Insensitive People ...

I work for a local health authority and am progrm coordinator for a very special program.  Our program povides funds to clients that want to remain in their own homes rather than be institutionalized.  These clients have many different afflictions (quads, parapalegic, dementia, ALS, etc). 

I spend a great deal of my time connecting with these clients and their families assisting in what ever way I can.  Some are only a voice on the phone and others I have the pleasure of meeting in person.  I love my job and get a great deal of satisfaction when I can be of assistance no matter how small the task.

The one downside of my job is that I deal with the lose of these clients eventually.  So far this month I have had five clients go to eternal rest.  Besides my clients I am also dealing with a sick friend that has been admitted to pallitive care and an elderly aunt that has had two heart attacks and a stroke and is now in a coma.

I have always been able to deal with the situations but insensitive people are another story.  Why would someone say to me "You don't even know them, so why does it upset you?"  Have humans lost all sense of compassion for their fellow mankind?  It upsets me because I care.  I care about my clients and their families.  I care that they get treated fairly and in a manner that allows them to stay with their loved ones as long as possible.  I care because I am human and have a heart.

Since I started this position last April I have had 27 clients pass away.  Each family gets a card of condolence and a phone call to see if there is anything I can assist with.  Yes, it is part of my job and I get paid for doing it.  Does that mean I should act like a robot and not care?  I think not.

I have families that have to make a decision regarding putting a loved one in a care facility as they can no long keep them on the program due to their condition getting worse.  Does that mean when an only child calls and wants to talk because she has no family to turn to and her relationship with her mother has always been close that I should be cold and not give her my time?  I think not.  She is mourning the loss of her mother.  Even though she still has her physically there is no longer the mental connection due to mom's failing ability to even recognize her own daughter.  That first time that she asked who are you nearly torn this young woman's heart out.  What did I do?  I sat on the phone with her for almost an hour as she poured out her heart, I listened, I empathised.  At the end of the call I got "Thank you so much for listening to me, you are truly a special person."  Wow, thank you God for giving me the ability to listen.

I cannot always be of assistance but sometimes just a kind word or even a hug will turn a bad day to a good one for them.

So are you insensitive people listening?  Don't judge me for what I do and don't tell me that it shouldn't bother me when they pass away.  Maybe if you had a little more compassion in your heart you could reach out to some of these people as well.

Update ....

Wow, where does the time go?  A person gets so darn busy they just don't seem to have enough time in a day.  I should have been here last week and the week before but things got real crazy and I just totally run out of energy.

Weigh In Report
Unfortunately last week I had a gain but this week I managed to lose a pound.  No excuses for the gain I just forgot to be careful.  It's amazing how a few little "it won't counts" can add up in a hurry.  Need to be more concious of what I am putting in my mouth that is for sure.

Washer and Dryer Update
Well after some anxious moments the repair man came by and found a motor mound that had not been secured.  So once that was in place everything was a go.  I am totally in love with them, they are truly the smartest laundry pair I have come across.  They are definitely built to be energy efficient so that is a plus for me.  Especially since our city utility costs are going up next month. 

Work has been busy.  Unfortunately, I have lost 4 clients in the past couple of weeks.  It always makes me sad when I learn that someone has passed away.  But sometimes for my client base it is a blessing but more so that we are able to provide the means for them to stay in their own homes with family and friends around them. 

I have also become a beta reader for a good friend of mine that is becoming a writer.  Her first story will be puvlished on April 1st.  I am honored that she chose me to review her writing and give my opinion.  It means a lot to me to think that I have played a small part in the creation of something that many people will be able to enjoy.  She is only going to e e-publishing for now and I wish her the very best of success.

My dad turned 81 on Saturday.  I have suddenly come to realize that the amount of time that we have left with him maybe limited.  I sit and reflect on my childhood and all the lessons in life that he taught us.  I'm not sure what I will do when he is no longer here so for now I will cherish each and every moment that I get to spend with him.  They are all so precious.

Skippy, if you read this, please know that my heart goes out to you on the lose of your beloved pet.  They are so much a part of our families that the pain can be unbearable.  Know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and that I send massive hugs to you all.

Week #2 Weigh In

Well 2nd weigh in of the year and I was down .8 lbs.  I am happy with that.  I will take any lose and hope to have a streak of them this year.

When life hands you apples make applesauce .....

Wow, it's been a rather hectic couple of days.  Just when everything should be going right pow something else upsets the apple cart. 

Finally got the washer and dryer in place and looking good (hubby is a handy kinda person to have around for sure).  Put a load of laundry in the machine and wow it works fantastic, put them in the dryer and ....oh oh ... horrid clanking sound like something is not connected right.  Called the store and they will send a tech over on Wednesday.  Meantime have two loads of clothes to be dried ........ what to do......... turn into a redneck of course and hang them from hangers in the bathroom.  Oh what I would give for an outside clothes line.

That was disaster #1, #2 came in the form of a plugged kitchen sink that liquid plumber would not penatrate.  So off hubby goes to the rental store and gets a huge sewer snake and has it unplugged in a matter of minutes, my hero.

