I Need A Hazmat Suit

We had some pretty wicked storms blow through here Saturday night -- the same system that dropped that tornado in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  The town just up the road a ways got some pretty good sized hail, but we didn't get either, here.

What we got was thunder.  Lots of thunder.  Loud thunder.  A couple of them thunderclaps were so loud, I jumped right out of the bed.  In the end, despite the noise, the storms passed without incident.

Or so I thought...

Along about 2:00 yesterday afternoon, the electricity went out here on the road.  Not long after, I saw an electricity truck head down the road.  Followed by the tree removal guy.  And another electricity truck.  Followed by a truck with a brand new utility pole. 

Now, I didn't go down there and see what was going on, but what I surmise happened is as follows.  The storm weakened a tree, which eventually fell over and knocked down the pole.  The power company quickly -- well, relatively -- got the power restored.  In the intervening time, I got out and worked some in the yard. 

I've been trying to clear out my back fence line from all the junk the previous owners let grow up through it.  I've been working on this for a while, and have almost got it completely cleaned up.  This however, has given me pause.

 It looks like a nice, ordinary little tree, doesn't it?  But take a gander at the leaves:

I've never seen a poison ivy tree, but that's sure what it looks like to me.  Given how sensitive I am to poison ivy, I don't want to take any chances with it.  I'd need a hazmat suit, and I have a feeling they'd be in short supply these days.

I decided to leave that one for the time being. 


I have this one coworker...she has a good heart and means well, but she has absolutely no filter whatsoever.    One day last week, just before lunch time, she blurted out, "I'm so hungry, I could eat a barrel of boogers!"    As if that weren't enough, she made up a cute little song to go with it.

I'm so hungry!
I could eat a barrel of boogers
With snot!

And finally, to end this post with some good news, the FDA has approved the use of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID -19.  And it appears the spread is beginning to slow. 

Yeah, we've still got a long row to hoe, but at least we are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. 

I Can't See

I had this post all planned out for you yesterday.  Oh, it was a good post.  It would have made you laugh.  It would have made you cry.  It would have moved you. 

See, I was going to write all about the Thor's Day mayhem at work.  You know, how everything seems to fall apart on Thursday.  I was going to tell you how  Part Stager asked me if I wanted her to hold a certain order for me, or if she should give it to Other Brazer, and how I told her to give it to Other Brazer, because I didn't want the line to catch up with me.  And I was going to tell you how she didn't give it to Other Brazer, and didn't tell me she hadn't given it to Other Brazer and the line caught up to me.

I was going to tell you that a certain order had the headers made wrong, and they re-did them -- also wrong.  So they had to re-do them again, and by that time the line was down waiting on them.  Group Leader Shark brought me a few, and when I went to get some more from the guy who brazes the tap fittings, he didn't have any more ready.  Apparently, no one had told him the line was down waiting on them, so he was working on something else. 

Then I was going to tell you that I finally got them done, and the next order had one of the adapter tubes bent wrong, so I had to get them redone.  At this point, I went and asked Group Leader Shark if I could have a do over on the day.  Just go back to bed, wake up and start completely over.  She said no, but when I told her what was wrong, she said, "Oh, these people!" and was probably wanting a do-over herself.

And I was going to tell you how it would seem Loki, the Norse god of mischief hasn't succumbed to the corona virus after all. Then I was going to top it all off by telling you that along about 2:30, it occurred to me it wasn't Thor's Day after all.

It was Freya's Day. 

Heavy sigh...I'm not even on lock down, and I still don't know what day it is... 

In the end, you didn't get that post, because the pollen count was so high these last couple of days.  My eyes are so crusted and swollen that I can't even see.  Today isn't much better, but we've got some storms coming through tonight that should settle the pollen some. 

And now for some good news.  I got up and went to the store this morning.  No, that's not the good news.  The good news is, when I got there, I found this: 

Toilet paper on the shelves.  There was also hand soap, but still no bleach or Lysol.  The ramen aisle was about half full, and the coffee aisle looked pretty full as well.  This is how the free market adjusts to a crisis.  It eventually corrects itself, and products become available again. 

You don't see that in a socialist country. 

Just ask Venezuela.

Random Thoughts Of A Wednesday Evening

1.  Yes, I am well aware that this is Thursday.  What you are not aware of is this is yesterday's post.  I got this far and decided I was too sleepy to be coherent, due to waking up at 3:00 AM and not being able to get back to sleep.

2. I'd also had a horrible dream that the ex and I had gotten back together and were going to get re-married.  After hemming and hawing, and not being able to choose a dress, or flowers, or a venue, I finally broke down and told the wedding planners I didn't want to marry him.  Heck, I didn't even want to marry him the first time.  That part is real - life true.  I didn't want to marry him, but I was pregnant and felt like I ought to.

3.  Someone was really tired of this weave.  She left it in the parking lot at the plant. 

4.  Stalker wasn't at work today, thank goodness.  We all got a little break from him.  He's still wearing his mask, but he must not be too concerned about getting sick, because he's still standing right up on top of people.  I mean, literally.  His fat belly laid up right against people's backs. 

5.  The Boss Who Must Not Be Named asked me yesterday if I wanted to go back to second shift.  I briefly considered it.  At least it would get me away from Stalker.  After thinking about it, I decided between the hours and their supervisor, I would stay put.  Nobody likes their supervisor.  He's been on a firing spree lately.  That's part of why they are so short handed all the time.

6.  I guess summer is here.  At least until next week.

7.  I didn't like the hours of second shift -- not so much for the hours, but because I felt like I was having to watch the clock all day.  I like getting up and going to work first thing, then not having to think about it any more. 

8.  There was something else I was going to write about yesterday, but now I can't remember what it is.

9.  I haven't forgotten about doing another piano recital.  I'm going to work one up, but right now, some days, it's all I can do to get ten minutes of practice in.

