US election and the need for process improvement

The US election. I like watching election results because I'm a numbers person.

After all these years, I don't fully comprehend the electoral system. I find that the entire voting process drags on and could be scaled down to be more efficient.

That's just me, though. I look at inefficiencies with whatever I see and do. I do that at work, and make suggestions and proposals to make things better.

Luckily, I'm not tasked with making the US voting process simpler and easier. I applaud the record turnout. However, it seems ridiculous to spend eight hours lining up at a polling station to cast your important vote.

Anyway, I am still watching the election programming. I like that I can watch Global TV on Amazon Prime. It's cool and convenient.

Loans update

Yes, loans is plural. 

For the last two years, I have been paying off a secured loan. The idea is to pay money towards this loan and build equity. The regular payments, in turn, contribute to building your credit history and score.

I realized that I truly didn't need this loan. I was doing fine steadily paying my my debt of regularly. I wanted to simply pay off this loan. It was a huge lesson learned.

Well, I had the opportunity to get out of this loan by taking out a regular loan. I don't get why I needed the second loan, but I did it.

I have officially closed the first loan. I got my equity back, which I immediately put in my RRSP  (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) account. 

I paid off the new loan immediately. Yesterday, I called the loan folks and got confirmation that it is both paid off in full and closed.

As for paying off my debt, it's still going well. I look forward to seeing the amount that I owe go down. It's satisfying to see my progress. It's like night and day between my financial situation a year ago versus what it currently is.

Manicure, shaved legs, exercise, and benefits

During this pandemic, there are some things that I have let go doing. It's not horrible, but they are worth noting.

I still give myself a manicure every Sunday. These days, I use clear shellac. It's a throwback to what I used to do before meeting my ex, who liked when I put colour on my nails. I have been working from home for over two months now. I have used coloured polish on my nails twice.

Last night, I shaved my legs for the first time in over two months. Luckily, I don't have a ton of leg hair. It wasn't like I was mowing the lawn.

I haven't gained weight since staying at home. I thank getting out to fetch groceries and essentials twice a week, along with exercising at home.

I do sleep more. I cook more. I do improvements around the house. I have also saved a ton of money because I'm not shopping as much.

It's an interesting time.

Self-isolation and debt improvement

I am fortunate to be able to work from home and get paid. The shift from working a couple of days a week to every week at home isn't a huge deal for me.

However, what I have noticed is that I am saving money. As a result, it is helping me pay off my debt. I am in better financial shape at this point than I had predicted.

My commute is roughly 50 km in one direction. I used to fill my car's tank with gas each week. I do it once a month now. With gas prices being low these days, I have been saving roughly $160.

These days, I make most of my meals at home. I go out two times a week to get groceries and takeout. I don't eat out as much. I don't go to Starbucks as frequently as I used to. Again, I save more money.

I haven't travelled in over a month. I don't have airfare, hotel, or car rental bills to pay off.

A while back, I pointed out that I was doing well paying off my debt. Well, I am nearly done paying off another credit card. I will be down to two active credit cards. I will be keeping both of them, but one will sit there as a backup. The reason for keeping it is that I've been a customer for well over a decade with this credit card company. It looks good on my credit report if I continue having it. It's not my favourite credit card, so that's another reason why I am not tempted to use it.

Things are looking up financially for me. It has been a lot of hard work to get to this stage. Sticking with a budget helps. Being isolated at home is another method that has helped, which I didn't expect as a benefit.

Am I getting better or worse from this nasty cold?

It's tough to figure out whether I am getting better. On a good note, my energy level seems to be back to normal.

The downside? I am still congested. Drinking hot tea or soup has been helpful. Taking a shower is my decongestant. I can't wait to get home and use my humidifier.

I do a late checkout this afternoon. It's nice.

Grateful to dig myself out and have folks take a chance on me financially

I feel grateful. I got a leased car.

My credit rating took a dive roughly two years ago. My rating was stellar before I ended up being late on a few payments for nearly three months. I have been mending my credit rating for the last year.

