The Talk with Mom

Called Mom for my monthly begging for money that has been going on for the past five years. I hate asking for money so much that often I will take a cash advance from a credit card in the middle of the month just to avoid asking more than once a month. But rent is due so have to bite the bullet.

She asked how my college classes were going and I neglected telling her that I was close to flunking them. Been doing badly since my migraines increased in frequency causing fuzzy brain. For the past 4 weeks, I have at least one (sometimes 3) each day. Went to doctor to get a med that was too strong and triggered my asthma so had to stop taking it. Found a homeopathic med online that helps with symptoms so getting better. Migraines just won't end for some reason.

So explained to Mom that I dropped a class. Didn't want to and cried myself to sleep feeling like a total failure, but now I can focus more on the other 3 classes. I'm working 40 hours a week invoice verifying so don't have a lot of time to deal with 6 hour long homework I can't understand. Don't get any money back unfortunately so out $400 and have to return the book because it is rented. 4 classes were too much for my workload, but had no idea about workload I would have when signed up for them.

So told Mom what I needed to pay my rent and 1st of the month expenses. My paychecks only cover so much. Told her about my job interview this week as a payroll clerk with a financial services company (my dream job) and hoping this is the miracle I've been waiting for. My temp job is soon coming to an end and have no idea if they want more staff since I was hired on to help with backlog that is recovering to normal workload.

Will enjoy the nice weather this weekend while working on my homework. Post later.

Autumn update

Had a lovely summer working 6 days a week and reporting my lack of progress of finding a new job to the intern professor. Had my resume reviewed by a career councilor and the professor to get complaints how I'm not fabulous. Sorry I didn't graduate Harvard with honors, never held a management job to showcase results of my skills, and worked retail instead of an office. All temp agencies offer is customer service jobs so we no longer speak to each other. I'm trying to leave customer service. Was told by 2 temp agencies they have don't have positions for me now nor in the future. Very hard to explain to people why I'm not good enough for any job, not even entry level office jobs because I don't have 3 years experience. Had a coworker look at my resume who used to work human resources. I'm too old to work (ok, then what should I do for the next 20 years when I can collect Social Security) and my temporary jobs make me look flaky to not be able to hold on to a job. Thanks a lot, you criticize things I can not change. Did you miss the Great Recession when millions people lost their jobs and living in tents by the river? Just because someone looses a job due to a business being sold or closed does not mean they are unemployable, you self-righteous byotches who never applied for unemployment benefits that last 2-6 months.

Anyway, worked 4th of July and never saw my brother and his intended when the visited my nearby sister. Jerk. Even worse, I got discount tickets for them to go to the amusement park I work at to hear from my sister that my brother decided not to go and didn't bother to tell me. This left me with 2 nonrefundable tickets I paid for. Used them to take niece without the rest of her family to the waterpark that nephew refuses to enter (he nearly drowned last year and now fears the water). She hates water slides and scared of the wavepool so we spent the time in the lazy river and eating. After a few hours we walked towards the exit riding on whatever niece chose. This was her big birthday present and will receive a smaller present later when her cold weather birthday arrives.

Interns left to return to college and continued to find a job when my internship ended. Managed 3 interviews and 3 rejection notices saying they hired someone more qualified. Whatever. Planned out my 40th birthday bash my sister insisted I have because she saved her 40th party decorations just for me. None of my coworkers came, only 1 friend out of 5 who said they would come came, and all others that came were the family who come to the family Christmas, 16 guests in all. We ate grilled food and it was so windy I lost a set of salt and pepper shakers. Who knew ceramics flew and broke into pieces? The pink champagne birthday was so fluffy that it fell apart when tried to pick it up. Didn't take a picture of the cake cause it wasn't very pretty, just a hand full of blue flowers and a ribbon around the base that was annoying when I cut it into pieces. I didn't take any pictures party for that matter, tablecloths were whipping around too much to produce a good backdrop. Besides, not a day I really want to remember. The highlight of the day was wondering what happen to an older guest who walked to the rest room. Their legs gave out just 20 feet of the party and covered in diarrhea. Had to take them home to change clothes.

Finally, I had good news to report to my family on my birthday. A temp agency found me a temp job that didn't require an interview. Started it after my party. Called Verifying invoices for the Accounts Payable department. We temps look at invoices and make sure the vendor info, order info, and amount of invoice total is correctly placed in the system. Yes, that is what a I do all day. Very important job because the company changed computer systems and invoice codes so this created backlog that makes the vendors complain the company is not paying their debts. The managers from another babysit us and answers questions we have. And these managers change every week so I'm certain the company will not be keeping us past the assignment term. At least it's work and have to take what I can get.

Nothing else to report. Post later.

What caused the Civil War?

So now there is a movement to remove all signs of the Confederacy from parts of the country that celebrate it as its heritage. Excuse me, what would that accomplish? The Confederacy did exist, its descendants celebrate their heroics, and lives on in museums. I actually love looking at the beauty of old plantation houses and the portraits of the owners who built them. Did the Confederacy represent racism and keeping slavery legal? I have no idea since my ancestors fought on the Union side from Iowa and Kentucky regiments. The South is not my heritage and will leave that answer to the Southern people.

But to the question of "Was slavery the cause of the Civil War?" I would say no. I have a Bachelor of Science in History to receive more information than the watered down version taught in high school history class. My professors with PhDs telling us exactly what they thought and encouraged us in our research to understand multiple points of view. British think American Revolution was a temper tantrum over taxes, while Americans think American Revolution was about freedom from tyranny. So who is right? I'll get to that later.

So what then caused the Civil War? States Rights, Slavery, Economics, or something else?

I think we have to look at the Revolutionary War to find the source of the Civil War. Reading biographies on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson I couldn't help but notice that all the reasons the South split from the Union were present during the Revolutionary War. I told you I would get this.

Grievances of the Confederacy:

1. The 10th Amendment stating any laws not designated by the US Constitution to be determined by the states, called States Rights.

