Irrigation of the land with seawater desalinated by fusion power is ancient. It's called rain.

Michael McClary

It was late in September when I went to Weatherite about replacing our windows. (my broken bedroom window and the 2 in the boys soon(?) to be room, the sea room)  As October drew to a close, I began to feel a bit cranky about the length of time from order to delivery. 

They came and put in the windows Wednesday.

The rain came Thursday.

Right on time, after all.

The difference between a manager and a leader is the difference between control and inspiration.

You remember my recent disappointment that we are no longer allowed to listen to the radio via the internet at work. It subtly changed the atmosphere in the office for many of us.

But wait, there's more.

Yesterday, my supervisor informed us that from now on there is no more make up time.

Joseph and I have been carpooling - it started when his bike was broken down. We carpool to the light rail. Then from his light rail stop, he caught a bus. That evolved into him riding to light rail with me even when he has his bike and then biking to work from his light rail stop.

As my commute to light rail from the office is much shorter and easier to his (right outside my building), I get back to the car earlier. So, I started staying after work to get caught up - I have not fully caught up from being sick a week in August - and also to earn time so I don't have to use vacation for little things.

A new coworker who doesn't have vacation yet has been earning time so she can have her son's 21st birthday off. Another earns time so she can get off early on other days to pick up her kids. It has been very nice.

Apparently, my boss's boss has come over to our unit a few times and noticed people missing. She confronted Boss about it. Boss tried, she really tried to stand up for us, but the boom was lowered. The law was laid down. Flat. By the books. Only by the books.

No more make up time, not for kids, not for a little extra lunch time, nothing. Boss feels very badly.

I am none too pleased with the powers (or power) that be.

There's more. There has been a lot of office re-organizing. Cubicles taken apart and reconfigured. Among the changes, they moved Boss from her window cubicle to as far away from the windows as you can get. Like me, but I am not a supervisor. And, being at the front desk, I can stand up, lean over the counter, and glimpse the window down the aisle. Boss is walled in. It is a biggish cubicle, but not light and airy. In fact the overhead lights directly over her cube are off for conservation purposes.

I am beginning to wonder if there is something personal going on. Boss is the ONLY supervisor away from the windows. There are several non-supervisors with windows. Admittedly, Boss's original cube was far from her staff and now she is in the midst of us. However, there are non-super occupied window cubes near her unit.

Although Boss is short staffed, they have been slow to authorize her hiring and yet they have been pressing her because travel claims have been backlogged. Short staff and the record late budget apparently are no excuse.

Last week Boss was really down and stressed. I don't know what it was - personal and/or work or ? I think a lot of it was this garbage from above.

Having to take away our make up time really hurt her, too. And she had to try not to show any of her own feelings or blame the upper. But we are not stupid.

Today her staff gave her a card in which we each told her how much we appreciate, respect and like her. Hope it helps. She is a great boss and a very nice person.

Trick or Treat

As you may recall, Joseph has been having a good bit of trouble with his bike. We took it to the Bicycle Chef where he nearly left it for a $100 worth of work. Then I asked if the bike was worth it. Nope. So, he just fixed the then current flat. He got a flat again a week or so ago. I planned on stopping by the bike shop on the way to Dave's Pumpkin Farm where we went through the corn maze Saturday, but Joseph opted not to go with us. So, he has been bike-less.

He has chatted with a co-worker about maybe buying a better bike. She said, "Wait. Maybe Santa will bring you one." Well, Santa has never brought big gifts nor usually individual gifts to our house, so that hardly seems likely. He was afraid she was thinking of getting one and, truth is, he can afford it better than she can.

Today, a supervisor called Joseph into his office. No, he wasn't in trouble. They talked about a project they were working on. When Joseph returned to the file room, there was a NEW BICYCLE! Stunned, Joseph started to ask B if she had bought it. Then the doorway filled with people. The whole office had taken up a collection. A pretty GOOD collection, apparently.

This bike is the same as police use. Strong, light weight street bike. They made sure that it has very good brakes, fenders so he won't become striped in wet weather; they put on a rack and bought him lights for it. It is a nice bike.

