Trimming the Hedges

 I mentioned in my first blog post back on my birthday and my first post in seven years that I was living with DJ and his husband, B now. In 2013 they bought their first home and about a year later they asked me to move in with them. It was odd at first, but I finally settled in and their home became my home. Fast forward to today. About a year ago, sometime in August 2019, DJ and B put their first home on the market. On December 17, 2019 they closed on the new home. A thirteen room colonial with an acre of land. We all love it, including the babies (the doggies).

I went out for a little bit today (as I have not been out of the house other than to go to the doctor) and when I returned, B had hedge clippers and was trying to manually cut the huge shrubs in the front of the house. He was not having the best of luck. I proceeded to get the electric hedge trimmers out of the garage and finished the job, and the photos above is the completed project.

I was quite proud of myself as the last time I had done this big of a project was way back in the mid 1990's when I worked with my former father-in-law. He taught me quite a bit about landscaping (as well as other things, I may add).

Hat's off to me, and thanks to my former father-in-law, RIP.

Oh Shit! It's Shingles!

Thought I had a spider bite that caused my eye to swell.  So I finally went to the doctor today and it is not a spider bite. It's SHINGLES!! They are in my eyebrow and my eyelid, behind my ear and even in my hairline! Very painful!! Doctor put my on famciclovir and gabapentin. Hopefully this too will pass...

It sucks to get old. 

I hate 2020!

Meet Lizzie

 On Monday, July 27, 2020 my 4th grandchild was born. Now mind you I have 10 grandchildren, but six of them are step-grandchildren. I only have four "blood" grandchildren now.

This is Alizabeth AnneMarie, or as we will all call her, Lizzie.

Lizzie is my youngest son, Adam's daughter. He was the one that battled Hodgkin's and was told due to all the chemo and radiation that he would be sterile. But low and behold, he and his girlfriend did conceive.  Doctor's don't know it all.

Welcome to this crazy world, Lizzie.

Reality Check... How am I 60?

 Today I turned Sixty.

No this picture is not a current one, this was taken in February.

In the midst of a pandemic, I turned sixty. I had planned a big party with family and friends, but unfortunately I had to cancel due to the stay-at-home orders across our county. Pandemic or not, I still turned sixty. Party or not, I turned sixty.

Did I tell you I turned sixty today? 60!

This blog has been empty of new posts since 2013. I had just recently started my job with my current employer. Posted about it then nothing. A hell of a lot has transpired in seven years, and now I am 60!

I have been with that employer now 7+ years. We were sold to the largest Pharmaceutical company in North America about 4 years ago. With that change, I received a large raise and promotion and had my own office. But now, instead of going to my office every day we are working remotely. For me, that means in my bedroom. Not a bad set up, and I am actually more productive here than I was at the office. If you would have told me seven years ago when I got this job that I would be working from my bedroom and living with DJ and B, I would have said you were crazy. But I am.

Yes I live with my Ex and his husband (they were married in 2015) and 99.9% we get along fine. Even during a pandemic and me living in this house 24 / 7. However, they are essential workers (the pandemic has created new words and phrases) and both work outside of the home. I rarely get out. I have an auto-immune disease (MS and diabetes) so I want to avoid the Coronavirus / COVID-19 at all costs.

Like I said, so much has transpired in the last seven years, and I don't want to go into all of it in this post, but I will be posting more in the upcoming weeks and bring you up to date, if there is anyone still reading this. If not, that is okay too as this blog was always for me anyway.

So welcome to the "NEW' Reality Check.

Reality Check @ 60

Working Again!

It didn't take me long....thank goodness, I got a new job! Went to an interview on Friday at a local Pharmaceutical company (within walking distance to my home) and walked out with the job!

Yes, it's a big cut in pay, and I am starting at the bottom and will need to work my way up, but I am excited and looking forward to the challenge. It's in a whole different line of work as I will be doing accounts receivables, and other various duties, but I have my foot in the door.  It is a fast growing company and lots of room for advancement and the potential to move up is there.  They really loved my resume and even said I was over-qualified for the position, but they see my potential and really need my experience and are looking forward to my addition to the company.

So one door closed and another opened.  Who knows where this will lead, but I am looking forward, not backward. So many new things in my life this year. My own place, a new job, now maybe a new man???

Good...But Not Good Enough.

Today I joined the multitudes of Americans on the unemployment line. Yes, after six and a half years I was let go yesterday. Their reson? Failure to produce required quotas. A law firm, not a factory or assembly line, but a law firm. After six years of being a valued employee, and and outstanding employee (their words to me yesterday) they no longer feel that I have what it takes.

 

Since my stroke a year and a half ago, I have felt like they have been trying to get rid of me. I was one of the oldest employees, and made a good income, one of the higher paid employees, so I knew my time was limited, as their profit margins have decreased over the past three years substantially, so what better way to make thier ends meet? Get rid of high paid seasoned employees.

Now I go back to job interviews, reading want ads, claiming unemployment and hoping something happens, SOON!

Another chapter has started on this never ending story of my reality.

Rules? There are Rules to Dating??

Well, I have a date. A first date. It's been a while since I had a date.  I mean a real date, like going to dinner, conversation and getting to know someone date. Not sure if I remember how it's done... Surely it will come back to me... So here are my rules of a first date.

 

1. Don't let him carry the conversation:
There is surely something you can talk about and share in the conversation, don't let him have the whole night, this is my date too!
2.  Do not be a conversation hog:
I need to learn to be comfortable with pauses in the conversation; I don't need to fill the silence with words. He is sizing me up and thinking, even if it appears that he is doing nothing. He also doesn't want my life story in one sitting, Lord knows I could tell it. But I need to leave some mystery for him to discover over time.
3. Don't discuss past relationships:
Even if the last relationship was a good, which mine was, this is not the time to discuss.  If You trash talk the ex, that will leave a bad taste in his mouth, and if you talk to kindly and well of the ex, he may get the idea that you are still hung up on him. Don't ask him about his past relationships either, he will tell you in time...if there is another time.
4. Don't Get too heavy:
No reason to discuss, politics, religion, world affairs, this is a first date, get to know one another first. These things will come up later, again if there is a later.
5. Be Myself:
No reason to put on 'airs" or be something I am not. Be who I am, if he likes that fine, if not fine, at least I am not being someone I am not. Have to be honest with myself!

So with all that said, I am looking forward to this date. He is the one that has made all the prompts, so we will see how things go.