Vitamin C

So, on Friday morning, December 30, 2016 I awoke to a dry cough and a raspy sore throat. I took some Vitamin C and later in the day, the symptoms had disappeared.  This is not the first time Vitamin C helped me with some respiratory problems.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Body Aches

So I woke up really stiff and sore this morning, but went to work, and by about midday, I was feeling pretty good.  I realized how good I was feeling when I got on the elliptical this evening and did 45 good minutes, when I could only force myself to do 30 minutes of very lethargic exercise last night.

I am starting to "stove" up again, but I suspect that is a function of the negative weather change this evening. 

Weather Change and Body Aches

So, right now, we are in a weather pattern that includes cold nights and moderately warm to warm days.  When there are in these kinds of weather variances, they cause me a lot of pain.  Not just my lower back pain, but pain in my feet, knees, hips, elbows, shoulders and neck.  This is not new to me.  It is common when the weather changes like this.  I call it being "stove up" because I get stiff and sore and moving is difficult.

Tonight, I was sitting in the computer room, with the space heater on, and it felt like my feet were thawing out.  I did not recall my feet feeling cold.  But, I felt like my feet and joints were uncoiling.  This experience often happens if I am running  a fever.  I did not check that tonight, and the sensation went away, so I am in hopes I am not getting sick, except for the arthritic response to the weather change.

Basketball

I like basketball.  I liked basketball when I was in high school, but followed it less when I was in collage.  When I moved to Texas, I tried to follow the Celtics as best I could.  I started following the Lady Raiders in the late 1980's and have followed them since.  I sometimes have season tickets, as I do this year.

I also watch and listen to the Red Raiders team. I still follow the Celtics, and to a lesser degree the Mavericks and Spurs.  I just am really a Celtics fan.

I had the opportunity to go to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.  I grew up in western Massachusetts, and never went to the Basketball Hall of Fame. It always looked so rundown and dingy.  But in it is in a nice modern facility, so I made it a point to go there, and enjoyed the tour. 

I just like basketball. 

Underfoot

Have I written about this before?  Maybe I have.  My cats are often underfoot.  I appreciate their desire for closeness.  That is what we have pets for. But this leads me to some distress.  By being underfoot, I often quite unintentionally nudge, kick or step on some part of one of my cats. You would think that they would realize this and give me more space, but they do not.

For this reason, I rarely wear shoes in the house.  I might just wear socks, but more often than not, I wear soft slippers. So, when we have foot to body interaction, it is milder than if I was wearing shoes. 

Lowery Plumbing and the Drain Cleanout

So, Chris, the plumbing technician from Lowery Plumbing http://trustlowery.com/ who came by Saturday came by late this afternoon to work on my drains.  He worked on the main drain, and identified the problem at the main line where the drain pipes are connected. He identified that Lowery had replaced the drain and asked me how long ago.  I guessed about 10 years ago, with about a 5 year guarantee.  He said the pipes had settled and have started to separate, so the roots are growing in.  He cleaned out the main drain, and then, he worked on the washing machine drain.  He did not charge me for the second drain clean out, since I was a repeat customer, and Lowery had done the main drain before. He suggested they could dig up the main drain and fix the connection to eliminate the roots, and I said I would think about it.

He also said that the cast iron pipes used in the houses of the age of my house tend to develop internal corrosion and build up which slows down the drainage.  If that happens, the plumbing can be re-worked in the house, or out-skirted to the yard, and connected to the main sewer line outside.  Good to know.

I was really impressed with how careful Chris was: with his tools, with working in the yard, with how he managed himself on the roof.  Lowery Plumbing tends to be higher in cost for many services.  They were when I had the sewer line replaced, years ago.  But they did it in one day and did not dig up my entire yard.  Several years earlier, I had had the gas line replaced and the low cost plumbing company I used took 3 days, and because there was a snow storm before they finished, they never covered over the trench they dug!  So, you get what you pay for. 

Lowery also uses a camera in the sewer line, and Chris showed me just where the problem was. He explained that they could discount their cost to fix the separation, because it was their work, originally. Lowery has a low cost drain clean service.  Chris only charged me for one clean out, not two!  I was really impressed with Chris' customer service skills!  And, I did a review for Lowery on Facebook because of it!

Garage Door Problems

So, the last weekend was a weekend of woes.  In addition to the plumbing problems, I had garage door problems.  When I returned home from the laundromat, the garage door would not open.  Oh, no. 

The worst part of that was that I did not have my purse, and I did not have a set of door keys with me.  I called a couple of people:  my cat sitter, and a friend who has a set of keys for my house.  My friend was not home, and the cat sitter called back after a while, and came over to let me in the house. I have two sets of house keys, so I took one set with me when I went somewhere, and will continue to do so. 

I had actually thought about that the previous week, when bad weather was moving in, and I realized that if there was a power outage, I would not be able to get in.  But, I did nothing about it.  Bad on me. 

On December 20, 2016, I left work for the afternoon, waiting for the plumber and the garage door repairman.  Well, the garage door repairman from Classic Doors  http://www.garagedoorslubbock.com/ came late in the afternoon.  I had told them I had a Genie garage door opener, but when he arrived, he did not have a working part for the garage door opener.  He asked me when I would be home on Wednesday.  I told him it would be late, I had taken off work today to get this fixed, and I was not going to do that a second day. He showed me he could open the door, with some effort, although I could not.  He said to lock the house Wednesday, and leave the door so he could get in and fix it on Wednesday.

After he left, I wedged a log in the door track so it would be harder to open.  A while later, the repairman from Classic Doors called me and said he arranged to get a part and could come back and fix the door. He did. That was very nice. I am thankful to have a working garage door.

Classic Doors gets an Aplus in my book!

The Morman Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert

I was able to watch part of the 2015 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert https://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/events/christmas-concerts.html 

This was a beautiful performance and a wonderful gift from the Church of the Latter Day Saints to the entire nation!  Thank you for your generosity!  This was just superb!

Granny Square Afghan

I have a granny square afghan http://crochet.about.com/od/crochet-pictures/tp/Crochet-Inspiration-10-Beautiful-Granny-Square-Blankets.htm that my mother made.  I am not sure how I ended up owning it after my mother's death, but for me, it is a blessing that I have this afghan.  For several years, I have been using a fleece throw on top of my sheet, and a blanket as an extra supplement to the sheet and comforter on my bed. When I started using the granny square afghan, I did not need the extra blanket, or the fleece throw.  I am blessed to have this granny square afghan that my mother crocheted. 