Earlier, under the pretense of considering buying a bike for his son, one of the conspirators asked Joseph's opinion and learned all about what Joseph likes in a bike.

When Joseph started talking about buying a bike, B told T, the lead conspirator, that he had better speed things up. T, casually chatting with Joseph, suggested Craig's list was a good place to get a bike - especially at the end of the month - especially at the end of November - the rains have driven some riders off their bikes and people are wanting extra money for Christmas. Stall Joseph.

I am proud of Joseph for being the kind of person that his coworkers wanted to do something so nice for him. What generous and kind coworkers he has!

I don't expect that he will try to change jobs any time soon.

Special Fast November 2, 2008

Thank you for expressing this so well Tessa. -

 

This November's election will be one of great significance for each one of
us and our country as a whole. It is suggested that the Sunday before the
election, which is November 2nd, we take the opportunity to fast for our
country and the leaders who will be elected and the voters who will elect
them.

Whether you are of a political persuasion or not, this year's election will
be significant. I personally encourage you to learn about the people who
want to lead our country and make a prayerful decision.

Should you feel to pass this on to those you love I would encourage you to
do so. Our fasts and prayers will make a difference and at this time, more
than any other in our lifetime, our country is in need of the Lord's
guidance.

To our friends and family, whether in or out of California, I might suggest
that we also fast for the passing of proposition 8, the marriage initiative.
If it fails there will be drastic changes to our lives here as there have
been to those who live in Massachusetts. May God help us all.

Upstairs, Downstairs

During the break in my intermediate accounting class (Redwood Conference room 14^th floor), I decided, as often, to go back to my office (1040) and refill my water bottle. I decided to take the stairs as I sometimes do. I hit the stairs at a good pace, but after a flight or so, I started to flag. I hadn't gone 2 floors when I was quite tired. I thought, "I have done this before, I shouldn't' be so tired. I should be about to the 12^th floor." I looked up at the wall and saw that I was headed for the 16^th floor!! I do not now know whether I thought I was going from my office to the conference room or whether I truly do not know up from down. That's the effect this class has on my brain.

Speaking of the accounting class, as of the quiz submitted today, I now have 142 points, enough for a "C-". What a relief to know that I am passing this class, even though I do not understand most of it. Together the study team should be able to get a solid "B," maybe even an "A". This will be, I think, my last accounting class. I have passed the level of my incompetence. Next semester, probably Business Law.

the Virtue of Tolerance

(thank you, Sue A!)

 

This address was given at the BYU Women's Conference, May 5, 2006
 
Boyd K. Packer
 
              "The virtue of tolerance has been distorted and elevated to a position of such prominence as be thought equal to and even valued more than morality. It is one thing to be tolerant, even forgiving of individual conduct. It is quite another to collectively legislate and legalize to protect immoral conduct that can weaken, even destroy the family."
 
                "There is a dangerous trap when tolerance is exaggerated to protect the rights of those whose conduct endangers the family and injures the rights of the more part of the people. We are getting dangerously close to the condition described by the prophet Mosiah, who warned:"
 
    "Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people."
 
     "And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land."  (Mosiah 29:26-27)
 
"Tolerance can be a dangerous trap."
 
As always, Boyd K. Packer says is so eloquently!
 
The Prophet Joseph Smith said at the first Relief Society, "There must be a decision of character, aside from sympathy."

Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.

Mahatma Gandhi Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

A beloved and honored relative wrote to me a week or so ago:

 Sorry, Barbara, but I don't agree with the position that your church has taken on Proposition 8.  If I could (it's not on the ballot in Oregon), I would vote NO on it.  I believe that there are all kinds of people in this world, with different beliefs and ways of living their lives and we all need to be tolerant and accepting and understanding of people.  Teaching of diversity of life should be experienced in the school system so children can learn to be accepting.......especially if they won't see the tolerance in their own home.  We all have to live in the same world.  Gay couples or straight couples should be treated with the same respect.  I find it sad that there is still many people that believe that children should be taught that diversity is a bad thing, it just perpetuates problems in the world.

The first time you mentioned Prop. 8, I decided not to say anything but after receiving the email on Sunday, I felt my position should be stated. 

 I finally replied today.

