Had a good Christmas

I woke up early, 8AM, opened my and the cats' gifts from Santa. Cats got a circle that a ball rolls around in, rope covered balls, and a fuzzy teaser (shorter version of a fishing pole w/out the long string). I got a soap and lotion bath set in vanilla and milk scent and some candy canes with a light up pen. Took cats out and then went over to my parents' house. Had hamburgers for lunch. Dad had to announce the hamburgers came from the extra supplies from the 4th of July (Mom is on the committee). I said "We love to eat 6 month old hamburgers". It tasted like hamburger.

We started Miracle on 34th Street with Natalie Wood and opened presents. I got 2 sets of pj's my Mom shorten before I left, a large bottle of Target moisturing bath wash with no scent, and a kitty calendar. Tried on pj's for Mom to shorten and they fit nicely so I won't be taking them back. Mom thought they were a little big, but then pj's should be baggy for rolling around in your bed. I promised to give her my old pj's since they make good quilt blocks, they are getting thin and ragged around the waistband exposing the drawstring so I'm sure charity wouldn't want them. I caught Mom working on her quilts when she should be relaxing in front he TV watching college football, there has to be 200 games going on Christmas Day. Yeah, she said, the ones she wants to see are all on cable. Dad refuses to pay for cable and gets my siblings to record shows for him.

Finished Miracle on 34th Street, watched my brother's present of Pixar short films, and then my Grinch That Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey. The last got left behind in Dad's rewinder so I'll get it later. Then ate supper of pork, I think, it was some kind of meat cut into slices. Ate up my Christmas cookies and my brother's rolls and then said good bye. Kitties were happy to see me and chased the laser light. Watched A Christmas Story and went to bed. Now I'm off to see what I can grab for 50% off. I noitced often things are not on sale because merchants expect this after-Christmas splurge. If the day Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, then day after Christmas must be second place.

Then I have to come up with a New Year's Resolution. I think I will resolve to completely give up on trying to find a boyfriend and try a new hobby to get my sense of adventure out of my system. Wait a minute, I think that was last year's resolution and my friends tried harder to find a warm body for me to date. I swear this just like high school where people kept asking why I sat by myself at lunch and never once sat down next to me so I wouldn't be alone. Until someone else validates me as a wonderful person to know, no guy will have anything to do with me. I noticed I wasn't asked out by guys I knew for months and months until I broke up with my last boyfriend. And people can't figure out why I'm not swooning over their attention. Cause they had plenty of time to get to know me and ask me out, and they waited until I was heartbroken to do it. But then, they just wanted to hang out on my couch instead of takign me out so they were boring anyway. Perhaps I will just try a new hobby and have fun by myself. Then tell no one about it since the people I know can't handle me doing new things. I cut my hair short once and they freaked out like someone died. Post later. Bye!

Merry Christmas Eve

Had the day off to go to Omaha for the family Christmas with aunts, uncles, and cousins on my Mom's side Sunday. My aunt had ham and vegetables baking so we had a wait a while til all was done. My Des Moines sister and her family was there already. Baby niece danced around with the music like a ballerina. Soon more people arrived and we dug into the buffet. Next we chatted in the living room and my brother and sisters and parents exchanged gifts with my Nebraska sister. As I was picking up the wrapping paper I grabbed one of my nieces' presents and gave it to her. She said it wasn't hers. I wrapped their gifts so I know I put in them. Apparently my niece was feeling bad because her sisters got light up pens and she didn't. It was under the wrapping paper. Yes my nieces rip open presents in their piles and then can't remember whose stuff is whose and who gave it to them. In their going around the room thanking everyone for their presents, we have to remind what we gave them. At least they were separated when opening them this time so they didn't get confused which presents were theirs. I got a kitty lap blanket from my sister.