10.  By the way, Stalker doesn't come near me.  He knows better.  But he still stares at me all day.  I guess he thinks I can't see him with that ridiculous mask over his face.  Yesterday, one of my coworkers sneezed, and he said, "You do that again and they'll put you in quarantine!"  She shot back, "Sneezing ain't got nothing to do with that virus!"  Atrocious grammar aside, she made him look a fool.  I mean, even more than he already does. 

11.  I need to practice my piano, so I'm going to end this for now.  Good night. 

12.  P.S.  This is not a good time for those of us with allergies.  My poor eyes feel so swollen! 

Essential

Apparently, air conditioning is essential.

New Boss had a meeting with all of us, basically going over the same stuff they went over with us Thursday.  But he also added that the government has declared us to be an essential company, so we won't be shut down during this quarantine.

You know what else is essential?  Toilet paper.  They aren't shutting down any toilet paper factories, so quit hoarding it! 

Some of my coworkers were complaining that they weren't going to shut us down, that it means they don't care about us, but me, I think it's actually taking care of your employees to make sure they're still getting a paycheck.  And frankly, if you're that worried about it, go to HR and take a leave of absence.  Me, I'm glad they're keeping the plant open, because I have bills to pay.  I need my paycheck.  Of course, they seem to be under the impression that if they shut us down, they have to pay us anyway.  I don't know where they're getting that idea, because no they don't. 

By the way, Stalker came in with a camouflage mask and goggles on.  I told my coworker, "I know we've got this global pandemic going on, and people are scared and all, but he looks ridiculous in that get up!"

She laughed and said, "Me and [Other Coworker] were just talking about that.  [Other Coworker] said he looks like a fool!"

Later on, I was talking to one of the maintenance men.  He said he thinks he already had COVID -19.  He'd gone on vacation a couple of months ago.  I forget where he said he went, but he said there were a lot of Chinese tourists there.  Five days later, he was down with pneumonia.  The brazer who works right beside me thinks she had it already, too.  Back in January, she left work, thinking she had the flu.  She missed the rest of the week.  In retrospect, now she thinks she had the virus.  She was sick the same week I was so sick.  I didn't have to leave work, but I was coughing worse than I can remember in a long, long time, and was absolutely drug out. 

That's a Southern expression.  It has nothing to do with drugs, but with fatigue. 

I can't say for sure it was Corona, but it does have me wondering.  The CDC says 85% of people who have it have very mild symptoms, or none at all.  So maybe...and I've read some things lately that make me think it's been here since last Fall.  Back then, they didn't even know what it was, and just assumed it was the flu or a bad chest cold. 

Anyway, New Boss said they brought in a cleaning crew over the weekend, and they disinfected the entire plant.  They used something similar to a bug bomb, in that they set it off and it fills the plant with a dense smoke -- only it's a disinfectant.  It gets into all the cracks and crevices, and kills whatever is in there.  Plus, they're being careful to sanitize frequently touched stuff, like door handles. 

Best of all, we finally got new soap dispensers!

In case you were wondering, that's not mildew on the walls.  It's where the paint has flaked off. 

In other news, my friend gave me a new wrist band.

Her 10 year old son has Down Syndrome.

She said she knew it was a possibility, because she was 45 when she got pregnant with him.  When the doctor asked if she wanted to do the test, she said no.  She said it didn't matter, because whether he had it or he didn't, "this is still my baby." 

As far as I know, I'm the only one she gave a wrist band to.  The other one was given to me by another friend back in October -- which, as you know, is breast cancer awareness month.  You can't see the words, but it says, "They all matter". 

Because they all do.

In The Midst Of Uncertainty -- Hope

Day 1 of quarantine.  What did I do?  I went to Walmart.  I wasn't planning on going, because of the storms, but I knew I'd have to go sometime this weekend anyway, so when the rain slacked off a bit, I decided to go on into town and get it over with. 

Really, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. I'd heard the horror stories, and seen the photos of shelves stripped bare, so I was expecting the worst.  I was prepared to drive all over town if I had to, because I was determined not to come home without a bag of dog food.  When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised at how full the shelves were.  I mean, there wasn't any toilet paper or cleaning supplies, but there was plenty of food stuffs -- including fresh produce.  Folks, that's capitalism! 

I was able to get almost everything on my list.  Oh, I had to make a few substitutions, like getting regular Folgers instead of Breakfast Blend, Ovaltine instead of Quick, but for the most part, I got everything I needed, including milk.

Except, believe it or not, deer corn.  Or the V-8 healthy greens.  They had plenty of regular V-8, but I already had some of that at home.  Eh, I can live without that for a while.  The good news is, I got the most important item of all:

It was also a substitution, as I usually get Gravy Train, but now that I know my dogs will be taken care of, I feel much better.  I can now hunker down and ride out the rest of this thing.  Except for going to work, I mean.  They aren't going to cancel work any time soon. 

Now, for the bad news.  My county has its first two confirmed cases.  I don't know who they are -- they can't release the identities because of privacy laws, but they have contacted their employers so they can take reasonable precautions.  I guess I'll find out Monday if one of them works where I do. 

And finally, it may seem like such a small thing, but in these trying times, we need all the good news we can get.  So, here I share it with you...

Look!  We got new garbage cans!

Such a small thing, but it brings so much hope.  Life will go on.  We will get through this thing, and will get back to normal soon. 

In the meantime, stay strong, Gentle Reader. 

Stay Strong.

Quarantine

It has finally happened!  I am finally quarantined -- well, until Monday at least.  That's right.  The plant gave us -- all of us -- the whole weekend off.  I can finally join the rest of you hanging out at home, binge watching your favorite shows...

In other words, a normal weekend for me.

I will have to venture out sometime and try to find a few necessities, like milk and dog food.  Other than that, I'm set.  On top of that, it's supposed to storm this weekend, too.


Today at work, they handed out a memo outlining company procedures for this time.

It's basically the same thing as what the other memo I saw said.  You'll get sick pay with a positive test.  You can take leave to care for a family member, etc, etc.

