. This also is an hour commute from home each way so I am gone 12 hours a day. Three days a week I work the closing shift and 2 days I open which means I have to be there 6 am... have I mentioned I am NOT a morning person. My GM tried to schedule me to work a closing shift ( 2pm - 11pm) and come back the next day at 6 am... who can do that ???? I cannot get maybe 4 hours sleep and be expected to be alert and run like mad for 10 hours. I just can't. I do know some people that can. Goddess bless them but I can't. We compromised and I will work the mid shift and leave at 8 pm... that still is not enough time for me to be rested and did I mention we are inside a mall? You know it's the holiday season and we are busier than hell. Hungry holiday shoppers... you can only imagine the type of mood these people are in! The movies they show on t.v. this time of year are quite accurate as far as how crazy and impatient people can get.
I am trying to hang on through the end of the year... it's only a few more weeks and then I have to look for another job. It really sucks because I had such high hopes for this job. Management... it sounds good and the pay is more than I ever got but the job really is about baby sitting, refereeing and lots of ass kissing to customers who really don't deserve it because they are only looking to get free stuff... have you heard of people complaining their food was terrible after they ate the whole thing and demanded to get the meal for free? It happens all the time at the restaurant and I have to give them the meal for free and sometimes throw in a free whole pie for them to take home because they threaten to contact the corporate office... that sounds a little like extortion to me. Oh well,like my hubby reminds me... they aren't taking money out of our checking account.

I'm off the next 2 days and plan to rest up. Hope your week and holiday experience is fun and don't forget to laugh out loud.

xoxo Inge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v20R8GytQSg