Going to school

So, since nobody seems willing to hire me with my old skills, I have decided to go to school and get a certificate for Health Unit Coordinator. This is actually a step down, or used to be, from PFS Rep, but I think it would be a better fit for me. Trying to even apply for such a position at a hospital seems to be impossible at this point, as the first question is whether you have an HUC certificate. OK, so fine, I'll get a certificate.
Gateway is the only only local school that offers one, and I can't get in to the program until Spring cause the Fall classes are already full, but I am going to take the Health Core Curriculum at Estrella Mtn this semester and then do the HUC classes at Gateway in the spring. Good plan, and the health core applies to other specialties if I should happen to change my mind.
I won't, though. I used to periodically try to get an HUC position even back when I was at RMC, many long years ago, but things just never came together right.
My friend Jaime is taking the health core curriculum online this semester, for a billing and coding certificate, but I think I will do the in-person classes. I might have better networking later on if I have a personal relationship with local staff, and I think I will enjoy it too.

NO job

I was never notified, but the website says I am no longer being considered for the jobs in Mesa, so I guess thats what they meant by notify. Hmmmf!
Another friend, that works at DelWebb is showing my resume to her boss and other managers, so perhaps something will come of that. ANd my friend at Banner Estrella will be showing it to her manager on Monday. Hope springs eternal.
And I did the dirty dyeing deed this AM. I was aiming for a light golden brown but it has turned out to be a light auburn over my gray. It suits me; several of my aunts and my mother had this color naturally as young women, but it just seems like a bigger change than light brown would have been. DH likes it, maybe more than I do. I'll have to see if it lasts at all. I bought a gentler formula but if it goes away too quickly I will have to get something harsher.
Or maybe I will get another job right away and I won't have to do it again at all. I wish.
But it could be habit-forming to look younger, so I just hope it looks decent for a while.

Didn't get the job

When I was interviewed, 3 times, for PFS Rep jobs last Wednesday, the HR people promised to notify one way or the other within a week. Its been a week, and of course they didn't bother to notify. All the website says is that I have submitted an application for the jobs. I have somehow known from the beginning that they weren't going to hire me. I thought the interviews went well, but I'm sure at least half of the 1000 people there thought the same thing.
And I do think that my age is definitely counting against me. I Do have gray hair; I have had it for over 10 years and I think it looks good on me. But I am thinking seriously about dyeing it and having professional makeup before my next interview. Its not too much to ask to get a real job, I guess. It will just be a hassle to grow out again. Keeping it very short will help.
Now to save up enough money to have an actual salon do the job. I am scared to go to the beauty college because I need advice on color, etc., even though it is ever so much more affordable.
I am so disappointed. I was very good at a corporate PFS Rep job and would have been again, with a short learning cycle.
A friend at Banner Estrella is going to show my resume to her boss and her boss's boss for a pool position. I already talked to my store manager at PetSmart and he says they will work with me on what hours I need to work so that I can keep the job there while working the pool job. I need to keep the limited health insurance at PetSmart until I get a full-time job elsewhere, with benefits. I AM good at the PetSmart job, so its not like I would be using them. More like us using each other, since I will earn more than twice as much per hour at any hospital job. Heck, one shift a week would practically double my income.

from The Daily Green

Arguing that the chemical commonly used to give antibacterial soap its bite "poses imminent threats to human health and the environment," two groups are petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to have triclosan banned.

The Daily Green has consistently recommended against using antibacterial soap (yes, even for parents with young children), primarily because it doesn't achieve its stated purpose (sanitizing your hands) any better than a thorough washing with regular-old soap and hot water ... but it does create conditions that allow for the evolution of antibiotic-resistance among bacteria. More recently, evidence has emerged that tricolsan may be an endocrine-disrupting chemical, messing with our hormones. It's found in our blood, and because we dump so much down the drain with each washing, it even contaminates dolphins, according to one recent study.

Though antibacterial products have saturated the market, there are alternatives to antibacterial soap. Triclosan isn't found only in soaps; it's also used in toothpastes, deodorants, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, facial tissues, antiseptics, fabrics, toys and medical devices.

The petition (pdf) filed by Beyond Pesticides and Food and Water Watch (with support from dozens of other groups, including the Sierra Club, the American Bird Conservancy and the Breast Cancer Fund), argues that tricolsan should not be approved for use in consumer products.

"Numerous scientific studies and reports clearly indicate that in addition to its human health and environmental dangers, triclosan is not effective for many of its intended benefits and may actually be doing consumers more harm than good," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. "Even worse, is that current regulations on triclosan haven't been updated since 1994 and much of the science used by the FDA to regulate the pesticide dates back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. The agency's inconsideration of new scientific research on triclosan represents an egregious failure to properly protect the public against this dangerous pesticide."

The petitioners make six basic claims:

1. Triclosan doesn't work in consumer products
2. Tricolsan's widespread use increases the chances of harmful bacteria becoming resistant to the drug
3. Triclosan builds up in the body
4. Tricolsan may disrupt human hormones
5. Triclosan can react with other chemicals to form dioxin and chloroform, which are known to be toxic
6. Triclosan contaminates water, affecting marine wildlife and ecosystems

It's useful to remember that triclosan, like other pesticides, is a poison. It's poisonous to bacteria. We may be far removed from bacteria, way up in the evolutionary branches of life, but the common chemistry of living things means that chemicals that affect one form of life often affect others too.