Revolutionary tension: Who's in charge? In the beginning, the founding fathers were not united as we like to think. Some served out of self-interest and get rich out of this war. For many years, the colonies governed themselves from Jamestown's Don't work, Don't eat to Plymouth's Mayflower Compact to Williamsburg's House of Burgesses. The companies that founded the colonies blessed with a royal charter made their own rules how the colony should function so imagine a faraway king suddenly demanding after a war you pay taxes you can't pay because their laws prevent you from minting British coins and all taxes must be paid in British coin. In fact, the Spanish reel cut into 1/8 pieces called bits was the coin of the colonies had in their possession. Remember there were NO BANKS to trade for British coins to pay your taxes.

During the Revolutionary War, representatives fought over who should be the generals in charge of the army because they all wanted the top dog from their state. Besides George Washington, the other contenders were Thomas Johnson of Maryland (later Supreme Court justice), Charles Lee of Virginia who thought he should have been appointed top general and demanded compensation for forfeiting his British landholdings (he was later court martialed from the Continental Army), and Richard Montgomery of New York who died during the invasion of Canada. Once we became a country, Alexander Hamilton wanted a National Bank while others chimed how banks were not part of the Constitution and we should have only state banks.

Civil War settled the question that all National Laws supersede all state laws.

2. Simple economics.

Revolutionary tension: Colonial economies are exploitive in favor of the home country (British, French, Russian, whatever). Raw materials are taken from colonies and sent to the home country. Thus, manufactured goods are sent back to the colonies. That is how the colony economy works. Now, why can't all these colonials make their own manufactured goods? Simple, they are not allowed to. Iron manufacturing in Colonial America was banned so colonists had to buy British made nails, screws, keys, farming tools, and wire. Furthermore, Colonists shipping their raw materials had to pay all shipping costs, custom duties in London, unloading the goods fee, broker fees to sell it, and agent fees to shop for luxury goods like a felt hat that was banned from being produced in the colonies. Worse, what happens when your soil depleted of nutrients fails to continue to produce bumper cash crops (no fertilizers except for manure). Oh, you go into debt with promises of next year's crop will be better.

After the Revolution, industry boomed when America could make what it wanted with manufacturers from iron works to cotton mills. And mint their own coins. The Confederate States had a cash crop economy exploitive from these booming industries. In fact, when repeating rifles were invented and entered the Union army, the Confederates captured some of these supplies, but they didn't have the copper industry to make the casings needed for the cartridges necessary to utilize this weapon.

The Civil War didn't change the economics of the South, slaves who stayed simply turned into sharecroppers. Many slaves did leave for northern cities and founded black dominated neighborhoods like Harlem in NYC. Many slaves went west and became cowboys and gunslingers called Buffalo Soldiers by the Indians. When farm machinery was invented in the late 1800's, it changed the economics of the South and the sharecroppers disappeared by the mid-20th Century. The man who invented the cotton picker and revolutionized the industry was from Texas. Today, the South is more industrialized than it was 100 years ago. Can anyone say Coca-Cola or Texoco?

3. Slavery.

Revolutionary tension: First and foremost, all 13 colonies had slavery. Some founding fathers were repulsed by slave auctions and burdened by taking care of the servants while men in Britain get rich off the slave trade. But that didn't mean they were willing to free their slaves either. Americans believed slavery was pushed on them by the British government getting rich off the import duties of slaves.

After Revolutionary War: In the north, state by state emancipated its slaves and new immigrants supplied the cheap labor industry needed. Many compromises were made about extending slavery into new territories gained in the Louisiana Purchase and Mexican War. The Missouri Compromise kept slavery at the border of Missouri while Bleeding Kansas sought by popular vote if a new territory/state is slave or free.

Now, remember, white plantation owners were not the only ones who owned slaves, nor did the majority of people in the South owned slaves (10%). Indian tribes owned slaves in their territory in Oklahoma and those whites married into the tribes brought in slaves too. 2 tribes (Choctaw and Chickasaw) joined the Confederacy as 'First Battalion of Choctaw Indians' in Mississippi and also held a representative in the Confederate House of Representatives. Free Blacks also existed in the South prior to emancipation and some owned slaves as well, there was a large population of Free Blacks in New Orleans, LA and Charleston, SC. And to complete the thought, only the rich had slaves just like only the rich have servants who live in their house. I cannot imagine why lower class poor white men without shoes would march in a Confederate uniform and die to keep slavery. Slavery only became an issue when generals in the Union army taking over cities started setting the slaves free in areas they controlled. This was not universal. Plus the threat of Great Britain to join the Confederate side encouraged a political ploy from President Lincoln that all slaves in Federally held territories that rebelled against the Union be free (not the slaves in the border states). Later, at the end of the war, the push for full emancipation of slaves was made and gained. In the end, the South had to accept the end of slavery as a condition to reuniting with the Union where all Federal Laws supersede all state laws that suddenly got established. But that didn't mean they had to like it, hence Segregation and Lynching began that the Federal government didn't interfere with until the Supreme Court did in 1954 (Brown vs. Topeka, KS).

In conclusion, wiping away all evidence of a Confederacy that offends some, but admired by others doesn't erase it from history. Slavery happened and it ended for a reason. The Confederacy happened and ended for a reason.

