Another day under the belt

I made it through another day at work.  Again, most of the day was spent trying to work.  One of the supervisor's told me to find out the status of my work order and I was told the best that the help desk could figure out was that it was being looked at.  So here I am, 15 hours later, and I still can't do my work.  I called the help desk regarding a totally different issue and after a bit of thinking, we got the problem solved.  Since the gentleman had been so nice I just sort of asked him if he knew anything about how to do the mail merge from Excel to Word in Office 2010.  Surprise!  Wonders of wonders and working together we were able to no only figure out how to do it, but we fine tuned it and it only took about an hour.  I actually set up 3 files today.  It was a very good feeling to end the work day on.

There is still a few hours left of 2013.  Once again, I will probably be asleep well before midnight.  The last place I want to be is either on the Strip of Downtown with all the drunk idiots.  I prefer to wake in the morning knowing where I am with no hang over.  What are all your plans?  Have you made any resolutions?  I try to make only 1 each year and to make it one that I truly have a chance to acheive.

So to all out there, I raise a glass to the end of 2013 and a great start to 2014.

First day back to work

Well, I survived my first day back to work in 2 months.  I am really wondering how.  I arrive there at 6:00 this morning to find out I have received a brand new computer. Nice.  I call our IT to setup some of the forms needed for me to do my work.  Simple.  Then I find out we also got our Office upgraded from 2003 to 2010 and nobody seems to really know how it works.  For the next 5 hours (no, I'm not kidding) I got my email running, found out and fixed a co-workers dual monitors that were backwards, went through over 300 emails just waiting for me and finally got 1, yes I said 1 file, set up and a free label download downloaded, which IT had to do as admin and it took them almost 30 minutes.  The next 5 hours was all about trying to make the mail merge work again.  It didn't.  So in 10 hours, with approximately 50 files waiting to be set up, I managed 1.

Now there is something that needs to be said here.  The IT/ATAC position at my office has been opened 3 times in the last couple of years.  Until this last time, I never made it to the interview stage because "I was not qualified".  This last time it was open, without changing my application, I suddenly get interviewed.  But I didn't get the position.  The person who did was very upset to find out they were supposed to know something about computers.  ?????  So I continue to get the ones in my department working  without the additional pay, because I am not qualified to do it, just so we can do our work.

Whatever possessed me to even imagine things would be different?  And do you know that some people actually saw me at work for the last 2 weeks?  I don't know what they were drinking or smoking, but it sure wasn't me.

Let us know how your day went.  It always helps to lift the spirit to hear good things from other people.

How time flies

I am still trying to figure out why the few things I do are seeming to take all day now.  Today I went grocery shopping, made banana nut bread and a pineapple upside down cake, laundry and a little play time on the computer and it was suddenly almost 7:00 p.m..  And that exhausted me!  I still have a batch of cookies to make tomorrow and then we are going to my daughter's to do Christmas with them.  As much as I want to go back to work, it'll be hard, I can't just lay down if I'm not feeling well.  So slow and steady will be my moto for the next couple of months.

That time between Christmas and New Year's

Does anybody have a special name or traditions for that week?  My tradition is to usually work most of it.  I figure with my own kids grown, I can work and free up time for parents with smaller children to take extra time off to be with them.  Children are what makes the Holidays so special.

Our tradition used to be to set the tree up on my daughter's birthday weekend and take it all down on New Year's day.  It was always a fun time doing both.  Now, I decidedly do not like to decorate because then I have to put it all away again.  So this year it was 1 string of lights on the sliding glass door.

Due to custody issues, my daughter and her husband will have the boys this coming Sun so Cameron and I will be going over that afternoon to have our family celebration.  It gets so much harder to pick gifts as they get older.

Let us know if your family has any special Holidays traditions and do you need to adjust the day to celebrate due to either custody issues or work issues.  Working at a job that is a 24/7 job in the past, I have worked so many Holidays that if became very common to celebrate on different days than the official ones.  It can be tough to work with.

Well, here's hoping everyone had a wonderful time and will be careful over the New Year's.

Christmas Eve

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
One creature was stirring, it'd best NOT be a mouse!
All the stockings were clean and all thrown through the air
In the hopes that St. Nick wouldn't really care.
When through the wall from next door there aroused such a clatter
I thought they were trying to come through with a hammer.
I thought "Oh crap, it's going to be one of those nights"
Yelling and screaming and all sorts of fights.
But much to my surprised hard of hearing
I started to hear loud shouts and cheering.
A group of young men had decided to sing
A caroling they went from apartment wing to wing.
And as they climbed the stairs to bring others their cheer
They exclaimed to all "Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!"