Why is Triclosan used so widely? People buy it. And marketers sell it. The market's worth is estimated at $1 billion, so someone is pocketing some serious cash.

from Enviroblog

Chloramine + Lead Pipes + Fluoride = Contaminated tap water

By Lisa Frack

July 13, 2009

By Olga Naidenko, EWG Senior Scientist

The lead pollution crisis of the Washington, D.C. water supply - and the culprit that caused it, the water disinfection chemical chloramine - is a powerful example of how things can go terribly wrong when water quality problems are considered and tackled in isolation.

Earlier this year, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) scientists reported the shockingly high lead levels in the blood of young Washington, D.C. children tested between 2001 and 2004, when the District of Columbia's drinking water was being contaminated with lead from aging pipes.

Unfortunately, this situation is not unique: similar results have been reported in Greenville, North Carolina, according to studies by the Duke University researchers.

Chloramines and lead pipes: Not so good together
American water utilities are increasingly switching to chloramines, a mixture of chlorine and ammonia, for final disinfection of drinking water. Chloramine was supposed to be a "safer" water disinfectant than chlorine because it reduces formation of toxic chlorination byproducts. A 2005 survey by the American Water Works Association found that approximately a third of all utilities now use chloramines.

Water disinfection byproducts are associated with increased risk of cancer and possibly adverse effects on the development of the fetus, so minimizing their levels in drinking water is a good thing. Yet, chloramines drastically increase the leaching of lead from pipes. And here is a real challenge: there are tens of thousands of lead service lines in the water system administered by the DC Water and Sewer Authority. Add to these lines the lead based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome plated faucets, and water fixtures, and the opportunities for lead to leach into the drinking water multiply.

What's key, of course, is that chloramine is not unacceptable in and of itself - after all, water disinfection is a public health necessity. But we need to thoroughly consider the full impact of any chemical added to drinking water given the current water distribution infrastructure in place, not in some theoretical vacuum.

And now add some fluoride to the mix
In addition to disinfection chemicals, other additives are commonly mixed with the finished drinking water before it leaves the water treatment plant. Of them, fluoride is possibly the most known. Two thirds of the U.S. municipal water supply is artificially fluoridated in an effort to prevent tooth decay. But fluoridation additives in tap water are not the same form of fluoride as found in toothpaste. Typically, water is fluoridated with fluorosilicic acid (FSA) or its salt, sodium fluosilicate, collectively referred to as fluorosilicates.

Here comes a second unpleasant "surprise" for those in lead-piped locations: fluorosilicates have a unique affinity for lead. In fact, lead fluorosilicate is one of the most water-soluble forms of lead. In fact, fluorosilicic acid has been used as a solvent for lead and other heavy metals in metallurgy. In industrial applications, chemical engineers rely on this acid to remove surface lead from leaded-brass machine parts.

Research shows what happens when we mix it all up
What happens when fluorosilicates in water pass through lead-containing pipes and metal fixtures? Not surprisingly, the fluorosilicates extract high levels of soluble lead from leaded-brass metal parts (researchers from the Environmental Quality Institute of the University of North Carolina-Asheville performed this actual experiment).

In research published in the scientific journal Neurotoxicology, researchers found that the mixture of the two chemicals: disinfectant (whether chlorine or chloramine) with fluorosilicic acid has a drastically increased potency, leaching amazingly high quantities of lead.

Where does this lead go? Into our drinking water and right on into our bodies, where they wreak havoc by poisoning poison our heart, kidneys and blood, causing irreversible neurological damage and impairing reproductive function.

North Carolina researchers concluded that the supposedly innocuous - and purportedly beneficial - quantities of fluoride added to drinking water may, in fact, precipitate a cascade of serious health problems, especially when chloramines and lead pipes are added into the mix.

Do we even need fluoride in tap water?
The mixture of chloramine and fluorosilicates in drinking water causes extensive leaching of lead. We cannot dispense with water disinfection - everybody acknowledges this. Thus, chlorine and chloramine are probably here to stay for some time. On the other hand, fluoride, or, specifically, water fluoridation with fluorosilicates, is quite dispensable.

But wait - isn't fluoride the miracle chemical that improves dental health?

Well, yes and no. Much of what is publicized today in caries prevention programs worldwide is derived from the theories generated in the 1950s and '60s, when water fluoridation was actively promoted. As we now know, the main benefits of fluoride for dental health are derived from surface application on the teeth, not from ingestion.

In fact, ingestion of fluoride causes dental fluorosis, a range of adverse health effects that includes mottling, pitting, and weakening of the teeth. These risks are especially significant for infants and young children. In the U.S. and worldwide, about 30 percent of children who drink fluoridated water experience dental fluorosis. In 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) issued an "Interim Guidance on Fluoride Intake for Infants and Young Children." ADA recommended that in areas where fluoride is added to tap water, parents should consider using fluoride-free bottled water to reconstitute concentrated or powdered infant formula to avoid excess fluoride.

According to the latest research, the anti-caries activity of fluoride is due to topical effects, which supports the value of fluoride-containing toothpaste to dental health. There is clear evidence that fluoride dental products significantly reduce the incidence of cavities. In contrast, a substantial and growing body of peer-reviewed science suggests that ingesting fluoride in tap water does not provide any additional dental benefits other than those offered by fluoride toothpaste and may present serious health risks.

To learn more about fluoride health effects, read the recent report by EWG.

The message: Don't assess chemicals in isolation
The lesson here is straightforward: it is completely unscientific to simply toss any chemical into the drinking water on the premises that this chemical might provide some benefits. The real question is: what would be the effect of this chemical given what else is going on with the water system? In case of fluoridation and chloramines, what emerges comes at the end of the pipe (your faucets!) is a potentially highly hazardous mixture of fluorosilicates, lead, and residual levels of disinfectants.