Phone Problems

I was at the Texas Tech Lady Raiders Basketball game on December 14, 2016, and discovered that my phone was not working. I was really frustrated.  This was the third time this fall that I have had phone problems.  Both times before, Sprint had to “flash” the phone, at no cost to me, but it took a couple of hours to do. This time, when I brought the phone in, the technician at sign in was able to do a “soft reset” which took care of the problem.  He told me what he did, so next time, I can try that first.

Internet Problems

So, my Internet connection stopped working the evening of December 17, 2016. I tried rebooting the connection, and reconnecting the Internet.  Nothing worked. I called my ISP Suddenlink http://home.suddenlink.net/ , and when they checked it, they could not find anything to help me.  I have in home coverage, and we set up an appointment for Tuesday afternoon when I am going to be home waiting for the plumber.  I hate Internet problems.

So when I signed on to the computer on December 18, 2016, the Internet was working. I was visiting with a neighbor that day, who also had Internet problems on the 17th.  I told her my problems were resolved on the next day.  She had not tried her Internet. I hope her problems were resolved also.

Plumbing Problems

So, the weekend of December 10, 2016, I had a plumbing problem:  my drains backed up into the shower and bathtub, and onto one of the bathroom floors, when I did laundry.  I cleaned up the mess, and did the rest of my laundry at the laundromat. I used the root kill chemicals, and it seemed to clear things up.  I also had to plunge the shower drain.  So, when I ran the dishwasher mid-week, there was no backup problem.

On December 17, 2016, when I did laundry, the drain backed up and flooded into the kitchen and the garage.  I called around looking for a plumber.  One said they could come but for overtime prices which are $187 plus per hour.  I declined.  Another company that does regular weekend work responded, but by the time the plumber arrived, it had been sleeting in my neighborhood. The plumber had said on the phone he might not be able to help me because of the weather.  He would have to get on the roof to clean out the washer drain.  It was not safe for him to get on the roof with the precipitation and wind. We set up an appointment for later in the week.

It meant another trip to the laundromat.  But, it is what it is, and you do what you have to do.

On December 18, 2016, I did run the dishwasher.  It did not back up or flood the kitchen, so this tells me the drain clog is in the clean out for the washing machine.

The Weather In Lubbock

The weather in Lubbock can change on a dime.  It happened on December 17, 2016.  The temperature at about 8 AM was in the mid-60s.  We were expecting a cold front later in the day, but at about 9:45 AM, the front blew in and immediately the temperature dropped from pleasant to unpleasantly cold.  This is not the first time I have experienced this in Lubbock, but it seems to be happening more frequently these days.

Wreathes Across America

I received a notice that Wreathes  Across America http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/#join-us was going to have a ceremony and wreathe laying at the City of Lubbock Cemetery on December  17,2016.  I went to the ceremony, and helped with laying wreathes.  It was a honor to do so.  I learned that this activity had been occurring in Lubbock for 8 years.  I had no idea!  I was honored to be able to participate.

Cold Snap

On the night of December 7, 2016, we had a cold snap.  Until then, we had had an unusually mild fall.  So this night, the weather just turned cold.  The next day, as I drove around the city, there was an unusual phenomenon.  All the mulberry trees had lost their green leaves, which were piled under the trees.  It was a really strange sight.  A lot of other leaves fell that night, but it was not as obvious, because they were seasonably brown or yellow.  It was the bright green of the mulberry leaves that made them so obvious.

The next few days, the weather included some windy periods. And during those times, the leaves hit up against the windows and made it sound like it was raining.  It was not raining. That was an interesting phenomenon also.

Warming Up

I went to the Lady Raider Basketball game on December 14, 2016, and stayed for the doubleheader, to watch the Red Raider Basketball game http://www.texastech.com/#.  I enjoyed both games, which were wins for the home team, but the men's game was much more exciting.  I got supper between the games, and of course, indulged in junk food I did not need. I saw a couple of people from work at the game.

And, I got cold. It was during the men's game, especially in the second half. I suspect it was because the section of the arena in which I was sitting was not far from an set of doors to the outside, and the temperature dropped quite a bit during the game.

It took me a bit to get warmed up at home, but it is happening, and I am glad. Except, when I transfer to my bed, it will be cold again. But that is good for sleeping, and I have plenty of warm cover.

Football

So, I do not follow National Football League http://www.nfl.com/  much. Sort of the New England Patriots, and I like the New York Giants, but if there is something better to do, I do it.  Well, yesterday, I watched the end of the game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.  I am definitely NOT a Dallas Cowboys fan, although I live amongst die hard Dallas Cowboys fans. I was glad to see the Giants win yesterday.  So, tonight, the Baltimore Ravens are playing in Foxborough, Ma. against the New England Patriots.  I did not watch most of the first half, but there is nothing else I want to watch tonight. So, I'll watch this game.

Antiques Roadshow

I am not an antiques person, a collector, nor do I own fine things.  But I enjoy the TV show Antiques Roadshow http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/ because I love the stories about the items that are brought in.  I did not like history when I was young, when it was memorizing dates and names. I could do it, but to what end?  But, I love history that is the story of people's lives.  And the information about the antiques on Antiques Roadshow are the stories of not only the antique piece, but often of the person's life.  So, I like Antiques Roadshow. 

Cats

So, my cats pretty much rule the roost. I was trying to upload the pictures of my cats that I have posted lately. Yesterday, they hijacked the chairs in my computer room.  Tonight, they have hijacked my bed.  I have not been able to attach the pictures.  That is okay. They are what they are, they do what they do, it is what it is.

Go cats!

Email Weirdness

So, when I got on my computer this afternoon, I could not download my email.  It appeared to be a server problem, but my Internet connection was working just fine.  So, I went to the Suddenlink home page http://home.suddenlink.net/ and tried to get into my emails on the website.  I have two active accounts and neither one would load emails. That was weird.  So, I decided to do some other things and get back to the email problem when I was prepared to call Suddenlink and be tied up on the phone for a while.

Well, when I tried later one, everything worked the way it was supposed to work. That was good!

My aching bones

I was doing okay today, until late afternoon, after I had left work and was at home.  I was sitting at the computer, but not for long, and when I got up, I was really hurting.  The hurting has continued tonight, in spite of an analgesic patch on my back and acetaminophen as per my provider.

