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eadwine I'm back! - Subscribe
Although I think not many noticed I was gone, but soit. My computer sort of died, so it had to be taken to the computer shop. I did have the internal memory error going on in Linux, but that was doing it for quite some time already, so I am not sure it is related. At least the rams tested just fine, the video card, which we thought COULD be the culprit also came out fine. In any case, if it starts doing its beep fest again I am under orders to not freak, to just get my hearing aids and listen to what on earth it is beeping for.

He cleaned out the case, cleaned the fans and all that. My CPU is 10C cooler now.. ok.. for the record in my memory: when the temp is 23C in the room the CPU temp does not exceed 56C. When it does get over 60C again at 23C in the room it needs cleaning again *laughs*

The last time I wrote I had just had a molar pulled out. That thing is doing fine. I thought for a while that I had a stray tooth in there still on the side, sharpish thing under the gums, but that has moved back and down so I guess not. However come Monday when I get my next treatment I am still going to ask her what it could be, I think it is the cause of that side hurting when I brush.

When I got the order in for misters that I led a GO on, there were also pipettes in there. That pipette has been a GREAT help in keeping that hole clean, since I can use it to flush the thing out after eating. It gets stuff out that simple brushing does not. Yay for pipettes!

The funeral went ok. I did wear the double braided bun, I am wearing it quite a bit lately actually, as I rather like the style; it is better than a plain bun, and it looks like I have a lot more hair than I really do *giggles*

At the funeral I learned more from my uncle in those two hours than I could from the many years of knowing him. Twice we exchanged a glance, and we knew what we thought without saying it. It's the closest I will ever get to that man, that is for sure. Without words it seems to be easier, as he is quite the snappy personality.

Nothing much interesting really happened over the past time... oh yeah, I have a garage for the car now, so at night and during the weekends it is safely inside and as long as nothing happened to the garage it will be much safer in there than out here in front of the house. I have finally figured out that I need to leave only 5 minutes earlier than I usually do to cycle to that location, so I don't lose much time at all really.

As for the hair.. there is a meeting next week in The Hague, so hopefully it actually has grown a bit, as I am having it measured there *laughs* Tomorrow is my grandfather's birthday and I am pondering what to do with the hair. I am not wearing it down, since I want to wait on showing off any length until it is good and well longer than it is now, so I am going to stick it up with a hair stick or maybe do the topsy tail braid bun. We'll see, both look nifty after all.
Mood: awake

eadwine Almost meeting time again Thursday, September 6th 2007 @ 18:01 - Subscribe
This Saturday I am traveling to The Hague on my newly purchased discount train card, and someone else is already going to benefit from the card *grin* I wonder how many familiar faces I will see. I have seen a few people in real life already the last meeting in Rotterdam, but I have also been laden with pictures from old meets where I am starting to recognize a lot of faces as well. I can't wait, also I can't wait to see if the hair has grown a significant amount or not. Whether it has or not, at least it is healthy!

The gaping hole in my mouth that I had on the left top is healing very nicely, better than the one on the right hand side is actually. The left side now already feels like the right hand side, shape wise. The only thing that is different still is the tender feel to it.

This morning I got a call from my team leader asking me how the mouth project was going and if I could be planned in again. I told her this Monday would be ok, next Monday however not as I then have another appointment. When that appointment is done I have no view yet on new appointments that may follow soon thereafter; who knows what the dentist may find still when all is done.

I asked her how things were on the overtime department and she had some good news for me. It seems to look like things are going to take a swing for the better. Municipalities, at least the one I work for, have said improvements will be made, so we might be out of the woods for a while to come. That is terribly good news. Nothing in writing yet, but at least it is much better news than we were hearing up until now.

Later on in the afternoon I spoke with another team leader and he confirmed it. We don't have to worry as hard about our jobs as we had feared, so who knows this just might be an all's well that ends well story. We should most likely hear more about it at the next team meeting two weeks from now. First the president of the company will have a meeting with all the team leaders and managing personnel and such, and after that we will be informed officially.

I am not going to start cheering just yet, nor am I going to accept anything remotely resembling a yay good for you thank goodness blahblah, so don't send that to me. I am going to handle this the same way as I handled the pending lay-offs: quietly, not giving it much thought and avoiding it as much as possible. I am going to go careful with this.

Work was ok this past week, nothing dramatic happened, nothing out of the ordinary either. Today's client that I have in the afternoon however I will not have anymore. She got a new indication for a class 1 helper, and as I am a class 2 (I explained that a while back) I cannot work there any longer. However she had to fill out an evaluation form and where she had to give our company a grade she gave us a big fat 10 (best). That is a VERY good boost to my ego alright, considering I am mostly responsible for that 10 there as she deals mainly with me. I have always said to people that if I ever get fired, it will NOT be because my clients are not happy with my work and attitude.

