My mother used to say ” Cheer up things could get worse. I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse”.
My Week
Author: annemariedemyen
Wife, mother, grandmother dogmother - lover of nature, peace and tranquility. RETIRED. Life is good!
Winter 19/20
I am having a spectacularly unproductive winter this year. I started the season with shingles, rested and relaxed over Christmas break and went back to work with a flu/cold that has hung around for weeks. My biggest accomplishment over the past three months was to buy myself a box of eight jigsaw puzzles for Christmas and finish every one of them. 😊
They were pretty small as jigsaw puzzles go, 300 to 1000 pieces, but I found them surprisingly challenging.
I hope that now that I have that project complete, I will start feeling a bit more ambitious. It is not that I do not have things to do. I am just stuck in hibernation mode. 😴
173 Days to Retirement
Only 173 more days to go! I wonder if I am going to make it. It is not that I do not enjoy my work. For the most part I love what I do workwise. I am just tired! Tired of going to work in the dark, tired of being cold, tired of looking at dirty snow, tired of winter in general and tired of ongoing issues at work that are really hard on morale.
Today I decided I had to pull myself out of this funk so I started a new bucket list. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Bucket lists are good. Looking forward is good. Challenges are good. I got as far as 1. Defrost my freezer. That was not good. 🤦
In lieu of a new bucket list, I decided to go through some pictures of spring flowers in our yard over the past few years. I cannot wait for the months to go by so I can start planting again! I love spring!
Sleep Deprivation
Everyone sleeps. For some people (or dogs), sleep is like food. A little here, a little there, and they are functional. I am not one of those people. I need my sleep. A solid eight hours a night – at least.
For the most part, I have always slept well. Even when my children were infants, I slept well. I would go to bed as early as possible, wake up for night feedings, and be able to fall back asleep no problem. Fortunately, my children were good sleepers as well. 👶
When I was building a new home with my first husband, I worked a year of nights in a donut shop to pay off the downpayment. In the day, I was a full-time homemaker with three children in elementary school. Evenings and weekends, we put a lot of sweat equity into the house. I found I could function on very little sleep if I had to. I also found that lack of sleep made me giddy – really giddy! By the time the year was up, I was able to go to part-time administrative day work and resume my regular sleep routine. 😊
When I became a single mother of three teenagers, I once again had to cut back on my sleep. Monday through Friday, I was up at 6 a.m. and getting ready to drive teenagers to school before getting to work. My day was done at 2 or 3 a.m. the next morning. Saturday and Sunday, I could usually squeak in six hours of sleep a night. It was not nearly enough. After three and a half years, I was giddy to the point of hysterics most days. I could find hilarity in most situations, and generally did. Fortunately, we didn’t have a lot of family funerals or equally somber affairs in those years. I am pretty sure that would not have gone well. 🙄
Anyway, for the past twenty years, I have been able to get in some pretty solid sleep. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. This past fall I had a case of shingles – from the top of my head, through my left eye and across my face. I do not know why, but somehow this has affected my ability to sleep. I will go to bed a 10 pm and at 3 am I am staring at the ceiling thinking about anything that is guaranteed to keep me awake. I finally get a couple of hours of sleep, but it is not nearly enough. I am not giddy when I wake up. I am just exhausted. Sliding off my chair at work by 10 a.m. exhausted. 😴
Laying awake in the middle of the night sucks. Being exhausted all day just sucks. Anybody have any fail proof ways to get to sleep? I am ready to try (almost) anything. 😟
Investing in the Future
Last night Dan was on night shift. I was here, ready to relax with my dog, a bag of pistachios, a glass of wine and a bit of classic Tom Cruise. Then, I heard the unmistakable sound of teen giggles and realized that our granddaughter, Genie, and her friends were bounding down the walk and about to invade. So much for the wine. I really did not mind. I love to see any of the grandkids and their friends. Soon they were inside, shedding jackets and winter boots.
We all got comfortable and they started telling me about their week. They had semester final exams. Some fared better than others, but they were all ready to accept the grades they received. They talked about their friends. A little drama, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then they talked about work. They all work at Superstore. They all work front end, with Genie having the additional responsibility of being a supervisor.
