Sunday, November 30, 2008

I Made It! NaBloPoMo 2008

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo. I made it! Woo! I think I enjoyed it more last time. There seemed to be more going on then. Anyway, this time did not totally blow chunks. I met some new people and added some new blogs to my reads.

Snailbird.com
Mutts n’ More
Red Lotus Mama
Making Things Up
I’d Blog That
Expensive Mistakes and Cheap Thrills

I participated in a Blog Swap with Sierra from I’d Blog That. That was fun. I never wrote on someone else’s blog before.

Well, that is all for today. Tomorrow a new month starts. I may or may not post. I don’t have to now. Last year, right after NaBloPoMo ended I did another blog challenge called Holidailies. I don’t think I will do any such thing this year.

A Bunch Of Chimpanzees

Here is a video of my Thanksgiving weekend.



On Thursday, Carolynn, Catherine, and I got up and finished making our baked goods. We made pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pumpkin raisin muffins, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. We also made fudge. We did most of the baking earlier in the week. We delivered a pumpkin pie and some pumpkin bread to Chris, Sherri and Taylor on Wednesday evening. Catherine made the pies herself. Then we made the turkey. It was so good. Carolynn made the mashed potatoes and the green bean casserole and Catherine “made” the cranberry sauce. While we were waiting for the food to cook, we played some games. After dinner, we packed up the baked goods and went to my mom’s house.

Aunt Paveena, Alyssa, Jonathan, and Uncle Dan were there when we got there and Joe, Nicole and Allison came shortly after. We had some pie and cookies. Aunt Paveena made a slaw salad that Carolynn loved. Jonathan told some wild stories. Uncle Dan packed away some food. It was nice to see everyone.

On Friday, the girls and I joined my parents, Grandpa and Alyssa and went to Knott’s Berry Farm. It was a county employee day and all seven of us got in for $45. You just can’t beat that. As soon as we got in the girls and Alyssa wanted to ride roller coasters. My dad took them while my mom, Grandpa and I went to get Mrs. Knott’s chicken. I tried some rhubarb while I was there, and though it wasn’t totally inedible, I had enough in the four bites I took to last me the rest of my life. My Grandpa and my mom thought it was funny. It was a food adventure. After we ate, we looked in some shops and found the others. We rode some rides and hung out. Grandpa and I went shopping while the others were riding. He sent some jelly to my sister. By then it was getting dark and cool out. So we headed home. It was fun. It is nice that Grandpa came. Sure, he moves slower, and I am sure the girls could have stayed longer, but one day they can look back and remember places they went with their great-grandpa.

On Saturday, David and I went to the Salvation Army to volunteer. There was no bell ringing for us that day. We had to empty kettles and count. We counted a lot of money. After we finished, we came home and did some house cleaning. We put the Thanksgiving decorations away. We watched some movies. Carolynn went with Taylor to see Bolt in the afternoon. She said it was very good.

Today we put up our Christmas stuff. I made this video. I am watching TV. David is at work. The girls have not gotten dressed all day. It was quite a weekend.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Photo Hunter: Metal




I got this pin from Disneyland.

Photo Hunter: Metal



These are mom's keys.

Blog Swap!

For starters, you've probably noticed that I'm not Jennifer. Or maybe you haven't, because I haven't started talking yet. Or typing. Ah, you know what I mean! I tend to babble, if you hadn't caught on...Jennifer was a brave soul for agreeing to swap blogs with me. Thanks Jennifer, for letting me take over your pretty little fruity blog today! I'm Sierra, and I usually blog over at my place, I'd Blog That! Come on over and visit sometime :)

When I saw the NaBloPoMo blog swap post, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun. I wasn't sure what to expect, having never done a blog swap before, but I figured I'd give it my best shot. But after signing myself up, I panicked. What would I write about?!? I had not a single idea floating around in my brain, and only a day or so before the deadline! Holy canoli. What had I gotten myself into? I tried to brainstorm a little, but to no avail. My brain was my enemy. Creativity was evading me. I decided to forget about it for awhile, and just wait for a brilliant topic to pop into my head (a very dangerous tactic, don't try this at home on your own blogs!) Last night, I decided not to shoot any silly sounding ideas down that came through my brain (like I usually do), and just gather them all up to sort through. I was thinking about today, Thanksgiving, and what it means, especially this year. I don't usually contemplate the holidays as I have this fall. They mean a little more to me than they usually do. I realized that Thanksgiving, and more specifically, what I'm thankful for this year, would be a perfectly good topic for a blog post! So here I am. And there you are, going "ohhhh, great, another sappy 'I love my family and friends' Thanksgiving post!" But do not fear. I will not get sappy. Or at least not too sappy. Deal? Deal.

This year, I'm thankful for many things. The usual: family, friends, roof over my head, healthy food to eat, plenty of clean clothes to wear each day, a safe neighborhood, a bright future, opportunities, and tons of other stuff. But because of recent events in my life, some unexpected, some just tougher than I was ready for, I am especially thankful for one specific thing this fall. Health! My health, and the health of my friends and family, is so important to me, and I often take it for granted. Whenever I get sick, I realize how much I value my usual health. Joni Mitchell sure knew what she was talking about when she sang "don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone". Why is it that it often takes a bout of pain, suffering, or turmoil to make us realize how good we normally have it? It would be much nicer if we just appreciated each moment and each person in our lives and didn't have to endure the loss and sorrow of losing those close to us, or losing our health. When our normal days are challenged and replaced with hours full of illness and discomfort, it turns our world upside down, even if ever so slightly.

I've had three months filled with three surgeries, three recovery periods, three months worth of gauze and partial showers, three weeks after three weeks of feeling better and then feeling worse...it's been emotionally, physically, and mentally draining. I admit it. I won't play down the fact that this whole thing has been exhausting. Much more than I ever expected. For one, this most recent surgery was an emergency, unplanned surgery. I made the drive up to see my surgeon (two hours north of me, and he's worth every mile) two Fridays ago, not sure what to expect. I'd had complications with my skin not healing properly, and other details I won't go into for TMI purposes, but I knew something was wrong. I was having a lot of pain, and with it having been a little over two weeks post surgery, I shouldn't have been. I entered the doctor's office with slight trepidation that Friday, but I never expected to hear the words "I'm so sorry--you need to have surgery immediately to get this taken care of." My heart flip flopped. I half expected them to squeeze me in to the O.R. schedule that very day, with the amount of concern the doctors had on their face. The soonest they could fit me in was Monday, and I had a high risk of infection until the problem was taken care of, they said. My heart rate increased, my mother entered the room, and I realized all the implications of what this new development meant. I'd have to drop out of school for the remainder of the semester. My biggest fear. I was doing A+ well in all my classes, and looking forward to getting them out of the way (I'm currently in the process of completing my pre-requisites to enter nursing school, and every extra semester means more work and more time until I can apply).