Anyway, one niece was given Kill Bill 1&2 from me and my sister shouted "Who gave Kill Bill, I said it was too violent!" I raised my hand. My defense was that niece is 20 and it was on her wish list. After the paper was tossed, my cousin got on the floor with my baby niece and growled like a bear. She ran away crying for mommy. My niece bounced my baby niece on her knees for a horsy ride. Baby niece wanted her to get on the floor to get on her back. I let her ride on my back about the room and since she doesn't hang on she falls off and doesn't want to ride anymore. My aunt went about the room offering stuff from her job that they give to the employees as a reward for being an employee. The stuff are things that didn't sell by a specific time frame. One thing was candles that are battery operated. My aunt said they didn't work. My brother took it apart and figured out the battery was put in backwards. Then they worked. The family discussed the big news of my niece's mock trial team going to the national competition in Delaware. My Mom asked if my brother-in-law was going too. My brother-in-law shouted from kitchen, Yes, leave the coach behind! He is a history teacher for the high school and coaches the mock trial team for the past 20 years and this is the first they won the state championship. My aunt asked if there was a international mock trial competition. My brother-in-law said that would be hard since other countries have very different laws and court systems, though a South Korea air base school and an Australian school was in last year's national competition.

Then a niece wanted to watch one of her new movies and I watched it with her, I never seen it before so she had to explain some of it. When it was over everybody started going home. When I got home we heard a scratching noise in the living room wall and the cats watched it constantly pawing where the noise was. We might have a mouse in our wall. Watched a Christmas movie and went to bed. Today got up, took cats out for their walk, and watched movies ever since. Merry Christmas Eve. The TV said Santa is in visiting Australia and moving across the Pacific. Santa already stuffed our stockings a couple weeks ago. Post later. Bye!

Weirdoes

My mother can never understand why I'm not dating anyone I know from my workplace. Here's why: I work with weirodes or they are already married.

Example: Tonight I get a guy working for another company asking if these keys belong to my company. Yes. I reach out for them and he takes them away stating I owe him $1. Excuse me? Yeah see, he gets a quarter for returning luggage carts so we owe him $1 since he is returning our keys he found on the sidewalk. Sorry, we don't give out money for turning in keys, have to ask the owner about that. He threatens to throw them back on the sidewalk where he found them if I won't give him $1. Go ahead, I reply, my coworkers will find them. He finally hands them over yelling somebody owes him a dollar. I'm sorry to ask, but is this male humor and this conversation suppose to be amusing?

Later he comes by and tells my coworkers what a horrible and mean person I am for not rewarding him for turning in keys and still yelling how we owe him a dollar. Then he gets mad over the obvious fact that I'm working on crosswords and not paying attention to their conversation. Male conversations tend to be very boring so I make an effort not to eavesdrop on them. After his slamming his hand down on the counter and imitating my "Huh", he explains they are badmouthing me, What do I think of that? "Whatever," I say, "I'm use to it" without looking up. He walks away telling us we still owe him $1. Get it from the owner, I answered. Is this more male humor I'm not getting? I work with weirdoes. Post later. Bye!

Crazy cat lady

I read an amusing article about dating crazy cat ladies. I may be a 2 cat owner, but I wouldn't call myself crazy. Yes I am fully aware they are animals, not people with fur. Though I often refer to them as my babies with fur or fur-covered sweethearts since I have none in the human form. I simply treat them as beings with feelings and needs instead of decorations lying around the house like many people do. I also gladly point out to friends that I don't have many of the problems that other people have with their cats because I pay attention to their needs so they are not destroying furniture or scratch visitors. Then again I do have a calm temperment too.

Though they do have the emotional range of many humans so that could be why they thought as people with fur. They get sad, lonely, elated, excited, angry, fearful, bored, curious, content, (horny if not spayed or neutered) and spiteful. They need attention, exertion in play, cuddle time, naps, windows to look at of, high places to observe things, companionship, clean fur/brushing, and then basic needs of a warm bed, food, water, and a toliet/litterbox. Then to keep a animal healthy: vacinations, flea killer medicine, and yearly checkups by a vet.

Well post later. Bye!