To protect the health of my family today, I can buy a water filter to remove heavy metals and disinfection byproducts from my drinking water both with a simple pitcher filter. But to protect the health of the entire nation, we really need to consider if our current methods of water treatment can withstand scientific scrutiny, or whether they should be re-assessed so as to provide safe, healthy tap water to all Americans.

from Blog for Rural America

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities

Fri, 07/10/2009 - 15:50 — Steph Larsen

By Jon Bailey

Some of the policymakers determining health care reform need to get their priorities straight.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has apparently decided his perceived view of the non-competitive nature of college football is the most egregious violation of the nation’s antitrust laws and deserves the immediate attention of both Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice. At a Senate hearing on July 7 convened to investigate college football’s Bowl Championship Series (BCS), an article from Fox Sports had this to say:

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch urged the Justice Department on Tuesday to investigate college football's Bowl Championship Series for what he views as violations of antitrust laws. Hatch made the comment after conducting a standing-room-only hearing in the Senate subcommittee with antitrust oversight, where he serves as the top Republican. "Frankly, there's an arrogance about the BCS that just drives me nuts," he told reporters. "Hopefully this hearing will open the door to have some people reconsider their positions. And if nothing else, the Justice Department ought to be looking at this." He said that it's clear to him that the BCS is in violation of antitrust laws. The Justice Department had no immediate comment Tuesday. Hatch said that the BCS is exploiting a position of power, "and it's just not right."

Hatch is still upset that an undefeated University of Utah team was denied an opportunity to play in the 2009 BCS national championship game because they do not happen to fortunate enough to belong to one of the six BCS football conferences.

A little perspective here - my wife and children will tell you that I’m as big a college football fan as there is, always have been, always will. But really, is college football deserving of this Congressional attention and antitrust prosecution threats when there are so many important issues that affect the nation and its residents?

Like, for example, health care.

According to the report Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market, 94 percent of statewide health insurance markets are deemed “highly concentrated” under Department of Justice guidelines. The DOJ considers a market highly concentrated if one company holds more than a 42 percent share of the market. Thirty-two states in the nation meet this threshold. The result of a concentrated health insurance market is less affordable insurance, more uninsured and less choice for everyone – precisely the issues that Congress must address in health care reform legislation.

Utah is one of the 32 states with a highly concentrated health insurance market – 68 percent of the market is controlled by the top two insurers (with Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield controlling 47 percent of the market). The result has been that health insurance premiums in Utah rose 87 percent between 2000 and 2007, while individual income increased only 17 percent during the same period.

Since Hatch happens to a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, one of the Congressional committees now working on health care reform legislation, just for fun let’s substitute some of Senator Hatch’s criticism about the BCS with hypothetical criticism for health insurance companies:

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch urged the Justice Department on Tuesday to investigate the nation’s health insurance companies for what he views as violations of antitrust laws. Hatch made the comment after conducting a standing-room-only hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he serves as a former chairman and a top Republican. "Frankly, there's an arrogance about the health insurance companies that just drives me nuts," he told reporters. "Hopefully this hearing will open the door to have some people reconsider their positions. And if nothing else, the Justice Department ought to be looking at this." He said that it's clear to him that health insurance companies are in violation of antitrust laws. The Justice Department had no immediate comment Tuesday. Hatch said that health insurance companies are exploiting a position of power, "and it’s just not right."

Sound like something that should be said? Yes.

Sound like something that will be said? I'm not holding my breath.

No matter how necessary health care reform is, no matter the situation many American individuals, families, and businesses (especially those in rural America) find themselves due to the lack of affordable, quality health insurance, no matter the importance of creating a high-quality system that takes up 18 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, let’s by all means spend more time on developing a fair and competitive college football system that makes fans, boosters, college administrators and U.S. Senators proud. (insert heavy amounts of sarcasm here)

For a real request for antitrust examination of health insurance companies see this report.

»

from High Country News Goat Blog

Brewer's budget battle

Ariana Brocious | Jul 10, 2009 04:51 PM

A week into the 2010 fiscal year in Arizona, the state's budget is $2.1 billion in the red, worrying Tucson officials and others about committing money and jobs. In the past six months since Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer stepped up to fill former Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano’s post, the state has been embroiled in what the LA Times calls the “nastiest fiscal fight in Arizona history.”

It has been a surprisingly vicious conflict, given that the state legislature is predominately Republican. After years of going head-to-head with Napolitano, lawmakers were anticipating an easier relationship with Brewer, who took over after Napolitano was called to head Obama's Department of Homeland Security. Yet Brewer hasn’t toed the party line —instead, she’s supported tax increases and defended spending on health care and public safety. And she has refused to budge, resulting in months of battling over education allocations, spending cuts to rein in the rampant state deficit and Brewer’s big issue: increasing the state sales tax (to be voted on in a November election) which would raise around $1 billion to offset cuts to social programs.

Recent highlights include Brewer suing the Legislature for allegedly violating the state constitution, Senate President Bob Burns walking out on a meeting and later harshly criticizing the governor, and Brewer vetoing every budget proposal that cut money for state services.

Last Wednesday lawmakers ended the fourth-longest legislative session in modern times by approving a budget in the early hours of the 2010 fiscal year that included $600 million in cuts but not Brewer’s proposed sales-tax hike.

Brewer line-vetoed major parts of the budget, particularly education spending which she viewed as insufficient, and called the legislature back for a special session this week. On Monday state lawmakers finally approved the education funding, restoring $220 million in cuts.

Interview today

I just can't write it all down right now; I'm afraid I will jinx myself.  Give it a couple of days to see if I hear from them and then I will tell the whole story.  Sorry, but its just too important to put down right now.

