Random Acts of Daily Life
by Katy on February 21, 2025 · 31 comments
My sister is winding up her visit to Portland and although most of our time is spent visiting with our parents, I’ve roped her into a few shenanigans. Just yesterday I made sure that our errands took us past my old Providence St. Vincent coworkers, where we screamed and chanted our support for them on the 42nd day of their nurse’s strike.
“One day longer, one day stronger!”
I do not miss working for the Sisters of Profit, a company that berates their nurses for claiming valid overtime due to understaffing, but spends millions of dollars to plaster their name on a sports stadium.
We also snuck into the county passport office, so I could drop off a thank you gift for the employee who went above and beyond to make sure my daughter’s passport application included every possible official document before the new administration took office. Her passport was quickly and efficiently processed and it was 100% because of this person’s attention to detail. I wanted them to know how deeply their efforts were appreciated.
I then convinced my sister to close an old credit union account from when she lived in Portland, for which she was rewarded with considerably more money than she realized was in the account. Happy sister!
She then treated us to dinner, where she paid for us to split a huge fish and chips platter. Free dinner for Katy!
I’ll be back to my normal routine starting tomorrow and although I’ll miss having my sister around, I have some neglected projects that require my attention.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
First-thank you again, Katy, for your blog! I am so glad that I found you, and I am loving reading your entries and all the comments, as I seek to turn myself from a spender into a saver. How lovely that you took the time to go by the passport office and take that employee a thank you gift! I make a real effort to thank people when I get good service, especially by telling or writing their supervisors. And simply being nice and asking folks how their day is going goes a really long way.
Appreciate you!!
It is nice to hear about such a close sisterly relationship.
Good for you Katy for taking the time to give a special thank you to the passport office employee. I have done the same when someone has helped me, and it is always well received, even though they are often very surprised. This makes me think it’s not the norm, which is sad.
I love all of this.
xxx
Me too … I wait for your blog posts like a favorite TV show, and I always feel better after reading them (and the comments). What a fantastic group of people gravitate to this blog. Thank you, Katy, for sharing what probably seems mundane to you (week after week) but is so captivating to the rest of us. By detailing the minutiae of life, it gives those things weight and attention … and something everyone can relate to.
Glad you had success with the passport. We are doing the same thing here (not difficult in Chicago so feeling lucky for that). Amen to making sure the employee feels your appreciation!
YES! GO Katy!!!
I honestly thought it was called Sisters of Profit for half a sec. Ha!
The usual around here. Work work work, and I’m putting together a yummy looking stir fry out of various leftovers culled from the fridge and the freezer for din. I’m also putting together a proposal for an article for the NY Times about my tenants of horror (for anyone who remembers from a couple years ago). I asked my friend who’s a reporter there for hints, although he is always gloomy about publication. As he said, he can’t get an op-ed in the paper even though he’s a Pulitzer Prize winning staffer of 20+ years. Well, we’ll see. Readers do love Tenants/Roommates from Hell stories.
Rose, that is crazy about your Pulitzer-winning friend! Didn’t know it was *that* competitive. I get the (physical) Sunday NYT delivered every week for $5 and I make it last all week. I can barely stand to read the front section these days but I make the rest of the sections last! I hope you get published.
It’s crazy! It’s much easier to pitch the Washington Post, who has printed my stuff. We’ll see. At least I don’t feel bad if they ignore me!
Impressive!
I thought Sisters of Profit was for real too, for a quick second. It made me think of the church from Lake Woebegone in Prairie Home Companion, Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility.
Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you’ve been able to spend time with your sister. Both of my sisters live in the Midwest and I am on the East Coast so time with them is precious.
We have St. Agnes (St Agony) as one of our closest hospitals and since they have been affiliated with “non-profit”Ascension they are an institution to avoid. I switched PCPs to a different practice and hope to never use the hospital.
I am also really appreciating Katy and this group of smart, empathetic women who put their beliefs into practice. This week I did the usual frugal things–put together meals from what I have, brought my lunch and coffee, walked, wore layers, saved water. I bought a few cards and small gifts for ailing relatives from a thrift store that funds animal rescue.
And I attended and helped organize protests to defend immigrants, education, trans people, federally-funded programs and fired federal workers. I work at a public university that I a ‘target-rich’ environment for the Trump/Musk regime and where the administrators are complying in advance rather than fighting back. Protesting isn’t all we need to do–we also need to talk with less progesssive neighbors and friends about what’s happening, pressure legislators, set up mutual aid and protection for those directly under attack, and more. But in my opinion it’s important to also show up visibly as often as we can, as Katy did on the picket line. We are the resistance this time! With respect and appreciation for you all.
What everyone else said. Particularly love what you did at the passport office.
Team Katy!
With federal workers/ our government under siege, it’s so great that you were able to make that happen AND thank the person
Glad to hear you are in solidarity with the strikers. It’s the same old story: The fat-cat corporate executives get everything they want and then some, obscenely high salaries and benefits — and then think the grunt workers should be happy with the crumbs they’re thrown even though they are working long hours under bad conditions. Trickle-down economy does not work for anyone except the top tiers. When will the public wake up and realize this???
