Caption this photo...

This photo seems to reflect much of my life recently, but it also gave me smile. [It also seems to be asking for some some good captions, too!]

Prayer request continues... and update

UGH! I think it would be kinder to invest in a bullet. Just put me out of everyone else's misery.

Wow. Not only am I on the black-list for a larger number of people, I'm learning fast why people don't want to mess with anything to do with workman's comp. Yikes! And it wasn't even my idea! The company is forcing me to do it to cover its own backside.

Wow. I can't believe how this perfume issue has gone from a simple request for people to 'chat elsewhere' to a full blown workman's comp issue. It's asinine to have to demand the government step in to tell people to "play nice". I guess I was also naive enough to believe that 'upper management', particularly the personnel officer & human resources liaison, might possibly be there to HELP employees solve problems. I have learned that this is not the case. They are there to protect the company and their own backsides... then they might think about the employee. Maybe.

Today's adventures took the 'accident report' that I filled out last night and put it into the report that the HR lady is submitting to the state. When she was done, I was brought a copy to sign and date. I was given time to read it and I had questions and some concerns. I expressed those questions so that I could understand. Suddenly I'm on the receiving end of the most defensive and snarky 'explanation' I've encountered to date. [Yelling on paper is a good description, with a liberal cherry topping of: [and I quote] "Remember, this is technically my report to work comp, and I am going to write it the way I see it."

Does anyone want to add a pouty lip and a "so there!" to the end of that one?

It was all I could do not to explode back at her. I thank God's grace that my fingers can type in a very controlled fashion when my heart and brain are fighting to do otherwise. I was allowed one 'offered' change and I wrote in (and initialized) one that she refused to do on her own. Amazing. Anyway, it's done. The next step will probably happen on Tuesday after I get back (right between the eyes probably). For now, I don't care.

Wow. It's been a really long time since I've been SO GLAD TO GET OUT OF THAT OFFICE. I don't remember being in a situation where I was verbally "reamed a new one" in order to cover "someone else's", and in conjunction with being verbally slammed against the wall for asking questions and just trying to understand something - Wow. That is not fun and I was VERY ANGRY when I left the office today.

I'm much calmer now, but I think it is a very good thing that I do not have to step foot in that building for 5 days. I might be tempted do something that really would get me fired and that just won't do. So, for the next several fragrance-free & management-free days, I'm going to try to put it all out of my mind & heart (with some additional prayer that I didn't line myself up for a classic migraine to kick loose over the weekend). Being at home, internet won't be accessible unless Mr. Squirrel shares his wireless connection, So I might not actually add anything to this post/blog until next week.

Until then, I offer many thanks for any 'good thoughts', prayers or mental 'hugs' that my readers might wish to share.
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Godspeed & God bless

Prayer Request...

I'm so glad that I tend to read the 'captions' posts for new additions before doing anything else. Thanks for the smiles! I needed them more than I realized.

Today, I'm touching base for a selfish prayer request. I've had some very challenging fragrance events since my appointment with the neurologist. From people just being clueless to some testing to see if my reactions are real and not being faked. [So kind.] Anyway, the letter from the neurologist is within 48 hours of being in my hands and I need prayer for God's peace in this.

Selfishly, I would ask that the unauthorized work I did last Friday will not get me fired. I was forced to abandon my work area, so with the help of a tech-guy (the one, by the way, who is deathly allergic to fragrances), we were able to successfully test my new netbook against the internal network system. The result: I can remote into my own work area from his office - a pretty much guaranteed safe place - and by using my own machine.]

Selfishly, I would also ask for courage to face that letter for what it will say (I'm planning on letting Hubby read it first as a comfort-support move), and for what it will do to my work situation once it's in the hands of the office powers-that-be. With the number of "abandon ship" events I've had at my office recently, I pray that the letter will say enough to have it taken seriously, but not so much that it will lose me my job. I have been reassured that the odds are in my favor that things will be just fine, but I've been chicken-to-the-bone whenever confrontation is required. I tend to hide it well, but this is a whole new ball-game and I'm so ill-equipped.

I do take comfort that I know God and that His plans are perfectly set up and executed - even if I cannot understand.

Thanks for listening.
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Godspeed & God bless

Update 5/18: 5:45pm - First prayer answered! God is good! [Happy Dance]

I found the letter in the post office box. It is only a single page, but is quite straightforward and detailed enough that it should get the attention it deserves. I will be scanning the letter (because I'm not giving them my original - nope, nope, nope) and making a hard copy to give to the people at my office. From there, it's again up to trusting that God will make things happen as he wills.

Thanks for the continued good thoughts and prayers! I will add a post when there is something decided at my office.

Hugs!

Update 5/19: 9pm -

Well, I don't know if it's good or bad, but this adventure is veering into realms I never imagined it would go. I delivered the letter early this morning to my supervisor and in minutes he forwarded it to the front office. The rest of the day was spent in a complete information blackout. However, 10 minutes before I left the office, I finally get word. They are treating this as a workman's comp claim. So, I've spent my evening filling out an "Accident Report" for my migraines. [Creative writing 101?] At least I have a number of people who are willing to be my "witnesses to the accident" that the report demands.

I am absolutely flabbergasted that discourtesy can go this far... and father, I presume. It's really a sad commentary on people. At least the report is completed and I'll turn it in tomorrow morning. Who knows what will happen from there. Wednesday is my last work day for this week as I'm taking Thursday and Friday off (my first vacation time since New Year's). I don't know if anything will happen tomorrow, but perhaps something after the holiday.

