(no subject)

Kind of bad news on Scott's work front-- They just fired somebody on third shift. That leaves them with only two or three people, and Scott labeled those remaining as idiots (I believe the exact phrase was 'they don't know which hand to use to wipe their butts'). At least the guy who got arrested is back. Scott says, though, that his days are likely numbered. Scott's supervisor has said that covering for third shift will continue 'indefinitely,' and that may mean that, at some point, Scott spends a week working third shift. They have a hard time getting people willing to work 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on a regular basis.

And this is the shift Scott's thinking of applying to supervise. I think that's a bad idea. He's right that it's the only route to eventually getting promoted off the factory floor, but third shift, even apart from the hours, is terrible. The stress of managing while one has no employees capable of doing the work would be horrendous.

Cordelia's rereading the Heroes of Olympus books in preparation for the fifth book, The Blood of Olympus, coming out October 7th. I'm going along with this reread, but after she reads the fifth book a couple of times, I'm going to insist that she try something new. I don't care what, just something she hasn't read before. She's very conservative about books and doesn't much like trying new things. When she does, she tends to like them, but I can't even persuade her to browse at the public library. I know she sort of uses GoodReads (she rejected my friend request. Big surprise), but I don't think she's tried anything that site has recommended yet.

Cordelia tried to talk us into letting her arrive late to soccer practice last night. She discovered last week that, if she arrived half an hour late, she could avoid having to run laps, and she's all about avoiding the running. She tried, too, to convince me to let her stay home altogether so that she could work on her reread of The Mark of Athena. I would not be swayed.

I talked to my mother and step-father last night. They told me that the really hot weather (they're in Baton Rouge) has broken and that it's merely in the 80s. They also told me that my brother is renovating his new house, stripping paint off the woodwork, putting polyurethane on the floors and so on. The polyurethane on the floors is important because he has ferrets, and, while they're generally well behaved, they do sometimes poop where they're not supposed to, and it eats through the old varnish on the floors.

Cordelia actually talked to my mother for about five minutes. I count that as a victory because it's nearly impossible to get her to talk on the phone.

Mom is hoping to come to Michigan in October. She thinks she has a break in terms of her caseload (she's a lawyer working for a clinic doing legal work for homeless people), and she's going to see what sort of flights she can get. This means I probably ought to get my act together and clean the basement. Mom said she wouldn't necessarily stay with us, but it would be nice to have the option, and the basement needs cleaning anyway.

Cordelia had her first social studies test the other day and aced it, 18/18. She's very pleased with herself. The test was open note, so I think it would have been odd if she hadn't done well. For this test, the kids were allowed to use any notes written in their own handwriting. For future tests, they'll be allowed to use only notes they've written on note cards.

(no subject)

I'm waiting for it to get warm in here. It's been getting into the high seventies outside, most days this week, and going down into the forties at night. I dressed for the warmer weather, but it's kind of chilly in here. The thermostat claims it's 73F in here, but it's in the most sheltered part of the house, the part that's always warmest or coolest, depending on season. I should probably break out a sweater. I just feel silly doing that when it's supposed to get warmer.

The temperature fluctuations make night time kind of exciting. It's usually warm enough when I lie down that all I can tolerate is a sheet. Then, in the middle of the night, I start dreaming about being cold but not quite waking enough to do something about it. All of that means that I don't sleep as soundly as I'd like.

We probably need to take Cordelia shopping for a new winter coat. She's grown three or four inches since we bought the last one. We don't need coats yet (which reminds me-- I'd better get moving on getting mine dry cleaned), but there'll come a time when Cordelia can't just put on a sweatshirt and be fine.

(no subject)

I tried Adagio's masala chai again today. This time, I deliberately used half as much tea as the package called for. The resulting brew was a little bitter but not unbearably so, even with a five minute steeping time. I put in stevia, but I think I'd have been okay without it. I'm not sure how I feel about the cloves in the mix, however.

I don't think any of the Adagio chais I've tried is my one true chai. Adagio has a green chai and a white chai that I didn't order samples of. I don't know if I will try them later on or not. I'm not sure how well either would work. Don't green and white teas normally have shorter steeping times? I have the impression that chais require longer steeping because of the spices.

(no subject)

I just got word from my step-father that my grandfather, my mother's father, is dying. He's been bedridden for a while and is now completely unresponsive. He's been mentally gone for years now due to Alzheimer's. He can't remember more than a minute or so into the past, can't recognize his own children, can't find the bathroom on his own. Mom and her surviving brothers have been paying a woman to look after him in his home.

I haven't seen him in about ten years, not since we took Cordelia down to Florida right before she turned one. He was so thrilled to finally have a great-grandchild. He actually bought a crib for her to use while we stayed there. I'm sure he was hoping that more of his grandchildren would have babies.

In a way, our family has been acting like he was dead for years. Mom and her brothers simply made sure he was getting the best care they could find while the rest of us mourned. I regret that Cordelia never got to know Grandpa. I'm very glad that he got to meet her. He never met my sister's son (four years younger than Cordelia). He was too far gone by then.

I regret that I never got him to tell me stories about his past. There's so much I don't know. Mom probably knows more than I do, but getting stories out of her is like pulling teeth.

I've been expecting Grandpa to go any time for years, but now that it's finally here, I want to cry. I'd managed to forget how much I've missed him since he disappeared into the Alzheimer's. Now, all I can do is wonder if there'll be a memorial service somewhere where I can actually attend. Having a service in Michigan makes more sense than having one in Florida. A lot of his family is in Michigan. There's really nobody in Florida any more. He hasn't been able to keep up any friendships there, and none of the family is there.

(no subject)

My step-father just e-mailed again. My grandfather passed away about half an hour ago. By all reports, it was peaceful, and he was in no distress.

No word yet on when or where the funeral will be. I don't imagine anybody knows yet.