Friday, October 17, 2008

I hope you realize that my long silence is because of my time management problems and not because of any ill feelings.  I love and respect you very much.  I don't think a disagreement here and there will ever change that.

Thank you for telling me how you feel.  I suspect that we are going to have to agree to disagree on this. 

When the subject first came up, I followed my church based on my personal testimony but without any real feeling of urgency.  I almost wondered what all the fuss was about.  To each his own.  The more I learned, and certainly not just or even mainly from church sources, the stronger my feelings became.  It upsets me a little that 4 judges can overturn the vote of the people. (Maybe more than a little.) It upsets me tremendously that schools will be (and in some places, including California, already are)  actively teaching morals many parents believe are wrong.

Believing in certain moral values does not mean disrespecting or hurting other people. I know it happens on both sides, but it is wrong.

 We affirm the right of people to believe as they deem best and to act on those beliefs.  We do not want our rights to teach our own children trampled on.  One can teach respect for other people and their right to choose while teaching ones own moral values.  (We do it all the time on the subjects of drinking and smoking, for instance.)  We do not want other people teaching our children values we disagree with and teaching intolerance for our morals and religion.  That is what is happening already and what we are trying to stop.

I would share some friendly personal news now, except there isn't much and I already spent more than my allotted break time in study group. (again) The good news is that the group got all the answers right on the quiz due today.  Sigh of relief and on to the next one which has already been released.  Another area of disagreement between us – I just might hate accounting.

Love you!  Have a great weekend!

Barbara

No, No Nano

One of my beautiful and delightful daughters convinced me that an iPod Nano would be adequate to my needs and cost much less than a Classic which costs too much.  $150 is a lot of money, but… do-able. On my last trip to Costco, I happily picked one up.  I was so excited.  I looked forward to listening to the Satellite Sisters podcast a day late at work as other wonderful radio offerings.  Alas! And wouldn't you know it.  The Nano and our computer refuse to talk to each other and I have to take it back.  It's not just me, my best computer tech geek gave it his best shot and went down in defeat.  No Nano for me.  I really miss the Satellite Sisters!

If you scatter thorns, don't go barefoot.

Italian Proverb

I have the bad habit at work of slipping my shoes off. Sometimes I run around the office stocking foot – usually late in the afternoon after the exodus has well begun. A co-worker has expressed great concern that I might step on a staple, get an infection, and DIE. A beautiful and beloved daughter concurred this is a dangerous practice. So far, I have had no problem.

This week for some reason, I have worn strap-on shoes that don't just slip off. Yesterday, shoes firmly on, I felt a prick in the side of my foot. A STAPLE - inside my shoe..

Daylight follows a dark night.

Maasai Proverb

Saturday we went to Jared's birthday party - "Cars" theme -what fun! The kids got to decorate license plates to put on the cardboard cars Tom had made for them. They had races complete with tire changing and gassing up pit-stops. Jared's cousin was the greatest pit chief. The kids had a blast.

I took my Christmas project to work on, of course. When I went to show Nana (Jared's other grandma) and a daughter or two my duo-color diaster, we could NOT see it. The color difference does not seem to show up in daylight. Part of the reason I went months without discovering it. I will have to tell my recipient to never where it around flourescents!

What is General Conference?

Father of Five, thanks for asking. Sorry this took so long. I am having even more time management problems than usual (cursed Accounting class!). Everything and everyone is being sadly, grossly neglected. I shouldn't be here now, in fact. So, shoot me.

Mormon.org defines General Conference this way
"A bi-annual world conference of the Church, held in April and October, where members gather for five two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders. General conference is broadcast via satellite from the Conference Center at Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah."

Now for the personal part -

General Conference is the opportunity to sit at the feet of a living prophet of God, apostles, and other church leaders (electronically via satellite) and hear the Lord's message for us, for me, today.

Although we are abundantly blessed with communication from on high - the holy scriptures, of course!; inspired leaders, local as well as general; weekly meetings of worship and instruction; monthly magazines from the church; and personal revelation and answers to prayers (although I need to greatly work on my reception) - there is something special about seeing and hearing the General Authorities speak in real time. To us now.

