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for being so absent over weekend.
it takes about 6 weeks to flip one's schedule from nights to days- couple that with these days i need to stay up until noon or get up at 2pm for appointments, and 'm not there yet. i keep thinking i'm just going to get it all organized, but ... not yet.
arm is better. sore as hell after work, but with rest it gets better. growing muscles, which is both happy-making and embarrassing- when did i lose them in the first place?
infected 'spider-bite' (which was probably not spider bite after all, no idea what started it) better also. have never had anything take this long to heal before.
paychecks are really nice things. of course i'd rather be independently comfortable, but since i'm not, it's a good feeling to earn my way.
*waves to everyone* hope you're more or less ok. or if not, that you have the support you need. blessings on your heads.
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So. two months later, much physical therapy, and generous help and support from friends, and I'm back at work tonight at the lad's house.
some things have changed- i'm more careful about how i do things. the family's is supposed to change a couple things, haven't yet. dunno if they will. but now i have the agency's backing, so eventually change will happen.
lad himself is doing well- smiled when i took his vitals, went right back to sleep.
brought my putty, my elastic bands, and my yoga mat. so if you email or ping me and i don't answer, it's because i'm busy getting sleek and fit. or, you know, something like that.
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First the not so good, or kinda not so bad: my shoulder injury is most consistent with a partial tear of the supraspinatus muscle, one of the rotator cuff muscles and the one that covers the bursa or capsule of the shoulder joint. It's possibly been tearing in little bits over a long time- after all, I started working in jobs where what I mostly did was lift people and move furniture when I was 12- but I did something in my last 10 days at work that aggravated it. So, here we are. There are exercises that will help. Rest, Ice, NSAIDS (for me, Naprosyn) and exercise for the next two weeks and then we'll see. *sigh* I miss the lad. I really do. And I whacked off about 10" of hair because I couldn't get my arm up high enough to pile it all on top of my head...I'm glad it's naturally curly and grows fast, but I miss my hair. *dramatic sigh* (lol)
The good news is, the physical therapist said that as long as there is no prolonged or heavy or over-head lifting with my right arm involved, I can re-open the bookshop. Which is very pleasing, because I have lots of good home-schooling books (Usborne and others); classics, out-of-print reference books, and so on. So if you're needing books, or, indeed, anything from Amazon, go in through my bookshop EnjoyIt! and if you buy, I get referral points, too.
Ok, I've got my cellie set to remind me every half hour to go play with my new toys: a stretchy band, over-door pulleys, and putty [my physical therapist gave me TOYS, how cool is THAT?] so, must be off and go have fun in a good cause.
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Librettist needed for operetta project (General)
Date: 2009-09-28, 10:24AM PDT
Reply to: gigs-kx4wz-1396463358@craigslist.org
ASCAP composer seeks librettist for collaboration on an original operetta concept.
Libretto experience preferred, but poetry and/or dramaturgical background also acceptable.
Enthusiasm, versatility, and imaginativeness a must.
Familiarity with Broadway and operatic idioms recommended.
Enjoyment of "cult classic" science fiction, horror, and/or dystopian cinema also preferred.
Project seeks to fuse the so-called "New Wave/Neo-Romantic movement" of American opera and musical theatre ("Dead Man Walking", "Harvey Milk", "Little Women"/ "Sweeney Todd", "Wicked") with the idioms of the cinematic styles mentioned above (see the work of George Romero, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg and Roger Corman, among others) to create a truly engaging new work for a new generation of operagoers.
CA [California] residence not required, as most collaboration will likely take place via email, etc.
* Location: General
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: Project is speculative, however, any eventual profits/fees will be divided as close to 50/50 as possible.
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(taking a cue from a friend here, with the + and the - and all)
(+) I have awesome friends, online and offline. AWESOME, awesome friends.
(+) my Presto plug-in water kettle has an automatic shut-off for when I get distracted and it boils dry. Thank you. Presto you have saved my kettle.
(+) because I like to stock up I have plenty of lovely teas and evaporated milk and good honey for said teas, and also Chai Maté.