At the end of the day, one of the safety guys and one of the HR guys came out and had a short meeting with us, to go over the memo, and make sure everyone understood what was going on.

First thing they said is that there have been no confirmed cases among company employees as of yet.  They said policy will be, if you feel bad, you are to go to the first aid office.  If you have a fever, they will send you home, and you will need to be cleared by a doctor to return to work.  If you do have a positive coronavirus test, the company will pay you two week's paid sick leave.  If you do not, or if you want to take time off to care for a family member, use your vacation, or take unpaid leave.

That's when it started...

"What if I have a fever, but it's something else?  Do I still get paid?"

"What if I have a fever but it turns out to be the flu.  Can I come back to work?"

"I have sinus trouble that sometimes causes fever.  Are you still going to make me leave?"

"What about me?  I have sinus, but it doesn't cause a fever.  Will you send me home, too?"

"Are you going to give us all masks?  Why not?  You're supposed to!"  

"How are you going to know who has a fever?  Are you going to check every employee before they come into the plant?"

Before it was all over, I was pleading, "Coronavirus, take me now!!!"


Of course we need to take the whole thing seriously, but the level of absolute hysteria around this thing is mind boggling.  I've got one coworker who has worked herself into such a frenzied state, I'm actually worried she's going to give herself a stroke before the coronavirus ever gets to her.

And seriously, folks, what are you going to do with 5000 rolls of toilet paper anyway?

Rumors

That rumor turned out to be not true.  Not true at all.

And what was this rumor that turned out to be not true?  Well, all afternoon yesterday, it was all over the plant that today would be our last day of work.  There have been four confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the next county over.

That part is true.  There have been confirmed cases in LeFlore county, but none in Grenada county.  Yet.  Be that as it may...

The rumor was, someone had called some sort of hotline and reported it, and the CDC had ordered the plant to shut down and get everyone out within 72 hours so they could disinfect the place.

 I'm standing there listening to people spread this nonsense, and thinking, "That doesn't even make sense."  Even if there had been confirmed cases actually in the plant, why would they cram nearly 1000 people into it for just one more day?  So they could expose as many of us as possible?  That's pretty dumb, even for ADP.  Still, people are freaking out over it.   Word is, on night shift last night, they were sending home anyone who coughed.

I think that's a bit ridiculous, too.  Lots of people will be coughing here for the next few weeks as The Great Pollening is upon us.

This was my car when I got off work yesterday.  It looks even worse today.   Pollen.  All of that is pollen...soooo much pollen...

Anyway, as the day wore on, the idea that this would be our last day faded...and then they put up the work schedule.  Not only is this not our last day of the week, some of us are working Friday, as well.  I'm kind of disappointed.  It seems everyone is getting quarantined but me.  No, I have to go to work.

It's not fair!  I want to get quarantined, too!  But then...my quarantined life wouldn't be that much different from my normal life.  So much so, I even made myself a little sign to wear at work today:

Hey, we've got to face this with a little humor, or we'd all go crazy.

Except for me.

I finally feel validated.

P.S.  There is nothing wrong with my neck.  It's just a patch of melanin -- kind of like a giant freckle.

Pandemic

There I was at work, just a working away, when I spotted our New Boss walking down the aisle.

"OY!"  I called, gesturing for him to come over.  He started my way, and I started his, and when we got close enough, he said, "How are you doing?"

"Just fine," I answered.  "How are you?"

"Good," he said, extending his hand, then pulling it back quickly.  "I can't shake your hand."

"That's kind of what I wanted to speak to you about,"  I replied.  "We've got this whole global pandemic thing going on, and I was wondering, in the light of that, could we possible get some soap dispensers in the bathrooms?"

"Some what?"

"Soap dispensers," I repeated.

He kind of did a double take, and asked, "What do you have in there now?"

"A sort of rack, with a baggie of soap tied into place with a garbage bag."

He looked a bit befuddled, so I said, "Come on, I'll show you,"  and I carried him to the bathroom.

That's an old Southern expression.  I didn't literally pick the man up and tote him.  Which is another old Southern expression.  I think.  Maybe folks up North also tote things.  I don't really know.  Any of my Northern friends want to chime in on that?

Anyway, however I got him there, I took New Boss to the bathroom, and after checking to see that no one was in there doing her business, I took him inside and gestured to the --- whatever they are, "That's what we have."

As he stood there looking flabbergasted, I casually mentioned, "Oh, and the toilet paper holders are all broken, too."

He said, "I'll get to the toilet paper holders, but first, I'm going to get you some soap dispensers.  This is unacceptable."

So, maybe, just maybe, we might have functional bathrooms sometime in the near future.  That's something we haven't had in ages.

As I left the bathroom, I was greeted with hoards of cheering workers who hoisted me onto their shoulders, and paraded me through the plant while other workers tossed roses to me.

FYI, if you're going to toss roses, please, please, please pick the thorns off of them first.

OK, OK, that didn't really happen, but I did have several coworkers come and thank me for bringing that to his attention.



Sometime later, I was being nosy and found a memo on Group Leader Shark's desk regarding the company response to coronavirus.  It appears they don't intend to shut us down -- at least, not at this time.  The memo simply outlined procedures to follow if you do get sick.  Stay home, be sure to call in, blah blah blah.  Oh, and if you want to collect any form of sick pay, they're going to require proof of a positive test.  Which means, even if you have mild symptoms and don't really need medical attention, you still have to go to the doctor -- exposing every one in the office, then bring the paper to the H.R. department -- exposing everyone at work.

Yeah, that's going to help a lot.

Oh, and it also said if you think you've been exposed and want to self - quarantine, you won't get paid, and you are responsible for arranging your leave of absence beforehand. Which means you need to come in to H.R. and fill out your paperwork -- exposing everyone in the plant...and so on and so forth.  Sometimes, I just don't understand their logic.

