Eric and Amber Visit!

Such a long time since I blessed you all with my musings! I have been busy with many extremely important things.....

I think the greatest deterrent to writing had to be the crash of the computer. Not mine - Jesse's. Almost everything was malfunctioning, and we discovered the automatic updates had not been automatically updating. So, he saved his files to an external drive and ran a full restore. Weird result: some of programs that had been installed before are now unable to install because they are "too old" according to Windows. Same computer, same programs. A frequently-heard comment around our house: "I hate Microsoft."

So, because all the business files and bookkeeping, etc were on those old programs, we lost it all, and I have been re-creating forms and letters and customer files.

In April, Eric and Amber came to visit for 5 days, and it was wonderful to see them! We had such a good time - mostly talking, but also going to the beach, a short tour of the Shell Factory, and an Everglades tour. We barbequed and went out for sushi, and I finally tasted sake. Didn't like it much; tasted like cough syrup. I'll post pictures sometime.

After Eric and Amber's visit, I had a job interview for a part-time accountant position with a payroll/employee leasing/human resource management-type company, called a PEO or Professional Employer Organization. The company is Smart Payroll Solutions. I started the job last week, working 15 hours per week, which will hopefully allow time for my life. Interestingly, they are using software similar to the software Arvest Bank used in the 1990s! DOS-based and slow, but there isn't a lot I can do to mess up, so that's a plus! They use a lot of Excel spreadsheets, which I know pretty well, also thanks to Arvest. I took a test a few months ago which categorized my Excel knowledge as "well above average," - a boost to my confidence which was plummeting precipitously due to the inability to find work.

So now I won't be babysitting any more, and I will miss Kylee so much! I hope to be able to keep her sometimes, if her parents need me.

I think a visit to northwest Arkansas will also help! Lela is saying "Nonnie" now, as well as about a hundred other words, and even recognizes a few written words. Smart baby. Smart parents, too. I hope to visit soon.

Almost 2 weeks ago, our tuxedo cat, Lenny disappeared, and though we have posted flyers and craigslist ads, and alerted the microchip registry, he hasn't been found. We are so bereft ... he added so much to our lives. Though we had to deal with his prey in the house, and his pestering the old cat, Delilah, it was fun. I still hope that he will reappear, but it's dwindling.

About the same time as Lenny's disappearance, Jesse pinched a nerve in his neck, and has only been able to work limited hours. It seems to be healing, but slowly. We even bought an inversion table last week so he could get a few minutes release from pressure. That's an interesting thing to experience! You should try one if you get the chance!

So, that's about it ... again with the adjustments!

Now I'm off to the gym!