Winter 2014 February 25 Tuesday

37 degrees this morning.

Next phase of tooth implants (perhaps teeth implants, since there are two of themI) is this morning. I am currently in the dreaded time of "no water, no food", which basically makes me want to get the surgery over so I can eat and drink water!  I normally eat breakfast shortly after 6 a.m., so I am hungry!

The phase this morning is screwing the base teeth into my jaw.  The screws were put in my jaw  in September when the two teeth were ext rated and the bone transplant was done.  The bone transplant was the worst.  Of course, I associate the bone transplant with the devastating city elections etc. It seemed to give me a headache for several months.

Somehow I associate difficult times in my life the books by Khaled Hosseini.  When I was have surgery for skin cancer (including transplanting skin etc.I) I was reading "The Kite Runner" and associated with the realization that pain was part of life and perhaps a stage of life that we need to adjust to.  (Actually, the pain of skin cancer surgery isn't that bad, it is just the anticipation perhaps, or maybe like the grain of sand in your shoe.)  Anyway, somehow, reading The Kite Runner" during this process helped.  I never really got into his second book "A Thousand Splendid Suns", and then I read "And the Mountains Echoed" after my separation from employment, when I understood why I still didn't have time, even when it appeared all I should have was time, after at least 30 years of having very little leisure time.  Even three months later, I still haven't found time to read etc., like I expected, and my day is filled with activities that, at least appear, to seem to be important.  I found looking and preparing for employment is almost a full time job.  Many positions require extensive time answering detailed essay questions, multiple phone interviews etc. which take more time than you would think.

In addition to age, I found I am in an interesting situation.  Lakeland is around 13,000 population with 31 employees.  Most cities of 13,000 have around 150 to 200 employees (some many more, some many less) and most cities with 25-49 employees are in the range of 2500 to 5,000 population.   If I apply to a City of 10,000 to 19,000 the question is can I supervise that many personnel, if I apply to a city of 4,000, they ask why I want to go to a smaller city!  This isn' a major obstacle necessarily, but it is one I have to explain and I think it is a major factor in the selection process, depending on whom the other applicants are  When combined with my age,  it provides some interesting hurtles to get around.  I'm not really complaining about it, what is, is.  Like everything else, I need to be aware of the possible problems of these situations and the perception it may create.  

Perhaps I will write more later after the surgery, perhaps I will be sleeping and not get around to it!  However, normally I am ready for some strawberry shakes by "happy hour" (1/2 priced shakes and soft drinks) at Steak n Shake.  Since I have to eat soft foods for several days, it gives me the chance to indulge in my favorite food that I normally avoid!