My most recent surgery was a couple of Mondays ago. It's been about a week and a half. I had a surgical drain tube in my chest up until yesterday, and I was enduring excrutiating, almost unbearable pain for that entire time. I had never encountered such intense pressure in my chest, such hurt welling up inside my heart. It literally hurt to breathe. Hurt to cough. Hurt to move. Hurt to just BE. I'd never had to deal with such a crazy pain before, and it took almost everything out of me. I couldn't breathe deep enough to gather breath to talk as loud as normal. I couldn't do anything but sit in a maroon La-Z-Boy in the living room all day, watching movies (but no comedies-they might make me laugh, which would, in turn, make me cry from pain). Thank goodness for my laptop, which kept me company for a week and a half. I watched my TV shows online, tried to type some emails, keep up with my online Psychology class...it all required an enormous amount of effort, both mental and physical, because I could hardly lift or move my right arm (part of the surgery I had included cutting deep into my chest muscle, which is were the majority of my pain has come from). But, *knock on wood*, as of yesterday at about 4:40PM, I've FINALLY gotten some relief from all this terrible pain! I got my surgical drain pulled out yesterday, and it immediately relieved a ton of the pressure in my chest! Hurray! I'm still in pain, and by no means completely well yet, but I am in awe of how much better I feel today just because of the drain tube being gone. I'm amazed. The pain was so hard to deal with, and I was just about ready to give up out of frustration and exhaustion...that I am especially thankful for any measure of relief, and so blessed by just how much better I feel today.

But I have dealt with nothing, NOTHING like this . Or this . Or this. Ovarian cancer. Childhood leukemia. Liver failure.

And those beautiful, strong, courageous women and children? They make me want to sit down, tears in my eyes, and thank my lucky stars every moment of every day that I am healthy. I am well. I have a strong body, and a sound mind. I am a lucky, blessed person to be able to say that. And so today, I am thankful for my health.

Todays guest post was brought to you by Sierra.
This is all part of the NaBloPoMo "Blog Swap".
Don't forget to go check out my post over on their site, I'd Blog That!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Knott's Merry Farm

We had a super fun time at Knott's Berry Farm. I am tired from the fun. Carolynn is already in bed. Tomorrow I have to get up to go to the Salvation Army. Instead of ringing the bell all day, like I did on Monday and Wednesday and David did it today, we will be emptying the kettles and counting.

Before I am off to bed, again, here are a couple of pictures from our day.

Grandpa enjoying his chicken dinner. I tried the rhubarb. I won't be doing that again. My mom laughed at me.


My mom and Catherine in front of a fountain. We were waiting for Carolynn and Alyssa to come back from a roller coaster.


Getting their flume on... Log Style.


Catherine riding the merry-go-round.


Everyone waiting for Carolynn and Alyssa to come off another roller coaster.


Look for a video of our complete weekend of fun on Sunday. As for tomorrow, look for a special surprise!

Robbed... The Conclusion

For those of you who come here often, you probably already know that on Sunday night, while David was at work, the McDonald's he works at was robbed. Well, the good news is, they won't be getting away with it. They were arrested.

Victorville Daily Press News Story
Three Arrested In Restaurant Takeover Robbery

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving

It's been a heck of a day. I am stuffed. But before I go to bed, here are a few of my favorite pictures from today... Mostly for my sister who couldn't be here.

Catherine tried a little of everything. She even tried a few new things. Some she liked and some she didn't. She packed a lot of food into her little body.


Uncle Dan sure can eat too. My mom packed up some leftovers for him to take home so he can continue to enjoy Thanksgiving all weekend. He works at Wal-Mart. I bet it will be busy there tomorrow.


Everyone loves Aunt Paveena. She brought kind of an Asian slaw salad. Carolynn loved it. She ate two plates of it and brought a container of it home.


This is Grandpa, doing what Grandpa does.


This is my cousin Jonathan. He is funny and smart. One day he will realize this and won't have to hang with bums. I hope anyways.


There are no pictures posted of Alyssa because I didn't get her written approval. What if her eye lids looked fat or something. (Not that there is an ounce of fat on her.)

Tomorrow we are going to Knott's Berry Farm. Maybe at the end of the weekend I will post a video of the whole thing, including more pictures from today. Until we meet again...

Thanksgiving Thursday Thirteen



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Today you get thirteen of my previous Thursday Thirteens. Yep… Re-Runs!

1. Thirteen Things I Love About Thanksgiving- Original Air Date- November 13, 2008
2. Thirteen Things I Learned About Apple Valley- Original Air Date- October 16, 2008
3. Thirteen Things About Catherine- Original Air Date- September 18, 2008
4. Thirteen Things I Remember About The 2008 Summer Olympic Games- Original Air Date- August 28, 2008
5. Thirteen Of The Worst Movies I Have Ever Seen- Original Air Date- August 21, 2008
6. Thirteen Things About David- Original Air Date- July 24, 2008
7. Thirteen Things You Can Do To Make The World Just A Little Nicer- Original Air Date- June 5, 2008
8. Thirteen Things You Should NEVER Say At A Job Interview- Original Air Date- May 29, 2008
9. Thirteen Things We Eat That Other People Might Find Gross- Original Air Date- May 8, 2008
10. Thirteen Things About Me That Begin With J- Original Air Date- May 1, 2008
11. Thirteen Things About Carolynn- Original Air Date- April 24, 2008
12. Thirteen Television Shows I Watch- Original Air Date- April 17, 2008
13. Thirteen Things On My Desk- My First Ever Thursday Thirteen- Original Air Date- April 3, 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

31 Things About Me


My mom gave this to me. Here are the rules: Answer the following questions with one word only. Then tag five other blogs who you feel are awesome and deserve some form of recognition. But I don't know any so I am skipping that part.

The Questions

01. Where is your cell phone? Backpack
02. Where is your significant other? Eww
03. Your hair color? Brown
04. Your mother? Jobless
05. Your father? Nevada
06. Your favorite thing? Turtles
07. Your dream last night? Crazy
08. Your dream/goal? President
09. The room you’re in? Warm
10. Your hobby? Running
11. Your fear? Spiders
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Driving
13. Where were you last night? Sleeping
14. What you’re not? Man
15. One of your wish-list items? Barbie
16. Where you grew up? California
17. The last thing you did? Mario
18. What are you wearing? Jammies
19. Your TV? Small
20. Your pet? Cleo
21. Your computer? Cracked
22. Your mood? Okay
23. Missing someone? Kina
24. Your car? Motorcycle
25. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
26. Favorite store? Mall
27. Your summer? Good
28. Love someone? Mom
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When is the last time you laughed? Mario
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

Someone Loves My Blog!