Long time no post

Sorry for not posting for months, I've been busy. Homework, Homework, Exams, and spend time with the family. Sister was happy I had weekends off, but never found time to spend with me. Easter was my apartment since my sister didn't want to clean her house. Whatever. Had Easter egg hunt ready and niece doesn't want to do it because she is too old. Yes, let's ignore the fact that she has been pestering my sister for weeks about it. Sister recommended movies as prizes and gave me the money for it. Nephew won the contest gathering the most eggs and ready to pick one of my Rated R movies. Ah, excuse me, I presented the 2 movies my sister said to get to them and he was so excited over Transformers. Now he wants Troy or 300 or Gladiator. No and if he doesn't want it I will send it back. Sister suggests borrowing Happy Potter movies as a reward to him reading the books. I can live with that and he accepts his Transformer movie. Niece doesn't want her movie either cause they taped if off the TV. Sister explain she discarded it in her downsizing so they don't have it anymore. Niece accepts movie. I decided no more egg hunts and no more presents if it's this traumatic for them. Started working at the amusement park again. What can say, I love this job. Worked on Mother's Day so sister took Mom out to dinner. Mom protests spending so much money on her at a fancy restaurant, but they fall on deaf ears. Memorial Day took Mom and sister out to the cemeteries. We got a surprise: My Dad's tombstone had a military flag. They never did that before. Maybe someone noticed the flags I put out every year. End my work study with a bang. Last day was a career fair so took photos and uploaded them to my professor's folder on the computer. He gave me a Hawaiian torch with flowers and leis attached, then an ice cream cake. Since he did so much for me, I painted him a picture of the Des Moines River and a downtown bridge. He loved it. I sent him the photo I based my picture on. He wanted me to stay during the summer, but working 6 days a week at amusement park made that impossible. I told him I would love to come and speak to his personal finance class again. That was so much fun. I talked about life insurance to his class giving a multiple point of view and siding with any sales pitch. What to buy depends on your needs and your objectives to getting it. My main point was that life insurance was not an investment, but a gift for someone else. Signed up for fall classes to get 2 certificates to hopefully help in getting a good job. I don't have to be a millionaire to be happy, just supporting myself is enough money for me. Finished the semester with 5 A's and 1 B. So disappointing to get a B, but I tried my best. Amusement park job evolved into my internship. Have weekly reports and applying jobs. Went to the college career center to receive the same old advice I've heard a million times. Telling me to research the company doesn't help me in interviews and wear a suit impresses nobody. Went to my Dad's grave on Father's day and left a rose with a black ribbon (to copy Phantom of the Opera). Then later went to work. Meeting new people and new interns. Sorry I have to go, but need a year around, higher paying job. Though everybody got raises this year from a labor shortage caused by stores paying above minimum wage. Busy applying for jobs, but no interviews yet. I think it's kinda early since I'm not available right away. Manager keeps asking when my internship ends. I'm sure she can manage without 1 employee until the end of the season. Well outta things to talk about Post later.

Tax clients I despise

Doing taxes for the public again (did this a few years ago) and have to rant for a moment. The tax clients I despise: The ones who keep no records and get mad I can't make up deductions. There is a thing called an audit and I refuse to go to jail for 5 years for a fraudulent return just because you are a cheap bastard. The ones who get mad their college expenses are not deductible. I'm sorry, but a dependent client cannot deduct college credits and I don't care if your friend told you otherwise. College expenses are deductible for independent people and lowers their taxes owed, they do NOT receive any extra refund. You must earn at least $26,500 Single or Married Filing Separately, $27,800 Head of Household, or $29,550 Married Filing Jointly, to receive full benefit of college credits. People who have not filed for years decide to suddenly file this year. Excuse me, why are you here if the IRS is not breathing down your neck for not filing for years. When I send this in, you can count on an audit of your past years lack of filing. People who believe they don't have to file because they don't owe. Read complaint above. You have to file if you earn above the standard deduction and exemption amount, which change every year. If a dependent, then must file if above the standard deduction. This year exemption is $3950 per person. This year standard deduction is $6200 for Single or Married Filing Separately, $9,100 for Head of Household, and $12,400 Married Filing Jointly. People who don't know about deductions. Read the form I copy for your records and you will find a long list of possible deductions. List for those taking Standard Deduction: HSA contributions, paying alimony, student loan interest, retirement contributions, education K-12 and college expenses, moving expenses if move more than 50 miles for a job, and child care expenses. List for those who can itemize beyond the standard deduction: Medical expenses/insurance, long-term care insurance, taxes from real estate or car tags, home mortgage interest, charity donations, and job expenses. People who want larger refunds than last year. If you wish a $5,000 refund, then you must pay $5,000 in taxes in the first place. I can not give back much more than you already paid through your paychecks so change your W-4 or make more money to pay more taxes and thus, get more back. Personally, I rather have money year around than a big check once a year. I think I'm done ranting for now. Post later.

Icy sidewalks

Had a ice storm last night. I go out thinking everything is fine because the ice is clear and can't tell the difference between wet and dry sidewalks. It is all ice as I discover slipping onto my elbows and knees to watch my books fly down the icy sidewalk. No salt anywhere to be seen. Skated to the car and removed wet ice easily. After nearly falling down again and grabbing the car, I decided to stay home. Saw cars go by on the street, but scared of icy driving in the parking lot. Emailed my professors. Spent most of the day sleeping and doing homework. Leg killing me all day and have to tell the cats to get off it when they want attention. Updates: Spent January attending the extended family Christmas where hardly anybody talked to me. I think I'm still ostracized from the family even though they beg me to attend family events just to ignore me. Then when my time at the mall train ended early, I signed up for unemployment. Was denied unemployment since I didn't earn enough to get unemployment. Living off student loans until I get another job. Had jury duty in a civil case. Longest two days of my life. Restarted my college classes and continued learning new things form Economics professor I work for. Working on a survey for professor skills they would like to improve. Apparently professors have to update their skills every so many years. Spent Valentine's Day doing homework, with 5 classes I get a lot. Declined to work the Easter bunny station at the mall cause need my free weekends for homework. Tough decision since I need money. Volunteering as Tax Preparer for poor people at college. I'm good at taxes. Got a 95% on the required IRS test with only reading the book to refresh my memory. I only took the class to learn the software, which is pretty easy. Any client problems (professor checks my work because it is required) are usually software mistakes, with one not knowing Iowa tax law on how car registration is figured because that was not on the IRS test. No college students have come, they are all poor people living in the city. Reached the anniversary of my lost ferret's disappearance. I cried and cried and made a final prayer for her return. Been praying for a year and still missing. I give up praying and accept she is never coming home. Had a new fish die that I had for a few months, a beautiful blue female Beta named Canace. One cat is more accepting of the ferrets, but one still freaks out when they come too near him. Poor ferrets try so hard to get along with the cats. Celebrated a ferret's 2nd birthday and cat's 9th birthday. Niece and nephew are beginning to want to play Monopoly. Apparently they don't play it very much at home so have to go to Auntie's house to learn the rules. Nephew loves Star Wars so have to take him to the movie when it comes out. New Cinderella movie is coming out and may take her to it, unless she is too old for it. She loved Mirror, Mirror. Nephew love Mirror, Mirror cause of the comedy. Normally he hates girly films and likes manly films like Transformers or Cars. Well, nothing else to say.