I told a coworker about what I'd seen, and added, "I wouldn't mind a 2 week vacation if I was getting paid for it."  I doubt they will do that, though.  That would show they care about their work force.

If it comes down to it, I've still got some vacation days left.  Plus, I've got plenty of toilet paper, and food.   I'm not stockpiling food.  I just buy stuff, thinking I'm going to make something, then don't get around to it.  For instance, I bought some gizzards to make gizzards and rice.  They're still in the freezer.  I bought liver to make liver and onions.  It's still in the freezer.  I bought imitation crab meat to make a big old pasta salad.  It's still in the freezer.  I bought some clam chowder, because I had a hankering.  It's still in the cabinet...And so on, and so forth...

The only thing I'd be missing is fresh produce and milk.  It'd be tough, but I can live without those for a couple of weeks.

Plus, I've got HULU and Prime, my piano, plenty of books, and my knitting.  I'll be fine.

Random Thoughts Of A Sunday Afternoon

1.  It's been warm enough lately, I was able to put some of my houseplants back outside.  There is still a chance of a late frost, even though this has been a very mild winter, so I'll have to keep an eye on the weather.  My dining room looks so much bigger without them.

2.  I cleaned off my kitchen cabinet.  I almost don't recognize the place now.

3.  When I started trying to learn to play the piano, for some reason, I picked Saturday as the day to evaluate myself, and decide if I was ready to move on.  I don't know why.  It was a completely arbitrary decision.  Nevertheless, Saturday is the day.

4.  Yesterday, when I turned my book over to a new page, I saw this not at the top of it:

It says, "On pages 144 to 159 are seven very popular selections that you have the knowledge and ability to perform."   I quickly flipped through the remainder of the book, and sure enough, no more lessons!  Once I've learned to play these few pieces, I'll be done with book one!

5.  On a whim, I dug out all of my level one books and started playing stuff from them.

6.  I'll probably take a break from lessons and just play a bit for fun for a while.  There's lots of songs in these books I haven't even had time to look at.  The bad news is, I've pretty much stopped playing my guitar.  I just don't have time.

7.  In the midst of all that piano playing, I managed to finish another charity hat:

I'm way behind last year's totals.  I'd better get busy.

8.  I bought some stationery a week or so ago.  A few days later, I bought some washi tape from a completely different company.  This weekend, I wrote a letter to my Australian pen pal, and on a whim, put some of the washi tape onto the envelope.  They matched so well, I had to take a picture and show you.

10.  How is everyone handling the pandemic?  Do you all have enough toilet paper?

11.  I'm hearing now that it may have been here since last fall.  Remember a couple of months ago when I felt so awful and dragged down, with a deep cough that just wouldn't quit?  I always cough this time of year, due to dry skin and allergies, but this was different. It was dry, but it was deeper and much harder than I normally cough.  I was seriously wondering if I had lung cancer or something.

Now, I'm beginning to wonder if it may have been COVID-19.  After all, they say (and by "they" I mean legitimate medial professionals, not politicians or an hysterical news media) that 80% of those who catch it will have very mild symptoms, or none at all, and will brush it off as a common cold.

12.  The nice thing is, in the last two days, I've had two friends message/text me, just to check on me.  I feel so special!

13.  Now, if you will excuse me, I've got knitting to do and a movie about some white headed shanty men to watch.

My Day Off

I'd originally taken the whole week off this week, but when my plans changed, I cancelled all my days but today.  My car has been nagging me for a while to get it's oil changed, so I kept a day to get that done.  I woke up at my normal 3:30, so I wouldn't mess up my sleep cycles, and after spending a lazy morning watching Jamestown on Prime, I got dressed and drove said car into Wally World.

I figured I'd go ahead and do my shopping while I was there.  It was a Thursday morning.  I didn't think the place would be too crowded on a Thursday morning.

It wasn't the first time I've been wrong.

Oh, it wasn't Friday evening crowded, but it was more crowded than I expected it to be.  I got my car checked in, then went to find the items on my shopping list, which wasn't very long.  On a whim, I went down the toilet paper aisle, and found ... a run.

Everyone was grabbing that toilet paper like it was going out of style.  Some of them were getting three and four packs of it.  Of course, you know me.  My first thought was to walk up behind them and start coughing.  He he he...I'll bet that would have made them scatter.  But seriously, people?  The symptoms are a dry cough and fever.  Why are you hoarding toilet paper?

Me, I'm hoarding Vienna sausages.

Which reminds me, next time I go, I might ought to pick up a case or two of bottled water.  It is almost hurricane season, you know.

After I finished my business, I came home and filled up my squirrel feeder.

I need to keep them fat, because if things keep going the way they are, I might have to eat them.

While I was waiting for my car to be done, I ran into the restroom.  A lady came in talking on her phone.  She was in an absolute blind panic because someone told her that Trump had just announced he was shutting down all the stores all across the U.S.  She was calling all her friends telling them to get into Walmart and buy all the food and stuff they can get.

Oh, my lord!  People have absolutely lost their friggin minds!  He never said he was going to shut down all the stores!  What he said is he was shutting down travel to and from Europe -- having shut down travel to and from Asia a while back -- except for the U.K.  This kind of crap is how panic spreads even faster than the virus.

Just by happenstance, before I went into town, I watched a video put out by That Awesome Hunk Of Pure Awesomeness Who Used To Be My Imaginary Boyfriend Before He Got Married To Someone Who Is Not Me Bill Whittle (I think he needs to legally change his name to that, don't you?) and ...ummm...Steve and Scott.  It's a bit longer than what they normally do, but I think it needs to be watched and shared.



On a completely unrelated note, I picked up another item for my bug out bag.

I took it out back and tried it out on some of that privet I'm trying to cut out of my back fence.  It cuts, but it's a lot of work.  It'll do in an emergency, though, and that's what I got it for.

Oh, and I was lucky to find these:

They're for when I'm cutting grass. In case you didn't know, I'm very allergic to grass.  Last week when I was mowing, I was absolutely gasping for breath because all y'all panicky people done bought up all the pollen masks.

