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Thursday, August 8, 2019

Summer Around the Cottage

cause I got nowhere else to be
 Thought I'd post a few shots taken in the living room.
Oh we're in full on summer now, baby!
Days over 100 degrees every day!
My computer died on me two weeks ago.
Of course I had just taken a new design job that I had to have my computer for.
So....that has been on hold till my iMac got out of the shop.
The hard drive went bad. It's an older iMac so I can't be too mad at it.
But they saved all my files and now it's running super fast and smooth.
That little pillow above I bought at Tuesday Morning last year.
Last year I was really into flamingos. I still am, but I REALLY was last year.
 That sweet little Oklahoma ashtray in pink I picked up at a flea market long ago.
It shows off a collection from vacations.
turquoise from Santa Fe, a buckeye from Arkansas and a shell from Savannah, Georgia.
I've always loved that little ashtray. Actually, maybe it was not intended to be an
ashtray. I just assumed. 
 I moved this big iron planter into the living room. It used to be on the deck, 
but now sits in front of the window in the living room as a console or sorts.
 I've gradually filled it with faux greenery over the last couple of years.
It gets pretty bright in this room in the afternoon and I'm honestly not good
with real plants inside. So I went fake, folks. Sometimes
fake is ok. Looks better than dead plants.
 I should put that little faux hyacinth away after spring but haven't. 
It's just so cute! And I like the little splash of purple.
 Another pillow. I think I got this one off Ebay. 
 a little majolica from my collection and another faux plant

This little orchid I bought at my first furniture store gig. 
What a horrible experience that was! 
The day I bought this little orchid they looked at me like I was crazy.
I think this orchid had been there for years and no one paid any attention to it.
It's in a little silver cup which you can't see here. It's really very nice.
That job was just the very worst. 
The next one was better and I got to design and made friends with other 
designers that are still some of my besties to this day.
But then that store closed and I got moved to a different store.
I did well there but was never really happy.
So I quit after a year to take my dream job. 
I loved the furniture and the location but there just weren't any 
customers! There is a large discount furniture store in this town and
that's pretty much where everyone goes for furniture in OKC and surrounding area.
Oh, not me. I've never bought anything there. 
But it's where the masses shop. 
So after a year working at the dream job...I was broke so I went back to the store I wasn't 
so happy in...but made very good money at.
That time as a designer they told me I could sell and design with any of the furniture 
sold by any of the parent company's stores. This includes the big 
discount store where everyone in town shops.

So that was going well for 6 months although I was exhausted running from store to store
and house to house 
on my own time...since I was required to do 40 hours in my actual store.

But I had this boss...this terrible boss. She is a bully. She is bi-polar. She harasses everyone.
I had taken it and taken it and tried to keep her happy but on June 14 she jumped
me when I came in the store to open. 
She was mad at me for working 5 hours after my shift on a big design project the week before.

She said she wasn't going to pay me for it.
I said - "You don't pay me for those hours anyway...I'm on commission!"
Well things went from bad to worse...
All the times she upset me and I stuffed it and just moved along...just came pouring
out of me. 
I told her I'd had enough...that I'd do this no more. That it was impossible to 
keep her happy. She started telling me I wasn't committed to the job.
I work 12 hour days and last pay period worked 115 hours. 
You are mad at me cause I worked 5 extra hours last week on a project but
now say I'm not committed.

She said I needed to be more positive.
I said -
"I'm positive I'm not going to do this any more!"
I put all my things in a box and went towards the door 
with her following me asking me if I was sure.

Well of course I wasn't sure...(I need a paycheck and insurance) but I was sure
committed to this now...and just kept going out the door.

And you know...I'm not sure what is next...
I'm looking for another gig. 
I was offered a job I really wanted back in March but
didn't take it because I thought it too unprofessional to change 
jobs so soon. Big mistake. I should have taken it.
One of my friends works there and he really likes it.
Unfortunately they went ahead and hired someone and don't need me 
at the moment. 

so..actually I'm doing freelance design work and taking a breather which I really really needed.
The last 4 years have been super stressful not because of the work but because of 
management. 