Ben (15 and 5/6) was sitting next to me taking notes. Almost every time a speaker came to the stand, he would whisper something like "I really like him." "He's great." That's how I feel. I love to see and hear them. They radiate joy. They teach great truths. They encourage and inspire.

Whenever I see President Thomas S. Monson, prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I again feel a witness of the Spirit that he was truly called of God.

The other authorities, as well, but most especially President Monson.

Even now, as I share this with you, I am overcome. I have a testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Savior and our loving brother. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His gospel restored to the earth. Thomas S. Monson is his living spokesman on the earth today.

They say dreams are the windows of the soul--take a peek and you can see the inner workings, the nuts and bolts.

Henry Bromel, Northern Exposure, The Big Kiss, 1991


I dreamed again about Andrew and driving.

Andrew was driving an old station wagon along a hilly country road. I was following in my car with at least one passenger. All was going well until a car traveling in the opposite direction tried to pass the vehicle in front of him without enough room before meeting Andrew’s car! Fortunately, the road was wide on Andrew’s right. The passing vehicle sped around Andrew on the outside, but cut back too sharply and clipped his rear quarter panel on the way back to his own lane. I don’t remember what happened to that car. I think it stopped diagonally across the road. Andrew continued on a bit. I signaled to him to pull over. Amazing that he could see my waving my arms inside my car from so far away! He pulled over and started backing up. That was a little scary because he was backing toward the drop on side of the road. I waved and yelled. He stopped in time. As I was getting out of my car to start getting the accident information, it hit me - Andrew doesn’t have his license yet! I was supposed to be with him. He was drving illegally. We were not at fault in the accident and I don't think anyone was hurt, but we were going to be in big legal trouble. The end.

I partly woke up from that dream and then immediately had another related dream which I completely forgot.

Other recent dreams - I keep dreaming about my accursed Accounting class. (When I first started my job, I was doing it all night in my sleep for weeks.) In these accounting dreams, I am always studying and trying to do the homework,but I don’t understand any of it. True to life! Except I have don’t have nearly enough time to study. Sadly, these are not the kind of dreams where you solve the problem that has been concerning you. No “aha”. I am as lost in my dreams as I am when awake with no better understanding gained from my tortured sleep.

I am surprised I don’t remember any dreams about the fridge smell. It is still there. Fortunately, not overwhelmingly. Unless you are right there. Hopefully this weekend, we will manage another attack.

I seldom remember dreams or having dreamt. So why, when i do, do I remember unsettling ones?

PS - Andrew is a pretty good driver. (Needs to learn to think ahead a bit more and gain confidence. ) I think I want him to get his license. (and an old station wagon?? no)

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.

Quentin Crisp

I had an idea for my homemade gift for the exchange.

I worked on it for a few months. Despite many false starts, every now and then having to rip out portions and do them over, it came out pretty well, but I think it is the wrong size. Good thing I started early in the year.

I began again. I am slow enough to begin with – I have literally been working on this for months – in the moments I can find, but since this Intermediate Accounting class began I have hardly been able to crochet a stitch. I actually thought I might finish in August, but then I got sick and then the class started. I am about ¾ done. Don’t get excited, it is not that it is such a big wonderful project. MAYBE medium. But I am slow.

Last night I discovered *la gasp!!** that somewhere in the early middle of the project, I USED A DIFFERENT COLOR YARN. Not obviously different, obviously! Except in decent light.

If I were not at work, I would be bawling right now. I did cry last night, but not as much as it deserves!

The good news is - My sons are learning what to do when a woman cries – just go put your arms around her and let her cry.

There is no way I have time to rip it all out to where I messed up and do it over. I thought maybe I could remove a section so I would have to undo less, but I cannot figure it out. Joseph tried to research the possibility of dyeing the whole thing. Not good.

The only thing I can think is to keep on keeping on. Someone I love who deserves much better is going to end up getting a defective - or should we say, unique - gift.

This may be my worst Christmas ever.

Conference Feast

Eva Aurora - isn't that a pretty name? - asked about conference food. Those of you who have been with me awhile, you already know.

Even during the brief period of my life when we had cable, I found that staying home to watch conference didn't really work for me. The children would wander off to play - they were much younger then. The house and all my many responsibities kept yelling at me. It was hard for me to really BE at conference.

