rendezvous

We left the beach today with Ava feeling much better. And I feel better too. I feel recharged and ready to face the world again.

On our way back, we stopped at Rendezvous in Tillamook for brunch. It was good and I'd go back. One of the many reasons I like going to the beach with Andrew because he's motivated to leave early so we get back to the house with some daytime remaining. I used this time to eat a pot cookie, put up the Christmas lights, do laundry, and make our Thanksgiving dinner. It didn't turn out that great since the tofurkey was thawed and refrozen and then somewhere in between when I cooked it. Also the gravy was a bit thin but for the first time, I roasted garlic and then made Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes which turned out to be heavenly. 

cape lookout

 

Ava's tail is doing better today so we went for a 5 mile hike to Cape Lookout. It was definitely more about the journey than the destination. There were many beautiful views (such as the one above) that were available along the path and when we got to the end, it was so crowded with people that we didn't really stay long at all.

The long walk was good to tire Ava out too so we went to a pub in Tillamook and played darts for a bit and then grabbed a slice of pizza and a salad. It was pretty much perfect.

LTS

I wasn't prepared to deal with dog medical issues yet. After having an older dog who couldn't walk very far for his last few years, Ava seemed like she was invincible. She had boundless energy and pain never really seemed to register with her. She would get tired after long hikes but she was always up for another walk if the possibility came up. Well, yesterday, she apparently pushed herself too hard and her tail paid the price.

The term for the affliction facing Ava right now is Limber Tail Syndrome. It's kind of like a sprain. She can't raise her tail and it just sort of droops there, looking comically pathetic. I only say that because it's supposed to bounce back in a few days. Otherwise, I'd be mourning the loss of her wagging tail. It's also affected her lower back. She wanted to run on the beach still but when she was hauling a log out of the ocean, she came back to the beach, dropped, and sat down like her back legs weren't functioning appropriately.

Apparently, LTS is caused by either over-exertion, cold weather, or being too used to a kennel and not being as active. Ava experienced all three of those things. We went into Tillamook to get her some baby aspirin as an anti-inflammatory. It's good to know that it's a limited time thing because I don't want to deal with chronic dog issues already. I need another few good years of a healthy dog.

What else?

Yesterday, I beat Andrew by more than 2x his score in 10,000, earning myself the first drink off the game.  I collected at The Schooner which has a great porch with glass walls and blankets available to cover yourself while you dine which I did.

thanks anyway

For the holiday weekend, we rented a beach cabin at Oceanside. It's been years since we've stayed here (and it was the only affordable place that still had vacancies) so we booked a place here quick. I had a plan to start thawing out the tofurky roast yesterday before I hit the gym and it would be ready to pop in the oven when we were able to check in at 4pm. I even made the marinade ahead of time.

We got to Oceanside around 1pm and spent the next few hours walking on the beach. Ava was greeted by a larger cocker spaniel who was off-leash and Andrew quickly took Ava off leash to help deter a confrontation and it worked! Ava did not attack the dog. She's just done so bad lately that a lack of violence was a cause to celebrate!

Then we headed to the cabin. It's a bit further up the cliffside than I had thought but it's got an amazing few. The biggest problem is that it doesn't have an oven; it only has a microwave and a toaster. I would have settled for a toaster oven but nope. Just as an FYI, it's highly recommended that you don't cook a tofurky roast in the microwave. I thought that surely some punks somewhere had tried it and managed to get it to turn out to be a success but every page I found online said "don't" so I didn't.

We don't have a microwave so we didn't bring microwave food. Fortunately, the previous renters left two cans of vegan soup and we had bread and cheese for sandwiches so my Harvest dinner was microwaved soup and toasted cheese sandwiches. Still, I'm thankful. I'm thankful to be at the beach. I'm thankful for this break from work. I'm thankful for Andrew and Ava and Amaretto. It's a change of plans but I can roll with it. And hey, I get a vacation from cooking.

we need this laziness

At any point in my job, things could go to shit so I really have to appreciate days like today where it's easy going. After helping my customer go through crisis last week, I am perfectly happy just to go through with the same-old same-old. 

While we were walking around Tabor Saturday, high on pot cookies, Andrew was telling me about how my work stress is on a different, more personal level which he appreciates (but I think is glad he doesn't have in his job). It's nice to hear because (while maintaining confidentialities) I vent a lot about my stresses at work. Today tho, I didn't have a thing to talk about work-wise and that's a good thing. My new thing today was talking to a new VR counselor which isn't exciting but I'll take it. I'll take and enjoy it.

What else?

Yesterday, my new thing was sitting in a booth in a different part of O'Malley's bar. Again, that's just fine by me.

techno-boost

Every time I've updated my computer, I've gotten rid of the previous one, typically because it stopped working. This time tho, I just decided to treat myself. During our work party last weekend, we got our holiday bonus. I've been good about saving money and I haven't been a person who's had money burn a hole in his pocket for quite some time but I've been due to update my laptop. It's over four years old and some time ago, I dropped my external drive from the book shelf, it landed on my keyboard, and popped out my "o" button so now when I type 'o", I get 'i", "p", "l", "9", or nothing. In addition, it's just gotten really slow. I like my kindle and I've just been using that instead but there's a lot a kindle can't do so now I got another Acer.