On a semi-related matter, a few weeks ago you mentioned that the guys at the New York Times who put up the Wordle puzzle were on strike. I boycotted my favorite puzzle and just did the copycat Word Guessr instead. (Which in many ways is better — you can play multiple times, and you can switch the number of letters in a word; it doesn’t have to be five.) Has the strike been settled? Is it OK to return to original Wordle, or should we keep up with our boycotting?
Speaking of roommate/renter horror stories, I’m just now able to get my front room (LR-DR) back in shape after my Roommate From Hell trashed it. My sweet pastor rounded up some guys from church who came this morning to move out the big antique furniture. (Lowe’s won’t touch antiques.) It took them less than an hour and I saved $500, which was what the professional moving crew quoted me. Last night, I took all the drawers out of the chest furniture and the top drawer nearest where RFH sat working on her computer was full of dead roaches. Apparently they had a nest in there. Yuck! The carpet, as I mentioned before, has black stains on it (it was light beige) and stuck-on candy that no one can pull up. It is being replaced, but I dread seeing what’s underneath. Needless to say I am mega embarrassed about anyone seeing that filthy mess. Next week, it will be all fixed with vinyl flooring and I can’t wait to put my items back where they belong. Esp. now that the rest of my house looks like a warehouse with furniture being temporarily located just about everywhere — hallways, kitchen, den, even the guest bathroom. I have quite the obstacle course to navigate! But it’ll all be worth it once the room is back to normal.
Fru-gal Lisa, I hear you on your topsy-turvy house. While work is being done on our house, the dishwasher is stored in the family room downstairs, the refrigerator is in the garage, the microwave and toaster oven are in the office, and the non-perishables, dishes, utensils, tools and pots/pans are in the bedroom. Boxes containing everything else are stacked up in the bedroom and living room. Putting a meal together is a lot like navigating an obstacle course! And like you said, it’ll all be worth it once things are back to normal.
Fru-gal Lisa,
As soon as I saw Rose mention tenants/roommates from Hell, I thought of you with your horrible RFH. I’m glad your home is finally coming back together in the aftermath of her leaving. (My house also has light beige/cream-colored carpet which shows EVERYTHING – we didn’t choose it, it was here when we bought the house), and I can’t wait to replace it.
The strike lasted for eight days in early November 2024.
I think it’s safe to play Wordle again.
1. Our provincial testing lab folk are on strike – and good for them, it is a private company and they are paying highly qualified technicians $2-4 less than those same folk are paid in Hospital positions. The strike just started. I noticed that the local ‘living wage’ (read surviving, not even thriving) is over $25 /hour in my rural and (housing) expensive community – the starting wage for these technicians is just $2/hour more, which is appalling to me. If you need a 2 year diploma, you need to get a thriving wage when you finish school. Harumph. Anyway, I will pick up some treats and drop by one of the labs when I hear that the rotating strike will be local, thanks for the great idea, Katy!
2. I’ll be walking tomorrow night on the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser – it is the 4th year we have had it in my community. In the first 3 years we raised enough money that we were able to get a mortgage on a house!!! This will be used as a shelter for youth who are under-housed or living in dangerous or exploitive situations. We have homeless shelters but you need to be over 19 – this new shelter will take youth 13-19, and, as we all know, once you have seed money you have something to build on. I am so glad to be team lead – our group was leading in fundraising until a few days ago, and we still are in the top 5 (since the money all goes into the same pot, we all win, but a bit of competition got some of the teams that were behind us hussling!)
3. I got another package of dumplings out of the overstuffed fridge freezer, ate half one night, and when #2 son didn’t move fast enough, I ate the other tonight. Dumplings – mmmmm. On sale? More mmmmm.
4. I stopped at our discount veggie store and discovered the guys putting out BEAUTIFUL green and red lettuces for about 1/3 of what they would normally sell for. When I asked them, they said their warehouse guy was over run because Canadians are cutting way back on purchases of American produce – but these are contracts from months ago that are being fulfilled. So the warehouse sold this tiny veggie company (they have three outlets ) a HUGE supply of lettuce at a steep discount, which was being passed on to us. I am one of the Canadians being more discerning about what I buy, but I thought of those farmers in California who worked so hard to produce these lettuces, and will be eating lettuce salads for the next few days.
I fit one of the two expensive seedy breads that I bought when I visited mom into the newly opened up fridge freezer. While in there, I inspected other ‘need to remove’ foods and am doing some meal planning for the next couple of weeks.
5. I got myself to the gym without my trainer, and ended up joking around with one of her other clients, which made the whole thing even more positive. Lifting heavy weights will keep me strong both physically and mentally, which is going to be needed in the coming months/years.
6. Most books I am reading somehow are slipping in a few Buddhist ideas, which makes me wonder if I just have red-car syndrome, or if my book choices are subconsciously moving me toward a more accepting and gentle way of processing the world. Who knows, but I am a little less irritated. Not a lot, mind you. Just a little.