Jury duty experience

Finally got my 1st jury summons. Ugh. Last thing I want to do is sit through a boring trial. Got a delay because I'm a student. So go in and selected for a civil case. Ok, don't have to decide if someone goes to jail. I can live with that. So go through the jury selection and too high on the list to be excused without question. Dammit, dammit, dammit. I tried everything I found on the internet to avoid getting picked and I get picked. The only question I got into was if I was in a civil suit before. I said I had a worker's compensation case. Lawyer said that's not a civil case, that's a worker's compensation case. Ok, so I'm not a lawyer. So receive pens and paper to take notes. My pen doesn't work so grab one out of my purse when opening statements are done. Lunch is coming so hurry and write what I remember to ignore judge speech before leaving. Return and Plaintiff witnesses are questioned. Worst witness testimony I ever heard. Sympathy card of falling down on ice and fracturing a bone was all the Plaintiff had. No evidence of negligence on Defendant's part. Evidence: Plaintiff's medical records of injury, pain and suffering endured, weather reports of prior weeks and day of fall reports, and witnesses of people living at residence community where fall took place who suddenly got amnesia when cross-examined. Go home and return next day. Day two brought the Defendant's witnesses. Better witness testimony, but some memory was fuzzy. Emails and invoices of snow removal given as evidence. Defense strategy was Plaintiff was tipsy when left residence and defendant has no control over Iowa winters. Defendant brought further evidence of a meeting of board of directors in charge of the residence community that took place shortly before the fall addressing complaints brought up by residents. Plaintiff is viewed as causing their own fall. Plaintiff is recalled as a witness. The only testimony offered is the amount of pain and suffering the person endured. That's it, a sympathy card is all they have to offer, no evidence how the Defendant is responsible for the fall, 100% of Woe to Me? Closing arguments given and we don't get the free lunch we were advised of the day before because the judge has some legal stuff to discuss with the parties. So we leave for lunch we have to pay for. Return and give jury instructions. Since we can't give weather a responsibility we can only choose percent of responsibility. Instructions: If Plaintiff is held 50% or more responsible then they get nothing. If Plaintiff is held less than 50% responsible, then amount of money awarded is deducted that percent. We have to determine % of fault and amount awarded, if any. So off to the secluded room to deliberate. We agree both are at fault. Most of us state if we had been the in the Plaintiff's position that we would not have sued at all. We discuss holes and indecision of both parties so much testimony is ignored cause witnesses can't get their stories straight. Elected Foreperson and they suggest and half agree at 50-50 fault, other half is silent. But, oh, Foreperson who suggested 50-50, suddenly reads the Plaintiff gets nothing if we rule 50-50, so they change their mind to 60-40. But, oh, the amount rewarded is reduced 40% if we say that so Foreperson changes it to 80-20. We agree on 75-25 in favor of Plaintiff. Now the money, everybody questions how to place an amount of suffering and pain. Foreperson was once in accident and got a huge settlement, but can't recall what it was. Ignoring the evidence and going by sympathy alone, the jurors balk at me tossing out numbers, 100, 1000, 5000. Half are ready to award the price of a house to the Plaintiff. Ok, I'm not ready to bankrupt a company over a bone fracture so mention that this is not equal to the car wreck the foreperson suffered, it is a fracture injury and got better after physical therapy. Half agree with me and one states Plaintiff can have their medical expenses, but doesn't want to give more than that (I agree with them). We are ignored by the other half wanting to give this Plaintiff a fortune so they never have to work again and question what if the Plaintiff has to have surgery in the future, which was not part of the evidence. Even better, the ones worried about surgery over a fracture are in the medical field. I'm sorry, but if surgery was not suggested in the past 2 years since the fall, I don't think they will in the future. I comment how the Plaintiff has won the lottery with us. I am ignored. So one on my half states the amount of a luxury car, no more than that. That is agree on after they figure of how much the Plaintiff gets after their 25% deduction (by which I might add was something in the instructions we were not suppose to do). I comment how the Plaintiff is getting a jackpot and neglect to mention how much of the Plaintiff award will go to her lawyer (we have no idea if this is a by hour fee or pro bono where they take 40% of the reward)since that should not be a factor either. I am ignored. I mention Defendant can appeal our decision and ignored again. We all agree so we can leave and not return tomorrow. Return to courtroom to give our verdict and state we all agree to it. Go home. In conclusion, I just want to say how people who claim they would not have sued over a similar incident are so eager to give a jackpot to an opportunist who can't get their story straight (we agreed on this), hid evidence (ignored subpoenas so we agreed on this), and suffered a little bone fracture (in the medical records and we agreed on this). Very surreal experience.

