Twirly things

So, it's warm. Being old, you know, 5, I've been through some seasonal changes. I have to admit I prefer the cooler temperatures, but sure don't like that white stuff. I also don't like it when it gets really warm. I do have a fur coat, ya know. Anyway, my staff person has turned on the twirly things that move air around. There's some up on the ceilings, but my favorite one is the boxy one that sits of the floor. I can lay on the floor right in front of it and cool off. Most of the time I just lay on my back and let the air push the hair on my belly around. I can hide behind it too, although I'm beginning to suspect my staff person knows I'm there - she always seems prepared for my sneak attacks. I'll have to puzzle that one out during my next nap. Speaking of, that super cute picture up there is me napping on the bed in the guest room with all that other office stuff/junk. (Spare bedroom?? Office?? Spofficebed?? Something like that....) You can't see it, but the fur on my tummy is sort of wafting in the breeze from the overhead twirly thing. I was actually helping out, you see, by laying on a bunch of papers so they wouldn't blow off the bed. My back legs are falling off the bed, but that's because I'm stretched out so I can cover all the papers. I'm always willing to help no matter what the cost!

Staff person has another cold. I overheard her tell someone it might be allergies but she doesn't think so. I'm soooo glad I don't get colds! I'm not fond of sneezing or coughing for one thing, and second - she keeps a box of these white things around so she can hold them up to her nose and blow. I'm not sure how she does that. I blow out of my nose sometimes, but haven't ever used one of those white things. I do like rubbing my face on stuff, but that's just so everyone knows it's mine......don't understand the blowing part. But then, hey - I'm a cat and, really, why should I have to worry about the silly things people do?

Okay, I think I'll go stand by the backdoor and whine to go outside. It's a nice day and I want to get out there before it gets too hot. I can work on my tan. (Ha! That's a cat joke, folks.) Then I can come in, get a bite to eat and take a little nap in front of the box twirly thing. Yep, that sounds like a perfect schedule today for me.

We've been out of HS how long???

I picked up a good friend at the airport last Friday and drove 6 hours across North and West Texas to go to a high school reunion up yonder in the Panhandle. We had an excellent time on the drive, although we never actually settled on who was going to be Thelma and who was going to be Louise. I did promise her I wasn't going to take my car over the edge of Palo Duro Canyon. (Brad Pitt never showed up either, darn it.) We met up with another friend of ours at the hotel where the festivities were going to occur and where we three were staying. He's my oldest friend, since we first met in 7th grade Sunday School, and it was just delightful to see him again. The three of us drove out to Palo Duro Canyon Saturday morning, where I think we all relived some memories. I spent a lot of time there in my high school years, so I had a lot of memories to relive.

It sort of came home to me though, that most of the people you liked in high school you still like, and the ones you didn't, well, you still don't. Some things just never change, regardless of how many years have slipped away. The cliques remain, and spent their time on the other side of the room while the rest of us were having a great time over on our side. And no, I didn't really expect it to be any different - but I was sort of hoping at our advanced ages we could get past that. Guess we can't. We packed up on Sunday morning and drove back. The six hour drive went by in record time both going up and coming back. Amazing how that happens when you spend the whole time talking and laughing. Thanks Marian, for making the weekend so much fun! And Steve...well, ya just gotta love Steve.

It was so much fun I didn't even miss Jypsy. That could be, of course, because I had my cousin come over and stay with her and I knew she was in good hands. As a former house-mate, he was here when Jypsy took over the household and became Top Cat, and loves her almost as much as I do. It was a wonderful thing for him to do so she wouldn't have to be by herself for 3 days with only a neighbor to come in and dump food in her bowl occasionally. My grateful thanks to Gary as well. I was certainly glad to see her when I got home, however. She ignored me for a bit, but then came and got in my lap. I'd like to think she missed me too, but I'm probably fooling myself...

Spring a ding a ling!

Yawwwnnnn. Well, I've been snoozing for a couple of hours after spending almost all day yesterday outside on an absolutely gorgeous day. It was a wee bit windy, but I didn't mind it - it kinda ruffles my fur and feels good. I even took just a tiny little nap on the deck after scouring the back yard for things that shouldn't be there. My staff person documented some of my searches so I attached the photos of moi.


Any ice left in here??








It's beginning to get warm here. It was almost hot yesterday, and I kept looking for cool places to rest on occasion. I found one really good place, but apparently my staff person had planted some seeds or something and was not happy I chose that place to curl up in. I certainly didn't know it was off limits - not my fault at all.




I smell bugs!








