Day 2 Without Chickie - It'll Be a Busy One

I survived my first day without Chickie. I got the huge mail order finalized and when she calls in her credit card today, I'll put it into the mail tonight. Just waiting for the final payment before I send all of those beautiful Swarovski crystals to their new homes. Having this sale come up was both a blessing and a curse. It was a LOT of work on our part to get everything pulled, gathered, labelled and run through the computer/register, but it also means that I sold a LOT of crystals. I have a lot still remaining, but I was able to go through my Etsy pages last night and adjust quantities down, eliminating at least two colors. Whoot! 

My customer was purchasing Swarovski bicone beads 
in 3mm and 4mm sizes. Those are the sizes in which 
I have the most inventory, and the sizes in which the 
factory made the most colors. It's a nice box of colors 
she'll be getting later this week. 

Today, it's back to the swimming pool, then run home, have a quick breakfast, head to the bank to put in a deposit for the shop, and then, finally, to the shop to actually start the day. I didn't even get a chance to eat lunch yesterday, so I'm set for today  - don't have to bring anything, it's already there. I did get a single bathroom break in the morning. Nothing at all in the afternoon. Working solo with DH really sucks for me. He takes all the consideration for Chickie, but not when I'm working alongside. 

I was a very busy bee yesterday. Today I have to 
squeeze a trip to the bank into my morning. The 
bank is nowhere close to us anymore. It used 
to be just down the block, but they got sold and now 
they're at the far southern part of the Cities. 

So I'll have to see what today brings. Hopefully my customer can phone in her credit card so that I can get her Priority Mail shipment off to her tonight on my way home. She'll have new crystals by the end of the week, and I'll balance my books, which right now have her sale run through the register, but with no corresponding payment. That was a PITA, but I needed an absolute total to quote to her before she phoned in her credit card. 

I should probably find a different Montana photo, but 
this one is just beautiful, isn't it? LOL

So I guess life is normal here in the Northlands, the plants are growing (it's been a rather cool summer so far, though), the flowers are blooming, my veggies and tomatoes are getting bigger every day, and the bees are happily doing their thing over my raspberry patch. There's a lot to look forward to, but a lot of summer to get through first. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll return tomorrow. Oh, and Chickie arrived safely in Montana yesterday. I'm sure she and Chickie Mama are having a wonderful time. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Very Busy Day - I Managed Two Hours of my "Day Off"

I didn't get home to cook and do my normal "day off" activities until shortly before 4:00 pm. Aearwen phoned at 4:00 pm, and we had a nice chat, despite the fact that I had to make my "Ogre Juice" while we were talking. My blender is VERY powerful, and (unfortunately) VERY loud. My poor cell phone was trying it's best to increase her voice volume, but it's hard to fight a high-powered engine chopping up and pureeing raw veggies. However, with a couple of temporary holds for loud noises, we managed a good conversation and I also managed to get my next four "Ogre Juice" whipped up and into the refrigerator. WHEW! LOL

I had to get my next batch of alkagizers made yesterday, 
and had no choice but to do it while talking with 
Aearwen. It doesn't take long, and each blend is only 
30 seconds or so, but it definitely interrupts conversational 
flow - LOL. 

DH's prognosis isn't nearly as dire as his first doctor had led him to believe. Apparently they're treating this as the equivalent of a woman's bladder infection - something that should be cured with antibiotics and a bit of time. We'll see, but if it is just an infection, that's a HUGE step forward from possible cancer. I'm 100% in favor of a urinary tract infection - they can be stubborn to cure, but they don't usually end up requiring surgery either. 

Urinary Tract Infections are nasty and all too 
common. Which makes me think, "Why didn't 
the doctors he first saw think UTI when they 
first saw him?" He could have been on antibiotics 
several weeks ago and be feeling much better by 
now, but he has incompetent people in his clinic. 

So today will be a "normal" day at the shop, and maybe I can catch up a bit. I have a phone visit late Friday for my memory and dementia exam. I really am curious about the results of the exam. I know I'm crap with oral instructions, but I'm just fine if instructions are written down. I might have to insist that DH and Chickie write down exactly what they want me to do. That would eliminate confusion on my part, and anger when things are incorrectly done on theirs. 

I totally despise bladder infections. I've only had them 
a few times in my life, but they were miserable. However, 
if that's what DH is experiencing, it's a much better 
version of his health than cancer would be. 

I was looking through the store calendar yesterday also, and noticed that Chickie is taking 1-1/2 weeks off in mid-June for a trip to a family event in Montana. That'll be a total PITA. With a store run by three people, when one person is off, everyone else is on. BLEH! I'm going to have to set a bit of fire under DH's feet - he has to get some things packed and shipped South for auction and they're asking when we're going to ship them. It's always something, right? LOL Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

GRRR - DH is Driving Me Crazy + Treadmill + This 'N That

I'm sure Chickie is having a wonderful time at the wedding and in NYC and spending time with relatives, both loved and tolerated. But I'm having a week that I really won't mind putting behind me. Except for writing for Idol (always a fun challenge), having to work with DH for this many days in a row is really dragging me down. It's hard to stay positive when "Mr Gloomy" is sitting in front of the computer grumbling and growling. 

DH is consistently Mr Gloomy, the character 
on the left. I'm most frequently the character 
on the right - Mr Happy. (Illustrations from 
"My Mad Mad Mad Mad Monsters 4 Me"). 

I did manage to reschedule the treadmill install for the 12th, so it'll be on a Friday and I can oversee the placement and set-up. That will actually work out quite well, and I'm sincerely looking forward to it. I did ask DH if he wanted the treadmill placed in the same location/position as the old one and he said "Yes". So, when he complains that I did the install incorrectly, it's been written down - you're all my witnesses. Then he started complaining about the finances and how he's going to have to do this and that and then "and the treadmill" spouted out. WTF???? The treadmill is MINE. I had to use a family card because my Discover had been hacked at the Fair, but I have the case set aside in the bank to pay for it, and it's NOT his payment nor his property. It's MINE. *sigh* I've told him that time and again, but he just doesn't get it. 

He's all worrying about whether the treadmill will fit into the 
spot we have set aside for it. BS! It's not any larger than the 
one we currently have there that is non-functional. It'll fit. 
I'll make it fit. 

Today will be my final swim day for the week. I love swimming, but the chlorine really doesn't like my skin at all. I've been really conscious about putting on the correct medications, so my hands aren't totally cracked and bleeding (it's happened in the past). I refuse to give up my swims, so having the proper meds on hand to help my hands hang in there is essential. I'm constantly reminded about the fact that your skin is the largest portion of the body - I've even heard it referred to as the largest organ of the body, although I think organs are internal, not external. Still, skin is a hefty part of the body, My skin has been my enemy since I was a small child. There's nothing like having an internal war for more than 65 years. JOY! LOLOL. 

My skin is my enemy. It's been that way since I was a 
small child. It's hard to live a comfortable, easy life when 
the largest organ of your body has declared war on you. 
*sigh* The battles are constant, with small victories, 
but never a total win. 

So, as I get ready to head out to the swimming pool, I hope you have a wonderful Thursday. I'm looking at this as "Only four more days of working with DH at the shop". I can make it for four days ... right? LOL. Enjoy your day, Slava Ukraini.