Which won't protect against the corona virus, but will help me live through mowing!

Now, I've got to get to bed.  Since the lines are off tomorrow, and we're working a short shift, I figured I'd go in and get a little bit of overtime.    I told Group Leader Shark, "I'm coming back Friday, so don't give my stand away!"

I'm Certifiable!!

I'm certifiable!

No, no, no...I mean, I'm certified! 

I just happened to catch the NWS Jackson hosting their storm spotter class on Facebook Live last night.  I had to stay up way past my bed time to finish it, so I was way tired today.  But it was worth it.  I've got my certificate printed out, and I'm going to frame it and hang it up somewhere.  I don't know where yet, but I'll hang it up somewhere.

I was really excited, because we were supposed to have some stormy weather today.  I was going to use my new storm spotting skillz to spot storms.  Alas, said storms occurred while I was at work.  I caught a brief peek of some pretty heavy rain out of the scrap dock door, but that's it. 

What a bummer. 

We got just over 1/2 inch of  rain, by the way. 

Speaking of work, Stalker wasn't there today, so we all had a day of peace.  From his stalking.  And harassment.  He wasn't there Saturday, either.  One of my coworkers sang out, "No Stalker today!!!"  "SHHHHH!"  I quickly admonished her.  "Don't talk him up!"

Tomorrow, I have the day off because I took a vacation day, but I told Group Leader Shark I'd be back on Friday.  Everyone has Saturday off.

I'm going to miss those nice paychecks, but I'll be glad for a break. 


 

I'm Making Waffles!

I'm making waffles! 

But not in the morning.  I have to work one more day. 

I had vacation scheduled all this week, but my plans changed, so I cancelled them.  All but one, that is.  At the last minute, I decided to keep a day scheduled for Thursday.  I'm kinda glad I did.  Along about lunchtime today, I was kinda wishing I'd kept them all. 

I seriously think my place of employment has late night meetings trying to come up with ways to make our jobs as complicated and stressful as possible.  Now they've decided we have to stop working and confirm our work in the computer every hour on the hour, whether we've completed the order or not.  They want to keep track of how many headers we're brazing per hour. 

Oh, no, they don't want to actually SOLVE any of the problems that we struggle with, the ones that slow us down and make our work frustrating.  They just want to scream at us to braze faster, faster, FASTER!! 

Then, on the other hand, we've got Brazing Boss telling us, "I know it's tempting when the line is right on you to crank that fire up and braze real fast, but you can't do that.  You have to keep going slow."  I think he's adjusted the regulator on the gas outside so we can't turn our fire up.  I know I sure can't get my fire as hot as I used to.  I'm starting to feel like a child caught in the middle of two divorcing parents at war with each other...

I've had to start taking my Hyland's Homeopathic Nerve Tonic again, just to make it through a work day.  And I've got just one day more to get through, then on Thursday...I'm making waffles!

Ugh...

It seems the older I get, the tougher these time changes become.  All I wanted to do all day is to sleep.  But I couldn't.  We had 4 brazers out again today, and I know three of the four are going to be out all week.  I'd had some vacation scheduled for this week, but I decided to show Group Leader Shark some pity, and I cancelled it.  Well, all but one day.  My car has been nagging me for an oil change, so I kept that one day to go and do that.

While we're on the subject, they've got a new way to put in vacation time.  You have to submit your days through the new computer system they recently installed.  I don't like it.  I talked to one of the supervisors today about my frustrations, and he said he didn't like it, either.  Part of the problem is they just stuck it out there and didn't even show anyone how to use it.  I guess they thought we'd figure it out for ourselves.  Eventually, enough people complained that they put up written instructions near The Boxes, but gee, couldn't you have done that before? 

What I don't like about it is, you can't look at the calendar and see where your scheduled days are.  I don't mind submitting my day off requests through The Box, but I want to be able to print out a list of all my days that have been approved, and how many days I have left to schedule -- like I used to be able to under the old system.  Not having a printout of my days feels too much like flying blind to me.  And if there's one thing an INTJ does not like, it's flying blind.

Anyway, my Supervisor and I had to do a bit of a song and dance to get my days off cancelled.  He pushed the wrong button, then had to call HR to fix it, and when I checked 30 minutes before the end of the shift, it still showed my vacation days in there.  I asked Supervisor, and he said just come on in tomorrow, and we'll get things worked out then. 

Recently, the county came and dug out our ditches along this road.  No big deal, except that the next time it rained, half my yard slid off into the ditch.  Last weekend, when I was at the store, I bought some of this edging stuff and hammered it into place. 

Eventually, I hope to get enough to span the whole yard, then I'll start building up the dirt behind it.  Part of the problem is the county sprays poison in the ditches a couple of times a year.  That kills the grass, and without any roots to hold the dirt into place, there's nothing to stop the erosion.

I didn't have this trouble before I moved into this house.  I have a sneaking suspicion someone on the road is calling them out to come do all this.  And I have a sneaking suspicion I know who it is.

Yesterday afternoon, I got out and mowed my yard.  I was going to say cut my grass, but at this point, it's all weeds.  It's supposed to rain off and on all week, so I figured I'd better do it while my yard was reasonably un-squishy.  While I was out there, I noticed my roses were leafing out again.

I thought I'd killed them last summer by cutting them back too hard, but yay, signs of life!  There is still a lot of dead parts I need to get out of there, and I was going to get started...then I noticed this:

Can you see it?  Right there in the middle.  See it?  It's a bird nest.  That brought all my plans to a screeching halt.  I tried to get a picture of the nervous mama bird, but she was too flighty.

It's a mockingbird, by the way.   State bird of Texas.  Just a little bit of home in my back yard. 

OK, it's the state bird of Mississippi, too, but that's not the point here. 

Moving right along...

Last week, I got my tax return, and went on a little bit of a spending spree.  The items I bought on said spree have begun arriving.  First up, this lovely stationery.

