My busy week!

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I have been trying to get into the swing of being the school board president. Aieeee!!! Lots of meetings. Tuesday Dawn and I went to a meeting at Trinidad State Junior College. TSJC. I wrote about it here. It was neat to meet the Lt. Gov and to see Felix again. Felix Lopez is on the Southeast Workforce Investment Board with Dan and so we see him at meetings.

I also went with Dan to the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium Winter Meeting. That was up in Colorado Springs. Three days of Workforce info. Lots of good stuff to think about, process and put into use. One big thing they are starting is the Virtual Workforce Office. They are putting them in public libraries where there are no workforce offices. This is really interesting and the possibilities are expanding.

Next week is not slowing down, and so I am spending the weekend getting over the last of my ‘cold’. I had an asthma attack that settled in my lungs. I sound like I’m breathing through a sponge. ugh. Of course, the weather deities are having fun. Woke up to about 6 inches of snow this morning. Brrrr!

I should have known better

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Life didn’t mellow out, slow down or get easier. Instead, it got crazy.  The school board meeting that should have happened on the 8th was canceled. We had snow and the auditors that check the election couldn’t certify the vote. You can read all about that here . I started a blog about my school board life.

The 9th was my birthday. I made dinner and a carrot cake. It was great and while we did nothing really special, it was a good day. Thursday and Friday Dan had to work sound for the local high school play. Saturday we had dinner in Trinidad with my parents. We went to Wonderful House for my ‘birthday’ dinner. Yum!

Over the weekend, I attempted to seal cracks in the Wendy House. The wind was brutal and my parents called us on Sunday to tell us how they’d driven up HWY 12 and came across the wind damage at Stonewall. We were lucky here in Walsenburg. A few limbs down and that was about it.

Monday… Bryan and Katie have been having issues. Not exactly fighting, but issues. They decided to talk, but didn’t set a time. Katie kept pestering Bryan when he was either just waking up, going to sleep, heading to work, etc… Not a good time to talk. So, he said ‘let’s talk on the weekend’ (ie Nov 19th) She said okay. He went to work. Tuesday morning around 6:45am, Bryan knocks on our door. Katie and the kids are gone. The house was trashed and she apparently packed as much as she could get in the car and left.

We were all devastated. Eventually we found that she was in Ft. Smith, OK. with her girlfriends. I have to admit I am worried about the boys. I miss my two grandsons, Talon and Gavin.

Wednesday was the make up meeting for the school district and a Accountability meeting. Dan and I are now part of the District Accountability Committee. So, Dan went to the Accountability meeting and I went to the school board. We got sworn in and then held elections for officers. I’m now the president of the school board.

Thursday morning, we had the police doing a welfare check on Katie as she hadn’t reported to work. Then that afternoon, her boss from the hospital was by. Katie never called the school, daycare or her job. She just left. The day was lightened by the fact that I had a mouse try to run up my pant leg and then later ran across the sleeping dog.

Friday we went out to Gardner School for One Room Schoolhouse. Each year they have a day where the whole school reverts to the one room school system. It was a lot of fun. Dan helped make ice cream cone cones and we both helped Pam’s class make telephones. Afterwards we went up to see Jack and Barbara Yule. Dan did some computer work and then we had a nice lunch.

As for this weekend, it has been fairly quiet. We did some work, got paid, enjoyed a good meal in Pueblo and Brandy got sprayed by a skunk. We also took a drive where we saw at least 100 deer and 60 wild turkeys. It was great.  Today I got to spend two hours visiting with a dear friend I haven’t seen in 30 years. Bill Farquhar and his wife Kristen were on their way to Denver and stopped in town long enough to eat lunch and visit. 🙂 It was so good to chat and catch up with him.

Now I’m catching up on all the blogs, emails and other things, because if things go as they have been, the next two weeks will be busy!

 

Crazy November

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Today is Samhain when dated by the cross quarter days of the calendar. New Years. Dumb suppers on the table and pictures of loved ones on the altar.

November has been hectic, starting with Election Day. I got over 1000 votes and I am now the Director of District A in Huerfano RE-1 school district. Our first board meeting is tomorrow. I’m also on the District Accountability Committee and so is Dan. LOL… I told him that I was sharing the pain. He wanted information, so I handed him the CDE D.A. C. handbook and SB 09-163  Now he is gnashing his teeth and banging his head on his desk. This of course will be interesting as he is on the Colorado Workforce Development Council, the SouthEast Workforce board and I am on the CWDC State Youth Council.