So after all the hard work he's done I just could not get on his case for having a water accident with his computer.  We've unplugged it and taken the battery out and hopefully in a couple of days it will be right as rain cuz it was only water.

Now in my former life all these things would have made me into a glummy puss but not today.  Yesterday I came home from work and my grandson was here visiting with hubby.  He just decided to stop by out of the blue and they had a wonderful visit.

Today Jamie and Ashlene dropped by so I got a grandbaby fix.  Little Alex gives the best hugs, she is so cuddly.  And I went to the cheap movie with a friend to see Puss In Boots.

For every bad moment we encounter in life there are two wonderful ones to counteract it.  I am so blessed.

Disappointed

Well they are here, my new washer and dryer have arrived but they are not useable.  Why you ask?  Well even if you didn't I'm going to tell you.  Cuz the manufacturer doesn't realize that when they change the dimensions of their machines they may not necessarily fit into the space that the old ones did.

So here we have a 6' x 4 ' laundry closet on the main floor.  Ideal place for it, and my old machines fit perfectly, 30" wide and the perfect depth.  So I noticed when I bought the new ones that they were only 27" wide and thought that would be a great space saver.  Little did I know they took that 3 inches off the width and added it to the depth.  So now in order to get my machines to fit into the laundry room hubby has to do some fanagling with hoses and venting and whatever else it takes to make it work.  So I have no laundry service till probably late tomorrow or the next day.  Crap!!!

On a brighter note it was +8C here today, water running everywhere and what little bit of snow we did have is almost gone.  Weather forecast is pretty much the same for the next couple of weeks.  Wondering when we will get hit with our normal Alberta winter weather.

New neighbors moved in today.  In the driveway so far they have a Corvette, Ford supercab and a fancy SUV.  Obviously lots of money there so think I'll just stick to my side of the fence for now.  They are probably very nice people or maybe not ........ time will tell.  We have so many people coming and going from our block that you never want to really get to know anyone cuz most likely they'll be moving in the near future.  We've been here 10 years and the house on the one side of us has been bought and sold 7 times.  Hmmm maybe it's us.

Are You Missing a Cat?

Well after spending two hours cleaning out my 6 x 4 laundry room I have come to the conclusion that someone needs to invent washers and dryers that have a build in vacuum system to clean around the bottom and behind them.  I will admit that I probably should clean the laundry room more than once every ten years but it is quite a difficult project and definitely not high on my list of priorities.

We got the old set out (it is waiting patiently to be picked up in the morning and taken to that big appliance warehouse in the sky), and low and behold there were the missing socks that I knew I had seen as well as at least two inches of dust bunnies. 

Hubby decided he would vacuum out the vent hose and I'm pretty sure that he found a missing cat.  When the vaccum hit the end of the hose out came a dust bunny the size of a football.

But on the positive side the laundry room is clean, the dust bunnies have been collected in the vaccum and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new washer and dryer tomorrow.

Will it be another 10 years before the next cleaning?  I'm not sure but if it is you can bet it isn't me that is going to be doing it.........I'll be much to old and frail.

First Weigh In of the New Year ......

Well tonight was my first TOPS weigh in of the new year, I was up one pound but am so thankful that it was only 1 pound .... weigh in saw me at 285.4 lbs.  That means in the last month I have managed to gain back 7.4 pounds.  Ouch, but with the holidays and all I will take my lumps and get back on track immediately.

Today was productive as I cleaned out the laundry room getting ready for delivery of my new washer and dryer on Wednesday.  I really could not convince the old pair that they should keep going for another 6 months.  They are old and tired and deserve a rest.  I was trying to figure out how many loads of clothes I have washed in the last 10 years since I got them new and didn't have a clue where to start.  On the average I do 6 loads per week x 52 weeks/year = 312 laods/year x 10 years = 3120 loads of laundry.  When I look at it like that no wonder they are tired, that's a heap lot if clothes to clean.

I did splurge a little and got a top end pair as my dad always said that if you cheap out on necessary items you will regret it.  I couldn't believe that there are so many fancy features on the new machines.  They are all push button and now have steam cleaning and  .... well the list goes on and on.  I'm still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles on my Lexus, now I have another challenge.  Isn't life wonderful!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.  Normally I don't make resolutions because I have a really bad habit of breaking them.  I want this year to be different.  I resolve to find only positive things to fill my days and banish negative thoughts.  I resolve to find more time for fun things, family and friends.  And last but not least I resolve to take more "me time" and look forward to 2012 being the best year ever!!

It's been a great day and a positive one.  I didn't realize how negative I had become with life till I stopped today to look at each moment in a positive light.  Wow, it was great not to be concerned about what others would think or do and to realize how a lot of situations you cannot change so there is no need to be angry.

We had a tenant move out this week and when we had stopped by earlier this week we were really concerned about what kind of mess would be left behind as it was total confusion at the time.  We arrived at noon and other than some strong cleaning and garbage removal it didn't look too, too bad.  I looked at everything and turned to my hubby and said, well time to roll up the shirt sleeves and get to work not that bad after all.