It's a good machine. I was looking for something with a solid state hard drive because that's all the rage and I really like it on the kindle. I also wanted something with a large enough hard drive to hold all my iTunes music and something with a proper HDMI port for the projector. The Acer was the only computer that fit all my requirements and still came within range of my bonus. I wasn't looking to spend this much money but I really like it and why not? What good is the money doing in the bank? I don't have outstanding debt so I may as well put my funds to use.

The really nice part about having the other laptop still is that I don't have to make the transition all at once. I still use my other laptop for certain functions and, as time goes on, I'll use it less and less but it's nice to have time to get used to my new precious. Today, I started really getting into it. I ordered it on Monday, picked it up on Thursday, and haven't had a lot of time with it until today. It's got a touch screen which I'm still getting used to. Anyway, I look forward to writing more because it's so much quicker and I don't have to constantly retype my "o"s.

crisis season

When I was applying for this job as a PA, I stated that one of the reasons that I wanted to leave my job at GW and have this job is that I wanted to be help clients/customers out with all aspects of their life, not just their work skills. Well, I've got what I wished for.

I've spent the last month helping one of my more quiet customers with a crisis situation. Until yesterday afternoon, I thought it was all handled. There was a bureaucratic speed-bump or two but I thought we were in the clear. On Thursday, my new thing was supposed to be working a short day and spending the rest of the day with my new laptop. However, after I picked up the laptop and brought it home over my lunch break, my supervisor called me back into the office. Without going into details, my customer was facing homelessness because of an interpretation of wording in state guidelines. I worked quick and reserved a motel room with the company card for the customer and made a plan for a home transition the next morning. I didn't get out of the office until 6:15 which never ever happens.

Today, before I finished parking my car at work, I got a text from my supervisor to call the regional crisis person ASAP. It turns out that the med orders for my customer weren't up to code for the home we were looking into so I ended up getting on a first name basis with two different receptionists at the hospital as I sent and resent the doctor's note, trying to get everything fixed. My final problem ended up being our fax machine. I cannot believe that we still have to use these damn things. Finally, two hours after our home transfer meeting was supposed to start, I got everything lined up and we were good to go.

I won't lie. It's taken a hard toll on me. I knew that I could do it but I question the fucked-up system that makes it so hard. I know there are rules in place but I was seriously considering bringing my client back to stay in my spare bedroom because I was not going to allow my client to stay in a shelter just due to some unclear guidelines and murky med orders. Yesterday, I finished work at 6:15 and stayed in the office for an extra five minutes looking through Craigslist job ads. This is a pretty manageable job most of the time but then there are times where you realize that you have real lives that are significantly impacted by your work but it's not all hard times. After I got my customer's paperwork squared away at the house, my customer was so happy with the new place. It was a safe and friendly home which is something that my customer hasn't known for a bit. It sounds cheesy but the joy I saw on my customer's face made it all worth it.

Last year, I had my first customer transfer off my caseload and into an emergency home due to health issues right around Thanksgiving. It was the first time that the customer was ever taken care of. The hoe had a TV, a warm bed, a full fridge, and people with a sincere interest in the customer's well-being. That customer passed away after a few months but at least I know that when I was allowed to take full advantage of the state's resources, I was able to make their last few months comfortable. 

I hope that these issues don't come up more than once a year because I can't take the stress of it all but I think that I did better this time around and next year, if it happens again, I'll know a bit more and it won't be quite as stressful. At GW, I did feel that I was making a difference in the client's but at this job, I feel that I'm able to help give them a different and better life all together.

What else?

I can't tell you what the new things this last week have been. I do know I've done a new thing every day tho. On Saturday, one thing of note is that Andrew and I saw 'Room,' I have never cried so much in a movie and I can't recommend it enough. The acting, the story, the cinematography, everything was just perfect with it.

the mullet

We had our annual work party tonight which was at a new location for me, Hotel Monaco, and I had to be a panelist for the Match game that we did. I've watched enough Snatch Game on RuPaul's Drag Race so I felt that I could easily do it. There was also an awards ceremony before where every employee was given some award for something. I won the Mullet Award.

The Mullet Award wasn't actually for having a pitiful hairstyle. The mullet is symbolic of a person who is professional at work but cuts loose at home (business in the front, party in the back). It was a silly name but an accurate portrayal of how I conduct myself. I use a pseudonym which was originally intended to separate my legal name from my activist work but now I use it more to separate the personal from the professional. I'm not friends with any of my co-workers on Facebook. I have them as friends on my Instagram (which has come back to bite me in the ass) but I use the name Tophurious (my third pseudonym) because it's a public account.

