Tuesday, January 25, 2005
APRIL....1986
April opened up with a friend having surgery and one of my co-workers lost a good friend due to a heart attack. We were short at work because Joe took off to go to Kenny’s funeral, which left Mose and me to work the station alone. Somehow we worked through 38-written and eye tests and 22-road tests. This was accomplished within a 6-hour time slot. For two people it means you aren’t one of those State people sitting around drinking coffee on the job.
It amazes me to come face to face with the attitudes people have for Federal or State workers. I have been both and I worked along with people who were dedicated to their jobs….worked through lunch and left work late. Those are the folks who are never held up as examples. The few you see leaning on a file cabinet or hanging out at the water cooler set the stage for the whole. I heard an interesting thing in a commentary the other day. The man was saying, “Two words you should forget, are: always and never. Things are not ‘always’ nor ‘never’ Do not lump classes or situations into groups. Everything is individual and should be regarded as such.”
If you don’t think you are guilty of that….try listening to yourself. I hadn’t realized how often I use the two words….even in my writing, when I edit the blog of the day, more often than not I am deleting both words from overuse. They shouldn’t be used at all. While I’m at it….there are some other repetitions I over use that I’m working to eliminate. Reading what you write sometimes leaves you wondering….did “I” write that? Little phrases and words lead us astray and we end up writing dribble we didn’t intend to. Editing is more beneficial to me than writing for that very reason. I can jerk the plug on thoughts or words that need to be discarded.
Did I mention chasing rabbits? I seem to have jumped the fence here and run away with a thought. I NEVER do that because I ALWAYS try not to. So much for humor. Aunt Beulah came early in the month for a visit at mom’s and I got to enjoy her company as it was one of my days off. Becky was having to go to St. Louis for a sales meeting so we took mom up to watch Jennifer and Jonathan for the time she would be gone. Mom really enjoyed Becky’s water bed and claimed she slept better and didn’t ache the next day.
The 14th of the month the news was all about the bombing of Libya in a brave attack to hit military bases. One plane and 2-crewmen were lost. The strike was to put an end to the brazen threats and open defiance along with their acts of terrorism. The attack killed some of the royal family members and was successful in stopping further bullying. It was a highly successful mission.
The 19th of April was little John’s first birthday. How we wished we could be part of the big celebration and watch his reactions to all of the fuss. I knew he would be well supplied with love and affection….and certainly a lot of presents. When grandparents live away from the grandchildren they miss so many of their activities but it’s a fact most of us have to live with. John was good to take pictures and film special occasions so we knew we would get to view them at a later date.
Becky needed mom to watch Jennifer and Jonathan the next week again so we drove her up after church on Sunday. Becky and the kids just came in from Kansas City and were worn out from their trip. Everything went well until the following Thursday when mom fell. Jennifer somehow got her to the bed and called immediately to tell us that grandma was feeling dizzy and had fallen. We made the 80-mile drive to Springfield as fast as we could….Jennifer had taken charge very well. We called for an ambulance to take mom to the hospital where she was taken to the emergency room.
They were able to stabilize her but she was still dizzy and had a terrible headache. They admitted her and gave her a shot to ease the pain and to help her rest. We left the hospital around 11:00pm and none of us had eaten so we took the kids to eat at Steak n’ Shake for burgers before leaving for home. We brought them along with us….it was 2:00am before any of us got to bed.
Somehow we managed to keep things together until Becky came back. We went back to the hospital to visit mom, I worked my required time, and in the midst of that, the Sergeant over the Driver’s Examiners told me I should apply for a position that would soon be vacant. I had a lot to think about and not much time to make some decisions……………April brought more than rain for May flowers this year.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
It amazes me to come face to face with the attitudes people have for Federal or State workers. I have been both and I worked along with people who were dedicated to their jobs….worked through lunch and left work late. Those are the folks who are never held up as examples. The few you see leaning on a file cabinet or hanging out at the water cooler set the stage for the whole. I heard an interesting thing in a commentary the other day. The man was saying, “Two words you should forget, are: always and never. Things are not ‘always’ nor ‘never’ Do not lump classes or situations into groups. Everything is individual and should be regarded as such.”
If you don’t think you are guilty of that….try listening to yourself. I hadn’t realized how often I use the two words….even in my writing, when I edit the blog of the day, more often than not I am deleting both words from overuse. They shouldn’t be used at all. While I’m at it….there are some other repetitions I over use that I’m working to eliminate. Reading what you write sometimes leaves you wondering….did “I” write that? Little phrases and words lead us astray and we end up writing dribble we didn’t intend to. Editing is more beneficial to me than writing for that very reason. I can jerk the plug on thoughts or words that need to be discarded.
Did I mention chasing rabbits? I seem to have jumped the fence here and run away with a thought. I NEVER do that because I ALWAYS try not to. So much for humor. Aunt Beulah came early in the month for a visit at mom’s and I got to enjoy her company as it was one of my days off. Becky was having to go to St. Louis for a sales meeting so we took mom up to watch Jennifer and Jonathan for the time she would be gone. Mom really enjoyed Becky’s water bed and claimed she slept better and didn’t ache the next day.
The 14th of the month the news was all about the bombing of Libya in a brave attack to hit military bases. One plane and 2-crewmen were lost. The strike was to put an end to the brazen threats and open defiance along with their acts of terrorism. The attack killed some of the royal family members and was successful in stopping further bullying. It was a highly successful mission.
The 19th of April was little John’s first birthday. How we wished we could be part of the big celebration and watch his reactions to all of the fuss. I knew he would be well supplied with love and affection….and certainly a lot of presents. When grandparents live away from the grandchildren they miss so many of their activities but it’s a fact most of us have to live with. John was good to take pictures and film special occasions so we knew we would get to view them at a later date.
Becky needed mom to watch Jennifer and Jonathan the next week again so we drove her up after church on Sunday. Becky and the kids just came in from Kansas City and were worn out from their trip. Everything went well until the following Thursday when mom fell. Jennifer somehow got her to the bed and called immediately to tell us that grandma was feeling dizzy and had fallen. We made the 80-mile drive to Springfield as fast as we could….Jennifer had taken charge very well. We called for an ambulance to take mom to the hospital where she was taken to the emergency room.
They were able to stabilize her but she was still dizzy and had a terrible headache. They admitted her and gave her a shot to ease the pain and to help her rest. We left the hospital around 11:00pm and none of us had eaten so we took the kids to eat at Steak n’ Shake for burgers before leaving for home. We brought them along with us….it was 2:00am before any of us got to bed.
Somehow we managed to keep things together until Becky came back. We went back to the hospital to visit mom, I worked my required time, and in the midst of that, the Sergeant over the Driver’s Examiners told me I should apply for a position that would soon be vacant. I had a lot to think about and not much time to make some decisions……………April brought more than rain for May flowers this year.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