I'll update this post or start a new one when I have more to share.

Caption this photo...

Mr. Squirrel (as well as his daughter) always seem to have a cup of coffee, tea or the like in hand. When I stumbled onto this photo, I just had to share it... and I imagine that there are some good 'captions' out there, too. Please feel free to add some!

Caption this photo...

If you could put a caption on this photo, what would it say?

It's been a roller coaster...

Things have just been loaded with ups and downs recently.

Last Thursday, I bit-the-bullet and purchased the Acer 10.1 "netbook" computer from Costco (good return policy and 2-year warranty). It was like Christmas when we were little kids - huge smiles and practically vibrating with excitement. It is so cute! And it's really fun to use! I couldn't be happier with the purchase!

Unlike most toys, you do have to set up computers before you can really play with them. Thursday night was spent making the recommended factory-restoration-discs and beginning to get the Windows Updates loaded (which I finished up on Friday). Everything was working like a charm with no indications of any problems, and even the office tech-guy agreed that I got a good one. [This is good, because these units have a reputation that you either get a really good one right off the bat, or you get one that starts off with boot errors severe enough for instant replacement or shipping back to the factory for a new hard-drive.]

Over the weekend, Hubby and I began to load on the stuff that would make the unit usable for everyday stuff (Bible software, Microsoft Reader, games, etc.). Because this unit does not have a CD/DVD drive (which allows for the small size) I also wanted to load some digital movies onto it and Hubby's external DVD drive came with software to allow for my machine to play DVDs. Everything was good up to this point. Installed, everything was fine. Playing the DVDs from the independent drive was FANTASTIC - great picture and sound! [The digital installs wouldn't go on because we needed internet to get it started, so we had to wait on that for a bit.]

After the DVD software installed, THEN I started having hang-ups in my boot process. Both Hubby and the tech-guy agree that it's a software issue and not the hard-drive. If it persists, we can uninstall stuff (and/or restore back to the factory build). However, it's like eating an apple. You enjoy it up to that point when you see that there is a worm-hole on the other side. It really takes all of the "happy" out of it. So, for now, I'll play carefully and keep testing things, hopefully things will calm down. Just in case, on Sunday afternoon, I backed up everything that I didn't want to lose. If it does become necessary, I can get it back to factory-fresh and not lose anything.

Ups and Downs... continued...

The next immediate hurdle to get past is my neurologist appointment today at 4pm. I'm really quite nervous about it. This is a completely new doctor who knows nothing of the last 4 years of hard work and misadventures we've gone through just to get my migraines identified, let alone trying to find treatments. But, I've prepped my current notes and charts to give her a fresh start (if my former neurologist did not organize his notes). I'm also nervous because of the basic reason I'm seeing her. I need to get "official" documentation of the existence of my migraines for my employee records.

This involves dredging up everything I've sought so hard to suppress (so I don't get fired) & escape since the beginning of February. [i.e. I've had a surge of perfume triggered migraines because of a required work station relocation into a higher traffic area (and about 12 feet from the water-cooler). The company can do nothing 'official' without documentation. Until then, I'm just harassing other people if I ask them to 'chat elsewhere'... and I've been semi-officially warned not to talk to perfumed sources at all because of it.] For over three months, I've worked hard to create defensible spaces in and around my new work area in addition to finding safety zones to which I can escape (as necessary) if I'm forced away from my desk by someone's fragrance(s). [I also have a mask and fans that help for the lighter stuff.]

This appointment is the first step in getting that "official" documentation. Getting it could very well change the dynamics of my whole office. I should say "again", since the initial explosion caused me abundant emotional grief when I found out just how many 'friends' were not my friends after all. [However, I found half-dozen who are 'the real thing', and they have shown that they are watching my back. I thank God so much for them!] And I'd almost bet real money if anything changes the 'status quo' (like perhaps the physical relocation of that water-cooler), that I'll be ticking-off even more people than I already have, and the 'leper-treatment' that I already receive will reach new proportions. [Although, I've found a significant portion of my work-life has gotten dramatically less stressed with those individuals no longer sharing my lunch table. Go figure.]

That's it (in a large convoluted nutshell). I'll have let you know how the appointment goes, and I'll keep tabs on the new computer (like when I submit my first post with it). However, if anyone out there is so inclined... I'd be grateful for any prayers that God's Will would be done in this situation... and some extra peace in my heart and mind would not go amiss, either. Thanks!

UPDATE: 6:30PM

I thought I would go ahead and update this post. The appointment was a bit of a test, but went well overall. My blood pressure was embarrassing, but my 4pm turned into a 4:30 before I got in, and during that time, I had an engaging and friendly conversation with another patient and her husband. The unfortunate side being that she had on some sort of fragrance that was setting up my 'flee the area' preparations. It wasn't horribly strong (so I could still be polite), but it wasn't good for my head. Once in for the actual appointment, the doctor was pretty nice and she seemed to listen well (always a good start). In addition to going over why I was there, she did a smattering of basic neurological 'base-line' tests (nerve reactions) so she could see where things met up with my old doctor's notes.

End result: She asked me to give her a week, but she will put together a letter documenting my condition. It will also be mailed to me directly so I can give it to the people in my office and retain a copy for myself.

P.S. This update was done on my netbook. It booted up without any issues! Yea!

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God Bless and Godspeed