Frosted Christmas Tree

 There was a light sprinkling of snow as I left for work last night.  Sometimes, when it snows at night, I notice that there is more light.  I think the snow reflects the light and everything seems a little brighter.  Or it is just my imagination.  Leaving for work the Christmas tree was lit up and I noticed all the snow on the branches from the last storm.  Sometimes, it is worth being a minute late to work to take a picture.

If the tree is moveable in a week or so I am planning to move it out by the wildlife camera.  There was something going around on Facebook that suggested this.  I might string some popcorn up on it and see what it attracts.  

The tree is my big happy thing for today.  One other thing is that a manager spoke with me today at work and I might be getting trained on something new next week.  Fingers crossed.

☮

Currently listening to: The Autobiography of Santa Claus, as told to Jeff Guinn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Not as Sick

 After five days of not working I hope I remember how to do my job.  Seriously, though, I am not at 100% but I hope once I have slept I will feel well enough to go to work tonight.  I definitely feel that I am on the better side of this cold.  Happy things for today include:

• I did a tiny bit of straightening in my bedroom today.
• Over the last few days I have binged watched most of the first season of The Witcher on Netflix.  The second season is available now and I needed the refresher before delving too far into that with the adults in the house.  I was able to follow along with the characters and some of the subtleties this time.
• Keziah and Gideon hung a couple of Christmas decorations around the house and pulled out the stockings.  I'm not ready, but they will be!  

☮

Currently reading:  The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

NaNoWriMo

 Around six o'clock last night I got a call from work.  I hadn't been asleep for long.  The recorded message was to make sure that the employees knew to come in an hour early for Mandatory Extended Time.  The holidays mean that more people are buying things so we have more work to do.  I'm happy I got the message and didn't end up being late for work.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Keziah was nice enough to drive me into town for a quick errand.  I was so tired after work and having lunch that I didn't want to drive.  The task was completed thanks to Keziah driving.
• Today, November 30th, marks the last day of NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writer's Month.  The recommended word count for adults to write is 50,000.  My personal goal was much smaller at 11,000.  I'm happy to report that when I stopped writing today my word count exceeded that.  I'm not sure if I will try to do this again next year.  But I reached this year's goal, yay!

☮

Currently reading: The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Work

 The work day today went really well.  Generally things flowed well and I felt 'in the zone.'  I was taught a new skill too.  Sometimes packages are missed in the scanning process and someone has to look for them.  It was like a little work scavenger hunt.  Yes, I'm weird.  Work has something called swag bucks that employees can get for doing things.  I was given some to hand out.  That was cool.  I started working there in June and I have had $10 worth of swag bucks that I have been holding onto, not sure what I wanted.  Today, in just this one day, I was given a total of $12.  I think they are just being a little more proactive in giving them out, but I think it is time I look at the swag a little closer.  Also, when the manager started an announcement with "Okay all guys, gals, and nonbinary pals," I just thought that was awesome.  So, work went well.  Other things I am happy for today:

• We had a consultation with the dog trainer.  She was very helpful and sent us away with homework.  Aesop has some anxiety issues and one of the things we will be doing is making sure he gets a nap/quiet time in his crate every day.  I'm happy we have plans going forward.
• Our friends, Kimberly and Dennis, gave us the outside tour of their RV.  We will have the option of using it while they are out of the country.  I suddenly feel like the world has opened up for me... or at least the country.  Funny thing is, I may not even use it.
•  Kimberly and I had a nice walk.  It is good to be able to catch up with her before they leave for Guatemala.  What an adventure it will be!
• There was rain this morning but it cleared up into a lovely day.

Leaves floating on the breeze.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.


Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Training.

 On Sunday I took the broken parts of the marigold plant and set some to dry, collected seed, and I am trying to propagate three others in a pot.  So far, the propagating prospective plants have survived the frost and three days.  Not very long, but they still look pretty good.

Other things I am happy for today:

• They were overstaffed at work and looking for people to volunteer to go home.  Instead, I asked if I could be trained in something else.  It seemed like a good time.  I am now trained in diverting/pushing.  I had done a little of this before but not had the official training.  
• So far, the thundershirt we got for our dog, Aesop, seems to be working well.  It may even be too good.  He didn't even get up when I came home.

• I worked at removing weeds from the triangle area of the yard. If I can get more things planted there before the end of the month it will be good and I will be ahead of when I planted things last year.  

☮

Currently reading: Mount Washington A Guide and Short History, by Peter E. Randall.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Oops

 For a few minutes today I thought I had finally figured out how to push boxes across the floor at work.  Then the boxes stopped and I didn't.  I bit back the tears, I picked myself up off the floor and finished the job I was working on.  Then I told someone what happened, they gave me ice packs and ibuprofen, and asked me lots of questions.  Although other people puch boxes along the floor they aren't supposed to be and I won't be trying to anymore.  I'm fairly certain that I just have a few bruises and everything will be okay, for that I am happy.  Other happy things for today are:

• Today was my last day of work until next Tuesday.  That leaves me plenyy of time to recuperate from the fall.
• On the way to work I drove through the remnants of hurricane Ida.  Because of all the rain forcasted I stayed inside during my first break and lunch.  The last break was bright and sunny and I went out to the car where I enjoyed fresh, recently cleaned air.