I got this “I Love Your Blog” award from Nikki at Snailbird.com. How sweet is she? I only discovered her blog recently through NaBloPoMo and I am so glad I did. Thank you Nikki for this fabulous award of fun.

Here are the rules: Answer the following questions with one word only. Then tag five other blogs who you feel are awesome and deserve some form of recognition. Then they post the badge, answer the questions too, and tag the blogs they think are awesome.

The Questions

01. Where is your cell phone? Desk
02. Where is your significant other? Space
03. Your hair color? Red
04. Your mother? Chex
05. Your father? Work
06. Your favorite thing? Food
07. Your dream last night? Weird
08. Your dream/goal? Employment
09. The room you’re in? Living
10. Your hobby? Blogging
11. Your fear? Homeless
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Employed
13. Where were you last night? Asleep
14. What you’re not? Selfish
15. One of your wish-list items? Washer
16. Where you grew up? California
17. The last thing you did? Bake
18. What are you wearing? Jammies
19. Your TV? Dusty
20. Your pet? Gibby
21. Your computer? Slow
22. Your mood? Apprehensive
23. Missing someone? Trish
24. Your car? Cruiser
25. Something you’re not wearing? Hat
26. Favorite store? Winco
27. Your summer? Jobless
28. Love someone? Kids
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

Favorite Blogs
Mom
Trisha
Carolynn
Eve
Heather

Ash is one of my fave's too but Nikki nominated her already.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Ring Those Bells

Today I gave up my whole day ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. This morning Gary, the guy in charge, called and asked me if it was enough notice for me to come and ring the bell at 8:30 at the Stater Bros. It was 7:50. I said yes anyway. David got up, got dressed, and came with me. He had to be at work today at 10 and the McDonald's was across the street. Anyway, I was waiting there for Gary to bring my bucket, when one of the fabulous family I met on Friday showed up. Yep. It was the older sister, the pregnant one. Her name is Carolyn. I know right? She said she was supposed to be there today. She chatted with me while we waited. She is a pleasant person, but she has some serious issues. Not only is her sister being accused of welfare fraud, she got hers taken away for some reason too. Wow.

When Gary got there, he confirmed I was in the right place. She was supposed to be at K-Mart. She threw a hissy fit. I said do not worry about it. I went off to K-Mart. I rang the bell in front of the K-Mart from 10 am to 6 pm. I had a heck of a day.

First, I was surprised at how much money I collected. Even in tough times, people still gave. Most people gave a buck or so. I got a few 5’s, 10’s and even a 20 or two. But the fun part was seeing all the people. There sure are some interesting people out there.

Most of the people were nice. There were a few crazies though. When I first got there, some woman walked up and said, “You can go screw yourself if you think I would give money to this.” I did not even say anything. We are not supposed to solicit, just ring the bell, say thanks, and Merry Christmas. Some other jerk walked by and said something like “Why do you people have to stand in my way?” I was not even in the way. Some other guy walked by and said “Hey, I am needy, how about you give me the money?”

Of course there was plenty of action there at the K-Mart. Many of the K-Mart girls are wearing flannel pajamas to work. I guess the store gave them to them and they are on sale in there. They have to wear them until Christmas. However, they say that it is very hot in those flannel pajamas in the K-Mart. Late this afternoon, a girl came running out of the K-Mart, setting off the alarms, jumped in to truck that pulled up and sped away. I wonder what she stole. What was weird was that no one seemed to notice except for me and some of the customers going in and out then.

A girl I knew in high school, and did not like, came up to the store. As she was walking up, she was screaming at a couple of kids. Wow. I guess she is still the same. She came up to me and asked me if I was me… I said no. My name is Susan. She looked skeptical, but I did not like her then, I doubt I like her now.

While I was standing there, several people came by and checked the garbage cans outside the store for cans. People are pretty desperate. But people were still pretty generous. There was a homeless man in the parking lot asking people for money. He was out there for about 4 hours. He came up and put about a buck in change in my bucket. He said “Here ya go babe.” He was an older gentleman. I thought that was so generous. He had nothing, but he still gave. Another woman came and was telling me how she was 92 and on social security, but that she was going to give to me when she came back out. She went in the K-Mart, came back an hour and a half later with three rolls of paper towels and gave me a dollar.

A lot of older folks chatted me up today. A LOT! I was called honey, sweetie, darling, cupcake, sugar, dear… You name it. Older folks were generally chatty and gave money. One of those older people made me cry. Then when I told this story to David, he cried. (Do not tell him I told you. He is such a wimp.) So go get your self some tissue…

Anyway, this older gentlemen and his wife came up to me. She was pushing him in a wheelchair. He had tubes all in nose and a machine thing on his lap. He grabbed my hand, put a dollar in it and said, “Say a prayer for me. I don’t think I have that much longer and I just want one more holiday with my family.” Then his wife told him they had to go. He said, “Don’t forget. Have a nice holiday with your family.” I was trying so hard not to just cry all over my bell.

Kids were interesting too. A little boy came out with his Grandma and was asking me all kinds of questions.

“Why are you ringing that bell?”
“Why do you want to get money in the bucket?”
“Do you get a prize if you put the money in the bucket?”

He was so cute. Then he asked his grandma for some money and she searched her purse and had no cash. She looked upset and he was sad too. However, I told him not to worry, he could come back. He said he would. He could not have been more than five. A couple of other little kids came by with their dad. They were covering their ears and saying that ringing was too loud. When they came back out, one of them said “Hey lady, that’s loud. You should stop that.” The dad told them I only stop if you put money in the bucket and gave them each a buck. They put it in and told me to stop now. I stopped and they watched to make sure I did not start again until they were in the car. They were funny. They were probably between four and six.

It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I am supposed to go back on Wednesday. Tomorrow I have a HUGE interview at 10. HUGE! Seriously, this could be it. I also have another interview late tomorrow afternoon. In addition, I have a few other errands. Nevertheless, everyone keep your fingers crossed for that interview. 10 am.

Robbed

Last night the McDonald’s where David works was robbed. Luckily, no one was hurt. Here is the story as David tells it.