A shame I left a job I was good at because I just couldn't take the constant micro managing.
She just made up stuff to beat you up about.
I guess it made her feel important.

The others that still work there are miserable. They were all so proud of me
for just walking out. They say they don't have the courage.
It didn't take courage. I couldn't control myself. I'd reached my limit.

Have you ever walked out on a job?

So that is why I am working at home right now....and...

My computer broke right after I signed on for a nice freelance design 
job which has really got me way behind and my air conditioning in the 
house went out - of course.

After a new motor and compressor or was it a capacitor? 
not sure...I was back in business...

But turns out I had the wrong size of filters in the unit.
I always struggle with them. They never seem right.
So my air guy says - "these are the wrong size."
hmmm that's why they didn't work right.
I have always bought what has always been in there...or at least I thought.

So he gets the system up and then says go get the new filters and put them in
as soon as you can.
I assure him I will that afternoon.

So I went and bought them.
Installing them means taking the front cover off the unit.

There is one little nut that screws onto a stationary screw that holds the cover
on and causes the cover to push in the button that activates the entire system.
No nut screwed all the way down and the whole system is defunct.

So I've dropped this tiny nut before, couldn't find it and had to go buy another.

So I'm extra careful when removing and putting back on.

I had it off and on several times the day before when I thought there was something
I could do to get the air going. Foolish...I know.

But now that the air is flowing perfectly...I remove the nut take the front off
and put in the new filters. 

I then replace the cover pick up the nut and promptly drop it into the machine...never
to be seen again.

ugh

Never fear! I've done this before...I'm off to Ace Hardware for another nut.
By this point it has only cooled down to 88 degrees in the house.

Dogs are laying on the bed directly in front of a wind tunnel fan.
(if you need a fan - the wind tunnel is the way to go. better than any other. You get at Walmart)
So anyway they are doing fine.

I couldn't take the screw to be sure of the size of nut needed. It's part of the machine.
So I had to guess at the size.
3 trips to Ace Hardware later and I finally had the correct nut 
and started the unit up again.

I can not believe my entire heating and cooling system relies 
on one little tiny 
nut!

I bought several to have on hand as back ups.

Geez my summer is exciting. 

Not at all...not at all....

6 comments:

Judith said...

Nita, get a little magnetic dish the next time you are at the hardware store. I got one at Harbor Freight for about $2, but Ace probably has them as well. They are often used for drill bits. At any rate, keep it near your AC unit. When you unscrew the nut or screw or whatever, put it in the dish and it will stay put. It will change your life, I promise.

Valerie said...

I'm so happy to see your posts again, and the pics inside your home! I'm sorry about the stress from your awful boss! Bad ones can certainly make our jobs miserable!

Staci said...

I also am happy to see your posts again !! And also sorry about the bad boss, I hope you've written to the company complaining about her job practices & I would definitely have filed a human rights complaint against her !! Anyway, just enjoy being free & great things will come your way !!

Dewena said...

Wow, what a time you've had in these jobs! Even with a nice boss it sounds like a grueling schedule. No wonder you didn't have time to blog!

And your air conditioning story, I do hope it gets cooler there in OK soon but I imagine that's not going to happen soon, right? And poor dachshunds!

I love the flamingo pillow and your OK dish! And the typewriter pillow with the yellow one on that pretty chair! You've always had such an eye for color combinations. Lovely to see glimpses of your home again!

Amy Chalmers said...

I agree with 'Staci, write a letter to the company about this nutbag boss bully. She needs to be straightened out and let go...your life always has something going on the fritz just when you can least afford it. I am sorry about that. hope you get your computer back and get your freelance design work going and get pleasure out of being away from that stressful job.

Kit said...

Oh I am so glad you left! No one needs to work like that. I hope you are much happier now. 😊 Kit