Clouds

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

ALSO...I will be camping at an event this weekend and my internet will be low.  I may not be able to post for a few days.

Happy Thursday the Twelfth

Arriving at work this morning I was informed that I would be learning a position.  After some training I got started.  A few minutes in, the trainer working with me lets me know that he gets more steps in doing this job (P2B) than what I had been doing (stow).  Leaving work before I had between 18 and 20,000 steps.  Today I had a little over 27,000 steps.  So, wow.  Since the first 30-45 minutes I was training, and thus not moving much, I expect to have even more on a normal day.  I'm happy to be learning new things and finding different muscles to exercise.  Other happy things for today:

• The other day I enrolled in a webinar about hiking the Appalachian Trail.  That was today and I was mostly able to stay awake for it.  After working all night, staying awake in the afternoon is hard.  It was an informative webinar.  They were also offering guided hikes.  
• There was a small meeting with a few people tonight concerning our SCA event that happens in January.  Due to all the things happening currently with the virus that is causing the pandemic, we have decided to cancel it for the second year in a row.  I am happy that this decision has been made.  I know that I didn't want to go.  
• Thursday is the last day of my work week.  Yay!  Weekend!  

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.


Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Fruit

 There was another observation at work today and they gave me more swag dollars.  I'm being told that I have a lot of potential.  Part of me is very happy about this.  Another part thinks I should go back to school and get some training in something that isn't working in a warehouse pushing packages.  Truth is, if I knew what I wanted to do, I could do both.  With income comes the ability to pay for some education.  I'm not willing to take out loans at this point in my life.  The other thing that I would need though is time.  Ah well, I'll just keep dreaming.  Other happy things for today:

• After work I suggested to Keziah that we take a few minutes to take care of the peaches.  With the massive amount of rain we had the last few weeks many of the peaches rotted.  We still have enough good ones for Keziah to make a peach cobbler.  There is also a big part of the tree left to be harvested.

Keziah, picking.

• The apples might be ready to pick too.  

There are many more than just this one,
I just liked this picture.

• Today is the last day of the "dog days of summer."  

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Happy dog

As usual, I didn't sleep as well as I was hoping on Monday.  Ideally that will mean that I will sleep well today.  This working most of the night thing is certainly taking some time to get used to.  I used to be able to sleep anywhere.  Since I feel like I could sleep now, this will be short.  Other than being tired when I am supposed to be, here are a few happy things for today:

• I found a good use for masks today, other than to help prevent the spread of disease.  While moving some heavy boxes today I know I made some super weird faces that couldn't be seen!  🤣
• Look at that doggy and how happy he seems.

☮

 

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Moon

One of the things I am having a hard time coming to terms with concerning working in a warehouse is how completely exhausted I am when I get home.  Some days it is easier to find more energy than others.  Today was a low energy day.  Thankfully Keziah had SCA news to share with me so I didn't fall asleep right when I got home.  When I fall asleep too early, I have a hard time sleeping when I should.  Happy things for today:

• Leaving for work this morning the moon was in the western sky.  It is strikingly orange because of wildfires out west. 

Waxing Gibbous phase.
The camera didn't pick up the orange color well.

• Towards the end of the workday today I was given a quick lesson on stowing that I think they called crashes.  Learning new things is good.
• Speaking of learning new things, I was told today that I can start learning other parts of the job at work.  I'm going to try to reach the goal of 300 an hour stowing before I learn too much more.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Swag

After work I went into the garden just to check on things.  I am sad to say that the woodchucks have rebuilt their tunnel from one side of the fence to the other to get into the garden.  Anticipating that, there is netting there, but they are chewing through it.  I have decided that nothing else will be going into the ground until I have the time and energy to outsmart the culprits.  They ate all but one of the zinnia that I planted.  So far, they are leaving the marigold alone.  There are things that I am happy for from today though:

• Going into work this morning I didn't feel that well.  Knowing that it was most likely the heat and the tossing and turning (rather than sleeping) that I did, I went in anyway.  I'm glad I decided to make the effort.  One of the management came around to talk with the new hires to see how we are doing.  I asked him if he could check on my average rate of sorting.  It was only my fifth day, but I wanted to know where I stood.  The goal is to sort 300 items per hour.  My average is around 245.  
• He was so pleased with my progress that he gave me two swag bucks.  Employees can earn swag bucks by doing good work or good deeds, something that gets them noticed in a good way.  Swag bucks can be saved to spend on company swag like water bottles, day packs, towels, and other things that can be branded with the company logo.  I think I will wait to accumulate more before I spend much time looking at the swag.
• When I went outside for my break this morning the moon was still up.  I love watching the moon.

Moon.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.

Short

 The work days are ten hours long.  When I get home I am hot and tired.  I am going to look harder for things at work that are happy things.  Today there are a couple:

• Today I was placed in a different row.  It felt like a completion of training row.  The job I do for the first part of the day, sorting, I like better than the last part, picking.  
• I seem to have finished training for picking too.  I had some help today when the cart I was assigned had a deadline. Most of the people are friendly.
• My first paycheck came in the mail yesterday and I deposited it today after work.  It was mostly the bonus I got for having had my covid 19 vaccine before starting work.  
• Keziah is super fantastic and went to the grocery store for me today so I could shower and sleep.  I still need to sleep.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.