Super long day

This has really been a long day. I got to work at 4:30 a.m. It all started out normally, then we got really busy. I suppose people were returning from their long weekend of camping, boating, and other adventures.

Our store manager was at work with us for a little while, then was called away. She assured us she'd be back in time for the other opening manager and myself to get off work when we were supposed to. That time came and went. We actually didn't get off until 3:30 p.m!

I am tired beyond belief after such a long day. Still, I picked Son up so he could come to work and I stayed around so I could get on the internet for awhile. I don't know for sure what time he gets off. I'll find out because I'll probably go home and sleep for awhile, then come back and get him.

Technorati Tags: work

Tamales

A lovely Mexican lady works where I work. A few days ago I asked the her if she could make us some tamales. Son and I both love them, and the canned ones you get from the grocery store just aren't as good as the real thing. So, she made us a dozen of them, both pork and chicken. (She also let me try a couple of cheese and jalapeno ones. Delicious!)

I wasn't at work the day she brought them so Son brought them home after he got done closing. He woke me up at 3 in the morning saying "Maria tamales!" Yeah. I woke right up and ate one! Yum!

Son paid her for them and we've eaten a few. I'm going to buy more from her and put some in the freezer. The price was very reasonable and to us, it's worth it to know who made them and have them on hand for quick lunches, even if she charged more for them than she does.

I have to be careful, though. I like tamales so well I could easily overindulge and start putting on weight again. So, I'll limit myself to two of them about once or twice a week.

Technorati Tags: tamales

Mental and physical

Besides not sleeping last night, I found my appetite to be diminished after the attempted robbery yesterday. However, these kinds of incidents - running from a really bad guy, not sleeping, and decreased appetite - are not the kind of fat burners I really want in my life.

One of my big bosses called me this afternoon to make sure I was OK. I'm really fine...I think. No injuries. I just can't stop looking behind every bush and into every corner, even at home, right now.

At least I'm not as stove up as I was afraid I might be after biting the dust like I did. Maybe working today was a good idea after all. Of course, we've all had to relate the story dozens of times since each person who learned about it wanted to hear all the details.

Technorati Tags: work,robbery,burglar,burglary

The day after

Opening the store on Tuesday was far less eventful than it had been on Monday. That's the way I like it.

Son took me to work and other employees, who weren't even scheduled to work at that early hour, showed up to cruise around the parking lot and adjacent parking lots. No one was present, so we proceeded with opening. I really didn't figure the guy would be back today - maybe not ever - but we'll all be watching out a lot closer than we had previously. Of course, good opening and closing procedures help, but we'll all be a bit paranoid from now on, I think.

Working my shift was much more stressful, of course, I barely slept at all Monday night. Since I had fallen down while fleeing from the would-be robber, my back and hip hurt me al night Monday and all day Tuesday. I also discovered many sore muscles during the night and day - probably from the fall. I'm sure all of this will be resolved with time, though.

Technorati Tags: robbery,work,burglar,burglary

Bad start to the day

Well, I had a large day today. I got to work, along with 3 crew members, to open, to find there was a would-be burglar hiding in the bushes behind the store. I had driven around the store, as usual and according to our security procedures, but didn't see the guy hiding in a dark corner behind some tall bushes. I parked and saw something in my rearview mirror moving. I thought it was a dog that's been hanging around but I mentioned it to the 2 guys who opened with me. They started toward the back and the guy stepped out with a sawed off shotgun. The other lady and I heard the gun breech and started running away from the store.

One of the guys also got away but the other guy was taken at gunpoint to the front door of the store, where we usually enter. However, I still had the keys in my hand and hadn't unlocked the door yet, so the burglar ran away to a vehicle that was waiting for him, jumped in the passenger side, and they drove away,

The police came pretty quickly but not fast enough to catch up with whoever it was. We all gave reports to the officers - some from the sheriff's department and some from the Greenbrier police department.

Besides being scared witless for quite awhile, I fell down running away and skinned my knees and now my hip is really hurting. I'm thinking that with more energy and less weight, maybe by choosing the best diet pills on the market, I could have actually gotten further down the road before I stopped running and falling! Or, maybe the burglar was already using some kind of pills and needed more!

Whatever. I just hope something like this NEVER happens again. I don't think my nerves could take it.

Technorati Tags: burglar,work

Lowering my electric bill

My extra efforts to reduce my electric bill are paying off - literally. I just received one of the lowest electric bills I've had in years - only $76. My electric bill routinely runs at least $100+ more than that! What am I doing?

