A little time on my hands

Last Tuesday I got the news that Saturday would be my last day. They wanted somebody in that job that would convince them that they were a "lifer". I expected to be fired after I told them I would only stick around until I found something else in October. I don't know why I got so upset, this is really what I wanted. I thought I would have another job lined up first. I don't want to go on Unemployment again and have to take the first job that is offered to me. So my neck started to lock up on me upon being told. I thought I could heat-pad it loose, but no such luck. I was afraid to go to the chiropractor because I barely had any range of motion needed for an adjustment. I went to the Walk-In Clinic to get some pain pills. I got both anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers. I started feeling like a human again after the first anti-inflammatory. I actually went into work to finish something that needed to be filled out online by a rep of the phone carrier that I fixed phones for. I went online, it wasn't done, so I left. I went on to go birthday shopping for my friend with cancer. Her doctor told her that her tumor is actually 15-20 years old, but something activated it in the last few years. We both figured it might be her stressful marriage that started it. It could also be her chain-smoking. Anyway we talked very openly and frankly about it. She asked if there was anything of hers that I wanted. I just shrugged and said maybe some of her astrology books. Her neighbors always have screaming loud parties, and stuff like that usually does not bother her. But now that she's sick and weak, it drives her nuts. She's going into the hospital in the middle of February, because the chemo she's going to receive is the most aggressive kind, and it's side effects make the patient need hospitalization. I hope in the hospital she can have some peace so she can rest.

I got yer cake RIGHT HERE

 
 

NO CAKE FOR YOU! Or anybody else for that matter.

A while back I bought a cake mix to have on hand for whenever a get-together comes up. So I bought one of those hot fudge cakes. You mix the cake batter, then put stripes of hot fudge across it, then the cake bakes up and around the fudge. Well anyway one of these get-together opportunities came up Sunday. It was almost done baking when my friend called, the one that moved to Georgia. I didn't want to rush the conversation, I just opted to show up late. So while we were talking, I put my stuff in the car that I was going to take for an altered art junk swap. The cake was ready but really hot, so I put a piece of foil over it and put it in a box and carried it in one hand while I held the phone with the other hand. The cake shifted sides in the box and hit the ground. My husband and his friend we in the garage watching the whole thing. They heard, CLUNK.."SHIT!!!". Yep, there was a mess o cake on the driveway with hot fudge leaking out of it. My casserole dish shattered into it. I just went back into the house, I couldn't look at it. Inside the house it smelled of chocolate cake. The box was still on the counter. If it weren't for the shards of porcelain in it, I would have tried it. But I didn't risk it. The phone conversation pretty much ended after that. Husband scraped what he could up. I went on to my party and the whole time I could smell chocolate cake baking.

we're not a mold threat..so far

A dude came from the professional cleaning service to look around and see the water damage. His company is going to come out to clean the duct work and clean the floor really well and seal it. He said there really wasn't much for mold to grow on, like a house does. They might go ahead anyway and have the "hygienist" assess if there is mold or not. I have a feeling they will, and then withold that money from the rent.
Crazy woman left early today because it's her oldest son's birthday. He's twelve. He's the one who stole her AC/DC sweatshirt. So I made him a card with Ac/DC pictures I found from their website and a few others. She was touched--she gave me a hug! She told us the story he tells him every year. Each of her children have a story of their births. It includes the weather conditions and why each of them are special. The son who is celebrating his birthday today was is special because he made Crazy Woman and her husband a mommy and a daddy. Because before him, it was just the two of them. She was driven to the hospital in the worst snowstorm of the winter. Her husband slid through a stoplight and hit a cop car. Her husband jumped out and yelled she was having a baby, and the cop escorted them to the hospital.
As mouthy and abrasive she is, I believe she is a really good mom. The place we work for hired a sales support person, so hopefully Crazy Woman will be able to spend some Saturdays with her kids.