Blue horses: riding on moonlight

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Blue horses: riding on moonlight

A dimly lit moment throws a bright light on the past.

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New Doubts About Roundup
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Poison is poison

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4 Simple Tips for Decluttering Your Home - thedailygreen.com

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Maybe its an omen

Yesterday a friend I haven't seen since I left West Valley ER 9 years ago came into my place of work and we were able to visit for just a little bit. I did tell her about my impending interview, and since she is now working at Banner Estrella, she gave me her stats and said to please use her as a character and work reference. She also reports to a manager that used to be at Maryvale, and we both reported to her when we were at West Valley. The particular manager didn't like me much personally but surely couldn't fault my work, so I don't know whether to use her as a reference too, or not.
I will email Erin and have her scope out Joan before my interview and see whether to use her or not. It is true, writing stuff down does help you figure out what to do as you go along.
I do hope it works out, as I trained Erin originally to work in ER Registration and she has a high opinion of my intelligence and character. And she IS a Banner employee again, after 7 years at John C Lincoln.

Carbon Cap and Trade Bill - Good Bad and Ugly in Cap and Trade - thedailygreen.com

Carbon Cap and Trade Bill - Good Bad and Ugly in Cap and Trade - thedailygreen.com

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Toxic Dog Food - Fluoride in Dog Food May Be Toxic - thedailygreen.com

Toxic Dog Food - Fluoride in Dog Food May Be Toxic - thedailygreen.com

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News Clip from Environmental Working Group

No byproducts!!!!

Daily Green: Some Dog Foods May Deliver Toxic Doses of Fluoride

Study raises questions about use of bone meal, animal by-products and other
cheap ingredients Daily Green » Read more... | Published June 30, 2009

Fluoride in dog food - Pets' health at risk? | Environmental Working Group

 

http://www.ewg.org/pethealth/report/fluoride-in-dog-food

Pepperoni Batter Bread

Yum, and no kneading.

Pepperoni Batter Bread

Recipe # 778

Yield: 1 loaf

Bake Time: 35 to 40 Min

Proof Time: 45 to 60 Min

Ingredients:

1 envelope Fleischmann’s® Active Dry Yeast

1-1/4 cups warm water (100° to 110°F)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Leaf Oregano

1 tablespoon butter OR margarine, melted

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoni

1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Add sugar, salt, oregano, butter and 2 cups flour.  Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. 

Stir in remaining 3/4 cup flour, pepperoni and cheese to make a stiff batter.  Spoon into greased 1-1/2 to 2-quart round casserole.  Cover and let rise 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled. 

Bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.  Remove from casserole and cool on wire rack. 

Recipe Note:  Cut into cubes and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Let's get Secretary Sebelius to get rid of rBGH!

 

Dear Friend,

We recently had a great victory when Kathleen Sebelius, then Governor of Kansas, vetoed a bill that would have restricted rBGH-free labeling on dairy products.  She's since become the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, which gives us a great opportunity for her to take even bigger action on protecting consumers from rBGH. 

Can you thank Sebelius for her leadership on this issue and ask her to re-examine the approval of rBGH?



http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/741/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1170

AARP.org Article from aj.wischmeyer@gmail.com

 luvkuku thought you would enjoy this article: Insured but Unprotected, and Driven Bankrupt by Health Crises.  This is what they said about it: I have a limited benefit policy from Aetna too. 

Hoping for a new job

I have an interview on July 8 to try and go back to a healthcare job, although the commute would be an hour. The pay and benefits would be enough to justify it, and the completed freeways make it much easier than it was when I commuted that long before.
The job is the same one I used to hold at Samaritan PFS, only now it is Banner PFS. I do hope they want somebody with good experience, even though it has been a while.
My retail job is fun, but I don't make any money and it has turned out to be much harder on me physically that I thought it would be. And I don't get to use my brain much at all. The PFS job would allow me to use my brain all the time and sit in front of a computer while I was doing it. I sure hope I can be hired for it

Neighborly

Our old lady neighbor just called and said she has a flat tire, so DH has headed over there to change it for her and see about fixing the flat. He pretends to be a bad guy but is always willing to help her and she thinks he (actually we) are the nicest neighbors ever. It is a nice change, since our neighbors on the other side despise us for some reason, and we don't care enough about it to try and change their minds.
We have always had problems with our neighbors, so it is probably more our fault than theirs. We just want to be left alone, without their dogs killing our chickens, or attacking us in our own yard, or barking all day and night. Our dogs are not allowed to do any of those things; why should others?
Anyway, see what I mean?
Jan thinks we are wonderful, and it feels good to have her think it. And DH does like to help, although he is very selective as to who he helps. She is so sweet that anybody would like to help her; she just gets to pick who she wants. I doubt if I can be that kind of old lady, but it is nice to contemplate.

Spend less than you earn

I bought an Aqueon Water Changer at PetSmart on Friday to make cleaning my pond much easier, as I have been watching it in use for months now, and can see how well it works. Pricey, but worth it.
However, Saturday my Viking Sapphire went on the blink and I have to take it to be serviced this week, SOOOO, the Aqueon has to go back for my money back. Good thing I didn't get around to using it right away. It hasn't even been opened. People do bring things back that have been opened and even used and expect their money back, but I am not one of those people. It is against my outdated and unwelcome moral/ethical code and that's that.
Damn, I sure liked the days when I had enough money to do both at the same time. Course, I guess I didn't really. I just used to use the credit card for one of them. No longer an option. Those days are gone forever.
We finally paid off my foolish credit card balances and I have learned my lesson. Sure, I remember an item here and there that I bought on credit, but guess what. We are mostly not living any worse without my credit card purchases than we were with them, and now we don't owe anybody anything.
DH has been harping on this for years; that is why they were MY credit card purchases and I can only feel lucky that he did participate in helping me pay them off after he lost his job and I had to start paying for living expenses as well as whatever I please.