(-) about two weeks ago now I injured my right shoulder at work. around 4 am after I did my checks and chores (in home care we do a lot of the care of the patient's environment, too- laundry, cleaning, etc.- and because I have AWESOME quietness skills I can do a lot while the lad is sleeping without waking him or his family) I sat down to chart and my right bicep felt very tight and sore, as though I'd been lifting 100lb sacks for an hour straight. I rested it for half an hour. The tightness and soreness abated. But at the end of my shift, when I have some amount of lifting to do, I found my right arm was weak.
what I SHOULD have done, in retrospect, is stop by work on the way home, report it as a work-place injury, and start worker's comp right away. Even though I was exhausted, it was going to be HOT, I needed to get to sleep, and starting the whole w/c thing takes HOURS. HOURS.
what I DID was go straight home, put ice on it, and try to get to sleep before my bedroom hit 95 degrees. And kept working. Compensating. Because, as smart as I am, as much as I would have advised anyone else to report it right away, I. Kept. Working. Because that's what nurses do. We compensate, and we keep working. We Do.Not.Stop. Oops.
So, not better by last week. went to see my doc, she wrote me off for a week, NO LIFTING so no modified duty. And in talking with her I realized I have to make the worker's comp claim. If my agency paid sick time, this wouldn't be such a big deal. If I'd saved more last year, not just enough to cover Europe but some cushion, too, it would not be such a big deal.
HOWEVER. I have started the process now. So at some point there will be some money. I've called my creditors (the few I have- student loans, etc.) and set up grace periods/deferments/lower payments/canceled accounts. I've got food and some money for fresh if I can't get it from gardens/freecycle, and enough gas in the car to get me to and from Physical Therapy. So it's ok for the next coupla weeks, and I'll know by then how it's going to play out, when I can work, and what W/C is going to come through with.
so (+) I have a job with W/C as a benefit. *whew*
(-) AND (+) EnjoyIt! is closed while I rehab. (-) because it would be a bit of income. But (+) because I can double check all my listings, see what's not selling and decide if I want to donate it instead, and work out (in my head) how I want to organize the books for easy shipping (which changes as they sell, as my stock gets smaller). So, that's good.
(+) I have this opportunity to live one-armed, mostly, for some time, so I am learning as much as I can about that limitation while I can't avoid it. I'm well aware it's not the same as a permanent change in my ability. But I'm hoping I can take the time I'd spend whining about not being able to have my own way all the time and use it to learn about myself, about this limitation, and about working with/through it, instead.
thus: (+) I have managed to get the old sheet off the bed, the new one on, and the laundry into the washer! (This is epic today, when it's usually zoop! zoop! with my magic wand, and all done.) I have soup, self-made with beans from one friend's garden (they dried on the vine, he was going to toss them out! oh no you don't! so I have shelled beans! one-handed! and made yummy soup) and fresh veg from another friend's and left-over rice from the housemates, and it is good. I have become adept at resetting my cellphone every 30 mins to remind me to take 5 mins for arm/shoulder exercises.
and I HAVE AWESOME FRIENDS. yes, I do. *nods* So, on the whole, the Early Autumn State of the Slashfairy is more + than -.
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Or it's Monday, innit?
Have done something to my neck, probably sitting badly at work every night because there's only an old banged up recliner for the nurse and sometimes I get lazy and just don't bother to get well situated, or get up and do exercises or anything. So am now (thank you, al) doing exercises to regain strength in my right shoulder. *sigh* prevention is so much better than repair. *lifts things*
Flipping through the channels looking for a good documentary or something, came across this description of The 6th Day (Ahnold Governator, back in the day): In the near future, a helicopter narrowly avoids an assasination attempt, then returns home to find he has been replaced by a clone who shares his memories; agents of hte cloning corporation target him...
Wait what? A helicopter's been cloned, and Ahnold plays the whirly-bird? Well hell, that explains California's finances, right? o.O
I don't miss the stress of uni, but I do miss having an excuse/reason/obligation to be outside in the sun, learning new things, getting some strides in, 2 or 3 times a week. Am hoping that with cooler weather and better sleeping I can work out a real schedule that includes studying for the IELTS just in case I can find work in the UK. I'm not really doing "RN level" work here now (according to custom and reimbursement by Medi-Cal), but my agency does give me difficult families who need an RN's understanding of family theory and case management, so I feel like I can at least TRY to find work in the UK. Just in case.
So, I'm just sayin'- I'm back in the study mode some. Funny how that works.
ETA another good site with shoulder exercises including v. short quicktime movies.
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two hours, and i can leave for home.
have errands between leaving for home and actually getting to bed, but no work tonight or tomorrow night.
was going to write about my frustrations with my schedule, sleep, etc. but why bother? night shift is my choice; renting a room from friends is my choice. in this economy, i'm grateful to have a job that's safe, steady, and satisfying.
so, will just look forward to weekend! who knows? i might get my fall vegie seeds in, some cleaning done- i might even write!
and y'all? weekend plans?
