Not dead...just REALLY busy!

Hello!
I'm stopping by to jot a note to let you all know that I'm not dead. Things have been insanely busy all the way around. I have even had to reduce my working hours a little bit just so I can get other things done. [My original dedicated schedule was 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and as of this past Monday it is now 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...and yes, it's still six days a week... but there are still random days when I may only have 2-4 hours of work during a day.]

Hopefully sometime soon I will be able to squeeze in a post to relate some of the obstacles faced and overcome as well as my complete shock and amazement that this is the last day of August. Time is zooming by so much faster than I imagined it could (and, yeah, I know it just keeps getting faster and faster).

Best wishes to one and all.
God Bless & Godspeed!

While I was away...

It seems that Blogger as well as Google+ have "updated" to new formats while I was away. At least it seems that the blog posts are intact though I haven't physically checked the archive. Unfortunately, my Google+ profile has been wiped clean and I essentially have to start over.

I find this soooooo irritating.

I guess I need to relearn how to navigate both sites and figure out what happened and if things are recoverable... or not.

Heavy sigh.
I thought going through Facebook's switch to Timeline was gymnastic minefield. I'm so not looking forward to having to relearn everything... again. :-(


Update: Okay. After investing about an hour, I found out that a second Google+ profile got created mysteriously. I did find my original profile and (hopefully) deleted the other one.  What a mess...but at least I didn't loose everything.

Still irritating though.

Squirrel Days: 02/14/2012

Outside my window...
The sun is shining on the hard-packed snow and quickly melting the heavy frost on the driveway and vehicles. It has the hope of spring written all over the day.

From the office...
For the moment, today continues to be on hold (thus the post). From day one, the work schedule reamains more variable than the weather. As mentioned in the comments on my last big post, my work weeks have been: January week#1: 27 hours. January week#2: 46 hours. January week#3: 49 hours. January week#4 was only 40 hours because I asked for a day off. The last couple of weeks have been about 38 hours each.

My boss was not kidding when she mentioned that the work may vary. The trick seems to be managing the time. When there is no work, you still have to be vigilant should work suddenly come in. When there is too-much-work, you have to remember to eat, drink water, and stand up and stretch.

For slow days, I have putter mode. I putter on little house tasks that need doing (dishes, laundry, etc.) or I take some time to stretch and walk on the elliptical machine; anything that still allows me to watch for incoming files. It has been working well. [Someday I'll add in some knitting projects.]

For full days... Well, I'm finding that full days are actually harder to accommodate. I have had to set alarms to remind me to eat meals, which is good. However, I am trying to also add reminders to "stop, stand up and stretch." I really need to do this several times across a workday, but it is not yet a habit. So far (i.e. I started this experiment yesterday), I am trying to take a break every 2-3 hours. When taking a "stretch break" I set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes, start with some specific stretch routines for my neck and shoulders, then take what time remains to walk on the elliptical machine.

Other than that, the work is still 6 days a week unless I ask for time off or I need time off for appointments, etc.

What I am doing as Fun-time...
1.) Not much. Any spare time is quickly absorbed by tasks and obligations. Hopefully this will change at some point.
2.) I am still reading as part of my bettime routine. I read a Bible devotional first (I started this almost a year ago), then (if it's not too late) I'll read in my other book. I'm still progressing through The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan; currently in Book Six: Lord of Chaos.

Thought(s) on my mind...
Has it REALLY been eight months since I've done a Squirrel Days post? Yikes!

Counting blessings...
1.) My job. Even though I'm not yet making much money, I love the work and my boss. I have a heart for the patients and I lift prayers when I transcribe hardships and lift praises when I transcribe victories.
2.) Mr. Squirrel's job. I'm so thankful that he loves driving the activity busses. The kids love him and call him "the cool bus driver" because he interacts with them and cares about them. Likewise, his income is not a lot. However, his job and mine together almost make a single full-time income.
3.) God's provision and his blessings that show us that we are making forward progress. Things are getting better for us, if slower than we would like, it is all in God's timing.

A picture I would like to share...
Hmmm. Nothing to share today. Perhaps next time.
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However, I just got another batch of files in, so it's back to work time!