Since Election day, our shop has gotten a ton of computer jobs. There is a new virus out there and so far we’ve seen 5 in the shop with it. For the most part it requires a total wipe of the system and a re-install. Not fun. It means money in our pockets though which is good as business has been slow all year.

On top of the work, we have lots of meetings. Two today. More later in the week. It’s my birthday on Wednesday and Dan has a light show to do on Thursday and Friday. Oh, and dinner with my parents on Thursday night.

Daylights savings time ended yesterday. We spent our ‘extra hour’ catching up on all the sleep we’ve lost over the last month. ZZZZZzzzzzz!

Here’s hoping for a mellow week next week.

 

Not So Lobo Savvy…

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I don’t know whether to yell or cry. Be frustrated or furious.

Why?

Well… in the time honored tradition of the cobbler’s children having no shoes, it seems that the computer tech failed a back up cycle.

Normally this wouldn’t be an issue. However this time it is. As I left for Denver today, Dan had forensic work to do on our project server. It was the only project server for things we’ve been working on over the last few months. Apparently last night for reasons unknown, it died. The big concern was whether the last back up was in fact the most current back up.

I got the news when I got home this evening. Nothing survived. The back up had the beginnings of the project list and none of the data. So, we get to start coding all over. Dan is hoping he still has his notes. However, as we have moved the office, some of them may no longer exist.

Good thing I love him. Otherwise, I’d probably be yelling instead of just holding my head. Damn.

I know we need the moisture…

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But damn I’m ready for warmer weather. Not sure what it is this year, but I have just not been in the mood for the below freezing weather. Today for example, we’ve had sun, snow, more sun, more snow and it never got above 31F. Brrrr…..As it is, we started a fire at 2pm.

Meanwhile, we are working on the business plan yet again. Dan has done the financial data and I’ve done the narrative. I’m seeing business plans in my sleep.

At least I’m not outside shoveling snow.

Calm-er?

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Sort of. Maybe. Perhaps… It was a bit calmer this last week. We still had computer jobs, but most of them were in town. La Plaza needed their cash till adjusted. Marianne needed her ‘well computer’ checkup and we had a school board meeting to attend. Oh, and I did up about 40 holiday cards. Not too bad all total.

Friday were a bit hectic. I started off my morning by meeting John at the bank to notarize the separation agreement for the divorce. Also got my name taken off of the joint account. I paid the water bill, filed the separation agreement, mailed off umteen holiday cards, and went to George’s to get breakfast for us. We love sausage pete’s with green chile strips. Yummmmm.

Saturday,I got up early and went for a job interview at La Plaza for the new First Choice grocery store. I think it went well, but have to wait for the next interview and the store to have the construction finished. Then we borrowed my parent’s pick up truck and drove up to Canon City. We went to visit Adam, Judith and Brendan. They have a house up above Canon City. They have a micro farm. Geese, ducks, chickens, pigs, goats, dogs and cats. 🙂 Dan fixed Jude’s computer and we all had a great visit.

After we left, we headed to Pueblo to get a few groceries. Funny bit is that we saw John and Beth in Walmart! LOL.

I have to admit that some of panic and stress I have been dealing with over the job situation and the divorce have finally settled. After two weeks of not being called in to La Plaza, I figure I’m done. Her business, her choices. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Meanwhile, I’m applying for other jobs and trying to drum up business for LoboSavvy. As for the divorce… I filed my financial paperwork on time before the December 3rd deadline. John managed it on the 9th. His delays in doing that is what prompted me to push for filing the separation agreement on Friday. Next week is slated to be busy and I didn’t want to mess up the filing date of December 15th. So…. it is now done. Nothing else to do until the court sets a date. For all intensive purposes I’m as divorced as I can get until the Judge drops the gavel.

Big Deep Breath!!!

Not to continue to de-stress. Next big event is Xmas with the family in Littleton. Dan and I have made reservations at a hotel and are borrowing the truck again to go up. Mom and Dad will stay with Lori. Should be fun. Hopefully, I’ll get to see Mari and David again too. The rest of today is going to be a take it easy day. Too damn cold to do much else.

Life in the Crazy Lane

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Or how I spent the rest of my week.

Wednesday we packed and headed to Colorado Springs for Dan’s conference. We stopped in Pueblo for a Bingo Burger. Yum!!!! We stayed at the Crown Plaza and while it is a rather posh hotel, it wasn’t as nice as some we’ve stayed in over the last month. Dan ran off to his meetings while I showered and then curled up in a chair with my book. Ah, heaven. After a bit, I went to Subway for dinner and Dan came back around 9pm.