The combination of my being with the same car dealership for nine years and having a track record of always making my payments on time helped. I like that I am trusted even though I have made mistakes with my credit in the past.

I have had one financial bank fail to renew my credit card. The credit limit was $1,000. I was never late with my payments with this card. Yet, due to my credit rating, I couldn't be trusted by this bank. I have since paid it off.

I am down to two credit cards. One of them expires in a few months. Part of me has a feeling that this credit card company will do the same thing and not renew my card. The other part of me is hopeful that it will keep me on. However, if it does let me go as a customer, I won't be hurt by it. I would be okay with a single credit card and will reconsider having a backup card down the road.

The toughest part right now is getting my downpayment on my new car paid. I was expecting to do this exercise in January. The fact that it has been moved up by half a year took me by surprise. The good news is that I was able to negotiate a lower downpayment and still have lower lease payments.

Again, I am grateful. It's amazing how you are treated when your credit rating plunges. Your payment history or track record doesn't matter to most places. Your credit rating labels you. Occasionally, there is a glimmer of hope and I got it.

Debt and donations

Here's a quick update on getting rid of my debt. I am optimistic these days.

Last year, I paid off three credit cards. I managed to nab a debt consolidation loan, which has helped me reduce my monthly payments while saving interest costs in the long run. I have also been tracking my credit score more closely. I got my latest results today. My credit score has improved. I'm pleased.

I spent some time on Thursday going through my closet, trying on clothes, and getting rid of those that I do not care to wear anymore. Although I have a long way to go as far as sorting goes, I managed to fill up two bags of clothes. I will be donating them later on today.

My process of sorting clothes may be different. It works for me. I try it on. I determine whether I love it. If it doesn't fit, it automatically gets put in my donation pile. Otherwise, the item stays.

It's nice to declutter, both financially and closet-wise.

Dentist, dry mouth, and Internet connection problems... fun!

On Tuesday, I had a dentist appointment at 9 am. I had pointed out to my team that I would be away for roughly 1.5 hours and then would continue working from home.

I typically have a one-on-one meeting with my manager every other Tuesday at 10:30 am. He sent me an e-mail, asking if he needed to reschedule. I said no, which should have been implied that I would make it home in time.

My regular teeth-cleaning and exam appointment has been fairly uneventful for a few years now. Sure, I have had three different hygienists (not my fault), but my teeth not having any issues have been the constant.

Sure enough, my appointment was over just after 10 am. I drove to Starbucks to get an iced black tea, and then drove home. I was home well before 10:30 am.

I have dry mouth. I am not sure whether I have mentioned it in my blog, but I have had it for over a decade. Going to the dentist makes the condition worse for a bit, as you have your mouth open for most of the appointment and the suction tool that is used doesn't make things better! It's the usual thirty-minute wait after you have your fluoride rinse where you can drink anything.

By the time I got my drink, I could consume it. Yay!

Anyway, I got home and noticed that my connections to various servers on my laptop had died. I also didn't have wifi on my phone. Sure enough, my modem-router needed to be rebooted. I knew that I would be down when 10:30 am hit.

I have our corporate messaging app on my phone. I dialled into my meeting that way, so I was on time.

My manager is constantly late. Today, I hoped that he truly was late. Someone was on my side. He was late by fifteen minutes.

I rebooted my laptop. My wifi was up and running. All was well. I dialled in through my laptop, which was essential for me to share information on my screen with him.

My manager finally got to the office and dialled in. He asked again whether we should reschedule. I said no. We could do our meeting in thirty minutes.

The last one-on-one meeting was horrific. He was in a foul mood. Today, he was much better. He said that there should be more employees like me. I took that compliment, as it is rare for him to dish it out. I hope that he stays nice for a while.

Seeing my guy all next week and noticing improvements in my vision

My guy works from home most of the time. He doesn't have a huge need to come into the office, unless he is there for training or has to talk to someone.

He let me know that he is in the office all next week. It's wonderful news, as it means that we will have lunch dates. We both miss them.

