Falling Down Stairs

If I haven't mentioned it before, I will now. I hate stairs. I know this is a bit hilarious seeing as we live in a 3-story home and have stairs galore. But yesterday's incident clenched the deal for me for sure! As we were packing up the Fall Decorations and getting ready to decorate for Christmas, the stairs decided to reach out and bite me. Yes I said bite me! When it comes to stairs I don't have a lot of confidence when it comes to walking down the stairs anyway and I always try to do it without having to carry much with me. (Maybe this comes from the fact that I have fallen down stairs three times before and each time was due to me carrying something and missing a step!) However there are times when one is trying not to fall that maybe they overcompensate and feet just slide out from underneath you. This was apparently the case yesterday afternoon. I was carrying a very small box, the last of the Fall Decor and next thing you know I was all twisted up with feet and legs going every which direction and broken glass. My poor husband was on the third floor when this happened and came rushing down the stairs to check on me. After I got past the pain and nausea, I was able to limp over to my chair. My left foot is the one that took most of the punishment and it was the one that immediately began to swell. So I iced it on and off throughout the rest of the day and promptly downed 4 advil.

Today it is very sore and I am pretty certain that at the very least one of my little toes is broken (ironically the one I broke in Jr High). The rest of the foot is just badly bruised and I have some very sore muscles in both legs. I am praying when the time comes for Matthew and I to actually own our own home it will not have stairs of any kind! I nice ranch style will do just fine for me!

Happy Thanksgiving

It has taken a little bit of thinking this year to come up with some things that I am thankful for given recent events.  I decided that in addition to the normal list of family, friends, health etc that I would add on surrogate families.  See this year our Thanksgiving Day adventures were very different from the norm.  It is usually at this time of year we would have packed up the car filled to the brim with clothes, food and now cats and travel to one of our families homes.  We love to spend time with our families, whether it is my family in Colorado or his family up north.  However given our circumstances with my unemployment we felt it was best to not spend the money it would take travel to these destinations.  It was a very difficult decision and one that we did not enter into lightly.  It hasn't been the easiest decision and I am truly Thankful for how well my Mother handled the news.  

So towards the end of my weekly catch-up sessions, a couple of weeks ago, with a former co-worker, he inquired about our plans for Thanksgiving and I explained that we would not be traveling anywhere.  He was sad for us but thought we had probably made a wise decision.  The very next day there was an email invitation from him and his wife to join them for Thanksgiving.  I was very touched at the invite and we accepted on the condition we could contribute towards the meal.  

Before we left with our green bean casserole and apple pie in hand, I had the opportunity to talk with my mom before we left and she wanted me to make sure that I expressed her gratitude that Mike and Lenore had opened their home to Matthew and I and were taking such good care of her daughter!  The Reilly family has definitely over the last couple of years become a surrogate family for me.  When I worked with Mike at my last job it was very much like working with my Dad.  He was also good about dispensing good sound advice and wasn't afraid to tell it to me straight.  It is also nice because Matthew and I am about the same ages as their children and we have met them all except for one daughter.  

Our dinner was awesome, with plenty of food to go around several times.  There were many laughs mostly at their granddaughter's expense and lots of good wine!   How could you go wrong.  Granted it was exactly the same for Matthew and I but it sure comes in a good second when you can be with your own family!  So Thank You to our surrogate family "The Reillys"!!

No News is Good News?

I have waited this last week hoping to hear back from one or both of the companies I interviewed for and alas nothing. I even followed up via the telephone, on the one I really wanted and still no response. So I began to wonder about the saying "no news is good news" and came to the conclusion I guess that depends on whose perspective you are looking at. The no news on my end really isn't good news as I am sitting here waiting to know if I got the job or not. However, on the other hand the no news could mean that they have indeed selected another candidate and I have been saved from a job or company that was not the right fit for me. Either way it would be nice to know.

The no news for the companies could be that management has taken longer to review the final list of candidates for second round interviews or that management has actually placed the job position "on hold" temporarily. (Which is in fact the case at one of the companies and only learned about this afternoon)