Crummy Cold Stuff

'Member when I was complai...er...talking about how hot it was last summer? 'K, I take all that back.

There has been some REALLY cold weather lately, not to mention there's been that white powdery stuff all over the ground for a while that makes my paws feel frozen. Oh, and the deck? Covered with this clear, slick coating that made it really hard to walk on. The worst was the cold. Staff person left the water dripping in the sinks (no complaints there - made it much easier to get a drink of fresh water!), and left the door to the back room open so "the pipes to the washing machine won't freeze". It seemed like the hot air was always blowing, but I never could get my feet to warm up unless I crawled up on the sofa on that heated blankie. Boy, was THAT nice! I got nice and toasty up there, but Staff person kept moving me so she could get under it. Not a big problem though, I just jumped up in her lap and slept there. I spent a lot of time on her bed too - the sun, when it finally came out - made my spot on the bed pretty warm and I confess, I did a little napping there too. My new majestic tower that lets me loom over the 'peasants' is also a good place to nap. It gets the hot air from the ceiling thing and is another toasty place.


I kept whining to go out and staff person would just laugh and open the door. As soon as I stuck my nose out and felt how cold it was I had to rethink whether I wanted to go out and get my feet all cold again. Plus there were several days staff person would get up, get dressed and head out, but then come back about 5 minutes later saying something about the roads being a skating rink. Some days she kept dialing on that black ringy thing until finally she would tell the guy in the front room, "They closed the office."

It's starting to warm up a bit and I'm finally getting to go out in the backyard. It's nice when the sun shines. There's still white stuff over next to the fence, but I mainly stay in the middle of the yard where it's nice and warm. I haven't seen any bugs or anything so have to pretend they're there and go chase them. There's those feathered things, but I think they're wise to me....can't get very close to them, and none are flying into that bush anymore either.

Okay, I've been awake for an hour or so and I think it's time for another nap. Maybe when I wake up all the white stuff will be gone and it will have warmed up to a reasonable temp. Keep your paws crossed!

Apprehension

I try not to let my mind wander down certain pathways, but sometimes you get pretty far on that path before you even realize you've already made the turn. I try not to be superstitious. However, I'm thinking I may have jinxed myself by changing the blog name because I was positive my current temporary job might work into something permanent. (insert raucous laughter here)

Seems Texas has finally decided to recognize the downward turn of the economy, and in the latest budget announcement has decided....they need to cut some State jobs. Over 9,000 of them. Around 24% in Health and Human Services. Some articles and columnists have pointed out the budget as described will not be the budget that's implemented - the slashes are too severe across the board and some of the reductions just will not make it into the final list.

I'm not sure where all this leaves me job wise; I know I'm technically working for a temporary agency and our contract runs through August of this year. There is the possibility this contract will not be renewed. I know we get paid less than State workers; not to mention we get no benefits. On some days I think, well, maybe they'll keep us because we are doing the work for less money. Other days I'm convinced we'll be the first to go. I've started looking for jobs again, you know, just in case. I've come to the conclusion this is the way I'm going to live the remainder of what time I have left - constantly on the search for another job and applying for jobs I'll never get a response on regardless of how much I follow up.

So this becomes yet another reason to make the push to get the book out there. Perhaps this is a 'sign'. Maybe this is one of those proverbial 'crossroads'. I'm taking it as such anyway.

Travels With Mousie

Curses

So today on my lunch break I run to a store to pick up a few things. It includes a cheap pair of jeans, a coupla bottles of wine (it's the weekend and one was only 5$, plus today is payday!) and some 75% off Christmas candy that might as well just call itself 'Peppermint Bark' (it calls itself peppermint squares, btw). I get out to the car, punch the button on my fob for the trunk, toss everything in, slam the trunk lid, and realize - just as the trunk lid closes - that my keys were also one of the things that got tossed in the trunk.

Arrghhhhh!

Call the cousin, who fortunately has his cell phone turned on, and who also fortunately has nothing else going on. He grabs my spare set of keys and drives to where I am to bring me the keys so I can open the trunk and retrieve my main keys. (Thank you, Gary!) Do I feel stupid?? Duh! I have never done this before - well, once about 20 years ago I locked the keys in my old station wagon, but fortunately I hadn't locked the rear door, so just crawled in and got the keys. No such luck with this car. Walked around the parking lot for a while, but Cuz showed up with spare keys about 20 minutes later. Not a total loss - handed off the wine I'd just purchased and he took it home to put in the fridge so it was chilled by the time I got home after work.

The funniest thing is - tried to call work about six times and let them know what happened, but couldn't get through. When I finally got back to work (30 minutes late) no one had even noticed. When you work in a cube, are you ever really missed???

And now totally off the subject - here's a picture of some trees that were decorated for Christmas by a large company I refuse to name. The trees are still adorned and I was finally able to get pictures of them last night. May it brighten your night!

Happy Cat New Year!!