Thursday we were up early and Dan headed off to his meetings. I packed up the room and then settled in a corner of the huge lobby near a fireplace and a power plug. I settled in with my newspaper and book. Around 9am, I went up to talk to a guy about a Youth Council that is a part of Workforce. Afterwards, I plugged in my computer and went to work reading emails and writing stories. Around 10am, the lights flickered and then went out. Hmmm…. the fire was lit, my laptop had a battery, and I was fine. I got to watch the hotel staff run around like headless chickens handing out glow sticks and trying to find out why the lights went out. Apparently an area of Colorado Springs had a power outage. I scared the hell out of a hotel staff member when she walked past me and didn’t notice me. She screamed. I smiled, and said I was okay. Later on, a staff person gave me a glow stick and a bottle of water. Power finally came on an hour later.

Dan finished his meeting around noon and we headed to Denver. Dan got himself added to more state boards functions. LOL… He should never volunteer… teeheehe…. Our hotel was once again not a good as some of the others, but a free dinner buffet and breakfast were bonuses. We ran some errands, saw MegaMind in 3-D which was a hoot, and then went to bed early.

Friday, we slept in, had a good breakfast and then ran a few more errands while waiting for our client’s computer to arrive. We found a really great restaurant called the Beruit Grill. Heavenly food! Our client’s computer finally arrived and we headed over to sent it up and get everything running on her system. We finished around 9pm and then drove home. It was a long day. We got home and in bed by 1am.

Saturday was spent running on inertial. We returned Dad’s truck, worked on La Plaza’s cash till and then did some shopping. The household cupboard was BARE! After that, I did laundry. Skunky clothes as well as everything from the trip made for a ton of laundry. We talked about Alpha Dog and LoboSavvy over dinner and then crashed early.

Today is suppose to be quiet. LOL… We shall see.

Prezzies!!!!

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Although my birthday was last week, my presents arrived a little later. Thursday night, a big box arrived. Dan gave me the box and smiled. Opening it, I found a really cool garden tool set with seat. 🙂 Of course it was snowing, but… I will use it as soon as I can. 🙂

Then we went off to Denver on Sunday. We got to see my friends Mari and David. I haven’t seen them in about 6 years. They had never met Dan either. We had a great visit. Our hotel was very nice too. The best bit of course is always the long soak in the tub! Monday morning, we headed for the Federal Center to get USGS maps for my Dad. He is teaching a map course. We stopped at Isis, but the guy who buys books wasn’t in. Oh well. We had a coffee at Starbucks and headed to our computer client. Our client had gotten her new printer and digital camera. The printer is one of those all in ones that does everything except wash the windows. 🙂 It is a really fantastic and we will be buying one for the business. The digital camera is very nice too.

Afterwards, we headed for Pueblo where we met with another client. Or, at least Dan did. I had an asthma attack, so I stayed in the warm car. It was snowing. Once he helped her find a computer, we went to Bingo Burger for dinner. Yum!!! Once again, I had the lamb burger.

The drive home was okay. Some light snow, a bit of ice, and not much else. Dan told me to go straight in, and that he’d unload the truck, because of the cold and my asthma. I walked in and what did I see? A box from Dell! My other prezzie had arrived. I am now the happy owner of a Dell Inspiron 1545. I opened it up and played with it for a bit. Windows 7 is okay, but I told Dan he could load Ubuntu 10.10 on it in the morning. He did. 🙂

This is my old laptop. The CF 50 Panasonic Toughbook. It did pretty well, but it had major graphics card issues.

 

Here is my new computer. 🙂 I’m very happy. I just about have everything set up the way I need it. Now to just find time to do some writing!

Anyone have an anchor?

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I swear that someone put speed in the water for the last two weeks of October. Last week was just crazy. Between work, school and other obligations, I felt like I was on a bullet train.

Wednesday, Spike got one of the cats. Didn’t know which one, as we couldn’t find it.