It has matching envelopes, as well, but I don't like them.  They're lovely envelopes, but they open on the ends instead of along the top.  They'll mail all right, but it just seems odd. I also bought some more washi tape. 

I'd never even heard of washi tape until I began finding pen pals on the Global Penfriends website.  A couple of them mentioned it, and several of them use it.  I got some at Walmart several weeks ago, but their selection is very limited.

Amazon to the rescue! 

They had almost too much of a selection, and it was hard for me to choose.  I suspect there will be more in my future. 

In the meantime, anybody want a pen pal? 

To Remember

The blog will be observing a moment of silence today.

To Remember

Name	Birth Place
Abamillo, Juan	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Allen, R	Unknown
Andross, Miles DeForest	unknown
Autry, Micajah	North Carolina, USA,
Badillo, Juan A	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Bailey, Peter James	Kentucky, USA
Baker, Isaac G	Arkansas, USA
Baker, William Charles M	Kentucky, USA
Ballentine, John J	unknown
Ballentine, Robert W	Scotland
Baugh, John J	Virginia, USA
Bayliss, Joseph	Tennessee, USA
Blair, John	Tennessee, USA
Blair, Samuel B	Tennessee, USA
Blazeby, William	England
Bonham, James Butler	South Carolina, USA
Bourne, Daniel	England
Bowie, James	Tennessee, USA
Bowman, Jesse B	unknown
Brown, George	England
Brown, James	Pennsylvania, USA
Brown, Robert	unknown
Buchanan, James	Alabama, USA
Burns, Samuel E	Ireland
Butler, George D	Missouri, USA
Campbell, Robert	Tennessee, USA
Cane, John	Pennsylvania, USA
Carey, William R	Maryland, USA
Clark, Charles Henry	Missouri, USA
Clark, M
Cloud, Daniel William	Kentucky, USA
Cochran, Robert E	New Jersey, USA
Cottle, George Washington	Tennessee, USA
Courtman, Henry	Germany
Crawford, Lemuel	South Carolina, USA
Crockett, David	Tennessee, USA
Crossman , Robert	Massachusetts, USA
Cummings, David P	Pennsylvania, USA
Cunningham, Robert	New York, USA
Darst, Jacob C	Kentucky, USA
Davis, John	Kentucky, USA
Day, Freeman H
Day, Jerry C	Missouri, USA
Daymon, Squire	Tennessee, USA
Dearduff, William	Tennessee, USA
Dennison, Stephen	England
Despallier, Charles	Louisiana, USA
Dickinson, Almaron	Tennessee, USA
Dillard, John H	Tennessee, USA
Dimpkins, James R	Tennessee, USA
Duel, Lewis	New York, USA
Duvalt, Andrew	Ireland
Espalier, Carlos	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Esparza, Gregorio	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Evans, Robert	Ireland
Evans, Samuel B	Kentucky, USA
Ewing, James I	Tennessee, USA
Fishbaugh, William	Alabama, USA
Flanders, John	Massachusetts, USA
Floyd, Dolphin Ward	North Carolina, USA
Forsyth, John Hubbard	New York, USA
Fuentes, Antonio	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Fuqua, Galva	Gonzales, Texas, USA
Furtleroy, William H	Kentucky, USA
Garnett, William	Tennessee, USA
Garrand, James W	Louisiana, USA
Garrett, James Girard	Tennessee, USA
Garvin, John E	unknown
Gaston, John E	Kentucky, USA
George, James	unknown
Goodrich, John Calvin	Tennessee, USA
Grimes, Albert Calvin	Georgia, USA
Guerrero, Jose Maria	Laredo, Texas, USA
Gwynne, James C	England
Hannum, James	unknown
Harris, John	Kentucky, USA
Harrison, Andrew Jackson	unknown
Harrison, William B	Ohio, USA
Haskell, Charles M	Tennessee, USA
Hawkins, Joseph B	Ireland
Hays, John M	Tennessee, USA
Herndon, Patrick Henry	Virginia, USA
Hersee, William D	New York, USA
Holland, Tapley	unknown
Holloway, Samuel	Pennsylvania, USA
Howell, William D	Massachusetts, USA
Jackson, Thomas	Kentucky, USA
Jackson, William Daniel	Ireland
Jameson, Green B	Kentucky, USA
Jennings, Gordon C	Connecticut, USA
Johnson, Lewis	Wales
Johnson, William	Pennsylvania, USA
Jones, John	New York, USA
Kellog, Johnnie	unknown
Kenney, James	Virginia, USA
Kent, Andrew	Kentucky, USA
Kerr, Joseph	Louisiana, USA
Kimbell, George C	New York, USA
King, William P	unknown
Lewis, William Irvine	Virginia, USA
Lightfoot, William J	Virginia, USA
Lindley, Jonathan L	Illinois, USA
Linn, William	Massachusetts, USA
Losoya, Toribio D	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Main, George Washington	Virginia, USA
Malone, William T	Georgia, USA
Marshall, William T	Tennessee, USA
Martin, Albert	Tennessee, USA
McCafferty, Edward	unknown
McCoy, Jesse	unknown
McDowell, William	Pennsylvania, USA
McGee, James	Ireland
McGregor, John	Scotland
McKinney, Robert	Ireland
Melton, Eliel	Georgia, USA
Miller, Thomas R	Virginia, USA
Mills, William	Tennessee, USA
Millsaps, Isaac	Mississippi, USA
Mitchell, Edwin T	Georgia, USA
Mitchell, Napoleon B	unknown
Mitchusson, Edward F	Virginia, USA
Moore, Robert B	Virginia, USA
Moore, Willis	Mississippi, USA
Musselman, Robert	Ohio, USA
Nava, Andres	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Neggan, George	South Carolina, USA
Nelson, Andrew M	Tennessee, USA
Nelson, Edward	South Carolina, USA
Nelson, George	South Carolina, USA
Northcross, James	Virginia, USA
Nowlan, James	Ireland
Pagan, George	Mississippi, USA
Parker, Christopher	Mississippi, USA
Parks, William	unknown
Perry, Richardson	Texas, USA
Pollard, Amos	Massachusetts, USA
Reynolds, John Purdy	Pennsylvania, USA
Roberts, Thomas H	unknown
Robertson, James	Tennessee, USA
Robinson, Isaac	Scotland
Rose, James M	Virginia, USA
Rusk, Jackson J	Ireland
Rutherford, Joseph	Kentucky, USA
Ryan, Isaac	Louisiana, USA
Scurlock, Mial	North Carolina, USA
Sewell, Marcus L	England
Shield, Manson	Georgia, USA
Simmons, Cleveland Kinlock	South Carolina, USA
Smith, Andrew H	Tennessee, USA
Smith, Charles S	Maryland, USA
Smith, Joshua G	North Carolina, USA
Smith, William H	unknown
Starr, Richard	England
Stewart, James E	England
Stockton, Richard L	Virginia, USA
Summerlin, A	Tennessee, USA
Summers, William E	Tennessee, USA
Sutherland, William D	Alabama, USA
Taylor, Edward	unknown
Taylor, George	unknown
Taylor, James	unknown
Taylor, William	Tennessee, USA
Thomas, B
Thomas, Henry	Germany
Thompson, Jesse G	Arkansas, USA
Thompson, John W	North Carolina, USA
Thruston, John M	Pennsylvania, USA
Trammel, Burke	Ireland
Travis, William Barret	South Carolina, USA
Tumlinson, George W	Missouri, USA
Tylee, James	New York, USA
Unknown, John (Negro)	unknown
Walker, Asa	unknown
Walker, Jacob	unknown
Ward, William B	Ireland
Warnell, Henry	Arkansas, USA
Washington, Joseph G	Tennessee, USA
Waters, Thomas	England
Wells, William	Georgia, USA
White, Isaac	Kentucky, USA
White, Robert	unknown
Williamson, Hiram J	Pennsylvania, USA
Wills, William	unknown
Wilson, David L	Scotland
Wilson, John	Pennsylvania, USA
Wolfe, Anthony	England
Wright, Claiborne	North Carolina, USA
Zanco, Charles