• I use only CFL (compact fluorescent lights) throughout the house in every light fixture.
• I use power strips to plug in everything and I turn them off when the items aren't in use. The coffee pot and microwave, for instance, are on a strip and since they both have clocks, turning them off keeps any unnecessary power from being used. (I never use the clocks on them anyway.) Even things like phone chargers can be a constant drain if not unplugged or the strip turned off.
• I cut the power strip off to my TV and DVD player so that the stand-by modes don't pull power. The DVD player "remembers" everything even when there's no power source.
• I keep my AC turned up to where it's not chilly in here at all, just comfortable, and I dress appropriately. I use ceiling fans to circulate air so it feels more comfortable and yet I can use less AC.
• I cook enough three times a week to carry us over for the days in between so my stove isn't on and it isn't generating heat that would cause the AC to work harder.
• I'm even careful with water usage, since we're on a well, to keep the well pump from running unnecessarily.
• I stay on top of hot water usage by reminding Son to NOT let the water run in the tub for his shower before he actually turns the shower on. The water heater is less than a foot from the tub faucet!
• I wash clothes twice a week in cold water and always hang them out to dry.
• I rinse my dishes in cold water after washing them in hot sudsy water.
• I always use cold water to start cooking. The time saved using hot water is minuscule as it seems to reach boiling in about the same amount of time anyway.
• I choose countertop appliances whenever possible to keep from turning on the stove. My 120 watt electric skillet, crock pot, and steamer work great with a much lower electrical pull than the 240 watt stove. They all heat up faster and cook using less electricity overall.
• I have a chest freezer that I use a lot, even to store leftovers for future meals. Keeping it full uses less electricity than having it half empty and it trying to freeze the air space inside it. More frozen food inside makes for better cooling efficiency.
• The big "plus" of a chest freezer is that the cold air doesn't fall out when you open it, like it does with an upright freezer. This design feature reduces the recovery time it needs.

Even Son has become more energy conscious, taking on the same energy-conscious habits in his room!

Keep in mind that I live in a very small house, but even in a large home you might be able to implement some of these ideas to lower your electric bill. Every penny counts!

Technorati Tags: electricity.compact fluorescent bulbs

Slippery tub

I'm glad Son talked me into getting the unusual bathtub mat we have now. I had one of those solid rubbery ones. Now we have a clear one with soft bristles sticking up. It feels so good underfoot and it still keeps me from slipping in the tub when I take a shower. I tell you, bathroom safety never felt so good!

See, I had slipped already a couple of times getting in or out before I got a tub mat. I smacked my shin bone on the edge of the enamel-over-steel tub, and it's pretty solid - the tub, not my shin bone! I got a couple of nasty looking bruises and decided I had to do something before I really fell down and did some serious injury to myself.

Technorati Tags: shower,tub

Sunday morning work

Today was work as usual. I opened the store and, of course, one of my opening crew persons called in first thing to let me know he wouldn't be at work. He was at the ER with his expectant wife. I don't know what the problem was, but it's understandable that he couldn't come in to work.

Then, another worker just plain didn't show up. I called her. She said she thought she was supposed to be there later. She lives about 25 miles out, so it took her awhile to get ready and come in to work. In fact, she got there just about the time she originally thought she was supposed to come in anyway.

So, myself, another manager, and the maintenance man opened the store. It turned out OK since we weren't very busy at the outset but as often as not, we are hit with business from the time we unlock the doors!

Technorati Tags: work

Hot Hot Hot

It's hot! I don't mean hot - I mean HOT! Every day temperatures here have been in the mid to upper 90s, with heat indices over 100. Top that off with the terrible humidity we have here in the south, and you wind up having a sweat-fest every time you go outside for the least bit of work.

The other day, hanging out the laundry made sweat so much in just a few minutes that I felt like I'd been hanging it out in the rain! When I got back inside, all I wanted was a tall glass of cold water. I was too hot to even think about eating or cooking for anyone else. Who needs weight loss pills with weather like this?!

Technorati Tags: weather

High school reunions

I have yet to go to a high school reunion. It's not that I never wanted to. It's just that when they've been held, I was in the midst of raising children or I lived in another state.

I'd learned last year that one of my classmates passed away. Considering the asbestos that we had in our school growing up, it wouldn't surprise me if his illness was Mesothelioma cancer. It also makes me wonder how many of us might wind up being affected by this same material.

Nevertheless, I do hope to be able to attend my next reunion, which will be the 40 year reunion. Man, that's a long time!