It is really funny hearing Genie and her friends talk about work. They do not complain about work. They do not complain about their bosses, their co-workers or the work they have to do . They do not complain about the personal sacrifices they make for their work – the early morning shifts, the late evening shifts or the time with friends and family that they miss. They do not complain about their wages.
For the most part, Genie and her friends talk about their customers. Mostly they talk about the customers who made their shifts better. They talk about customers who were super happy or particularly friendly. They talk about any compliments they received and any genuine appreciation they experienced. They talk about the customers they saw who were just extra nice and considerate to those around them. These customers make their shifts memorable.
Of course there are the customers who make their shifts more difficult and those get mentioned as well. They are the customers who are miserable before they ever approach the cashier or the service counter or the ones who are upset by a store issue and decide to take it out on someone who is trying to help them. There are the customers who will disrespect Genie and her friends simply because of their youth or make inappropriate remarks and suggestions because of their gender. Others will be disrespectful and rude simply because they feel superior to cashiers, price checkers and fellow shoppers.
These young people take their jobs really seriously. They take positive and negative interactions really seriously. They truly want to help people to have a positive experience at Superstore. They are excited about taking one of their first major steps to being responsible adults and they want to get it right.
Genie and her friends are not that unique as young employees go. This week, it would be really nice if we could all try a bit harder to notice the young employees we encounter. An extra smile and a kind word will really make their day. It will also encourage them to hold onto that work ethic and attitude – through this job and those that will follow. In the long run, it will be an investment in the future – ours and definitely theirs.
Saturday Shopping
Tomorrow is Saturday, which means Saturday morning shopping. Shopping is right at the top of things I do not like to do. When I have to go it alone, shopping is even worse. Dan is working nights this weekend, so alone it is.
The only good thing about Saturday morning shopping is going out for Saturday lunch. Since going out for lunch isn’t the same when Dan is working, I just go shopping. This obviously makes the shopping worse.
Finally, Dan and I have both been sick for a week or so. Last Saturday, Dan insisted on coming shopping, but once we got there he decided he didn’t feel well enough to actually shop, so I ran into Superstore to pick up a few groceries. The store was a zoo. Our Walmart, which is the only other ‘supermarket’ on this corner of the city has been closed for weeks due to cleanup from a small fire. Everyone has been shopping at Superstore.
I zipped through the aisles on hyperspeed, bypassing anything we didn’t need, I could not find, or was where I would have to play bumpercarts with those obnoxious customers who obviously knew what they needed and where it was. Not wanting to keep Dan waiting any longer than I had to, I zipped through the express cashier. I ran out to the Jeep with my haul – two sweaters, a scarf and a bag of Doritos. Dan decided he felt well enough to take me for lunch. (Maybe he just wasn’t hungry for Doritos)
This week we obviously need groceries. I will be on my own but I’m going to have to get it done. At least Walmart reopened a few days ago so us shoppers can spread out!
Value
In my mind, the secret to success in any venture is to add more value to the situation than you take out of it. Period! This is true of pretty much anything that I can think of – relationships, employment, business, education, property, sports, anything. That seems so basic!
So why does it seem like there are so many people who believe the exact opposite? People who seem to think that if they are not taking out more than they are putting in, they are wasting their time and they are being shortchanged? They go through life putting in minimal effort while sucking the life out of every opportunity that comes their way. Then they are shocked that every opportunity in life turns to trash for them.
These people go into every relationship for what they can get out of it, and complain when it falls apart. They do as little as possible at their job and then complain when the company fails to thrive and they do not get the raise or bonus they were counting on. They get a new vehicle, drive it into the ground, fail to maintain it and then complain because it is worthless junk. Their failures in life mount and they become self pitying victims of circumstance.
Seriously people? What do you expect will happen?
Are there really so many of these people out there or am I just a magnet for their type?
International Hug Day part 2
Yesterday, I may have been a little dubious about the power of hugs but as usual, our granddaughter, Genie had to pop in to convince me to rethink matters.
