I got snow on my TV. I lost a channel that went all digital. I scanned the airwaves with my digital antenna and no go. Another analog station said 2 stations went digital today and I get one of them, very clearly. Oh well, better get cable cuz it looks like the only place I am going to get a converter box is on the black market and I don't know criminals to get one. Stores are sold out and can't get one online from a familiar store. I tried sooner to get cable but the state government took over the compnay so couldn't get service in my area. I'll call Sunday or Monday when I finally get a day off. Now I can get service.

IS THIS PUNISHMENT FOR BEING POOR????????????????
Later.

Happy Late Valentine's Day

Happy Late Valentine's Day, I spent it fighting with my brother over my taxes. He came over to my parents' house to visit Dad in rehab and I went over to get my taxes done. We hit a roadblock. He needs the paper forms the government sends to do them. They didn't send any. He can't do my taxes w/out them. Oh, the government doesn't send them if you do them online, which is how he has done them for years. Then why is he complaining? Mom and Dad don't have internet. Excuse me, I have internet. Problem solved.Problem not solved. My internet is slow, the laptop fan vibrates more than his comfort level, my bank never sends interest forms, I cashed in savings bonds he doesn't know where to place on the form, I have tuition I never got a statement from the make-up up school to announce the total cost, and I made a withdrawal from my Roth IRA to pay for school and don't have the total of contributions made prior to 2008 that is required on the form. Sorry, I never needed my contributions total before cuz that doesn't count on taxes. I'm suppose to keep everything for tax purposes. Excuse me, I don't have a desk like him cuz I have tiny space here. I got a cardboard shoebox holding my financial stuff and the rest is in a box at my parents' house. Dad said to only keep things for 5 years in case of audit. I need my Roth IRA contributions for the past 8 years. He was on the computer filling out my taxes for 2 hours before he could not go further. We left to visit Dad. He gets moved to a nursing home tomorrow. It looks like I'm on my own for taxes. I don't have $168 to pay someone to do them for me.Later.

Saw Daddy

My brain is mush. I went to the grocery store to turn in my pop cans (5 cents a can in Iowa) and I forget them in the trunk so had to walk back to the car. Got yellow flowers with yellow vase I'm sure Mom will like and a balloon. Got to the hospital and asked for his room number. Sorry I was too tired to write things down when speaking to Mom. Dad looks terrible. Very pale and arm skin getting folds, I'm guessing from losing weight. I noticed his knees are all swollen from the arthitis. Nurses kept entering to ask if he needed pain medication. Not if he doesn't move. He laid down reading the newspaper while Mom and I chatted. Asked the usual to Dad, How are they treating you, How are you feeling. Surgery is tomorrow early in the morning, 5 hour surgery. Then had to do tests and such before carving into him. Tumor is size of a fist, or orange. And it is new cuz he had an x-ray of his spine last November for his shrinking spine and that tumor not there, they double checked. Apparently this is a "they" not a single doctor making decisions. He has to wear a back brace and not lift heavy objects for 3 to 5 months. My sister from Nebraska showed up. Kids busy doing homework and playing on the computer as usual. My other sister in town came yesterday. She will stay with Mom and return tomorrow when he is in surgery. The hospital chaplain came by saying he will add his name to the prayer list for their next service. I stayed a couple hours and left when I got hungry. They have free pop and it triggered my appetite.

Got the update on my sick uncle in the nursing home. He was hungry for food one day so he must be improving. My aunt told him he can't swallow anything. I think they increased his feeding tube since then so his weight is stable. The nurses actuallly suggested to auntie that she should just put him in hospice care and be done with it cuz he won't live another 6 months so what difference does it make. I replied that it means a great deal to my uncle. That really upset her since her brother just died and his funeral is in the works. I guess the test results from the autopsy aren't in yet. Mom just thinks they just don't want to take care of him anymore. Anyway, he can't go to hospice cuz the doctor who makes that order possible says he is not ready for hospice.

Had another adventure. I was washing the windshield with the washer fluid when I ran out. So I got the pleasure of figuring out how to replace it. Bought some at the grocery store and checked the owner's manual. It is labeled and right next to the battery. The fun part was figuring out how to lift the hood. I pulled the release and it popped up, but I couldn't lift it. I looked underneath to see what it was caught on. Oh, you have to move a lever to release it again. I put up the wire pole I seen Dad do to hold up the lid. Found the labeled cap and poured the fluid in. It spilled as the bottle emptied and I had to tip it further. Got it filled up and some was still left in the bottle. Pushed lid back on with my knee. Found the brake fluid, coolant, and oil chamber tube while looking for washer fluid. It is nice to know where things are. Mom always said to let Dad do it or that's why we get a husband, but Dad is unavailable and nobody wants the job so I have to take over. Let's see. Getting ideas for Novel #3 spinning in my head. I might write the first paragraph tonight. Well, Precious stopped snoring on my foot and scratching at the door. Frodo is jumping ready to play. They have napped all afternoon. Better go now. Later.

Nightmare in retail store

hey there. Thought things couldn't get worse. They did. They transferred my part-timer to Ladies shoes. They have 8 people in that section besides him. So I am all alone in my section, which means every time I take a break someone has to cover my ass. And they always leave a mess for me to clean up (sorry they put things back wrong so I actually prefer this) when I come back. Every Saturday and Sunday I have to call a manager for coverage cuz everyone I ask says they're too busy. Except today cuz I have it off. I'm sure my section will be a pig sty when I show up tomorrow. My manager better not be getting mad over the disarray of my section (she did this after I had 2 days off) cuz I'm the full timer and I am in charge of all this so just do my job like I'm suppose to. Excuse me, I can only do so much and watch the sales floor. Anytime I have a backroom project clothes people keep coming back yelling I have a customer (I don't have monitors in the backroom). I keep checking the local paper online ads and posted my resume there. I get insurance companies and 1 furniture store reply to my posting. Furniture store guy called once and I called back, then I had to work all day 4 days in a row so didn't have a chance to keep trying to catch him at the store. It's ok, I got the impression it was 100% commission and no hourly wage.

Even better. PAY ATTENTION LADIES!!! On a break I heard from the purse specialist that a frequent customer was writing out her check and a young gal stood next to her, fiddled with a purse that was behind the register blocking this coworker's view so she thought she was getting ready to pay for something. Then the young gal yelled while pointing at the wall, How much is that! (purse displayed on wall shelf) and then shouted behind her to her friend to leave now. Coworker brushes off rude interrupting gal and asks for ID for the check. Her wallet is gone. Takes her purse out to her car to look for it. Calls home from her cell that was in her coat pocket. Wallet is nowhere to be found. I ask how long did it take this woman to realize that gal at the register stole her wallet. Not long, she says. She went through her whole purse to see if anything else was stolen. Good thing she had to look for ID or she might not have realized that it was stolen and not lost. Guard your purses ladies cuz people will steal from it when you are standing right there not paying attention.

Weather is warming up so I guess this means I better get my backroom projects done this week. Spent Sunday morning watching a cute cartoon about how cell phones are so distracting. Will visit Dad in the hospital today. I get to pay less rent this month since I won 3rd place in last month's light and display contest. But they doubled the pet fee so it doesn't mean much. Cats are good. Frodo jumps around everywhere like a maniac trying to get Precious to play. Well better go. Later.