Thursday, December 30, 2010

Health Update

WOOT WOOT........I have lost 14 pounds since I got sick back in August and the last 6 pounds I wasn't even trying to lose weight


My blood sugar levels are good and my elevated liver enzymes have dropped to the point that the doctor now feels that I can tolerate a low dose of cholesterol reducing medication.

My good cholesterol is really good, anything over 40 is acceptable and mine is 52.

Blood pressure is still a little high but I am so pleased with all the other good news!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

People String

People String is yet another site that takes away the pennies you earn if you go inactive, granted I only had $1.95 in earnings but that isn't the point!

And conveniently (for People String) all my referral rewards (a whopping $1.50 total for the 3 people I referred) are pending.

It would be more honest if they just deleted the account (like PTR sites do) when you go inactive.....rather than leaving it inactive and taking away the money you earned (especially because most of the offers and 'likes' on Facebook can't be done again anyway)

More Adventures in Job Hunting GRRRRRRRR!!

So I was all excited about this interview for an administrative support team associate with Macy's since I worked for them before in Sales Support.

I also have human resources experience, payroll experience, accounting experience, and administrative experience--not to mention the 4 year degree in accounting and the second degree (2 year)  in hotel/restaurant management.

Now I checked their site every single day from December 16, 2010  (when I submitted my application for the position) to December 21, 2010 (yesterday) to see if openings were available for interviews.

There were no openings for interviews until yesterday (December 21, 2010).  I scheduled my interview for the ONLY slot available which was 10:30 am on January 5, 2010.

I received a confirmation of the time and date for the interview at 5:20 am December 22, 2010.

Less than 40 minutes later (at 5:54 and 5:55 pm on December 22, 2010) I received 2 emails from Macy's and Taleo (their hiring firm).

The email from Macy's which was sent to my gmail email address is copied and pasted below.

Dear  Suellen
Thank you for your interest in employment with Macy's, and for taking the time to submit your application for the position of Macy's Bend River, Bend, OR: Administrative Support Team Associate, Part Time.
We regret that we must cancel your scheduled interview with us.  We filled all available positions much faster than we anticipated.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Please be assured that we value your interest in Macy's.  We will retain your information in our candidate database, and may contact you should an appropriate opportunity become available.
We wish you much luck in your future endeavors, and encourage you to periodically visit edited.
Sincerely,
Human Resources
Macy's
Then almost at the same time I received the email from Taleo, which is copied and pasted below. This email was received at my Yahoo email address which is the email address I used for Taleo, while the gmail address is the one I use for Snag a Job (I applied for the Macy's job originally through Snag a Job).

 Dear Suellen,
Your request to cancel the following interview appointment has been completed:
Macy's Bend River Mall: Bend

Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Time: 10:30:00 AM PST

We're sorry that you decided not to complete this interview with us, but hope that you will revisit edited in the future to view opportunities for employment with Macy's, Inc.
Best Regards,

Human Resources
Macy's/Bloomingdale's

I am very frustrated not only with not being interviewed but with the total foul-up in communication. I did NOT cancel the interview, Macy's did.

I would go play on the freeway except for the fact that the nearest freeway is 130 miles away one way (and given my luck I would just hurt myself anyway!!)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Who's Paid Me in December 2010

12/8/2010: $10.00 Data Intelligence
12/16/2010: $25.00 Applebees gift card (My Points)
12/10/2010: $3.00   Pinecone Research
12/08/2010: $6.05  Mystics Kingdom
12/20/2010: $2.34 Old Amsterdam Post
12/20/2010: $1.36 St Cash Unlimited
12/20/2010: $4.58 Wallaby Mail
12/20/2010: $4.37 Panda Bear Email
12/22/2010: $4.21 You've Got Ads

Total for December: $38.00 Surveys/Offer Sites
Total for December: $25.91 PTR
Publish Post
Total for December 2010: $63.91

HMMMMMM--Ebay Again

I received a message from a potential buyer that has really left me shaking my head in disbelief. You need to understand, all of my Ebay postings except for 2 stated that the customer paid postage in addition to the winning bid.

If this is still available, would you consider $125 total cost including S&H to Corfu, NY?
The buyer didn't specify if it was the Eggshell Nautilus China or the Diane china.

The Eggshell Nautilus set went to a buyer in  Seattle Washington almost two weeks ago and it cost me over $70.00 to ship it there (a distance of 251.6 miles).  I only charged the buyer about 25.00 for shipping because I miscalculated the weight of the shipment.....I'll eat that error but I sure as heck won't repeat that error!

Corfu, New York is 2125 miles away from Bend Oregon and it would cost approximately $130.00-$140.00 to ship the china there via USPS Parcel Post, or approximately $105.00 via UPS Ground.

Now, my math may be faulty but shipping via USPS Parcel Post sure looks like I would be paying MORE in postage than the buyer paid actually paid me.  I think thats called a loss in accounting terms.

And shipping it via UPS Ground isn't really much better. I would make a whopping $20.00 profit BEFORE Ebay final value fees (already paid the insertion fees) and PayPal receiving fees

My reply to the buyer:
you didn't specify which item, the Eggshell Nautilus china is already gone. 

And I will not sell the Diane china for your requested price as it cost over $70.00 to ship the 
Eggshell Nautilus set to Seattle (WA)

It would cost at least $140.00 to ship a larger  set to NY which would leave me with no profit at 
all--in fact selling for $125.00 including S&H would leave me $15.00 in the hole not including ebay fees and paypal fees.

So no I wouldn't consider the $125.00 total cost. 
I plan on placing most of my unsold goods on my local Craigs list-- no shipping no costs no fees
I think that covers that. Its called my momma didn't raise no fool!!

Explosion In A Button Factory!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258441&id=568130661&l=7bc8118d9a

Yes every single button was sewn on by yours truly.

I guess back in the day I had way too much time on my hands, and enough buttons for 50 people!  I still have a whole bunch more, many of which are vintage or collectible as they all came from my grandmother.











Monday, December 13, 2010

I Think I Need A Keeper!!

Or at the very least I need to either cover my feet in bubble wrap or have the left one surgically removed!!

Yes indeed boys and girls I managed to rip open my foot again today.  For those who are keeping score, that is 4 injuries since 10/29/2010, all to the same foot.

I've injured the big toe on the left foot twice -- once by dropping an office chair on it and once by tripping over an empty rubbermaid tote in the living room.

I've injured the next-to-the-little-toe once ( http://suellenjillroley.blogspot.com/2010/10/revenge-of-clutter.html )

And today I ripped a nice hole in the left side of the left foot by --I kid you not-- getting out of bed.

There are no overhead lights in my bedroom, so I use four lamps.  Three of these lamps are plugged directly into wall outlets and are against the wall(s) so even a dedicated klutz like MOI can't injure herself with them or their cords.

The fourth lamp is a different story however.  I have it plugged into an extension cord which is plugged into a wall outlet and the lamp itself has been moved all over the room.

I was taking a nap and woke up about 5:30 pm.  It was dark but since all I was planning on doing was going directly to the computer I didn't see a need to turn on a lamp. BIG MISTAKE!!

I stepped on the part of the extension cord that connects to the lamp plugin.  My foot started hurting immediately and I started hopping around and turning the air blue!

