Visibility. Life in the open?

Visibility. 

I'm still using Facebook. I know that there are plenty of people who say DELETE FACEBOOK! I have family members who use it, my 82 year old Mom can access my FB and see what her siblings and friends of our family are doing. I won't be deleting Facebook.  I will say that I’m not joining the new, upstart social media websites. Although I identify as a Democrat, I will not join the Democrat focused “Liker dot com” and you know for certain that I won’t join the Republican focused “parler dot com.” I already waste far too much time staring at computer screens between my job and time at home. 

I digress. I have Facebook. When I created my account, I never posted a profile photo of me. Instead, I posted a picture of my Suzuki motorcycle.  For ten years, the bike was my “me” photo.

Halloween 2020 comes. Heck, 2020 itself. The year has been... something else, am I right?  I decided that I loved my Halloween outfit and all that it meant to me. For the first time ever, I was going to change my profile photo. Red wig, bullet bra, pink skirt, Heather is me. I know that.

My friends here know me as Heather.

My wife loves me as Heather.

2/3 of my kids know I’m Heather.

Even my ex-wife is aware of Heather.

Visibility? Yes. 

It's fun. I feel great when I "like" or comment on stories in my FB timeline about LGBTQ issues, but especially transgender issues with my photo.  I hope that when a person questioning whether it's ok to live a genuine life, as their true self sees me commenting as my birthname in my feminine finery, they can feel a bit stronger, more confident and empowered.  

It’s fun? Yes. Especially when reading conservative media outlets Facebook postings. It brings great pleasure to comment as birthname with a photo of me, especially when someone gets so uptight that they feel the need to get rude. Rudeness brings out the “report comment” function for bullying, harassment or other inappropriate manner. Blocking works, too.

I wonder how much repression some people have experienced to think it’s okay to be completely filled with hate. 

I tried to set up a Heather Facebook page but the algorithms fought me and wouldn't let me fully activate my account and I refused to send the personal information requested.  I could change my account’s name to Heather instead of birthname, I don’t want to. 

Have a great weekend!

Much love, 

Heather

ps. No, I'm not living full time as Heather. I still have my own personal demons and fears to deal with. I have to live and work in this repressed town. 

Good morning to everyone.

 Welcome to a new version of America, one which will reflect the diversity of our great nation. I'm pleased that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the most important election of our lifetimes but if anyone believes that I won't call them out if they act in an un-American manner, you're sorely mistaken. Nobody gets a pass. I may be anti-trump and anti-GOP but admittedly Joe wasn't my first choice. In the end, he was the only choice and one I was proud to make. I watched the speeches last night by both Kamala and Joe. I felt included. I felt like for the first time in four years, I matter. Again, if the Biden administration pulls any hinkey BS I will be among the first to call them out.

Earthquake in Massachusetts! Was it the Earth letting out a sigh of relief?

Alex Trebek died. Nooo! What is Rest in Peace, Alex?

Today is day ten of having pink nails. I decided to not remove the color. I went to work Monday, Tuesday and half of Wednesday when I reported for jury duty. I sat in wait for the grilling by the DA and defense attorneys and apparently passed muster. The trial is estimated to take three weeks. Three weeks away from my office. When I left on Wednesday we were about two days behind. I cannot imagine how bad it will be when I return. To add insult to injury, another worker from my office  was seated on the jury.

I had suggested that I should attend the jury selection in my pink skirt in hopes that it would get me out of it. Instead I only have the nearly invisible pink nails. I think the women in the jury room are curious but unsure of whether it's appropriate to ask about them. 

I'm hoping that I'll be able to enjoy this Sunday out of the house in a skirt and blouse but am unsure if my spouse will feel motivated to go along. The weather is cold and snow is reported in elevations above 5000 ft. This is concerning because I don't really want to drive in "weather." We'll see.

Time to sign off.

Thanks for spending time with me on a chilly Sunday morning.

Go out and spread some sunshine!

Heather.