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Facepalm moment

After a significant conversation on Facebook, I realized something profound and made a post on my own wall:

There comes a time when I realize that my desire to be understood must step aside and recognize the greater desire of those who do not wish to understand.

[See also: Exercises in futility.]

A normal life is returning... slowly.

A belated Merry Christmas and I pray that 2012 will be a blessing to you all!

This is mainly just a note to let everyone know that I'm still here! I never imagined that my 6-days-a-week of school would be lateral training for 6-days-a-week of actual work! [But rest assured, if I need time off for anything, I only have to schedule it. Otherwise I'm considered available for the 6 days because I told the boss I would be. Right now, income is essential.]

For the time being, blogging has to wait for those rare times when the files run out or when other delays happen. Today seems to be that day. My boss (in Denver, CO) had unexpected company arrive at her home and there are currently some issues going on with the hospital's data interface system. So, the boss isn't available, new data isn't available, I've completed the files I'd been given, and I now have a little time to play. [And, hey, it is Saturday after all!]

Hmmm. Let's see. I guess I should start with a quick picture of my work day. [I don't suppose describing it as a blur would be helpful.]

My old job had work days that were feast (so much work you believe you will lose your mind if you could find the time) or famine (thumb twiddling) across weeks or months. Transcribing seems to have work days that go feast or famine between days... or even hours! The work hours themselves essentially vary with the amount of work available which correlates to when the doctors/nurses submit their dictations. [Some are very behind and they catch up in clumps!] And, of course, they all want it turned back to them as quickly as possible.

I suppose having started this job during the holiday season, I really don't have a sense of what "normal" is as far as a work-load pattern across an average week. However, I imagine that I will be getting a better idea over the next few weeks as vacations end and everyone gets back on staff.

Of course, I am also still in the "training" stage and this requires closer reliance on my boss' time as she provides my files and, after I submit them, she also very graciously provides feedback so I can learn the client preferences (and her preferences) and to pick up on those things that I need to watch for or work on. [I am happy to add that she is very pleased with my work so far!]

Technically I am a subcontractor and can set my own hours, but because of the current work patterns, I have mentally decided to reserve from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. for my "work day." However, this varies from day to day depending on what is needed. Some days I start at 6 a.m. (particularly if I already have files provided from the night before), some days I don't start until the afternoon. Some days I have only one hour on the clock, some days I have nine hours on the clock. It really is completely unpredictable.

This unpredictability can be a source of frustration, but I'm learning to see the down-time as opportunities to do puttering tasks around home. [Remembering all those thumb-twiddling days in an office thinking: "If I was at home, I could be using this time to be doing (insert some task here)." Right now my puttering is focusing on cleaning and sorting and trying to make our home seem less like a "squirrel's nest." [I have not yet reclaimed the dining room table, but I can see most of it again!] Although, truth be told, the last few weeks had me completing the end-of-the-year tax receipts for the church.

Confession Time: After so many years of commuting to work I have to say: I LOVE BEING AT HOME!

Working at home there are other adaptations I've had to make, too. I have finally learned to set an alarm so I remember to eat breakfast (generally around 8:30 a.m.) and then another to remind me to take a lunch break. I've found that my blood sugars stay a bit elevated if I eat much earlier, so this works out well to keep the numbers down. It actually took me quite a long time to get my body geared to eating at a certain time rather than during a certain stage of the morning routine. With the old job, breakfast came around 4:30 a.m. after packing a lunch and before driving for an hour prior to starting work. However, this is a new life and it requires a new way of doing things. It's actually worked well and, with a few other slight modifications, I've gradually lost about 10 pounds as a result.

Well, that's pretty much my life in a nutshell these days, and I'll save any other details about work for another time.

I will close out this post with another note of good news: After the Thanksgiving holiday, Mr. Squirrel was finally added to the team of drivers for the local school district. He had to wait a bit after that to get scheduled, but he is now driving for sports and other activites. He is LOVING it! The school also has him down for substitute teaching for math, science and history should the need arise.

So, like the photo (credit goes to TrekNature.com) there is life returning. It may take quite some time to fully get back on our feet, but this is a hopeful start!
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God bless & Godspeed