When I speak to "the lady of the manor", if I hang around too long, (like ONE SECOND too long!), she brushes the air toward me with the back of her hand a couple of times, as if I'm an annoying housefly! Once, her daughter had the nerve to tell me "you're dismissed" when I wasn't certain if she was finished talking to me and I stood in front of her for ONE SECOND more. What's THAT all about?!?! Who do these people think they are?!?! Or, better yet, who do they think I am?!?!
It is interesting that, when people have large bank accounts, they think they are "better" human beings than those whom they only assume have smaller ones. And it doesn't matter what the education level is, either--snobbery comes with money accumulated through "Daddy", marriage, or luck! People with money seem to think that the mighty dollar determines the worth of a soul. In reality, these people are gods only in their own little corner of their own little world. If they were to go anywhere else, no one would care who they are. I think about that whenever I see some famous American traipsing around some fourth-world country with an expression of pity on their face like some divine saint, when no one there has ever heard of them, nor care if they live or die; I know I don't care about the famous people of Sidney or Portugal or Argentina or Ottawa; I just want this bug out of my food! When I travel overseas, I don't know if I'm sailing down the Danube next to some big company CEO, because we're all equal outside of our own corners of the world and he has to wait in-line just like the rest of us. So why aren't we equal otherwise? Pride, that's why! It's all about ego, mine vs. yours, (or feeding someone else's ego who pays our way through life). It gives me pause for thought over how I treat others in the future.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Killing Nature (Chapter 1)
I was cleaning up a garden. Hadn't been touched in who knows how long! There was ivy growing down a rock wall, filling the flower garden below. Ivy is a weed. It digs its roots into soil and mortar alike. I pulled the newly set roots out of the flower garden. Looked good. Pruned the ivy more. More. More. Before I knew it, every speck of ivy was gone from the garden wall. I don't know how it happened. The lady in-charge is gonna kill me when she sees it, which won't be long, as it is just out her back door! I actually think it looks better! You can see the rock wall, which is very pretty. I wonder if she even knows the rock wall exists.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Adhesive Capsulitis
It took about 7 years of slight pain, and then one day--BAM!!! Complete pain in both shoulders, both hips, and both knees. I had no idea what this was all about! One day I was on the riding lawn mower when the pain hit my hip so badly that I involuntarily FLEW myself off the mower and onto the ground! (Fortunately, the mowers turn themselves off when you get off of the seat.)
I went to an orthopedist, who sent me to a physical therapist with instruction to immobilize my worst shoulder for three weeks. After three weeks there was no ease in pain and I couldn't move my right arm to save my life. The orthopedist took vials of blood out of me to test for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. I ended up crying uncontrollably, in the physical therapist's office, at the thought of having a terminal illness.
So, fortunately, the tests came back negative, so the orthopedist decided I had Adhesive Capsulitis or "Frozen Shoulder". Now, the physical therapist's instructions were to do the very opposite of what he had been doing for three weeks. Now, rather than immobilize my shoulder, he had to force it to move to "break" or "unfreeze" it. From September to December, three days a week, he tortured me as he forced my straight arm back over my head. I screamed and people stared, but it worked. I was "thawed" enough in December to go home and complete the "defrost" process on my own. Did you know it's almost impossible to torture one's self? It is. But I did it, and by April, I was as good as new.
Then the other shoulder started up again. It never got as bad as the first one, but still, I tortured myself for almost a year until this one went away. Then the hips started getting bad again. The whole time, my knees were almost as stiff as planks and getting up out of a chair, climbing stairs, or squatting down to the ground and getting up again just about killed me! I'd have to torture each joint by bending limbs in ways they didn't normally want to go. For example, I'd have to bend my arm up behind my shoulder blades and lay on it, facing the ceiling. Oh, how this hurt. For my knees, it was purely accidental therapy: Mrs. Tanner had passed away and we had two days to clean out her whole three-story home of items collected for, literally, a full century. I ran up and down stairs about a thousand times, ignoring the pain in my knees, until at length, it really didn't hurt anymore. It was as if the pain had to be "squeezed-out" of my joints.