Manicure

 Last Wednesday, I had my nails done. I've never had gel polish applied to my nails. When I paint my nails, I use regular nail polish and it never seems to last very long before it chips or is damaged.  I made the decision to not remove the polish. Yesterday was a work day, I proudly wore my pink nails to the office. I love the way my nails look, so smooth and shiny.

Heather

I'm back, again.

 Hello friends,

I know I've been away for too long.

COVID seems to have killed the entirety of 2020. But...I have been prepping for this past week. I didn't want to post another series of promises which I fail to fulfill. This woman had a plan. This woman was going to get things done. This woman was going to succeed and I didn't want to over-promise only to under-deliver!

Among the things which have occurred in the past few weeks, I think I've revealed myself to my ex-wife.

My daughters know and support my choice and the ex was aware of things when we were married but after the split, I NEVER mentioned my trans ness again to her. Ever. Yeah, she saw the photos of my Halloween outfits but I never said anything more.  

Over the summer I was telling the Kids (they're adults but will always be my kids) that I needed to come up with a theme for Halloween. I had stated that a woman at work offered to play along if we would do a James Bond theme with me as the femme fatale.  Another option was the "I always wanted to be a bride" outfit. Youngest kid suggested a 50's theme with a poodle inspired skirt but since I volunteer with a group that offers spay/neuter services for cats and also TNR (Trap Neuter Return) services for feral or stray cats, a kitty skirt. We looked at ideas online, she found a Disney "Aristocats" inspired skirt and we all knew that the plan was in place.  

I let my Mom know what we'd settled on. (I know... never end a sentence on a preposition...) My Mom suggested a white top with a sweater.  We figured out the skirt's fabric color, pink. I have a bra that gives me the perfect "bullet" shape for my breasts. My wife found a pair of white leather Keds and lace ankle socks.  For the last few weeks, I'd drive to the city to offer help in making the skirt.  Youngest Kid had a yellow skirt that we'd use as a rough plan for mine. The two Kids are proficient seamstresses and have created many garments for themselves.  The yellow skirt was made to have a petticoat under.  When one spins while wearing that skirt, it looks amazing. So "foofy!"

For the second to last visit, I brought one of my favorite skirts. Youngest Kid realizes that my skirt "HAS POCKETS!" and uses it to create a pattern to add pockets to my future skirt.

It was on this visit that we did some shopping, picking up a white tee shirt and the cutest pink purse shaped like a Bustier.  After we returned from our shopping trip, ex was there with her beau. I was in semi girl mode, bra, large breast forms, white button up blouse over a floral top. Youngest loved the white blouse so I left it with her. I was in and out of my skirt, the yellow skirt, the blouse, the tee shirt and so on.  I also asked to have an appointment made to get my nails done.  When I left, I was in full girl mode, wearing my skirt and floral top.

Wednesday, 10/28, I returned to the city so we could finish the skirt and do some other prep work.  We got our nails done, Oldest chose black, Youngest took a metallic glitter red and I took a pastel pink to match my skirt. My nails have never looked so good! Usually I do my own nails and after doing home chores, the color is nicked and chipped. These gel colors are amazing, four days in and they still look fantastic!  We all ( Oldest, Youngest, Ex and I) worked on the skirt being the eleventh hour, literally. I think I left that house around midnight. 

I wore the new skirt to work, there wasn't a contest but the consensus I was the in best outfit. I had intended to do other things that day but my body decided it needed to have an allergy day.  After work, I took another round of allergy pills and plopped on the couch and slept through to 7:15 Friday morning. I got up drank a cup of water, took more allergy stuff and resumed my slumber until about 9:30 am.  I guess I was tired.

Friday morning I had an agenda! For Thursday, I had intended to work, cast my ballot in the 2020 general election and get my flu shot... cue Friday. Yes, I pulled up my big girl panties, bullet bra, poodle skirt and white top and went to the polling place. I don't think I got a second look until the polling place volunteer looked at my ID and didn't immediately put 2 +2 together.  Next, I went to the supermarket pharmacy to get my flu shot and bought a week's worth of food. On the way home, I stopped at the volunteer location and said hi to everyone. More rave reviews. At 5:30 I returned to the office, met my wife so I could bring her to the polling place so she could drop off her pre filled ballot.

