Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

Forgot to take painkillers with me to work, and the knee was not happy with me by the afternoon. More gross was that the AC wasn’t working well when I got in – whole office was 74 or higher, despite most thermostats being set to 70. My office dipped to 75 at some point over the day, but hovered around 77-78 for most of it. Yuck.

Work is a grind of prepping stuff as best we can while knowing we’re going to get sued. Oh well. Set stupid policies, get sued. I get paid regardless, so long as they don’t fire the lot of us.

Cortisone shot in the knee, which I babied the rest of the day (lots of video gaming, sprawled out on the couch). Back in four weeks to see how it’s doing, and see if we need a referral to another physician in the practice to do a camera scope inside.

Ordered Chinese in, ate way too much for someone who’s sedentary. Oh well.

A big policy document finally shook loose at work, so now we can turn to doing and back away from all the hand wringing. I am so, so very grateful that I recruited one capable, personable attorney from my old agency to work on my portfolio, and he in turn recruited another capable, personable attorney from our old agency for the same. Having backup that I enjoy talking to has been such a blessing, especially on days like today where I needed to be away and resting.

Knee was a mess today, so of course I forgot the three-a-day pain medication. Tylenol had to suffice (poorly). Mainly is when the knee is kept in flexion (bent) for any period of time. In extension (straight out) is fine, but after it’s been flexed it takes a while to recover. We’ll see what voodoo gets offered on Friday, be it anti-inflammatory, lubrication, or platelet replacement. Who knows?

Work was a hot mess of last minute stuff for senior people who finally decided to partially read the lawyers in at the eleventh hour.

As the small gubm’nt agency continues to try and thread the needle of courts versus policy direction, I keep hearing about things and being told that people at senior levels are either asking the agency head if they can read me into something, or they’re telling other people to come ask me questions about some policy they’re developing. In the first case the agency head keeps saying no, which I interpret as him trying to minimize the number of people working on things, but at a certain point it starts to feel personal. In the second case I have nothing to add because I haven’t been read into the policy (see case the first), so I have no clue what they’re doing. So when it all blows up, it’s not my fault, because they won’t let me do my job. Whatevs.

Tonight after work was another stop at the local market, this time for some more zucchini to sauté, and sweet potatoes to boil & mash, to go with the leftover meatloaf, which heated up nicely in the toaster oven.

Managed to move my next orthopedist appointment to next Friday versus a week from Monday, and they gave me a stronger NSAID to start tomorrow. Going back to a bigger brace is helping, too.

Missed lunch because of a last minute meeting, but managed to finish something that we needed to get done for the agency head, so yay? Also, no real news on the budget yet, though other agencies’ plans have leaked to the press and they’re pretty draconian. I would not be surprised if ours was half of our current level, which would be consistent with the public plans that the think tanks announced prior to the start of this administration.

Ordered in dinner as soon as we got home, watched some fun British TV, then read some.

Knee was definitely worsening today; calling the orthopedist tomorrow to move things up. Pain, and more problems walking, which was highly distracting at work.

The plans for next year’s budget request are starting to hit agencies, and from the rumblings I’m hearing they’re pretty bad, as in pretty drastic cuts. We’ll see if Congress lets that happen as the realities of cuts in their states/districts starts to sink in, but given how cowardly this lot has been you never know.

After doing really well with daily journaling for the first two months of the year I dropped off a month ago. Sorry. I’m just really tired now when I get home and this spot isn’t the first thing on my mind.

Busy as all get out still at work. Still employed, still trying to thread the needle between the various court cases and doing what 47 wants us to do. Still awaiting news on what the budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts in October is going to be like.

Knee began acting up, badly, two weeks ago so I saw the orthopedist, and have a follow up in another week and a half. In the meantime he wanted me to start PT again, but I haven’t had any time to get that scheduled. In the meantime I’ll be walking along and the damned thing will ‘glitch’ on me (not sure how else to describe it). Just for a second, and not badly enough to make me fall, but enough to throw off my gait and require a moment to get back in order before I can start walking again. Yuck.

I did get a couple teeth fixed this morning, and was pleasantly surprised that they had a new, friendly, competent hygienist working today (the one three months ago at my twice yearly cleaning was … useless). Let them know the new one was a lot better.

Plugging along otherwise, trying to check in on the other attorneys in our office, offer them a safety valve to vent, and keeping my eye on how stressed out people are getting to quietly let actual management know if I see a need for them to intervene. We’re going to lose another attorney to a family move out of the area, leaving us with just one in that practice area (which probably needs three, but we’ve had two for forever). I’m eternally grateful that we hired up in parts of my portfolio and those folks are still here.

I had taken this Friday off from work as the day after the end of the now-cancelled training. Then the husband and I decided to grab the last open tickets we could get for 9-to-5 the musical at one of our favorite dinner theaters for tomorrow, and given that it’s in the opposite side of the area from where I work I went ahead and took tomorrow off so we could get there on time. Then I remembered I have an ophthalmologist appointment Monday where they’ll dilate my eyes so I won’t be able to work after that, and took Monday off as well. So here I am with an inadvertent five day weekend. Go me. I look forward to some sleep. And the musical. And a clean bill of health from the ophthalmologist.

That’s my life, giving the american taxpayer more government than they’re willing to pay for. Heh.

Which is not to say I’m working extra these days. I’m doing my job, I’m spending the 8.5 hours a day in the office that they’re requiring for that now, but I’m not stressing about too much of it after those hours are done. Heck, I even managed to forget the work phone on the charger on my desk this evening when I left. And that was legitimately forgetting to grab it, not “forgetting” to grab it.

Still trying to adjust the sleep schedule. The weather changes aren’t helping; sinus headaches from the high pressure system are driving me nuts.

Did get to bed early last night, and up early this morning. Biked, even (in the trainer). Knee is tolerating both. However, I had dinner with a former coworker to catch up in person, and didn’t get home until 9ish, so I’ll not be in bed early (for me). ‘Twas worth the delay this evening, but I think I’ll be dragging more tomorrow.

The five bullet nonsense is back, and is now weekly, because my agency is wussing out and not telling us not to respond. I’m getting my eye exercises in just thinking about them. You know, because I keep rolling them so much.

And this is the last month in our performance review year (april to march). I did pick up a little book about giving feedback that was recommended at the first half of training, which arrived today. Hoping that helps with writing up my own stuff, and giving management some assistance with the folks I’m unofficially helping with.