Oil change

Went over to my parents' house for my oil change (Dad insists on doing this so I let him). He used the last of my oil supply so he will get some more on sale. Sure I'll pay him for it when I get my tax refund check. Then just before the big curve before entering the town, I saw a fox. Haven't seen one by the road before. It came up to the gravel shoulder and ran away as I passed.

On the way there, I pawned my promise ring to get rid of it. I got $14 for it, $1 for city fee so it was $15 originally. Dad said those pawn shops pay 1/10th of an item's value so he who shall not be named paid plenty for it. It is 10k gold and 1/10 carat diamond on top so I am sure he didn't pay more than $100 for it. Probably got it at Walmart. The guy weighed it saying the ring is all gold and no weight from the diamond. Oh well, it's gone like him. Ta ta.

Tree branches still cover the town park and everyone's yard. Someone built a manufactured home next to my parents' house, but no one has moved in yet. I dropped their and my brother's Christmas presents so I didn't have to drag them over later. I said not to open them until Christmas. Saw Dad's new jukebox he bought to hear music as he works in the basement, but needs another person to help lift it so it sits unplugged in the living room. My wimpy muscles don't qualify as help. Mom gave me a willow basket for my stuff animal collection. The label said "laundry basket" but too small to hold much laundry. Let's just say it could hold 2 days worth of clothes, maybe 3. But perfect for stuffed animals. My stuffed animals got squeezed in so the larger ones have only their heads sticking out. The cats jumped in it and then jumped out. They prefer the top of the cupboards anyway.

And guess what was in the parking lot when I came home, the mail van at 7 PM. Must be a lot of mail for them to be at it this late at night. That's Christmas for you. Well, nothing more to add. Post later. Bye!

I don't believe this

I don't believe what just happened. Rephrase: I can believe it, I just don't want to.

I'm up waiting for the Hershey kisses off the peanut butter cookies to solidify so I can stack them in a container, otherwise I would be in bed. The phone rings at 12:30 AM and guess who it is. The guy from work who would never give me his number and last time we spoke was right before Halloween when my niece was visiting. In the message he gives me his cell to call him back and says he will try to get me at work. Ha, I don't work til Thursday.

Why do I always get the weirdoes? After a month and a half of silence, he finally gives me his number. What game is he playing cause I don't like it? Think I should call him back? I'm guessing he was drunk and found my number in his cell directory and thought, Oh let's call Jordan to see what's she's doing. Men.

Post later. Bye!

Heroin Diaries

I finished The Heroin Diaries written by Nikki Sixx. I read The Dirt twice and love Nikki Sixx, don't ask why cause I'm unsure the what the draw to him is. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in drug recovery. It is not quick solution of getting sober and all the problems disappear, the problem is staying sober when hit with heavy stress. Emotional trauma will overcome all logical thinking, as the book proves. I quote "My marriage hit the rocks. I hit the drugs." Though he does ask why didn't anyone say anything to him about his falling apart. I know why, cause he wasn't ready to hear it. When he saw a fortune teller forecasting that he will die if he doesn't change his ways, he laughed and refuse to believe him. He does die and has an out of body experience. And what does he do when he wakes up, he rips the IV out of his arm and cusses at the nursing staff to go home to do more drugs. Need I say more? I think in The Dirt after he fell down airplane steps, Demi Moore came up to him and told him that he needed help. I think at that point, he was more ready to hear it. I think if one works on the emotional problems first, giving up an addiction becomes easier since that is how drug abuse starts in the first place. But what do I know?

