Happy Birthday to Frodo

Frodo's 3rd birthday. I ate the cake and the cats got a can of salmon.

Slim pickings

Trying to find a new apartment is harder than I thought. The apartment managers have gone anti-cat and pro-dog. Yes, there are mangers that demand cats be declawed with dogs large and small living next door. I refuse to allow my cats be killed by the neighbors' dogs because they can't defend themselves. So I am getting focused on the pet rules before rent pay or dishwasher. Some only allow one animal with $100-200 fees. I also find many places have dinky balconies that would not hold my xmas decorations. What is the point of having a balcony ifthere is not room for a lawn chair. Some places charge you a monthly fee for a parking space. Hopefully I can find a nice place soon. I have 2 days to turn in my leaving notice. Later.

New lease announcement

We love our renters so we want you to stay with us. For your reward we will raise your rent $10 and start you a water bill that is not paid to the water company, but to the apartment manager. And by the way, State of Iowa law states you have to give notice of leaving at the end of the prior month (which is in 3 days).

I guess they are not making enough from doubling the pet fees and raising garage prices. Other times I renewed my lease I got new light fixtures, carpet shampooing, and cheapo stuff in a catalog. Now I get to pay for water. I think I'll move out. Cats fear all the dogs anyway.

Now what can I afford with my work hours hacked to death and back to Mom's is no longer an option since I have too much heavy furniture to move, besides where we will put it all. Better start looking. I have 34 days to move out. Later.

Beautiful day

It was such a beautiful day I wore shorts and a t-shirt. Precious loved the weather so much that after his walk he drove me crazy meowing and jumping at the doorknob to go back out. And yet, the cats nap on the carpet, chair, table, etc. instead of outside on the balcony. I have lawn chairs for them to cuddle in.

Had fun explaining to people all day that everybody is sold out of cars cuz of the Drake Relays this week. It is a track and field event at Drake University that colleges all over the country compete in so it is a big deal around here.

Had the president in the area today and drove by the giant heliocopters on the tarmac on my way to work. He was in Newton for something, about 45 minutes east of here.

Later.

2nd opinion

Need 2nd opinion here.

I walked out of the local 24 hr grocery store with bag in one hand and purse in the other. I just got off work so it is 12:41 AM, so parking lot is dark despite the street lamps. Lady chases me down and gets right in my face saying she lives on the west side and is stranded and needs a few dollars to buy gas (in the middle of the night?) and make a phone call. I took a step back thinking I'm about to get mugged, answer back I don't have any money, and step around her to walk to my car. Next a man starts following me to my car, yelling Ma'am, ma'am, ma'am. I tossed my bags in the front seat floor when I usually put them in the trunk, holler out to the guy now 3 feet from my door I don't have any money, slam the door shut, and take off.

Did I overreact here freaking out like that? Just checking. I better note, I remember everything I wrote on my list even though I forgot it at home.

First order

I got my first Avon order in Saturday and delivered the goodies. Then the gal at the airport suddenly doesn't want her order anymore yet breaks the seal to her bubble baths to smell them. Bitch. That wasn't what she said last week when I told her when it was coming. After sniffing she decides to take the bubble baths and pay me tomorrow. I guess I should be asking if she wants me to order her stuff next week.

Then I have two ladies who want to order stuff but don't tell me what they want. One called me the day my order was due to ask if she was too late. Yes she was. I might not make it as an Avon lady. Here's hoping. Later.

Happy Easter

Today my cat did something extraordinary. As we were walking around, a neighbor gets out of his car and walks to the door. Expecting Precious to hide behind me as usual, he bolts to the door just in the nick of time before it closes and races up the stairs right behind the neighbor. I'm sure if Precious was a dog the neighbor would be terrified of being attacked. Precious continues up the stairs to our door on the third floor, neighbor stopped at the 2nd floor. Then he goes inside the apartment and I take Frodo out for some stairwell time since he refuses his harness. Precious meows as if in pain from the apartment so I let him out. And Precious just lays there while Frodo is bouncing everywhere trying to play with him. Weirdo cat.

Even better while I'm playing with Frodo near our couch, Precious plops down in the middle of our play area and yet doesn't play. Poor Frodo tries to catch the feather but Precious won't move his butt out of way so game ends. Frodo knows better than to crash into Precious.

Happy Easter Everybody. Watched Wild Police Chases cuz nothing else was on before going to work. Then watched more violence when I got home on the military channel. I have brush up on weapons and battles of the ancient world to relay into my fairytales.

I had two people tell me they wat Avon stuff but waiting for their paycheck. Passed out more samples. I'm trying.

Saw Mom yesterday at my sister's house. My niece did something unusual. I gave her a cake in the shape of a bunny. First she said she would eat right away, then decided to save it for Easter. What??? A 5-year-old saving her cake for the next day. When I gave chocolate eggs a few weeks ago, she shoved those into her mouth before my sister could take them away. My sister hates it when I give her junk food, but hey, It's Easter let her have some goodies.