I applaud Canadians for taking a stand against the severing 9f good trade partnerships by the president of chaos. I also appreciate your recognizing how hard farmers work to produce food. So many of t(em are going to have their businesses destroyed quickly and the food availability and distribution system terribly impacted. We are in for a rough ride.
It’s sad that nurses who have proven they are essential are not appreciated.
Jill A,
It’s not just nurses (though they are the main boots-on-the ground health care workers, no question). I’ve been a hospital dietitian for almost 39 years, and have noticed a definite shift to making money vs quality care. The folks doing the actual patient care are the ones suffering, because the bean counters who have nothing to do with patient care are calling the shots. Oh, they put on such a “we care about our employees” game, but when it comes down to it, and 2.something annual raise doesn’t cut it.
One of the things that came up yet again this week with our boss: the carpet in our overcrowded office is almost 20 years old, and is stained and worn. It only recently was shampooed for only the second time, ever. At least three years ago, the VP over our department saw our office and the shabby carpet, and vowed to see about getting it replaced. Fast forward 3 years: the cost was estimated to be $11,000 3 years ago, and is probably even more now….and the cost will only be going up the longer they wait….yet our boss is saying “well, they have to look at the whole financial picture”, blah blah blah. Eye ball roll. My boss HATES when I tell her “this contributes to us feeling like we’re the ‘low man on the totem pole'” (apologies to Native Americans). She seriously DOESNT GET IT. $11,000 is a drop in the bucket, and I can guaran-damn-tee you that managers, the CEO, etc., do not have filthy, worn out carpet in an office that you share with 8 other people.
Long time reader who just wanted to drop you a comment to say that your blog has become my “comfort blog.” The calm and reasonable take from a person that shares my values is super relaxing to me for whatever reason. Not to mention you live in my dream climate. . Thanks for all the effort and inspiration you’ve put into this for so many years!
Thank you, that’s so sweet! So . . . I guess you like rain?
Rain, rocks, moss, ferns, and Katie, Oregon has it all!
I learned the word Pluviophile last week when I was walking at Tofino (west coast of Vancouver Island, wonderful beaches, TONNES of rain)
( https://pluviophile.net/what-is-a-pluviophile/ )
I live on Vancouver Island – so we kind of have Portland weather – approx the same amount of rain at 37 inches of rain/year. (Portland looks to be 36 inches/year). We are a bit colder in the winter but no hotter in the summer. It is marvellous weather if you aren’t a snow fan and you aren’t made of sugar so you don’t melt in the rain.
There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.
***
And, you speak truth about this blog becoming a comfort blog. Thank you @Katy for creating and maintaining this space – I join Laura and so many others in appreciating having these wonderful folk joining together to share our joys and challenges. Thank you, thank you!
First, kudos to Katy for all her recent achievements, especially the shout-out to the striking nurses and the thank-you to the helpful passport office worker.
And here’s a PSA: Since the Muskovites have been swinging their virtual axes at the IRS along with numerous other federal agencies, it’s struck me that those of us filing our taxes ought to get our forms submitted as quickly as possible. The delays are likely to be considerable no matter how fast we get them in, and the longer we wait, the worse they’re likely to be.
Of course, if you choose to protest the current hell in DC by not filing taxes at all, that’s another story altogether. Hell’s bells, taxation without representation and the responses to it are part of the US origin story. Don’t think I’m not tempted.
1. I recently started volunteering at my local library. Since then I have noticed a distinct decrease in browsing/buying ebooks online.
2. Major goal for the year is to read down my TBR backlog on my Kindle. Another reader/commenter here (Hi, Juhli!) brought the 52 Books 2025 Reading Challenge to my attention. I printed out their prompts list, and have been going through the Kindle content I already own to match to the prompts. If I don’t already own a book that fits a prompt, I will find a library/little free library/or other free option for a book to match the prompt. Making the book choices this way has added a lot of excitement to my annual goal for me.
3. I have 2 granddaughters away at college. My hobby is making cards. I make and mail cards at least twice a month for them. I also tuck a stamped self addressed postcard into each card I mail them with fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice statements…these are for them to return to me by mail. It’s to add a bit of lighthearted fun, but also train them to respond to mail with mail. 🙂
4. My husband was a mechanic in a previous career. It has saved us thousands and thousands of dollars in car repairs and longevity of car ownership.
5. For the past few days, my pup and I are keeping warm by snuggling together for the majority of each day. February 20 was National Love Your Pet Day…that’s every day around our house…keeps us warm and lowers our blood pressure. 🙂
I’m so glad the nurses are holding out strong. A family member had to stay at St. V’s shortly after the strike started (we’re not a picket-line crossing family but in an emergency, sometimes needs must, you know?) and the care was so much worse than normal. Everyone was doing their best but it was not the same. Those nurses are worth their weight in gold and I hope they hold out and get everything they deserve.
Katy, my heart goes out to you, your daughter, and your family.