RIP Cousin Tammy

Cousin Tammy died last night. Called my Mom to make sure she knew. I read it on the caring bridge website they had set up. My sister beat me to it. But she neglected the burial part so shared that. She wanted to be cremeted and interred at the family cabin by the lake. Whether that means buried, ashes spread on the grass, or sit in an urn on the fireplace mantle is unclear, but she won't be in a cemetery. They plan a service next spring at the cabin. So sad. Her poor husband is all alone with 2 girls, one an infant, so her parents are staying a while to help out during this adjustment period.

I had a strange dream about Tammy last night as I laid in bed. She was smiling at me surrounded by clouds wearing bright white robes. She whispered a soft good-bye and disappeared. I had the same dream the night before she died too.

Later.

Merry Christmas Eve

Did laundry today and drove over in freezing rain getting there. I wanted my lent movies back. Gave my little niece a cherry flavored candy cane for her xmas gift. She was so happy to get a candy cane she could eat. I joked it tastes like cough syrup. They just finished some cookies when I came so had to sample them.

Get home and put away the groceries. Now Precious is snoring and Frodo is napping in my lap. We got another storm coming so have to wait and see if will make it to Mom's house. I can stay home too if weather is too bad. Later.

Ceiling is leaking again. I called the office for the 3rd time now and I think they are getting tired of my phone calls cuz this time an excuse of how there is so much snow and ice about. Yeah, I lived in my last apartment 5 years and never experienced a leaking ceiling. Guess it is something I better get used to until spring. And another storm is coming our way tomorrow.

Saw Superman today. He rented from my coworker. I saw him standing afar looking nervous at the counter so I picked him out from the 3 flight crowd walking around. I guess I looked too happy to disturb watching Patrick Swayze rob a bank.

Found out why 2 customers were abandoned at the car rental next door Sunday night. Because the closer called in sick so the other worker left when his shift was over. Hell, I would have stayed an extra hour or came in an hour later to close, but as I always say... That's not my problem.

Let's see. Precious tried to jump on a 3 foot snow drift on my balcony and went kerplunk.

Out of things to say. Later.

Oh my goodness

I just got update from my cousin's cancer fight. She is home again with her family. 1st she had a bad reaction to the chemo, then water in her lungs and needing an oxygen tank, and now is lacking protein but good enough to send home after a week in the hospital. They have researched the internet and found a organic diet that could help her.

You probably just want to know why I said oh my goodness. That was polite way of putting it. In the internet journal cousin's sister has been keeping, a nurse told cousin to just go home and enjoy her family before she dies. She has been nursing for 30 years and knows all feeble attempts of survival will fail, just go home and die. Cousin-in-law who is a doctor and cousin is a nurse were shocked this person said that. Cousin's sister naturally encouraged her to fight the cancer, and hey she is well enough to go home.

Anyhow, had to blog that. It is out of my system now.

Nice day

I have a leaky ceiling again, in the same spot as before. Precious had a 23 minute walk today. He hates wet paws. Janitor gave me a xmas gift cuz I am so nice and give so much to people. And then I heard opera like singing and looked around for the singer expecting Luciano Pavarotti and found a teen waiting for his ride with his Dad (I assume). He sang so well I gave him money. Another girl applauded. He danced around in hip hop style and we missed him when he left. You know you are good when a complete stranger hands you money. I told him we don't get much entertainment down here. Then I fret over having enough cars but one gal cancelled and another was on the Do Not Rent List so I had enough cars. Leave work to scrape ice off the car from the freezing rain now frozen. I'm ready for bed. And finally, Precious and Frodo were playing so hard they nearly knocked over two cat towers. I caught them before landing in the water bowl. That would be a very loud boom to the downstairs neighbor.