So, almost for always, we have gone to the Stake Center for the satellite broadcast. We attend every session.

Even though we are only 10 minutes or so from the Stake Center, it also didn't work for us to go home and eat between sessions. Even before gas prices got so high. It took too much time to round everyone up, go home, fix something, eat, round eveyone up, and get back for the next session. STRESS, not rejoicing.

We wanted to enjoy conference. We decided to make a day of it. When the children were little, we brought "quiet" toys for them and let them play in the back of the room. Now, it's the grandkids in the back of the room. Traditionally, we ask them to come sit when the prophet himself speaks. As they grow, they start sitting and coloring or doing conference activities - listening for words and such. Eventually, they are sitting and maybe even taking notes, without ever haven been told they have to stop playing with Legos during church. We usually are in the Relief Society room with a tv instead of in the chapel. We want light for note taking - and not dark for napping!, room for the kids to play, and a slightly more relaxed atmosphere.

I started by packing lunch for just our family. One conference, my family was sitting there eating a nice lunch, including fried chicken when we noticed the missionaries with their Ramon. Ramon?!! I consider ramon akin to styrofoam with broth, although some of my kids seem to like it. Anyway, it was just so sad, and I vowed, Never again.

I started fixing lunch for my family and the full-time missionaries for between sessions both Saturday and Sunday. Nothing really fancy, it just takes me forever. I usually just bring sandwich fixings and let them make their own sandwiches. Traditionally, we have egg salad, tuna salad, ham , turkey, (presliced deli meats, not I roast and slice), cheese, lettuce, and PB and J. I also bring strawberry jello with sliced strawberries, a 7-layer type dip and chips. I spend a small fortune, but we think it is well worth it. On Sunday, I usually bring beans and wieners, too. My grown children in the area often bring something to the table too, even if they watched conference in another location. This conference we fed a dozen missionaries both days. We enjoy it.

On Saturday, we go around to a nearby park - if the weather is good. On days when it is wet or windy, and on Sundays, we eat in the multipurpose room next to the kitchen.

The old guy that watches over the building used to be leery of us, but soon he learned that we always leave it cleaner than we find it. Now, he is very welcoming and helpful. Of course, we invite him to lunch too, and sometimes he has something.

One ward used to entice their youth to morning session by fixing them breakfast at the church before meetings. It was hard to sit through conference with the smells still wafting through. I started making breakfast crossant sandwiches for my family so we wouldn't feel like we were missing out on something. Although WE eat ours at the beginning of morning session. I make them the day ahead. When I get up in the morning, I pop them in the oven to warm while I dress. yummy! We look forward to them every conference. It also helps get slow pokes out the door, because they know they will have breakfast at church.

I like to think that feasting on the food helps us to feast on the Word as well. My kids always seem delighted when it is conference time again. There were times when they were disappointed that when someone said "conference," they meant Stake Conference, even though Stake Conference means a shorter meeting than usual, instead of General Conference's 8 hours of church on the weekend- or 10 for the priesthood.

Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.

Malcolm Forbes
US art collector, author, & publisher (1919 - 1990)

Mine certainly doesn't!  ability catch up to demand, that is!!!

 

Catching up a little :

 

We got a refrigerator brush and we brushed and vacuumed a lot of dust and gunk out from under the fridge.  Another serviceman came out. He didn't do a lot more, but he was much more helpful.  He said that there is a metal plate that prevents any rodents going up into the works where I thought one might have gotten.  He found no dead rodent where one could (and has) gone which is where we were poking and vacuuming.  He said the smell is from rat urine and that the first service man was not far off when he said it needed to be hosed down.  He admitted that hosing it down probably wouldn't do the job; the underworks need scrubbing.  I am going to try scrubbing it with the refrigerator brush dipped in cleaning solution.  – as soon as I can make time!

 

My options are – 1) somehow get it clean enough to eliminate the smell,  2) replace the refrigerator, or 3) live with the smell –popping popcorn does a fair job of covering the smell, but how much popcorn can one family pop?

 

It still seems very strange that the smell is worse when we open the fridge if the source is under it.  Oh, well.  Of course, we do tend to avoid that end of the kitchen unless we need something from the refrigerator.  We also tend to hold our breath.