Bleh, I am quite tired already. I woke up early this morning, at 6, and STILL managed to be a little later than usual because I forgot to take my bag with me to the car. I had to race back home, get the bag, and then race on back again. Yes I admit, I broke a few speed limits, but I don't think I got caught.. whew!

Thing is.. when you wake up that early you start pondering things. I woke up because I had forgotten to put the seedlings in the water that I got from my ex last night. We visited him and I took one oldie sewing machine home with me, along with the two little branches. Tomorrow I will put those in a pot in some rooting soil.

Anyway.. I woke up and went downstairs to put those in the water. Then back to bed. Toss turn, thinking where I had put the monthly health care bill, thinking where my backpack was for Saturday, thinking thinking tossing and turning. Bah. By 6:15 I had had it and I started working on filling out my client overview and paying the bills. A good thing that I did because now I won't have to do anything after being done with work tomorrow. Yay! Straight home after I get released, at whatever time that may be. I cannot wait for this weekend to start!
Mood: better

eadwine Good things always last too short Tuesday, September 11th 2007 @ 21:24 - Subscribe
That is what I think about meetings. They always last too short and the day seems to be over before it has even started. It was a load of fun.

As usual I stressed myself out over it, the trip, the new people, everything, but as time went by and we were walking to the market those nerves wore off and a good proper fresh herring took care of the rest. We cruised the market and a few of the group bought fabrics for their fair dresses, and I am sure more than that was bought there.. the prices were very nice indeed. I tried a headband, but my head is not perfectly round on top, too pointy, so it won't fit on me. I am doomed to wear the cloth kind instead of the off the shelf plastic ones to hold my hair back. I have to practice, that is for sure.

After that we went for a drink and then split up. One group went to a Hammam (some bath house thing) and the group I was in went to Scheveningen to the beach. We walked along the sand for quite some time, which was tough, but doable. It had been a while since I had seen the sea, so that was fun. I couldn't help myself and threw my hair out of the braid it was in and let it fly loose in the wind. It didn't tangle too much so it was worth it to feel the wind through my hair.

We had lunch after the walk, and then shopped a bit. I bought some much needed shower gel stuff and hearing aid batteries, and then we went to the old town of The Hague for a little sightseeing and more shopping. I bought Levkas Bound in the store there for quite cheap.

We then went to get our pictures taken, and I had my length measured. Contrary to what pictures that I had taken in between meetings were telling me, my hair had not grown. I swore right then and there to never have my hair measured again. I will make do with the comparison pictures taken from the same spot all the time, and with what my hair is like compared to body parts. So.. no more length in centimeters. I am armpit length now, on my way to bra strap length, and however long that is, I don't care.

After the shopping spree was over (my spree was limited to that book) we went for dinner in a restaurant. At least my food was just peachy! I saw others had a problem with it. When dinner was done we got into the lacers and I immediately got compliments for putting it in so neatly. It stayed put reasonably well, but I have replaced the thinner lacing threads with suede ones, since those don't slide out of my hair.



I rather like those things. It keeps the hair together and yet shows the length. It takes some more practice to be able to pull this one off well, but I intend to wear it more. Not for work, that won't work, but maybe next time when there is a party at the paternal side of the family. Those are folks that don't need the shocker of my hair suddenly being long as they are much different. I want to shock the other side to basically poke my tongue out at the comments they made about my hair years ago.

Today is another work day passed. My cell phone is back now. It happened to break on me this past Friday, a day before the meet. I have gotten a new simcard, and in the process got my phone unlocked so I can now use cards from other providers in my phone as well. I do have my old phone number back again, that wasn't a big deal at all.

One thing that did make me chuckle was the question the simcard salesman asked me. How old is the current simcard? Oh.. I bought that back in 1999 when I bought my original Ericsson A1018S phone (I now have a Sony Ericsson T600, already ancient, but still smaller than most phones out there today). The look on the guys face when I said 1999 was priceless *laughs* Yeah, my stuff tends to last around me. Anyway.. after carrying my dad's inherited fridge around for a few days it will be good to have my oldie back with me.
Mood: alright

eadwine My first gray hair Wednesday, September 12th 2007 @ 19:56 - Subscribe
Yes folks, my very first gray hair has announced itself today. It sits right on top of my head, in the middle roughly and is full length. The looks are somewhat like a metal wire that is twisted about lengthwise, tightly. The wire remains straight, but it shows all sorts of interesting lighting effects. The hair is extremely shiny, so I don't think I will have to worry about my gray hairs being dull at all. I wonder if I will get a streak now, since it didn't start at the temples. Interesting to watch that one.

