Final Class

This is my final class for Medical Office Administration, and to continue my torture I took the last class online. This will be my last online course that I take for a while.

I thought online classes let you go at your own pace. You can go in and work away all you want, maybe get ahead, maybe not. The first online class I took had all the modules open for you to see and you were able to go at your own pace, with exception to the group work. This doesn’t seem to be happening anymore. The pace now feels like a weekly class where you have to wait each week for the module to be opened; I might as well have taken the course in class.

I find working in groups online completely frustrating to put nicely. I understand in today’s world when working in an office you may have to work in groups and those people may not all be within your office, or even within your country. In the past I’ve worked with people in India and Israel. However, in the workforce you are being paid, there’s a bit more motivation when money is involved; if that doesn’t motivate them you can always complain up the ladder. Since group work counts as part your grade, you end up with two types of people who may not always understand the meaning of the words “group work”. You have some people who simply sit back, do very little and enjoy the ride/grades. Or those who like to take charge (takeover) and run the project practically by themselves. Either way, when I’m on team I like to believe that I do pull my own weight and contribute to the team. I attend conference calls, show up for meetings, and provide input and feedback.

I never really got into video games. I like card games and board games; you know where people are actually physically with you when you play the games. So when we have typing exercises on a children’s website (yes, it is geared towards children) and you have lines moving, bright colours all over the screen, and action games to practise/play, these things don’t help me; they bother me and cause me to make even more errors. Yes, they have 1 or 2 options to change around the settings but, then the test become really small. I’m an adult over a certain age (and still in denial); the eye sight isn’t what it used to be.

Tally ho,

Dee

De-cluttering

They say “if you haven’t used it for about two years then you don’t need it.” I always wonder who “they” are that come up these obscure quotes. I mean there are the famous quotes by those famous people, but others make go hmmm.

So I’m trying to de-clutter my condo in preparation for putting it up for sale. I’ve started with my closets. I brought two bags to the Goodwill and gathered up my winter clothes to take over to my mother’s place. I packed all of the ex-boyfriend’s winter stuff in a couple boxes and they are ready to go. Any day now would be nice; take it and go. Maybe if I write it often enough it will come true. And if that works then the next thing I’ll write about will be winning the lottery.

It’s amazing all the stuff (and it is just stuff) that we gather over the years; whether we need it or not. Sometimes we buy it because it was such a great sale. Other times it was because of some reason or the other. I’ve gotten better over the years, even if it’s an amazing great deal or practically free; I simply don’t need it.

I simply don’t need a lot of things in my life right now. I should just take the cat, my clothes and go. However, I do own the property. So the de-clutter will continue.

Psst…any day now would be great.

Cheers,

Dee

Hot enough for you?

Yes it’s hot. No, not just hot, but sticky humid hot. My A/C barely turns off; not that I’m complaining its nice and cool inside. But I’m glad I won’t be seeing the hydro bill for it. I used to be on the Condo board so I would sometimes sign cheques for the monthly bills if one of the other board members was away. The bills for this summer will be high, crazy high. From the cold winter and this hot summer the monthly maintenance fees will go up again next year. That’s one thing I won’t be missing from living in a condo. The awesome view I have, not having to shovel the snow or cut the lawn that I’ll miss, but the monthly fees, no.

The ice machine in the emergency department kitchen is out of ice. The thing is as big as an 18 cubic foot fridge/freezer and it’s out of ice. We all know it’s out of ice but we keep trying to push that big button once in a while to see if anything comes out. Kind of like when you see those wet paint signs and you still want to touch it.

When you’re hot you should drink more fluids to keep yourself hydrated. I haven’t been to any restaurant patios during this little heat wave yet, but I imagine that they are packed or almost empty; as in too hot to sit outside even with a cool beverage in hand. However, if that cool beverage contains alcohol, once inside you not only will get you drunk but also rises your body temperature a bit. Like the 3 people I had in emergency today, who were found in different locations lying on the ground passed out from drinking all day in the hot afternoon sun and humidity; body temperatures of 40.9 degrees and higher.  Can you say heat stroke?

I searched for some “it’s so hot …” jokes and found the following:

·       It's so hot that I saw two trees fighting over a dog.

·       It's so hot I actually felt emotionally close to our air conditioner this morning; it completes me.

·       It's so hot that Donald Trump’s hair won't go outside.

·       It's so hot that I have found out (the hard way) that my seat belt buckle could be used as a branding iron.

·       It's so hot that you discover that it takes only 2 fingers to drive your car.

We love to complain about the weather; it’s either too hot or too cold. It’s all part of our nature. Honestly, I think I would miss the change of seasons if I lived somewhere that was the same all the time. We’ve been living like we’re vampires for the past few days, only coming out when it’s dusk and the temperature is a few degrees cooler. Let’s try to somehow enjoy it. Yes a nice cool pool would help, but so can running through the sprinklers. If you have kids you can do this in public. If no kids, make sure you are with friends and beverage in hand, and in the backyard of your own property. This way the neighbors won’t call the cops about some crazy person running their sprinklers on their front lawn.

Cheers,

Dee

Second Chances

 

In life we are sometimes given second or even a third chance for something. Whether it is relationships, health, love, happiness, work etc. To me the Universe hears our thoughts and prayers and tells us “Okay, I’ll give you one more chance, try not to screw it up.”

I’m ending my relationship with my boyfriend of 5 years. I can honestly say it has been the most interesting and difficult relationship I have ever had; we’ve lived together for the past 4 years. The stress levels that I’m going through right now I have no words to express them. Well I do but that is a lot of bleeping involved. But since it seems to be the norm for me lately, it’s kind of normal. I don’t remember what it’s like to not have “stress” in my life. I need to be me again which I haven’t been for a while. Relationships should be give and receive, not just take, take, take. Along with empty promises.