But I didn't realize until later that my full weight (a not inconsiderable amount) had gone on the hard plastic/rubber/whatever it is end of the extension cord.

The end of an extension cord doesn't have any give when stepped on, whereas skin--even the rough skin on the side or bottom of a foot--does.  I have a nice sore hole on the side of my foot; its still sore 7 1/2 hours after the fact although it doesn't look that bad.

I suppose I ought to count my blessings though since it stopped bleeding very quickly.

I swear I am seriously considering wearing my big puffy whale slippers to bed tonight!!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Good Samaritans

On a day that had already proven itself to be really crappy (I found out this morning that I lost my job that I'd had for exactly a month) I found out in the evening that some nice person *probably the manager of my mobile home park* had stacked my remaining firewood in my carport and cleaned off my driveway.

Now if it was the manager, he lives across the street from me and was probably tired of looking of the mess in the driveway and carport.

In addition we aren't really supposed to park on the street overnight and I had parked on the street from Wednesday morning (last week) until Thursday night (this week).

The wood was delivered last Wednesday afternoon and  I'd managed to stack some of it on my back porch before it started snowing Wednesday night.

Then when it started thawing I'd thrown a lot of the firewood into the carport to prevent it from getting absolutely soaked.  I also used some of the snow covered wood in the woodstove, I discovered that snow-covered wood does burn if you put it in an already hot fire!

With my horrible job schedule (5:30 am to 2:30 pm) I wasn't getting much done inside or outside, and the light on the back porch gives new meaning to the words 'the ghost in the machine' -- ie it comes on when and if it feels like it, flickers off and on again when it feels like it.

Working in the dark on an icy driveway sounded like a recipe for disaster especially given my normal klutziness, so I didn't do much on the wood.  I'm sure the park manager figured I would leave it there until hell froze over (I think he realizes that I'm lazy, and I know he knows about my health problems) so he took care of it himself.

I'm very grateful that I won't have to do anything wood-related for a while, losing my job was just one more blow in a long series of blows.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

How Dare You Take My Picture??

 How dare you take my picture?

My fur is a mess and my manicure hasn't been done in weeks.

 Didn't you get a clue when I ruined the other 4 pictures that I didn't want my picture taken?

STUPID HUMAN!!

My house and my truck







Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Frustrated Hurt and Angry

For the first time in a long time (well long for me anyway) I am quite astounded, astonished, frustrated, hurt, and very angry with a fellow PTR member.

This person chose to drag this blog into a totally unrelated issue at a site I admin at. He was quite angry at the owner of the site and I don't really blame him at all.

However, he pretended not to know that Suzy and Suellen were one and the same (he's had several support ticket replies from the site in question which were signed by Suellen, the url of this blog--which he has obviously read at least once and considering the fact that I advertise this blog EVERYWHERE he's probably read it way more than once--is suellenjillroley.blogspot.com, and he was a member of Myster-E-Mail which I owned from 2003-2009).

Exactly how many Suellens does he think there are in PTR?? It's a highly unusual name spelled in an unusual way combined with a highly unusual last name.

When I took exception--politely-- to his characterization of the entire blog as rude, he got even angrier with me.

I am not saying that I am always polite here at the blog or in life, but if this person had bothered to read any of my posts since August when I was very very ill (blood clots in the lungs and 3 days in the hospital is a wonderful thing to clear your mind and make you realize how truly unimportant PTR is!) he would realize that things have changed here at the formerly 'rude'  (in his words) blog.

Besides, whether or not I am now or have ever been rude here at this blog has nothing to do with how tickets are answered at the site in question.

I have never been rude to this person--or anybody else for that matter-- in replies to tickets at the site in question or at any of the other four sites I admin at.

I would have been FIRED in a new york nano-second had I been rude to members of  the sites I admin at when replying to support tickets!

What this person doesn't understand is this: the sites I admin at are a business and are treated as such, this blog is personal and does not necessarily hold to the same level of business-like behavior.

In the last 4 months I have chosen to focus this blog away from PTR as stated here: http://suellenjillroley.blogspot.com/2010/08/backing-away-from-ptr.html

The focus of this blog the last 4 months has been: my amazon store, amazon special promotions, my health,  my cats, cleaning my house, counting my blessings, selling antiques and collectibles (offline and on ebay), reminiscing about my father and stepmother, stealing pinecones, my job--in short my real life away from PTR.

The only PTR related posts since August are those about who has paid me and oh yeah I blogged about Schnaap Klicks once, so shoot me!

I had phased out most PTR comments other than who had paid me as far back as June when I was getting ready for the yard sale.

Since I found gainful employment a month ago which is also online (8 hours a day, 5 days a week)  the last thing I really want to do is spend more time sitting in front of the computer clicking or posting in forums.

I can make more in one hour of work than I can in a month at most of the sites I belong to.

To be trashed for posts that were written months ago and that have nothing to do with the site in question is a bit over the top if you ask me.

I do understand that this person is very frustrated with the site in question.

But the site in question has NOTHING whatsoever to do with this blog, and has in fact never even been mentioned by name here (none of the sites I admin at have ever been mentioned by name here unless its in the "who has paid me in whatever month" posts)

People act differently at home than they do at work or in public places (for the most  part anyway) and to expect me to be rude at any of the sites I admin at just because they perceive my *for the most part anyway* justified anger and frustration expressed here as being rude is a bit much IMO

The two issues are totally unrelated and I am very frustrated that this person feels justified in insulting me, denigrating my blog, and being rude to me when I am not the person he has an issue with.

cats and christmas trees

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256042&id=568130661&l=1f6d962a3b




Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ebay Was Mostly a Bust

2 small sales ($21.00 and $2.76), one big sale that hasn't been paid for yet ($150.00 plus postage) and one small sale on an auction that hasn't closed yet.  One person interested in something but missed the bidding.

The remaining stuff will go on craigs list, particularly in light of the fact that Ebay and PayPal sock it to ya with the fees: listing fees and final value fees from Ebay, and PayPal gets a cut of what you get paid.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Last of The Auctions

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=suellenjill7656

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=249886&id=568130661&l=4199d4359c

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494789681#ht_500wt_1156
Black and White Collectible Rooster Figurine

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494790265#ht_500wt_1156
2 Blue and White Teacups Made In Japan

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494792015#ht_500wt_1156
Large Tulip Shaped Blue and White Bowl

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494792911#ht_500wt_1156
Purple Fluted Glass Vase

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494793638#ht_500wt_1156
Small Blue Medicine Bottle

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494794243#ht_500wt_1156
Handmade Pottery Bowl Signed by J Chang

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494794980#ht_500wt_1156
Shallow Cloissone Look Metal Bowl Made in India

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494797276#ht_500wt_1156
Vintage Coppertone Aluminum Cake Carrier

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300495723454#ht_500wt_1156
Set of 2 Mismatched Small Teacups, made in Japan

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300495738234#ht_500wt_1156
Yellow Music Box

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300495743958#ht_500wt_1156
three kings figurines from little bible figurines by lucas 1980 enesco

Even More Auctions

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=suellenjill7656

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=249886&id=568130661&l=4199d4359c

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494443154#ht_500wt_1156
Large Cut Glass Footed Candy Dish

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494443925#ht_500wt_898
Large Orange Pedestal Compote

