Sleeves Rolled Up, Ready to Go in Everyday Ramblings

This morning a bit after sunrise about 15 minutes walk up back behind my place. I was walking back from getting my flu shot. (Those wires in the shot are for the arial tram that runs on them, the view from the tram must have been glorious.) Last year they came early to our office to offer shots but this year we are not scheduled until late November. As we know that people we work with have been known to come to work sick, Saint Joe and I both decided to go up to Occupational Health and get our shots this week and not wait.

Next year when I turn 65, I get the boosted vaccine.

After all the testing that I have had lately I didn’t even feel the shot. That is until teaching about an hour ago I realized my arm was a bit sore. I hear the new Shingles vaccine is pretty intense. I’ll plan for that.

I had a revelatory meeting this week with my boss, Mr. On the Spectrum. He doesn’t ever talk to me; literally weeks go by, without any contact even though when I am in the office I see him all the time. He tells me he doesn’t talk to me because he doesn’t need to.

There is, apparently, a plan for my retirement.

They want me to keep basically doing what I am doing now for the next six months including focusing on process improvements and then for the following three months I focus on transitioning all my transactional functions to Saint Joe. And the last year I am working they want me to focus solely on process improvements and as an interface with our Information Technology Group.

As I was thinking about regular contact with my beloved IT person who mumbles… I discovered that was enough motivation to push me into a decision about the hearing aides. I set up a series of appointments to get the ball rolling on fitting and calibrating them starting just after Thanksgiving.

Also, one of my students showed up in class on Wednesday with non-functional hearing aides (she had the replacement batteries in a different bag) and I taught the whole class pretty silently. The other student who was there said she really enjoyed that. I could tell she was relaxed because I could hear it in her voice: it had dropped more than two octaves at the end. But before that we all had a useful discussion about hearing loss.

Next week, later in the week, I see my regular doctor to wrap up this season of testing and talk to her about the low dose statins.

I admit that grateful as I am for so many benefits and privileges that I experience daily (beautiful views nearby and the ability to apprehend them and share them is one) that I am struggling a bit with healthy heart envy.

Now in week three of my exercise prescription, I am spending more time on the track because it is easier than going to the gym. I think I am getting a bit stronger but of course I am impatient to see results. I am debating making a commitment to a strengthening program, which would need to be negotiated into all the other things I do.

I signed up a few months back with this therapy app called BetterHealth. They connect you with a licensed therapist and you have a chat room where you can leave messages about what is going on and your therapist gets back to you and you can also talk on the phone, (it is all confidential and HIPPA compliant ) or Skype them. I love it because I don’t have to take anytime to travel.

Mostly we are talking about body image stuff that I still struggle with but this week my therapist told me she doesn’t watch or engage with the news. For all intents and purposes neither does my sister Kes.

And boy has there been news this week!

We are so divided as a country. I am completely baffled by how the way one group of people perceives things and the differences in how I perceive things.

I need to find someone I can regularly share my concerns and feeling about all this stuff with. I hope at some point I can process it all enough so that I can write about it in a way that is clear and fair and compassionate but for now I will just say…

Deep change is in the air. May it take root and grow strong and tall watered by our discomfort and fed by our determination.

I feel a strong call to action. May I find those nearby I can share my path with and find someway to understand but protect myself against those who want to tear at all I believe in with their petulant angry professions of grievance coming from the most privileged place of all.

Not my president, not my Supreme Court, not my Congress… (except I do support both my Congressman and Senator, they are awesome.)

My sleeves are rolled up. I have lots of work to do when I retire. :)

Last updated September 30, 2018