Requiem for Brady

I saw it coming. I saw it when Brady first came to live next door. My neighbor, who is a strange fellow himself, had a German shepherd when I moved into my house. One hot August day, the dog died and the flies were terrible. I had to call my neighbor and tell him that his dog was dead on the concrete that was his back yard. I prayed that he would not get another dog. He only comes out once a day to give the dog fresh water, his once daily meal, and to scoop up the poop that has inevitably been sitting there for a very long time. In summer, I pray for rain to wash away the stench of excrements. But Brady, a new German shepherd pup came to live next door, and immediately all the neighbors came to pay attention to him, since he got so little from his owner. Toys and treats came from all around the neighborhood. Brady was a good watch dog. He was quiet except when intruders walked down the alley. He knew his neighbors and appreciated the attention lavished on him, even for just a brief few minutes. He often contentedly watched me work in the garden. He knew that after I took the trash to the alley we would have an up close and personal visit. But a life time of living on concret got to his hips, a curse of large dogs. He started to limp. He started to do his business too close to the house. I could see his deterioration would bring his demise. And now he is gone. The back yard seems more lifeless than the winter would normally have wrought. I just hope there is not another victim.

Dazed and Confused

It's been a while since the last post. I am glad to have finished the bedroom and I still have lots of little return-things-to-normal projects. And the snow drops are blooming and the daffodils are peekning through which means the gardens need attention. I travel to Philadelphia next week and San Antonio at the end of the month. At work, I am scheduling things into May. At church, I've done planning to June. I wonder why the republicans are objecting to everything that gets done now, using the same old rhetoric they've always used and not suggesting any new ideas for problems of historic proportions. And if the solutions that got us into the mess didn't work, how can they help get us out now. I think the president is telling it like it is, which is certainly refreshing from the last one who only spoke in spin. I don't think the new press secretary is up to the job- not smart enough to answer the tough questions. I don't like government getting involved in banks and car makers - especially with my money! The govnuh has ordered furloughs for state employees. I've already taken 12 hours and not lost a dime because our personnel people forgot they had to do an EXTRA report. I planned my furlough to space out my pay decrease (over and above the five month salary reduction which was tricked on us) and now the pay decrease is going to be even worse, because instead of being spread out, it is going to hit all at once...which makes it MY problem to figure out how to pay my bills. I just love government! I plan and the government does what it will. It makes one absolutely proud to be in its employ! No wonder I'm dazed and confused! No wonder I don't have any witty ideas to record on my blog. Someone needs to let me know when things start getting better. I'm not sure anyone will know other than the many who are currently unemployed. Yes, I AM happy to have a job. I just wish I could better undertand why I feel unusually dazed and confused these days in spite of regular accomplishments in my own little world. I can certainly rejoice that there is no surgery this year! (so far!)

KISS...

...otherwise known in the common parlance as "keep it simple stupid". I have always believed that this rule is just so good for everyone, even though, I have trouble living it, as most of us do, I think. I was driving home from work rather late for me and a new show came on NPR called "Stories". It was a premier and from what I heard, it is probably worth listening to always. Tonight was about a man who was making a fortune in Silicon Valley, lost his company and everything in the dot.com bust, then started to return to simplicity by living with his sister on a farm, helping to do the farm chores to grow and raise their food, taking minimum wage jobs, first as a zookeeper, then a series of others, and discovering that he was much happier than when he was pulling down 100's of thousands of dollars and had credit card debt that I can only imagine. At my age, it appears that some of the most important lessons I've learned in life are to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, etc., remember your family always comes first because they are most like you - they share your DNA, walk every day or some day you won't be able to do so, keep it simple.

A picture moved

The HGTV script

What ties the room together is the hunter paisley chair rail border that circles the room and runs vertically up the return air vent in the corner of the room, supporting the angled placement of the wardrobe. Three walls are painted with a bright pale green on top and a duskier medium green on the bottom. The wall behind the storage pieces has white Laura Ashley wall paper with small hunter leaf pattern on top and smoky rose marble pattern on the bottom. The wood trim is slate grey framing the original oak hardwood floors that have been restored to a gleaming lustre. All furniture is golden oak, except the lingerie tower which was an unfinished pine piece now stained English Oak, and separates the wardrobe and chest of drawers. The drapes are sheers on sheers, a favorite, consisting a white base covered by two striped panels of burgundy and cream with acanthus leaf motif and two panels of solid medium moss green crowned by Parisian lace toppers in a medium linen taupe color matching the acanthus pattern in the cream stripes of the panels. The bed quilt, which highlights the burgundy, hunter & cream color palette is called Maryland and covers 100% Egyptian cotton hotel style sheets with olive green embroidered stripe trim. The palette, including its many complementary shades of green with burgundy & cream accents, keep the room feeling cool and restful.

The big reveal

So now instead of looking at my kitchen floor, you can look at my bedroom for a while...until I find something else inspirational to put up here 'Tis done! Now I can return my house to normal. I now have returned the floors to their original hardwood - the picture doesn't look that great, but the floors look wonderful in person. And you can see the new furniture that made the process longer than it probably ought to have been. However, now I have to work on the hallway and the steps to make them look as good as the bedroom. Just a matter of cleaning and shining.

The old bait & switch

If you go back and read my January 7 entry about creative finance - how state employees were furloughed for two days then told that we weren't furloughed, but our pay is being reduced. Ah, but today I found out the truth. Today was pay day. I was expecting my pay to be less because I took 4 hours of furlough two weeks ago. However, my pay went up. I couldn't figure how this could be possible. Well, the first way it happened is that I got my 2008 increment - which I always get late because I was hired in April and all employees get their increment depending on their hire date. The other way it happened is that they did not take out my furlough money because this was the first pay period where my new pay rate was in effect, and the governor needs to be sure that my furlough pay is based on the highest pay rate which is the one I just got. So, next week, the state will take my 4 hours of furloough at my higher pay rate. Now, also, because the state needs to take the pay for the administrative leave given on December 26 and January 2, they will begin taking that from every pay from February 11 through June 30. But guess, what! The state is taking what amounts to a week's pay at the NEW salary rate -NOT two days of pay at the old rate! This is why we were given administrative leave. We were not furloughed on December 26 & January 2. Rather, we were FORCED to take two days off from work so the state can deduct a week's worth of pay. And now they call it a salary reduction plan. And it has nothing to do with having two days off. Our salaries are simply reduced - by simple proclamation of the governor! Ah, but never fear. This is so smart. You see, state employees will get no raises this year, but the salary reduction plan will end in June and it will look like we get a salary increase in July when it would be due because the state has reduced our pay for 5 months. I am so glad I live in a blue state!!

Beautiful Sunshine

I had to call the Philadelphia Voice Institute today to make an appointment because mighty Johns Hopkins cannot figure out what causes my residual vocal problems that have plagued me for the past year. The scheduler proceeds to give me an ppointment with a Dr. Beausoleil (pronounced bo-so-lay for you non-Francophones) and begins to spell for me. After 2 letters I interrupted her and asked, "Oh, is it French for beautiful sunshine?" "Yes." "You don't need to spell it for me. It's B-e-a-u-s-o-l-e-i-l, right?" "Yes, that's right." Sometimes a liberal education is useful.