No Excuse

I got to work bright and early this morning.  Well, early.  Nothing is bright at 5:00 AM.  Especially not me before I've had my coffee.  I went to my stand, and my coworker was already there. 

"Look at my work area!" she said.  "Just look at how they left my work area!" 

Turns out, the person who works there on B shift had lost her keys.  Apparently, she'd dug all the garbage out of the can trying to find them.  I understand that she was probably frantic at that point, but that's still no excuse for leaving trash all over the floor.  She never did find her keys, and had to catch a ride home, leaving her car in the parking lot all night.

Coworker reported it to Group Leader Shark.  I took the photo, and Coworker cleaned up the mess. 

The missing keys were eventually found, about two hours into our shift.  They were all the way on the opposite end of the department, in someone's parts tray under a bunch of parts.  How they got there is beyond me.  One of my coworkers knows the girl's mother, and texted her to let her know the keys were found. 

Your PSA for today:  when someone asks you what you're looking for, "A way to give you the @$$ whipping you so desperately need without losing my job over it" is probably not the best answer to give. 

Yes, Stalker has been especially stalkerish here lately.  Speculation is, he's afraid that New Boss will see him as superfluous, which is exactly what he is, by the way.  Here's the thing.  There are 12 sub-brazers and 2 tap fitting brazers in the department.  Of those 14 brazers, one has been there for 30 years, another four have been there for 20 + years, and a further seven have been there for ten years or longer.  Point is, we know how to do our jobs.  We wouldn't have lasted that long out there if we didn't.  We don't need someone standing over us all day treating us like we wouldn't know what to do without him.  Personally, I find it profoundly insulting, but it's all part of that general disdain upper management has for the shop floor employees. 

He's always been desperate to feel important -- which he isn't -- and now that he's trying to prove to New Boss that he's needed -- which he isn't -- he's become insufferable.  Kind of makes you wonder how the plant managed to survive the first 25 years of it's existence before he came along, or how any brazing managed to get done without him there checking behind us or timing how long we sit on the toilet. 

Oh, you may ask, but who will train the new brazers if he's not there?  I'll tell you...the same people who trained the brazers before he got hired.  The experienced brazers.  That's who. 

And finally, Day 12 of the Siege.

The Eleventh Day

March 4, 1836, the eleventh day of the siege. 




We had another rough day at work.  A bunch of brazers out.  The rest of us having to double up and do twice the work...I couldn't remember Group Leader Shark's real name...or what day it was...or what I was supposed to be doing...

You know.  The usual. 

Oh, and, yes, we are working this weekend.  By the way, the warehouse is completely full, so they are having to stack skids of finished product in the production area.  One of my coworkers told me to go up in them boxes.  See where that opening is?  Go up in there.  It's like a maze in there.

So I went up in there, and like to not have found my way back out! 

I went back to my coworker and told him, "I went up in them boxes, and got lost!" 

That's about all I have for today.  I had a letter from my Australian pen pal waiting for me when I got home, so that makes three I need to answer.  I reckon I'd better get busy. 

Anniversary Gift

Last month was my work anniversary.  Every time you pass five years, you get a gift.  I still remember my very first one -- for my five year anniversary.  That time, I chose a clock radio.  Since I already had one, I gave the new one to Cody. 

He liked to take it into the bathroom and listen to it while he showered in the mornings.  One morning, it somehow got knocked off of wherever he had it and it landed in the toilet.  He blamed the cat, but I think it was really him.  No matter.  It was ruined.

At least he had sense enough not to reach into the water to get it back out. 

This year was my 25th, and to be perfectly honest, I was a bit disappointed in the selections.  They change them up every so often, and this time, there just wasn't anything I really wanted.  After hemming and hawing for a few days, I finally chose this Waterford Crystal vase.

