The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good. I was able to get a few very nice days in Murfreesboro, TN last week. The days were warm, the nights cool and Darrell was home for the weekend. It was as if all the stars were in their right place! We did go to Nashville on Monday but the rest of the time was spent enjoying being home! I read some on the back deck, we had friends over for dinner and we watched a couple of movies. It was all so very relaxing.

The Bad. I needed the trip home. Work has been so stressful that I was having major episodes with my PVC's and didn't have to worry about being on a treadmill. My pulse was elevated as if I was on a treadmill! I had a doctor's apppointment on the same day I was to fly home and he didn't like my pulse. So, he sent me to have an EKG. He didn't like the results of that so sent me to Cardiology. A Echocardiogram was done and afterwards the doctor told me I needed to stick around and have the problem resolved. I would be called for an appointment. A few minutes later a technician called me again and said they wanted to take a couple more pictures. When I arrived I was told he was going to put an IV in....my immediate response....OH CRAP! Then he told me he would be shooting air into the line. I was like WHAT???? I thought that was bad, very very bad. He said a little was ok. Apparently it was ok because I'm still here! HA! Now I haven't heard the results of that test but if it was bad I would expect they would have made a quick appointment for me. Instead, my appointment was made for November 12th. So, I'm back on medication and trying to get regulated again. Retirement would help!

The Ugly. Well, it is official. Thom is in Afganistan. I don't think I have to say anything else about that except maybe....keep him in your prayers!

This weekend I'm going to a pumpkin stew dinner at Lloyd and Nancy's house. I'm curious to see how that works! I also have to made about 200 greeting cards to sell at a fund raiser for work. No rest for the wicked!

More to come later!

Happy New Year!

October and a Happy New Year wish??? Well, for the federal government, more specifically the federal budget, October 1st begins the new year. And for the second time in 35 years, The Department of Veterans Affairs will have a budget immediately. Generally speaking, the budget isn't signed for months. Here is a little piece of trivia....Typically fiscal years end either December 31st or June 30...Anyone know why the federal government's fiscal year ends at the end of September? Well, many many years ago the budget was so difficult to get passed through Congress that even though the fiscal year ended at the end of June, spending was limited to emergencies only. Generally speaking, the budget wasn't signed until late September. So, Congress made the decision to make a change. October 1 would be the beginning of a new fiscal year.

Now, when I joined the Federal Government some 29-1/2 years ago we generally were on emergency spending (we call it a continuing resolution) for about the first 2 to 3 weeks of the new fiscal year. About 15 years ago that changed. When President Clinton first came into office he worked hard to balance the budget...there was a power struggle and the federal budget was not passed until the second week of January. I remember this period well....many employees were laid off and others continued to work but received no pay checks...I was part of the latter! Each year has been a repeat of that ugly year without all the drama or the layoffs. Last year the federal budget wasn't signed until March. We continued to operate into the negative...makes it hard to know where you stand when you are always operating in the red!

My understanding is that only portions of the budget has been signed and the Department of Veterans Affairs was one of the lucky departments to be signed....then again...it is not politically correct to send our sons and daughters to war and not have a veterans program for them when they returned!

More to come later!