Happy Wednesday (or Thursday if that is when you read this). Bagel day!
For those of you wondering, that is a red velvet muffin that John is eating for breakfast. One of his favorites.
So, regarding the post title – On my goal of not stressing on the house front and getting a new attitude as part of my May goals, I need to do this with work as well. 75% of the time my job is just fine. I do my work, I get paid, I don’t hear too much from the company and all is well. The other 25% of the time (which currently we are in the midst of), it is very stressful. There is too much work. The clients are complaining and threatening to leave, which leads to my company sending out threatening emails or just yelling at us. General group emails because they don’t check to see who is doing the work. These emails sometimes include a statement that says “Thank you to those who do the work. You know who you are” – like it makes it any better to read that. 🙄 My life feels slightly upside down right now since there is a lot of uncertainty. We don’t know when we will be moving. I don’t know how secure my job is. We have other life plans that are basically on hold until the move happens. It’s just stressful. But, it will get better. I know that. It’s just dealing with it currently. I have been fatigued and exhausted because I have been working extra (no over time pay, you just make your regular line rate) and the stress makes you tired. One of the pitfalls of working at home is that you can’t leave your work behind LOL! Oh well. I am thinking a weekend getaway for my birthday weekend next month will be on the agenda.
Moving on from that stress stuff – I have a new foundling item. You all know I love a good bargain. I was out walking the other day and came upon a pile of stuff with a ‘free’ sign on it. Most of it was plumbing stuff, but there was also a metal bucket, which is perfect for a planter! I think it must have been used for that as is has a hole in the bottom already. It’s very heavy and probably very old.
It has little tiny peg feet on it, so maybe was used as a cooking pot at some point. Anyway, I scooped that little treasure up and now need to buy some plants to put in there.
The garden is really perking up now. The early tulips are now blooming, so Friday will be an actual What’s Blooming post with real blooms!
This is the Monte Carlo double tulip. It doesn’t even look like a tulip, does it? I’ll save the rest for Friday!
Pixie always helps me destress, when she isn’t running around all freaked out.
She was vulturing for my lap. I have been keeping her off of it when I am working more right now because I just want to plow through work and she isn’t happy about that LOL!
I am working on some new creative projects around the house to relax and enjoy. May as well not hold off on those. I’ll be painting furniture, doing more Mercury glass stuff like this:
Like I really need another hobby 😀
I hear you on the stress with transcription and the client demands. Oh, yes, I have had that too over the years of my doing medical transcription. Don’t know if your work is medical but doctors can be most impatient. Right now I have had word that my orthopedic client group is going to switch to some other system that will eliminate the need for home based transcriptionists. Just what I don’t need and it has given me much stress too – plus increased my appetite for the wrong things.
Good luck with your stresses and know that others understand.
Yes, my work is medical. Our ortho account is threatening to give the work to India – *blerg*.
Why do these doctors think that sending the work to India is going to be better? My ortho client group threatened that about 6 years ago and actually did it – for about 10 DAYS. Yes they had overnight turn around but the results were horrific. The office sent them the patient list for the day as well as a roster of doctors in the area so they would be able to spell those correct and they still couldn’t do it. The actual transcriptions were laughable with what they ended up typing. The practice learned quickly that going to India was not the way to go. My ortho group contains 6 providers. I only type for the senior member of the group and he requires daily turnaround. He sees 45-60 patients per day! That is a good 4-5 hours each day of typing but he is only in 3 days a week. My colleague types for the other 5 and there is no way she can do daily turnaround. They are demanding with constant calls for this dictation or that they they need “right now”. Hopefully your stress will ease up. Good luck!
I don’t know. They all are looking at how cheap they can get the work done. Cheap does not always equal good.
sorry things are so stressful right now for you lori,i think a weekend away sounds like a great idea. i always love seeing picks of you and pickie 🙂 love your glass work too.
Yes – Pixie is the real star of the blog 😉
I hope everything lightens up for you. Stress management is something I struggle with myself.
You are very talented. That vase is really pretty!
It will at some point. It’s just getting *to* that point.
Hope the stress lessens for you soon. I can understand how the waiting must be so incredibly hard for both of you.
I always thought I was very patient, but maybe not so much LOL!
Great find on the bucket! It looks very sturdy. And the tulips are absolutely amazing. They never look that good out here. So see, you’ve got a little advantage over us, right?
The stress–ugh. I guess its too early for you to retire? That’s what I did. But of course, there were plenty of stressful times before that. Sometimes I would make a game of it–I can outlast that [person/situation/whatever.] It was pretty fun when I did outlast them. Well, it was fun AFTER. not during.
I am still paying off students loans, so retirement is so far away I don’t know if it will ever happen 😀
I like that bucket – it makes me think of something that might have been in one of those old, big cooking fireplaces. Great find!
Wish I had a magic wand to wave your work woes away.
I should show you the picture of the downstairs fireplace in our new house – it’s exactly that!
I hope work related stress lightens up very soon. It takes away the joy of the other parts of life. I like the vase, and Pixie too! Take care.
Thank you!
Love the cat pic (as always) and all the other pics. And I hate stress!!
Stress can be good in small amounts, but it ebbs and flows.
First the weather needs to get good every weekend in your part of the world so you can get on your bike and relief a little of the stress by doing what you love doing most. I’m sure that will help too.
I am lucky that I’m not stressed easily (except for last week waiting for MRI results) but I get you.
I would say, keep doing what you do for hobby (and we can always have new hobbies) because that really helps relieving stress. And good idea to getaway for your birthday, you totally deserve a little getaway.
I’ll take sunny weekends from here on out! That would be nice 😀
I ended up quitting my job at transcription it’s years ago due to exactly what you’re going through. I traded for a job in special ed at the school. Not sure it was less stressful, but we didn’t get “yelled” at, so that was nice.
I hope things turn around for you soon at work. I’d still do that job again if I needed to. I loved the work.
Your bucket made me think of the Puritans…I’m reading a book set in that era right now. Very neat find!
I actually do like the work. It’s quite interesting sometimes. The biggest problem is the lack of organization at my company that brings this about.
So sorry that you have been dealing with so much stress – bad enough about the house closing but to have work stress piled on top is awful.
I hope things improve soon!!
That yellow flower is beautiful!! And, I’ve never heard of Mercury glass – I hope you do a tutorial post about it sometime!
Mercury glass is a very old glass (I think made with actual mercury – toxic!!). The look is very cool. I need to practice the technique a little more. I have all of these free glass vases that flowers have come in over the years, so it’s fun to have free stuff to play with 😉
Sorry about the stress, but I love that you are finding projects you can do around the house that make you happy. Hang in there! Hugs!
Uncertainty is the worst. I can totally relate. I’m a planner. I plan everything and when I can’t because there are uncertain factors I’m waiting on it makes me mental!!! I hope you find something to do to distract yourself. 🙂
Yeah, if I had a timeline, I would be just fine. Uncertainty is really annoying.
I truly hope the stress levels decrease soon. As someone said to me a few weeks ago…”as they say in Finding Nemo, just keep swimming!” Take care.
Crap, I have missed posts from you cause I have to remember to come here vs. getting them via email & I have been stressed & losing what I have left of my mind. 😉 So HUGE HUGS!!! I get the stress & I hope things get better!!!! Love that Pixie loves you!! 🙂 So your blooms are happening & that is a good thing – HUGUS!!!!!!!!
Stress sucks the life out of you, even when you’re trying your best not to stress too much. It just eats at you little by little and the next thing you know you’ve caved in with it.
I really hope you get a big break soon! Also, I think you need to plan a weekend getaway to my beach – should be warm enough to go any day now 🙂