The Adventures of Being Me

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends. Is it December already? Closed early New Year's Eve, kissed the cats at midnight, and went to sleep. New Year's Day I had off so I had a Cocoa Day where I sit on the couch wrapped in a blanket and drink cocoa. New Year's Day was also our first snow for the kittens and paws flew in all directions over the ice. No injuries though, except pride. They despise wet paws so we didn't play in it for long. Mom had her knee replacement replaced and had the luxury of nursing home care after surgery this time around for frequent physical therapy. She didn't have to cook, clean, or wash, but had to tolerate being awoken by alarms when patients fell out of bed. Soon she came home and lived on the couch while Dad did the cooking, cleaning, and washing, for a while. Precious celebrated his 1st birthday making him a fully grown adult tomcat. He got a can of salmon and new placemats for the food dish and water bowl. Despite the Brown Chr...

I got some multicolored icicle lights for my balcony and gutters. I misjudged the length of the balcony. At first I didn't think I could reach the gutters, but with help of my foot stool I did. So I go to the store to get 3 more cords of lights (4 all together) and an extension cord to reach the outlet. There is no outdoor outlet so the extension cord must be shoved into the sliding door. Get down to the last cord and the 3rd cord I put up falls down off the gutter and one bulb breaks. I realize I read the instructions wrong, but then the picture had a white hook against a white gutter so it was hard to tell how to position it. Hey, I did figure out what a gutter lip was on my own. Change hook positions and finish the gutter lights. I double check and check to make sure there is no outdoor outlet. Plug in the lights and the extension cord makes an inch or two gap in the door. Wiggle the extension cord to make it bend and slam the door as hard as possible and check for cold air comi...

Happy Thanksgiving to Everybody. Precious ventured outside for 25 minutes in foot prints everywhere snow. Frodo made it out 2 minutes and spent the rest inside the stairwell. Then they ran upstairs and went right in the apartment door w/out fuss. I served turkey and gravy cat food for their snack. Frodo is now playing with the plastic package that contained my lunchmeat turkey that I tossed in the garbage after making my sandwich for work. Must love that turkey smell. It's not just dogs that pull things out of the garbage can. Gotta go get ready for work. Have a good day. Post later. Bye!

Yesterday I wore my winter coat the first time since March, today I wore a T-shirt outside. Then they say we will get a white Thanksgiving. Ah Autumn, you put away your summer wardrobe and a few weeks later drag it back out. I saw on the news parents placing spyware on their computers to keep tabs on what their teens on doing online, then read an article about a teen hanging herself because of a hoax. I'm glad the internet wasn't full force when I was a teen, my archenemy would had a field day with that, she spread lies about me from 1st grade to 12th grade, making my school days a living hell. Her mother was the school librarian and gave me a talking to after I pushed her daughter down the stairs (she tripped me on the stairs so this was returning a favor). Yes this mother explained to me that is was acceptable for her daughter to be nasty to me because her older sisters were mean to her. Excuse me? The archenemy even offered her hand in friendship, under the condition that sh...

Ah Christmas shopping: The Pain of Giving. Yes, I start shopping for gifts before Thanksgiving. The early bird gets stress out of the way so she can enjoy the holiday season before it ends. If only Lucy (from PeanutsCartoons) would stop demanding gifts we can't afford and then demanding we stop exchanging gifts because she never gets what she wants (if you expect the sun, moon, and stars you are bound to be disappointed). She protests every year by donating to a charity in our names. I don't have rich in-laws or a spendthrift husband so I don't look forward to buying my own Christmas gifts because Lucy is a selfish bitch. Though I don't think they are really rich in-laws, they just spend more money on frivolous things that would give my mother a heart attack. I buy my own birthday gift and hate it, enough said? I got a soap, lotion, and candle bath set for the sister or niece who doesn't give me a wish list. I usually get a wish list threatening them with a bath set...

Everybody says there's no full moon so it must be something in the water making the fruitcakes come out of hiding on my shift. Warning: Work stories coming so delete now if you don't like my nightmare customers. Where to start. I had to turn away 2 people with checkcards. First one said to just run it through as a credit card instead of a debit card. That is not how it is done. I wanted to say "You ain't at a grocery store buying a bag chips, you are renting a $30,000 car", but not allowed to be that rude. I directed her to the next door counter. We do take check cards if they have proof of a return flight leaving DM and the 2nd person said he was flying out. No he isn't, he lives in DM. He is flying to Ames. There's no commercial airport there. Gets on his phone since I won't take his $100 in cash and wants me to talk to his friend about overcoming this problem (it is overcome when he produces a credit card). Is he is giving me a credit card ?, I ask....

I walk into the airport and guess what I came face to face with: The airport employees were putting up the Xmas decor, I think someone counted the wreathes to be 84 one year. The tree is still plain w/out ornaments. What are are they thinking?, It's not even Thanksgiving yet. Is it not bad enough to look for Halloween decor with Thanksgiving and Xmas right next to it. At least they haven't started music yet. One blessing counted. Post later. Bye!

