the end of the year...
Dec. 31st, 2008 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curmugeonThis may or may not be my last post of the year... it depends. Mom is out of the hospital. I'm home today, off work to start her recovery. I have a holiday tomorrow and will probably stay home Friday (I'll have some vacation time to charge to, a little less impact to thee paycheck). I'm working with her and watching how she does to gage how much help she needs.
Thinking back, way back, this was one hell of a year. The coming year will be 'interesting' to say the least. There are talks going on between the union and management about the employees giving back some of the benefits they won in the last contract, namely having us fore go the following upcoming raises (a total of 6.5%). They are also working to encourage those who are contemplating retirement to retire sooner. We will have 200 vacancies on staff by the end of 2009 and they will not fill any of those positions. That means that 1600 people will have to do the work of 1800 people. That might sound easy but it is not, as we have one of the lowest employee to citizen ratios of a lot of cities. They are even making cuts to police and fire... we will lose 11 sworn officers (the positions are vacant but will not be filled). We are entering a different era, an era of shared sacifice. Everyone will feel it.
In 2009 I start dealing with a new health plan for Mom.. she will no longer be with Kaiser. She is now on meds for her liver (failing), parkinsons, heart meds (congestive heart failure), and a strong med for her stomach (to reduce stomach acid and prevent ulcers). I have to be ready for anything.
In 2009 I have some surery scheduled. I go for a hernia repair and will be down for the count for a week. I have to schedule a colonoscopy, a less than pleasant experience, but if you haven't had one, think about it. The average American diet breeds colon cancer, so grit your teeth and take the test. Colon caner is a silent killer, by the time you feel it, you are well on the way to being a dead person.
Now I need to haul some trash, and take Mom out for a ride..
Thinking back, way back, this was one hell of a year. The coming year will be 'interesting' to say the least. There are talks going on between the union and management about the employees giving back some of the benefits they won in the last contract, namely having us fore go the following upcoming raises (a total of 6.5%). They are also working to encourage those who are contemplating retirement to retire sooner. We will have 200 vacancies on staff by the end of 2009 and they will not fill any of those positions. That means that 1600 people will have to do the work of 1800 people. That might sound easy but it is not, as we have one of the lowest employee to citizen ratios of a lot of cities. They are even making cuts to police and fire... we will lose 11 sworn officers (the positions are vacant but will not be filled). We are entering a different era, an era of shared sacifice. Everyone will feel it.
In 2009 I start dealing with a new health plan for Mom.. she will no longer be with Kaiser. She is now on meds for her liver (failing), parkinsons, heart meds (congestive heart failure), and a strong med for her stomach (to reduce stomach acid and prevent ulcers). I have to be ready for anything.
In 2009 I have some surery scheduled. I go for a hernia repair and will be down for the count for a week. I have to schedule a colonoscopy, a less than pleasant experience, but if you haven't had one, think about it. The average American diet breeds colon cancer, so grit your teeth and take the test. Colon caner is a silent killer, by the time you feel it, you are well on the way to being a dead person.
Now I need to haul some trash, and take Mom out for a ride..
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-12-31 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-01 01:54 am (UTC)