And a smile on my phone which I have changed my wallpaper to show people pics. Always good to wake up to a dear friend
Also grateful that I knew my trailer would sink in the winter, or the walk would heave, in any case, my gate still opens
The rest of the day was a whole lot of “ do you not know I have paid work to do?”, which exasperated me completely. The best part was that Sawyer was suffering a cough from a cold and couldn’t go to school so R-A took him to work and I picked him up at lunch and brought him to my office to watch Netflix and hang out. he is such a good little tyke and I enjoyed having him. He often told me he loved me and just brought calm. He really wanted a sleep over but it wasn’t possible tonight as I stayed working for a while after he was picked up. His mom was very encouraging in the choice I need to make about my volunteer time and the frustration I am feeling there. It is hard for me to let go of things I have done for free even if they are taking time away from my employment responsibilities and causing me stress. The fun thing was my phone kept showing me great photos of Sawyer as a wee one.
I made it home and made myself a meal and enjoyed a few Crown Peach when I got a message from my neighbour, Tracey and she came over and gave me a big hug and we had a good vent session that now leaves me ready for a peaceful sleep. I am grateful to the good women and wee men in my life. They keep me smiling.
I was up early and off to meet Danika and the girls for breakfast at Denny’s. First I had to shovel my way out and take my snow couple to task.
We had a great visit and wow what a big meal I had which turned out to be my one of the day. Emmy liked the lip gloss pack I brought her and Gwen enjoyed her toy dog that makes sounds and the nose lights up.
Came home after and did laundry, watched my shows and got ready for my 5-9:30 shift. After a long debrief with R-A this afternoon, I was fired up to bring joy and had a great shift. It was interesting as one of my co-workers was in a mood and I made her laugh hard and loud when she splashed herself with fryer grease. I told her to be careful as I didn’t want to have to give her first aid, especially since I always start with mouth to mouth. While I was washing dishes at the end of the night I noticed my arm started to bleed and I quickly stopped and got the manager to put a bandaid on so I wouldn’t contaminate the water. At the end of the night I sent the picture to my other co-worker and told her I was disappointed that I didn’t even get mouth to mouth, and to R-A to tell her I may need to go on worker’s compensation. Got to have fun, right?!
My advent was most curious. It’s an adorable little sticky note pad. R-A really did great with all the gifts so far!
Awoke before my alarm and got some chores done. Headed into my shift for 11. I was in an incredibly good mood but there was something wrong in the Force and I picked up all those vibes, felt overwhelmed by an exuberant co-worker and was embarrassed to have my shift superviser have to tell me to walk away and gather myself. It was hard to bounce back from. I know people will tell their manager every ting is good and I am doing fantastic but they don’t realize I can feel what they are really thinking sometimes and if they can’t make eye contact or smile when I do, it is even more clear that something is wrong. The good thing was I had a split shift. When I left at 2, I went to pick up the pictures I had ordered from Cranbrook Photo and bought a frame for the one for mom. I know she is going to love it. I got a smaller version for my wall as well. From there, I went to the mall to mail a gift to my friend Mark and pick up some stocking stuffers at Shoppers. After that I felt like just wandering the mall and soaking up the atmosphere. In the end I bought proper work shoes so I don’t have to wear my Fluevog boots anymore, purchased a way smaller pair of black jeans and decided to port my phone back to Telus as I am tired of the Shaw mobility. It likely works better in the city but here, not so much for me. The difference is ridiculous, so much faster. Can’t wait to see how it is in my office for reception by comparison. And then suddenly it was time to head back to the restaurant for my 5-930 shift. I took all my managers advice and went in super happy again, addressed the young person I was struggling with, explaining my brain issues and he was so understanding, and said to remind him if he mixes me up in the future. I super appreciated that and we had a good hug before he left at the end of his shift.
One of the incredible blessings in the day was when the co-owner appeared with a gift bag for me. She explained what each of the handmade chocolates were.. whiskey, baileys, etc filled! And a bottle of Crown Royal. They wanted to let me know how much they appreciate me taking all these shifts. Rae-Anne said I have covered more shifts than anyone, lol. I just got verklempt and thanked her for the appreciation as it means a lot.
This morning I was out to make sure the deer won’t back in my yard like last night as I put all the fence panels up to make it
The advent today looks delicious! I am saving them for that perfect snacking moment.