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'my' girl, the younger of the twins i've taken care of these past two+ years, is in hospital waiting a 'liver specialist' to see her.
we just had the anniversary of her sister's death last year on the 14th April, so we're all concerned.
i won't know anything for at least a few hours, maybe a coupla days, but- just, if you have a corner someplace, to tuck 'good wishes' for K, her gramma, and the family, will you?
thanks. very much.
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Important:
( Sanctity~Respect~Faith~Relationship: Prop 8, Fred Phelps )
( Sanity~Intelligence~Respect~Honesty: RaceFail 2009 )
( Not so important: Movie sales )
Random, kind of.
There are things I really like about working nights- it's steady, because not everyone can do it, stay awake and alert all night, and I can. It's quieter, and I really LIKE that I'm a soothing presence, that people feel SAFE sleeping when I'm there to take care of them, of their family.
But I gorram HATE how it fucks with my ability to run around and DO things. Like, last night, if I'd've had the time, money, and inclination, I could've gone to Good, at the Contra Costa International Jewish Film Festival. I love that festival, and I'd've really liked to see the film, and see Viggo, but there's no WAY I'd drive that far to and from and back to work on no sleep. I'd've barely made it to work on time, and that's barring car trouble, weather problems, accidents, and earthquakes. But to do all that driving and stuff and go to work on no sleep for 2 days... That's just not good. So, damnit, there it was, a movie I really want to see, and a guy I'd love to hear talk... And I had to work.
C'est la vie, eh?
Blessings on your heads, y'all.
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So, it's not like there's not writing in my head. There is, pages and pages of it. Little AU, other fic, poems. Health/nursing care stuff. Philosophy. Humor. Links dumps. Travel plans. Stuff I've been reading. SLEEP. (oh my god, I could talk about sleep forever, and isn't that just the way night shift is?) Family. WORK (although that's harder because of confidentiality).
I'm constrained by a lack of comfortable places to write (type, keyboard, scribble with a crayon) at the moment.
Anyway. At work, things getting busy, so must move along. Just wanted to drop in and say "hi".
Oh! and people to whom I've promised things: Your Money or Your Life; tea; fic; actual human contact- NUDGE me. When I'm really really tired things get lost in the shuffle, and then when I'm less tired I lose track of which shuffle I'm trying to sort to find the things I promised to do.
Reminders are good for the forgetful. :-)
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ok. 8 weeks- no, 7 weeks, i think, of uni left. *whew*
class let out early today, so had the hip x-rays done. should find out within a week what's next, and if they show what's hurting. added fish oil and chondroitin/glucosamine/msm (which i now recall helping me with my knees some long years ago) (and thanks to ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) stormatdusk who reminded me of them), so we'll see.
in the meantime, the same-old same-old- work, uni, trying to get enough sleep. which i'm gonna go try and do right now. xoxo until later.
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MIA a bit because of reading for uni, and fighting off a sinus infection with sleep, hydration, nutrition, and Zicam. damn viruses.
however. by my count, 8 weeks of uni left, and the two papers for Critical Thinking (which, it seems, will just need to wait until i have two well-rested, not-arrogant brain cells to rub together), and, all other things being equal, i'll be able to graduate.
and then it's just all about getting healthy, as best i can. even better nutrition. appropriate exercise, as much as i can fit in around work and sleep. saving money, to cut down worry over travel and getting older. writing! oh, writing, and beading, and gardening! and sewing! and reading for fun!
so i DO have a plan. but for today, it's probably to finish work, go home, rinse my sinuses, have a nice hot bath, rinse my sinuses again, take my meds, and curl up in bed with the laptop and my uni reading until i crash.
and if I wake up in time and feel rested enough, catch the late (8:20 pm) show of Appaloosa before work at the lad's house tonight.
and that's the news from here. how are all y'all?
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nearly caught up on sleep, and guess what? i can read my textbooks, they make sense, and i can take notes. amazing.
heading home in half an hour. two nights off; two chapters yet to read in native american studies (and NOT looking forward to getting the midterm back) and two for chicano/latino film studies. cautiously optimistic about that midterm.
catch you on the flip side.
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well.
no, not in the debates- though i hear that Mr. McCain did not comport himself as well as one would expect.
but in myself. did NOT do well with the midterm for Native American studies class. partly because i'm just exhausted- i swear, if i don't get 8-10 hours straight, deep sleep within the next 24, i'm just gonna be a big bawling ball of baby- and partly because i didn't have the same rigorous kind of review that the film review forced on me in my other class.
so i think what i need to do is type up my notes within 24 hours of that class, and cross-ref them with the book Right Then. this poor class gets the short end of my energy and attention, and it's not fair to the class, to the teacher, or to me.
i now return you to your regular lives. i'll be here at work, trying to read coursework.