About 10 years later, I was on a plane, returning from a friend's funeral. I sat next to a Chiropractor and we were discussing auto-immune illnesses, etc.. I told him I had never been to a Chiropractor before, but that the only problem I had ever had was Adhesive Capsulitis. He said that women who had the old silicone breast implants used to suffer from "frozen" joints when the implants developed leaks. It is called "Bio-Chemical Stress". He asked if I had ever worked with chemicals and I said I absolutely had--pesticides and herbicides. I mentioned that I always wore gloves and a long-sleeved shirt, but shorts showing bare legs, and that I only wore a face mask if I was spraying at face level. Often, the breeze would blow and I would get the spray on my legs or face. I always bathed within a few hours, but since our skin is an organ, it absorbed into my system faster than I could get it washed off, I guess. Also, I'm sure I unwittingly inhaled more than my share of chemicals. I also mentioned to him that at that same time, I quite often had a strong metalic taste in my mouth. He suggested that this was caused frm my liver. He said it was probably being affected by the chemicals. OH GREAT!!! I was killing myself!!! He asked if I have had any symptoms since then, and I was able to tell him that I have not had symptoms of any kind in many years. He said that the chemicals are most likely out of my system. I asked if there was a chance that someday they might come back and rear their ugly head in the form of cancer, etc. This, he didn't know. Nevertheless, I had just received some life-saving free medical knowledge. STAY AWAY FROM PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES! It was good to have the mystery solved about why my joints froze-up; I just wish I had knows sooner. I could have unknowingly killed myself!
I went to an orthopedist, who sent me to a physical therapist with instruction to immobilize my worst shoulder for three weeks. After three weeks there was no ease in pain and I couldn't move my right arm to save my life. The orthopedist took vials of blood out of me to test for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. I ended up crying uncontrollably, in the physical therapist's office, at the thought of having a terminal illness.
So, fortunately, the tests came back negative, so the orthopedist decided I had Adhesive Capsulitis or "Frozen Shoulder". Now, the physical therapist's instructions were to do the very opposite of what he had been doing for three weeks. Now, rather than immobilize my shoulder, he had to force it to move to "break" or "unfreeze" it. From September to December, three days a week, he tortured me as he forced my straight arm back over my head. I screamed and people stared, but it worked. I was "thawed" enough in December to go home and complete the "defrost" process on my own. Did you know it's almost impossible to torture one's self? It is. But I did it, and by April, I was as good as new.
Then the other shoulder started up again. It never got as bad as the first one, but still, I tortured myself for almost a year until this one went away. Then the hips started getting bad again. The whole time, my knees were almost as stiff as planks and getting up out of a chair, climbing stairs, or squatting down to the ground and getting up again just about killed me! I'd have to torture each joint by bending limbs in ways they didn't normally want to go. For example, I'd have to bend my arm up behind my shoulder blades and lay on it, facing the ceiling. Oh, how this hurt. For my knees, it was purely accidental therapy: Mrs. Tanner had passed away and we had two days to clean out her whole three-story home of items collected for, literally, a full century. I ran up and down stairs about a thousand times, ignoring the pain in my knees, until at length, it really didn't hurt anymore. It was as if the pain had to be "squeezed-out" of my joints.
About 10 years later, I was on a plane, returning from a friend's funeral. I sat next to a Chiropractor and we were discussing auto-immune illnesses, etc.. I told him I had never been to a Chiropractor before, but that the only problem I had ever had was Adhesive Capsulitis. He said that women who had the old silicone breast implants used to suffer from "frozen" joints when the implants developed leaks. It is called "Bio-Chemical Stress". He asked if I had ever worked with chemicals and I said I absolutely had--pesticides and herbicides. I mentioned that I always wore gloves and a long-sleeved shirt, but shorts showing bare legs, and that I only wore a face mask if I was spraying at face level. Often, the breeze would blow and I would get the spray on my legs or face. I always bathed within a few hours, but since our skin is an organ, it absorbed into my system faster than I could get it washed off, I guess. Also, I'm sure I unwittingly inhaled more than my share of chemicals. I also mentioned to him that at that same time, I quite often had a strong metalic taste in my mouth. He suggested that this was caused frm my liver. He said it was probably being affected by the chemicals. OH GREAT!!! I was killing myself!!! He asked if I have had any symptoms since then, and I was able to tell him that I have not had symptoms of any kind in many years. He said that the chemicals are most likely out of my system. I asked if there was a chance that someday they might come back and rear their ugly head in the form of cancer, etc. This, he didn't know. Nevertheless, I had just received some life-saving free medical knowledge. STAY AWAY FROM PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES! It was good to have the mystery solved about why my joints froze-up; I just wish I had knows sooner. I could have unknowingly killed myself!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Let The Games Begin!