It was funny to see a set of the updated version of my girls favourite toys at my house when they were little on sale at Winners. Emmy and Sawyer still love playing with them. I managed to dig two of the three pieces out of the toy box. Couldn’t find the mixer but it is old school and after nearly 40 years, these toys still work, popping the toast and making coffee.
I loved the advent gift today… Bath Caviar! Can’t wait to make time to try it for a pamper
Was another complicated phone day at work but I struggled through the connection issues and got most of the CCT books entered to date and bills paid for other clients before my google meet with the new treasurer. I had to check my attitude and learn the new restrictions to my position. What I do know is that the scope of service has changed and I will need to address that soon. When I am doing a file for a deep discount it can’t take more time than I have away from paying clients, nor from my evening time which I am fiercely protecting from using for bookkeeping. I hope we come to a place that works well for all of us but know I will have to bow out gracefully, if not. One of my Arby’s co-workers, the owners son, felt unwell and I saw just after 4 that he had put up his shift of 5-7:30 for coverage. I raced home to give my neighbour her ticket to the game and told her I would meet her there and headed to work. As it turns out they were well staffed so I hung and visited with R-A and Ash for a while before trading a but of dish washing for a Crispy Chicken sandwich. I also agreed to take a split shift tomorrow and work from 11-2 for a young man who is going out of town for the weekend. I am already covering Gene’s shift 5-9:30. This would feel like a lot if it weren’t for the fact that I do get my tank filled knowing I am helping out and meeting so many great people. Rae-Anne pointed out to me that I get the same joy from this job that I do volunteering at Key City, but I also get paid. She is right!
I raced home to eat my chicken sandwich and then grabbed Tracey to head to the Bucks game. It was a fast and full of action game with the added fun of the Therapeutic Paws ball throw. The dogs are so cute running around on the ice and the young girl in front of us won first place prize which was a huge basket of dog toys.
I have to note that one of the things that made me happy today was to see my Ashlée happy. She has a new beau, Chris and it seems to have put a bounce in her step.
Got to work to answer email and check on things. The wifi is still not supporting my phone and I can’t take calls which is so frustrating. I am planning to check my calendar and move home to work so I can get ahead of this month and not have to work through Christmas. I was glad to take an open manicure appointment at 10:20 where Minh did his magic
Back to the office to finish off a payroll and then it was off to a client to finish his bank recs for 2021. Just had time to finish that off before heading to cover at Arby’s from 4-6 where Gene would take over. I rocked the Drive-thru and had a good time tonight. I was most grateful to R-A that we made a plan to go for dinner after. We went to the Firehall where I hadn’t been for a long time and found out once we were settled that it was her third time today, lol. We shared an onion soup dip and dill pickle wings before having the Big F’n Cake set in front of us. I am not going to kid you that it went very well with my $18 a glass red wine. We had a good catch up visit and it was a nice night out for me. Good to be home at a decent time feeling sated and happy.
I did like the neoprene (?) straw in my advent this morning.
One of the more frustrating things was an email I got late last night saying my delivery to the UK was lost in transit and I was refunded. I went on today and ordered a similar gift but am super hopeful it will arrive before Christmas as it was supposed to show up next Tuesday. Fingers crossed. I am glad they let me know though.
I am keeping this short as I am about to climb in to a THC bath bombed tub. I got to work to discover the wifi is still sketchy and won’t be fixed until the 19th or so. I did manage to get things done even if they took longer, and enjoyed a take out lunch of Donair, thanks to Cindy going and picking it up. I came home at a decent time and have enjoyed playing my online games and watching my shows. Having a night off is good for me, especially in the middle of the week. And now I shall soak all my cares away, and relax those dish washing muscles!
