I actually started this post on Tuesday, but all of the sudden it is Friday.
1. I had a birthday on Sunday. I got lots of nice gifts and gift cards, and lots of eating. I got everything I wanted, lots of diapers to make burp cloths, a red dutch oven, storage containers, season 1 of Call the Midwife, the music from Jersey Boys, sheets, a darling egg tiered stand for Easter, and a few more things I cannot remember. My biggest gift was a serger sewing machine from husband. I guess when you're 63 the gifts aren't too exciting.
2. Poor baby Stephanie's has been sick since she started day care. She's had the croup, a stomach bug, an ear infection, a sinus infection, the flu, and when I talked to John last night she had a pretty bad cough. She's been at the doctor's the past four Fridays, and it looks like she'll be there again today.
3. My little sister Lorie was in hospital last weekend. She is having trouble making platelets so they removed her spleen last month but that did not help. She ended up with blood clots from the surgery and had to go back to the hospital. I sure hope they get it under control soon.
4. We went to a new restaurant in Webster for my birthday, The Block. It is more expensive than our usual selections, but I had a gift certificate from my nephew from Chirstmas so we used it this week. We had steaks that were pretty good, but no baked potato--the best part of a steak dinner for me. Mine came with garlic french fries and RW's with creamed spinach. We would have gone to Tuckers, a restaurant in Soulard, but last weekend was Mardi Gras and it's a zoo down there.
5. Every other week I have to do payroll at work, and this is the week. We have to send all of our new employees paperwork downtown to be put in the system, so the tutors cannot get paid until they are in the system. It used to take three of four days to get them into payroll, but they forced an older woman to retire two years ago and replaced her with four younger women who still have not figured out what they are doing. It's the fifth week of the semester and some of my workers are still not in payroll. A math tutor quit the other day and I got a nasty e-mail from her teacher, telling me I need to pay my people.
6. Which leads me to my retirement. I'm still waiting to get the okay from social security to buy a couple of retirement years. We do not pay social security in the Missouri Public School Retirement System, but I worked off and on for eighteen years before I started this job. I cannot get SS now, but I can buy a few years by paying what I put into retirement each year plus what the school puts into my retirement, then my pension would be substantially larger. I'd like to buy three or four years, but the way things are going I don't know if I can make it until the end of the fiscal year and until I get approval to buy years. The dean would like me to turn in my resignation letter, but I'm waiting until I know for sure what's best for me. The whole STLCC system has become more of a corporation than an educational institution. They keep hiring more administrators and cutting student support and not replacing those who retire in the schools.
7. My sister Patty had the Fancy Aunt Lunch Sunday for my youngest sister Libby, who's birthday is on Valentines and me. It was really nice, except for my sister Lorie not being there because she was in the hospital. She brought me a pineapple upside down cake Wednesday evening that she was supposed to have brought to the luncheon. It was delicious.
8. Our addition plans are moving along. We applied for the refinancing this week and we are going to look at cabinets tomorrow. An HVAC man is coming tomorrow to determine how to heat and cool the house with the addition, and the appraiser for the loan is coming next Wednesday.
9. I had a doctor's visit this week and all looks fine. My blood pressure was 120/65, which is better than it has been in years. It seems like I spend half my life going to doctors. I need to find a new cardiologist because my old one has cancer and retired.
10. I'm going to Boston next Wednesday. Kate's kids are on winter break so she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday to come visit them. I used to go on my spring break, but then she'd keep the kids out of school and her ex started complaining about his children being truant. They're just getting over a blizzard there--I hope it melts by the time I get there.
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