June entry Totally Useless SAL

A completed eyeglass case. Yay for me. I have another in progress and several other kits never started. Where did I get them and when? I have NO idea. I have also been quilting and knitting but this is the only completed needlepoint for this month.

---------------------------------------------

I tried to publish all the comments but managed to lose several of them. =
Who has thyroid? I think I am going to seek out a new doctor, maybe =
somebody closer to where I work so I can make it to appointments before =
or after work easier.

Life is just a little weird right now. I was passed over for a lateral =
move at work because I am unwilling to work an entire shift without any =
breaks and then lie about it on my time sheet and that has been =
bothering me. I don't even want the job under those conditions, but it =
is scary that they didn't even bother to make up a legal reason why I =
didn't get the job. It keeps me awake at night, and probably will until =
I at least get up the nerve to talk to the manager about it.
Later.

--

Yikes

ANd not only that, but I seem to have lost most of the comments I WAS trying to respond to. WHat happened to the anonymous post saying that 3 of my nieces have thyroid? WHere are you? I didn't know this.

Responding to comments

I just wanted to apologize to everyone who has left comments on this blog and then wondered why this rude person never replied. I used to get comments in my email inbox but somehow that doesn't seem to be happening anymore, and I can't figure out how to get it back. I promise to try and check for comments more regularly, although I often don't even turn the computer on anymore except on my days off.

A great photo, wish it was mine.

Melamine Pet Food - Lead Toys - Penalties for Tainted Pet Food and Toys - thedailygreen.com

Melamine Pet Food - Lead Toys - Penalties for Tainted Pet Food and Toys - thedailygreen.com

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Hormone Free Milk - Organic Trade Association Challenges Ohio - thedailygreen.com

Hormone Free Milk - Organic Trade Association Challenges Ohio - thedailygreen.com

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May-December

I just finished watching a DVD called "Elegy" that I got from the Goodyear Library.  Its about an older professor that falls in love with a student.  One of the oldest stories in the book, right?  But this one was much better than most I've seen.  It also got me to thinking, about things in general.  My marriage, I mean.

Why does my DH refuse to see movies about this subject?  I suspect because they hit entirely too close to home at this point in his life.  He has always spent time with other women besides me, but the last two women ( the previous one  Pat, and the present one Diana) have been a LOT younger than him.  I mean, I'm 7 years younger than him, and Pat is at least that much younger than me, and Diana is young enough to be MY daughter, much less his daughter.  Are these fatherly relationships, as he says they are?  I guess I'll never know for sure.  And if they are not, the truth would make me even more unhappy with the situation than I am now. So I guess I hope I never find out.

Needlepoint canvas in progress

Totally Useless SAL

I just joined a stitchalong at a blog called Dragon My Needle. THe idea is to put all your thread scraps and worn-out needles, etc., in a jar and then take a picture every new moon to post on your blog. Sounds like a neat way to see if you are actually accomplishing anything, AND doesn't require starting any NEW projects. I can put in both needlepoint and knitting thread snips. Quilting scraps would be too big, Im pretty sure.

Guess I'm going to live

Day before yesterday, on my third day off in a row, Igot so nauseous and nervy and jangly I felt like I was having a low-level anxiety attack, or, if in 1972, was in the 2nd day of doing speed with no sleep. It was awful, and stayed that way.
So yesterday, instead of going to work, I was on my doctor's office doorstep at 8 AM wanting to find out what was wrong with me. The doctor I saw wasn't my regular, but he seemed competent. Except that he didn't have the faintest idea what was wrong with me. From looking at my file, he wanted it to have something to do with Crohn's Disease, but I don't think so.
You know, he didn't even listen to my heart. ANd wasn't interested in any kind of lab work, blood or urine. This bothers me. Are my standards artificially high? It seems like something was called for rather than a script for nausea and to be told to come back or go to the ER if I start to vomit.
Anyway, I have been taking the meds, and I have been drinking a lot (he also said I was dehydrated) and I feel much better, except for headaches which go with the cloudy weather.
So I'll be going back to work in the morning. I hope my bosses understand sickness, but I do have a doctor's excuse to give them for my file anyway.

Robin's graduation day

The silly is sticking her tongue out!

Nobody hears

So, what do you do when there is nobody left who wants to hear you? Nobody who will listen just because they love you, even if they have heard the stories before. Nobody who thinks you are interesting, and worth hearing. Nobody.

Robin my love

I took these raincoat pictures before RObin's intermediate obedience class. Its funny; she always hated modeling the dog sweaters I knitted for charity, but she had a fine time with this little raincoat. She pranced around to show various staff members and customers and just loved it. Too bad we simply don't have a use for raincoats here.
The last two pictures are just lounging around in my studio while I quilt. We haven't done this for a long time; just working all the time.

Ok, back to work.

Quilting, finally

With my un-precedented 3 days off in a row, I am trying to get some actual quilting done, on the Medallion top I just finished in the quiltalong. Yesterday I got it pin-basted and the edges overlocked, so today I will start to quilt. DH and his friend are working on a handyman-construction job, so I(yay) get to do whatever I want with my time until he gets home at night.
My back is already hurting, though, so I plan to sew for a couple of hours and then do my Healthy Back Yoga DVD before I do any more. If all else fails, I can go to the chiropractor tomorrow afternoon.
I just want to quilt; I don't want to mark, and I don't want to have to do a lot of thinking about it, so I will just start and see what looks good as I go along. Later.