 

Meanwhile –

 

Oh, yes, my DMV-is-going-to-suspend-my-license-because-I-have-diabetes appointment.  Went well.  Kaiser check my eyes with a wall chart thing – without glasses: right eye 20/60, left eye 20/25, both eyes 20/20.  With glasses: everything 20/20.  Ok, the appointment went well except the doctor deciding I was due for a mammogram.  At least she said I can wait a couple of years for an up yours.  I faxed the form in to DMV.  I am not sure, but I think they may contact me later for a hearing in addition to the doctor check.  Sigh.  We shall see.

 

Recently, I leaned slightly against my bedroom window as I was opening the other side.  The window, being old and decrepit, broke.   Also, the window in the someday-to-be boys' room is cracked – has been for years?  I figured we probably could replace the glass ourselves, but this seemed like a good time to replace the window.  For something more reliable, less brittle!, easier to open, better insulation, better looking, etc.   So, a week ago Saturday Andrew and I went to the Weatherite Window Showroom (as advertised on Armstrong and Getty).  David, the estimate guy, came and did an estimate the following Monday.  It took well over a week before Mike, the measuring guy, came and it may be 4-6 weeks bfore the windows are ready.  I am going to have both windows in the boys' room replaced and the broken one in my room.  That's as much as I can afford right now. 

 

To think that once I thought the boys would be in their room by my birthday.  Which year?   Now, I am losing hope for Thanksgiving.  Maybe David and Teresa get to use the sea room one more time.  Hopefully, we will move the boys by Christmas.  Everything tokes so long!  Of course, we have hardly begun to tackle the sorting of the mountain of stuff in the "family room".

 

Life is not all work, worry, and bad smells. 

 

Saturday, the boys and I went to Old Sacramento for the "Great Sacramento Duck Race"  (to benefit Special Olympics).  We bought a duck 013007, but I haven't gotten any phone calls, so our lucky spy apparently didn't win any prizes.  We had lunch at Roundtable Pizza – all you can eat salad and pizza lunch buffet, got chased off the Capital bridge for a boat to go through, and finally got to watch the Duck Dump at the up river bridge.  3 what looked like bulldozers or something dumped a yellow stream over the edge of the bridge.  Bathtub type rubber/plastic ducks, not live ducks, of course!  Once in the water, the ducks were held back by fire boats for a bit.  Who knows why.  They weren't really allowed to "race" on their own, but were herded by the fire boats – in between inter-boat water fights.  When the ducks got pretty much to our bridge, officials netted the winners – not necessarily the leaders ( ! The race is rigged, I tell you.) and the fire boats got serious about their water fights. 

 

We had a fire drill in our office building yesterday.  Hundreds of people pouring down the stairs.  Thoughts of 9/11.  I thought of the people who didn't make it out and how they wanted to contact their families one last time.  I thought about the brave firemen going up into danger.  When we got to the waiting area across the street, I sent a text to my children.  (Except for one or two whom I accidently tried to text their house phone – that doesn't work!)  Then, I relaxed and enjoyed the fresh air with my co-workers for a few minutes.  We cleared the 16 floor building in 15 minutes.  Pretty impressive, I think.  Of course, we knew it was coming.  However,  I don't think it would take us much more than 5 minutes longer if it was the real deal.  Maybe not even.

 

The fire drill made us late for our Accounting Class (held in our building).  We picked up the computer and projector and headed for the 14^th floor.  No one was there.  But we figured it was probably taking a bit for people to get processed after the drill.  We rearranged the furniture for our class, then decided to do some study group while we waited.  We ended up with the entire class time for study group.  Not one person from outside showed up, including the teacher.  They had known the drill was coming and no one said anything about cancelling class.  The teacher didn't post an announcement on Blackboard.  We didn't really mind.  We get more out of study group then we do from the class, anyway.  And we worked on Quiz 4.  When class time was over, we put the furniture back and returned to the office.   Do you think we will get credit for attending?  We did a sign-up sheet.

 

Oops, Break is more than over and I have some work to finish before leaving early to work on conference food for the weekend.