Thursday was suppose to be a day off. Ha! I went to KnitWits, my knitting group. We went to Pueblo on a field trip to visit Colorado Fiber Arts, a really cool yarn store. Then we had lunch at a place called Bingo Burger. I had a lamb burger and it was heavenly!!! Oh, and sweet potato fries with curry ketchup. Yummm… However, when we got home, Dan and I had to take the little gray kitten to the vet. Spike had ripped her lower lip off. Nothing to do for it, so we had her put to sleep. Dan also got a call from our one client in Denver. We wanted to borrow my parent’s truck. Not a problem except that Dad went to change the oil and couldn’t get the filter off. So after we put the cat to sleep, we went over to help Dad. Wheee…

Friday, we left right after I got done with work. Drove to Denver after a stop for lunch at Bingo Burger. More lamb burgers were consumed. Yumm!!! We arrived 10 minutes past when we said we’d be there. Not bad for city traffic. Four hours later we were done. Spent the night in a hotel and oh…. it was so nice to soak in a tub!!!

The next morning, we got candy at Target and then headed over to my sister Lori’s house. We visited for about an hour and I harvested 10 pounds of concord grapes. Yummm….. The smell was heavenly. Then we dropped books off at Isis and headed home. A stop in Pueblo for…. yeah, more lamb burgers. LOL… Only one down side of the day. We forgot to call my parents and tell them we were spending the night. They worried and were not happy with us, as should be expected. We apologized, and promised that next time we would call. Felt so stupid. Had to go do laundry as well.

Sunday was sort of a weird day. Tried to get things done. Handed out lots of Halloween candy, cooked down the grapes into syrup and worked on the computer.

Monday I went to work only to find out that my hours have been cut yet again. sigh…. It rained and slushed. Brrr!!! Then I had a ton of paperwork to process at the court house. And, Stefan’s house taxes are paid! Wheeee!!! By the time everything was done, all I really wanted to do was crawl in bed and sleep for a week. Instead, Morgan, Dan and I watched the Bounty Hunter. It was a riot.

Today was another run around like crazy day. Dan helped Dad unload and stack 2 cords of wood. Then we went and voted. After that, we did some errands around town. By the time we got home, about all I could do is make dinner. Tamale pie!!!! Lovely comfort food for a cool day. We ate dinner while watching Wolfman. It was a pretty good movie. Now we are watching the election results. The bad trio of amendments 60, 61 and proposition 101 did NOT pass. (phew!) The rest of the stuff is up in the air.

Yet another catch up post on life in ‘Burg!

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I have to admit that I am so tired of computer problems. Hard drive failure, mother board fritz, change operating system, do it again, swap computers with Morgan… Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still having freezes, loss of data-three pages of a story- and other issues. Right now, I am working off of Dan’s computer yet again. pout. I really don’t need the extra stress in my life.

On another note, I have most of my possessions from the other house. John has been fairly decent about things. I think once he realized I was serious and what I wanted was not to cut everything down the middle, it has gone well. (knock on wood) I have a few books left to pick up and the three big items of furniture will stay there until they can replace them or I can pick them up. (a bed, dresser and coffee table) Otherwise, the rest is here with me. 🙂 I spent part of last week moving stuff when I wasn’t fighting my computer. Now I’m just trying to find a place to put all of it in this house.

Last week was busy in other ways. Last Saturday, Dan discovered that most of the supports under the front porch had fallen. So, we drove to Pueblo and bought the lumber we needed to shore up the porch. We also had to pull everything off of the front porch to lighten the load. It made the whole house look like it was under construction. Sunday was prop up the porch day. Dan and Ian worked most of the day. I stayed in the main part of the house and tried not to flinch when the jack dropped or I heard cussing coming from under the porch. We will be rebuilding the porch in the next year or two. Dan was really hurting by the time they finished as he worked the jack most of the time. Once they were done, I got to start putting my sewing room back together. We also worked on the front yard, by moving rocks, raking and digging until it looked less like a pile of weeds.

Monday…. the week started like we never had a weekend. Morgan had volleyball games, I worked and on Wednesday the Tannahill Weavers played at La Plaza. Dan and I did the lights. It was a great concert, and I think I have my hearing back by now. We were right under the speakers and in front of the bag pipe player. Oh that was loud. 😛 Then on Friday,we headed to Alamosa for a WorkForce meeting. William Beverly went with us and we had a good afternoon. Lots of conversation and a nice late lunch at Cavillo’s.Saturday I worked and then collapsed in the afternoon. 🙂 Sunday Dan and I both slept in for the first time in a few weeks.

The plans for the next two weeks are plumbing, oiling the floors, and cutting down the other tree in the front yard. It is dying and we could use the firewood. Once Dan gets paid for some of the jobs he’s done of late, we will be working on the cars and hopefully getting a new computer for me. Until then, I will work on his computer.