No more new quilt tops

Not that is, until I quilt at least one top already done, and maybe two. My pile of quilt tops waiting to be quilted is almost as high as the pile of completed quilts.

The cost of progress

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The cost of progress

Five extraordinary women tested for seventy-five peculiar toxins.

http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/the-cost-of-progress

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High Country News

Medallion Quilt top finished!

But I will try and take more photos after the sun goes down to show its colors better. I hung it up on the south side of the screened porch because that was the best sized flat place I could find, but you can see the post behind showing through, and there is WAYYYY too much light. Kuku likes it though.

View of Eagle Mountain, spring

Patio in spring

Medallion Quilt progress

I have finished the next-to-the-last border on this Medallion Quilt that I have been sewing along with some others in a Quilt-A-Long. I think I am behind, but there is only one border to go after this.

Back pain continued

I did make a special trip to the chiro and I feel a lot better. My sacrum was off, which it used to a lot several years ago. I missed the signs this time because the rib out pain was so much closer to my head, I guess. Anyway, I really DO have to start doing my lower back yoga exercises to keep my sacrum straight and avoid having to get it put back every time I bend over or twist. I have a Healthy Back Yoga dvd that I have never watched. I will do that after lunch today, I promise.

Read this

The New Age of Thrift
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/05/04/the-new-age-of-thrift/

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Back pain

My lower back hurts so much this morning that I am contemplating another visit to the chiropractor today. I just went, after work last evening, but I thought most of the pain was mid-back then, and that is all I had him fix. SInce that pain is now gone, my LOWER back had decided to scream at me whenever I move, and sometimes when I think I'm perfectly still.
I guess I have talked myself into it. I really hate driving all the way into town and wasting half my day off, but I guess it is necessary.

Seldom Seen

I log on to the computer so seldom anymore that my record here is getting even worse. By the time I read email, my computer time is up. Or I should say, my ability to ignore everything else is used up.
Wouldn't it seem to you that I should be able to do whatever on my days off, now that DH is retired? But NO, he cooks, but he doesn't do laundry unless I put it in the washer before I leave for work. But he won't fold the clothes when he brings them in off the line, so if I have him do laundry, I have to iron anything I want to actually wear. Not.
He doesn't seem to do housework either, unless very ostentatiously, in front of me, after I get home. And he's making nasty remarks about how he can't stand it any more the whole time he is sweeping. I could probably manage to ignore that in prior days, but now I am so tired when I get home that it just makes me cry. That seems to be his purpose, to make me feel as bad as possible.
ANd even when he DOES do something like dishes or sweeping, he NEVER finishes the job. He only does it half-assed, so the house looks no better after he does it.. Why bother?
And don't even get me started on bathrooms. He doesn't want me using HIS (the public) bathroom because I "mess" it up, but HE certainly never cleans it, nor does he ever clean the shower or sink in MY bathroom, which he uses every day. I am just unable to ignore his nasty toilet and sink because anybody that comes over will be using that one.
So anyway, I already should be cleaning instead of writing here.

afghans for Afghans

 

http://www.knitchmagazine.com/afghans-for-afghans.html

Hormone Free Milk - Monsanto Wins Ohio Court Case About Hormone Free Milk - thedailygreen.com

Read this. It is appalling.
Hormone Free Milk - Monsanto Wins Ohio Court Case About Hormone Free Milk - thedailygreen.com http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/hormone-free...

Frustration

My chances to actually do some sewing/quilting are so limited now. Even when I have a day off that DH is not here, I still have so many things to do that I'm lucky to have an hour or two to sew. So when I DO sit down, I want to have everything I need right there.
Today I ran out of my dark purple fabric for my Eureka Log Cabin. I can cut or sew no more until I replace it. So to the stash closet I went in perfect confidence that another dark purple would shortly be forthcoming. HA!!!
I, I'm ashamed to admit, got so frustrated and angry that I pulled 3/4ths of my stash down on the floor in wild disarray. And no, I didn't find another dark purple. I found several lighter shades to use when I run out of them in other blocks, but definitely NO DARK PURPLE. Shall I switch to black or dark blue or what? If I don't switch, I am stuck until another payday, a week away, when I can buy a yard at Bearly Stitchin. By the way, I went into JoAnn to buy a zipper last Friday, and I did look at their fabrics. But they charge nearly as much as a real quilt shop for really cheesey fabric. I am spoiled, I guess, from buying so much quality fabric over the years. I just don't want to even sew with that nasty cheap but expensive JoANn stuff.
And yes, I am still paying for all my quilt shop fabrics with my credit card debt which is the reason I can't even buy one yard of fabric without waiting for payday.
I give half of whatever I gross to DH and he applies it to one big credit card bill or medical insurance premiums. I use whats left to pay another cc bill and my line of credit payment and if there is anything left I buy whatever I want. Could be anything but isn't much of anything, as there isn't much money.
Things will improve if I can get on full-time at work. My paycheck last week was the first one with full-time hours (since somebody quit and I filled in) and I recklessly spent my share on candy and pop. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
DH is right to insist that he take care of the bills and that I give him most of the money, but I do hate to admit it. I don't think I would do it again, get myself in trouble financially, I mean, but you never know. I was on Zoloft when I was running up those bills and I just thought everything would work out somehow. Now I am not on Zoloft and I just don't see how it can ever come out all right.
I do a lot of crying but it is probably still better to not be on Zoloft.

IN THE GARDEN | Little Homestead in the City

IN THE GARDEN | Little Homestead in the City

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Migraines

I have one right now so bad I had to call in sick to work, and the weather map says the pressure is 30.18.  I want to keep track to see if I can predict these a bit better.