So, today's Saturday.  We needed more stuff from the store and had to pay for a Costco pumpkin pie a friend picked up. I went back to the supermarket in full girl mode. It was glorious.  I picked up a burger and nuggets for our lunch and stopped off at the friend's home to repay her.  She said I looked divine! Her husband arrived a short time after I got there, D told B that someone stopped by and look who it is. B had absolutely no clue until I lowered my face mask. We're going to see friends tonight, what ever shall I wear? I'm leaving in 20 minutes. I don't know how comfortable I'll be...

ps

I had never gotten a professional manicure and color done before and I'll tell you one thing. I have newfound respect for the people working in nail salons.  The shop smelled like an auto paint facility.  I worked in a factory that closed because the company wished to do wood finishing work and couldn't get the permits to spray lacquers.  But how many nail shops are there in the city? 

Thanks for spending the time to read my story.

Have a great Halloween. If you haven't voted yet, please vote. 

Heather.

Voting and feet.

I've been wearing my sandals (the heel is a couple inches high, rubber soles) to the office for about three weeks. I had to wear them because a month ago I fell while helping someone move furniture onto a flat trailer.  We had placed something on the trailer and I was coming down the slatted ramp.  My foot slipped through the slats and every limb went in a different direction with me falling flat on my back.  I haven't a clue how I didn't break something but am thankful.  The result of my fall was initial swelling leading to a huge bump on my left shin. Also my left foot turned a spectacular color purple. But only along the inner sole and three of my toes.  I chose to wear sandals when we were called back to the office because slippers were not an option.  

Last week, my coworker noticed last week that they're women's sandals. I told her that they were the only footwear I could wear and are incredibly comfortable.  There was no way I could wear my male sandals or shoes.  She's the one who said that I should just wear women's clothing when I dress for Halloween.

I didn’t go to the doctor at the time I fell. Everything worked and really there was no pain.  Tenderness, yes. Pain, no.  After a month, I still have a sizable knot and what looks like a burn on my shin but all the bruising seems to be gone from my foot but there is still swelling.  I didn’t go initially because I’d discussed it with my wife.  She agreed that if it seemed like nothing was broken, they probably wouldn’t do anything but since I still have swelling, we made an appointment for tomorrow.

One more thing.  Where ever you live, please register to vote.  I fully support the #BlackLivesMatter movement.  It isn't that other lives are not important.   It isn't that other groups are not important.  It is that blacks are dying at the hands of police after a minor interaction.  I support candidates who don't promote racism.  I support candidates who don't hide from people who are different.  I support candidates who don't behave as a racist.  This is 2020.  There is no excuse for hatred in our modern world.  As a person who identifies as a trans-female, I stand with my brothers and sisters.  While I may not be able to live 24/7 as Heather, I am confident that there are people in government who are actively working to make the lives of people like me harder.  

I ask you to Vote Blue, No Matter Who.

Thank you

Heather

ps, Don't spam!

Life and all that other stuff.

It's been a month. My son recovered from COVID-19 without issue. He's well.  It is frightening to see how devastating this virus is. 

I'm still working. For two weeks, we were forced to work from home as the office's internet provider's tower had a failure.  Although it's not impossible to do my job at home, it is far too awkward.  We had been advised that our office would be re-opening to the public on June first but Wednesday, word came down that the office was staying closed for an additional two weeks.  I'm not sure which is the best answer.  I'm glad that the heads of the division are putting caution at the forefront.

2020 will go down in the history books as a year filled with revelations.  We are seeing violence against people of color.  We are seeing violence against trans-women.  We are seeing threats of violence toward state leaders over the efforts to protect the citizens of their states.  Over one hundred thousand American lives have been lost as a result of inaction.  People are protesting lockdowns, complaining that they cannot get a haircut yet other people die because they have more pigment in their skin and have an interaction with law enforcement.

I ask one thing: Have some compassion.

Be safe out there and please don't spam.