Tomorrow I am going to have a day that is not quite standard. I will have three clients instead of the normal two. One is my regular, the second is someone I have this very strong conviction of that I have been there before, and the third is a totally new one that I cannot quite figure out where she lives, but it is in the same building as the regular one, so I will ask at the front desk where on earth miss lives. I mean.. the planner says it is on the 6th floor. There are only 3 floors, and that is as high as I can go without getting wings or dying *laughs*

I am going to be so pooped on Friday, I just know it. Very glad I have the afternoon off alright, VERY glad!
Mood: psyched

eadwine My job is no longer on the line Friday, September 14th 2007 @ 20:25 - Subscribe
At least, for the time being the firing spree will be off the charts. I was suspecting it for a few days already, one was a client who said "Hey I heard they aren't going to fire anyone after all?" He knew more than I did. The second hint came in the form of letters to my clients from the municipality, telling them their help would basically remain the same.

And now this afternoon when I get home from shopping and washing the car I find a letter on the doormat saying that layoffs are not going to happen, and that they are glad to be able to hire people again. Knowing THAT bit I know I will be on their asses again about that contract change. My logic is if they can hire new people, they can also adjust my contract from a 15 hours a week to 24 hours a week. That will give me two afternoons off, which is just peachy.

Rewind to this morning and onward. I was pooped, as I predicted I would be, and I get a call from the team leader saying that yesterday's regular called, asking me if I had her wallet. Come again? What do I need the client's wallet for, I put that back in the bag.

Poor old lady is starting to get slow mental loss, I already informed the office about that, and they know it's ok. I went to visit the lady and yep, wallet is gone for sure. Thing is there are people in the building that have master keys, the nurses and goodness knows who else. I have this fear someone took it. In any case, the passes have been blocked and it will be reported soon too if it doesn't show in the next few days. Wait and see what will happen there.

In the afternoon dad and I went to the city to get me new ear molds made. The old one on the right is breaking a bit, the tube part, and I have had it repaired once already. Now it is broken again and I just figured what the heck let's get me new ones. The lady that made the molds put "don't fit well anymore" on the form. Should it have been less than two years ago since I got the ones I have now, then there is a better chance of them being reimbursed by the health care insurance company. Alrighty, smart lady she is.

I got me a bus card after that (for all those long hair meetings) and vacuum cleaner bags for this morning's client. She'll be pleased that I got her the same amount of bags for half the money!

Currently I am having my coconut oiling routine going on in my hair, tomorrow is wash day again. My bangs are getting a bit long, but cutting day (micro trim) will however not be until the 25th, so two more weeks to wait. Monday I will have off, my morning client has been admitted to the hospital (about freaking time something was done!!), and I opted to not have another client instead, so.. the morning off, the afternoon the last dentist appointment. It will be nice to sleep in for three days straight and a three day weekend was JUST what I needed after this heavy ass week. Thank god it's Friday!
Mood: happy

eadwine The inhabitants of this house say hi Saturday, September 15th 2007 @ 11:43 - Subscribe
Pardon my uncombed mess, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.
Mood: ok

eadwine Freedom! Monday, September 17th 2007 @ 15:07 - Subscribe
I am glad to report that my teeth are 100% fine again. Today was the last time I had to go for a 45 minute sitting at the dentist and she fixed the remainder, the lower left. At one point, even despite sedation, it was quite painful (it felt like she was going in really deep) but I figured it only lasted a short time so I sucked it up and didn't ask for another shot. Not needed either, it DID only last a short time as I expected.

It is all over now, the next appointment is in December or if I have a problem before that time. I can rinse with a salt water solution for the right hand upper side, to remove excess fluid build up, that may help she said. Nothing though that needs immediate attention. So, no going back until three months from now. We'll keep those quarterly appointments for a while, and then switch to four months when I can handle it (fear wise).

Just have to take good care of the teeth and nothing will have to be done again, save for when a filling needs to be replaced. She filled them all with the new stuff that is teeth colored, no-one who doesn't know me will see I have had major work done on the teeth. They sure look pretty again. She had to chuckle when I told her about the molar breaking off on the left bottom, less work for her hehe.

Whew, that is all over. I took an ibuprofen more as a precaution than for the pain, we'll see how tomorrow goes with that. I have a new client then, one I will get bi-weekly, so I hope she is nice!