I know what it is.  We had a front blow in earlier today, and another tonight, making the air even colder and wetter (but not real wet).  It is not just my back, by my whole body hurts, my joints ache.  I have the space heater on next to my desk, but I am not feeling especially warm.

I used to ache like this when I lived in New England.  For years after moving to West Texas, this did not happen.  I hope I am not complaining. It just is what it is.  I can keep moving, which is the best thing for me.

A Small Thing

So, yesterday at work, I sought the help of my co-workers to distribute a set of word puzzles to my patients for the Thanksgiving holiday.  It is a small thing, but if you have little, you appreciate everything. As I was leaving from my ward today, I got "thumbs up" for the puzzles.  We never know what a small gesture might mean.

Technology Gone Awry

So, I was trying to add a new contact to my phone, and for some reason, it just would not happen. I tried multiple times over the weekend to add this contact, and it just would not happen.  So, today, after I left work, I went to Sprint https://www.sprint.com/ to get some help. I told the service representative I thought it might be operator error, but when he could not add the contact, he passed me off to another technician, who realized he could not add my contact, or any contact to my phone.  So, they had to "flash" my phone. That takes a couple of hours.  When I returned for my phone, more than 2 hours later, they still had not resolved the problem.  So, I waited (I don't wait well, but I was prepared,  I had book.) The technician came out and told me he did not know what happened but I had to erase every contact for this person that was basically hidden on my phone. He did this for me, and then told me I needed to get on the computer, on ICloud https://www.icloud.com/, and erase any remaining contacts for this person. He even gave me the phone number to contact Apple IPhone direct.

I went home and did this. I had to talk to an Apple representative to help me because I was not sure what I was doing. But, there were no apparent vestiges of the contact on ICloud, and I was able to load the contact on my phone.  The most amazing thing about this interaction was that the person I spoke to spoke English without an accent (the call was with someone in California) and we had to disconnect for me to do the functions on my phone that needed to be done, and this person called me back when she said she would!  Faith in American business can be restored by this level of customer service.  Apple https://appleid.apple.com/  and Sprint https://www.sprint.com get an A Plus!

A Very Nice Appreciation

This year, but not every year, I am a season ticket holder for the Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team http://www.texastech.com/index.aspx?path=wbball.  Recently, the team had a home game against the New Mexico Lobos http://golobos.com/index.aspx?path=wbball, which is a very good team.  After the game, season ticket holders were invited to attend a meet and greet, and have a Fuddruckers hamburger meal http://www.fuddruckers.com/.  Each table at the event had a player or coach assigned.  I sat at Zuri Sander's http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/players/45994/ table. Ms. Sanders was a most gracious, gregarious giving and open ambassador of her team and her sport. It was a very pleasant experience, and I am grateful to Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball for sponsoring the event. It was really fine. We even were able to talk to and thank Coach Whitaker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candace_Whitaker for the event!  Thanks Coach

Strange Happenings

I have been through several alarm clocks recently, because I have not found one that I really, really like. I have one now that I can sort of live with, but we have issues.  Most recently, on Sunday morning, I woke up and the clock said 6:24 AM but I knew it was lighter outside than it should be at 6:24 AM.  Well, sure enough, it was 7:24 AM.  What I do not understand is how I could have changed the time, and not know it.  It requires holding down two buttons at one time to change the hour.  When I hit snooze, or, on a Sunday morning, shut the alarm off, the motions are not even close to what it would take to change the hour on the clock.  Hitting snooze is a one handed operation, touching the top of the clock. Shutting the alarm off involves moving a lever on the side of the phone. Changing the hour involves using a button on the back of the phone.  So, how did this happen? I do not know.  But it did!

Blogging

I have not blogged since November 14, 2016.  My brain has been very busy lately, and although I have had a lot of somethings to say, I have not been able to focus enough to write things out. I am not sure how well I am going to do tonight but I will try.

When I signed onto my blog tonight, I was surprised by the look of my blog.  There are some changes in how it looks, a few changes in the format, but it basically works the same. Which is all that I really care about.

Weather Change

We are anticipating a weather change near the end of the weekhttps://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USTX0808:1:US.  Right now, it has been very warm during the day (80s) and cooler at night (40s).  The weather change will mean cooler days.  I started aching this afternoon.  Sometimes I ache if I sit in the same position for too long, but I did not sit very long this afternoon before I started aching.  I noticed it in my back first, but now my hips and even my hands ache.  I am wondering if the weather change will happen sooner than later.  Well, we shall see.

Veteran's Day Parade

There was a Veteran's Day Parade in Lubbock for the first time this year http://www.kcbd.com/story/33680030/veterans-day-events.  It was sponsored by Los Hermanos Familia http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2016-11-12/los-hermanos-familia-hosts-veterans-day-parade-honor-all-who-served.  I went.  It was a very small parade, but the participants and spectators had their hearts in honoring Veterans.  That was nice. 

Veteran's Day 2016

The Silent Wings Museum https://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/home had a full day of Veteran's Day activities.  I had to work, so I was not able to attend the day time activities.  I did attend the evening event:  It was a performance of Finessence  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC09FKuJGtpXjCp1n6AgnSMw. This is a small band, that does swing era and big band era music, along with many other wonderful songs. I had heard them before at the Silent Wings Museum, and it was standing room only.  I went early.  The set up was not chairs in a row, as it was before, but it was set up like a 40's or 50's style nightclub, with a dance floor, a band pit, and dinner tables.  I almost did not stay, but I did.  I met some really nice people.  I really enjoyed the band's performance.  It was a good night.  I am glad I went and glad I stayed. 

Election Results

I was so distressed by the results of the Presidential election on 11/8/16, I went to bed early.  I could see that my preferred candidate, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was not going to win.  I was not as flabbergasted as I thought I might be.  I was very distressed.

So, today, when I thought about it, I decided I had to put my best foot forward, and do what was right.  Both Secretary of State and President Obama acknowledged that our heritage and hallmark as a nation is orderly transition of power.  And that will occur with the results of this election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan described it well when he said that Donald Trump heard something in the voices of our citizens and resonated with those voices.  And it is true, if there are voices that are disaffected in this country, by the rights granted in the Constitution of the United States of America, they should be heard.

