congratulations Toddson!

I need to have mine done again. You reminded me.

Steph, what did the doc say? Or do they need to culture it?

I'd like my adult card punched, please. I came home, took a shower, fed the animals and myself (including a mostly local salad - for me, not the animals), went to the library and returned three books (only one was overdue, and only by a day), came home and walked Frankie, did all the dishes and prepped my water bottles for tomorrow, and restocked my pill case for the week. Phew. All that in about two and a half hours after working a ten-hour day.

Now I need to stretch and see if I can get my lower back/hip to stop hurting, then go to bed.

I've identified a challenge at work. I'm trying to frame this positively. One of my coworkers who's known my boss since hs and worked for him for a dozen years has a very different work style than I do. He tends to go fast and messy, whereas I tend to go slow and try to think things through (especially while I'm learning). I also like to work neatly and take time to prep so that cleanup will be easier.

For example, today I had put down plastic while scraping an old window jamb to collect all the (probably lead) paint chips and dust. When it came time to put in the window, as I mentioned that I was going to pull it up *neatly*, he pulled out a knife and just cut it out of the way, getting (probably lead) paint chips and dust all over the finish floor right by the window. Later he pulled staples out of the trim in a way that sent them flinging *all over* the room, on the brand spanking new finish floor we are supposed to be protecting.

::sigh:: I need to ovary up and challenge G - he's the one who helped me the other day and basically effed it all up.

Again, I guess this is why S hired me, because the way I work may take longer but I would think homeowners would prefer it (a lot of the work I'll be doing will be in occupied homes). S actually told me flat out that none of his guys were patient enough to learn this and do it right. Today I ended up just letting G take over, which is not what I need to do - I need to be learning this stuff.

I so prefer working with H. He may not speak much English, but he stops to listen to my opinion and doesn't steamroll over me. Plus, I get to learn Spanish!

Okay, rant over, off to stretch.

And in some *not* me me me -

Nora, all my digits are crossed for you that this all goes through.

Congrats, Toddson! You go on with your bad blood sugar-managing self!!

GC, I ain't gonna lie, my eyes glazed over about two sentences in (see above re: long day) but that was enough to see the ridiculousness.

smonster, as a homeowner who is currently having work done on her house, I would definitely prefer your work style.

Yup, ovary up. Those guys are not used to being challenged, and quickness is an attribute. However, it's one that should be balanced by quality, and the more you learn, the quicker you will be, even keeping up your standards. You can do it, just be firm, explain your reasoning briefly, and do what you need to do. You have skills, you just need to acquire these specifics, and ime guys like that respond to competence, so step in and do it as quickly as you can cleanly, and you'll be fine. Initial friction is worth a better working rhythm going forward.

I am known for saying "measure twice, cut once, go home earlier" at work.

Steph, what did the doc say? Or do they need to culture it?

The doctor said it's 95% likely that it's NOT a UTI. She's treating me for bacterial vaginosis (I have no idea why I whitefonted that; it's just that the name sounds...wrong) but said to call if the abdominal pressure turns into full-on pain, and/or if I have blood in my urine. Based on everything I told her w/r/t our sexytimes (we switched brands of lube in the last month or so, and that's when things started to just feel Not Right in the magical ladyparts), she said probably the different lube had something that was an irritant, and continued use of it just got overwhelmingly irritating to my ladyparts, and then some freeloading bacterium and its friends thought that would be a good place to set up shop.

The pressure in my abdomen that I thought was from a UTI is just because everything is all irritated and inflamed, and when it's inflamed, it has nowhere to go but towards the bladder. So -- pressure.

Treatment is topical, so no sexytimes (at least, no PIV sexytimes, and probably no recreational fun for my ladyparts in any way) for another 5 days at least.

Stupid internal plumbing. (Also, I hate peeing in the specimen cup. It's To Build A Fire without the freezing to death.)

Steph you might try taking AZO even though you don't have a UTI. It can sometomes help other types of bladdrer pain.

Steph, that sounds like absolutely no fun. Glad you went to the doctor! The ladyparts, they can be so delicate.

sj, Liese, javachik, thank you all. I know I need to strengthen my assertiveness. That's the positive that will come from this situation.

You can do it. It's super hard. But in your field you're going to need to, and you're badass enough the strength from it can come from your competence.