Christmas letter 2014

Merry Christmas to my dearest friends and family. My new year started badly losing my job to India. Then, Beta fish Aphrodite died. Next my new ferret Eowyn went missing for a week. Losing hope she would come back, I got another girl ferret named Arwyn for my boy Faramir who had stopped eating. The very next day, I got Eowyn back from the shelter down the street. The three amigos adored each other and pounced each other. Baby Arwyn loved to play with squeaky toys. Soon Disney came out with a new movie “Frozen” based off the Snow Queen and I took niece and nephew to it. Niece became addicted to the movie to drive nephew crazy every time she played it or sang the songs. Faramir celebrated his 1st Birthday. With snow drifting on my balcony, Faramir dug tunnels for the girls. They were quite sad when the tunnels melted. Lost more fish: Calliope, Posiedon, Demeter, and Zeus in rapid succession. My fish reached their old age about the same. I had them about four years. Then lost new baby ferret Arwyn and to date never found her. Cats Precious and Frodo celebrated their 8th Birthdays. Now I have a couple of middle aged men living with me. They still play, but not as much as they used to. Got a job at the local mall at the Easter Bunny studio and Train Station. I took photos and ran the train. A few days I played the Easter Bunny. Had Easter dinner at sister’s house. Later in the month, I got a job at the local amusement park in the cash control area. Met lots of retirees and interns. Attended a niece’s college graduation with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. She began her Master’s studies this Fall. Had Mother’s Day lunch at my aunt’s house with my Mom and my sister’s family. Then had dinner with Mom at my other sister’s house. Brother introduced his new girlfriend to us this summer. They visited my amusement park and had a good time. Took Mom and sister to the cemeteries on Memorial Day. Watch my nephew play in a Little League game. He got the game ball by hustling in the last inning. Took sister’s family to my amusement park twice this summer. First time it rained half the time so we had to have a do-over. Second time was very windy and cold. Too much rain this year cooling off the temperatures. Weird, last year we had a drought and this year we have floods. At least I didn’t have to run the A/C as much, animals love fresh air. The family had the annual family reunion at my Mom’s retirement place. We celebrated my Mom’s and Aunt’s birthday. Attended my 20th High School Reunion. Had a good time listening to a band and chatting with fellow classmates. Saw a 4th of July parade in town and watched fireworks at my amusement park. Having no answer when asked, “What will you do when the amusement park closes for the season?” that I researched possible office occupations. I decided to return to college to get an associate degree in accounting. Got an A in high school accounting class so it is something I'm capable of. Using my coursework from last time I was in college, I will simply take my accounting classes and finish in a year. I set up an internship with my amusement park manager and look forward to completing my studies. Hopefully with taking classes as I work, I can earn enough credits to take the CPA exam so I can get a job anywhere. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Lost more fish: Persephone, Thalia, and Hermes after a few months with me. On the plus side, niece got engaged to plan a wedding for 2016. Went to the State Fair and finished the day with a Styx/Foreigner concert in the evening. Nephew loves Styx so only right it be his first concert. Started my college classes and celebrated my birthday with Mom and sister’s family at a fancy restaurant. Went out to a pumpkin patch and corn maze with sister’s family. Niece and nephew were ready for me to buy the biggest pumpkin around. I told them if they could carry it to the car, then I would buy it. Started a work study job as an office assistant to an economics professor. Learning lots from him that will be useful in the future. He loves my creative side full of history knowledge to aid in his online course presentations. Celebrated ferret Eowyn's 1st birthday and missed ferret Arwyn on her 1st birthday. Took niece and nephew out for Beggar’s Night as Frozen’s “Elsa” and the Grim Reaper. Niece had a “Frozen” theme birthday at my Mom’s retirement place and wore her Halloween costume. Started working at the mall with their Santa photo studio and run the train ride again. Meeting lots of people. Spent Thanksgiving at sister’s house. Finally got my Aunt from Omaha over here for a holiday. I have been inviting her years saying she is always welcome and so happy when she took me up on the standing invitation. Extended Family Christmas will be at my Mom’s retirement place. Family loves these conference rooms with a kitchenette. Next year start jury duty before returning for my 2nd semester in college continuing my work study job. I have signed up to volunteer to do taxes for students on campus. I'm actually good at taxes. Then my summer internship starts and finally graduation in August. Hopefully I can find a good job with my growing experience. So I will wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love always, Jordan Harvey Cats-Precious, Frodo Ferrets-Faramir, Eowyn, (Arwyn-MIA) Fish-Apollo, Dionysis, Canace, Selene, Artemis

Autumn update

Celebrated my nephew's 10th birthday in August. In honor of his birthday, he, my brother-in-law, and I saw a Styx concert since he fell in love with the band. It was at the State Fair so after walking around and enjoying rides, we finished the day with the concert. Began my college classes to learn to be an accountant. I celebrated my birthday with my Mom and sister's family in a fancy restaurant. Sister insists on having a party next year to celebrate my 40th birthday. I'm not that old already, am I? One class had a charity project connected to it so helped raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House. I got put in charge of social media and marketing. I'm full of ideas. Went out for Trick or Treating with niece and nephew as Princess Elsa from Frozen and the Grim Reaper. Started a work study job with a professor of economics as his assistant. I'm learning lots from him and he is grateful he picked a creative genius who is an avid researcher. Christmas will soon be upon us and the local mall Santa Station is up and I'm working for the mall again. Will be spending Thanksgiving with family and putting up my Christmas decorations.

Summer update

Not much happening this summer to write about. Took sister and mother to cemeteries on Memorial Day. Went to Dad's grave on Father's Day. Took sister's family to my amusement park where I work this summer to wait out 2 rain storms to shut down new ride. Sister says we will go again in hope new ride will be open next time. New ride was open next time and they got in line. Nephew was too short so I took him elsewhere. When returned to the new ride asking how it was, niece cries how they shut it down due to high winds while they were in line. Have to wait next year. It was so windy that day I bought a jacket from being cold. We visited the water park half and I mostly sun bathed. Niece and nephew played in the water to return shaking from cold. Had a our family reunion and got a heavy cold shoulder. I wrote on a social site how it was good to know how people really feel hearing it from other people to include that when these people loose everything then they may criticize me for borrowing money from mother. I told mother I will gladly move into a tent and live on my grandpa's farm that she owns if it made everybody happy. She rejected the idea immediately. I'm sorry that I cannot force employers to hire me and pay me well. What do they expect me to do for money, start robbing banks? I don't think I would be any good at that and have no desire to go to jail. Attended my 20th High School Reunion. Guy had it has his farm and a band sang in the garage. Had to leave early to get to work in the morning. Got introduce to a prestigious whiskey and liked it a lot. People had to grab the bottle away from me before I puked. I have to share ya know. Took brother and new girlfriend to amusement park. She is full of allergies and phobias. I never seen my brother so happy before it is refreshing. Hope it works out. Worked on the 4th of July so saw parade with sister's family and saw fireworks at my amusement park. They do a good job and we took turns looking out the door for a few minutes to return to working. We all seen fireworks before. Unsure what I am going to do when the amusement park closes for the season, I got to researching office work I could do. I decided to go into accounting and get an associate degree. Hopefully I finish next year (with student loan) and get a job that pays enough to live off of. I told mother I don't need to rich to be happy, just paying my own bills without begging for money would make me happy. Besides, they give me 10 years at low interest to pay it back and student loan interest gives me a tax deduction so boo hoo for me. I hope for the best for me. Still have a ferret MIA and don't think the one who has her is going to turn her in to her microchip can be scanned and facility contacts me to pick her up. It's been 6 1/2 months. All for now.

