UPDATE and workers doing what they do or the results thereof--Labor Day's on the way, y'all.

UPDATE: At the risk of being repetitive--oh, who cares, right? It's exciting that I slept well again, awoke at 5 a.m. but managed to fall back asleep until the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. I am thankful, y'all. At work today, I found myself becoming exhausted right before 2 p.m. which has not happened on any other day this week. I took a nap in the recliner in the small room with the door that locks and no windows, therefore it it pleasantly dark. I set my phone to go off after 18 minutes. That nap certainly helped. And I am thrilled that tomorrow is Friday, with a three-day weekend between it and next Tuesday when I work from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. again. Thanks for your continued prayers, love, and concern. Chemo Round Three next week.



This morning when I waited for my second bus of the morning commute beside the garden at City Hall, I noticed these two men working on the backstop of the two seats at the bus shelter. I had wanted to sit down but when the one you see holding the jug of liquid said that it might be a strong smell or that the substance they would be removing from the backstop might smell even stronger, I got up and walked away. When he saw me take the photo, he asked, "Are you taking my picture?" I replied, "Yes, I want to know if it's OK with both of you that I put it on my blog, Portland Oregon Daily Photo? I take lots of photos related to TriMet and always brag about it." Both said it would be fine. About the photo, it's sort of amazing how the jug managed to look like I cut out its shape from the background. I wonder why that happened? Sunshine hit it just at the second that the iPhone 6 Plus camera clicked?



Here they are, Dale on the left and Nate on the right, hard at work removing the somewhat worn out protective coating that keeps folks from being able to graffiti the backstop. Neither one of them figured this would be a routine procedure; I think Dale said it usually takes 30 minutes or so to remove and replace it. Something--maybe being in direct sunlight every single time the sun shines--had caused the substance to break down enough that removing it would prove time consuming. Dale guessed it could take up to two hours. They were certainly pleasant, hard-working young men, doing a great job as TriMet employees.



Here's a photo showing the results of someone's work--these beautiful roses in the City Hall garden.



And one more of the rose bush next to the previous one. So beautiful, although I didn't get a whiff of them. Sometimes when I've stood here, the scent has been perfect.



Parts of the garden are used to grow vegetables which go to organizations feeding the needy in Portland. More good results of workers working. Has someone let these collards grow too large? Just curious since I've never grown any kind of greens.



And here's me in my work cube. I'm so happy to be a worker working again, even at four hours per day!



After I got off the last bus home, I headed straight for the Blue Diamond, thinking that although the nap had helped, I need to eat more than the green grapes, raisins, prunes, Ritz crackers, and bits of cheese with water that I'd nibbled on in my cube. First up, this side salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Exactly what I needed at that moment, prepared perfectly by the workers in the kitchen at the Blue Diamond, my neighborhood bar with fine food, always fine food. Some pretty good lemonade, too. Thanks, y'all!



Finally, I finished a little over half of this steak and baked potato, all of the tomato slices. I put the grilled mushrooms and sweet onions on the baked potato--outta sight good! The rest of it is in the frig for next time! Thanks to the workers at the Blue Diamond!

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend and Labor Day itself on Monday.

The Christmas decorations at my work cube, a break from the ESHT 2014 posts about October 9

My Secret Santa gave me this absolutely fabulous picture frame decorated with gobs of googly eyes which are among my favorite craft supplies, ever! And I put that photo of myself in my More Cow Bell T-shirt in it, because I can!



The wide shot of the cube wall, taken prior to the arrival of the googly eye picture frame and the subsequent rearrangement of certain elements of the decorations. The sign reveals the theme I chose for my efforts, but it was the two packages of green, glittery trees which inspired it! I got them at Walgreens this year; in fact, I went back a week and a half later and bought one more package, for back up!



My handcrafted Super Chikan Christmas ornament, purchased from Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Inc., in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Who wouldn't want to play a guitar decorated as a watermelon? Super Chikan's blues musician and a folk artist--he makes full-sized, playable guitars out of all sorts of everyday items. They are works of art, too. He signed in on top of the guitar neck, neat-o!



The girl and boy who are on their way to Grandmother's house. He remembered his camera! They came from the Side Street Gallery, SE 28th and SE Ash, the camera from Goodwill, and the trees from Walgreens.



Grandmother lives in the two-story house at the top of the hill. The snowy village came from Goodwill. I knew it would go home with me the minutes the sales clerk plugged it in at the counter and all of those lights came on. They change from color to color--another neat-o!



More of the woods around the village where Grandmother lives. I've been collecting these trees for eight years, all found at Goodwill and Walgreens, except for the mini-pinecone ones--those table decorations were given to me after a wedding rehearsal dinner where I took photos, sweet!




The string of party lights, labeled Retro Motorhomes, came from the Side Street Gallery. Just like the snowy village, I knew they'd go home with me. After all, my parents had motorhomes from the 1970s on until Daddy died in 1999. I just might go back and get another string of them, to have at home for year-round!