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494445109#ht_500wt_1156
Three Piece Silverplate Tableware Set

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494450252#ht_500wt_1156
Nine 1989 Porcelain Heritage House Music Boxes

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494779988#ht_500wt_1156
Victor, His Masters Voice Collectible Tin

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494784012#ht_500wt_1156
Large Set Reproduction Milk Glass

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494785931#ht_500wt_1156
Weil Ware Sugar Dish

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494787768#ht_500wt_1156
Vintage Inarco Gravy Boat with Underplate and Ladle

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494788824#ht_500wt_1156
Vintage Inarco Jam/Jelly Jar With Spoon

More Auctions

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=249886&id=568130661&l=4199d4359c

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493953721#ht_500wt_1156
Mink Stole

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493955448#ht_500wt_1156
Pilsner Glasses, Set of 7

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493963476#ht_500wt_1156
Moss Rose China Service for 4

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494433036#ht_500wt_1156
Vintage Glass Flamingos

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494433635#ht_500wt_1156
Homer Laughlin Covered Serving Dish

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494434595#ht_500wt_1156
Green Napkin Rings, Set of 6

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494435328#ht_500wt_1156
Glass Ash Trays, Set of 3

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494439778#ht_500wt_1156
Vintage Watches

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494441320#ht_500wt_1156
Set of 4 Black Saucers

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494442330#ht_500wt_1156
Set of 4 Liberty Blue Saucers

all the pictures in one place

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=249886&id=568130661&l=4199d4359c

all the pictures in one place, some are of things that aren't on ebay yet
a reminder, the ebay auctions are found here:
http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=suellenjill7656

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493722801#ht_500wt_898
large glass cake plate with glass lid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493726235#ht_500wt_1156
large collectible plate

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493727743#ht_500wt_1156
 blue footed Fenton (marked) bowl from the 1970's

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493729076#ht_500wt_1156
small Fenton Hobnail Toothpick Holder

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493729836#ht_500wt_1156
small Fenton Hobnail Creamer

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493732936#ht_500wt_1156
Large Vintage Candlewick Glass Plate With Heart Shaped Handle

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493724175#ht_500wt_1156
Carnival Glass Berry Set, Orange, One Large Bowl, Five Small Bowls

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493738915#ht_500wt_1156
HandPainted Green Plate With Pink Roses

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493740405#ht_500wt_1156
Art Deco Decanter

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493747078#ht_500wt_1156
Diane Fine China Service for 12 (includes serving pieces)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493749260#ht_500wt_1156
Eggshell Nautilus China Service for 12

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300493750643#ht_500wt_1156
Hearthside Stoneware WaterColor Saucers, set of 4

Saturday, November 20, 2010

I Am A Thief!!

Yes, indeed I am a THIEF.

I am a very very picky thief though: I only steal pinecones, and only from business parking lots.

You see, pinecones are excellent tinder for starting fires in my woodstove and my two big pine trees are being greedy.

They have given me five whole pinecones in the last week (I have needed a minimum of 84!) and kept the rest for themselves.

Over the last couple of weeks I've stolen all the pinecones I can find from the street and my neighbors yards on my cul-de-sac too and it still hasn't been enough.  All the pine trees in the neighborhood are holding on to their cones, greedy things!

I use 12-15 pinecones for each fire I build and lately its been cold enough here that it has snowed off and on all day every day for most of the last week.

Newspaper and pine needles are poor replacements for pinecones, they both go up like gasoline but don't burn long enough to catch even small pieces of firewood on fire. They barely burn long enough to catch loose pieces of bark on fire.

The day before yesterday I also ran out of fire starter squares. A quick trip to Ace Hardware solved that problem, but I still had NO pinecones

Yesterday morning it took half an hour to get the fire started because I had no pinecones and no fire starter squares.

This morning I was on the way to my bank. I noticed several businesses along my route that had lots and lots of pinecones in their parking lots.  Fortunately for me (perhaps unfortunately for the Juniper Aquatic Center and Pool)  I had a medium size tote box in my truck.  I filled that sucker to the brim with pinecones, and when I got home my trees had donated the five pinecones mentioned above.

Yes, I do intend to continue stealing pinecones -- but only from business parking lots.  As a friend says, either the business will leave them there to rot or they will put them through a chipper (and my thievery is saving them work in the latter case).

To my mind, its a win-win.  They don't have to deal with the pinecones in their parking lots and I can stay warm without having to spend 30 minutes or more getting the fire lit!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Bedroom Furniture Surprise

I was going to freecycle the two nightstands in my spare bedroom (which I was and am thinking of renting out) since there was really no room for them.

Before posting the nightstands on FreeCycle  I took a look at the inside of the drawers on those nightstands and it appears that I have a complete bedroom set *Marquee French* by Kent Coffey.

I was going to let the prospective roommate use the dresser (9 drawers and a large framed mirror) and chest of drawers (5 drawers) but after googling for the value of my pieces, it looks like the prospective roommate will be using cheap stuff from goodwill (purchased by MOI) or providing their own!

Moss Rose China, Set of 12 Plates Various Sizes

Music Boxes

Pilsner Glasses and Pink Plates

2 out of a set of 7



1 out of a set of 2

Vintage Flamingos

Anybody Want A Mink Stole??

Ebay Here I Come!!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cats are Crazier Than Usual

They found the container of catnip, somehow pried the plastic lid off, spread the catnip all over the living room floor, and then rolled in it.  Then they wanted their staff (MOI) to get it all out of their fur

This is another example of the revenge of the clutter first noted in the below post

http://suellenjillroley.blogspot.com/2010/10/revenge-of-clutter.html

The Niacin Flush Really Sucks

Here I was so happy to find the huge bottle of niacin while cleaning house.  While my health insurance covers all my prescriptions, I pay for my niacin out of pocket and its not particularly cheap.

So this morning I switched from the no-flush niacin that I've been taking for a month or so to the normal niacin (ie flushing).  When the flush was mentioned by my doctor and my co-ag nurse nothing was ever said about being so hot that you could self-combust and they also never mentioned gross amounts of bowel movements and/or abdominal cramps.

Right now I'm alternating between cold chills and the flushing.  This is one of the most unpleasant things I've ever gone through.  I think this even trumps the time when my doctor hit a nerve (that he hadn't deadened enough) while doing in-office surgery on my ankle.

I'm going back to the no-flush niacin no matter what it costs. Flushing SUCKS!!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Found an Online Job

I have been working for a software support company for the last two days.  $9.00 per hour 40 hours per week --no weekends--for the next 3-6 months which will certainly help with bills.

My permanent schedule will be either 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm or 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, but at least for this week of training my hours are 5:30 am (OUCH!!) to 2:30 pm.

Getting up at 5:15 am is killing me! But at least all I have to do is roll out of bed, get dressed, and walk from the bedroom to the dining room.  The only reason I have to get dressed is that the dining room windows look out on the front porch and the street, the blinds are up, and I live across the street from the manager.  Somehow I don't think wearing my birthday suit is a good idea ROFLMAO!!

At first I was very frustrated with this job. I felt old and stupid and was ready to quit this morning.

Then I found out that my co-workers are struggling as much as I am  if not more. 

There's a lot to learn in this job and a lot of terminology that I've never heard before. 