My draw to Mr. Sixx could be the fact that I met him once. On a trip to Arizona, I was leaving a gift shop on the way to a Spanish Mission museum when I hit someone with the door. I found a tall man holding his nose and humbly apologized, then said "Oh my God, you're Nikki Sixx." when he lowered his hand. My friend Ryan wanted to be Nikki Sixx when he grew up so I asked for his autograph for him. All I had were postcards for him to sign and borrowed a pen from the gift shop lady. He even signed one for me. even though I didn't ask for one. He asked if I should be in school. I said the teachers gave me my homework before we went on vacation. I told him we were heading for this mission but my parents were arguing how to get there by the car. He actually knew where it was and walked over to my parents and gave them directions. He asked about the license plate, the county name is at the bottom of it. He was wearing all black and my mom asked if he was hot in that outfit and I said he was. He laughed. I just stared at him while he gave directions as if he were a god and waved good-bye. I stared out the back window until he was out of sight. My friend Ryan was shocked at his present, he was expecting a key chain or post card. My classmates were shocked to hear this bad boy of rock and roll was the perfect gentlemen in that moment of time, and yes we found the mission with his directions. When I heard right before Christmas at breakfast that he had died, I cried. I was happy to hear he returned back to life like Frankenstein and actually thought of him while opening my presents Christmas morning, and hoping he was happy. Sure I may seem like an obssessed fan wondering what he is doing nearly every day, but really, I just want him to be happy whether he is in the tabloids or not. I wish Oprah would interview him, I'm sure he could help a lot of people telling his story. At least she would know he was real, unlike the Thousand Little Pieces fraud. Though I am unsure if her viewers could handle the foul language and sexual content of this book. If you can get over that, it is a good read. Post later. Bye!

Crackle, crackle, crash

Don't you just love the sound of tree branches falling in the morning. We had a nice little ice storm here. Many w/out power, but not here, down southern Iowa. I decided to postpone my shopping and visiting sister for laundry. She said the niece is watching xmas specials on tape or dvd. Ticker tape on TV said hospitals and clinic centers were closed along with basketball games in local high schools, so it must be bad tonight. Mom said tree branches were falling all around the yard and snow plows were tossing them in people's yards. She made Dad take a picture. One big one crashed through the neighbor's house and the guy put a garbage can lid to catch the drips after he tried to plastic sheet the hole. It hit the guest room closet so only valuable junk being stored away got soaked. No branches falling here, though when it got dark I thought someone put lights on the trees outside but no it is just covered in ice. Though it is pretty reflecting in the street lights. I've been watching xmas specials on VHS, I saw the DVD specials at work on my portable player. Right now I'm on Scrooged with Bill Murray. I guess my aunts in Missouri and Oklahoma are having fun in the ice and snow that hit them this weekend. Post later. Bye!

Let it snow, let it snow

Friday they were predicting a snow storm this weekend and my manager called in sick. I heard a coworker said he went shopping when the ice storm hit last weekend, when he called in saying he was too scared to drive to work. You can imagine how angry the manager was hearing that. A janitor came by saying hello. He told me another janitor was promoted to Airport Operations so I gave him the guy's Christmas card to deliver. Apparently, the other guy got a puppy for his nephew who wanted it so badly and begging for it for days, and then 2 days after receiving puppy lost interest, so this guy is stuck with this puppy he didn't want. Recently the puppy messed the floor cause nobody took it out all day and puppy couldn't hold it in any longer. I took it that the place he got the puppy didn't allow returns. This janitor I'm talking to has cats so he couldn't take it from him. Poor puppy. I called my manager asking if she will be well enough to feed my cats this weekend. The storm was hitting after the Nutcracker performance so felt comfortable going. Mom on the other hand was worked up over the snow and wouldn't come to the performance that night. My niece played a Chinese tea dancer. I was a little late because I spent too much time at McDonald's giving my hands a rest. Found sister at the door and at intermission moved to the other seats where aunt and uncle, and other niece were sitting. Talked to my aunt. She complimented my Christmas letter as being so funny, she doesn't have my sense of humor. I called Mom on my cell so she knows I made it okay. Sister talked to Mom too. I took the other niece home and the car got very warm with the defogger running on high cause the ice kept sticking to the windshield when I turned it down. I drove under the speed limit, but made it home in one piece.