Normally Frodo is terrified of dogs and hides from them. Yesterday, a puppy came out and rolled over onto the ground near the cats. The owner pulled on the leash and then picked it up to go on their walk. Frodo was riled up as usual. Maybe it was me petting him to soothe him, puppy there Frodo here, thus Frodo is safe. Puppy goes around the corner and Frodo calms down, then follows puppy around the corner. Curious over this strange behavior, I follow Frodo to see him stalking the puppy from a distance asking him what he thinks he is doing (Yes I speak to my cats, they just don't answer back). Leave the puppy alone, I say to him and try to pick him up. Last thing I need is another dog owner screaming at me for antagonizing their dog. Frodo escapes and approaches puppy at very close range. Puppy owner asks if my cat is friendly. He is usually afraid of dogs, so not really friendly. Curious puppy sniffs Frodo, nearly touching noses. Frodo hisses with fur riled up. I grab Frodo and tak...

Until today, only once I have been asked to keep my cats away from the porch door of a dog owner because her dog goes berserk when he see my cats. I have wholeheartedly complied with this request since and have done my best to keep my cats out of view of said dog who lives below my apartment, which doesn't make compliance easy exiting or entering the building. Today, I was walking my cats as usual when a lady first thinking I was a crazy lady wandering around the place, then realizing I was walking my cats started yelling at me how rude it was to allow my cats on her porch and how it is impolite it was not to have my cats on leashes when it is the rule that all cats be on leashes. To my knowledge, I have have read only Dogs are required to be on leashes by city law and apartment manager's rule. She explained her dogs go crazy seeing my cats. I believe her dogs would still go berserk if my cats were on leashes and off her porch. I did not wish to provoke an argument over the fac...

With a new speakers to make the PA's (public announcements) louder from complaints they can't be heard (they still can't be heard outside the airport though the radio can be), they added a new voice blasting through speakers atlernating between the time, don't leave baggage unattended every five seconds (I timed it on my watch), and a booming Testing 123 Testing along with the radio playing constantly and other PA stuff in the old voice (the security thing has been raised to orange, please don't leave bags unattended) alternating every 5 minutes. Sometimes the radio/ old voice and new voice play at the same time. It's driving me crazy I'm ready to kill someone. I can't hear my customers either with it constantly playing 5 seconds and difficult to page anyone because it won't allow you to page with the PA's playing. And then with the new speakers, the coworkers smoking outside can't hear pages like they use to, but the radio can be heard playi...

I read in the paper today how a mother was whining how her protective mothering was being foiled by unruly parents exposing her 6-year-old son to junk food at the school's snack time. The Nerve! Apparently not every elementary school has snack time provided by parents taking turns. My sister a school librarian said low income schools don't do this because free lunch students can't afford to bring snacks to class. The ones who do have parents complaining about their child's allergies, preferences, and spread of diseases with homemade treats. So this lady's problem is really with the parents of her child's classmates. Her declaration was that children should get healthy snacks her child is allowed to have at home, not what other children are allowed at home. This lady sounds like my sister trying to keep my niece innocent for as long as possible. Yes, my sister the school librarian has treats in the form of fruit and crackers, with the occasionaly pb&j sandwic...

I saw a commercial for a news story of a family in the area trying to live a week without any products Made In China from the lead paint scare in children's toys. The reporter said if we Americans all banned Chinese made products we could make great change in Chinese regulations of dangerous products. Good luck with that. Chinese made products are everywhere. Every shoe but New Balance brand is Made in China (Yes even expensive brand names are Made in China). New balance in Made in USA. Every other piece of clothing in Made in China, with few exceptions of other 3rd World Countries. Some labels say American made materials assemblied in a 3rd World Country. Flags, books, toys, electronics, pillows, blankets, decorations, and furniture sitting in American homes mostly will have Made in China labels. Well, computers and TVs would be Made in Japan. Chinese products are going to be very hard to ban from any home, it will as easy as that one church down south tried to ban Disney. Disne...

I almost lost Precious. I was outside searching for him and heard him meowing. I thought he was under a car or something. One of the people moving in said to bring the cat back out. Precious can't resist an open door so I assume he snuck in. He just rolled in dirt so I'm sure they didn't touch him or try to catnap him. I got an update on that friend's daughter whose husband kicked her out after losing her job. She was looking at these dating sites for her soon to be former husband to find his profile. He has a profile claiming he's single and has a romantic username like Cupid or Romeo (you get the picture). This daughter sent him an email stating that last she heard he was still very much married. Plus he has been busy selling his boats, houses, motorcycles, etc. and pocketing the money. Her lawyer has frozen his assets so he can't sell and will be hit with Contempt of Court if he does. That will teach him he's not the center of the universe, right? Then wh...

You know you are the only person who dresses up for Halloween when people asked why you weren't at work in a costume on days you have off. Well, a gal at the car rental next door was dressed in pj's but nobody else. Post later. Bye!