My role, as a citizen, is to be ever vigilant.  If there is any erosion of civil rights, if there is any deviation from the rule of law, if there is any abandonment of due process, if there is decreases of freedom, if there is any persecution of any group or individuals my job is to protest to the full extent of the law, and perhaps, beyond the full extent of the law.

This means I will need to make the necessary sacrifices if these thing occur.

A colleague told me that his thought to put a silver lining on this election result is that the House of Representatives and Senate are controlled by the Republicans, and a Democratic President would not be able to be very effective.  He is right. What remains to be seen, is how effective President-elect Trump will be, and what direction he will take our country. 

My Day Off

Today was the first of my two days off.  I had hoped to finish the Catholic Charities board meeting minutes, get the car inspected and oil changed, do some shopping.  Well, what did I know.  It took me most of the day to do the minutes for Catholic Charities.  I do not mind spending the time, I just want to do a good job.

So, I have tomorrow to finalize the minutes, and get the car attended to.  I did do some shopping today.

A Wonderfully Busy Day

So, I was able to sleep in some, but got up and did chores around the house.  Then, I watched the first half of the Texas Tech Vs. Texas football game http://www.texastech.com/news/2016/11/5/football-texas-tech-falls-to-texas-45-37.aspx.  At halftime, I got into my vehicle and drove to Amarillo, listening to the game along the way, to attend a wedding reception for a colleague.  I was honored to be invited.  When I arrived in Amarillo, I was early, so I found a spot in a park to stop and watch the Tech football game on my smartphone.  Have I mentioned that I did not think I needed a smart phone, but I really do enjoy the access it offers.

The wedding reception was very nice and met very many nice people. My colleague was so sweet to tell me how much it meant to her that I attended, and I am so pleased for the good fortune in her life. 

As I drove to Amarillo, there were sprinkles along the way.  During the reception, at a park gazebo, there was a short shower, but it was mostly misty. On my way home there were periods of mist, rain, heavy rain, wet roads and dry roads. The weather forecast tonight expects more of the same.

All in all, a good day.

Days Off

I asked for November 7 and 8 off from work, then promptly forgot that was planned and approved, until a co-worker, who agreed to cover for me, reminded me.  I am planning to take these days off from work. When I asked for the days off, my plan was to look for some knitting patterns, for a hat and mittens, to share with a colleague.  And, I wanted to watch the election news on the 8th, although the results will come in very late.

Since then, as always when I take time off to do nothing, I have stacked my days. I plan to get my vehicle inspected, prior to renewing the registration of the Vue. I plan to reconcile my business accounts: checking and credit card, and verify I have paid my bills.  I still need to finish the minutes for the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock.  I had thought I would get them done before now, but there has so much going on during the evenings, especially with the World Series, that I have not worked on the minutes as diligently as I could have. 

I am grateful for having the time to be able to take off. I have been very stressed at work, and need some time for myself, and to get away from the negative environment at work.  I like my job, but it has become increasingly stressful, and I will admit, I have missed somethings that  need to be done because I am so overwhelmed.  My supervisor seems to understand how that can occur.  I am grateful. 

Texas Tech Men's Basketball

In my mailbox the other day, I received an invitation to attend the Texas Tech Men's Basketball exhibition game on November 4, 2016 against Missouri Western State University http://texastech.com/news/2016/11/3/mens-basketball-faces-off-with-missouri-western-state-in-lone-exhibition-tilt.aspx.  I was also supposed to get a voucher for two more tickets.  I went to the game tonight, and received my free ticket. I forgot about the voucher, and did not get it.  I think I need to complain to someone. But I am not sure to whom I should complain.  I can call the ticket office Monday morning.

I went to the game. It was okay.  Tech blew out the opponent, but that was expected, I think.

Red Raider Basketball

The regular reader knows that I like basketball, and follow and attend the Lady Raider basketball games http://texastech.com/index.aspx?path=wbball. I also attend the occasional men's game http://www.texastech.com/index.aspx?path=mbball  .  Sometimes, our administrator at work gets us complimentary tickets (over the holidays, in the student section) to the men's games, and sometimes there will be a "double header" during which the price of admission to one game gets you admission to both games. 

I had an email in my inbox yesterday offering me a free ticket to the November 4, 2016 men's exhibition game.  I signed up.  Why not?  It sounds like a good time to me.  Thank you, Texas Tech.

World Series, Game 7

This has been a great World Series http://mlb.mlb.com/home.  There are lots of reasons to cheer for either team to win.  I think, this year, Major League Baseball has won with this World Series!  I am going to publish this before the last game is final.  Ultimately, I just really like the history of this series, and the fact the games have generally been close and well played.  Yeah Baseball!

Lady Raider Basketball

At a community meeting tonight, I met two Lady Raider Basketball http://www.texastech.com/index.aspx?path=wbball players:  Japreece Dean and Brittany Brewer.  I told Japreece Dean that I had seen her play, and I had my season tickets, and Sunday was my birthday, and that a win would be a great birthday present.  That was fun.  There were several other people from the team at the meeting.  I do not do small talk well, so I just wished the players luck and left.

Community Engagement Task Force

I went to the Community Engagement Task Force https://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/city-government/community-engagement-task-force community meeting tonight.  This is the 3rd such community meeting.   I missed the second, I did not know about it until it was too late to go.  The two meetings I have attended have been very informative and interesting.  I am glad I have attended.  I have seen social workers at each meeting, the Catholic Charities director at the first meeting. and some Lady Raider Basketball players at the meeting tonight. I need to remember to send out an announcement about the next meeting.  It is tentatively set for November 29, 2016, location unknown.

This is a good community activity. 

Halloween 2016

Halloween, 2015, I had very few trick or treaters at my house.  I did have my door open, and my porch light on, but I did not have a jack o' lantern on my porch.  I was not sure why I had so little traffic at my door.

This year, Friday night, I went  out to dinner, and on my way home, I passed by Redeemer Church http://redeemerlubbock.org/ at Elgin and 66th Street. They were having a major "trunk or treat" event https://www.reference.com/holidays-celebrations/trunk-treat-a9eda88d725db16f. This makes sense.  This church is a very active community event church. So it makes sense to me that the neighborhood children went to "trunk or treat" last year and did not go through the neighborhoods, and did the same this year. I have had a few trick or treaters, but not the volumes I used to have.  I usually shut down "trick or treat" about 9 PM, because that is about the time the older folks come out. 