Today’s advent are deliciousI figured she killed himBut in the end, they tied the knotVery suitable today.Fun with the water colour App
I allowed myself a sleep in, setting my alarm for 8:30 and awoke not long before it went off which felt really good. I got ready and headed out stopping at GF supplies for some good Grease Monkey gloves to use for washing dishes to stop the leathery hands and save my manicure. I’d just settled in to what could be another frustrating wifi day when R-A called asking if she could have the electric kettle from Judy that I had borrowed for MusicFest as the one at Arby’s had died. I popped home and grabbed it, dropped it off and just made it back in time for my client call. She talked to me and I texted and emailed replies as part of the outage in the building is making it near impossible for my cell to send conversation. I can hear them perfectly but they can’t hear me. Once that call was done I took the opportunity to go to a client at his shop. I was there for 3.5 hours powering through months of bank reconciliations. My alarm went off and I rushed straight to Arby’s to begin a 5-9:30 closing shift, starting on Drive Thru 1. I was stunned at my inability to see the obvious on the screen, couldn’t hear properly and was discombobulated. The Shift manager and Backline ladies were awesome, catching any uncertainties before they were an issue and the patrons arriving at the window all shared a good laugh with me as I pointed out my in training name tag and thanked them for their patience. I did get into gear and we met our time goals for the dinner hours which was a good thing. Just so you all know, it is very important to be as quick as possible when you actually reach the window. That is the time that factors in. Have payment ready and prepare to drive ahead once you have your food. If anything is wrong you will need to pull ahead and wait anyway and it really does make a difference to everyone inside. I also learned to start with the sandwich/burger and anything that takes longer (chicken/mozzarella sticks) so that as soon as I ask for them they can be dropped in the fryer and make things that much faster. So many details that the average person doesn’t know. After trying so hard to get my head in gear, it was hard to ignore the vision plastered in the drive-thru window at one point, but I did and finally turned to see Rae-Anne and Roger hysterically up against the glass. It was an especially great moment in the night.
Today was the 2nd anniversary of Missy coming to live with me and I think she is 9 now. She really has adapted well to living with me… or rather I have adapted well to being her person.
Another lovely gift to wake up to and open. They smell good and took the day away for me.
A dear friend sent me this today and I love it. Who doesn’t love Winnie the Pooh and kind words!
Good grief, these two seem to have been drinking again…
I need to get my sleep back to a good cycle. Eating so late last night probably contributed to the terrible sleep I had and the brutal drag myself out of bed morning. I had a payroll to run though so I had to get on with the day. It was like a terrible hang over, my resting bitch face was permanent. My advent gift did make my insides smile though. Rae-Anne does really well at this!
I dropped off my donations at Community Connections and had a short but sweet visit with Erin. They have the best Christmas tree
Back at the office I made my coffee and settled in only to find the internet was worse than ever. I kept trying to run a payroll but the online connection to the software would time out and I would have to keep trying again. This exasperated the frustration that I could have slept in when I finally got it posted after noon. I had to put on my jacket and go stand on the corner outside to take a client call as I could hear them clearly but they could barely hear me. The IT guy was called but wouldn’t be coming until 5. The irony was that the speed test wouldn’t even load up as it was too slow uploading.
I did what I could for the afternoon and then headed to check out the Studio/Stage Door to fulfill my General Contractor duties in Peter’s place while he is on vacation. I texted pics to the contractor showing the best and the worst to confirm that the worst is only the part that will be replaced when the next phase happens but at least covers up the insulation etc. In the meantime. Gosh I miss this kind of work. I always love the construction industry.
From there I headed to Arby’s to grab a meal and celebrate that we made the top 5 in Canada for the Inspiring Smiles Challenge. Ashlée grabbed the reins on this one and made it her legacy for this outlet. She has given her notice for the end of the month and I am proud of her for sticking it out and making good changes to assist her sister. I know it must be tough news for Rae-Anne and the other shift managers especially but it is the best choice for her.
Rae, Ash, Kish, Cherry, Jen, Ste and John, the dream team
After dinner, I headed back to the GroundFloor for a Board Meeting. It was long but productive and we all agreed to some good changes for next year that I am looking forward to. The internet is fixed now and so much faster that I am actually looking forward to work again tomorrow.
I heard from Nigel today that his favourite team, the Crystal Palace plays in the stadium that the show Ted Lasso was filmed in. I love knowing this! AND, I can’t wait to catch a game with him there someday.
I have been working random shifts at Arby’s for a month now. This past week was 5 in a row. This morning was a chaotic mess trying to schedule all of us for a family photo as Ash was at work and i was to cover Gene’s shift. I picked up Mom after clearing off her car for her and we went to Bill and Deanne’s to await everyone. It was all a bit of a blur but the results are amazing. I am so grateful. I wish I had thought to offer to pick up Judy as well. Sigh. I do plan to print and frame the 4 generation one for mom for Christmas. I am so grateful to Ash for how well they turned out.
This is the whole dang group of us including Jonas and Eugene, he international students and Obie of course!
