It's been a very busy week for work, and today doesn't seem to be lightening up any. There is a meeting at my old office but I do not have to drive down for it. But I did have to order food. They wanted me to order pizzas and salads. And there were a lot of other things to pick up - and that manager's intent was for ME to pick it all up at Costco for them. I really don't think they want me to pick it up here and drive it to them. What happened to the times that managers would take care of their own team? Well, I ended up ordering pizzas and salads the other day from a local company... and I about hyperventilated when he told me the bill was over $500 for 8 pizzas and 5 large size salads. So what did he do? He knocked $150 off the bill. Now, how can one drop a bill that much? That blows my mind. But I took it - and paid it with my boss' card. My boss picked up the desserts and sodas, etc. that was needed. She is going to the meeting so will get it there. Now to pray the pizzas and salads will be enough for all the people. And delivered on time.
I still need to order sandwiches for a meeting on Monday (and I'm not invited!) and I got word I will need to order pizzas again for another department for next week. I'm waiting on their credit cards to pay for it. It's really hard to just 'hope' things will work out fine when ordering and requesting delivery at a certain time.
I actually checked on having a delivery done last night for us - and opted out of it when I totaled the bill and realized that just for a half salad and a sandwich for two people was nearly $40. I don't think so. Arby's is just down the street and is a lot cheaper. And who needs salads? French Fries are a vegetable, right?
But, I didn't do that either. I had bought a package of 'Pasta e fagioli' soup like what Olive Garden has - and I always get there - and decided to make it. Overall, it wasn't bad! Don't know if I would buy the package again.... but I might. We did eat it for dinner last night (but it just wasn't the same without the garlic breadsticks) and it might taste better when we eat leftovers today. I mean, it was good... it just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I think it had too much olive oil in the beginning, although I couldn't taste it when we ate later. It was decent. Was done in about 2-3 hours. We didn't have to go out in the rain. I didn't pay out for delivery. Oh yeah, I fixed breaded chicken for unwich sandwiches too. One bowl each was enough to fill us up.
I do have something to look forward to for today. We are taking one of our grandsons out to dinner. I cracked up when he text'd earlier and said he had decided on Denny's. I know he and his older brother like breakfast as that is where we have ended up before. And that's ok - in the past we always took him to Chili's so expected that - but nope - it is Denny's. We will pick him up around 5-ish and will enjoy our evening with him. Hoping I an get his two older brothers out for a meal around their birthdays too, if not before.
I got a little snarky yesterday. I know, that's hard to believe, isn't it? But I did. Just as I was getting ready to shut down yesterday I get an email from one of the directors that one of their employees is having cataract surgery in April and I need to line up someone for her for two weeks after the surgery to read her work to her. Excuse me? She's already taking two days off for the surgery (twice, for each eye). I'm sitting there reading this and I responded.... snarkily I guess.... "Wow. I'm having cataract surgery on 3/16 and my surgeon said I could go back to work the next day." I saw later that this director responded that this employee was nearly blind and wouldn't be able to pop out the lens in her glasses of the eye that had the surgery so she could see well enough to work. I'm still somewhat irritated by the 'ask'. For one thing, the employee should be finding out this information - why am I being asked to find it out? I mean, I would find out the information for myself. This person has over 200 hours PTO time - why not just take the time off work? Hello? She works from home - how is she going to have someone read her work to her? Who is going to pay for it? And if her eyes are that bad NOW, and they are removing the cataracts, it doesn't mean her eyes are going to be 100%... (my doctor told me I'd still need my glasses - and that's ok. I just want to see better when I'm reading without the magnifying glass!) - how can she drive and work now? UGH. Am I grumbling? Perhaps. This is something the employee needs to figure out before her surgery. But I will send the email on to HR and to benefits and ask them. I'm not going to respond to that director after her 'explanation' but will just do what I was asked to do. She also gave an example of their former admin who had said she couldn't see for two weeks after her surgery. I better hush for I don't know how I will be after my surgery! I'm praying I get through it just fine and the surgeon seems to think I will be fine as well. I don't remember hubby having any issues.
I have my 'ARC' review with my boss this morning. This is like a 'merit' review - working from home one would think we would always have 'meets expectations' - that's what I would put. But, at least for the past 3 years of working from home (March 13 marks my 3 year anniversary of working from home - thanks, COVID) she has taken my own evaluation of meets expectations and changes it to 'exceeds expectations' and of course that results in a higher raise when they come out in a couple months. We got notice yesterday in our 'Buzz' newsletter that they are raising the merits to 3.5% if one has exceeds expectations or above. Of course raises can throw you in another tax bracket too and causes more taxes to be taken out.... catch 22, perhaps. Personally, I think it depends on what we do - I feel that a lot of what I do is what is expected and required - and of course I do the best I can - so that would be meets expectations. I'm always grateful she looks at the extra things I do and marks it exceeds. The little blessings can sometimes mean a lot.
Job 23:10-11 (NKJV): "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside."
Oh I hope that will be true of me when I finally leave this earth! How can one have the faith and resilience of Job? Would he have it if he lived nowadays? I often wonder if I would be able to get through some trials. Many days I think I will fail; and yet, my faith in God is strong and I believe He can easily take me through any fire and set my feet on solid ground. Do you have that kind of faith? Do you believe that no matter what, when you have been tested and gone through the fire, will you come forth as gold? Will you hold fast to Him who created you? Will you keep His ways and not turn aside? Do you ever even think about it?
I know without a doubt that God has gotten me through some pretty rough times. He has walked through journeys with me that I will never share here or with anyone. He has seen every tear, He knows each time my heart was broke. And through it all, He brings joy. Unspeakable joy. Why? Because my joy does not come from people or from material things. My joy comes only from the Lord. Only His joy lasts. People hurt you; material things fade or break. But His love never changes for me - or for you. He is our everlasting Joy. Our only Hope.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, for He alone is the Author of your life. He created you. He allows you to make your own decisions, even when they are contrary to what is right. Many times all we have to do is 'wait' and things work themselves out. It's the 'waiting' that we want to resist. We want everything now. We aren't willing to 'wait'. Stop and think about it.... if you had waited... for anything... would you have made a different choice?
Blessings!