I had a good number of children "trick or treating" tonight. But not a lot.

The cats are not sure about trick or treat.  They do not like strangers at the door. They are curious about having the front door open. They want to be "guard cats" if someone is at the door.  This is hard on the cats. We will shut down in just a few minutes. 

Election Results

I am deeply disturbed by the comments of Donald Trump and his followers have made about their potential reaction if he loses the presidential election as are others in the political community http://www.cbsnews.com/media/how-past-election-losers-are-reacting-to-trumps-rigged-claims/.  One of the hallmarks of the United States government is the peaceful transition as new presidents take power.  This was tested when President Nixon resigned, and the system worked the way it was supposed to work. 

However, Donald Trump has led a campaign of divisive, derogatory rhetoric and has incited violence in some of his campaign appearances.  My concern is that he will foment violent responses if he loses the election.  That would be such a black eye on American.  

World Series Baseball

So even though I am not a fan of the Chicago Cubs or the Cleveland Indians http://mlb.mlb.com/home, this is such an historic World Series, that I have been watching it.  As with the other games, the game tonight has been very good, and I am enjoying the suspense of it.  Wrigley Field is a neat place.  I like the way there are stadium seats on top of the buildings outside of the stadium. 

It seems that Wayne Messmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Messmer often sings the National Anthem at the opening of the Cubs games. And, during the 7th inning stretch, they have had celebrities lead the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and showed the Harry Caray video of the same.  I am glad to see the Cubs fans count with their fingers when it is time to sing "it's one, two, three strikes you're out." 

If I had a preference, I would like to see the Indians win, because my favorite teams are American League teams.  Also, I would like to see Terry Francona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Francona win the series and end the Indians' World Series Championship drought, just as he did with the Red Sox.  Think of it, ending two long running World Series droughts by one manager! 

The Cubs one game 5!  It is awesome to see the fans continuing to sit in the stadium, chanting.  People are starting to move but slowly. 

I actually would like to see a 7 game series, because the baseball has been really, really good.  I will try to watch the game Tuesday. 

Internet Problems, Updated

Well, my Internet problems did not go away.  Even after I tried rebooting, and unplugging and rebooting.  I decided to get a new router, because mine was so old, I could not use the Smart TV with wireless very effectively.  Well I did not have too much difficulty connecting the router.  And I can tell the difference in my laptop.  I also connected the TV to the new network.  However, my Internet problems did not go away.  But I discovered that I can change from Microsoft Edge, which I did not load onto my laptop, but which showed up after a Microsoft update, to Internet Explore, and I can access the sites I was having trouble with on the Edge. We shall see how this progresses. 

Basketball Season

It is basketball season.  Tonight I am watching the Celtics play the Bulls in Chicago http://www.nba.com/. 

Yesterday, I purchased season tickets for the Lady Raider Basketball http://www.texastech.com/index.aspx?path=wbball team at $69.  I received I VIP card that gives free entry to some Olympic sports at Texas Tech, and I got a parking pass. I questioned that because I got the cheap seats, but they said every season ticket holder received a parking pass.  It makes sense.  The last two years, the parking lot that parking pass gives access to, which was reserved for season ticket holders for the expensive sears, was not full.  Ever. So, they are trying to increase the attendance at games.  Of course, the one sure way to increase attendance at games is to win!

Internet Problems

I heard on the news that there have been some serious Internet problems this week.  I have had some serious Internet problems tonight.  Earlier, all of my favorite sites were loading just fine, and the commercial sites I was trying to load were slow but okay, but the government sites were not loading.  Now, the government sites are loading, but some of my favorite sites are not loading quickly, and are getting stuck. 

I ran a virus scan that mostly got rid of cookies. But there were no other problems.

I will see what happens tomorrow. 

Unintended Consequences

So today, I was thinking about my new kitchen island.  I realized that it is higher than my kitchen counter, which requires me to bend slightly when I am working at the counter. Which slight bend bothers my back. 

And, working at the kitchen counter, I have my back to the TV. Which meant I did a lot of twisting around to see what was on TV. I realized it would be really simple to move the island to where I can watch TV.

Tonight, I made a marinated salad for a pot luck, and I did it on the counter.  Standing at the island chopping did not bother my back, and I could watch TV.  What  great unintended consequence from this new purchase!   Yeah!

I do not think I will transfer my microwave to the top of the island.  The point in transferring my microwave was to give me more room on the counter to work, but I like the increase in height and the ability to face the TV more than I like the idea of moving the microwave.

My New Kitchen Isalnd.

I had a small kitchen island that I used for staging my recyclables.  I had this island before I purchased my house in 1992.  In July, it fell apart. I was able to fix it once, but not a second time.  I went shopping and found one I liked, but did not immediately buy it. Most recently, I discovered it was on sale, so purchased it online.  I picked it up today, and put it together.  The instructions said 2 people, 1.5 hours. It took this one person 4.5 hours. But I did put it together.

I sent a picture to Gmail, but it did not show up.  I sent it to Facebook and saved it to my PC and finally found it. The island gives me more shelf space, 2 drawers, and more cupboard space.  I think I will transfer my microwave to the island top.

Making it Snug

I have been opening the windows at night recently, because although the days have been warm, the nights have been cool, and good sleeping weather.  Today, the day stayed cool (55° high), and it was rainy, so there was a feeling of rawness in the weather.

I went out tonight.  When I came home, I decided to get into something comfy, and get snug while I have been working on the computer.  So, I turned the electric heater on in the computer room.  Taki decided she did not want to sit with us at first (she likes it cooler, usually.)  Haiku seemed to be glad of the warmer room.  I closed the door partly, so the heat would stay more in the computer room. Haiku eventually settled down on a chair, but more than once, wanted to be hugged.  After a while, Taki joined us.

Almost T Boned

I was driving home tonight, and came to a 4-way stop near my house.  I stopped, and to my left, a vehicle sort of stopped after I did.  I started up, and so did this truck, very slowly, making only a rolling stop.  I sped up to get out of this driver's way.  I do not think the driver was going to crash into me, but the driver did not make a complete stop.

This is not atypical in Lubbock, especially when the weather is bad. It is like bad weather gives the drivers in Lubbock permission to drive poorly. It has been that way since I have lived in Lubbock.  Why would I think it would change.