Also, the credentials we need to login to some of the sites we use aren't ready yet so there's been a lot of chatting on skype, getting to know one another, and helping each other when things get frustrating. Our boss is really happy with our teamwork and that makes us happier too.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mick is Muy Loco!!












Mick is being cuter and crazier than usual today (well last night too).  The closet finally is empty and neither of the cats have seen it empty since they came to live with me in March 2008. 

Micks first trick was to go in the empty closet last night and use the carpet in there as a scratching post. Now, this isn't unusual for him, he prefers my carpet and furniture over his scratching post any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

This morning someone came over to pick up some of the stuff that I am freecycling. Mick went into the dining room and put his front paws on the windowsill (these windows are low to the ground and even if they weren't, Mick is a big and long cat; he can reach my shoulder and tap on it with his paws when I am sitting down).  Then he talked to the lady through the closed window. She was charmed!

A few minutes later there was a (I thought) broken down cardboard box in the hallway.  Unbeknownst to me, it was on its side but still intact (only with both ends open).  Mick began to use it as a tunnel from the hallway into the bedroom.

For his next trick he decided to meow loudly at me through the screen door when I was hauling yet another Rubbermaid tote out to the back porch.  He has an almost inaudible meow unless he's mad or in the cat carrier.  I think he was saying "you need to come in from the cold and pay attention to the cat!!"

While moving the tote mentioned above I had kicked the box from the hallway into the dining room and it landed in front of one of the litter boxes (still intact with both ends open).  When Mick and I came back into the dining room he looked through it and literally sneered.  "That's not interesting at all, I see that all the time"

He's been running back and forth from the bedroom into the kitchen for the last 5 minutes.  A friend of mine tells me that "all redcats are muy loco" and I am beginning to believe her!!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Counting My Blessings

I found something today that really put the last year or two into perspective for me.

Over the last year or two I have scrambled to pay my bills. I am unemployed and the unemployment checks ran out once and for all in April 2010. I have applied for literally hundreds of jobs and have gotten very few interviews

Since then, loans from friends, sales of anything that would sell (guns, antique furniture, jewelry, vintage toys, vintage evening bags, curios, etc), PTR earnings, survey earnings, and help from my mother have enabled me to pay my space rent through September 2010 as well as covering my bills for utilities, telephone, cell phone, Dish Network, cat food, cat litter, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, shampoo, tampons, etc.

My health went to pot in early August 2010.  I went to the emergency room thinking I had a pulled muscle or a broken rib.  Surprise, surprise, I had pulmonary emboli (blood clots in my lungs).  I was in the hospital on anti-coagulants (Warfarin drip and Heparin drip) for 3 days.

I also am anemic, diabetic, hypertensive (high blood pressure), depressed, and have high cholesterol.  Because of the pulmonary emboli I  was on oxygen for 6 weeks. I had no energy at all.

At the time all this was discovered I did NOT have any health insurance.

A week after I got out of the hospital I was placed into the Oregon Health Plan which has covered all my prescription medications, all my blood tests, any ultrasounds/cat scans, and all my doctor visits since that time.

St Charles Medical Center agreed to waive my entire bill for the 3 days I was in the hospital--over $12,000.00 that I couldn't begin to pay off.

A local charity helped with my electricity bill after I went on oxygen 24/7 for 6 weeks, and they also turned me on to a program administered by my utility company--if I am approved they will pay $150.00 towards my electricity bill.

I have lost at least 8 pounds since this all started and I have so much more energy. I am eating much healthier, even cooking some days which is a big change. I am so much more positive about my life now too.

So I am cleaning house and re-organizing thinking I might get a roommate.  I have stacks and stacks of Rubbermaid rough totes (and their ilk) that have needed to be gone through and/or moved.

In going through one of the totes, I found a document written several years ago about my various positions with Wells Fargo/First Interstate.

I am so happy that I no longer work for them, as this document was one of the most negative things I have ever read.  The sad thing about it is that it WAS and IS an accurate depiction of what was happening to me at that time.

What was wrong with these jobs?

1) Minimal, inadequate training.
2) Treated as though I was incompetent; spoken to like I was a dog that had defecated on their shoes.
3) Harassed and lied to by all levels of management in my department, visits to bathroom counted.
4) No supervisory support
5) Nobody to cover for my lunches and breaks so rarely got a lunch or break and was not paid for the time either
6) After I was injured at work, I was treated even worse by management and fellow employees. Department printer was put on my desk and most of my co-workers either bumped into my chair or 'accidentally' kicked it while retrieving their prints. I tried everything to get it to stop without going to HR department but was finally forced into contacting them, funny how the printer got moved within 3 days.
7) After over a year of the treatment mentioned in #1-#6 above I decided to leave.  I couldn't get a transfer out of my department that would pay me what I was making in my current position so I just left without another job waiting for me.

I said to a friend after I found this that my life might be kind of challenging right now, but there are worse things than being broke and ill.

I am HAPPY (pleased, ecstatic, overjoyed)  beyond words that I left Wells Fargo.  I'll take iffy finances and poor (but improving) health over sheer mistreatment and harassment any day.

The Revenge of the Clutter

As you can maybe tell from reading other posts, I am in the midst of a cleaning frenzy, or as a friend referred to it "cleaning rage."

Not only am I a klutz, I have an unerring knack for finding, kicking, running into, or otherwise connecting to things like Rubbermaid totes, boxes, tables, objects with my feet, ankles and toes. 

Mostly these objects are sharp, awkward, or large (if not all three). They bite back when I accidentally bump into them or kick them.  I get the worst of these battles as of course inanimate objects don't bleed or bruise.

Case in point: my next-to-the-little-toe on my left foot.

Yesterday I originally bumped it against my rainstick which was lying on the floor of my walk-in closet in the master bedroom.  It hurt like blazes but I didn't realize until later that it had bled very profusely.  As I am on blood thinners this is a concern.

So today I am still cleaning and moving totes to the back porch. I accidentally kicked one of the totes, same foot, same toe, same injury.  That was about 20 minutes ago and even with soaking in (very) cold water I am having one hell of a time getting this toe to stop bleeding.

The co-ag nurse is out sick today and when I called trying to reach the triage nurse I got disconnected.  Are we having fun yet?

A friend suggested using ice cubes.  There isn't even one in the house because little ms. efficiency ran all the ice cube trays through the dishwasher.  That was when my friend said that my cleaning 'rage' was turning against me.  The clutter is fighting back!!

I knew there was a reason to not clean and now I've found it.  I plan on spending the rest of the afternoon parked in front of the computer.  I'd go to bed already except for the fact I am expecting people to come pick up stuff that I am freecycling.

Adventures in House Cleaning

Still cleaning like there was no tomorrow. I have found lots of things to sell, to keep, and to Freecycle.

I've found lots of things to throw away too.  Last week I had 12 bags of garbage at the curb for pickup, this week I had 14 bags of garbage, and I already have 5 bags ready for next week's pickup.  As I have 4 more days until next weeks pickup it may be another 14 bag day.

I found 2 Brownie box cameras from the early 1920s and am trying to convince the owner of Panda Bear Emails and White Tiger Emails that he desperately needs these cameras.  It is his own fault, he bought another collectible camera from me already.