It was almost 10 pm. He was in the back on the grill when two people came in wearing hoodies and masks and brandishing guns. They started yelling “Get the fuck down.” He headed toward the back further when another guy who works there came and told him to get in the freezer with him. They went in the freezer and sat in the freezing cold. He hid his keys and wallet in some chicken nuggets. Then they just waited and contemplated their mortality. Finally, someone who works there came and told them it was over. They got away with the money in the front cash registers and the safe. They missed the drive thru register. No one got hurt. The police came and took statements and stuff.

He seemed pretty shook up when he got home. I would have peed my pants.

I am doing my bell ringing today at the Stater Bros. on Apple Valley Road in Apple Valley. Come on by and give up some change.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Another New Week Begins

Today I got a few things done. My mom took the girls mini golfing. I went over to the PetSmart to get stuff for the turtle. I mentioned yesterday that filter in the turtle tank stopped working. It turned out that I was wrong about the heater too. When I got up this morning, Little Dude’s water was in the 60’s. He needs it to be around 78 to 80 all the time. I swear, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another… The car battery, the toaster, the turtle tank…

Anyway, I got the heater and the filter for about $50. I guess it could have been worse. I could have needed a whole new tank or Little Dude could have died. That would have really sucked. Carolynn would have been heart broken. Anyway, I got him taken care of. When I was there, the PetSmart was having some kind of pre-holiday extravaganza. I ended up getting a bunch of extra stuff. Gibby got a new shirt. It says "Give Me A Present Or I’ll Pee On Your Tree". I got some dog treats, cat food, and dog food. There were a lot of people in there. Gibby got a lot of attention.

After I went to PetSmart, I came home and cleaned the turtle tank out, refilled it and put his new stuff in. He seems like a happy camper now, but it is hard to tell with a turtle. Once I finished cleaning the tank, I was in a cleaning mode. David was cleaning the kitchen and I finished the turtle tank, so I just kept going. I went out and cleaned the porch. I bleached out the dog water jug and refilled it. Then I went to the Wal-Mart for some cleaning supplies. I got some Pine-Sol, Windex, Fabreeze, and some sponges. Then after I came back, David left for his job at McDonald’s so I was all alone. That never happens. I scrubbed the kitchen floor, cleaned up the laundry room, and cleaned the fridge out.

I got side tracked with my Facebook page. I am not a huge fan of Facebook, but I like it better than MySpace. Someone had sent me some message and then I got on there to see it. However, I could not figure it out. It said someone has passed you a drink… I did not get it. Then I added some pictures on there. My Aunt Carol left me a comment when I was on there, then I left her one. I never actually met her, but everyone says she is nice and I would have to agree.

Tomorrow is Monday. Maybe it will be “Jennifer’s Got A New Job Day”. In addition, I might find out when it will be my turn to be the bell ringer for Salvation Army. It should be fun and it will be doing something good for the community. I also am going to try to do some volunteering at some nursing homes. I think the old folks will be very appreciative.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

I Hate Laundry Day

Today was the day we went to the laundromat. We got it done in record time. There were some extra creepy people in there today too. Maybe that is what made us go so fast.

Earlier today my mom came and brought us a new toaster. Thank goodness. I like toast or English muffins in the morning. Then she took Carolynn out to get her hair cut. Earlier this week she got the bright idea to cut it herself. Needless to say, she needed professional help. She was going for a Reese Witherspoon look.

Carolynn


Reese Witherspoon


After that my mom took her shopping and to get a hot dog. Then she took Catherine shopping for some school supplies. She had to make a diorama of The Cricket In Time Square. She also talked my mom in to buying Wall-E on DVD. We are going to watch it later.

This afternoon we discovered Little Dude's tank was pretty gross. I found that to be rather odd, since we just cleaned it. It smelled terrible. We found out that the filter broke. Ewww. We will have to deal with that tomorrow. Luckily the heater and the spot lamp still work so his temperature is fine. That is more important than a little dirty water. Red Eared Sliders are native to Mississippi so they can take dirt, but like warmer water.

Yesterday I had a record of four (FOUR!) posts. Wow. I guess I had a lot to say. Today, not so much

Friday, November 21, 2008

No Place Like Home


I got this meme from Forgetfulone. She didn't tag me for it, so I STOLE it. HAHAHAHA!

The following is a little TAG that allows your Bloggy neighbors to get to know a little information about the town or city you live in. State the name and then Post 10 facts or observations about the town you call home. Then tag 4 people.

I did a Thursday Thirteen like this once, click here to see it.

1. Apple Valley is located in the Mojave Desert.
2. The main highway is called the "Happy Trails Highway".
3. Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans lived in Apple Valley.
4. Joshua Trees are native here.
5. There are actual, honest to God tumbleweeds here. They crack David up.
6. I see coyotes weekly.
7. There is one Wal-Mart and two Targets in Apple Valley. I like Target better anyway.
8. Apple Valley has two Lowe's and one Home Depot. That is a lot of home improvement for such a small town.
9. Cuba Gooding Jr. went to Apple Valley High School. So did I, but not at the same time.
10. There is a Wal-Mart distribution center in Apple Valley. I can see it from my house. It is about 4 miles away, but there is very little between me and it.

Okay, now I tag four people...

I tag Sarah. She can tell us about where she lives in Hawaii.
I tag Nikki and Ash... one of you or both of you if you want. You live in the same town. But maybe you have different "home towns". It doesn't exactly go with Ash's pet theme, but it's her blog so...
I tag Pam from 30Something. She mentioned she needed things to write.
I tag Heather from One Beaudet At A Time. That way she has something to post.

Salvation… Only $8.00 An Hour

I went down to the Salvation Army for Bell Ringer Orientation. There were about 30 people there. However, David and I were the only volunteers. The rest of these people were going to get paid minimum wage, or $8.00 per hour. I didn’t even know that they paid people to do this. I had already said I would volunteer. I don’t mind really. Every hour I work, saves them $8.00. The guy in charge explained that it would make the charity more money if they had more volunteers and asked if anyone would be willing to give up their $8.00 per hour for the charity. Only one person said yes. She could only work evenings and one day a week, but at least it was something.

I understand that these people probably need the money. I know how they feel and I am traveling that path too. However, in my opinion, if they are paying you, it is a job and therefore should be treated like one. Example, several people smelled pretty bad and were wearing dirty clothes. Some of them had brought their children. Many of them complained about everything. They complained about the “no gum” and “no eating while ringing”. They complained about the no cell phone rule. A lot of them were pushy about getting a lot of hours and where they would work. They complained about the apron or the “no sitting” policy. Shifts are either 4 hours or 8 hours. Of course, there are breaks and lunches. Even as a volunteer, I should follow the same guidelines.