Rain in Lubbock Today

We knew it was supposed to rain in Lubbock today.  When I left for work, as I travelled to work, it was still very dark, and the closer I got to work, the more lightning I saw. I did not hear thunder until I was actually walking in the parking lot.  It was not too loud.

What was eeriest was that it stayed dark until well after 8 AM.  That gave me a strange feeling.

It rained off and on throughout the day. Sometimes it was light rain, sometimes it was heavy. There was some street flooding, not unusual. 

We can almost always use rain in Lubbock.  It was cold today, I believe the high was 55° today. It is suppose to be in the 80s tomorrow.

This is not unusual for this time of year.  Transition from one season to another in Lubbock is generally a series of fluctuations.  No different this year. 

My View Of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

My niece posted on Facebook about her concern that people are voting for Donald Trump for president because they are concerned about the Supreme Court appointments Hillary Clinton would make. Several people made comments in favor of voting for Donald Trump.

My response:

My problem with the comments to your question, Lesley, is that I see Trump in a very different light. I look at his business history, his personal history, with multiple marriages, and his now political history, and what he says and what he does are so inconsistent with each other.  He is a shrewd, and reportedly unfair businessman; he takes maximum (legal) advantage of the tax laws, his charitable giving has been questioned, and not proven to my satisfaction. He has a short fuse, and while he can hold it together for 90 minutes, can he hold it together for day after day, under constant pressure. We can learn from history, and not so long ago history. Study Watergate, and the kind of man President Nixon was. He was a good politician, but the decisions he made that brought him down were based on hubris and that because he was the President, he was above the law. Trump already touts the fact that he thinks he is above the law.

The problem with my comment is that Hillary has acted in the past as if she were above the law, or maybe ignorant of the law (hard to believe.) When Ronald Reagan made mistakes, and he did, he would say, basically "oops, sorry, my bad" and go on. If Hillary would just do that, her errors would not be so bad. It's not that (she) cannot be trusted. It is that when she is caught, she dilly dallies around, and hems and haws before she admits she did something she shouldn't have. The problem with Trump is when he gets caught doing something bad, he just does something more outrageously bad that takes the spot light off of the last bad thing he did.

I am now adding that Trump has said "It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to." https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/785842546878578688 So that tells me that Donald Trump has been "faking it" to fit in, to get the votes, to get elected.  What a fake. What a phony. What a liar.  Do we want someone like that running this country?  I think not.  It is obvious that we cannot trust Donald Trump.  It is frightening to think people do. 

Born Again

I just finished reading the book Born Again by Charles Colson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Colson, who was involved in the Watergate scandal that brought down President Nixon.  I have decided that I want to read books by or about people who have committed crimes, been convicted, gone to prison, and went on to make something of themselves.  Born Again is not a book I would have thought I would read.  I am off put by self declared Christians who witness to Christ but have less than honorable lifestyles, and then publicize it. That is a personal journey, in my mind. When I first moved to Lubbock, it was not uncommon that I was approached by someone who would ask me "Have you accepted Christ?"  And when I would say yes, not one asked me to pray. Which let me know that they were about changing me and not about living in Christ. They were involved in power, not prayer.

Well, I read Born Again with an open mind, an open heart, and an open spirit. It was a powerful read. Charles Colson journey in Christ lead him to develop "Prison Fellowship" https://www.prisonfellowship.org/.  This is a wonderful organization. And a great legacy.  I am thankful that I read this book. 

Baseball Post Season 2016

So, I am a baseball fan.  I like the Yankees and the Red Sox, sort of follow the Diamondbacks, and watch the Texas Rangers because I can get their games on TV.

I was hoping the Yankees would pull off a miracle this year, but they did not.  But the Rangers are playing against, and lost today to the Blue Jays in the post season.  And the Red Sox are playing against, and lost tonight to the Cleveland Indians. 

I will pay attention to the National League games because I want to know who the American League team will be playing against, especially if the Red Sox make it to the World Series. 

http://mlb.mlb.com/home

PITCH

I have not followed much current TV, with the exception of Blue Bloods http://www.cbs.com/shows/blue_bloods/.  I do not think I have blogged about that. I cannot believe I have not blogged about that. 

Well, a new series started on Fox this fall, called Pitch http://www.fox.com/pitch, which is a series about the first female major league baseball player.  I have watched this show.  I think it is very interesting:  a commentary on gender issues, on sports, and on life issues.  So far, I have enjoyed the series. It will be interesting to see how it progresses. 

Big Papi

I just watched the tribute to Big Papi https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Boston%20Red%20Sox by the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball.  It moved me very much. This is a man who came to the Red Sox organization after being cut by the Minnesota Twins, and made baseball history.

During his final year in baseball, he has had a stellar performance http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizda01.shtml.  I have to think it is because 1) he wants to go out with a bang and 2) he does not want to leave anything on the table, so to speak.  He can give his maximum effort because he does not have to worry about how he will feel next year.

He is so intelligent about baseball, I have to believe he comes back to baseball as some sort of coach or manager.  It would be baseball's loss if he is not at least invited to do so. 

For all of his clutch performances, and walk off hits, my favorite David Ortiz moment is his "Boston Strong" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUQUFm2icyQ&list=RD28jF__vAm_qRM speech in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing.  And guess what, the FCC stood with him http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/04/20/david-ortiz-boston-red-sox-speech-fcc/2100051/, which I agree with and understand, because sometimes, you just have to stand up for free speech and say what comes out of the our emotions.  (I don't swear much, and the f word is not one I can abide usually, but sometimes, just sometimes, it says what nothing else can say.)

Musical Chairs

Haiku and Taki like to sit in the same room that I sit in.  In the computer room, there are 2 office chairs which they usually use, and I am using a folding metal chair, like a card table chair.  I usually have a dish of dry food on one of the chairs, ostensibly for Haiku.  Today, Haiku was eating, and Haiku being Haiku, vacated her position when Taki came in.  Taki sometimes intimidates Haiku physically, by nosing her out of a dish, or hitting her, but Haiku is easily intimidated, or just polite, and usually just defers to Taki.  There is usually a second dish of dry food in the kitchen, so if Haiku is starving, she could go out to the kitchen to eat. Well, she did not.  So, I brought the second dish of dry food into the computer room, and put it on the other chair.  Haiku ate for a while, then vacated that chair.  Taki took it, and ate a little.  Haiku went to the chair that first had food on it and ate. 