It's really pretty -- though I probably should have peeled the sticker off before I took the picture...

I almost chose a digital camcorder.  I thought maybe I could take videos of the deer, and the birds at the feeders.  In the end, I decided against it, because I really couldn't see myself using it all that much.

Speaking of deer, I saw my fawns not too long ago.  The ones born last June.  One looks like he's getting nubbins.  It won't be much longer until a new generation is born.  Unfortunately, we're still under a feeding ban, because of the Chronic Wasting Disease.  That's a bummer, because I sure do enjoy watching them.   

Here is your Texas history moment for today:



Finally, I woke up this morning to the news of the devastating tornado that hit Nashville last night.  Last I heard, there were at least 25 confirmed fatalities.   Let's all take a moment to remember those who lost loved ones, and also those who lost homes, business, friends, everything.

Independence Day

*Note:  Today's video is at the bottom, and a personal note below that.  

The Unanimous Declaration of Independence made by the Delegates of the People of Texas in General Convention at the Town of Washington on the 2nd day of March 1836;

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.

When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the ever ready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.

When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.

When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.

Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind. A statement of a part of our grievances is therefore submitted to an impartial world, in justification of the hazardous but unavoidable step now taken, of severing our political connection with the Mexican people, and assuming an independent attitude among the nations of the earth.

The Mexican government, by its colonization laws, invited and induced the Anglo-American population of Texas to colonize its wilderness under the pledged faith of a written constitution, that they should continue to enjoy that constitutional liberty and republican government to which they had been habituated in the land of their birth, the United States of America.

In this expectation they have been cruelly disappointed, inasmuch as the Mexican nation has acquiesced in the late changes made in the government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny, the combined despotism of the sword and the priesthood.

It has sacrificed our welfare to the state of Coahuila, by which our interests have been continually depressed through a jealous and partial course of legislation, carried on at a far distant seat of government, by a hostile majority, in an unknown tongue, and this too, notwithstanding we have petitioned in the humblest terms for the establishment of a separate state government, and have, in accordance with the provisions of the national constitution, presented to the general Congress a republican constitution, which was, without just cause, contemptuously rejected.

It incarcerated in a dungeon, for a long time, one of our citizens, for no other cause but a zealous endeavor to procure the acceptance of our constitution, and the establishment of a state government.
It has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.

It has failed to establish any public system of education, although possessed of almost boundless resources, (the public domain,) and although it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government.

It has suffered the military commandants, stationed among us, to exercise arbitrary acts of oppression and tyrrany, thus trampling upon the most sacred rights of the citizens, and rendering the military superior to the civil power.

It has dissolved, by force of arms, the state Congress of Coahuila and Texas, and obliged our representatives to fly for their lives from the seat of government, thus depriving us of the fundamental political right of representation.

It has demanded the surrender of a number of our citizens, and ordered military detachments to seize and carry them into the Interior for trial, in contempt of the civil authorities, and in defiance of the laws and the constitution.

It has made piratical attacks upon our commerce, by commissioning foreign desperadoes, and authorizing them to seize our vessels, and convey the property of our citizens to far distant ports for confiscation.

It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.

It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.

It has invaded our country both by sea and by land, with intent to lay waste our territory, and drive us from our homes; and has now a large mercenary army advancing, to carry on against us a war of extermination.

It has, through its emissaries, incited the merciless savage, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, to massacre the inhabitants of our defenseless frontiers.

It hath been, during the whole time of our connection with it, the contemptible sport and victim of successive military revolutions, and hath continually exhibited every characteristic of a weak, corrupt, and tyrranical government.

These, and other grievances, were patiently borne by the people of Texas, untill they reached that point at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. We then took up arms in defence of the national constitution. We appealed to our Mexican brethren for assistance. Our appeal has been made in vain. Though months have elapsed, no sympathetic response has yet been heard from the Interior.

We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion, that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty, and the substitution therfor of a military government; that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self government.

The necessity of self-preservation, therefore, now decrees our eternal political separation.
We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.

[Signed, in the order shown on the handwritten document]

John S. D. Byrom
Francis Ruis
J. Antonio Navarro
Jesse B. Badgett
Wm D. Lacy
William Menifee
Jn. Fisher
Matthew Caldwell
William Motley
Lorenzo de Zavala
Stephen H. Everett
George W. Smyth
Elijah Stapp
Claiborne West
Wm. B. Scates
M. B. Menard
A. B. Hardin
J. W. Bunton
Thos. J. Gazley
R. M. Coleman
Sterling C. Robertson
Richard Ellis, President
of the Convention and Delegate
from Red River
James Collinsworth
Edwin Waller
Asa Brigham
Charles B. Stewart
Thomas Barnett
Geo. C. Childress
Bailey Hardeman
Rob. Potter
Thomas Jefferson Rusk
Chas. S. Taylor
John S. Roberts
Robert Hamilton
Collin McKinney
Albert H. Latimer
James Power
Sam Houston
David Thomas
Edwd. Conrad
Martin Parmer
Edwin O. Legrand
Stephen W. Blount
Jms. Gaines
Wm. Clark, Jr.
Sydney O. Pennington
Wm. Carrol Crawford
Jno. Turner
Benj. Briggs Goodrich
G. W. Barnett
James G. Swisher
Jesse Grimes
S. Rhoads Fisher
John W. Moore
John W. Bower
Saml. A. Maverick (from Bejar)
Sam P. Carson
A. Briscoe
J. B. Woods
H. S. Kimble, Secretary





Personal note:  When you scroll through the names of the signers of the Declaration, you will come across a man called Claiborne West.  I'm told the vote which elected him to be the delegate was held on my great-great-great grandfather William Abraham Winfree's farm.  

William Abraham Winfree settled in Texas in 1830, and received his official land grant in 1831.  So, yes, I've had ancestors in Texas from when it was still part of Mexico.