Here's hoping all my friends have a very Merry Christmas and not many receive any coal.

As we all know, things are tight, financially, and have been so for a while.  So needing a couple more shelves in my little office alcove I went to buy a couple more.  First, they did not have the correct length, and they don't cut the ones I wanted.  So I found some $/foot wood, had them cut two to the correct length, the brackets that match existing ones and some stain.  They look very nice if I do say so myself.  Now to get my son to install them tomorrow I should be able to find things again and my son shouldn't have to ask where anything is.

I am also proud of myself. I have 3 active projects going at the moment and almost started 2 more.  I am proud to say that I said no to myself which is not easy when you have so many you want to do.  Little bits at a time..  Hand quilt a panel to make a crib blanket, working on a Cathedral Windows throw, and it's moving along pretty good, and crocheting a throw.  The last is hardest as I need to make sure not to lose count.  I figure as I finish 1 I am allowed to start another so I'll always have 3 projects going at once to stay busy.

Let me know how everyone is staying busy.

Well today has ended up being a pretty good day, all in all.  Went to therapy from the car accident and the messed up cartilage on the rib at the left clavicle is doing much better.  Then went to my gastgroenterologist. There I got the best news of all.  Most of the medical issues, which became life threatening resulting in my not blogging for 2 years, seem to finally be getting back in line.  The insides are starting to work as they are supposed to and without constant pain.  The liver issue is basically minor as is the cholesterol.  In other words, for the first time in close to 5 years I am finally starting to get my health back.  The reason behind this blog is not to carry on about my problems, but to ask you all to PLEASE get regular check ups, whether you feel you need them or not.  So many life threatening issues are hidden until they become so very serious.  I would not wish what I have gone through in the last 2 years on my worst enemy.  I did not get my check-ups, I did not eat properly, I did not get the needed rest and probably the worse thing was I did not get rid of the stress.  Stress alone can cause your body to break down so badly, that when you've finally gotten rid of it, your body just lets go and everything hits you at once and can actually make it almost impossible to lose weight you may gain.  What seems to be a fairly small thing while you are young, and doesn't get fixed, can become a nightmare when you are older.

So please, make at least one of your New Year's resolution to get at least one annual check up a year.  You owe it to yourself first and foremost, to your children, the rest of your family, your job and your friends.

Well folks, the countdown is on.  We have less than a week until Christmas.  Boy did that come fast this year!  Here's hoping none of you were caught in that Target issue.  How horrible how people use this time of year to do these kinds of things, not that they're are ever good, but this time of year makes it feel so much worse.

We got a bit of rain falling off and on this evening with snow just a few miles away.  The mountain ought to be beautiful in the morning.

Let me know how the weather is treating you.

Hope all have a good night.  Until next time.

Well folks, I have made my New Year's resolution.  That being said, it won't start until Jan. 1.  I am going to try and share something every day.  Tips, questions, links to cool sites, etc.  Let's see if I'll be able to come up with 31 different things.  Now understand, sometimes things happen and I might not be able to post every day.  If that happens, I will make it up the following blog day, whether it be 2 items or more.

I'm open to ideas, suggestions and questions as what to use.  Leave me a comment or go to my Facebook page, like and respond.  It's a tough site to remember, Kathy's Komforts.  That being said, no spamming, rude, crude or downright obnoxious people will be allowed, I will delete them.  And I will do my best not to be too rude or crude either  :).

We're finally back.  Due to an unexpected illness that kept me in the hospital for 4 months and 3 more to rehab, then more, and hopefully the final, surgery, I'm hoping to get back into the saddle again.

We have changed our Face Book page Kathy's Komforts.  I had to take down all the pictures due to many of my sewing items are in storage since the illness.  I will be taking new pictures of what I do have and get them posted again.

I've also changed the purpose of my site.  I found that if I was concentrating on making things to sell, I was loosing my enjoyment of making them.  So anything that is posted on the site is not necessarily for sale.  It's just a way to say "Hey!  Look what I made!".  And if you are interested in making a purchase, you just need to let me know and I'm sure we can work something out.  There will be certain items not for sale and I will mark them as such.

Here's hoping all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  And cripes!  Christmas is just a week away!  Busy, busy, busy.  Don't let yourself get worn down or get caught up in all the hype.  Remember what the season is for and rejoice in it.

As I will be going back to work in 2 weeks, I will probably only blog once a week.  Please check back and on my Face Book page for links to wonderful arts and crafts sites and blogs that so many people have up.   And, in my experience, they have all been wonderful and helpful.  So enjoy and we'll be seeing you soon.

Kathy