I do not think Taki was hungry, she just likes to eat. Haiku is a picky eater, and sometimes this eating competition encourages her to eat more than she normally would. 

Microsoft Updates

So, at about 4 PM today, I inadvertently clicked on update and restart.  Oh well. I was not planning on doing anything on the computer for the next couple of hours.  Three hours later, I go back to the computer, and it is still updating.  It took almost 2 hours to update Microsoft.  I cannot tell what difference it has made.  It will remain to be seen.

Binge Watching TV

Okay, so I admit that I binge watch.  I started binge watching TV years ago, when I would stumble upon multiple weapons The West Wing.  I really liked The West Wing. 

So, now, I find myself binge watching Blue Bloods. I really like this TV show, and sometimes I watch the episodes new, sometimes I watch them on demand, and very often I binge watch, usually when I have something else to do on the computer.

Posture and Pain

I sat at my desk at work today, for a long time, hunched over, writing. I sat that way for too long, and when I stood up, realized it.  I took a quick break and a short walk.  I later went grocery shopping and I can still feel the lower back pain. I took some Aleve and put an analgesic patch on.  The next thing I am going to do is get on the elliptical and exercise for about 44 minutes.  (I am working up to 45 minutes, a day at a time, this week.) I know that will actually help.  I was ready to exercise about 45 minutes ago, but waited for the Aleve to kick in.

New England Patriot's Football

I do not watch a lot of professional football. Sometimes, I watch the New York Giants http://www.giants.com/, and even more frequently, I watch the New England Patriots http://www.patriots.com/. Tonight, I am watching the Patriots play the Houston Texans http://www.houstontexans.com/, a team for whom I have no affection, although I live in Texas.

The pundits before the game thought Houston would win. HMMM. It will be interesting who wins.

Conflict: Baseball

Tonight I am watching a play-off significant game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox (go Red Sox!) on ESPN http://mlb.mlb.com/home TV  http://mlb.mlb.com/home. The post-season play-off races are very tight this year, and ESPN announced tonight that they will televise the New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays game on Friday night, September 23,2016.  It will air at 6 PM CDT.  I can watch it!  Yeah.

Conflict.  Sometimes, Yankee games last longer than 3 hours, and at 9 PM Friday night, the season premier of Blue Bloods http://www.cbs.com/shows/blue_bloods/ will air. Well, that is okay.  I will watch baseball, and then if need be, view Blue Bloods on demand on Suddenlink. http://home.suddenlink.net/?inc=1.

A New Life Style

I will soon, after 39 years as a salaried social worker, be an "hourly" employee due to the change in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act regulations https://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-flsa.htm?.  Because the base pay for my position is below the Federal guidelines for overtime pay upgrades, I am subject to the new overtime laws.  My employer saw fit to warn the 900 or so employees affected.  I have been "practicing" at working only 40 hours a week, and doing pretty good, except the week of Labor Day.  It was a 32 hour week, and I had an inordinate number of family calls. So I did work over 32 hours.  If it had been later in the year, and I had been under the 40 hour work limitation, I would have had to ask my supervisor for help with family calls.  But, as it was, I did not, although I did tell my boss about the influx of calls, and she agreed in the future I should have help in that circumstance.

So, I am now having to adjust to going home earlier than I have ever done before. I do not mind, but I am having to "find myself" in terms of what I want to do with that extra hour plus every day.  I find I am running errands during the week that I would normally defer to the weekend.  I like that. It frees up my weekend. I am not satisfied with my transition, and think I want to be more active outside, rather than hibernate to the house.

My cats have also had to adjust. They have been used to being fed when I get home from work, but getting home more than an hour earlier than I used to, it is not dinner time for them.  I often give them treats when I get home, but not dinner. They are getting used to me getting home and NOT feeding them.  This is good.

In many ways this is a very good adjustment in my life.  I just need to be more pro-active at taking advantage of it. 

Michelle Obama and Steven Cobert in the Blanket Fort

Most of the time, I like the Stephen Colbert Late Show on CBS.  He does a feature, called the blanket fort (didn't you have a blanket fort at sometime in your life, I did?)  Tonight, he was in the blanket fort with Michelle Obama https://www.facebook.com/colbertlateshow/videos/942804772530941/.  It was a wonderful piece.  Wow.  How can you beat it? 

Thank you Michelle Obama and Stephen Colbert.

Taco Tuesday

I had a hankering for a Fiesta Salad from Rosa's Café tonight.  I did not feel like cooking and I was hungry.  When I drove up to the restaurant, there was a line of cars in the drive through line, into the street!  I didn't want to wait, so I went to the Hong Kong and had seafood from their all you can eat buffet. On the way home, I went by Rosa's Café again.  The line was almost as long in the drive through line.  The parking lot had a few more cars than it had earlier. I could not believe it, then I realized that it was Taco Tuesday https://www.rosascafe.com/promotions. I will not crave a Rosa's Café salad again on a Tuesday!

Plumbing Woes

In late 2013 and early 2014, I was having a regular problem with my sewer line being clogged by roots, and backing up into the shower, the bathtub, and the floor in the little bathroom, from under the toilet. Every few months, I had to have the plumber in.  Sometimes, they did a good job, sometimes, not so good. So, after waiting all day for a plumber, who did the clean out job, the next time I had a problem, I used a chemical agent to kill the roots that were clogging my drain.  That was in 2014, before I had the little bathroom remodeled.  I have not had a problem since then, until this weekend.  I did not know I had a problem this weekend, until I got in the shower this morning, and saw the residue from the back up on the shower floor.  Yuck! 

Well, since the bathroom was remodeled, it makes sense that the toilet might not flood. But there was also back up in the tub. 

After work, I went to Home Depot and purchased some root killer  and put it in the sewer line, and ran water in the shower for about 10 minutes.  I had to go to the Catholic Charities Board meeting tonight, so I did not bother cleaning up the back up in the tub, or scrubbing the shower.  I will do that tomorrow night. The timing is good. The back ups seem to occur when I dump a lot of water in the drain, as when I run the dishwasher or do a load of laundry, both of which I did Sunday.  So, that gives the chemicals a week to work. And the chemicals are cheaper than a plumber, so even if I need to do a repeat treatment, it is cheaper than using a plumber.

Music

There was nothing I wanted to watch on TV tonight.  I usually have it on for the background noise, even if there is nothing I want to watch. That did not appeal to me tonight.  So, I opted for music. Not even my old favorites, something different. I do not listen to enough music.

