Well, of COURSE it is – if you are on a fiscal year. And where I work is. So, it is time to close out the old and open up the new. Busy, busy, busy. Woo-hoo!!! Where’s the firecrackers?

This fiscal year end was a bit less painful than the past couple. Our boss went to some meetings in the big city and came home with news that she shared with the entire staff: good news and bad news.

The good: we will receive our COLA’s again this year. We had been on a 3 year freeze until last year.

Our insurance co-pay has been dropped and our deductible has been dropped (from $2000) back down to $500. That’s a lot more reasonable. The BAD in the insurance is that spousal insurance has doubled!!! Eek! Nope, the raise and the dropped co-pay do not make that part up. Sigh. (the agency used to cover both staff AND spouses for free – that was before I was eligible for that perk – by the time I WAS eligible it was gone – budget cuts)

But, the good to go along with that? My position will remain at 40 hours per week until June 30, 2007! I thought I was going to be put back down to 30 hours.

Holiday bonus: in previous (before I started) years, each employee was given a $50 bonus at Christmas time – that is, $50 per year employed up to a cap of $600. That was also discontinued a few years ago. Last year our boss stretched the budget and gave us each $50 anyway – the year before we got either a turkey or a ham. This year we will ALL receive the equivalent of 16 hours of pay – at whatever our current pay scale is. Payroll taxes will come out of it, but it should still be a nice little bonus for the year.

Such is the life of those employed for non-profits that depend on grant money to operate. All in all these were nice little changes – all except that spousal insurance thing – and we are thankful for them. We all signed a card thanking her for going to bat for us at the funding meetings.

Oh, one other thing – the verdict is in – I get to go to the conference in Vegas! I’ll leave the big city on the 25th and return on the 28th. The conference is the 26th and 27th. It’ll be at the Renaissance Hotel, which has no casino! How about that? Make sure you read the amenities page – they are sure selling the idea of not having a casino. 😉

It’ll be fun.

Received a call today from the woman who has spearheaded the trainings I have attended since January and who got the grant that allowed me to do that and to do the big – BIG – presentation last week.

She has some more money to spend.

She wants to spend some of it on me – well, actually to send me to a conference in Las Vegas – just two weeks after I return from the surprise trip I mentioned a coupla posts back. Not just me, but me and two other specialized trainers (that’s what we’re called – isn’t that cool? Specialized Trainers – heh) Okay, and I know that those “me’s” should probably be I’s, but, Ize not gonna change ’em, ‘kay? ‘Kay!

If she is able to arrange for the?three of us to make the trip, I won’t have to spend a nickle – my airfare will be paid and my hotel and everything! Per diem, too, I think. Not sure how that will all work with my salary, but whatever they do NOT pay, my agency will pay – since this is a specialized conference. Woot!

Oh – and we are going to be in a hotel that does NOT have a casino! Gasp! I know!! After all, they even have slots in the AIRPORT in Las Vegas!! So, I guess that I will have to get the one armed bandit fever taken care of either in the airport or at another casino. 😉 That can be arranged if I feel it is necessary. lol.

Should know by sometime next week whether or not this is all going to fly. Heh – well, whether or not this old girl is gonna fly. 😉 The tickets are costing a bit more than the hosting agency had offered to pay, so they will have to approve the extra expense for us to go. So, we will see what we will see.

Stay tuned.

>..<

Hubby and I went to breakfast this morning – we do that a lot on weekends – go to a local hotel restaurant and enjoy something other than cereal. 😉

A couple came in and sat in the booth to hubby’s back and I had a hard time not laughing out loud. The woman had her back to hubby’s back, but the man sat across from her and of course I could see him quite well.

He must have been in his 40’s. He came in with his ball cap SIDEWAYS on his head. AFter he sat down, he turned it BACKWARDS! Okay – that’s cute if you’re a little kid – and some teen-types might be able to pull it off, but this guy? He’s in his 40s!

Anyway, I had my morning laugh with my breakfast.

And, while I’m on the subject – it bothers me (aesthetically) even more if the cap is just SLIGHTLY off center – not dead-on sideways, not all the way, you know? I just SO want to reach up and place it on the head properly.

But, I’m a good moosie – I wait until either they leave or I leave and THEN I laugh.

hahahahahahahahahahaha

>..<

Whether or not we like it, weather plays an integral part in anyone’s visit to Alaska. And, it figured, for most of the time that T was visiting it was cool and damp or downright raining. There were a few nicer days, but they were not many.

Until the day after he arrived back home in Ohio, that is. Yup, today it dawned sunnily with bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Mt. Redoubt stood out in all of her blue/white glory, a sight which was hidden for the most part the enTIRE time he was here. Sorry, friend.

Last night the wind came up and we even had to turn on the heat for a bit to take the chill off. Well, hubby got cold. I was just fine – hand me a sweater and I am hunky-dory. It spat out some rain, but not too much. Apparently the?wind pushed the clouds out of the way and we were?rewarded with the aforementioned sunny, blue skies.

Of course, NOW those clouds are coming back in and the wind is picking back up, so we may see some more rain later today.

That’s summer time in Alaska. 😉 (more…)