One particular family really got to me: a mother and her two daughters who were going to do it, and their dad, who was waiting for them. After the orientation, people who had not filled out their paperwork in advance had to stay and fill it out. David and I had to and so did this family. They were loud. The daughters were probably about David’s age; one maybe a little older and one a little younger. The older one was pregnant and had a little boy with her. They were loudly arguing about what they would do with their 8 dollars per hour. They loudly complained about only getting four-hour shifts. They loudly argued about how they all lived in a two-bedroom house. The dad was not doing it. He was just standing around wearing a shirt with a pot plant on it… IN A CHURCH! I am not overly religious, but have some respect. Anyway, Gary, the guy in charge, came in and handed each of us a packet. He instructed David and me, as volunteers, to skip certain sections. (We did not need to submit an employment application, I-9, or W-4. We just needed to acknowledge the rules and regulations and consent to background check.) Anyway, when the youngest daughter heard this she yelled at me, “Why the hell would you want to work for no money?” (Reminder… We were in a church.) I told her I could not afford to donate money, so I was donating time. She said that was stupid. I almost beat her up in the church. Then as we were sitting there, filling out the forms, this same girl is loudly telling her mom about how the welfare stopped sending her checks and are “going after her for no reason” because she claimed her son lived with her and he did not. Apparently, the father of this child also was collecting aid for that child and when they looked into it and found the truth, they apparently want her to pay it back. She does not think that is right. Her exact words… “I had the damn kid and I need it to take care of myself.” Seriously, I finished my paperwork and left before I killed her. They should be calling me and letting me know when I will work and where sometime this weekend. They officially start ringing on Monday. I think it will be fun. I wish I could get some Christmas-y shirts or a Santa hat or something festive to wear.

Anyway, it’s a good cause and if you have the time, save them some money and ring a bell for free for a few hours.

Hey Santa!

Dear Santa,

I know it is a little early in the year to be writing to you, but I want to get it in before the big rush. I have been a very good girl this year. I ate all my veggies. However, I have been having a rough year. It would be really cool if for Christmas I could have a job. It is really all I want. However, if you are feeling generous, I could use few other things. World peace would be great. A new toaster would be super too. I discovered ours broke this morning. Only one side toasts, and that side only toasts one side of the bread. How about a washer and dryer? That would be awesome. While you are at it, could you end world hunger and hand out some universal healthcare?

The girls would like some stuff too. They have been pretty good this year too. Carolynn would like some collectable Barbies and some jeans. She has been working very hard to read more books and she has made some new friends. She would also like Animal Crossing for Wii. Catherine would like some Polly Pockets. She got all A’s and made the honor roll. She is getting better at doing chores. She would also like some Ramona books and High School Musical 2 on DVD.

If you were feeling extra generous, David would like some books or some clothes. He has been working hard at McDonald’s. He is also going to school and looking for better jobs.

That would be great. Thanks.

I will be sure and leave out the good cookies for you on Christmas Eve. How about some homemade sugar cookies with icing? I will make one in the shape of you. If you would rather, I could whip up some chocolate chip or peanut butter. Anything you want.

Merry Christmas,
Jennifer

One Beaudet At A Time

In case some of you didn't know, my friend Heather, who has been leaving comments for years, just started a blog of her own. Check it out: One Beaudet At A Time

David designed that header for her. Yesterday she had a picture of Catherine on her blog. Today here is a picture of Heather's daughter Kayleigh.



I remember when Kayleigh was born. It was cold in Kenosha. I went to see them at the hospital. Kayleigh was so tiny. Joey may have been at my house while Heather was at the hospital. I can't remember. I remember the first time I had Joey and Kayleigh at my house. Kayleigh was in a playpen and Joey had just got his first pair of glasses.

I added a couple of other new blogs to my list over the last couple of weeks.

Red Lotus Mama
Making Things Up
Mutts N' More
Snailbird.com

All of these I met doing NaBloPoMo this year.

Nothing amazing happened since my last post. I am going this afternoon to the Salvation Army to volunteer. I donated a bunch of food to Catherine's school. I decided to go to school and become a CNA, or Certified Nursing Assistant. It is a one semester course and could open up some new paths. I haven't got a lot of opportunity right now. I start in the Spring. I do have an interview scheduled for this Tuesday at 10:00. This is a big one. The biggest one so far. I have my fingers crossed that it goes well. Fingers, toes, arms, legs, eyes... everything crossed. I am a pretzel. But I did the same thing last week before my interview and we know how that went...

This is the last weekend before Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has their feasts purchased and are looking forward to the holiday. Is anyone going to brave the sales the day after Thanksgiving? I will not be anywhere near a store, unless I happen to get a job in one. Besides, I have no shopping money. It would be fun to work in the mall at Christmas time. I used to enjoy working at Hickory Farms at Christmas. That is the one thing I miss about Wisconsin.

We had a old dead tree in our front yard. Because I rent, it is in our rental agreement that I will take care of the yard, but not the trees. I have been complaining about the eyesore since we got here. Recently, the town gave the owners a citation because the tree was a fire hazard. Finally, yesterday they sent some guys over here to deal with it. They trimmed all the trees in the yard way down to nothing. It was noisy and scary. The dead tree was huge. It crashed loud when branches hit the ground. One big branch hit the garage door and scared me. Luckily there was no damage. It got dark before they could finish, so it looks like a big dead stick in my yard.

That is all for now. Have a happy Friday people!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Thursday Thirteen



I heard that song, If I Had $1,000,000, by the Barenaked Ladies and it made me think up this list of thirteen things I would do if I had a million dollars.

1. Pay off my car.
2. Purchase a house.
3. Buy a motorcycle for David.
4. Take Trisha and go on a cruise in the Mediterranean.
5. Take the kids and my parents and Grandpa to Washington DC.
6. Go see my sister in Hawaii.
7. Buy a bedroom set for myself. A girly one with a canopy or drapes or something. I never had a matching set before.
8. Buy a new computer.
9. Set aside a bunch to pay the bills with while I look for a job still
10. Put some in college funds for the girls.
11. Buy a huge TV. A plasma one. My Grandpa thinks those are cool.
12. Buy a new wardrobe for Gibby.
13. Be less stressed out.

Just A Meme

I got this meme from Melissa at Making Things Up. I met her through NaBloPoMo this year. She and I are in the same SoCal Parent Bloggers Group.

Anyway, I have to link the last 10 comment leavers, answer the questions, and then tag unsuspecting bloggers to do it too. So here you go. Instead of using my last 10 comments, I decided to use my top ten comment writers. If I used the last ten, we would have many repeats.

Here are the top 10 commenters based on the last 100 comments.

