Right off the bat I was slammed this morning... Of course this was after I came into work amidst a monsoon and got slightly drenched on my way into the building... Umbrella, you ask??? Those are for sissy's! I'd rather topple the hair that looked half decent this morning on my way out the door and get the whole front of me splattered as a car went roaring past and I was too close to the curb... (really not my fault that time, the sidewalk is like 18" deep there...) But I made it in alright and my trainer, Toni came bopping up to me shortly after I landed at my desk all excited that some memos and pattern letters that she hadn't trained me on yet needed to be done.

Toni is about 5', on her tiptoes and has those squinty eyes when she smiles and that gravelly voice of a dedicated smoker. She never smells like her cigarettes though and she is a great teacher. She steps in if I do something that MUST be changed but sits back long enough to let me find the mistake first if I can. She is very smiley and describes her two grown children as 'her daughter' and 'her 30-something son who resents all responsibility and will never grow up'. Literally, that is exactly the way she explained them when I asked if she had children. She doesn't seem like an overly Motherly type but she seems to be very sensible and capable and I have no doubt that she did an acceptable job of it.

The two of us look lilke The Pinky and The Brain together (yes, I would be The Brain, which unless you know exactly what I am talking about you will not get the right impression, Narf!) I think I will keep close to her, she seems like she would help me stay out of a lot of trouble around here. Kind of like the inmate no one ever messes with.

I went to a funeral viewing hours last night a little ways south of town. A man I worked with several years and have kept in touch with lost his Mother this week. It was sort of as expected as those things can be but he was very grateful that a small crew of us current and former co-workers car-pooled to be there with him. I was there when he lost his Father several years ago and the thought of losing both or even one of my parents is incomprehendable. My Darling lost his Father several years ago and I know that he misses him every day. I never met his Father and I missed out on a lot considering what everyone says about Dad. I have always been a bit of a Daddy's girl and I know that I would love a Father In Law with all that I could.

I talked to my Mom this morning and she is feeling much better, thank goodness. She has times often when her emotions and hormones get the best of her. It is really awful actually. She takes medication occassionally and it helps immensely but she says in inhibits her feelings and won't stay on them. In the midst of raging menopause she avoids any of the hormone therapy as well and that certainly doesn't help. Still raising my 4 youngest brothers under the age of 17 can't help. Anyways... she called this morning and was much calmer than yesterday so I am glad for that.

I am sorry that I have not been able to comment these last couple of days on everyones great blournals... I will get better at checking on you all later in the day!

Love and Kisses... Becka

Good Quote:

When we are mindful of every nuance of our natural world, we finally
get the picture: that we are only given one dazzling moment of life
here on Earth, and we must stand before that reality both humbled and
elevated, subject to every law of our universe and grateful for our
brief but intrinsic participation with it. (From her biography of
naturalist Eustace Conway)

-- Elizabeth Gilbert