Archive for September, 2004

I didn’t get either job

Published on September 29, 2004 in Miscellany. 4 Comments

I had two interviews “out there” with no information. I found out that I didn’t get either one. The help desk job for the very big law firm was arranged through a headhunter. Apparently, my discussion of the stressful nature of help desk jobs, meant to indicate that I had experience at the work and that I knew what I was in for, and wanted the job anyway, was interpreted differently by the interviewer. And the job in Gretna went to somebody else, but apparently I came in second.

Like Vegas Joe says, maybe I just talked myself out of them.

On the upside, I went to the library and got a Tai Chi video and a book. I bought some two books and a video from Amazon, which is always fun. And only seven days after I turned in the Rx, my insurance company agreed to pay for medicine prescribed by my MD that will hopefully keep me from thinking about what to write in my suicide note. I took the first dose this evening.

What I bought from Amazon: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tai Chi,Ten Days to Self-Esteem, a cognitive behavioral therapy workbook recommended by my therapist, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season One, for the little boy. Really!

Tai Chi

Published on September 27, 2004 in Miscellany. 4 Comments

I took my first Tai Chi class tonight. It was interesting, and I think it will be useful. DH asked if it was fun. I told him I don’t think that’s the right word, but interesting and useful will be good. The instructor is a minute Oriental woman, lithe as a cat and strong. The class of a dozen people came in all shapes and ages. Most of us were beginners. I received a flyer about Tai Chi in the park, being held once a month between now and the end of the year. Free, which is just my style. I think that will be fun. I would love to be one of those people who does Tai Chi in the park at lunchtime every day.

My MD prescribed the generic form of Wellbutrin, which requires prior authorization from my insurance company. The pharmacy has called twice to tell me the Rx is ready, but they have not yet received approval from insurance to dispense the drug. I can pay for it myself, but it’s $80. If they don’t get the prior authorization within a week after dispensing, they can’t refund the money. I called the MD today to see if they had faxed in the documentation yet, and the woman on the phone didn’t know anything about it. I asked her to call me back and let me know what was going on, but nobody did.

It’s kind of frustrating.

Last Day of Vacation

Published on September 25, 2004 in Miscellany. 5 Comments

Yesterday, I drove up to my daughter’s house to spend the night.  My granddaughter and grandson are doing great.   I couldn’t get over how big the baby is!

Last night my daughter and SIL went out for an hour after the kids were asleep.  About 30 minutes after they left, granddaughter woke up.  Since DD had said that once granddaughter was asleep, she wouldn’t wake up until morning, we hadn’t discussed any details:  where are the diapers?  Where are her extra clothes?  Where are her wipes?  Fortunately, she wasn’t wet or dirty, just restless.  She fell asleep with me bouncing her on my knee, but every time I tried to stand up to put her back to bed, she woke up.  So I just sat in the comfy chair until DD and SIL came home.  Fortunately, they have a remote!

This afternoon, I was helping around the house to get ready for guests.  I made my grandson’s bed.  He watched and coached.  After I got it all made, he said, “Let’s do it again!”  He then ripped all the blankets and pillows off the bed.  I thought that this was a game I wasn’t interested in playing, so the bed stayed unmade.  He didn’t seem to mind.

Granddaughter’s baptism was lovely.  Mass was very nice.  The baptism was between the Homily and the Offertory, during Mass, rather than before or after.  I thought this was a nice touch.  The baptism was not only as a sacrament, but a welcome to the community.

I took communion, because I can (I received my First Communion when I was seven, and am a very ecumenical sort of Mormon).  I was holding my granddaughter, and when I went to the front, the woman passing communion put her hand on her head and said “Bless you.”  I was taken aback by how much this affected me…a woman, acting as a representative of Christ, blessing my granddaughter.

I go back home tomorrow.  It was a nice visit, but I’m glad to be going home.

My interview and my flight

Published on September 23, 2004 in Miscellany. 3 Comments

My interview was brief. The company is located in Gretna, on the West Bank. It’s actually not a lot farther from home than the CBD, and the location is just cute as can be, in a lovely building. They have interviewed many people who want to do just one of the three things they need done. I can do all three of those things. They will make a decision by Friday. I’m not holding my breath.

The job was originally advertised as part-time or full-time, but was described as full-time. I didn’t want to give the impression that I’m not interested in full-time work, so I did not ask what had happened to the part-time option.

My flight from Gulfport to Atlanta, on a propeller plane, was longer than my flight from Atlanta to Columbus, which was not on a propeller plane. It was also much louder.