This morning I did quite a few groceries and bought a bunch of fresh fruit and vegetables. I have noticed my hair hasn't grown much the past month, nothing really visible according to the latest picture, but I already know where it comes from. I have stopped drinking the Coke, which is a MAJOR diet change where fluid intake is concerned, body shock, and switched to milk. Much more healthy, that. But the past month has also been one of not such a healthy diet; fries, easy foods, not good of course. All those things influence hair growth as well. So.. going to make a change there and going to eat a wee more fruits and different kinds of veggies.

For the record: the weather today sucks bootie, nothing but rain. Blah!
Mood: relieved
Training: Res4: 5.77km, Total: 225.06km

eadwine Thank god it's Friday Thursday, September 20th 2007 @ 20:20 - Subscribe
Even though it is not quite Friday yet. This week has for some reason been exhausting, and I will be glad when the heater folks have come and gone so I can flip my hair up in the oil and relax.

This week has been exhausting, but also exceptionally good, especially at Miss Difficult client on Tuesday. It is nice to see her open up more, use more humor than she has ever done, she is daring to let herself get a little closer to me. Of course the outside factors on her part play a big role as they are hanging new sunscreens, which is very stressing for her. So stressing that little things off kilter are getting her off center very easily. The stabilizing factor is then me, since I always use the same pattern to do things. She is lucky that I am a pattern person when it comes to such things.

The afternoon new client is sweet. No hard work, but what you do do it thoroughly. That I can live with just fine. Her former helper told the team leader she didn't need as much help so she got swapped to bi-weekly. Well.. I listened to her, assessed what she was able to do and what not, and mailed my team leader to ask why she was moved from weekly to bi-weekly and a request to give her her weekly back. No guarantees, but at least we can try. I will lose her then, but heck, I will get another bi-weekly then anyway, so no loss, save for having to meet another new person and hope it turns out ok.

Tuesday evening I got to talking with a friend of the Dutch hair forum, and we sort of kind of decided to go see a movie together, providing my three days off that I took on the spur of the moment were considered ok. Which they were on Wednesday, so on the 10th of October I have a "date". It'll do me good to have three days off, and I really do need them as well. I also tried for Christmas but that one cannot be ok'ed yet, so.. wait and see. The last thing in the mail was the request for an extension of my contract, from 15 to 24 hours a week, considering I already run those each week anyway and I would like something steady where those hours are concerned. Another wait and see on that one.

Wednesday there was a group meeting and of course we talked about the obvious: the letter we all got about us not losing our jobs. Things are still not quite right and money cuts will still happen, but they are going to look into the alternatives given by the employees, such as going into the physical care department and going to class 1. I have made my preferences clear, going into the care department is an option, but whatever I end up doing differently than am doing now in my preference must end up a combination, that would be my ideal at least. And yet another wait and see. I am glad I have still got a job in the first place!

Today was really tiring, as I started out tired to begin with. That of course doesn't help and I was extremely glad to see 4pm on the clock. Currently I am just relaxing and hoping time goes by quickly to that movie trip date thing. Does it show I hardly ever get out of the house?

Oh yeah, I ordered two Ketylo sticks, aquapearl, one blue-black, one green-black. hopefully they will be shipped soon and arrive here ok, and without added duty to them. I can hear it coming.. yes.. wait and see!
Mood: tired

eadwine Ouch, that hurts! Monday, September 24th 2007 @ 17:11 - Subscribe
It's been a week since I have had my last treatment at the dentist and since finding that molar that now is sensitive to hot and cold, it is also being a pain in the jaw since a few days afterwards. Currently I am basically popping ibuprofen every 8 hours. It is ok, it is allowed, but I don't want this to last too long, obviously.

Last night I wasn't having pain at the time I went to bed, so I figured to just go to bed and sleep through whatever would rear its ugly head. I went in early, 22:30ish, and at 00:30 I woke up. I did feel as if I had had a whole night, but still when I looked at the clock it was early. But the reason I woke up? A throbbing ouchie jaw. Dammit. Nothing to be done about that but get out and pop the ibuprofen I thought I could omit. After about 30 minutes the pain subsided and completely vanished (yay for good painkillers) and I was able to get back to bed.

I have learned now and set up a schedule. I am allowed to take 3 a day, so.. I take my first one at 8:15 before I leave for work and it will remain working until about 16:00, in any case long enough for me to get home again without troubles. Then the next one I will take when I get home, and the last one just before I hit the sack. I don't want to be awoken again like I was last night!

I have obviously done a little research and found that this kind of pain is linked to the work that was done to the tooth. It could at times last up to several weeks. Oh goody. I called my dentist this afternoon and spoke with the assistant and told her what was going on. She told me to give it another week. Eating is only allowed on the right side of the mouth (the molar in question being on the left), and to rinse with lukewarm water. The latter I was already doing for years so that is not a problem. If it gets worse still, then I should call in and have it checked out. I do hope the pain will slowly get less! I am not looking forward to getting more things done to that particular molar.