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have abut 80 pages of Native American Studies reading to finish by next Saturday. Means I must concentrate on this.
Car needs to be smogged (for my EU/UK friends- have its biennial government-mandated check-up and [pray] pass California's emissions standards). This is going to take a bit of finagling of both time (I can't get to work without a car) and money (please, please let it pass without needing major work, or worse).
I really have to not spend too much time with news of politics, the economy, and world events. It's too easy to fall from 'have to get the car taken care of' to 'I'll be homeless living on twigs' if I read from the debates to the bail-out to Zimbabwe. That's false reasoning (or no reasoning, really), doesn't illuminate anything, steals energy I need to do the actual problem-solving required to be a good citizen, and prevents me from having any real understanding of just how dire things are in other places, like Zimbabwe. Not that that couldn't happen here- history proves anything can happen anywhere, as the very good book for Native American Studies is proving (well-researched and well-written, Indians in American History by Hoxie and Iverson). But it's not happening right-this-minute. I do not need to buy up 50 gallons of water and 10 gallons of gasoline (all I have storage for, myself) and curse myself for not drying 100lbs of apples this fall and burying nuts for winter. That's insane.
So, not too much of the 'news' (or as it should be more accurately called, bread and circuses). Concentrate on finishing uni, on staying (getting more) healthy, on saving money for summer.
Back to the book while my girl is still sleeping. She continues to slowly slip; progressive diseases are unforgiving. But her family loves her, and I'm amazed that it's two years I've been working here with them. It's an honor.
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may not have 'net at the lad's house for a bit (that'd affect Weds nights/Thurs mornings, and Sun nights/Mon mornings). no way to know until i get there, but his family's having a spot of bother with the bills, so...
anyway. will do uni reading if no 'net there. always a bright side, eh? text if you need me, i'll have the cell.
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making progress on the paper for Latina/Chicana film studies. thank goodness. of course, a good deal of it will have to be scrapped and rewritten as a film review and not a nursing research paper (maniacal laugh) but at least it's being written!
i could live without this constant low-grade sinus headache. ah. sonoma county, allergy capital of the world. (or so we style ourselves.) *makes note to get more sinus rinse at market*
am i the only person who has, in their fat bottom, the equivalent of at least ten car-tanks of petrol stored? one of the great freedoms of not being in uni will be having time to walk to the market and shop. *nods*
nothing else atm- am at work, plugging away at paper, and mulling over larger issues such as why it's so hard to define what nurses do and have it be reimbursed well. (not me, but in general, in the world.)
as you were. enjoy your saturday.
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I have a new tentative plan.
Since Monday and Thursday seem to be "lost days", in that I can either stay up Monday morning, but then lose sleep and study time, or go to bed Monday as soon as I get home, but lose on-line time and, if I'm woken up before getting at least 6 hours sleep, lose sleep too- and Thursday seems to work out more-or-less the same, except that I'm even more tired Thursday mornings than Monday mornings- anyway, since they seem to be "lost days" I'm thinking to "take them out of the week" for expectation-of-socializing-and-getting-things-done purposes.
Instead, I'll count them as "doing things in bits and pieces" days, with sleep and study interspersed as is possible. Give this a month or so, see how it works.
Hell, the semester's only got 12 more weeks in it.
And then on Tuesday nights, like tonight, or, I guess, Early Wednesday Morning (tm), if I can't sleep, I'll put laptop and cord, portable heater, and school-book/notes in my cloth grocery bag and, in slippers and robe, trundle downstairs to the kitchen table and set up down there where there's space and light and study there instead of trying to do it in bed (not enough space for papers, etc.) or at my poor desk (which is, at the moment, not usable due to the amount of stuff being sorted on and in front of it).
*sigh*. how can 6 units of uni and 40 hours of work be so damn complicated? is it really this messy to live mostly in one rented room and get things done? Or am I even more dramatic than I've been accused of by my family? tune in next week (though I doubt there will be any real answers... lol!!)
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so, i apologize for my whiny post last night.
usually i remember that i chose nursing and everything (patient-related) it entails, and i remember to be grateful for working inside, having internet access at work, and not commuting far, not needing to dress up in dry-clean-only clothes, etc.
so tonight's post is one of thank you for letting me whine, and thank you for not taking me up on it.
/steam blown
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