The other thing is that he is normally the one who is delivering training. This time around, he is attending a course.

My good news is about my right eye. If you have been reading along for a while, you will know that I had an eye stroke back in late March. On Wednesday, I went back to my ophthalmologist for my third eye injection.

To recap, my first injection containing a pretty powerful drug did a lot of good. A lot of the blood clotting in my central vision dissipated. My second injection continued the trend, although the improvement wasn't as drastic.

I did an eye test on Wednesday. The eye assistant was pleased that I was reading the eye charts well for both eyes.

I then talked to my ophthalmologist, who said that my right eye is "almost perfect." It's great news! After this injection, I will go back in a month to get another assessment. If all goes well, my monthly injections will be staggered over longer periods.

My second injection wasn't too pleasant. We both felt that there wasn't enough numbing done to my eye, so I felt more than I should have. This time around, his assistant put more numbing fluid in my eye and he made sure that there wasn't any stinging happening when he cleaned my eye with iodine. All went well with the needle.

It's definitely encouraging news about my sight. I am glad that I am recovering nicely. My guy never doubted that, which I love him for being so positive and supportive.

My vision is getting better

I am glad that the weekend is here. I am beat.

On Friday, I had my ophthalmologist appointment. I have good news.

A month ago, I went to my first ophthalmologist appointment. One of the tests consisted of wearing my glasses, covering my left eye, and trying to read the eye chart with my right eye. My right eye is the one that has blood blocking my central vision. I could only read the largest font presented to me. Everything else was blurry.

A week ago, I went out for a drink and appetizers with my manager after work. I recall looking at the TV over his head. Everything looked clearer. I covered my left eye and remarked that it did.

Switching back to my appointment on Friday, I read the eye chart with only my right eye. I was able to read up to the sixth row before things looked fuzzy.

My eye is getting better. My ophthalmologist is pleased. I got my second eye injection.

My third one will be a bit later than what we had wanted, simply because I am going on vacation and so is he. He says that it's okay to get my next injection in over a month. Getting the injection before I leave may be risky.

For nearly a month, I have been venting about my insurance company and my experience dealing with various folks there. Today, I got confirmation from the receptionist at the eye office that she, too, dislikes dealing with my insurance company. We both ended up venting. We both felt good that we were on the same page.

We both agree that it is best to go with my ophthalmologist's pharmacy to get the drug that I need injected in my eye. However, my insurance company insists on using its own, regardless of what I want when I was asked. My say meant nothing, so why did my insurance company pose the question to me? We both find that the process makes you do way too much work and gets you frustrated.

It was nice that it wasn't just me feeling this way. The reception has to fill out multiple forms every time I need an injection.

I am thankful that my vision is improving. Despite getting incredibly stressed out dealing with my insurance company, this stress hasn't stopped my vision from getting better. Let's hope that this progress continues.

New hires, training, and my eye

It has been a busy workweek, which isn't surprising considering how crazy my workload can get. However, there are quite a number of exciting changes.

First, my longest-serving student is training two new students and a new technical writer this week. It is odd that I am not fully doing the training. My student doesn't know all her stuff, so I need to fill in the knowledge gaps. As a result, I still need to be a part of the training sessions.

I always find meeting new hires to be exciting. I get to know them and understand how they learn. We haven't scared them, which is great. They are also good at asking questions. So far, so good.

My manager has odd expectations that my student will train and I will provide support, meaning that I don't have to do much. However, we both know that his assumption is false. He is pretty worried that I will be away for more than two weeks. It is new territory for both of us.

My guy and I talked the other day about my being away. He says that my manager should be worried. He is dependent on me. I have hinted that he is far too dependent, particularly being his go-to person for team expenses. My being on vacation for a longer period shows my point to be the case.

Today, I have my second eye injection for my eye stroke. I find that I am seeing a bit better. However, I can't tell if the drug injection is working, time is helping to clear up some of the blood in my central vision, or my eyes are simply adjusting to my eye's current state. I can only hope that my vision improves as much as possible.