1. Pam at 30something
2. Arlene at Three Baseball Fanz
3. Trisha at Obsessed Reader
4. Eve at Adams Wife's Weblog
5. B Boys Mom at Crazy Mom With 4 Boys
6. Sarah at... well, I don't know what hers is called it just says SP.
7. Nikki at Snailbird.com
8. marina at Mucha Costa Rica
9. Heather at One Beaudet At A Time
10. 1momof5 at 1 mom of 5

Okay, here are the questions I am supposed to answer about my commenters.

1: What is your favorite post from number 3’s blog?
Let’s see, this week I like the post Jabber, Jabber because I was the one she was on the phone with all night. It's always good to have friends when you need someone to talk to, no matter what time.

2. Has number 10 taken any pictures that have moved you?
Let’s see last week she had this picture of mint brownies that seriously moved me… to the kitchen.

3. Does number 6 reply to comments on their blog?
She would if she got comments. She doesn’t write often enough or participate in the blogger world to get many. She should try it, it’s fun.

4. Which part of blogland is number 2 from?
Blogland…. I don’t know about blogland, but my number 2 lives right here in sunny California. It takes 6 minutes to drive there from here.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to number 7 what would it be?
Hmmm... Never leave your cats alone with your fish. Probably not a good idea to leave them alone with the rats either. Also, winter is coming in Wisconsin. Bundle up.

6. Have you ever tried something from number 9’s blog?
Well, seeing she has only 3 posts ever, no.

7. Has number 1 blogged something that inspired you?
Yes, just yesterday, she inspired me to volunteer at a local humane society.

8. How often do you comment on number 4’s blog?
Whenever I have something relevant to say.

9. Do you wait for number 8 to post excitedly?
Sometimes. She has interesting things to tell us about Costa Rica. I always enjoy her Wordless Wednesdays, though I think the other girl actually posts those. Same blog though.

10. How did number 5’s blog change your life?

Well, she was the first reader, besides me, that my mom got on her blog, leading my mom to blog more, so I guess she changed my life by making my mom blog more and I read it. I also read her blog.

11. Do you know any of the 10 bloggers in person?
Yes, Arlene is my mom, Trisha and I have been friends for like a million years, Sarah is my sister, and Heather and I have been friends for like half a million years.

12. Do any of your 10 bloggers know each other in person?
My mom and my sister know each other. DUH!

13. Out of the 10, which updates more frequently?
Several of them are posting every day in November.

14. Which of the 10 keep you laughing?
Probably Nikki, not everything she writes is funny, but sometimes. Her girlfriend Ash writes a blog I read about pets and those are usually cute and funny.

15. Which of the 10 has made you cry (good or bad tears)?
Most recently, my mom’s blog. She was writing how she turned on King Kong and it was actually Kinky Kong and I laughed so hard…

Okay now you do it. I do not care who does it. Trisha should do it, because she subjects me to random meme’s regularly. Heather should do it, so she will have a new post.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wordless Wednesday




"I Guess I'll Go Play With My Honey Bun Box."
Carolynn
Kenosha, Wisconsin
I think it was the summer of 2003.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I Had A Dream

Usually, I am not the kind of person who puts stock in dreams. However, every now and again, I have one that is so vivid I feel like I belong on Medium. Last night I had one of those dreams.

In my dream, I was lying in my bed with my dog and I was stressing out over my current situation. (I do that every night.) While I was lying there, someone said to me to stop stressing out. (I almost killed them.) They said to remember that if you want something from life you have to give something. This person, who I did not actually see, and am not sure if it was male or female, told me to stop sitting at home and being depressed. They said that my job hunt left me plenty of time to give back to the community. If I am hoping to become a meaningful part of this community, I need to get out and be a part of it. They said I needed to volunteer to be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, that I needed to give more food to Catherine’s food drive, and that I should think of at least one more thing by myself.

So I got up this morning, did what I always do, which is do my job-hunting, and then I did just what was in my dream. I contacted the Salvation Army and I have to go down there on Friday to learn bell ringer orientation and find out when and where I would be volunteering. Tomorrow I am going to send my donations over to Catherine’s school. I also contacted the Pal Humane Society about becoming a volunteer. I got that idea from Pam.

I am sure most of you are sitting around thinking I have finally flipped my lid. However, I figured, it could not hurt. Maybe I will be out volunteering and meet someone who has a fabulous job for me. At least it gets me out for a little while so I can get away from my depression.

Life's A Beach

Nothing new still. Just hanging in there. I heard from that interview from last week. She gave me some story about how she has no idea what was going on and that some supervisor was the one who got to pick and she had no say in it. It sounded like a blow off to me. I could be wrong. Today we are having pork roast burritos again. Everyone loved it when I made it last Sunday and the leftovers were good too. Anyway, on with random picture that has nothing to do with my craptacular life. (Yes, craptacular is a word.)


This is Carolynn and Catherine at Torrey Pines State Beach in 2005. That has to be one of my favorite places ever. A long time ago, I used to go there a lot to get away from my house and all that video game noise. It was a pretty rough time then too, but not financially like now. Anyway, I was stressed a lot and I wasn't eating or sleeping. I would go there and hike and hike all over the cliffs. Early in the morning there would be old folks walking on the trails. In the evening moms with strollers would be hiking. It wasn't all bad. I went from a size 20 to a size 14 that summer. Even after the video game was gone, I would still go there and hike with the girls or let them play at the beach. After we moved to Northern San Diego, I didn't go there often anymore. If we went to the beach, we went to the beach in Oceanside or Carlsbad. Once we even drove north and went to Huntington Beach. In May we went camping at San Onofre State Beach. The beach is a calming place for me.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Life

It seems to me that even though I am over here desperately trying to find a job, any job, I get the feeling people don’t actually believe it. Those of you out there, who have jobs, have amazing college educations, who are secure in their jobs probably have never had this kind of difficulty. Perhaps it seems to you like I must be some kind of moron who is not looking hard enough. I assure you I am looking as hard as possible. I go anywhere I think might have a job possibility. There is not a job search website I do not visit daily. I have a collection of over 400 e-mails I have sent or received in my job search. That does not include any of the places I applied in person, through the mail, or online where it did not send you a confirmation.

I am not sitting here waiting for a job to fall from the sky. I am not sitting here waiting for someone else to take care of it for me. Do you think I enjoy being flat broke all the time? Do you think I like having to ask for help? Do you think I like the stress? I miss the lifestyle I enjoyed before. The bills were paid, there was some money in savings, and we could get a burger or something now and again. When Catherine came along and said she needed some construction paper, some tape, and some crayons… I just zipped on down to the store and got them.

