Auction down

Mom's auction done in 3 hours. More hours taking unsold stuff into the garage, packing kitchen and bathroom stuff into our cars, and transporting Mom's things to apartment. We forced Mom into the apartment by taking away her bed so no excuse to stay in her house. Though we couldn't pry an awful rug from her grip, so someone tossed it in the dumpster at the apartment. Oops, it disappeared Mom.

Got niece

Got my niece today. I went over to Mom's pack up my car of things she wants to take to her apartment. She knew for over a week I was coming for this and is she ready for me to pack up, of course not. We have force Mom to decide what she is taking and what goes into the auction. Fill up my car and take niece to my place when a couch is blocked by boxes. Empty the back so neighbors don't get the idea to break my window to steal her things. A cart my sister bought for Mom came in real handy. Auction is tomorrow and Mom better be ready. Sister with nephew is staying home with the kids so other sister and I will be pushing her.

Got nephew

Picked up my niece from sisters house. My older nieces had cheese sandwiches made for lunch. Came home with some flowers and balloons for our Welcom Home Party. Then unpacked my niece and chilled out at my place. My niece was astonished that I was driving her Mommy's car. I took my sister and brother-in-law to the airport and we agreed 2 car seats and an adult is a very a tight squeeze in my backseat. So when I started the car I said, Let's see if I can back up this puppy without hitting the house (they have a narrow and long driveway). My niece got excited and asked where the puppy was. I had to explain the car was the puppy. SO get to my place and take my cat for a walk. She gets upset about getting dirty and to take a bath and change clothes. She will get more dirty and later nearly slipped on some mud.



We arrive at the airport early and chat with my old friends. Their flight is an hour in half late. Niece can not understand this and not something I can just fix. She will have to wait. Even better, a storm starting coming in when we arrived and by the time their plane landed, it was a full blown storm complete with tornado near a town 12 miles south of the airport (my friends there got some good shots they posted on facebook). B/C the airport does not want anyone struck by lightening, they have to wait to unboard. 2 and half hours we wait for them to get off the plane. Sister calls from the plane and I assure her that I am not going home, we will wait. Niece predicts doom that they are coming out tomorrow or worse, they are never coming off the plane and we will never see them again. They are right outside on the tarmac, we will see them again. When they finally come, we wait for baggage, 4 flights worth of bags came before our turn. Take a bathroom break with the kids while I guard the bags. Off to the car and drive home.



Home niece was readya nd willing to show every object to her new brother. But it was time for bed. I petted their cat nephew was terrified of good bye, hugged and kissed niece good-bye, and by this time nephew was getting use to me and let me hug him good-bye. Today is my brother-in-law's birthday. My niece has a theory that older people are taller. Yes in childhood, but adulthood it does not apply. She can't understand how her cat is older than her with a tiny 8 lbs body. Age doesn't judge height.

Somebody shoot me

I am getting so sick of applying for jobs. Today's adventure was receiving a message for mail clerk with a threat that jobs are going fast and when I call human resources back, I get voicemail. Now I sit and wait for this person to call back instead of feeding my sister's cat and doing laundry. I have to be next to the phone to set up an interview time or somebody else gets hired.
Then I go into the want ads to find a job I can do and can't apply for it b/c my computer files are in the wrong format. I copied and pasted my resume in provided square. But no, you have to upload your resume to apply for the job and my computer will not do it. Scratch that company off the list. (It is just like the personality test pop up window my computer refused to allow and then later get an email complaining I didn't finish my application so I can't be hired.)
Even better, I go through the ads viewing the same ones I applied at before. Why don't these people stop being so picky and just hire somebody. 2 months of advertising should be sufficient.
And better yet, my Mom accuses me of not trying and need to try harder, much harder to find a job. Excuse me, there are homeless families around b/c their unemployment benefits and savings ran out. Please do not assume failure is NOT TRYING. Banging my head against a wall only gives me a headache, not a job.
Update: I left 4 messages for the person who called me, waited by the phone all day, and the b*tch doesn't call me back. I'm leaving to feed my sister's cat and then take my cat for a walk. This experience will teach me not to take a shower when the phone rings.

Mom moved

Got most of Mom moved, her couch and things are on order so she will do a final move later. Her bedroom set, chairs, desks, and tables got moved in with some boxes of photo albums, sewing machine, computers, and clothes. My sister went out shopping for a new shower curtain and bedroom rugs (we agreed the falling apart rugs she had needed to be tossed). I saw a chair that was just a frame with cushions tied on with rubber bands and cover for it somewhere that I said to toss, but at that Mom refused.




15 people were fed my ordered pizza, breadsticks, cheesesticks, and pop. I had variety and everyone found something to eat. There was a few pieces and part of a 2 liter left. My aunt went around cleaning up, even the inside of the washer. My niece went with my sister to her in-laws house to go home tomorrow. Niece wasn't thrilled about picking up my apartment, but I made her help me. Now I sit in my apartment alone with my cats. Very hot day today. I'm ready to relax in the A/C.