The good news is that I no longer get dizzy when I look at objects. When it first happened, looking around made me so dizzy that I would have to either close my eyes or look down. The latter works because I don't see the blood and my vision is clearer that way.

I am working from home afterward my appointment. It simply means that I am on a conference call, listening in on my student training and following her presentation, and my taking over when there are gaps.

There are plenty of gaps. It's not unexpected. I am more a part-time trainer this week.

My student is doing a pretty good job for her first attempt. It simply means that there is room for improvement as she acquires more experience.

Art, students, and learning

Things are good, but busy. My guy and I continue to chat on Skype while he is away on business, which makes us less miserable while we are apart.

Today's post is different. Since early May, I have been working closely with two co-op students. I have trained them and guided them through a number of work tasks.

Perhaps I am in the wrong field. Part of me is thinking that I should have become a teacher. Instead, I drifted from being a mathematician, to a computer scientist, to a writer.

It's funny how things happen. I have no regrets about being a writer. I enjoy it. I also get to explain in writing how to do tasks, which benefits the reader.

I have been told that I am a good teacher by my last two student interns. It's a nice feeling.

This internship is the first one that I have supervised in which we have two interns. It has been wonderful seeing their progress and how they have become stronger writers.

One impressed me so much that I decided to nominate her for an intern award. She finally got the word last Friday. She wrote a lovely, heartfelt e-mail to me. It is one of those e-mails that you want to print out and never delete.

The other intern showed how giving she is. She had a number of tickets to various tourist sites. However, she couldn't go. She offered them to me. This past Tuesday, I decided to book the day off and go to an art exhibit that I have wanted to attend for a while.

I was thankful that she asked me if I wanted to go. Although it would have been nice if she had the opportunity to go to the museum and see all the art exhibits, I bought her a book showing all the beautiful artifacts that I had experienced. The book also came with a DVD. She was elated.

It's nice to make the day of folks that you work closely with. They have also taught me so much in return. The learning experience has been enriching for all of us.

W is for waiting

When it comes to meeting my guy somewhere, I tend to be the one who waits for him.

My guy isn't always tardy because it's his fault. I may be waiting for him at the airport and his flight is delayed. We may have set a time to meet at a restaurant, but traffic causes us both to be late and I still manage to get there before he does.

My guy and I haven't seen each other for a while. My guy is on an upswing from his recent bout with depression. I have been sad roughly a month after his depression set in due to my ex-hubby's passing, the space that I have given my guy to get out of the depression hole, and the stress that work tends to cause me these days.

When my guy's depression was at its worst two months ago, I was the one who initiated conversation with him. He wanted nothing to do with me for a bit. Things have changed.

He surprised me on Monday by texting me. He asked if I was free to do lunch. I was. I told him that I had to be back at the office by 14:00, for I had set up a meeting with the entire team of writers then. My guy said that he'd get me back in time.

He texted me at 12:45 and asked whether I could meet him in the lobby in two minutes. I was game.

Unfortunately, I bumped into my manager going to the elevators. He, too, had to buy lunch. He suggested that I take him out somewhere. I didn't want to say that I couldn't, but that I did indeed was going out for lunch.

My boss doesn't know that my guy and I are an item. He does know my guy, who was waiting in a corner down in the lobby, staring at his phone. I said hi to him, as did my boss, who understood that I had a lunch date with a colleague who doesn't come to the office as often as he used to. To my guy and me, it was a lunch date.

It was a nice change to have my guy wait for me. When we finally had some time alone while walking to his car, he was checking me out.

"You're all in pink... pink earrings, pink shirt under your black cardigan, and pink toenails. Are you fingernails pink?" he asked me.
"Nope, they're red," I replied, showing him my nails. "My fingernails did match my toenails last week."

Later on in the restaurant, he looked and smiled at me for the longest time.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"I am. It has been a while since I saw you," he said, grinning from ear to ear.
"It's nice seeing you smile."

He also noticed that I had cut my bangs. 

When my guy is happy, he notices such details. They are are wonderful signs that he's getting back to his old self.