I am freecyling (or have already freecycled) a 40 piece tap and die set, stuffed animals, wooden fruit boxes, Avon collectible perfume and aftershave bottles, crochet thread, felt, yarn, a water cooler, coaster frames, partially opened box of razor blades, cuckoo clock, tissue box cover, flowerpots, food mill, a set of 14 candle holders, black graduation gown, and embroidery floss. (this list subject to change lol)

Yesterday and the day before I decided to get all the Rubbermaid totes and their ilk moved out to the carport or onto the back porch.  I didn't get them all moved, there are still about 15 in here but they will slowly go outside today and tomorrow. Still wondering what to do with six 2-drawer file cabinets.

Over the last week or so I have run the dishwasher about 10 times and the washer/dryer nearly as much. Cleaning house is such hard work, but I've decided that blowtorching the place just isn't an option!

Interesting New PTC: Schnaap Klicks

I haven't been paid by this new PTC, but then again I've only been a member for 4 days. In that 4 days I've made $1.23 (plus 25 cents at Amigo Clicks for signing up under the PO there).

If you aren't a member of Amigo Clicks check out Schnaap by clicking my referral link below.

http://www.schnaapklicks.com/?ref=stargazerschild

If you are a member of Amigo Clicks check out Schnaap by clicking Han's referral link:  http://www.schnaapklicks.com/?ref=sdgroup

And if you aren't a member of Amigo Clicks but want to sign up for Schnaap and get the 25 cent bonus from Hans check out Amigo Clicks by clicking my referral link

http://www.amigoclicks.com/splash01.php?ref=evilbratiamnot  

Monday, October 25, 2010

Rabbits and Hats OH MY

No I've not quite lost the plot yet.

Every month it seems I have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to pay my bills.

In the last 10 months I have received help from my friends and help from my mother.

I've also been selling anything that will sell (except my body which probably wouldn't sell anyway ROFLMAO).

And recently instead of reinvesting my PTR earnings in advertising, upgrades, or affiliate pages I've been transferring them to my savings account (linked to my PayPal account) and then quickly transferring them to my checking account which always seem to be in danger of outgo exceeding income.

This is all very tiring.

And the rabbit has been getting grumpier and grumpier each month.  This month I swear he threatened to kick the stuffing out of me if something didn't change.

This evening I opened a vintage metal box that said 'various necklaces.'  As this box had belonged to my grandmother I expected her usual costume jewelry and for the most part I was not disappointed (disgruntled perhaps but not disappointed).

Then I opened a small cardboard box that was inside the large vintage metal box -- that box said antique metal evening bags. 

Now I know enough to not get excited when my grandmother called anything antique (as mentioned in this post both she and my mother have a very fluid definition of  'antique')

http://suellenjillroley.blogspot.com/2010/06/fenton-glass-brass-candlesticks-and.html

I took one look at the contents of the box and my eyeballs just about popped out of my head.

For once she was right to call something antique.  These metal mesh evening bags are probably from the 1920's and in excellent condition to boot.

The rabbit however continued grumbling and making comments about kicking the stuffing out of me (perhaps even biting me for good measure) until I googled for the value of these evening bags.

I don't expect to get the $212.00 that one is selling for online.....but I don't think that $50.00-$100.00 each is too much to be expected.

Me and the rabbit were going along before this thinking well we will be lucky to get the $50.00 we need for the Bend Broadband bill  from the other stuff we are selling (vintage chair in not the greatest condition, vintage Fisher-Price pull toy, Fenton glass bowl from the 1970's, religious statuary, etc).

The rabbit stopped grumbling.  Lets hope the proceeds of tomorrow's sales are enough so that he doesn't start grumbling again for a month--and by that time I might have a job.

We are hop hop hopping on out of here for the night.

Adventures with the Digital Camera


Sunday, October 24, 2010

Cooking and Cats and Cleaning

Apparently my actually cooking something doesn't cause the world to end.  Last week I cooked 2 salmon fillets and a chicken breast fillet; tonight I cooked  tilapia fillets (YUMMMMMM!!).

I am having to protect my food from the big orange cat who has discovered the joys of stealing food off my plate when I am not paying attention.

So far he's only gotten a scrap of turkey breast; however, the tilapia is much too delicious to even share with a significant other much less a thieving cat!!

Last night I managed to move the gun cabinet into the master bedroom which amused the felines no end.

Of course I emptied out the gun cabinet first and removed the glass shelves--it wasn't being used for guns (I sold all the guns a year ago) but there was a lot of breakable religious statuary which I might be able to sell.

I had to manhandle the thing down two wide but shallow steps (I have a sunken living room) and then push/pull/rock  it inch by inch into the bedroom.

Of course the designated space was too small so I had to empty a bookshelf and then stack it on top of another bookshelf (anchored the top bookshelf to the wall with a few well placed nails).

But finally after approximately 1/2 hour the silly gun cabinet was installed, the books were returned to the bookshelf, and the cats had had their fill of laughing at me (as usual) so they curled up on my bed (which they hog all the time) and snored their little kitty heads off.

Only one more load of laundry to do and the only dishes left to do are a large snack tray *looks like milk glass but isn't* and silverware (the dishwasher does a heck of a job on everything but silverware).

I hope to move the china hutch from the dining room to the spot the gun cabinet formerly occupied but must measure hutch and spot first.

One of the major benefits of all of this work is that there is much less left for me to trip over or run into. 

This also means the quality of language inside the house has improved immeasurably, as usually I swear loudly when I run into things or trip over them.

Also, with being on the blood thinners I always worry about bleeding when I run into stuff or trip over it, so removing the offending whatever has been a blessing in a lot of ways.

Cleaning Continues :)

I am still cleaning and organizing.  Almost all of the dishes are washed and put away; I have two loads of laundry left to do.  There is still a lot of stuff to move out of the bedroom I hope to rent out but since it is all either in boxes or Rubbermaid totes it will go pretty quickly.

I moved the gun case (not being used for guns) into the master bedroom. To make room for the gun case I stacked a bookshelf on top of another bookshelf; I anchored the 2nd bookshelf to the wall with a few nails just to be on the safe side. 

I am hoping the china hutch will fit where the gun case was so that the so-called dining room can be turned into a computer/sewing/hobby room (the computer is currently in the same bedroom that I hope to rent out and it wouldn't be fair to my potential roommate if I spent hours in 'her' room on the computer).

The medicine cabinet in the 2nd bathroom has been emptied out; my next goal in there is to empty out the cupboard under the sink.

Much as I would like to have a renter quickly there is still a LOT of work to do in this house. Carpets need vacuumed in both bedrooms, the master bathroom, the dining room and the living room.  Linoleum floors in the 2nd bathroom, kitchen, office, and utility room need swept and mopped.  Most of the side tables, end tables, etc need dusted. I need to find a new home for the litter boxes that have been in the dining room (mind you I never ate in the dining room nor even sat at the table in there, so the litter boxes didn't bother me--but a renter/roommate might feel differently)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Here Are the Pictures of My Employers

I Must Have Gotten An Energy Transplant

Since last Thursday I have been the energizer bunny! (on steroids ROFLMAO!!)

My co-ag appointment on Thursday was canceled because the nurse called in sick. 

So I went to Neighbor Impact, Willing to Help, and Central Oregon Electric.