I am not the only one in this house who is trying. David is working as many hours at McDonald’s as they will give him. The last few weeks it has been about 20 hours a week. What more could you ask from a part time job? On top of that, he is with me at every single job website, going out anywhere he can, and sending out resumes in the hopes of getting a second part time job or even better a full time job. I doubt he enjoys his loss of comforts too. He could buy a pizza or whatever. Now every dime he gets goes to paying anything we can. Of course, perhaps to some people, it looks like he is the moron who can’t even get a job. If one more person says “When I was 21 I had a job and a car and on and on…” I am going to scream. Times are different now. I cannot find a job either, so how is it his fault? Moreover, why does it matter?

I am out there everyday. You are not. This is my life that sucks; Not yours. I am the one who is ultimately responsible. Moreover, I am doing everything in my power to change it. I don’t need people to take over and do it for me. I don’t want people to pity. I would like support, encouragement, and maybe a little help if you can. (Obviously, the last one not from strangers of course) Most people have been supportive and encouraging.

Here are some things I am sick of hearing…

“Everything happens for a reason.”
“Something is bound to come along.”
“Don’t worry about it”

If everything happens for a reason, what did I do to deserve this?

If something was bound to come along, what is taking it so long to get here?

What are you talking about don’t worry… That is all there is to do is worry.


I am making an effort to remain upbeat. I am trying to keep everything together on my own. It is hard. It is stressful. Nevertheless, in the end, I am the only one who can fix it. Moreover, I am doing everything I can to do just that. I can guarantee that if I got a job, the screams of joy would be heard all over the state of California.

Now unless I get a job or something else happens, I will stick with my random pictures and keep this stuff to a minimum. I hope you enjoyed my frozen puppies today. Look for a new one tomorrow.

Frozen Pups


Here is a picture of Elvis and Priscilla at our house in Kenosha. This was the same week we moved to San Diego. Unfortunately, we no longer have Priscilla. She was quite a bit older than Elvis. We kind of inherited her when we got to Kenosha. We had just gotten Elvis, he was still a puppy. Some guy told us about how his wife had wanted a dog and he got her a beagle. Anyways, he and his wife were split and she wasn't a dog person. She was feeding her giant dog kibble and keeping her locked in a cat carrier. He was going to go get her and take her to the pound. Well, we could not allow that. And so we got Priscilla. She was at least 7 or 8 years old when we got her. Her nails were too long and we had to take her to the groomers to get them trimmed. She was a funny dog. She liked to steal dryer sheets and roll around on them. She would get excited just to go to the store to get some soda. We still have Elvis. He is 7 years old now. And of course now we have my little Gibby. He is still a puppy and will probably never see snow like this. Pictures like this make me glad I said goodbye to Wisconsin!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Another Random Picture

Not much has changed since yesterday. However, we probably won't have to move. We might not have cable of phones for much longer, but we should be able to live in the house for at least one more month. Christmas is going to be a super fun extravaganza. If you are wondering what I am getting you.... I'll give you a hint... It's nothing.

Since life hasn't improved much since yesterday and I don't want to pass the depression on... here is another random picture.


This is a picture of me, Catherine and my Grandma at our house in Lakeside in July 2001. My couch in this picture was new and looks so clean. It didn't last long. The movers broke it on the way back from Wisconsin. Anyway, in this picture, my mom and Grandma had come to visit us and we went on a boat ride around San Diego Bay. Catherine didn't go on the cruise because she was too small. I think she stayed with Trisha that day. While on the boat, my Grandma was telling me about how when she was little she lived on Catalina Island and rode a glass bottom boat to the mainland. The cruise was fun and after we had tacos. Tacos make any day pretty awesome. It was a fun visit.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Is My Cat Trying To Kill Me?



I took this quiz about Kitty (above). This is what happened.

Is your cat plotting to kill you?

I figured as much. So then I decided to try it for Cleo. (below)



Is your cat plotting to kill you?

Something Else

My mind is very occupied with my financial and jobless situation. It is all I think about or talk about. Catherine found out yesterday that we might have to move because I cannot afford our house. She was crying in her pork chop and could not eat. I felt like the worst mom in the whole wide world.

So in an effort to take our minds off of the gloom and doom, here is a picture.



This picture of Catherine was taken at my mom’s house on Thanksgiving 2001. It was just after Catherine’s second birthday and right before we moved to Wisconsin. In fact, we had Christmas at the same time because we left for Kenosha the Monday after Thanksgiving. All of our stuff was packed up.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Just An Update... Nothing New

Monday I had an interview. I thought it went really well. The lady said she’d call me today. She has not yet. I called there and I was told today is her day off. I am still hopeful. The interview I had on Wednesday did not go so well. Did you ever go to an interview and get the feeling that they chose someone else earlier and there was no hope? That is how I felt at my interview on Wednesday afternoon. What really sucked is that it was the best job I have had an interview for in a long time. I have applied for at least 15 jobs this week alone.

I am exploring other alternatives. I am running out of time though. Bills are mounting up. If I cannot pay the car payment, I lose my car. If I lose my car, I have no transportation to get to jobs. I have a huge blotch on my credit and I will not be able to get a new car, even if I had a job. In addition, that huge credit issue would disqualify me from certain federal jobs. If I pay my car payment, I will not have the money for the rent. I called the finance company and they said they could arrange for me to skip a month, but they need me to pay now as a “good faith” then I could “skip” the next one, but I would still have to pay the interest. That did not help at all. Look at me… right between that rock and a hard place.

I really don’t want to move, but that is looking like a real possibility. I love the schools here. The girls are having the best school years of their lives. Carolynn has friends and activities. Catherine got all A’s, and made the Honor Roll. She also got an Academic Excellence award. She is in G.A.T.E. and her school focuses on arts. She gets special attention in her reading because she is at such a high reading level. She gets challenged and is reading great books. Even Catherine has friends. I would hate to move them, but moving schools is better than living in the car.

Yesterday, Catherine had her parent teacher conference. As I said, she got all A’s. Except they do not call them A’s. The children are scored on a one to five scale; three is at grade level, four is the goal. Catherine got all five’s. He teacher said she is very good. She does her work and gets along with the kids. She is reading at a seventh grade level. She is one smart cookie. Too bad getting dressed and brushing her hair are apparently something she just cannot learn in school. Last night they had literature night at her school. They had stories and a book swap. Catherine brought books she has out grown and traded them for one her level. She got Around The World In 80 Days by Jules Verne. There were refreshments and a raffle. It was fun. Today Catherine had an assembly where she received her achievement award and her honor roll award. I got me one of those “My Kid is an Honor Roll student” bumper stickers. Here are a couple of pictures. I forgot my camera and took them with my phone.