Niece called her Mom and I called mine. Mom said I was very brave to drive in this weather. Yeah, well, I've driven in blizzards before so a little powdered snow doesn't frighten me. If half an inch falls, Mom thinks I should not drive cause I'll go into a ditch. Mom also informed me that niece and her group won the State Mock Trial competition (beating Omaha School) and will go to the National Mock Trial Competition in Delaware in the spring. My brother-in-law is the coach for it for the past 20 years so he was really happy. Niece failed to mention this when I asked her if anything big is happening in her life. She said it happened 2 days ago so she is still absorbing it all. Niece played on her computer and I watched TV. We heated leftovers in the microwave. Later everybody else comes home and we go to bed. Next day, sister and the girls were gone to church and brother-in-law was cooking hamburgers for us when I got up. Nutcracker dancer niece finished her report and took pictures of her bird feeders for it. Soon it was time for the church program and soup supper and the girls quickly wrapped up sister's birthday present.

One niece held the cue cards and wore no costume. Other niece wore a robe and was the first scripture reader. It was very nice program. Brother-in-law and the girls went to pick up sister's ice cream cake among other things and sister and I went to the soup supper. They came back and we celebrated sister's birthday. She got a new very large jewelry box with ring, necklace, and velvet compartments from her family. I asked if she had enough jewelry to fill up the box. She said no. I said she has to get some more. I just got her a card I mailed last week. Watch The Tin Man on the Sci-Fi station based after other books of The Wizard of Oz writer, this takes place a couple generations after Dorothy Gale went to Oz. Go to bed and wake up to only sister present. The others are at school. Sister and I chatted as we loaded my car. A can of Mountain Dew left in the car expanded and then as I opened it later squirted pop all over so I learned something not to do. I expected it to freeze but not explode when opened. Got home and let cats out as I cleaned up the mess with paper towels. Things were moved so I know my manager was here to feed the cats, and clean litterbox. Put stuff away and called Mom to let her know I made it home safely. No snow today so I was going 70. They they are predicting more snow Tuesday. Post later. Bye!

We made the news

Let it snow...Someplace else. We made the national news today when 2 planes on opposite sides of the airstrip tried to take off, wiggled, and skidded off into the slush. One guy slipped when exiting the plane and the fire department was present and had the guy in a neck brace. No planes were permitted to come or go between 8 AM-2:30 PM. According to my manager. I read an article on msn.com about it and it said 1 plane skidded, no injuries, and closed airport a few hours. Whatever you wish to believe.

Manager was happy I arrived at 3 when I was suppose to be there at 2. I went outside in the rain, poked the key through the ice several times to break through, and couldn't turn key. Hit and kick the door and manage to turn key. Kick some more and door still won't open. I give up. Call manager to have someone get me cause my doors are iced shut. I can rent a car to get home. At least the kitties refused to leave the doorway with the pouring rain and actually ran back upstairs to go into the apartment. Half hour later, I'm still waiting for the owner's brother to show up cause the car washers and other counter guy didn't make it to work either. I live 5 minutes away so I don't get to stay home, besides I need the money. I decide to try again. Hit and kick the door a dozen times with a few bad words escaping my lips before hearing a crackle. Oh my, I may get this door open yet. It opens. Call manager on cell and whack the ice with the ice scraper.

Make it to work reliving my drama. Manager says she will pay for a cab if I can't get into my car tonight. It stopped raining so I was good to go. Manager was so happy to go home and relived her drama of a closed airport mentioned above and nonstop phone calls of delayed travelers. She was too busy to get our commission figured, but promised to have it done tomorrow. I told her that my coworker who opens picked a good week to take her vacation time. About 4 PM is when the flights started landing again. I joked with a customer how people's plans get messed up when things like this happen but it's not my fault mother nature copped an attitude. She was from New York so she understood winter better than people down south. One flight I was waiting for went passed the cut off for waiting so I went home. Now back to bed to face tomorrow again. At least I know to kick the door 20 times to get it open. Post later. Bye!