Then I was freecycling a large upright freezer  so I had to wrestle that from the corner of the back porch to the back porch steps, after removing all the stuff that was in the way (my father had an addiction to heavy-duty plastic totes which he passed on to me)

I am considering getting a roommate and the house is currently a disaster area.

The last time I did a major cleaning was August.............2009 (not a joke, my aunt came to visit the end of August 2009 and I cleaned house for a month before she got here, I even went so far as to rent a carpet shampooer and shampoo all the carpets.)

You could write a full length novel in the dust on all wooden surfaces, and lets not even talk about the kitchen (other than to say blowtorching it would be a great improvement!!)

On the 17th of October (Sunday) there was a 2 hour power outage here in the mobile home park. With no power I couldn't do laundry, click, watch TV or cook.  I was forced by sheer boredom (ROFL!!) to start cleaning house.

Since then I've continued cleaning as well as doing laundry. I'm down to one load of laundry left to do, wish the cleaning was that far along!

So far there are at least 10 bags of garbage out at the curb for pickup tomorrow morning.  There will probably be at least 3 more before 8 am tomorrow.

If I never post again, it will be because the park manager decided to either shoot me or beat me to death with my own garbage ROFL.

Friday, October 15, 2010

HardHats, Frustrated Cats, and Packrats

And I'm a poet and I know it, my toes show it, they're Longfellows. (silly rhyme from childhood)

I'm indulging myself in a bit of nostalgia and sadness today.  I was cleaning out the carport (or getting started on it anyway -- now that the upright freezer is gone there's a lot more room for 'stuff' but I don't want to store totally useless 'stuff' either).

The first tote I cracked open held my father's old backpack and hardhats from when he worked for the US Forest Service (United States Department of Agriculture).

I remember seeing him wear the hardhats when I was growing up; they were standard gear for fighting fire on the Fort Rock district of the Deschutes National Forest.  That was my dad's favorite job in all the years he worked; he planned to retire from that job but life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. (John Lennon--Beautiful Boy)

The United States Forest Service makes you quit fighting fires at a certain age (55 I think it is). My dad wasn't quite there in terms of age but he'd only been 'allowed' to fight 2 or 3 fires the last full summer he worked on the Fort Rock District. When you can't do what you love, going to work every day becomes nothing but drudgery.

My dad also knew that he wasn't going to advance any further from where he was at the time he left that job, and his boss had just retired.  His replacement didn't much like my dad, and my dad returned the feeling in spades. (I didn't inherit my attitude problem from any stranger!!)

About this time my dad met the woman who later became my stepmother.  She owned a well-known restaurant in Bend, Oregon -- the Pine Tavern.

Mind you, this is a restaurant with a full service bar, NOT a tavern.  It has been open for 74 years and has a 200 or 300 year old Ponderosa pine tree growing through the ceiling in the garden room

They got married, my dad resigned from the Forest Service, and went to work at the Pine Tavern.

All of this information is a lead up to my next find.

The packrats in the title refer to both my stepmother and my father, as the next box I worked on was full of Pine Tavern memorabilia.

I found numerous menus (two of which are signed by Oregon's iconoclastic governor *Tom McCall*), photographs, post cards, and clippings of their weekly ads from the local newspaper (the Bend Bulletin). Some of the menus and clippings are over 40 years old.

What made this whole experience very nostalgic for me is that I knew many of the people featured in the photographs and clippings. My cat Max (male silver tabby) and I lived with my father in the apartment over the restaurant one summer while I was in college. I ate most of my meals during that summer in the garden room and dining room at the Pine Tavern.

I knew most of the cooks and waitstaff by name, and they knew me too.

They made fun of me for my addiction to 'diet coke floats' ("what a waste of good ice cream" was a favorite line) and were amused that I changed clothes 2-3 times a day (IMHO that was just typical late adolescent/early adulthood behavior).

They also comforted me as well as teased me when I had my worst hangover of all time -- I don't get hangovers often but when I do they are killers. My father and stepmother were recovering alcoholics so I didn't even admit to them that I was hungover!

I remember the large plate glass window in the living room of the apartment.

There were huge crows hanging out all the time outside this window, and one of them did more than just hang out.  He would fly right at the window and turn only at the last possible minute--right before he would crash headfirst into the window- solely to torment my cat who was sitting on the windowsill.

My dad and I would hear these half meows half growls from the windowsill, look at each other, laugh our heads off and say "that damn bird is at it again."  You could almost hear the bird laughing too.

One of the employees of the Pine Tavern called the cops one night when a friend and I were throwing rotten eggs out of the window (a different window) of the apartment (nobody ever ratted me out, the cops never came up to the apartment, and yes indeed we were both drunk as skunks at the time!)

The Pine Tavern was sold many years ago as my stepmothers health began to decline. 

She passed away in 2003, my dad passed away in 2007, and the cat is also long gone.  So of course I'm sad but I do have some great memories of my stepmother, my dad, the cat, and the restaurant (I loved the prime rib they sold)

Packrats rock even if they do make me sad sometimes

Besides, since the hardhat only says ROLEY on it I can keep it until I pass away and then somebody can be really really confused about why I have this hardhat!! ROFLMAO!!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Where I'm Waiting For Payouts (October Edition)

Seriously overdue:
Kerclink: requested check for $10.40 on 2/3/2010, no check, no reply to contact
Lady of the Links: waiting 155 days for $9.78
Offshore Mails: waiting 26 days (date of last post) plus unknown amount of days for $5.79
Brat Mails: owed over $16.00, site is now down, and owner has been MIA since March 2010

Within terms
Deep C Links: waiting 7 days for $9.03
Down Home Folks: waiting 2 days for $3.04 (paid 10/12/2010)
Fusion Mails: waiting 2 days for $2.53
Donkey Mails: waiting 2 days for $3.40 (paid 10/14/2010)
1 Cent Mail: waiting 20 days for $6.96 (paid 10/12/2010)
Anything Goes: waiting 2 days for $1.89 (paid 10/12/2010)
Clicks Mania: waiting 2 days for $1.40 (paid 10/12/2010)
Castle Mails: waiting 2 days for $1.71 (paid 10/13/2010)
Dance Mails: waiting 2 days for $2.54
Jazzy Clicks: waiting 2 days for $4.58
Paid Dragon: waiting 2 days for $2.22

Just requested:
$29.00 from Inbox Dollars
$8.78 from Rare Mails
$2.00 from JJ Clix
$3.06 from Charmed Emails

Who Has Paid Me in October 2010

Reward Port: $25.00 Starbucks card
Realm of Karma: $3.13
Showcase PTR: $3.02
St Cash Unlimited: $4.13
Dream Mails: $1.46
Panda Bear Mails: $7.03
Old Amsterdam Post: $2.56
White Tiger Emails: $7.11
Polar Bear Clicks: $7.84
Matrix Mails: $3.29
1 Cent Mail: $6.90
Down Home Folks: $3.06
Anything Goes: $1.95
Clicks Mania: $1.43
Mystics Kingdom: $4.37
Donkey Mails: $3.43
Charmed Email: $3.06
Castle Mails: $1.76
JJ Clix: $2.00
Offshore Mails: $6.02
Pinecone Research: $3.00
The Paid Help: $1.50
Dance Mails: $2.87

Total For October: $105.92 (as of October 31, 2010)

Friday, October 8, 2010

2 steps forward, 1 step back

"Fall seven times, get up eight." - Japanese Proverb
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." - John Quincy Adams
"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb
"Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never." - Winston Churchill
"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." - Samuel Johnson

I keep reminding myself that I have made huge strides towards being healthier and happier since July 26th 2010 (when I had the horrible coughing/allergy attack that in turn led to the pulmonary emboli --blood clots in my lungs--which in turn led to the discovery of my other 'ailments.')