What a day

I get a boring night...until. Guy comes in to exchange cars. Simple, no. His contract has the wrong car attached to it and the wrong car has been retured to Kansas City. Then the correct car number he has the keys for is on yet on another contract. I wish people would watch what they are doing. I understand mistakes happen but often a headache to fix. Then while cleaning up this mess before I can help customer into his exchanged car, I get a guy on the phone wanting to argue to the death over his prepaid rental. Problem is he came in a day late and wants his money back for the day he didn't have the car. I explain how "we" figure daily charges, but we can not alter prepaid agreements. He must speak to the prepaid company. Oh, he spoke an hour to those people so he thought to scream at me cuz they refused to refund any money. He can scream and fuss and throw a tantrum all f***ing day, I CAN NOT HELP HIM. He finally gives up and I continue with the problem before me. Problem eventually gets fixed enough for me to send my customer on his way.

Then while waiting for my last customer, a lady announces to me she is my last customer (actually she not, but neglect to argue) and hands over her stuff. She is on the Do Not Rent List. How can that be? She has a reservation, why was she allowed to make a reservation and shoves her print out in my face. Because the reservation line and various websites are not hooked up to the Do Not Rent List (anyone can make a reservation but not everyone can get a car). I think the problem was the compnay who owns us also owns 2 other car rentals and they have been combining our computer systems so when one company places her on the list, she gets put on all 3 companies' lists. Gave her the number to call for info. Can't rent to her.

Home again and relaxing with a cup of cocoa watching the kitties play.

Precious wants out

Took Precious outside since he accepted the harness. Two minutes of wet paws, he ran back to the apartment. Hasn't accepted the harness again so he remains inside. Can't go out onto the balcony because it is covered in 3 feet of snow.

Exercise for the day

Spent over an hour digging my car out with rests inside the car, all by myself.

It's dark in here

Poor Precious will not be going out again today.

Home early

Called up the bossman to ask to leave early. All the other counters were leaving at 8:00 so boss and manager agreed I could go. Everything was cancelled anyway. My car washers had trouble driving around so left early to. How can we expect customers to drive out of our lot if my coworkers can't get in. The airport bus that took me to my car got stuck for 5 minutes trying to leave the lot. Had fun getting home. My apartment parking lot was up past my snow boots so must not have been plowed all day. I think I'll stay home tomorrow, after digging my car out with a shovel when the snow plow pushes ton of snow behind it. Well here's some pics of the cats looking out the balcony to give perspective how high the snow is. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, someplace else. Haha. I think I'll stay home my day off. I think I'll stay home tomorrow.

Had a guy call customer service call for a customer stuck in the snow wanting us to drive him out another car. He needs to call roadside assistance for help. There is tow ban so he actually needs the National Guard to come get him cause we and our tow truck company are forbidded to rescue him. And if his highness wants to complain of our bad customer service, he can lodge it at the governor's office.

Chritsmas letter 2009

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends. My year started at a Department Store's Men’s Shoes Department ringing up people during nonstop after-holiday sales. We got a big shock when my uncle suddenly died of a heart attack while spending a quiet night at home with my aunt. Frodo developed a habit of pawing my face when the early morning alarm went off. Working long hours, my cats felt neglected and seized any attention they could get. A light at the end of the tunnel came when old coworker said she was leaving for a closed captioning job and I immediately emailed my old manager to get my old job back. Good thing I kept in touch. I was welcomed with open arms and everyone at the airport told me they missed me. A 2 ½ month hiatus luckily failed to destroy my memory so going back to the car rental business was like I never left. When asked about the department store I replied with “It was such a fantasy I came back here” or “It is the type of place where the customers dress better than the employees”. Oh sure we get a 20% discount, but we can’t afford the other 80%. Did my taxes myself for the first time with the complications of cashed bonds and make-up school tuition confusing my brother enough to make me do them.