I had an aisle seat on the Columbus leg. Before the plane took off, every time somebody walked back toward my section, I closed my eyes and chanted silently “please don’t be in the middle seat, please don’t be in the middle seat.” I chatted briefly with a pleasant young man sitting by the window, explaining to him my methodology for keeping the middle seat empty. He joined me, and our combined psychic energy influenced the seating gods in our favor.

Interview Today

Published on September 22, 2004 in Miscellany. 3 Comments

I have an interview today for a job that sounds really good. I e-mailed them my resume yesterday at 12:52 and they called at 1:25 to set up an interview. Since I’m going to be out of town for a few days, I set it up for today. This is probably just a screening interview; she is only allowing 25-30 minutes. So, I will have just 10-15 minutes (tops) to be low-key, yet dazzling.

DH produced a spontaneous “you look good!” today, which earned him a very large kiss before we left the house. He almost never compliments me on my appearance without prompting, which is one of his few faults. I have, on a couple of occasions, reminded him of Heinlein’s statement: “Frequently tell your wife how beautiful she is…especially if she isn’t.”

My flight leaves at 4:00 p.m. today. I’m flying out of Gulfport, which is a much more accessible airport for us than New Orleans. We live across Lake Pontchartrain about 35 miles east of the city, and the airport is in Kenner, about 20 miles (or so) west of the city. Gulfport is also about 40 miles away, but it’s mostly through Mississippi bayou…hardly ever any traffic. It was worth the $30 extra airfare to fly from there.

I will be back home on Sunday. I’m so excited to see my daughter…and my grandkids!

Road trip (again)

Published on September 21, 2004 in Miscellany. 3 Comments

I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon to visit my daughter and my parents in Ohio. My granddaughter is being baptized on Saturday evening. She was three months old yesterday. As my friend Craig said, “Wow, the age of accountability is a lot lower in Ohio!”

I haven’t seen her, or my grandson, in a couple of months, and I’m really looking forward to it.

I saw a therapist last night, and I see an MD today. I’m feeling better than I did this weekend, but I’m not going to just ride that along.

Depression

Published on September 18, 2004 in Miscellany. 4 Comments

I came out of my most recent depressive episode, sort of, during the recent Hurricane Ivan activities. I was just too worried and apprehensive and busy to have the luxury of being depressed. The first day or more after getting back, I was in a mild state of euphoria brought about by the relief of finding my house intact, my kitchen clean, water and power available, and the air conditioning in working order. Whew!

But now that’s worn off, and I’m back where I was a week ago. That is, with lots of negative scripts running through my head, and wishing I was dead.

I had an appointment with a therapist scheduled for last Thursday, but I cancelled it because I was evacuating. I will try to reschedule something for as soon as I can.

Efforts at positive thinking and self-exhortations to “snap out of it, woman” have been fruitless. I’m sure this is mostly situational, but I can’t see the situation changing unless I can get over this sense of hopelessness. Hopefully a few weeks of talk therapy (and maybe some meds) will help.

I’m Home

Published on September 16, 2004 in Miscellany. 10 Comments

Meridian turned out to be not such a smart evacuation point. Maybe I would not be thinking that if Hurricane Ivan had hit about 100 miles west of where it actually made landfall. Or maybe I would. Being a hurricane novice, I was not really aware that being on the northeast side of a hurricane is Bad. Meridian had high winds and rain last night. The power went out at 5:00 a.m. A building in the historic area of downtown collapsed. Turns out Ivan’s eye, while still a Category One hurricane, passed within about 80 miles of where we were staying.

I phoned Older Son’s roommate’s parents for details about things here at home. They are neighbors, and they stayed put during the storm. J. (roommate’s mom) told me that there were no problems locally at all. While we ate cereal in our hotel room, we listened to Mississippi Public Radio for storm news. When the MEMA folks said people from Hancock County (the county next to my parish) were free to go home, we cancelled our last night at the hotel and started packing.

It was really windy and rainy for the first fifty or sixty miles on the way home. Once again, traffic was moving really well. There was a lot of leaf debris on the freeway, and a couple of fallen trees. About Hattiesburg, we started seeing pieces of blue sky peeking out from the clouds.

Everything was fine here at home. There are some twigs and small branches down, but we have power, sunny skies, and pleasant temps with low humidity. I think Ivan sucked all the moisture out of the air.

An Oral Account of an Ivan Evacuee

Published on September 15, 2004 in Miscellany. 5 Comments
this is an audio post - click to play

Last Written Entry for a Few Days

Published on September 14, 2004 in Miscellany. 2 Comments

I’m shutting the computer off and sticking it in a closet. We’re all packed and ready to go. We’re going to have a quick supper, and then we’re out of here.

Wish us luck.