Adventures with niece

Woke up and fed niece oatmeal, then went back to bed. Got up again to feed the cats and took cat Precious for his walk. Came back to eat lunch and off to feed my sister's cat. Arrived to find my older nieces relaxing in front of the TV after yesterday's fun at an amusement park. Little niece saw her parents' cars in the driveway and thought they should be there. No, they are in China with her new brother. Where did she think these cars should be, I asked. In China with her parents, she answered. Nope, cars won't fit on the airplane. We are picking them up at the airport when they come back. Fed the cat, changed the water, and scooped the poop from the litterbox. Brought in mail to find a package. Niece wanted to open package, but I said no b/c it had her Daddy's name on it. So got orders from nieces on pop and pizzas for Mom's big move tomorrow, have to feed the movers. Next went to the grocery store and back to my place. Not hot enough to go swimming, but then niece won't go into the water anyway b/c it's cold. Relaxed the rest of the day. Taught niece a new card game. At first she told me she didn't care if I liked a certain card game I got out, she wanted to play a board game with marbles. I told her that, I DO CARE, and I will play my card games. She play whatever she wants. Eventually she came around and played with me. At bedtime, she go ready for bed w/out any stuffed animals. Usually she needs 10. Tomorrow will be a busy day.

RIP Jackie

I got my niece in my clutches and we are having a great time when a friend from my last job calls to tell me his coworker died from her 2 1/2 year battle with cancer. She was 54. She died last week and her service was today. A few coworkers and airport friends attended the service. RIP Jackie.

I met Jackie many years ago when I started working at my last job at a car rental. She was very funny and got along with everybody. She babysat her grandchildren and enjoyed casinoes. She wasn't allowed to read magazines at her counter so she read them in front of ours. One night when Alice Cooper came to play at the Iowa State Fair, she had him autograph her work shirt as she handed over his car rental keys. Jackie was the queen of smutty jokes and the airport seemed empty when she had a day off. Then one day she hurt her back at work from falling off something and went to the doctor for worker's compensation to discover she also had colon cancer. My coworker went with her to her chemo and tie dyed a bunch of shirts for her grandchildren. I was told not a single one of the her company's managers sent her flowers or visited her in the hospital and she worked there for nearly 20 years. I donated money to my coworker to buy flowers for her and signed her Get Well card. I got updates on her progress from her coworkers. And now I got the last update. She will be missed by many. 

Sister update

Heard from my sister they have their newly aopted son in China renamed Lukas Grant. And he vomits when they reach their hotel room. He is eager to push buttons in the room (remote, telphone, lights).

And I was having a bad day with my cat tree soaked from a leaking ceiling and have to replace it. On top of that my knee snaps again while sitting down with leg elevated petting my cat Precious. Now I'm in terrible pain I can barely walk. But all that is washed away at hearing about my new nephew. One more week and I will have a nephew to spoil rotten.

Fed the cat

Went over to feed my sister's cat. She was not happy to see me. She hissed and growled as I pet her and then later tried to play with her. OK, whatever. The food bowl and water dish were empty so filled those. I gave her another water dish so she doesn't get dehydrated. Cleaned the litterbox and took out the garbage. I presented food and she sniffed it, but didn't eat any. No messages on the answering machine to report so went home. Everything is right were they left it.

Off to the airport

Took sister and brother-in-law to the airport to go pick up my new nephew waiting to be adopted into our wacky family. Arrived half hour ealier than planned since I woke up an hour before planned. I have a sleep disorder where I wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning and can't go back to sleep for 3 hours. They were still sleeping in bed so I read their newspaper. 20 minutes later those arose to get ready. Then off we went. Then sister forgot her weddign ring and watch so had to go back. Dropped them off at the airport and waved good-bye. Then went home and went back to sleep in my clothes.

They thought my tiny car could hold all their return luggage, son's luggage, and son and daughter. Once they sat in my car, they agreed I could pick them up in their car. Otherwise it would be a tight squeeze with baggage on the floor.

Fireworks at last

Went over to see fireworks and then it rains. Go over to Dairy Queen since fireworks are probably cancelled. Then it stopped raining so we try again. Lots of people are coming so maybe they will have them. Light a few sparklers and niece runs away from them. Fine, we aren't lighting anymore. We bought these things for her not for us. After an hour of watching other kids brave enough to play with them, she decides to try. She holds the stick and naturally lets go when I light it. OK, no more. I refuse to light anymore until she holds the sparkler stick. She agrees to hold it. She stares at it instead waving it like the other kids. She is too close to my sister's blanket so try to direct her away from my sister. She rejects my pushing her away from her mommy and turns around to point the sparkler directly at my sister spraying her and people nearby with sparks. Then she cries when grab her arm and I yell at her how she almost hurt her mommy. Now the fireworks begin as she cries on my sister's lap. Wonderful to see.  

Happy 4th of July

Having a very wet 4th of July inside with my cats. Went to a family reunion, held my cousin's new son, and have to wait until tomorrow to watch fireworks and light sparklers with my niece.

Vet visit

Took Precious to the vet for his yearly check up and shots. He is 19.1 lbs but otherwise in good health. How do I make a cat loose weight?