I had spent the morning getting things ready to bring to Erin at Community Connections. I messaged with her and am going to drop off two afghans, the one I made during Covid and the one I finished that Judy mostly made, as well as a tent to give to those living hard on the street this winter as well as some new Tupperware containers and toys for the single mom program. It is my season of purging and paying forward the goodness I have received this life.
When I was picking up Mom there was a family of deer. Dad was particularly gorgeous and unphased by my presence.
I look forward to an evening home to try out the mask from my advent. The packaging cracks me up
Mr & Mrs seem to have come to an agreement due to Jack’s council. She is cautiously optimistic
Work was a whole lot of deep cleaning business as corporate peeps are showing up tomorrow. I closed with cherry and kish and we worked our butts off. I was pleasantly surprised when Kish stopped me on my way out to tell me how well I was doing and she was impressed how fast I caught on. That was good for my soul. It is good to hear praise from my daughter, even better from a co-worker. After all, I am there to reduce the stress, and am thankful to pull part of the load. I didn’t get home until 10 and made some perogies and beans for dinner as well as lunch tomorrow. Now off to bed!
I got a good night’s sleep and found myself puttering around the house, following a weird trail of errands. At one point I was sorting things I had set aside and found a bag from Judy’s move that I had forgotten about. In it was a mostly complete heavy afghan. I set myself up watching Andor and crocheted with a plan to find an unhoused person to give it to. I think I will also give the one I made during Covid. It is the perfect way for me to keep my hands busy and contribute to the world. Finally it was time to get to Arby’s where I was covering for my grandson from 5-9:30. I was there early and was reading all the things on the walls when I saw my start date was one month ago. For all the different people I have worked with and all the different positions, I no longer feel much stress and feel that I am a contributing member of the team. Tonight went pretty smooth and I liked seeing things that I could do before being asked. I got to know Kish, one of my co-workers better and it was enjoyable. She was very brave to come here from India to go to school. She got her diploma and is only 22, pretty impressive in a ‘brave new world’.
Up and dressed in my Christmas sweater and sparkly decoration earrings. Realized I had not opened my Advent gift yesterday, so I opened two today. I look forward to both the bath and the nummy coffee. Was at the office when I saw a message that a guy was sick and couldn’t make his shift at Arby’s from 11-2. Although it was the middle of the day, I talked with Rae-Anne and I was needed so I was there until they were done with me just after 1. It was pretty chaotic as the card machine didn’t work at the drive thru. The parent company was working on it which even tied up the till to take cash. We did good though, a small but mighty team. They treated me to lunch after before heading back to the office. I ordered a Crispy chicken burger and it was delicious!! Back at the office, I got everything done that had to be done today and then was thrilled to be invited for a ‘Safety Meeting’ with the local workers. We had some good laughs and I was very happy to be included, and not stressed about taking the time. I dropped off the mail at the post office, consigned a pair of brand new too small shoes at Pippins and then picked up a few things for a friend at Huckleberry Books before finishing my shopping at Koots Roots. I do love to shop local. Once home I made my last Hello Fresh meal for a while and it was delicious before watching shows and relaxing. I am now ready for bed and it isn’t even 10 on a Friday night, lol.
Road is the warmestSo cold the ice is freezing up!
I fell asleep after my alarm today and then received texts that the wifi and internet were down at work but I needed to go in to complete time sensitive payroll. I had to shovel my way out.. again. Fortunately everything was working well for me and I got it all done.
I had ordered net lights from Amazon that weren’t supposed to arrive until Sunday so I had them sent to my home instead of work address. I received notification they were delivered today! I took time to go home and get them, and hung one of them on my front trellis so I would enjoy them when I got home later.
I left the office at 3:30 as I had a shift from 4-9:30 at Arby’s which I was happy to be at as it was Jarod’s last night and I had invited him out for a bevie after work. He is the longest employee next to Rae-Anne and I truly wish him the best. The shift was good although the terminal was not working properly for the drive thru and that was frustrating for all. I have much gratitude for Stu who is a whirling dervish and has no complaints. I think the Philippine culture for work is amazing. He just puts on a smile and gets things done. I tackled a lot more things under Ashlée’s management tonight and know that will add to my ability to do without needing to be asked.
I drove Jerod to the Blind Pig and bought him his first drink to celebrate his last shift and new job. It was great to meet his fiancé Lena and Ash joined us as well. There was great conversation and assurances that we would spend more time together. He is such a different person outside of work. But then, potentially, aren’t we all.
triumphgal 