I love teenagers. When my kids were teenagers, they were the best and they had the best friends. We were ‘the house‘. Having left my husband, to raise and support three teenagers alone, it was not the biggest or the fanciest house. It was a safe house, a secure house, a peaceful house, and a happy house. That is all my kids and their friends wanted. A place to watch a movie or play a board game or eat a week’s supply of homemade stew at one sitting. There were not a lot of rules, other than the obvious ones like no drugs or alcohol but the first rule was always RESPECT yourself, RESPECT each other and RESPECT Mrs. N. (This was before I remarried and became Grandma D.) They all had their moments and no doubt a few challenging days but they were adorable. Nowdays, my kids and their friends are all in or close to their forties. They were good, responsible teenagers and they have all become responsible adults with children of their own, who are coming into their own as teenagers.
This brings me back to Genie and her friends. Genie is amazing. She is smart and beautiful and kind and (generally) responsible. Her friends seem to be likewise. They are all really good kids – until the DRAMA kicks in. Then they are still good kids but more dramatically so. When did teenagers become so insecure and stubborn and dramatic?
Yesterday, Dan and I were watching the news, while supper cooked, and Genie came crashing in with her friend Lucas. Earlier she had texted to tell me she had gotten a 95% on her final English exam for the semester. She was beyond excited. Yay, Genie! She comes bouncing in dragging Lucas behind her. Lucas did not fare as well and unfortunately came up short on his math exam. Genie had taken Lucas to the Cornwall Centre to meet up with friends in an effort to cheer him up. It obviously did not work very well so Grandma and Grandpa D’s it was. We visited for half an hour, chatted with Genie, commiserated with Lucas and it was time for them to head out. Grandpa gave Genie her usual bear hug, as did I, then I turned to Lucas and offered him a hug as well. (I knew from previous visits that he was a hugger). He jumped at the offer and smiled for the first time during their visit. He looked better for the hug and Dan and I both assured him that in the overall scheme of things, he would be fine.
I may not be totally convinced but I do think my hug for Lucas yesterday helped him turn a corner on his day. I certainly hope both Genie and Lucas did well on their exams today. Fingers crossed.🤞
International Day of Hugs
Today is the International day of hugs. I have to admit, I am not the most touchy feely person and I am rattled more than a little when someone spontaneously hugs me, especially if it is someone I have just met or someone I do not know very well. Occasionally, someone will ask if it would be ok to hug me. I generally agree although there have been times when I have just declined with a simple “No, I’m good”. Actually it was one time and he was a pre-plan funeral salesman. It was just wierd.
Despite my reluctance to hug willy-nilly, there have been a number of studies that have shown that hugging has potential benefits – physically and emotionally. Newborns, are known to thrive when the they are hugged, compared to those who are deprived of such physical interaction. The same theory must also be popular with seniors. I am pretty sure one of the prerequisites for working in a nursing home is the ability to pass around hugs like hard candies – which is another story of mine altogether.
I honestly do admire people who are capable of giving out spontaneous hugs to anyone in their immediate vicinity. I had a brother-in-law who gave the best bear hugs. He was an amazing man with a big heart and a total joie de vivre. Unfortunately, he died in a vehicle accident many years ago. The likes of Paul are few and far between. My kids are all good and natural huggers but they are all a little cautious about who they hug. My grandchildren hug anybody, their friends are huggers, it is somewhat of a ‘thing’ with the lot of them.
Happy ‘International Day of Hugs’! It is only one day of the year, make the most of it. Hug your mother, your friend, your sister, or your dog. Hug a stranger – but like not me. I’m good🤗
Winter Flu
The temperature is finally breaking into single digits today and I am home with the flu. I spent the weekend making home made chicken soup and taking care of my sick husband and he has decided to share. It is miserable having aches and pains, sore throat, runny nose, headache and heavy chest.
I get a bonus when I am home sick during the week. My dog takes it personally. She pouts, glares at me and goes to the back door on a regular basis. When I drag myself over to open the door, she looks at me as if to say ” Not me, you get out!”. I have no idea what she does when I go to work all day but I have a feeling she will not be impressed when I retire in a few months.
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 