Heather

COVID-19 and the reality of 2020

Hi

Just here to say that I've learned that my son has been confirmed to have COVID-19.
I'm told he's doing ok. He's home and aside from a little difficulty breathing, he's okay.  He's sequestered himself in the basement of his house and my daughter-in-law is remaining upstairs. 

Am I worried? Yes. Am I scared? No. He's in decent health, not quite 30.  His mother is absolutely freaked out. I told her that because he's young and in ok health, he has a good chance of fighting it off.  Hopefully I'm not being overly optimistic. 

He's kinda distant with us.  Always had a "I know more than you" attitude.  We've asked his wife to keep us informed and I'm hoping he tells us everything that is going on.  We've never had a good relationship since Mom and I divorced.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Heather

Easter Drag

Good morning,

I'm no longer a religious celebrant. I was raised Catholic and went through most of the Sacraments.
As we all know, today is Easter Sunday.  Celebrating a rebirth.  As a trans person, we are able to say that we are reborn when we become our real self. 

On Facebook, there is a page named "Growing up in Holyoke, ma" and I follow it.  I was born there, my parents grew up there, my grandparents lived there and I spent plenty of time in Holyoke, Massachusetts.  This page is posting photos of one of the city's annual traditions, the Easter Drag.  In 2020, I'm honoring the tradition by wearing a lovely skirt and colorful top and looking "fine."  I see the photos in their collection, gentlemen and ladies in their finest. Children in suits and dresses.  Ladies with lovely skirt suits and a fur wrap. (Fur is dead, man!) Oh, how the times have changed. 

I have an errand to do today.  I have to bring the household recycling to the town's bins and it will be my personal version of the Easter Drag.

After the recycling run, maybe we'll go for a nice drive into the desert and I can take some photos.

Yesterday I went out to the store for the first time since 4/1.  I drove to Vegas to Costco.  I broke the social distancing rules by visiting my daughters and bringing one to the store.  I wore an over glorified camisole with padded underwire bra with an open white blouse over and dangly earrings, pink cap and floral scarf over my respiratory orifices and still got called "sir."  Going to Costco during the COVID-19 pandemic was a bit surreal.  In a way it was like I'd been transported to Disneyland with all the queuing to enter the store, to get through the front section of the store and to pay.  We were in switchback lines for about 15 minutes to enter and once we got into the store the store was divided to force traffic through the front aisles and along the outer aisle directly to the bakery area.  Not shockingly, there were many people who weren't wearing masks or gloves.  I saw infants, kids under ten, teens and plenty of adults without protective coverings.  At least the majority of employees were fully protected, all of the inside workers and most of the outside people.  I was going for myself and two friends.  The daughters needed a couple things and their mom, too.  I had no problem filling my cart.

It was nice to see my daughters, it's been weeks and I missed them.  It was nice, we called my parents and we all talked for a few minutes.  It is good to be able to know that everyone is doing as well as possible during this weird time in our world. 

Done for now.

Be well. Be safe. Be healthy.

Heather

A week later, bam!

Good day, eh!

I hope this note finds everyone in good health and spirits.  The house of Heather is doing ok.  The spouse of my boss is still in the hospital without any great improvements. The great part is that he's not getting worse.

Someone in our office decided that we needed some kind of events for the week. Five days, five fun things to do:

1. Monday, Pajama day. Wear your favorite pajamas to the office.
2. Tuesday, Twins/triplets day. Find a friend and dress the same.
3. Wacky outfit/wacky hair day. Wear something wacky.
4. Sports team day. Wear your favorite sports logo clothes.
5. Animal prints. Wear something with an animal print or animals on it.

I did not wear pajamas Monday.  It isn't for a want of choices.   My daughters gave Heather a pair of pink pajamas for Christmas and I have some nightgowns but the pajama bottoms are a bit too big and I didn't think it would be a good thing to be constantly having my drawers dropping and my nightgowns are barely to my knees. I was concerned that I would be too inappropriate!