The Graduate and Mother's Day

Niece #2 has graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and prepared to start working on her Master's. As usual I escorted my mother and stayed at a nearby hotel. Hotel I picked had a pool and way too fancy setting for my cheap mother to handle. We sat at an outdoor stage area named after the trees surrounding it. Who would have guessed an area named for trees would have no trees to provide shade. They were cut down being old and falling apart to cause a safety concern. They were replaced with tiny trees. 2 hour ceremony in the bright sun caused everyone an bad sunburn. A couple people in our party got blisters. The relative we stayed with had never heard of Aloe Vera. It's been around for years and in every lotion sold in stores. We stayed overnight with a relative and called my sister coming the day for Mother's Day lunch to bring some aloe vera for our sunburns. Had a good chat over the afternoon. My relative showed me all their photos and special decorations from her husband's mother's house. Then we had to leave to meet my other sister's family who didn't come to the ceremony. We went out to eat with sister's family. Brother-in-law was at a race earlier in the day and had just returned home. Children love playing tic-tac-toe, when they win. Nephew hid his crayons and had to use niece's. We later found one of his on the floor while looking for something else. Apparently, even then, he refused to use it preferring my niece's crayon colors. Then the bill came and we left. Had dessert at sister's house. I bought a large sugar cookie for Mother Day dinners. I came home with none so it was a hit. Animals were happy to see me come home. Food/water bowls empty. Litter box full. Fed everybody and got ready for bed. Had a full day of activity and lots of driving.

Advice for College Graduates

Ah, this will be harder than advice to high school graduates. I spent 15 years after college graduation bouncing job to job and never run into a good man to marry so no kids in my lifetime. What would a broke crazy cat lady have to say to a college graduate? I'll give it my best shot. 1. Pay back your student loans as quickly as you can. It will save you on interest to pay the principal part (the loan amount) down faster than on schedule. 2. Surprise! You are going working for the same amount of pay as a high school student and have a long way to get to the middle. Yes, a degree will help get to the middle class jobs after experience builds on your resume, but at first, you will be at the bottom of hierarchy. 3. Remember Freedom of Expression you are so comfortable with is now over with. You will conform to your occupation dress code and manners, or you will be unemployed a lot. As they say: Shape up or ship out. 4. Pay your bills on time. A credit score may not mean much until you start applying for jobs, apartments, car loans, mortgage loans, and you got it, credit cards. As my father always said, If you can't afford something, then you don't buy it. Remember, Christmas is a good time to ask for things you can't afford. 5. Save as much as you can. Rainy days will happen. Your income will be fluid moving up and down as time goes on. Life is not a success only journey. And vacations are nice. 6. Remember it took your parents 20 years of hard work to get where they are now. It will take you just as long so don't believe you have to have everything your parents have right away. They struggled too long before they had you. 7. Get use to crash courses and take notes. Every job I've had is a crash course of training and then they leave you alone ready or not. 8. Most jobs are dealing with computers that record everything you do on them and dealing with cash jobs will have cameras. No surfing the internet when forbidden and no stealing cause management will figure it out and you will be fired. BTW, embezzlement is a crime that can send you to jail if your employer prosecutes. 9. When quitting a job, don't tell off the manager when you leave. That person will be the one future employers contact for a reference. In addition, you might need that manager to re-hire you later. 10. Don't think you are done learning. Many occupations require adults to return to college like: mechanics, teachers, office workers, etc. Technology changes, training styles change, and laws change. Job loss is another reason to return to college.

New job and then new interview

Oh why do these things have to happen to me? Start new job after a phone interview as merchandiser. In training I find I mostly clean shelves and relabel them cause most store owners don't care if items are arranged to "THE PLAN" the merchandising company created. It is once a month, five stores, so very part-time, but it's a job. I sign up to work for the local amusement park that is far away and pays little money, but it's a job and wouldn't interfere with the merchandising. Strike that, new amusement park job will interfere with merchandising job so have to let go of it after buying cleaning supplies to do it. Oh well, I can use cleaning supplies at home. So complete interview with amusement park job and temp agency calls me trying to fill in a new position at a bank. I must be at the bottom of their applicant list. Great job opportunity with perfect timing. Get through phone interview and listen to bank person talk about being investigated, wants this project of hers over with asap which would leave me out of a job, and do video meetings because lady is in another state. After considering my options, I decide to go with the amusement park. I know when this job ends and hope will lead to better opportunities when it is over. If not, just go on unemployment again. Now that my Cobra insurance is about to end, I have to find some on my own. Find out I'm finally poor enough for Medicaid courtesy of the cut off being raised from Obamacare. Before I was too rich for public assistance or had a job that provided health insurance and according to Obamacare, I had to accept it. Often I hated employer minimum health insurance because it, more often than not, don't cover name brand prescriptions, like the inhaler I need for asthma. This always lead to fights with every pharmacist for the past 15 years how expensive my inhaler is, questions if I still want it, and I need better insurance to get it at a better price. Talk about worst customer service imaginable and I get it at every pharmacy I've visited. Hope Medicaid covers it. And finally, the icing on the cake. I got an email asking for a administrative assistant position interview. Great timing again. I explained my other job so will see if this one interviews me at all. They are interviewing so many people you know, aka I scared the employer off. So what's the next curve ball that will be thrown at me, I win the lottery in the middle of my temp job?