1) I have lost 8 pounds so far.
2) I have given up full-sugar Coca Cola and I haven't looked back.
3) I have given up full fat ice cream because I simply can't eat it in moderation.
4) I read labels even more than I used to and I have cut way back on sodium, sugar, fat, and cholesterol.
5) I eat 2 meals a day at a minimum now whereas I used to eat one large meal per day (which was usually high in fat, cholesterol and sodium)
6) I am eating more whole grains which is helping with my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
7) I am eating more vegetables and fruit which helps with the IBS as well as with the weight loss
8) I can walk without being short of breath
9) I am only using the oxygen at night now

The 1 step back was the arm/shoulder/flu shot/pneumonia shot debacle.  My shoulder hurt so bad that I couldn't ride the exercise bike for over a week and I still haven't gotten back into the swing of riding it.  But I did continue to use the dumbbells and ankle weights even when my shoulder hurt, and I walked inside the house too.

I keep reminding myself that I couldn't possibly gain 8 pounds back in a week unless I went back to the old unhealthy habits--and I didn't. I wasn't even tempted to go get ice cream or a full-sugar Coca-Cola.

The new healthier me LIKES being healthier and happier!!

"Fall seven times, get up eight." - Japanese Proverb
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." - John Quincy Adams
"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." - Chinese Proverb
"Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never." - Winston Churchill
"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." - Samuel Johnson

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

It's a Pain in the AAAAAAA---ARM!!

So I've never had a flu shot or a pneumonia shot before, and this really is germane to what follows.

Yesterday when I saw my doctor, she wanted me to get both shots.  Of course, she's the doctor, I am a good patient (most of the time anyway) so I agreed to get the shots

If I'd had one or both of the shots before, I would have known that getting them both in the same arm was not exactly the smartest thing a person could do.

What frustrates the crap out of me is that Justin--the nurse who gave me the shots--is supposed to know stuff like this, and shouldn't even have given me the option to have both shots in one arm. 

The situation was exacerbated by the fact that I am right-handed and the injections were made into my right shoulder. I use my right hand to do just about everything, and I like to sleep on one side or the other (not my back).

I got these shots around 11:00 am; by 4 pm I was in agony.

I went to bed around 9:00 pm but failed to fall asleep until hours later.

Rolling over in bed was horribly painful and I'm not sure that I didn't scream a few times; I do know that I moaned and groaned and swore and complained about the pain.

While I was laying down--trying and failing to sleep at around midnight--one of my cats made the mistake of stepping on my sore shoulder and I literally threw him off the bed. He hasn't been near that shoulder since.

Today I went to my co-ag (coagulation) appointment and I mentioned to Charlene (the co-ag nurse) that I wanted to rip my arm off and beat Justin with it because it hurt so bad.  She asked me why and I told her that I'd had the two shots in the same arm.

She had me roll up my sleeve so she could get a good look at my upper arm, and compared the temperature of that arm to my left arm.  She immediately had the doctor  prescribe antibiotics. 

My upper arm is swollen, hot to the touch, and red as well as being sore, and she said that Justin should have known better than to give me both shots in the same shoulder.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Latest Doctor Appointment: GOOD NEWS!!

I would say today's doctors' appointment was all good news.

1) There are no liver abnormalities or other problems in my abdomen. There is some fatty infiltration of my liver and that is what is causing the elevated liver enzymes. It turns out that high cholesterol can be treated with niacin (my late father treated his high cholesterol with niacin).  Niacin is much less dangerous for the liver than medications such as Lipitor.

2) Currently I am only using oxygen at night.  The oxygen provider will come in and do an overnight oxygen saturation test, and if my levels are high enough then I will be off the oxygen altogether.

3) I have lost 8 pounds since August 12, 2010.  Now that I am a bit more active (walking and using the exercise bike--up to 10 minutes a day so far on the bike) I hope to increase the weight loss to 2-3 pounds per week.

4) I was seeing my doctor every two weeks; my next appointment is in 3 months.  I think that is progress.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Amazon Fall Deals: Home Improvement and Tools

If you are thinking about sprucing up your home or doing those little (or not so little) projects around your house, look for the products and tools you might need for DIY projects in the Tools & Home Improvement Project Center at Amazon.

Included: tools, project ideas, and much more.

In addition to project ideas, Amazon is featuring a number of sizzling deals in September, such as an extra 25% off eligible American Standard faucets  sold and shipped by Amazon.com, including kitchen sink faucets, bathroom sink faucets, and shower and tub faucets, while supplies last.

In October, Amazon's Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays page will feature items to help you prepare for upcoming company.

You'll be able to find ideas for refreshing the bathroom, making the kitchen sparkle, and sprucing up the front entryway.

Also featured will be great savings on select power tools up to 40% off and select designer lighting by Candice Olson up to 25% off.


Also look for deals in these areas of Amazon:

    * Tools & Home Improvement: lamps and light fixtures, kitchen and bath fixtures, flashlights, door hardware and locks, tools, building supplies, and more
    * Power & Hand Tools: cordless drills, saws, grinders, multifunction power tools, knives, multitools, tool accessories, and more
    * Deals & Bargains: hot deals on everything from plumbing fixtures to tools
    * Reconditioned Tools: wide selection of factory-reconditioned tools from top brands

Check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=2245445011&tag=mystemail-20

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Where I'm Waiting For Payouts (September Edition)

Lady of the Links: waiting 129 days for $9.14

Polar Bear Clicks: waiting 32 days for $6.42

Offshore Mails: waiting unknown amount of time for $5.00

Brat Mails: over $16.00 and the PO has been MIA since March 2010

Calendar Days: after waiting 3 weeks for Alert Pay, switched to PayPal, waited another 51 days and gave up, redeemed for surfer hits

Who Has Paid Me in September 2010

Old Amsterdam Post: $4.78
All My Money For You: $4.24
Pinecone Research: $6.00
Poker PTR: $4.26
PT Party: $4.96
Hot Rods PTR: $2.04

Total for September 2010 (as of September 15):  $26.28

Who Paid Me In August 2010

A little late but better late than never!!

Bird Crazy Mail $3.04
Fire Cracker Email: $6.38
Matrix Mails: $5.79
Hogs Hollow PTR: $1.14
Polar PTR: $1.94
Pinecone Research: $3.00
St Cash Unlimited: $1.13
My PTR: $6.21
Dream Mails: $2.24
Midnight Clicking: $1.65
Neobux: $3.01
Speed Earner: $2.03

Total for August 2010:  $37.56

Monday, September 13, 2010

I Really HATE Being Sick!

http://suellenjillroley.blogspot.com/2010/08/backing-away-from-ptr.html

Some things are looking up while others have gone right into the toilet.