This weekend I have been nicely productive and just an hour or so ago I put the finishing touches on things. I worked on the garden last Friday and Sunday. On Saturday (wash day) I didn't feel like doing anything, plus the weather wasn't as nice as the two other days anyway. I finished doing the front on Friday, and even *gasp* washed the windows. High time that I did that, the last time being BEFORE they painted the place and I had to leave everything unlocked for a whole day.

This past Sunday was spent working on the back yard and boy did that need work. I divided things up in sections and set off and now I have a nice looking back garden again instead of something you could name 'ecological'. I went into the shower right after, I felt completely dirty and spider covered, ew.

As for the new eating pattern, it is working nicely I think. I am getting me plenty of veggies in my body, plenty of fruit, and plenty of meats. Much more balanced than before and it seems to have kick started my hair growth again since the freaking bangs are about to poke my eyeballs now. Tomorrow is haircut day; a regular cut for the bangs, a microtrim for the rest.

Tomorrow during the day it is miss Difficult again, however now it isn't so difficult since I have a set up plan of attack on what to do. The afternoon will work out fine, I am certain of that, so the day should go by flying.

Boy I cannot wait till my long weekend starts on the 10th of next month! I need the rest alright.
Mood: pained

eadwine Short update Thursday, September 27th 2007 @ 20:40 - Subscribe
Nothing much to report. Pain is still there though I feel it is SLOWLY (as in snail pace) decreasing. I am still on the ibuprofen, I changed my plan though: I take one before bed (sleep is precious!) and one during the day when I cannot tolerate the whining anymore (usually around 11 or so).

I have made an appointment with the dentist and she could squeeze me in at 16:00 Monday. Wait and see. If she finds something that she goes "Oh but that is easily fixed" over, then I won't have to run around with mouth ow for longer than absolutely needed.

As long as the ibu's keep working I am fine. Much food + ibu = bad = two ibu = worse but pain free. I know that now.

Tomorrow.. lessee.. work first, then to the hearing aid shop for my new ear molds, then to the store to get my dad a video to DVD doohickey, and then to the second hand stores to find me a new winter coat. I am not shelling out 50+ Euros to give to some store when I can find one for much less. I don't have issues with second hand stuff, and it saves me money + goes to good cause. What more could I want.

One more week after this one and then there is a two day work week followed with five day weekend. YAY!
Mood: ok

eadwine Oh man, what a downer Friday, September 28th 2007 @ 18:02 - Subscribe
The new earpieces are what I am talking about. I went to get them fitted today and oh boy what an ordeal. There were several things wrong with them. Let's see..

After a lot of scraping the insides finally fit comfortably. However they had them made too damned long, resulting in the insertion of the things to be problematic.

The left one is too large, my ear is not a stretch tester device! It was bright red by the time we were done. I was helped by a lady, later on a guy (who by the way I trusted more). He said a lot of tugging had been done on the ear. TUGGING? Are you shitting me? I was INSERTING the earpieces, I was not tugging, pulling, yanking or by any other means even TOUCHING my ear.

Now.. I get the things all grinded down.. and then my hearing aids are attached to them. Honest to goodness, the pipe that the little hose thingy is attached to, the thing that makes the hose thingy go snugly along the front of the ear? You know.. that thing.. it points to freaking TIMBUKTU! Gah. No it is not sitting snugly along my head, it is pointing in an almost 40 degree angle AWAY from my head. *mutter*

End result: they are being sent back to the factory, and the factory will use my current ear pieces as new molds. I told the guy to have them make the left one smaller, it is too large.

I can just FEEL this is going to be a battle. My old pieces fit fine, I am about ready to go for a week without hearing aids and have them use my OLD pieces for a mold. I cannot fucking believe it. NEVER have those things been mucked up like that, ever.

What happened are likely two things:

1) ear molds were not made properly, resulting in too large molds
2) ear molds were made too long, resulting in too long ear inserts
3) factory fucked up big time to boot

Oh.. and the vent holes are too small.. I will have to call in about that tomorrow, make them damn holes bigger or with every sneeze I take earwax will fill them up and plug them up, effectively sucking my inner ear vacuum.

I will hear when they come back in again, hopefully this time ok. I already told my dad that if they muck it up again I am going back to my old hearing aid adjuster guy and have HIM do the work. Geez, you would think a simple ear piece would work out at a different store of the same chain??
Mood: pissed