Happy Easter

Went to sister's house for Easter. Grocery store doesn't make Bunny cakes anymore so made Easter basket cookies from recipe I found on internet. We had an egg hunt and niece was the winner to pick out a movie gift. 2nd place nephew picked a movie 2nd and pouted in his room. Watched niece's movie as adults talked. Then sister was ready to rearrange house for future viewing from potential buyers so the men rearranged the furniture in the bedrooms. When people started to leave I took Mom home. Forgot to take pictures and I remembered to bring my camera. Oh well.

New job

Month started badly with Beta fish Posidian, Demeter, and Zeus die in one weekend. Down to 4 fish. Plus Arwyn the ferret went MIA and still missing 3 weeks later. Dear God where is she, she had not any visitor experience in the 2 months I had her. Still bit me constantly so wonder if is still with the people who found her. I want my baby back. Had to go to the unemployment office on St Patrick's Day to prove I am looking for employment and got plenty of help for education and resume suggestions. Afterwards, walked down to see the parade. I stood for an hour and walked away. I could not handle standing anymore. Stopped at a fast food place to eat, grocery shopped, and went home. No parties for me, I'm broke and unemployed so nobody wants to buy me drinks. Got a new job at the Easter bunny set up at the mall. I run the train and take orders for Bunny photos. A professional photographer takes the pictures. She has her private business. A coworker is trying to get her to advertise her business on Facebook. X fingers for a permanent job coming my way and Arwyn gets turned in to have her microchip scanned so I can bring her home. The others miss her too and hardly play anymore.

Another day of unemployment

Had a good Valentine's Day watching romance movies. The Young Victoria is a favorite. I also got to take out my niece ands nephew so my sick sister could get more rest. Took them to IHOP and shared a hot fudge sundae. Got to pick up the kids from school another day and babysat until sister came home form parent-teacher conferences (she teachers computers to kids and runs the library). Got my tax refunds in the mail. Have to save that to pay rent. Ferrets sadly watched the snow melt and said good-bye to the snow tunnels. We got some ice, then some snow, but not enough to make a snow tunnel. Poor babies. We are over normal snow fall so hopefully that alleviates the drought we had the past summer. Watched the Olympics religiously. Snowboarding and ice skating are my favorites. Half-pipe and slopestyle with skis was interesting to watch. My nose is still stuffy, but getting better. Managed to fish my 7 fish alive. Been working on editing and rewriting my novels. Explored another Laundromat since my apartment machines keep breaking down. That cost twice as much so won't be doing that again. Got to read a book while I waited. Faramir has been climbing my clothes every day to get to the counters and sinks. He once played in the bathroom sinck and knocked all objects into the sink bowl. I had block his future excursions on the sink. Curious as cats. No more interviews and haven't heard from the 3 temp people I've spoken to for a while so I'm starting to wonder. Well nothing else to say. PS. RIP Posiedon. One of my first fish. A beautiful blue crown tail with red fins. Quite the Romeo with the lady fish. Got the bloat eye like Calliope and died. Buried in the grass plant.

Happy Groundhog Day

Having a good February. One week after Eowyn went missing the shelter called and I went to pick her up the next day. She gets along with Arwyn very well. When they met, sniffed each other tushy and started playing. After all the snow melted, it snow again and got a nice 18" drift on the balcony. Faramir has dug out 2 snow tunnels. The ferrets love snow and love jumping around in it. Had a job interview, but met rejection. I tried to be friendly and assertive that employers say they want. What they really want is a paradox. They want someone who won't talk to their coworkers, but still be an assertive team player. Excuse me, you can't have it both ways. Watched Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet and Kitten Bowl on Hallmark Channel while revamping my novel. What does it take to write a masterpiece someone will read? Lost another fish, down to 7 Beta fish. RIP Calliope. Got her as a baby and had her for almost 2 years. A little aggressive so kept in her own tank. Then her eye go bloated and internet said it was a liver disease. Recommended antibiotic in the water so did that, she died anyway. Put her in the grass plant. Since unemployed for a month now, I made my Valentines this year and promptly mailed them. Everybody loves them. I'm so creative. Too bad my creativity and patience can't get me a job that pays enough to live off of. Got my taxes done online and getting a nice refund. Got a ticket to see the last Motley Crue concert in Des Moines. I've seen them before and look forward to it this summer. Got my reservation set for my impending Niece's graduation this spring. Well, nothing else to report.

Happy New Year

My new year started with going to see Frozen and Desolation of Smaug at the movie theater. Shortly after, I lost my temp job with 1 day notice. Temp agency guy was looking at positions that ended on my original end date of the temp job. Tried to get me in to interview right away, but time slots filled up before he got my name in. Pooh. But, 2 weeks later he got me in to interview with someone at the end of the month. Keeping fingers crossed. My Beta female fish Aphrodite died. Found her at the bottom of the tank bloated and turning blackish, with fins missing. Now down to 8 fish. My ferret Eowyn went missing for a week. Looked around, put up Lost poster, and contacted shelters/missing pet lists. No word at all from my neighbors making me wonder if they killed her thinking she was a rat, let her outside and she froze to death, or if neighbor thought of her as a free pet deciding to keep. If that was the case, I prayed she was bite them, poop on the carpet, or start to stink from bath time event was due so neighbors would give her back. I lost all hope the neighbors would call and took down the Lost posters and cried believing I would never see Eowyn again. Poor Faramir stopped eating, stopped playing, and would look around every time I said Eowyn's name. I broke down and got him a playmate named Arwyn. She is settling in and started eating the cat food so I had to move that. Faramir is much happier playing with the new baby. Today Arwyn jumped on him and joined him in the bath tub stuffed animal collection Picked up Niece and Nephew from school. Brought some movies, but after 1 Valentine special they got on the computers and never came off, until I forced them to get off to eat supper. Poor sister was sick as a dog so she rested. Sister begged to stay to put kids to bed, but I had to go home and take my antibiotic (I've been sick with a cold and then sinus infection since Christmas) since it has to be taken with a meal or I get an upset stomach. Coming home I get a call about a found ferret at a shelter. Will see if it is her today. Crossing fingers. Had phone conversations with Mom who started a new exercise program where they sit in chairs and move their arms and legs around. Aunt from Omaha wanted to know all about my niece's impending college graduation celebration. Had to buy a new microwave cause Faramir knocked over a glass of Kool-Aid that spilled into the time dial that quit moving. New microwave has push buttons.

