Why ME?

 I've been handed a HUGE responsibility from the universe in regards to my job.  Long story short, I'm going to Washington D.C. for binding arbitration on a labor dispute that will impact millions of construction dollars going forward.  

If I had an ego I would be gloating about it as it is a very high profile dispute and all the industry is buzzing about it.  The truth is that I don't have an ego and I understand the complexities of the case; therefore, I'm terrified - and wishing that somebody else would be on the stand and presenting.  

How I got involved in it and why I am the point person is a complete fluke.  I did not seek this out.  It's too long of a story to even try to explain.  

In addition to all my other job duties which include but are not limited to:  health benefits, pension benefits, labor law, accounting, labor relations, OSHA/safety, apprenticeship, etc.,  I am now tasked at being an instant traffic construction engineer who is supposed to be well versed in fiber optic cable traffic systems and all the intricacies.  

Next time you enter an intersection with a traffic light, just know there is a LOT going on other than the light being red, yellow, or green.  So much is happening information/technology-wise behind the scenes and how it gets broken down it would make your head spin.  

My head is spinning.  

 

 

Red Bone - Come and Get Your Love

 This song will forever remind me of my cousin, Linda.  Yes, I'm dating myself as this was when the song first came out.  I remember her driving us to Morton Mud Hole in the Ford station wagon packed with the 10 of us kids after working the field and farm all day to bathe before going home.  

When this song came on she would yell out the lyrics and encourage us all to sing along with her animated hand and arm gestures (while driving) with all of us kids hanging out the back and side windows (no seat belts).  Cousin Linda was all of 17-18 years old and in charge of a gaggle of kids.  She was the Momma Cousin.

What I would not give to go back in time for just one day.  Rural North Dakota east of the Big Muddy had fun times on the prairie.  

COVID is RAMPANT

 I don't know about you all, but I'm getting texts daily from my friends stating that they have tested positive for that nasty COVID virus.  It's running through all their households.  On the plus side, my friends have been vaccinated and their symptoms are cold-like.  A couple of my friends have been set back a bit like having a  SUPER nasty cold.  So far nobody has landed in the hospital because of it.  

My daughter had a sore throat and the sniffles last week.  My son had a headache that lasted for a couple of days and was really tired.  Was it COVID?  Who knows as actually getting a test is like a Big Foot sighting.  No such thing.

Well, we here in our household myself, my husband, and my kids and their significant others have all been vaccinated and boosted.  We have been avoiding restaurants and any indoor gatherings.  We wear our masks and wipe down the grocery cart when shopping.  So far so good.  Who knows, maybe we have had it and were asymptomatic.  We have dodged the bullet thus far.  How long until we run out of luck? 

COVID is like this ticking time bomb.  Sooner or later we are all going to get it.  It's just a matter of when and the level of severity.  Even once infected, a person can get it again......like the cold and the flu.  Over and over....mutation after mutation. 

How do we adapt without burning out medical staff?  I feel sorry for the medical personnel who attend COVID patients.  

Here's my dilemma.  I really want to be in Minnesota right now despite -40* temperatures to be there with mom now that dad has died.  My 80 year old mother is not vaccinated.  My 61 year old sister, who is a lifetime smoker, has not been vaccinated.  Neither of my brothers have been vaccinated.  What if I accidentally bring COVID to them?   

 

Getting Carded

 Once upon a time, I used to use SSP's sister's ID to get into bars.  The drinking age in Minnesota at the time was 19, and only 45 minutes east the drinking age in Wisconsin was 18.  Mind you, I'm going back to the 1980's.  We would be giddy when we could fool the bouncer and get away with being younger than our ID's stated, or purchase liquor at the liquor store.  

My, how times have changed.  

I can't remember the last time I got carded for alcohol.  Now the only thing I would get carded for is trying to obtain the senior discount as I'm not quite there yet.  

Eclipse of the Moon

 I got a new iPhone fairly recently.  There also happened to be an eclipse of the moon on the night I got it.  I had absolutely *no* idea as to what I was doing and just snapped a picture of the moon with my new iPhone as it peeked through the clouds.  Two seconds later, the moon was covered up.  

Happy New Year!!!

 Woo-hoo!  Put on your silly party hats and blow those annoying little cardboard horns with paper fringe.  2022 is here!

And????  Now what?