No new arrivals, weekend updates, job updates

I have not heard yet this morning but as of last night Cori was still having strong contractions but none consistent enough to accomplish the birth of Savanah. We are all very anxious to meet the little one – Cori most of all.

Mama has been enjoying her time there. As it is when she is with the grandchildren I seem to be an afterthought. She has always told me how accomplished she is in multi-tasking, but I tend to see things a little differently when she is occupied as she is at the moment. I don’t mind, it is as it should be. Besides I have plenty to do and can pretty effectively take care of myself.

Speaking of plenty to do, I did very little on Saturday. It was our first official 100® day of the summer and it was dead still. I did not have the energy to venture out until late in the day when I went out to weed eat along the fence line. I lasted about an hour with the weed eater – about normal for me – but I was completely drenched before is stopped. The end result was nice. It should last a few weeks since nothing is growing right now.

I watered the plants Mama and I just put in the flowerbeds in front of the house and watered the trees I am struggling to keep hydrated through these sweltering months. So far it looks like we will have success with most of them; far better than we had in Bowie. But there are a couple I will not be able to keep alive; especially when we are anticipating being gone for all of next week without the prospect of rain during that time. All I can do is water heavily before we leave Friday morning and hope for the best.

Kira has been finding her way out of the back yard every time we put her out so I will have to see if I can make that escape more challenging for her as I attempt to repair the fence this evening. Until this morning she has stayed close to home  but Victoria texted me to tell me she was gone somewhere with Sam and she could not call her up before she left for work.

The good news is that most everyone who frequents the property next to us knows her – they especially know the big dogs – so she is in no particular danger there. It is just upsetting that the wanderlust is so strong in her and Sam. We have no idea where the two of them go but they are always gone for several hours before returning, and they are always a mess when they get back. So far Kobe has not offered to leave the yard, but it could be only a matter of time. Leaving them in someone else’s care for the time we are gone and the ease with which Kira has been getting out does not particularly thrill Victoria.

As far as things at work are progressing, it is looking more and more certain that I will not be employed with ConocoPhillips through the end of the year. Nothing has been formally announced but the indications are getting more certain that my current job will be eliminated as my group of employees is rolled into another group. I had to turn into my boss an organizational chart with that very assignment of my group. My position was not part of the new organization.

We talked to our boss this morning about the tax implications of getting laid off at the end of the year and the severance package being applied to this year’s earnings – essentially forcing taxes to be paid on a year and a half of earnings in the current tax year. The management wants the write off to come this year and those of us caught in the reorganization will just have to deal with it. Not that it is a horrible thing to get the severance package but it does have consequences for each of us who will have to deal with it.

It is a sad way to end a very good job with a very good company.