My Mom still hasn't gotten around to picking a tombstone for Dad. She wants to wait for the insurance money first. She got the taxes done courtesy of their lawyer. She plans an auction for some things and my grandma's vanity table I loved since childhood will be going on sale. My Dad saved it for me cuz I wanted it but, I have no room in my bedroom and nobody I know is willing to transport it to my apartment. Just like The Little Red Hen (Not I, said the cat).

My sister commented writing a poem for Dad. But do you say about someone who is hardly around working all day and night and then watching TV when he is home. He was like talking to a brick wall. I had to wait for commercial to speak to him and often in my teen years jumped in front of the TV with my arms waving to get his attention. During vacations I try to get him to tell me stories about his childhood and he declined saying he had none. Grandma was the only one I could get to talk about the good old days. He did say during one interrogation he had dogs in his childhood and once tossed his sisters over a mud puddle and one landed in it (That's a story). Mom said she found model airplanes he put together as a kid when looking for things to sell. I never knew he did that. It is amazing what you find out about a person after they die. Why can't people let you get to know them when they are alive? After one grandma died I discovered she graduated college and was a one room school teacher before gettig married. Mom didn't know that either and thought her sister was the first in the family to go to college.

Well, Happy Easter.

Weekend adventures

I was freaking out Saturday closing for a coworker cuz people from other counters kept leaving hours earlier than last time I closed on Saturday last Fall. Is my watch broken? No, in the quest in saving money the other counters are closing much earlier due to lack of business on Saturdays. Woe to the weekend traveler to find most counters closed. One counter leaves after the last flight so she left right after me. Our closing time is the same, I checked my coworker's time card to verify.

Had one guy in the SuperElite Club of the car rental next door who knew when they close and yet expected them to be waiting for HIM when he finally arrives. Sorry the girl left an hour and half ago. That is no excuse cuz they knew he was coming, they just lost a customer forever. Yeah, yeah, I heard that before and they always come back. I have cars available. Rent a minivan since he has a bunch of Asian clients who speak very little English with him. He will rent from now on with us from our exceptional customer service (I'm just open while others are closed but whatever).

Had a fear of doom when I saw a evicted from our patience customer made a new reservation. Why would you make reservations when you know we will refuse to rent you a car? I had a plan in my head that if this nightmare from hell throws a fit being refused a car when she has a reservation and/or demands I call the manager at home to settle this issue, I will simply call security and she can contact the manager on Monday. Doom never came and neither did anyone claim this reservation. Relief.

Passed out my Avon catalogs to discover 2 Mary Kay sellers, someone has a grandma who sells it, and somone has a sister who is a distict manager of Avon so they are Avoned out. One Mary Kay lady took the catalog to keep up what competition is doing. Hey, we do that all the time getting on the internet and calling the 800 numbers of other places to check the prices of our competitors. One gal ordered stuff and I had to ask her name. I explained I talk to a lot of people I don't the name to, Sorry but I do know your face and your job.

Saw the bossman today and he looks the same as he did last year when I saw him last. Told him I'm selling Avon now and wearing my hair up again (I used to have it down but is got in my face too much when I'm working). Then a friend of his walked up and ended our conversation.

Had a new skycap try to pick me up. He is 23 and lives with his mother in the hood, would I find that a problem? I explained he is a little young for me. He explained age is just a number and he's perfectly legal. Yes, maturity level does matter and we are not on the same level. I want a man whose stands on his own two feet and takes care of himself, not a boy whose mommy takes care of him.

Let's see. It snowed today, but at least it melted on the pavement and just remained on the grass. It has been so nice lately I thought winter was over. Well, nothing more to report.

Boring week

Precious has the hiccups. I have been looking into becoming an Avon Lady. Frodo is getting playtime in the stairwell that was interupted today by the cleaning lady and her noisy vacuum. Today Precious got an hour walk since it stopped being so windy.

Had only one difficult customer who thought I just fell off the train from Stupidsville and got mad I refused to honor a promise someone made to him, who he could not name. The problem was his business rate forbids any upgrades to bigger cars so he can't get a bigger car that he wants. Then he sends in his barracuda wife to change my mind. My position: Barracuda is not the renter and not part of this conversation. Called the managers and nobody at our counter promised him anything. I had plug my ear to hear my manager on the phone because the customer wouldn't stop yelling how he will take his business elsewhere if he can't have his way, and assured me I don't want that. I did not rent this car and will not be returning it so I get nothing giving away a larger car for free, my counter promised him nothing, he can not name who spoke to and there are no notes to back up his lie, it is his company who made this problem not me, so therefore, he is welcome to take his business elsewhere. I never fight for a**wipes. He took the car I offered and went on his way when I recited what the manager said.

I have getting into Meerkat Manor lately. I get to work on a day off so a coworker can have a day off. I need the hours. Can not think of anything else to say. Later.