Today was twin day.  Mrs C, who has never participated in our Halloween exploits, suggested we dress alike.  She offered some suggestions but nothing really struck our fancy.  The obvious factor is that we can't go shopping so it was important to find something that exists in our closets.  I asked if she had a white button up shirt and black pants.  She said yes so I mentioned a Harry Potter theme to Mrs C and Mrs S.  Black pants, white shirt, scarf or necktie, pointy thing for a wand, easy peasy!  Of course the ulterior motive was to be able to be Hermione.  Long story short, I had the pleasure of being dressed in a white blouse and black skirt at work.  

Tomorrow is "wacky outfit day."  I told everyone that I don't what to wear tomorrow.  I'd suggested a hippy look.  I have some peasant skirts which would be perfect.  Or I could wear my favorite dress from Halloween. 

Thursday and Friday should be easy.  I have stuff that will be perfect to wear.  I'll just have to figure out tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday.

Take care of yourselves and families.

Heather

End of week two.

Hello y'all!

I'm still working in the office.  There are ten of us in the office. There were eleven but her husband is home sick. Yes, a co-worker's husband is sick. My town of about 38000 has no "test kits" available so there is no way to be sure of what his affliction is.  My co-worker will be working from home for about two weeks. I admit that I'm feeling far more stress than any person should but I know that my situation is not bad.  We have plenty of food, all the vehicles have a decent supply of fuel and my family still ok. 

I have the next four days off from work.  I advised my wife that I'll be spending all of my time "extra girly." I have nails painted a deep red and for the first time in a while I applied makeup.  My choice of lipstick really makes my face look "washed out."  I also used eye shadow and mascara.  My ample brow was trimmed way back. I have never thinned them out as much as I did this morning. 

I was planning to go to the desert with a friend on Monday but out of a sense of fear, we're not going. My plan for Transgender Day of Visibility may be renamed Transgender Day of Socially Distant Visibility. I think I'm still going to take a drive to a place where I can go for a nice walk into the desert.  Heather's never been out hiking but she is itchin' for an adventure.  If I do take a walk, I'll try to take some photos. It will be nice to add some color to my page.

Have you noticed that people seem to be going stir crazy? My little town had four fairly major criminal incidents this week.  A guy was angry about an internet outage and when he didn't get an answer which satisfied him, he called a bomb threat to the police. Later that night, a young man had stabbed someone.  The police tracked the suspect to his residence and in the process of speaking to his mother, the guy started firing a shotgun at the two responding officers. The officers returned fire. The suspect is deceased and one of the cops was shot but is expected to eventually recover. Then I heard about a high speed chase along our main highway.  Some woman in a BMW was arrested after the police and highway patrol safely ended the chase. The police found the woman's two kids in the car.  The last incident was where a woman was shooting a gun in a neighborhood.  She was safely taken into custody and as far as I know, nobody was injured. On top of those wretched acts, a Nevada Highway Patrol officer was murdered yesterday.   It happened in northeastern Nevada, near Ely.  Tragic and senseless. 

On a similar note, my very conservative uncle posted a meme on Facebook.  The meme was saying how some wingnut is outraged that relief money is being "given to the Kennedy Center and PBS."  Times like these are exactly why we need funding for the arts and humanities. We have millions of children staying home from school.  I would rather them watching the educational programming on PBS than other "over the air" daytime television.

People need to calm down, acknowledge their stress and find a way to reasonably blow off steam. 
Becoming Heather is one of my primary ways of finding refuge. Heather has a calming effect in my life. When I'm Heather, I feel there is a part of her who is my "Jiminy Cricket," the one who is making sure Heather's being the best person she can be.   Heather does have her faults. She likes to buy new clothes and she may have an overabundance of bras... and I have not bought anything in months!  Such is life.

Have a safe week, please!  Keep your distance if you are near other people.  Wash your hands.  If you feel sick, it is imperative to stay home and stay away from others.  Don't touch your face.  Cough into your elbow or sleeve.

Love and respect to all.

Heather

We've survived the week.

Greetings all,

March 22 is here. Week one of the new time has passed.  Lots of things have happened in the course a few days.

