Friday, March 27, 2020

Friday Doings

Hello Everyone,

It's looking...again...quite grey outside and the cars are wet.  I know it rained overnight and more is expected today.  But yesterday was nice and I managed to get out a bit - more on that later.

The other day I received a somewhat unsettling e-mail that talked about senior management taking a 90 day pay cut; lay-offs and furloughs to be expected, etc.  Fortunately right after that email came out my boss called me to let me know that I am not impacted by that.  Whew!  I am retirement age, but I am not yet ready to retire.  However, one of my peers is being impacted and now my work has increased in that I will be supporting 3 Division Presidents rather than 2.  That's fine with me, as you all know I haven't been that busy lately!  Plus, the new one - Bruce - and I worked together 20 years ago when I first came to the company.  So, it will be just like the old days...sort of...Anyway, count me as being very relieved.  But I feel so badly for my peer who is a single (widowed) mother with a young son.  My company is still fully operational, but 60% of our parent company's business is shut down now.  That's a lot.  So they are depending on our company for revenue, etc.  Thus the pay cuts, layoffs, etc.

On to nicer things.  I started some new socks!  I know, not really a surprise.  Since the Plaid Blanket socks are for Colin, I decided I should make some for Mailing.  She prefers short socks, so I started a shortie pair.


I'm using size 1 needles and the yarn is an oldie from Knitpicks - Stroll Fingering and the colorway is Koi Pond.  I think I made some fingerless gloves for someone out of this yarn and now I'm using the leftovers.  These should go quickly, though I don't seem to have gotten much done since starting.  The heel has been turned and I'm on the gusset now.

One reason I haven't gotten much done is that yesterday was beautiful!  I worked all morning, taking a 30 minute break to workout with my weights.  After lunch I knew I needed to get out and walk, so I headed over to the towpath in Phoeniville.  The canal is on one side and the Schuylkill River on the other.  There were plenty of people out and about (mostly keeping their distance...the 20+ year olds aren't so cautious).  Some walkers, some joggers, some dog walkers, some bikers.  There were the usual geese and ducks all over the place.


Things are greening up nicely and Forsythia is in bloom everywhere.


There were a few turtles sunbathing.


And I even saw a single kayaker.


Look at that blue, blue sky!  It was still a little on the chilly side and when the wind blew, my ears hurt, my eyes watered and my nose ran.  BUT, it was just so good to get outside for a little bit.

After I had been home for a little while, we decided to do this again.


We shot 3 rounds (9 arrows apiece each round)...so I shot a total of 27 arrows.  I could really feel it across my back (in a good way).  I'm not as shakey doing this as I have been in the past.  I guess the arm exercises I do with my weights are helping me to be a little bit stronger.

Tyg came in with a tick kthe other day, so everyone watch out.  The season is upon us.  I was holding him in my lap last night and saw a tick crawling across my hand.  Luckily Fletch was right there to grab it and flush it down the toilet!  I felt itchy all evening!  LOL.

I have a conference call at 10 and I think a quick run to the grocery store is in order later (we are just about out of fresh produce).  If the weather clears, I'd like to get out for another walk.  We'll see.

Hope you are all hanging in there and doing ok.  Take care!

18 comments:

  1. I love those turtles sunbathing! I've been out walking every day but have struggled a bit looking for a place that isn't crowded. I'm glad people are getting out for some fresh air but I still want to maintain distance. I ended up walking through two cemeteries yesterday and that seemed to be the answer. Keep on working, knitting, and shooting those arrows!

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  2. I'm so glad you were able to get outside during a beautiful spring day, Vera! Your spring is several weeks ahead of ours (the forsythia usually bloom in mid-April here), but seeing your photos helps me remember that it will be here soon, too! Enjoy a healthy weekend! XO

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  3. We had a lovely 60+ degree day yesterday as well. So many out walking, but most maintaining distance. One older lady just refused to give way, but I saw that early on and stayed out of her path.

    We're out of fresh produce, too, so I'll have to brave the grocery store myself. Not looking forward to it.