The buyers have started coming to look at my house. I know a trick to impress people: Keep your closets and cabinets pristine! Seriously! I folded all the towels and sheets in my linen closet in a perfect manner, stacked or lined-up like soldiers and EVERYONE comments about how great it looks! It seems to go a long way on the impression scale.
One couple came. About in their late 30s, I guess. They looked at everything. They came back the next day. They looked at everything again. Then they asked if my house was earthquake-proof. Well, I don't really know. I told her it was built in 1959, just like all the other houses around here. Were any houses earthquake-proofed back then? She was very concerned. They never came back.
Another couple asked me if I could "hold" my house for four months for them and let them know if anyone else wanted to buy it, so they could have first dibs. "DIBS"?!?! I said couldn't make any promises because I needed to sell immediately for a new employment reasons. I guess I lost that sale, too. Oh, well.
One couple came. About in their late 30s, I guess. They looked at everything. They came back the next day. They looked at everything again. Then they asked if my house was earthquake-proof. Well, I don't really know. I told her it was built in 1959, just like all the other houses around here. Were any houses earthquake-proofed back then? She was very concerned. They never came back.
Another couple asked me if I could "hold" my house for four months for them and let them know if anyone else wanted to buy it, so they could have first dibs. "DIBS"?!?! I said couldn't make any promises because I needed to sell immediately for a new employment reasons. I guess I lost that sale, too. Oh, well.
House For Sale
I keep my house pretty clean, so there was little to do to spruce it up for the big sale.
I choose to sell by-owner--saves on Realtor fees, etc. I got a Realtor friend to run some "comps" for me and I set my price at "Win/Win". As soon as the sign went up, the neighbors started calling. One woman said, "You'll NEVER get that price for this house!!!" Thanks, lady! The nerve!
I choose to sell by-owner--saves on Realtor fees, etc. I got a Realtor friend to run some "comps" for me and I set my price at "Win/Win". As soon as the sign went up, the neighbors started calling. One woman said, "You'll NEVER get that price for this house!!!" Thanks, lady! The nerve!
Mom Freaked-Out!!!
I called my parents to tell them the good news! My dad seemed good with it, but my mom expressed great concern about my mind-set. It seems that "throwing away" an MBA to become a gardener is not her idea of tuition money well-spent.
I'm An Estate Manager!!!
Well, three days and three interviews later, and I'm officially an "Estate Manager"! Couldn't be happier! They told me I was only one of THREE applicants/candidates. They said that if the want-ad had not been anonymous, they would have had THOUSANDS apply. So they got people who really wanted the job, not people who just wanted to work for someone famous. Good plan.
Duties include: caretaking of three private residence properties--one in town, one in the mountains, and one in another state; chauffeuring in the owner's Lincoln, Mercedes, and Rolls Royce (yeah, baby!); yard-work; hiring contract workers; managing a few other workers, etc.
Not too shabby!
Pay is completely sufficient: Nice salary, house to live in, paid utilities, paid cell-phone, pick-up truck with paid gas, internet and cable TV, paid holidays and sick leave. I will be employed by the company which the family owns, so I get the same benefits as the other employees.
They told me I have to move to the caretaker home on the property, which just happens to be not too far from where I live. I shouldn't have a problem selling my house; it's a good, middle-of-the-road, solid home in a great neighborhood.
I'm gonna have to have a yard-sale!
Duties include: caretaking of three private residence properties--one in town, one in the mountains, and one in another state; chauffeuring in the owner's Lincoln, Mercedes, and Rolls Royce (yeah, baby!); yard-work; hiring contract workers; managing a few other workers, etc.
Not too shabby!
Pay is completely sufficient: Nice salary, house to live in, paid utilities, paid cell-phone, pick-up truck with paid gas, internet and cable TV, paid holidays and sick leave. I will be employed by the company which the family owns, so I get the same benefits as the other employees.
They told me I have to move to the caretaker home on the property, which just happens to be not too far from where I live. I shouldn't have a problem selling my house; it's a good, middle-of-the-road, solid home in a great neighborhood.
I'm gonna have to have a yard-sale!
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