Boy! A new year! I could get really excited about all the possibilities in store for a new year, but staff person hauled me off to the vet again today. It wasn't as bad as last time...we got there and she stayed right there with me while they poked and prodded me (I don't even want to tell you where they prodded me!) and then stuck me 3 TIMES and then stuck this thing in my mouth and squirted in that obnoxious yellow stuff. I showed them though - I spit most of it back out. Some went on staff person, but the guy said I had swallowed enough so they let me be. I sure didn't want to go in that stupid carrier at the house, but when all that was over I was more than happy to scoot back inside. Then we came home. I'm a little under the weather (those sticky things make me kinda groggy), but have spent most of the day sleeping. If it goes like it usually goes, tomorrow morning I'll be zooming around the house again.

All the decorations are down and there are boxes everywhere. The living room looks just like it did before Christmas, but there's boxes and boxes of stuff she's going to haul back up to the attic - back to normal at my house.

Last night was kinda fun - staff person went to a 'party' and was really silly when she came in. She had this thing on her head that said "Happy New Year" and it had this long feather in it. She was talking to the guy staying in the front room and laughing about something that happened...I zoned out after she said "It was SO much fun." That's all I really needed to hear. I'm glad she's getting some quality fun time.

It's been a good holiday season; lots of new things to see, sleep on, walk on, sit on, and puke on. (Did I mention I puked on one of the wrapped thingies under the tree?? My proudest moment - I hit it dead on!) Hope all my four legged friends out there had as much fun as I did. If I could blow hard on that thing staff person brought back last night that rolls out and honks, I would - so Happy New Year everyone!!!

Christmas Past

Christmas is over. Seems like we spend half the year getting ready for it and then the one day just flies by. Hallmark starts with their ornament premier in July; other stores are in Christmas mode by September, and then - poof! - in 24 hours it's over. I've already started pulling the bins down from the attic so I can pack up the decorations; normally I would wait until closer to New Year's, but this having a job thing is really cramping my clean up schedule. See, my mom drilled it into me that you never carry over celebrations of the old year into the new - very bad luck she said. I think she was just tired of all the 'stuff' in her house and wanted to get it clean, but I'm not about to chance any more bad luck. It seems my luck might have begun to change just a bit, so far be it from me to screw things up now! I know it's just a superstitious thing she instilled in me, but when I think back about 10 years ago when I didn't have a chance to get everything down, and what happened the next year...well. I'm not chancing it again.




The cat got a cat tower for Christmas. It was on clearance at Costco, and I've never seen one that cheaply before, so I just did a minor splurge and got it for her. After I get the tree down, which is in the middle of the front window, and the cat tower goes in front of the window, I think she will like it better than she currently does. She likes to take naps in the top part of it, and she loves to look out the front window, so am hoping it becomes her new favorite place. We'll see....she pretty much has her own opinions about what she likes...and doesn't. Right now her 'favorite' place is on my bed - so much so she's created a divot in the mattress.

I got some nice things from family and friends for Christmas. There's always one thing that stands out, and this year that honor goes to my nephew and his girlfriend. They went in together and purchased me a...uh...um...certificate I guess you could call it, to set up a website for the book! I'm super excited about it, but have no earthly idea how to do it. (Crap. Saying that makes me feel so dang OLD.) After the new year, I will see what it involves and get it going. I'm thinking about finding someone to do some pencil sketches of the major characters and have those, along with brief descriptions, on the site. Any other suggestions anyone?

The new job is improving, although I seriously thought about quitting a couple of weeks ago. I've never quit a job in my life except to move to another state. Long story, but let's just say my knowledge was being wasted hand-addressing reminder cards 8 hours a day. My position has been clarified, and I've begun some training that's made a huge difference. I'm going to hang on for a while and see what happens.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and your plans for New Year's include seeing the old year out and new year in with champagne and maybe some fireworks! Be sure and have some ready cash in your pocket - yet another old family superstition - when you walk back into your house for the first time of the new year, if you have cash in your pocket, you'll always have cash in your pocket for the next year. I've done it forever; have never been completely dead broke, never lost any house, almost always got bills paid (although sometimes there was some 'creative financing' involved) and lately have always managed to feed the cat (she has a medical condition and requires some expensive food...). Proof positive - it must work!

Attic stuff

Huh. Well, staff person went up into the attic and brought down all those boxes and bins that come down once a year. She put up this tree-thingy in the living room (after she moved all the furniture around) and put lights and little dangly things on it. That reminded me that last year I knocked a bunch of them off, so, yeah, guess it's that time of the year again. The house looks...different, ya know? It's nice though. I like all the lights and stuff scattered around. She even put this long, stringy green thing with lights in the bathroom. She called it a garland. Whatever.


Here's the dining room table. I mean, doesn't this look like I can totally destroy it? Yeah, I thought so too. I'm trying to be good though. We'll see how long it lasts...

She hasn't been around much lately. She gets up early and leaves early and doesn't come back until the sun's almost down. Don't tell her, but I miss her. I don't get to go outside near enough now. I've been sleeping on her bed the last few nights, 'cos it just seems like I don't get to be around her much anymore. I know it's because she finally got a job, but, well, I miss her. She did tell me she can now afford to keep me in kibble, so I guess it's a good thing. Sigh.

No other news from here. I'm contemplating whether to bring the tree-thingy down (I've done it before - check with her!). She's got it blocked in pretty well this year, so I may leave it alone. I guess it depends on whether or not I get the perfect opportunity 'cos I have to get in it and up it before it'll tumble over.

Happy decorating!