When you see the social media postings thanking everyone still working, remember that there are people who are always forgotten in these lists.  Everyone working in Social Services Agencies, Unemployment Departments, Food Banks, Community Outreach Organizations, Charitable Organizations, Women's and family shelters and many other groups trying to help their communities through this trying time. 

Even with all that is happening, I'm still hoping to have plenty of time to spend on March 31. We'll see what we're permitted to do by the authorities.  I may not be permitted to take my two days off simply because the office is bracing for a huge influx paperwork.  Whether I take two days off this month or I postpone my time, I have every intention of getting out and being visible. 

For now, I have the time at home to be myself. At work, I'm always "under dressed."  I think I've not been to work braless in over two years. Some days, I'll wear nylons or my black tights, other days I wear knee-hi's and occasionally it's regular socks.  It's just what I do.  I always wear patterned, button-up shirts. I don't know if the bumps from the bra closures are visible or if the seams show when I'm wearing a racerback sport bra.  Honestly, I don't really care!

I know that many people are struggling with the social distancing, items in short supply, worried about paying bills or losing medical coverage.  If you are out of work, do these things: File for unemployment, file for your state's medicaid coverage, file for your state's SNAP program.  The worst thing that could happen is they won't approve it.  Even if you think you can manage by using your savings or the resources you have on hand, it may take a couple weeks for your first paycheck when the employers call you back.

One last bit of motherly advice.  Call your family and friends.  Catch up with an old friend.  Do a well check by phone, it may just brighten their day.

Love and respect

Heather.

ps. stay healthy, my friends.

Essential worker

Good morning everyone,

Office update.

We are "essential workers." Our office is still open to the public, for now.  Half of the staff is working from home.  We tried to have one of our clerks working from home Tuesday, it didn't work. 

On Tuesday our state's Governor has closed all non-essential businesses for thirty days.  Next week, our office will be closed to the public.  Like many businesses, we have a mailbox, internet and phone services.  This is going to be really interesting.  With the closure of so many businesses, we're expecting an immense increase of customers.  I have a feeling we'll be seeing overtime in the very near future.

On a lighter note, I have elected to take March 31 off.  It is Transgender Day of Visibility.  I don't know if there will be much visibility that I can have but we'll see.  One of my daughters has been asked to work from home.  The other daughter will be out of work for the imposed 30 days.  Maybe she and I can do something like meet up for a hike.  It would be fun for two girls to enjoy an outdoor adventure. 

We all have to be diligent in taking the right measures:  If you're feeling ill, stay home.  Practice social distancing.  Wash your hands.  Clean surfaces.  Avoid physical contact. 

Thanks and be safe

Heather

Paid day off.

Hello again,

Day one of the work from home directive has been fabulously boring.  Cats are all napping. I have had the pleasure of wearing exactly what I want for the third day in a row.  One good result.

First thing this morning, the management staff texted us and directed us to access our work email and install Microsoft Teams. We did that and have been chatting all day.

I don't know if the caseworkers have been given access to the system but clerical hasn't been. I'm not about to ask the others if Ms. CH and I are the only ones sitting around our houses, goofing off.

We were asked if we'd work from home and we both said yes.  Last I'd heard was that there was a conference call but what was said? No clue.

So here I sit.  Chatting with the ladies from the office, listening to Gunsmoke on SiriusXM Radio Classics, surfing the internet, blogging and watching the laughable current event press conference on television.

I am sure that I'll be advised with some course of action before 8:00 tomorrow morning but until that time, here I am goofing off.

If you have to go out, please be respectful of those who are required to work. To every worker you encounter, offer your gratitude.

In my family, my sister who works in town government is still working, youngest daughter doesn't work directly with the public and so far is still working, oldest daughter works inside an MGM resort. She has no idea of what is happening. She's not an MGM employee, she works for a store in the building.  The store's management says it's staying open but the hotel/casino facility is closing for at least 2 weeks.  We'll see how this plays out.

Have a pleasant Monday evening.

Heather.

Update!