Aside from just names, I also keep a distinguished line between the personal and the professional in my actions. I have only gone to one party with co-workers that wasn't work related and I have only met with my co-workers (my bosses actually) once outside of any work or party function. I like this job and I've found that when you talk to people outside of the office, you find out things that change your view and make you take off the rose-colored glasses. People might be frank in the office but they can be bitterly honest out at the bar. And I want to keep liking my job and my co-workers. That's why I maintain a metaphorical mullet.

What else?
I'm sick. Yesterday, my new thing was having the jasmine/chamomile tea at Fat Straw. 

random wednesday holiday

 

I'm never one to complain about taking a day off work but this holiday caught me by surprise. I had forgotten that we get Veteran's Day off before this month approached. I was pleasantly surprised but that also meant I had to work on Sunday to ensure everything could get done and I also didn't make plans for the day. At the last minute, I switched Ava's blood donation appointment to today so I wouldn't have to take time off work to get her there. She's been kind of a pill lately. She's been growling at Andrew randomly and on Monday she ran out of the ballpark to attack a dog who was running alongside a cyclist on Center Ave. So I was really really pleased with her today. She did a great job giving blood and ended up getting a sock monkey who I've named Lana. When I headed to the gym, I told her it was time for the kennel so she went to grab her monkey to put into her kennel with her. It was adorable.

What else?

On Monday, aside from being pissed at Ava for attacking a dog (which unfortunately isn't a new thing), I also took half the day off work to wait for the new internet provider to install our new service. Comcast jacked up the rates and CenturyLink had a good sales pitch so I went with them. I am susceptible to salesmen and shouldn't be allowed to answer the door.

On Tuesday, I met a lady through work that works at a crisis line. The day before, I had a crisis meeting with a customer and can't imagine that being my entire job. I'm glad there are people out there who can handle it.

Today, I also made new pot cookies. The dosage was a lot lower this time and I plan on giving most of them away to people. I had one this morning and it lightened my spirits a bit but I was completely functional.

workin' on the weekend

I never ever work on the weekends. I don't think that I've actually worked one in 8 or 9 years so I was due. It's always been an option at my work but never been s necessity until now. This is a short month since we have Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, & the day after Thanksgiving off. I also have a number of things coming up, both at work & at home so scheduling desk-time has been difficult so I'm here at work on a Sunday.

Working 4 hours alone on a Sunday is the equivalent to getting in a regular week of work for me. I was able just to do turn up my stereo and focus. I don't love that I had to come in but I love that I had the option & that it worked so well. I may do it again soon.

What else?

Right after my short shift, I was able to head down the street to Dig-A-Pony where a friend was playing music & met Andrew & other friends there. I definitely dig the bar & the ambiance. I'll be back!

Yesterday my new thing was drinking mimosas at the Bare Bones Cafe while killing time before meeting friends for brunch. Life is good.

my first hump

I'll admit it: I was a bit nervous for this new thing. A few weeks ago, Andrew & I were out eating after drinks & there was a Portland Mercury on the table with a list of movies for Hump 2015. In case you don't know, HUMP is a film fest of the adult nature put on by Dan Savage. It began in just Seattle & Portland but has now gone national. I've never been. I've had friends that go though & I listen to Dan's podcast every week & read (or listened to [thanks, Audible]) his last book so I thought it was about time we go so I ordered us tickets.

I've never been to the venue Revolution Hall either in its current incarnation so I was looking forward to it all. The movies were fun & mostly funny & well-done for the most part. I had some hesitation about watching movies that featured lady bits on the big screen but one of my fav films was one that was primarily just that. It wasn't sexy for me but interesting & I will say challenging at times but I had a great time overall and I will definitely come back.

asleep from day

It's been a pretty mellow couple of days with very little going on. The time change has really messed with me and made me even less ambitious than normal. I don't typically have this extreme of a reaction to the time change but now I want to eat at 5 and crawl into bed at 7. So, obviously this had led to me doing less than exciting new things.

On Sunday, we went to see Assassin, a pretty Chinese film which was either subtitled badly or was so rich in history that it wasn't going to be understood by anybody other than Chinese history buffs. Still, it was very pretty with scenery, cinematography, and costuming that I didn't mind that I really couldn't follow the story. Afterwards, we ate early so our options were limited. We went to 24th and Meatballs where I tried a porter with coffee in it that I couldn't finish.

On Monday, I met a new county person who is helping with one of my customers. I ended up not getting home until 6pm which felt like 7pm and I had no desire to do anything else.

Yesterday was the worst as far as new things go. Andrew took Ava-duty so I got a lot of stuff done at work but nothing really new. While at home, Andrew helped me with downloading a file. I wasn't sure about it so he advised me to scan it first with my virus protection software. I wasn't aware that I could select individual files to scan so I'm counting it.

Today, I'm going to be more enterprising. I won a drink off Andrew yesterday because he made a mistake in our game BattleLine so we're going to try LIKEWISE, the most recent reincarnation of the bar next to Cup and Saucer on Hawthorne. We also have plans every day this weekend which will involve new things so my posts will be more purposeful, I promise.