Christmas Letter 2023

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends,

Spent New Year’s Eve with family having our extended family Christmas. Then went to work at my hotel job as the night auditor. I knew it was midnight when heard people screaming in the lobby. Soon I was training the new front desk manager in the night audit. She spent the night texting on her phone when I was trying to show her how to do the night reports. Then suddenly, she completely stopped showing up for work and they fired her after three days. No more training. Made Heart Wreaths for Valentine’s Day. I made gnomes from red, pink, and white yarn too. I got a new mold to make heart wax melts and added Strawberry Rose as a new scent in my collection. Got a new roommate when an old coworker (security guard at the hotel I work at) needed a place to crash. I picked him up at work to offer the guest room until he got back onto his feet again. He is a good cook and helps fix things.

Saw Niece #3 visiting the States from South Korea. She gives kids English lessons. Celebrated ferret Boromir’s 6th Birthday with cupcakes. Celebrated Valentine’s Day by making a heart cake for my coworkers. Celebrated ferret Luthien’s 7th Birthday with cupcakes. I made a leprechaun gnome for St. Patrick’s Day. Had to shut down my Etsy shop from lack of sales. My Square shop has a free subscription option to try to keep that going. Got accepted into a new farmer’s market this summer but had to decline it after going into credit counseling and could no longer afford it. I was hoping a different market would yield better results. I lost my ferret Boromir while at work when he fell down the stairs. He was wrestling with Bilbo and got knocked off to tumble down the stairs. I wrapped Boromir in a towel and went back to work. We think he died from internal injuries. At least my roommate was there when he died so he wasn’t alone. Poor ferret Luthien took to sleeping in Boromir’s spots. She missed him. Did a live reading of my Easter book and made a video to put up on YouTube. Didn’t make any Easter items after losing Boromir, started credit counseling, and searched for a new job. My creativity gave me no joy. I was planning to make spring wreaths and gnomes with supplies I bought. Soon I was asked to take in my roommate’s friend’s cat and dog for a while. Bilbo and Misty don’t like the new visitors. Poor dog was soon terrified of my cats when she was just being friendly.

Added the doggo to the Easter Bunny Trap story this year. My last one since my niece and nephew are grown up now. I had no carrots nor carrot cake to use as bait, so ferret Luthien used a banana. Cat Misty looked up on the internet if rabbits like bananas. They do. They set the trap and the Bunny rings the bell tied to a string when he grabs the banana. Doggo chased the Bunny out the door and the Bunny left the string on his foot on the fence. Luthien, Bilbo, and Misty were disappointed they didn’t get the chance to take more chocolate eggs out of his basket. All they got was their own basket from the Bunny he dropped as he ran out the door. For the summer I added the wax fragrance Ocean Breeze to the shop collection. Also created a Sugar Plum scent for Christmas.

After a year of searching, I landed a new job as an accounting clerk at another hotel. Arrived on my first day and I was introduced as Accounting Manager. That would explain the salary I was offered. Started walking around Gray’s Lake this summer. Attended nephew Lukas’s high school graduation. He is going to college to learn forensic science. Celebrated my brother’s birthday at his house. Visited Dad at the cemetery on Father’s Day. Had to work on Memorial Day so couldn’t visit cemeteries with my family. June 8th, I started my new job. Since I was on salary, I enjoyed the 4th of July with my family. We celebrated Mom’s birthday, and my roommate came along to meet my family. RAGBRAI came to Des Moines and met a few bikers in the service elevator. I could hear the music in Water Works Park from my house. I lost poor ferret Luthien. I came home from picking my roommate up from his job and found Luthien curled up as if she was sleeping. I petted her and realized she was cold and stiff. My roommate and I were up past midnight burying her in the backyard. A few days later I went to the local amusement park to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday. Missed my nephew’s birthday party cause I was working. Dropped by later to give him his card and he was working. Ran into Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley while I ran through the lobby to pay a kitchen delivery guy. I asked to shake her hand. I had to be professional. My hotel hosted all the candidates here for the Iowa State Fair. Didn’t run into any others. Deleted my ferret social media pages where I sold my merchandise online and started new pages promoting just the merchandise.

My roommate went on a camping trip with his work buddy, and I got to take care of the dog. Started taking her for walks around the neighborhood and Gray’s Lake. She even started to bark that she hadn’t done since she arrived. Usually, she just whined and whimpered. I don’t know if it’s the neighbor dogs barking, or if she felt safe in my house that she found her bark again. Then started applying for jobs cause the new general manager at my hotel was driving me crazy. He gave a honey-do-list every day as if I was his secretary instead of an accounting manager. This man had a great deal of trouble understanding my job description. He asked me to do things I couldn’t do because I didn’t have access or training in those tasks he wanted done. Taking the dog out to Gray’s Lake became a great de-stressor for me. Celebrated my 48th birthday, which was also Labor Day and I didn’t have to work, with family and then my roommate. Family lunch was at Pizza Ranch and then cake at my brother's house while roommate took me for birthday dinner at my old hotel restaurant.

Soon after I came to work to find I had been replaced by the Director of Finance that I had replaced 4 months before. I am demoted to part time which means I lose my insurance. I asked my old hotel for a job to leave a general manager who told me to my face on 2 different days to quit and go on unemployment because I was inadequately trained, and this wasn’t working out. The sales director mentioned looking for help and I emailed him to apply to receive no answer. I spent a year applying and interviewing to get this job and I didn’t want to quit after 4 months, but the general manager wants me to disappear. Managed to get my old hotel night auditor job back for less pay than I was making before I quit. Nice way to welcome me back. Met the new managers and directors from the manager exodus during the summer. The visitor dog left to return to her family. Hopefully they take good care of her since she is such a sweet dog. I petted her good-bye and grabbed her things. I let her have one of the ferret toys of an Easter Rabbit that she loves to squeak. Visited with a bankruptcy attorney and received a packet to fill out. Now must stop paying on credit cards complete all the steps to declaring bankruptcy. New general manager at the hotel let us dress up for Halloween that was a work appropriate attire. I wore a suit and tall striped hat with make up to be the female version of Cat in the Hat. Celebrated Bilbo and Misty’s 5th Birthday with catnip and cake. Celebrated Niece #4’s 20th Birthday at sister’s house with cake and ice cream. Got Thanksgiving and Black Friday off so spent it with my family. Took Niece #4 out shopping on Black Friday. It’s amazing how stores open 5-6 AM instead of competing to be 1st store open pre-Covid. Spent 3 days putting up my Christmas decorations and then helped Mom put her decorations up. Soon started baking English toffee, fudge, cupcakes, and cookies.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Jordan

Bilbo and Misty