 

Fewer chickens

The chickens just lay too many eggs.  Theoretically this is a good thing, and I did enjoy taking the extras to the Tolleson Food Bank when I was working at Manheim's.  But now there isn't a convenient charity to deliver them to, and I really can't afford to keep feeding so many chickens with no recompense in the form of produce anyway.  The Tolleson Food Bank gave me lots of stuff leftover from their distribution days whenever I delivered the eggs.

So, my 7 hens have been reduced to 5 but they are still giving 4-5 eggs per day.  Bill's 8 hens are still giving 2-5 per day.  Looks pretty lopsided, doesn't it?  It was really a stretch for me to understand why we would butcher MY hens, who lay every day, and keep HIS hens who lay about a third of the time.

The reason is that HIS hens will go broody and maybe raise chicks for us to eat or add to the laying flock.  But we need to keep at least some of mine so that we can eat their eggs and keep HIS eggs to be sat on.  I don't know why his hens can't just set on my eggs, but NOOOOOOO!

Oh well, I have brought myself around to it by reflecting that he can just buy the chicken feed since he now owns most of the chickens.

YouTube - SOUTH CENTRAL FARM: OASIS IN A CONCRETE DESERT AFI FEST 2007

YouTube - SOUTH CENTRAL FARM: OASIS IN A CONCRETE DESERT AFI FEST 2007

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I do love my job

I finally went online and signed up for the part-timer's medical insurance at my work, and it is a good thing. You are required to sign up within 45 days of your hire date or else wait until open enrollment, and I would have missed the deadline if I hadn't started asking questions and not getting answers when I did.
When I got to work the next day I did fill in the new manager about this, and he made sure that packets were printed out and given to all the other part-timers that very day. I am the second newest employee though, so everyone else will have to wait until open enrollment if they want the insurance. That is only till May for this plan, but it would have been too long for me. My COBRA benefits run out only a few days after my new plan takes effect.
So my assertiveness (a nice way to say pushy) paid off in this instance.

Be Informed about Common Poultry Products

Be Informed about Common Poultry Products

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True Up » Archive » 10 Tips for Building a More Color-Rich Stash, by Color Mastery Author Maria Peagler

True Up » Archive » 10 Tips for Building a More Color-Rich Stash, by Color Mastery Author Maria Peagler

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Young Grocer Finds New Opportunties | Center for Rural Affairs

Young Grocer Finds New Opportunties | Center for Rural Affairs

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Stitches and Sticks - The Milkweed Project--You Participate! - The Milkweed Project

Stitches and Sticks - The Milkweed Project--You Participate! - The Milkweed Project

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Broomhuggers » Ack! BPA in cans too?

Broomhuggers » Ack! BPA in cans too?

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Speeding ticket

Well, I finally got my first-ever speeding ticket.  My SECOND ticket for anything at all in my entire life, since I got a parking ticket on sale day at Manheims a couple of months ago.  That place has been trouble for me, and I am glad to be leaving it for something better. Now I have to sign up for traffic school and GO to traffic school, on top of everything else that costs time and money.  But I WAS speeding, not unreasonably so, but speeding.

 

There is a new bridged river crossing at Cotton Lane, which hooks up to Estrella Parkway in Estrella Mountain Ranch.  It seems like an ideal way to get to work at Petsmart, since I can stop at the Elliot Market for a diet Coke on the way.  That is, it DID seem like an ideal way.  It doesn't anymore.

 

The speed limit, as it turns out, is 35 miles per hour headed north from Estrella Parkway to the bridge, where it changes to 45.  The stretch where is 35 is coming down a hill, open land on both sides, and you can see all the way to Hwy 85.  No reason in the world for the limit to be so low.

 

So I was COASTING down the hill and a motorcycle cop put a radar gun on me from about a mile away, next to the bridge.  He said I was going 54 miles per hour, and I am sure I probably was. That is 19 miles per hour over the limit.  I could have been going a LOT faster, as there is perfect visibility and NO traffic.  I had previously wondered off and on why nobody uses that road, and now I know. Duh, why wasn't I watching for cops?  Just fat, dumb, and happy, I guess.  No more. 

 

I have gone back to using Hwy 85 and making a left on to Cotton Lane.  I will just have to stoke up my caffeine on tea before I leave home and have a diet Coke on break at work.  That will be better for me anyway.

 

I start on the cash register at Petsmart tomorrow, 9-3.  Then I will work at Manheims Monday, Petsmart Tuesday, Manheims Wednesday, Petsmart Thursday, Manheims Friday, and Petsmart Saturday and Sunday.  Its not as bad as it looks.  No shift at Petsmart is over 6 hours, and Saturday is only 3 hours.  Plus I will only do it for one week.  Even if I go back to Manheims to help out for a little while, I will never tax myself over it again.  This next week is the second week on my notice, and I am working as many hours for them as I can manage.