    I love how the turtles all stack up when they come out to get some sun! It always delights me.

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  4. frodo had a tick yesterday! WE only had a few hours of sunny yesterday and I wish it was more. Today is overcast again...ugh. Hope you have a great weekend! Stay safe !

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  5. When I was little, I thought all of the forsythias were call 'for cynthia' just for me! The walk looks inviting but you described those early spring walks perfectly! Sorry about work layoff (glad for you!)
    It's gonna be quite a ride for a lot of people.

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  6. The forsythia here are just glorious and glowing! Steve's company had to make some very hard decisions last week and sadly, there are more coming next week. Stay well!

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  7. The Bradford pear trees across the street are blooming. They are gorgeous.

    I think flea and tick season is going to be terrible this year since we didn't have much of a freeze.

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  8. Hello, it is good to get outside for a walk. I will be watching for the ticks. I am sorry to hear your co-worker was laid off, I am sure lots of lay-off will be happening. Love the turtles, they are a cute sight to see! Take care and enjoy your weekend!

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  9. Glad to hear your job is safe for now. IT's awful, all the layoffs.

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  10. Happy to hear you’ve settled into a rhythm working at home and delighted to hear your job is secure. Snowy here today, so I’ll knit a bit.

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  11. I work for a customs broker, so as you can imagine, a lot of people are worried here (including me, but I'm trying not to think about it). They put a freeze on hiring and promotions, and now we got an email that there will be layoffs, but they are going to offer retirement buyouts first to cut down on the number of layoffs they will have to do.
    It's hard to hear, but at the same time, it's understandable. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep my job because I absolutely love it... and Dave is already out of work because of COVID.

    on a brighter note - Love the socks - I've always loved that Koi Pond colourway.
    And the turtles sunbathing!!! LOVE IT!!!!

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  12. I really like the color of that Koi Pond colorway. It's happy and we can sure use some happy. I also enjoyed your outdoor photos. It's been cold, gray, snowy and rainy this week so I've been inside the entire time.
    The job situation for so many is awful. We wonder every day if it's Dennis' last day at work. Right now he's considered an essential employee, but our governor is tightening restrictions every single day because people are ignoring the rules. Kids are still playing pick-up games of basketball for goodness sakes. Here in Washington where we have so many cases! What are they thinking? Oh wait. They aren't thinking and they're making it worse for everyone. Uh-oh. I'm being sarcastic so I better stop.
    Take care my friend.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  13. What a nice area for a walk. I sure wish I could get into an exercise routine because I am terribly out of shape.

    From the sounds of the deal, your co-workers will be paid their salary, or unemployment with an extra $600 a week for four months. More than when working so hopefully it will be distributed soon.

    My husband and his father were bow champs decades ago. He hasn't pulled one back for years.

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  14. I'm glad that your job is safe. How long do you plan to work until you can retire? We went out today to pick up 2 masks a neighbor made for us, she put them in the newspaper box by her mailbox and we left her a dozen eggs. We all need to work together to get through this. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  15. Ugh oh. Fireman and I Finished the bulk of our woods work today. We know those icky ticks are due to come out in force. We worked our fannies off spreading hot ashes on the invasive species flowers in the forest. We will put up a simple garden fencing and we are ready to plant in 4 -6 weeks . The forest will have clover in several varieties this summer. It is supposed to be very good for the soil.
    Im glad you job is secure. It is such an unsettling time for people!

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  16. Good to hear your news. Nice that you got some outdoor time too. Take care.

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  17. Whew I am glad that your employment is secure. I think a lot of companies are going to be hurting financially. Isn't it great to get outdoors? I have walked most days and miss it when I don't get myself out the door. So far - so good. Keep on knitting.

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  18. I hope you've enjoyed a peaceful weekend ... love that you're getting outside (in spite of the ticks) and working out ... and holding close all the many who are having their jobs, livelihood, and lives impacted by this. (my family, so far, has been lucky, but we certainly have friends who have not been ... I wonder how much longer we'll be able to say that!)

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