When I was younger (my God, old people say that) I would always wonder when I saw all these beautiful, smart, funny, loving, caring women with no man/partner in their lives. I now know why. We just can’t be bothered with some men. I have no interest in taking care of a grown-ass man who won’t take care of himself first. And doesn’t think. If you are depending on me to be a man, then you are not the man for me, period. Some might read this as “oh she’s bitter” or something. Last year I would say I was kind of bitter, but I’m way past that now. I don’t even argue with him anymore. And you know when a women stops arguing to be afraid, very afraid. My energy is much too valuable to be wasting it like that. I know what I want. I know who I am. I know what I will and won’t put up with. Period.

I’ve been talking with a guy I used to date years ago; we kept in touch over the years. We both agree that we have this connection and the communication has always been excellent. I know all of his business and he knows all of mine. He lives Quebec, which I think played a factor in why it didn’t work. But we’re both older and wiser now, so we’ll see if anything comes of it this time around. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t, but we’ll always have our friendship first as the foundation. That’s important. So I thank the Universe for this small second chance and for my class test too.

Cheers

Dee

To be or not to be proper.. writing that is.

I used to write because I liked writing my thoughts or stories; actually let me clarify that. I have all these wonderful stories in my mind; some make it to paper while others are still floating around up there. The ones that do make it to paper will probably never see the light of day, but I know that they are there. However for my medical documents class, which has us reading a very dull medical document textbook about proper grammar and literally every writing rule known to mankind, is really killing my passion for writing. Every time I write something now I wonder if it’s the proper format. What comes first, what goes where, what goes last?

Do I write like I speak? I think so. Or in my case, yah. Is it always proper? The answer to that big ole question is, nope. I would probably drive myself crazy if I had to constantly think about how every word relates to the each other, or to the sentence, the paragraph, etc. Where’s the joy in that? I understand that what we are learning is needed if someone wants to become a medical transcription. I’ve even gone back to my other post/journals and looked them over. The more we learn the more critical I’ve become; I did find a few typos. It’s weird that you can write something, look it over a dozen times and not see them. Then when you look a week later they stick out like a sore thumb. I find myself looking and question everything I read now, even my silly romance novels (don’t judge).

Most romance novels are actually nicely written, not document textbook style but none the less well written. I did buy a book once directly from the author at an event somewhere. She talked it up really good so I purchased her “self published book” to support her; she has the courage I lack. Now I’m no literate expert, but it was so badly written I couldn’t even be bothered to finish it. Kind of like those 50 Shades of Gray novels. I like to read a few pages to see if I like the style and content before I purchase a book (yes I ignored my own rule for the self published one, but she was watching me), I couldn’t even buy them.

I still applaud these writers for putting themselves out there, and putting pen to paper for all to see. One day soon I hope to have that courage. It’s on my bucket list.

Ciao

Dee

Picture: http://www.hallmark.com/online/maxine/crabby-road/

Changes

I had written something else for the journal this week and then decided not to go with it. This week has just been a week of changes I guess.

I’m going to be listing my condo for sale soon and spent a few hours looking at granite slabs this week to replace my kitchen counter. There are so many wholesalers up on Jane Street in Concord; I only visited four of them. There are some many patterns, some really nice ones and some so tacky they’re fabulous. Others are just completely ugly as sin. I know each to thier own, but wow. I guess the Universe was trying to tell me something as I kept choosing the same pattern over and over and to simply go with it, Bianco Antico.

Next was having the installer’s dad come out and measure the counters. He was a very nice older (retired home inspector) Polish man with twinkling blue eyes. He did however leave some rather deep scratches in the areas near the brackets for the glass breakfast bar. I wanted to donate the counter and breakfast bar to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. I hoping it will be salvageable for them to reuse instead of ending up in the landfill.

I’m still debating if I should change over the appliances to stainless steel. They’re currently white and so are the cabinets. I saw another listing for the same unit as mine but it was five floors up. I think mine has better original finishes (plus updated bathrooms) and they don’t have stainless steel appliances either, but they are asking for $249,000. Our units are only 642 square feet. Again, whisper with me now $249,000 dollars. However, we are in the downtown Mississauga, across the street from the Mississauga Celebration Square and Square One. I will be keeping an eye on the listing to see what happens over the next few weeks to finally decide if I should change the appliances to go with the new granite countertops; they don’t have that either.

Dee

  picture:google images-dowtown mississauga

Makes you go hmmmm?

My week has been just there.

Work was busy, not crazy busy, but just busy. Wish we had more hours. I now see why so many hospital staff work at more than one hospital. However, some enjoy part-time hours because some days are just crazy busy. Many departments are only hiring part-timers, however many people in all areas are also looking to retire early. Smile.

I think my typing is getting better, although as I mentioned before my fingers are so tired some days I feel like my mother complaining about how her hands feel stiff sometimes. I also find that I’m thinking about the things I type. For example, one exercise was about showers/baths and water consumption. Sure enough when I’m in the shower I think about that exercise and water consumption. Really? Old people think like that. I’m really not liking getting older.

Old people also think about bucket lists, I don’t have a bucket list. It would help if I had a lot of money too; or met a really old guy who had lots of money, and no dependents, and falls madly in love with me and wants to leave me a lot of money. Bucket lists would give you (well in my mind that is) that younger 30-something spirit.

Like the 90-year-old skydiving grandma. I guess you have no fear at that age. Now, what would be on my list? What would be on yours. What’s the first thing, what’s in between, how many and what would be your last item? Okay, to many questions makes you go hmmmm, doesn’t it?  Have to really thing about this. I’ll probably forget in a few days, but hopefully the thought is planted and floating around.

Now to find the old guy.

                                     

Ciao

Dee