 

AJ

Finally, a good job

Last weekend I filled out an online application for the new Petsmart at Cotton Lane and Yuma Rd, by far the closest place to work I could ever find. On Monday at work I got a cellphone call asking me to come in for an interview on Tuesday. Yay, yay, yay. I couldn't sleep that night, even though I REALLY didn't want to look even older at the interview.
TO shorten the long story, I spend over 2 hours there, interviewed with 2 different people, and GOT A JOB as a cashier, starting as part-time but with 3o, 60, and 90 day reviews for raises and more hours. ANd get this!!! Petsmart part-time employees get the exact same benefits as full-timers, including health insurance, dental, vision, 401k plan, etc. This is after 90 days, and I have just about 90 days remaining on my COBRA insurance from Manheim's.
I speculate that they must need somebody old on the staff, as everyone is under 25 except the manager, and the store is supposed to be a model environment. It has been chosen to train management people for Petsmart from all over. Whatever the reason, I am just glad about it. I have at least 10 more good years in me, and can't think of a better place to spend them. AND I get an employee discount on anything I buy. That alone will save money, as my pets do seem to get along much better with the most premium foods. Even the cat has been moping since she ate all her Christmas canned food and had to go back to Friskies.
I already took my pee test, on Tuesday after the interview, and am just waiting for the results to be delivered to the Petsmart manager so we can set up my training and schedule. I can't wait.
He offered me cashier or pet associate in the small animal/bird dept. I took cashier because I get to pet everybody's dog that way, and I think he liked that answer.
I told Marj on Wednesday about my new job and gave 2 weeks notice, but said I would be more than willing to come in a couple of days a week as long as my Petsmart schedule was part time. Her reaction was very strange, to me. She said that she had no problem with it but would have to check with upper management, as they might prefer me to just get out of there right away. I couldn't believe it!! Here I was trying to avoid leaving them in the lurch, and she has to ask if I can even work out 2 weeks notice. What kind of world is this? I would say I am lucky to be leaving that world, huh?

Fw: Fun Critter Photos

Subject: FW: Fun Critter Photos

These photos are just too special not to pass them along to everyone.

Tolerance

Acceptance

Compassion

Kindness

Joy

Take these five words and scramble the letters around to see how many other POSITIVE words and emotions you can create.

Merry Christmas

Karen

---

Ever have one of those days, when something seems a bit 'off' but you just can't put your finger on it...

Or it seemed like all the people around you just wanted to butt heads...

Or just get into some kind of weird tug of war? (They're hoping Vick's sentence is in dog years :)

Sometimes you just need to take a fresh new look and get a different perspective on things.

Remember to try your best to show kindness to others...

(sometimes looking at things from their perspective might help....)




So, when life gets you down...

Remember to just keep going, and keep your head above water...

And you'll get by with a little help from your friends!

---

08 4:55 PM

Its cold in AZ

Sam likes to sleep on the couch when its cold. Can't blame him, the brick floor is cold by morning, even if we had a good fire going in the evening.

I am a lousy fire-starter, but former Boy Scout and his dog make quick work of it. Sam doesn't always want to give up the wood he carries down from the woodpile right away, but will happily trade it for a ball if you ask.

Not the job

Well, the job I have been anxiously waiting to be hired for has gone to someone else. I already cried about it, a couple of weeks ago, so today's news is somewhat anticlimactic. I hadn't really stopped hoping, though, as long as the winter hadn't been announced. Now she has.
So, next stop, I filled out an application for the part-time payroll coordinator. I didn't apply for it in the first place because of it being parttime, but I guess if I could have accepted the clerk'coordinator in Fleet Lease as a parttime job, I can surely accept the payroll job as parttime. It is a long shot, though, as I have no experience at computerized payroll, just many and varied experiences at life. It has been posted for weeks, though, and no one has been hired yet, so I might as well take my chance. Wish me luck.

TECHknitting™

TECHknitting™

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On predators, ranchers and public land grazing — High Country News

On predators, ranchers and public land grazing — High Country News

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Something About U.S. Causes Asthma - thedailygreen.com

Something About U.S. Causes Asthma - thedailygreen.com

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A Great Visit with Friends

Thanksgiving was nice

I tried to have only native American foods; even the roast chicken was a White Rock, an American breed. I used bagels, corn bread, and whole wheat bread in the stuffing, along with wild rice, onions, apples, and sage. It was really good. We had made 4 bean salad the day before, so had that, and I made whole bean cranberry sauce from my frozen cranberries. It seems to be hard to find fresh cranberries some years, so I buy double whenever I see them and freeze for future use. I will make cranberry coffee cake for tomorrow's company with the leftover sauce.
Of course I made hot rolls, always my favorite part of the meal. But I made them whole wheat for the first time and used honey for sweetener. Mmmm good, and I put half of them in the freezer before the second rising, so we can have those again too.
I'm getting hungry writing this; better go have some leftovers for lunch.

The nature of insomnia

Late at night, after sleeping a few hours, I wake. I toss and turn, toss and turn. Most every night it seems as if my body has forgotten how to sleep. If I do manage to get back to sleep, I just can't get past dreaming to the good sleep. The one where your brain leaves you alone, where your muscles heal, where you prepare to make a new start in the morning.
The waking happens even if I take my prescribed sleeping pill, even if I consumed no caffeine that day, even if I have had a super stress-free day. "Why!", I cry, corny as it is. "What have I done to deserve this?"
The info says this insomnia comes with the fibromyalgia, but I think it CAUSES the fibromyalgia. The less you sleep, the less healing your muscles get, even from normal life, and as they are more stressed from being unable to heal at night, the more pain and less sleep and even less healing and even more pain, etc, etc.
But I remember being in the grip of insomnia when I had active Crohn's Disease too, only nobody ever said anything about fibromyalgia. There was enough pain from the the Crohn's to mask the muscle pain from anything else. So, which came first?
Sometimes that seems to be the only thing to be grateful for. What? Fibromyalgia is better than active Crohn's Disease, that's what.

Campaign Silo » Arizona Gets Busy Boycotting Over Equal Marriage Rights

Campaign Silo » Arizona Gets Busy Boycotting Over Equal Marriage Rights

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Enviroblog: Hidden food allergens: Label reading ain\'t what it used to be

Enviroblog: Hidden food allergens: Label reading ain't what it used to be

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My kitchen, Thanksgiving 2008