Dad went back to the hospital to remove yet another cancerous mass from his spine this time and later died of MRSA infection that developed in the incision site. My last trip to see Dad I rubbed lotion into his alligator skin and told him I was getting cable again. I explained my theory of digital TV being a punishment for being poor. With this awful recession, not everyone can afford digital flat screens and DVRs to avoid buying a converter box. Stayed with Mom the week after Dad’s death with my siblings all pitching in to help Mom. My coworkers and my siblings’ coworkers sent flowers to the funeral home. The church was packed so it reassuring my Dad was loved tremendously. My brother’s charity group planted a tree in memory of Dad. My cats Precious and Frodo turned the funeral plants into their own smorgasbord. Soon we had a surprise birthday for my sister. She was surprised and we had a fun afternoon with family and her friends.

To keep up with my make-up artistry, I decided to sell a catalog cosmetics. I changed apartments when they added more fees to the bill I could no longer afford and found a 2 bedroom apartment only 10 minutes away. The cats love the extra space even if they despise the neighbor dogs barking at them. Now I have a guest room for Mom or niece. Mom had an antique auction and then later I took Mom around to the cemeteries on Memorial Day. It was very rainy summer making it cooler than normal, but that’s okay cause the cats need a bath. One of the car rentals left and the airport redistributed the parking lot stalls. Took two nieces to the zoo for a girls day out and stopped at an ice cream parlor. My sister and brother-in-law hosted the annual family reunion at their house with picnic tables in the yard to have it rain and everyone stayed inside in the A/C. Went to an amusement park with sister, brother-in-law, and niece. Had my annual birthday dinner with sister, brother-in-law, and niece at pizza place stopping at a grocery store for cupcakes. Niece wanted to get me a large pink cake, but we were not feeding 30 people so got 6 cupcakes.

Got the car fixed the first time w/out Dad telling me what to say and thought I handled it well. Had to look up words in a dictionary when my head began to swim in sea of how engines work. Had to stop selling catalog cosmetics from lack of customers. Finished editing my 2nd book and started the 3rd book. Now I have a headache. Attended my goddaughter’s confirmation standing by as fairy godmother (or sponsor). Mom had another auction of Dad’s collectibles this time. Then we had good news and bad news. My cousin and cousin-in-law adopted a little girl from Lebanon and then later found out my cousin has cancer. She is fighting like a tiger through her chemo treatments. Spent Thanksgiving at sister's house with the family. I visited Mom while getting my Christmas decorations out of her house and put up her things. This year I will spend Christmas Day at Mom’s house with my brother so Mom is not alone thge first Christmas w/out Dad. So you all have a Merry Little Christmas and Happy New Year.

Seasons Greetings.
Jordan
Precious and Frodo say Meowy Christmas.

What a day

I came to work earlier than normal to have my coworker leave to get a bossman's friend's car to move it. Person parks in an unusual spot so have to page my coworker to return so I can tell her where the car is. Then I get the Queen of Sheba returning a car threatening to never rent from us again cuz the return lot was inconveinent. Whatever. What did her highness expect me to say? Something like, I walk that distance twice a day so cry your river someplace else or perhaps, go over to the company that took our closer stalls and say thanks, or even better, I'm not the one who designed these dinky airport parking lots. Sure I could have informed her that there is large glass booth nobody sees where the airport bus picks up people so she didn't have to walk. But then people complain the busues won't pick them up (but they do drop off people) as if I controlled these people. Later I realized with all this excitement, I forgot to clock in. The rest of the day was much better. If you call continuous paper jams until I desire to shoot the printer better. Now I have a date with a xmas tree. Later.

Yesterday I went to Mom's house to fill up the car with my stuff. I even grabbed my old board games. I forgot I had a old Pac Man game board from a garage sale. I usually despise video games, but as a kid I enjoyed Pac Man trying avoiding ghosts and eating magic pellets at the arcade. I guess I grew up or got frustrated later.

Helped Mom put her decorations up. I won't putting up as many lights to save on the electric bill. Got most stuff up and worked on xmas cards. Today I worked on my xmas letter meaning I read through my web journal (blog for short) to help recall what happened this year. I got through May and started June. Tomorrow I work for a coworker so I will do what I can before leaving. Well, better go. A xmas village is calling me. Later.