Lesson of Homeownership

Last night's lesson:

Get a battery backup for the sump pump that keeps your man cave dry before the power is out and you are bailing water out of the sump pump hole by hand, like a crazy person, for two hours.

Today with power and a fresh perspective, the $400 battery system does seem quite a bit more important than a new deck.

Relaxing Weekend

My parents came down to visit yesterday for a combination Father's Day and Mom's birthday celebration. Dad's only request for his day was a ribeye cooked on charcoal. Well, we could do that no problem, and Mom was quite happy with some chicken. Friday after work, I stopped at Pottstown Meat and Deli in the Metro Center to get the requested cut. What a nice place! I'm not usually a food snob, but it was clearly superior to buying from the grocery store. I was offered service immediately upon entering and was soon checking out with four ribeyes and four seasoned chicken breasts. Quite a pricey place, but completely worth the service.

So, the grill was started with the new chimney, no lighter fluid required, and before long, we were enjoying a lovely lunch. The afternoon included a few rounds of Price is Right for the Wii, Mom's favorite, and chatting about family goings-ons.

Goals for the week: pick out and order bathroom flooring and replace bathroom light.

Hobo Teeth No More

About a year ago, I went to a new dentist after moving to town, and I was horrified to hear that I had six cavities! I had never had a cavity ever! I had three of them filled but just couldn't make myself finish the other three. Fast forward to today when I went to a different (and better) dentist. What was the result?

-NO CAVITIES... hmmm, did the other three just disappear or was I duped?

-He said I have pretty teeth.

-No need to get my wisdom teeth out unless they are bothering me.

What a great dentist visit. My confidence in my teeth is restored. Thanks Dr. Stamm!

Weekend Fun

We had a few friends over last night. The plan was to play rolle bolle and grill out before going to the Chief's game. Unfortunately stormy weather prevented rolle bolle, but we did still grill and go to the baseball game.

Today was a nice day to relax, eat some Firehouse pizza, play a very short rolle bolle game before more rain, and then a cloudy trip to the pool late this afternoon. Despite the blah weather, it was a great weekend with some much-needed down time for Joshua. It's his only weekend off this month of pediatrics, so we made the most of it.

After working five days at the nursing home last week, I'm ready to get some home projects done this week before working Thursday and Friday. Goals for the week include painting the front railing (not looking forward to that), a good deep clean for the house, and listing some new items on Etsy. My shop has been neglected for too long, and it's time to get it up and going again.

Getting Closer

I made it up to 84% today. The stars aligned, and I was flying. Not really sure how to get the last one percent...

A Little Better

I made it up to 76% productivity today, and only one person was completely rude to me. I would say it was a decent day. My goal for tomorrow is 80%.

A Bit Overwhelmed

Today was my first day at the skilled nursing facility. I was nervous, but that's not unusual. I'm nervous about all first events in my life. I knew today I would be slow, just learning where things go and who people are, but I was so slow. My productivity goal is 85%; I was 59% today. It's not like the hospital where you can expect people to be in their rooms, so I spent a good portion of the day running around looking for patients in the dining rooms, by the nurses' desk, and at physical and occupational therapies. I also spent plenty of time making sure I was doing the paperwork correctly, a very important thing for Medicare reimbursement.

I know it will get better, and the first day is always the hardest, but goodness, it's not quite as fun as I thought it would be. I had two patients refuse to participate, really frustrating. How can you refuse!? What happened to good manners and a goal of working to go home? No such luck. I miss my students and playing go fish. I do have to say, though, that the staff is quite friendly and really very helpful. Thanks to Debbie and Tiffany for getting me through the day.