Got an email telling us that half of the staff will be working from home and the other half will be in the office.  Many of us will be sitting in different locations to allow "social distancing." I'll be in my regular area. Gonna be interesting, I won't deny it.

I'll keep everyone posted.

See ya later. 

Covid-19 strikes Nevada

Howdy, y'all!

I've gotten a call from my office. I have tomorrow off. We're asked to be available to see if we can access our office's secure network. Heather's going to have another day at work!

But the impact of this illness is going to be huge. I've lived in Nevada for a quarter century and have never seen entire hotel/casino companies shut down for any reason.  This corona virus and the leaders of our nation's delayed response to it has brought two Nevada casino companies, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts, to cease operations for at least two weeks. States are asking people to restrict their travel and to stay out of large groups. Restaurants and bars, school districts and offices are being closed. 

This is unprecedented.

Once again, I've never seen anything like this in my 54 years on this planet.

Here's my request to y'all, my readers: Please be safe out there.  Listen to the people offering smart advice and stay home for a bit of time, please. Limit your exposure to groups. 

The fate of Friday, March 13th 2020

Hello everyone.

What an adventure!

Bit of backstory. I've been a clerk in an office for about 5 years. Our office currently has 4 clerks, about 14 case workers and 5 members of management.

Historically, our office had 5 clerks. 
Mrs. KK was the boss and retired last May.  Super lady. 
Mrs. JH promoted to the boss position. She's also good people. 
Mrs. KW was a bitter person who loved to point out the failings of everyone but like all bullies hated to have her failings revealed.  She "retired" about two years ago and was never replaced.  We all agreed that we did not have enough work for a team of five.
My "partner in crime" and Halloween compatriot, Ms. ML found a different job a couple years ago. Ms. CH replaced her. 
A year ago, ML was laid off from her new job.  She came back to our office for a few months but she wasn't happy and left in November. 
Mr. TV replaced her.

At 8:00, I arrived at work this morning to find that our office's telephones and computer network are down.  Of course being 2020, we have no real capability of doing work in our office with no computers.  It's Friday, the office is already staffed a bit light. 

The management team instructs us to use pen and paper to get our customers checked in and the rest of the staff will do as much as possible. 

I take my break at my usual 9:15 and after my coffee, come back to find one of my two direct co-workers, Mr. TV, had gathered his belongings and looks ready to head home.  My other co-worker  Ms. CH, said TV had offered his resignation.  He is called into the manager's office, the door's closed, minutes later he walks out the door without saying a word and proceeds to leave.

Mr. TV had transferred from another location and before that another location and before that yet another location.  Our office has suffered with Mr. TV for about 3 years. He's filed grievances with management throughout the course of his tenure in our office.  He moved from the back office and a case worker position down to the front office into a clerical slot back in December.  We all know his quirks and how his personality traits are and had been advised to accommodate him as well as possible.  We worked with him, trained him and there were good moments but apparently there was some sort of transgression which cost him his job.

Back to the first part of the story, our phones and computers were down for seven hours.  We were advised at 3:00 to reboot our PCs and everything was functional.  Between additional customers coming and in two of us trying to get 7 hours of work processed, we barely made a dent in the pile.

Monday is going to be wicked busy especially since we've lost a member of the team.

We had a full moon and Friday the thirteenth in the same week, was that a sign?

Easter?

Hello again,
Heather's been busy and preoccupied so I've been derelict in my duties of blogging.  I have not been able to be out in a while.  I think the last time was on Christmas day so I haven't had any interesting stories to share.

The group with whom I volunteer is going to be handing out candy at an Easter themed "trunk or treat" event and since I'm so personable and don't mind tossing candy into a thousand little bags...
I have been asked to participate.  I'm not interested in wearing a rabbit costume! I told my wife it would be funny and totally inappropriate to say I would rent a bunny costume and show up as a Playboy bunny! I'm sure the locals would be offended by my blasphemy.

I won't be renting a costume.

On another note, March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. I have every intention of being fully visible on March 31. I have put in a request for time off from work and am setting up some plans.

Thanks for stopping by

Heather.