The things that have improved:

1) I have lost 5 pounds in the last month
2) I am getting more exercise
3) I am eating a lot healthier than I was
4) My INR (a measure of how fast or slow my blood clots) is up where it needs to be
5) I have been released to use my exercise bike and/or start walking which will help with continued weight loss and continued lowered blood sugars
6) My blood sugars are back down at non-diabetic levels (with medication).
7) I have no more pain in my chest
8) I went grocery shopping last week and for the first time in probably 30 years I didn't get any frozen dinners or anything else that needs microwaved.
9) Shortly after I returned from the hospital, my name was drawn for the Oregon Health Plan so most if not all of my medical bills and prescriptions will be paid for by the state of Oregon
10) I have a lot more energy now and can complete more than one thing per day

The things that have gone into the toilet:

1) my blood pressure was elevated in the hospital and has remained elevated since I returned home. The first time they took my blood pressure at the hospital they wouldn't even tell me how high it was because it was so bad.  It has dropped since then but not enough, so I am now on yet another medication; this pill is to reduce my blood pressure. They increased the dosage from 10 mg to 20 mg today.

2) My cholesterol is elevated but they don't want to treat it right now because I also have elevated levels of a certain enzyme in my liver.  The medications that are used to treat high cholesterol have a known history of causing liver problems.  So Wednesday morning at some godawful hour (8:00 am to be exact about it) I have to go have an abdominal ultrasound to see what is wrong with my liver. Of course I have to fast (no food AND no water or other beverages for 10 hours) before the ultrasound.

3) I have rampaging insomnia. I've only had 2 nights of sleeping at night since I started the blood pressure medicine.  I sleep all day, and because I usually sleep right through lunch I don't eat enough to even maintain this weight (the actual weight btw is none of anybody else's business ROFLMAO!!)

4) I need to start pricking my finger and testing my blood twice a day. YUCK!!

5) I need to start monitoring my blood pressure at home.  At least my father or stepmother had a portable blood pressure monitor so I won't have to buy one.

6) I went from taking no pills at all to taking seven pills a day every day. I take two Metformin (one with breakfast, one with dinner) for the diabetes, one iron pill (with breakfast) for my anemia, one Citalopram (with breakfast) for my depression, one Warfarin (at 5:00 pm, with or without food), and two Lisinopril (with dinner, although it can be taken with or without food) for my high blood pressure.

7) Getting my diabetes medications and testing supplies has been a real hassle. The health insurance first wouldn't approve the testing supplies -- Walmart never called me to tell me that they had finally been approved; I finally went in a week later and got them -- and then there was an issue with the Metformin refill since I just brought the bottle in (they want a prescription on tamper-proof paper).

8) I am still on oxygen, although at my next doctors appointment they plan to test me walking using room air, so I might be able to stop using the oxygen.  The oxygen is a pain because it dries out the inside of my nose and then the inside of my nose forms scabs like crazy

Amazon's Fall Blowout

Start the fall season off right with great deals on thousands of items featured during Amazon’s Fall Blowout Sale. The event will include sale prices on a great selection of items, including electronics, sporting goods, clothing, home furnishings, and more.

These specials will only be available for a limited time so hurry to the link below and check 'em out!!

http://www.amazon.com/Outlet/b/?ie=UTF8&node=517808&tag=mystemail-20

Friday, August 27, 2010

Amazon Gift Cards

There are 4 ways you can give Amazon.com Gift Cards:

1) E-mail a personalized gift card for immediate delivery or schedule up to a year in advance.
2) Print a personalized gift card on your home or office printer now.
3) Mail a personalized gift card with a free greeting card for delivery in 5 to 7 days (shipping is free, of course).
4) Add a gift card in preset denominations – or a box of them! – to your Amazon.com shopping cart and get free next-day shipping.

Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and are redeemable for millions of items storewide -- for everything you need (or forgot to buy) for Back to School.

Check out the available gift cards by clicking the link below

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=mystemail-20

Monday, August 23, 2010

Limited Time Offer at Amazon

Send your kids back to school in style.

During Amazon's back to school sale get $10 off qualifying orders of $50 or more or $25 off qualifying orders of $100 or more when you shop kids’, juniors’, and young men’s clothing sold by Amazon at Amazon.com’s Clothing Store. Now through August 31, 2010.

Check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=2354223011&tag=mystemail-20

Friday, August 20, 2010

Watches at Endless.com

The endless Watches store offers styles from casual to luxurious for men, women, and children from dozens of great brands including Citizen, Bulova, Seiko, Movado, Casio, and AK Anne Klein

Check them out at:

http://www.endless.com/Bags-Accessories-Watches/b/2238212011?mystemail-20

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Some Good News!!

I had a doctors appointment today.

The little backpack oxygen tanks aren't working properly so I just went without my oxygen, thinking they would chew me out no end. But my oxygen saturation level was at 95% without using oxygen.  The doctor was pleased and so am I.

My INR (measure of how fast or slow my blood clots) is slowly coming up too, and probably next week will be where its supposed to be (2.0-3.0).

Now all I need is an energy transfusion (an energy pack like in Mafia Wars ROFLMAO!!) so that I don't feel so darn tired all the time

Backing Away From PTR

I have been on oxygen 24/7 for nearly 2 weeks now.

I was in the hospital for 3 days.

I am pre-diabetic and I have blood clots on my lungs.

I went from taking no pills at all to taking a minimum of  4 pills every single day.

If I am in pain, add another 2 pills to that total.

Add to that an injectable blood thinner that I administer to myself every day at noon.

I don't have enough energy to accomplish more than one thing outside of my home every day.

If I try to accomplish two things, I either sleep for 2 days afterward or I have a meltdown in the middle of the second thing.

I will probably be applying for social security disability next week as I am much too ill to work right now

Just like the death of my father spurred me to sell/close my PTR sites, my own health scares (continuing) are spurring me to back away from GPT sites.

I am choosing to not read/post at GPT forums (with one notable exception) because I don't need the stress. My blood pressure is high enough already without reading the deliberately provocative crap posted at most forums.

I am choosing also to leave sites as my ads, upgrades and affiliate pages expire.  The stress of will he/she pay, will he/she run my ads, will he/she be around next month is another stress I don't need.

And the sites that are closing? It doesn't break my heart that they are closing; I am hopeful that most if not all will do it the 'right way' but whatever happens happens and I realize I have no control over anything but my own life--and not even much control over that with all these health problems.

I started out 2010 belonging to over 80 PTR programs.

I am now in 52 programs
1) one program is suspended (Taters)
2) I am waiting for ads to expire at two other programs (dolcevita and puppies)
3) My upgrade at a 4th program expires tomorrow (homestead)
4) I am waiting for an affiliate page to expire in September at a fifth program (castles gold)
5) I am waiting for an affiliate page to expire in October at a sixth program (moo-over)
6) I am slowly redeeming all earnings at a seventh program ( x mails)
7) Two programs are closing in October (Deep C and Lady of the Links)

I will continue to slowly cut down as upgrades, ads, and affiliate pages expire.

My future looks like this: I will continue my blogging here, at Spark People, and at Word Press (possibly even add more blogs, as I enjoy writing and am damn good at it if I do say so myself).

I hope to write more articles for Triond and learn how to more effectively market those articles since the PTR model of marketing them earned me a whopping NINE CENTS in August.

And I will continue to push my Amazon store as I make $10.00-$20.00 per month there with little or no effort on my part.