Nieces @ MindSay 
When your mind clears away after having dealt with whatever blows it sustained from events prior, it's amazing to look back at things and wonder how you could have handled them differently, or what led up to the incidents in the hopes of learning from their experience.
Hell Month is being downgraded to 'Work Sucks' for now. There are a few updates to prompt this:
*The two friends that I thought I lost, I may not have lost after all. I regained communication with one of them, and the other seems to have been away for awhile. After thinking back on it, she did say she was going to Europe - for how long, I don't know, but time lately has a funny way of playing tricks on the unsuspecting. There's a real good possibility I overreacted on my blog - luckily, I did not overreact outside on any Facebook pages or emails. That's part of what this blog is to me - my relief valve, my heat sink, my kill switch.
One friend, the local friend, is pretty much lost. I have not had any communication with her since my birthday. Considering the string of emails and the tone that they had prior to that, I can pretty much say that one friendship is on its last legs. I've tried to communicate and make amends, put fears aside and get back to being friends, but it seems she doesn't want to. When all you get is internet static, or voicemail, it's a good indication of things to come.
Dad's on new medication. Actually, he's on old medication with a new twist - it has 'no side effects'. What you don't know, won't hurt with a mild hypochondriac like my dad. He's taking meds for depression now, for those of you in the know of such meds, it's Paxil.
Work... hehe. That's another story. This week will not be nice to me. Last week I spent 13 hours in meetings about how I was late and what problems I'm having and what I need to do. 13 hours. I am not making this up. Here's the breakdown:
4 hours Tuesday
7 hours Thursday
2 hours Friday
So, let's do some math! (13/40) * 100 = 32.5% of the time spent last week on this particular project, was in MEETINGS about the project, about things I already knew about. You tell me if I'm wasting time? And we're expected to work late and weekends (!) in order to get the project back on track, ie: I'm expected to work nights and weekends. The problem is, that I would do that, if I could get vendors to do the same thing. See, all of my pieces come from vendors. So when they take vacation, or have plant shutdowns, or people die (no joke) it will impact their productivity. I cannot, nor would I want to, control that. But some people (ie: project leadership) do not seem to understand this.
The project manager tossed me his phone in the Friday meeting and told me to call up someone that I had already called in the morning, and left a message for to enlist some help of his for the upcoming week. Whether or not he called me back, I didn't know, because I was running around trying to push my part of the project forward the rest of the time up to, and through, the stupid meeting from 1-3pm!!
RRGH!
I was so pissed at the attitude that he just displayed to me, as if to say, I'm not doing enough. 'Call him!' I DID. I don't know if he called back because I'm THAT BUSY WITH THIS PROJECT. I didn't call him, I tossed the phone back to him. Unknowing ignorant prick.
So yeah. On the plus sides of things.... well, see update* above... and some new Mindsay friends seem to be doing well, so I'm happy that things are going well for them. I wish I could give them real hugs. They know who they are. =)
I will say though, that my surrogate nieces and nephews are awesome. I went for a late birthday dinner with one friend, and he told me his daughter was pissed at him because she couldn't come to see 'Uncle Peter' with him. The boys of another friend, I babysat last Friday, and they chose me over going to see the latest 'Harry Potter'. How frickin' cool is that! And the last friend, with his one-of-each, wants me to get back into plastic aircraft modelling to make a B-2 for his son to hang in his room. I haven't done modelling in many, many years, but for the kids, I'll get back into it. It'll be fun. =)
For all the women in your life:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there,
no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you.
A girl friend is never farther away
than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life
will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,
praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley's end.
Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk
beside you...Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended
family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and
neither would I. When we began this adventure called
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.
~ B
The DH's brother and his wife have just welcomed their third child. :) Enhorabuena! Congratulations!
On the DH's side: 4 nieces, 1 nephew
On my side: 3 nieces, 1 nephew, 1 unknown (my sister is expecting her third)