Xmas Letter 2013

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family. The year started recovering from the after Christmas clearance shoppers at Kohl’s. Then I finished my training to be a tax preparer for H&R Block. Once started, I only worked Saturdays at Kohl’s. Cats celebrated their 7th birthdays. I walked in the St Patrick’s Day parade for H&R Block holding the banner listening to the downtown crowd scream “Beads! Beads! Beads!”. Then hopped it to Kohl’s in my holiday outfit and shamrock painted on my face. I had a few beads around my neck so gave those to kids coming through my line. Started a new job opportunity as Financial Advisor for Primerica with my friend Justin I knew during childhood. Got a license to sell life insurance. Had Easter dinner at my place complete with Easter egg hunt in the courtyard. Had an odd occurrence with my Christmas cactus, it bloomed right before Easter. The end of tax season came on schedule and I worked on interviewing at temp agencies for a desk job. I have to go where the money is. Managed to get an employment verification job after my very first drug test. After 15 minutes of calling people on the phone, my ears started to ring. Driving home, I couldn’t handle the noise of the radio. I quit the next day. On the plus side, I finished fairytale trilogy for my nieces after working on it for 10 years. My youngest niece Annika wasn’t even born yet when I started writing ideas into a notebook. This fall I started rewriting the first book and plan to get it published as an ebook online for free. Hopefully next year I’ll get the first book rewrote. Had a freak occurrence and got snow on May 2nd. Last time that happened my Mom was a child. Niece Alex graduated high school and got lots of scholarships for University of Nebraska-Kearney. She intends to be a high school math teacher. The next day was Mother’s Day so the family went out for lunch. Went to Alex’s last dance recital where she did an Irish jig. Took niece Annika and nephew Lukas to the zoo to see the new rhino and new seal pool. Took Aunt Mary and Mom to the art center and drove by the downtown sculpture park to view modern art. Took Annika to Living History Farms where she learned to sew and petted a calf. Saw the 4th of July parade with brother-in-law Lance and Lukas. Later after work, took my Mom and Lukas to see fireworks. Celebrated Lukas’s 9th birthday. Lost one of my Beta fish, Medusa, taking my number down to 10 fish. Had them a year now (they live 3-4 in good care). Next I got a new furbaby named Faramir (Fair-a-meer). He is a young adult in ferret years born in January and at one year will be fully grown. They live 5-7 years. Cats view the varmint as competition for my affection so I try to love them as much as the newbie. Faramir loves to chase the cats across the apartment and keeps a stash of stuffed animals in the bath tub. After months of interviewing, I got a new job as a document processor for Marsh and McLennan in Urbandale. I left Kohl’s behind and will not be working for H&R Block next season. I won the Halloween pumpkin decorating contest and got to squish a cream pie in my boss’s face. I was nice to her. I saw an ad for a photographer for a shelter down the street called Furry Friends and started volunteering there taking pictures of the new animals for their website. Then I lost Faramir out the door when carrying in bags of groceries. A neighbor believing he was a wild opossum let him outside. I made my first Lost poster to tape up around the apartments. Another neighbor had recognized Faramir as a ferret and took him to Furry Friends thinking he was someone’s pet. The staff thought he was sweet and in perfect health. After the neighbor called me to say where my baby was, I picked him up and got him microchipped so if he escapes again, his scan will guide the shelter to me. We had a stray kitty take shelter in the drain spouts taken down during construction around the apartments. Eventually it was captured and saw its photo on a shelter Facebook page. They called it a Munchkin breed and right away was adopted. Visited a fancy pumpkin patch with rides and gift shop. They had an fairytale area of Three Little Pigs, Billy Goats Gruff Bridge, and Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. Faramir experienced his first snow and walked around with his nose in the flakes looking like a snow plow. We celebrated Annika’s 10th birthday. Had Thanksgiving dinner at sister Sylvia’s house and next day took Annika shopping. Next day had sleepover with Annika, Lukas, and Sylvia after seeing Festival of Trees and Lights. Lost another fish, Daphne, taking my number down to 9. Against better judgment of others, I got another ferret cause Faramir was attacking poor Precious. He loves his baby sister Eowyn (Ay- Oh-Win) cutting her permanent teeth and pounces her daily. She instigates play with him and loves snow. I will be hosting Christmas Day dinner and then following Sunday Mom will host the extended family Christmas at her apartment activity room. My temp job at Marsh is up in the air so here’s hoping for the best next year. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Becky, Precious, Frodo, Faramir, and Eowyn

Ode to a friend

Found out a friend is having a birthday soon so I'll give him some prose. Once there was a boy who said hello Naturally I thought he was talking to someone else So I walked on by Once there was a boy who was set to do a project with me So this time I knew his hello was meant for me I wrote our cartoon and he drew the pictures Once there was a boy who hurt a girl who stole my jacks Who sat next to me at lunch and the bus And simply asked how I was doing Once there was a boy who was upset his Valentine box stereo fell apart And I spent a recess gluing the boxes and paper back together When I found half the class gave me Valentines, he shared his candy Once there was a boy teachers said to stay away from They were afraid I would become a troublemaker like him But how could I toss away my hero and friend who cared about me Once there was a boy who moved away and did not see for many years I put his name in my first novel and made him into a character Then I found him again and now wishing him a wonderful birthday Have a great birthday Justin!!!