I Choose Nice

A colleague wrote a piece on her Facebook about the lack of love and the abundance of divisiveness in our country.  This was my response:

"I am with you. Some time back, I made a decision that I want to be nice as much as I can. I am human, so I still get impatient, short temperamentally (I am already short physically), and frustrated. But, I try to be nice. That is a choice I have made. I get a lot of kudos for being nice (it is amazing to me who is watching.) I do not do it for the kudos, but I do appreciate being appreciated, and it feeds my desire to continue to be nice."

I am a work in progress, but I keep trying and trying and trying.  I had occasion tonight to refer to the fact that I am not a practicing Catholic. But, I am practicing at being nice. I hope that counts for something.

My Favorite Kind of BaseballI

I like baseball http://mlb.mlb.com/home. I mostly like to watch the Yankees and Red Sox games, but will also watch other teams.  I like the pace of the announcers' patter. I like the stories. I like the memories I have about baseball. I like the history.

This weekend, I have been able to watch the Yankees and the Red Sox play at Fenway Park.  It is a four game series, and the Red Sox won the first 2 games, although the Yankees were ahead in one game, and they lost it in the 9th inning.  Saturday, the Yankees were ahead until the 7th inning, and then the Red Sox went ahead.

Today, as I watch the game, the Yankees had a 4 run lead until the bottom of the 5th inning, then tied the game in the 6th inning.  This is the kind of baseball I like.  I like baseball when the games are close, and even go into overtime!  And the history of the Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry includes a lot of come back games and extra innings games. 

The Red Sox are leading the America League East.  The Yankees are hoping against hope to be the second wild card team, to get into the play offs, although they have not had a stellar year. However, they have brought up some really talented new players from their farm system, and have revived the team, late in the season as it is. 

So, this is exciting.  I am happy to watch baseball tonight. 

Restless Cats

Tuesday afternoon, I took off work to get my phone fixed.  Because it had needed to be charged, I left it home that morning, and swung by my house on the way to Sprint https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=sprint locations in lubbock&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:4&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=33541709,-101898445,2467&tbm=lcl&rldimm=10685836465911700353 to to get the phone fixed.  The landscape people were at my house, mowing, edging, trimming, and making a lot of noise. When I went into my house, I was greeted by two unhappy cats.  Unhappy because they do not like the outside noise.  Taki, who has become my guard cat, was lying near the front door, ready to announce any intrusion (but not pounce; if the door is opened, she runs away!)

Well, when I returned home later in the afternoon, the landscapers were gone, and the cats were serene.

Tonight, about 45 minutes ago, a thunder storm blew in. It started with distant lightning, but the rain and close lightning and thunder followed. I do not believe that there has been any hail, but the winds have been very strong.  The cats are not happy. They have gathered round me, and are running and scampering and trying to find places where they are more comfortable.  This is typical thunderstorm behavior. Usually, eventually, Haiku gets into the cat carrier in the closet, and Taki lies in the very little hallway by the linen closet. Not so tonight. I am not sure what is different. But something is.  What do I know?

Food Trucks in Lubbock, Texas

Food trucks were not always legal in Lubbock, but since the city ordinances have changed, food trucks in Lubbock https://www.foodtrucksin.com/truck-search?from=Lubbock%2C+TX+&lat=&lng=&city=&state=&state_short=&name=&type= have blossomed.  Not only that but "Food Truck Fairs" have become very popular.  Sometimes, they just park in a lot or parking lot somewhere, and have a "fair" http://www.fox34.com/story/30284289/lubbocks-first-food-truck-fest. It is really strange.   But, one of the most popular past times in Lubbock is eating, so it makes sense!

The Cats and My New Schedule

So, in my prior post, I explained why I am required to change my work schedule.  I am only going to be allowed to work 40 hours a week, in the near future.  And I am practicing doing this now.  So, it means that I am arriving home from work an hour or more earlier than I have been accustomed to do for the last I don't know how many years.  This has the cats befuddled, worries, confused.  Because they are in the habit of being fed when I get home from work, I give them treats if they ask for them.  But the cats and I are having to learn how to adjust to this new schedule. 

The plus is, I feel like doing more chores around the house. The negative is, I feel at loose ends sometimes.  And I am at a loss how to help the cats adjust.  And, although it is just an hour, it makes the nights seem really, really long.

Well.  I can adjust. I have before, I will again.  And then, I will wonder why I spent so many years working overtime when I could have been on my own time!

Learning to Say "No"

I have spent a lot of my life struggling with learning to say "no."  Especially at work. For years, I have been lazy about my time management at work, because although I was only supposed to work 40 hours, no one cared if I worked overtime.  That gave me the luxury of doing extra things, finishing what I started without concern about time, and not feeling rushed.  But, it also meant that as one more task and one more task came my way, I just accepted the tasks and did them, even if it meant working overtime.

There has been a change in the Fair Labor Standards Act in regards to overtime https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/final2016/.  This was interpreted at my place of employment in a way that effected about 900 employees.  I will be one of them.  Starting November 1, 2016, I will no longer be a salaried employee. I will be an hourly employee.  Although I earn over the amount set to be included in this new ruling, as do many of my co-workers, the base salary for my position is below the set amount.  

My place of employment has done some educational sessions to 1) assure us we were not being "devalued" as employees and 2) prepare us for the way our salary is paid, especially because this change starts November 1, 2016, and it will effect our pay checks at the holiday season.  This was highly stressed at the sessions.

My supervisor was very good about explaining the changes, and giving the message that we were not being devalued as employees.  Her comments were consistent with the message at the session I went to that was presented by Human Resources.  And, my supervisor was very clear that we HAD to comply with the 40 hour work week, and failure to do so would be a performance issue at evaluation time.

The good thing about this change process is that we were educated in August, for a change that will be implemented November 1, 2016.  So I have plenty of time to "practice" working only 40 hours a week. The practice includes learning how to adjust my schedule, and learning how to say this will have to wait until tomorrow, or later.  That is very difficult for me.  I mean, why would I make something wait until tomorrow, when I am perfectly capable and willing to do it today.  Except it means I will have to work overtime.

I have done this delaying tactic this week.  I do not feel comfortable doing it, but I can do it, and with practice, it will come easier to me.

But, in reality, my employer will be losing work from me. It will be my gain of more free time and my employers loss.