Today's kvetch

Is everyone else's computer pissing them off like mine is today?
I mean the internet connection.
I can write faster than this.

gettin' tested

There's been a brown crappy ooze coming up from the floor tiles. Not everywhere, just certain spots coming up from underneath the tile. The glue or whatever is obviously water soluble. But the question is where the heck is the water coming from? The slumlord makes his father do all the running around and looking at it. The poor guy looks like he's about 80. We figured if there's water coming in from somewhere, there is definately mold. Then Crazy Woman got on a website with all the symptoms of mold exposure. She suffers from the hair loss and erractic menstrual cycle. Office manager gets a hot face as soon as she comes in the door. I've had crazy moments of losing my balance since I've been there. Coincidence? Office Manager put in a request to the guy who hired me to get the place tested. Let's see if something actually happens, because it's been found he's kinda useless. If not, I'm calling the Health Dept. myself.

I still haven't carved my pumpkins

Yes, the pumpkins I bought are on the kitchen table. They are keeping quite well, thank you very much. I lost my craving for pumpkin seeds at the moment. They will probably rot there, but haven't yet.

Speaking of delayed holiday festivities, our Christmas party was last night. We had our choice of prime rib, almond-crusted walleye, or spicy chicken pasta. Husband went with the chicken pasta and he loved it. I had the fish, and it tasted like the reason why a lot of people don't like fish. Fishy! I saw the one long-hair from the main office and had him sit with us so my husband would be entertained. They really hit it off like I knew they would. Everyone was really happy I made the trip for the party. Hey, I get invited for food and drink, I show up.

A Million Little Pieces of BULLSHIT

Okay, that author of that book went to Saint Joe. His daddy is/was an executive from the local famous appliance maker. He lived in the Landings. The LANDINGS, people. Back then, The Landings was the most exclusive neighborhood at the time. It has long been surpassed by recent development around here, but anyway my friends and I cruised The Landings to look at the houses. We cruised through there in the winter to look at their Christmas lights. To us it was like our own Beverly Hills. Maybe we'll see some rich people! Anyway, by living there that means he had money, which means in Saint Joe you are popular. Next, he claimed he was every parent's nightmare. Wha? There are people from here saying that couldn't be the farther from the truth. Every Parent's Nightmare does not go get his senior picture taken and submit it to the yearbook. Kids who hate school that bad don't do that. They just don't. And why? Why the hell did he drag himself into that whole train wreck scenario? The whole town hated him for that? Again, WHA? If there was anyone that was despised by the whole town, it was the guy who actually drove the car into the train. I watched Larry King to get answers/explainations to all this, and I've never seen questions skirted around so bad. Used drugs, dude? Great. Recovered? Even better. Profit from lying about putting yourself in a situation that someone died? Well, that plain sucks.

The preceeding is a memoir as remembered and perceived by myself. Now give me my damn money.

I bought the whole store

Once again I shopped while hungry. I wish some of that inspiration I get in the store lasts until I get home. I bought a bunch of those pasta/meat/cheese frozen dinners. I also bought a bunch of breakfast stuff. So what did I cook when I got home at 9:30? Fajitas as planned? Oh hell no. I ate a bowl of cereal and a pudding cup and husband made one of the frozen entrees that was intended for my lunch.

last night's meal

We went to the fancy Italian place down the street from us. Husband ordered lasagne and I wanted cappelini (thin spaghetti) with olive oil and garlic. We waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more! Finally the waitress came and apologized that she didn't turn our order in and she was going to bring us some bread. So buttered focaccia is what is takes to make me go from pissy to less pissy. The food finally came and it is exactly what I expected from there: fancy and presented nicely. It had a fine sprinkling of crushed red pepper on it. It tasted good and the red pepper gave it the ever-so-slight burn. We finished and went home, and something wasn't right. It wasn't heart-burn, but something was wrong with my gut. I went to sleep and dreamt the most crazy and vivid dreams. You know, the kind with real people you know in real places with in real situations, but with just a little too much craziness. Recently I found out a friend has cancer, and she was in my dream. I noticed she was tan, and she looked nice with a little color for once. Ends up she turned that color from radiation treatments. Also in this dream I witnessed her ending her life instead of letting the cancer get her. I can't get that image out of my head. So I woke up and my guts have been burning all day. I am never going to eat crushed red pepper again.

untit'

Can you tell there just isn't anything going on here?!?

It is crappy cold raining/snowing/sleeting mix and there's nothing to eat in the house except canned goods. And I don't want to cook!
Thank God for that gift certificate for the place down the street from us.