Another reason I do not want to go from here, Nicole called me this morning and told me the doctor said she is having a boy. I am having a nephew! Okay, so I am so excited. However, I will not believe it until I see it. They told me Catherine was a boy when I was pregnant and you can see how well that worked out. I understand Allison was quite upset that she did not get a little sister. That is another reason not to move, Allison can have “big sisters” in Carolynn and Catherine. It is such an exciting time. I would hate to miss it. I have always lived far away and missed stuff. I finally live close.

I am taking it one day at a time, but the days are flying by. As each day passes, I am more and more stressed and frustrated.

Breathe.

Tomorrow I will go to the store to get some groceries. I will do some cleaning and hang out with the kids. Maybe tomorrow will be the day I get a job.

It’s Not Just Me

In recent weeks, I have seen things I never even considered. My bank, Washington Mutual, that had been in business over 100 years, went out of business. Then Mervyn’s, a store I have shopped at plenty of times, went out of business. At the same time, went Linen’s and Things. I recently saw a news article about a major Las Vegas casino that went bankrupt. I think it was the Tropicana. Then this week, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy. These are the kind of things that happened a long time ago, in another era. The Depression.

Is it any wonder I cannot find a stupid job? Both Mervyn’s and Circuit City had interviewed David. There are places that have signs up that say they are not hiring, stop asking. Places that are hiring are getting more applicants than they can quickly handle. People are losing jobs daily. They are letting people go at the plant where my brother works. He just bought a house and has a baby on the way. When Nicole was here, she said her dad just lost his job. Every place I go seems to be having the same problem. My mom’s office took down their job opening listing. That means now at a time when more people will be using her office, they are not hiring any new people. There will be more cases and less people to handle them. It seems counter productive, but they cannot afford to pay more people. Businesses are predicting a slow holiday season and are not even hiring as many seasonal employees as before.

The jobless rate for the country is going up. The sales for stores are going down. I read online that Starbucks profits dropped 97%. 97%!!!!! I am out there doing everything I can to get a job and be able to stay ahead of the bills. I am trying to take it one day at a time. It is not working.

Jobless Claims Hit 25 Year High, Imports Plunge

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Thursday Thirteen





Thirteen Things I Love About Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. People are as festive and joyous (usually) as they are at Christmas, but there is less pressure. I do not have to worry about presents, just tasty food. Therefore, here are my thirteen things I love about Thanksgiving.

1. Turkey
2. Homemade Mashed Potatoes (I put sour cream in mine.)
3. Green Bean Casserole
4. The Sound The Cranberry Sauce Makes When It Comes Out Of The Can
5. Cranberry Sauce
6. Pumpkin Pie
7. Fresh Baked Rolls
8. Sparkling Juices In Wine Bottles
9. Stuffing/Dressing (Whatever you want to call it, just do not put nuts or oysters in it.)
10. Four Day Weekend (Usually, we will see how it goes for this Thanksgiving)
11. Apple Pie
12. Pumpkin Ice Cream
13. Cooking… I actually love to cook a nice big dinner

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Wordless Wednesday




Elvis
November 2008
Apple Valley, California
Snug as a bug in a rug...
Or snug as a beagle in a Pistons blanket

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Super Nicole To The Rescue

Nicole came over this afternoon and brought a charger thing to get my battery going again. We hooked it up and a few hours later, the car is all better. Nicole came back in the evening, even though the car was better by then. She was going to come back and bring jumper cables if the charger thing did not work. It worked, but Allison got all upset because she thought she was going to come over. Therefore, Nicole brought her anyway. She played a game with Catherine and David and played with Catherine in her room. Joe stopped by before he went to work. He works near here. We packed him a to-go dinner to take with him. I made chicken strips and cheesy rice. Joe has a mouth full of new braces. It was a little funny.

Carolynn’s friends went home. They had a fun time.

Tomorrow I have a job interview. I am hopeful.

Veteran’s Day

There were not many new jobs because of the holiday. I called the job from the interview on Friday, but their offices were closed. I have another interview tomorrow. Carolynn and her friends are playing Rock Band. I am considering moving to Timbuktu just to not have to hear them anymore.

I went out to the garage to go to the Winco and drop David off at work. The McDonald’s he works at is across the street from the Winco. I try to do as much as I can on every trip out to minimize gas usage. Today I am really conserving gas because the car would not start. I am almost positive the battery is dead. I do not know how that happened. My only guess is that Carolynn and her friends went out to the car last night to get some CD. Maybe they left the lights on or something. Whatever happened, cars do not start without the battery. David took the bus to work. I was not even sure the busses would be running since it is a holiday. We called to confirm. I called to see if my brother would help, but he is asleep. Nicole said she would come and see if we could fix it up later this afternoon. There is one good thing about living near family; someone might be available to help you with something.

I swear, with my life, if it is not one thing, it is another. I have a job interview tomorrow. How will I get there if my car is broken? Seriously, my life is a downward spiral. I should break out a Simple Plan CD, some black eyeliner, and a box of tissues. Oh wait; here is the box of tissues… I guess I am on the right track.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Giggles

I hate it that a holiday falls in the middle of the week this week. It just seems so silly. The kids went to school today, but have tomorrow off. Why not just go for the four day or move the holiday to Monday and call it a three day?

Carolynn’s friends are here again. This time it is a sleepover. They are soooo giggly. I wonder how well I will sleep with them right next store. I doubt there will be much sleeping at this sleepover. Mikhala’s mom said next time it will be their house.

As always, I spent the day looking for jobs. I had an interview this morning. It went well, I think. Of course, I always think that and I am still unemployed. We shall see. I was told I would know by Friday. I was supposed to hear from the interview I went to on Friday today, but I did not. I will have to call them tomorrow and see what the deal is. Maybe they were busy or still deciding. On the other hand, maybe they did not pick me. I hate it when I do not know.

Our pork roast burritos turned out so good yesterday that we had the leftovers for dinner today. Carolynn and her friends loved them and didn’t mind them two nights in a row.

It is late. My Gibby and I are off to bed. For a small dog, he takes up a lot of space. If I give him his own blanket, it is not too bad though. I think he just gets cold.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

The Tale of Despereaux


I finished The Tale of Despereaux its about a little mouse named Despereaux of course. and this mouse is different from all the other mice he likes to read and listen to music. He also falls in love with the princess. This story is also about a rat in a dungeon and a girl named Miggery snow. My favorite part is when Despereax becomes the shining knight in armor.I also like the part when Despereaux gets some soup from the cook. This was a really good book I liked it.