All in all it was a very good day. Even my staff person brought her lunch out and sat on the deck with her book while she ate. I think we both think Spring is just pretty swell. I did hear her mention something about a bath because I was rolling over in a dirt patch. Guess I came up with half the dirt on me, and she's not so fond of me bringing it back in the house with me. I don't like baths, but when you weigh it against this great backyard, a cozy house, and a bowl of kibble, I guess I can put up with it. Sigh.







Guess you can say I walk all over my staff person.








Time to start whining to go back outside!

Temporary jobs, Interviews and Anger

I've managed to snag a temporary job with the U.S. Census Bureau. I attended a training session on Tuesday to learn how to fingerprint new recruits (like myself). Without going into detail, let me just say it was a somewhat frustrating day that began with me backing into the training instructor's Lexus. I was barely moving, and there was no damage done, but what a way to start the day. There's another training meeting next Tuesday and I'm assuming after we complete that we'll actually be working. I hope so. I need the money. My car is in the shop today to get over $400 worth of work done. I cried when they told me how much it's going to cost. It's going to have to go on my credit card - the only way I can pay for it. I did have an interview on Monday for a full time permanent position, but the way my luck's been running I don't hold much hope that I'll be chosen. They said they will make a final decision within two weeks. Guess I'll see.

One thing I've discovered in the last several months is I am extremely quick to anger these days. I realize the cause of this anger, but seem unable to keep myself from fuming over things that never used to bother me before. Sometimes I kid myself it's just that the older I get the more things bother me, but I come back to the realization that the last 2-1/2 years have pretty much dissolved any good will I had towards most people and things. Whereas I once would have tried to understand the basis for someone's rude behavior, now I immediately decide they aren't worth a break. Case in point - I had to drive out yesterday to where the census people are holding court to sign some paper work. It's a small building with a small parking lot. Every parking spot was taken and people had begun parking in the grass and on the sidewalks. As I'm cruising through the parking lot I see someone has come from the opposite direction of the aisle and parked slanted across two parking spots. Normally I would just roll my eyes, question their upbringing and forget about it. After I found an empty spot of muddy grass at the far end of the lot, I grabbed a sticky note out of my purse and wrote a note commenting on their rudeness. Then as I passed the car to get to the door I stuck it on the driver's side window where they couldn't miss it. Did it make me feel any better? Of course not. But I did it anyway.

Yesterday I also received the bill for sitting for four hours at a local hospital to get some new prescriptions. I was told it would be $137. The bill is for $259. I'm in contact with them to see why the discrepancy - but it's just one more thing being piled on my rapidly collapsing paper plate.

I've always been a pretty positive person and considered myself a happy person as well. With all the negative things that have continued to happen I've lost any sense of positivity and have to struggle to tamp down my anger. Sometimes I'm not so successful at it - as yesterday shows. I know I'm not the only person who's been affected by this downturn and there are many that are much worse off than I am. I just wonder how they manage to cope. And how when things continue to go wrong in all aspects of your life you don't just start screaming.

Ahhhh. What can I say? It's turned warm outside, we haven't had any rain for a while (although I think I smell rain in the air today) and I've been getting to spend a lot of time outside. Life is Good!

My staff person has fixed the fence - even the section that totally fell down last week. I heard her mumbling something about needing a whole new fence, but it looks pretty secure now. Plus she's been in a really good mood the last couple of days. Apparently she has a temporary job she's excited about and then yesterday she got a phone call and after she hung up she whooped and yelled, "An interview! I have an interview!" I'm glad she's feeling much more cheery - she seemed really down in the dumps last week.

My life just continues to be amazing, however. Wish I could share some of it with her, but she doesn't seem the type to enjoy sleeping belly up on the deck. Can't understand that. At all. What could be better than a little snooze outside with the wind gently ruffling your fur, the smell of spring flowers, and white puffy clouds gliding past overhead? Why, absolutely nothing else I can think of!

From Jobs to Jypsy

When I first started this blog I fully intended to make it a chronicle of job hunting. I was laid off in February of 2008 and was so convinced I would find a job within a short period of time I didn't even sign up for Cobra insurance. Why would I - I would have a job within a month! Little did I know the bottom was about to fall out of the economy, although I should have recognized it coming. Perhaps I was living in a fantasy world. This past two years or so have taken a lot out of me. I'm starting to question whether I even have the skills needed to get a job - ANY kind of job - and my confidence is at rock bottom. I've managed to keep my head above water which I know a lot of folks have not been able to do and am so grateful I'm still in my house and managing to get the bills paid (although I just found out my mortgage company is going to raise my mortgage for the second time in 4 months - not quite sure how that's going to get paid now). I've never not had a job before and this has been a humbling experience. I went last week to the public clinic to see if I could get some prescriptions for some ongoing medicine I take, and in May I'm going to see if I can get into a hospital medical program that caters to the low-income. I checked to see if I qualified, and I'm well below the poverty level they specify. I feel useless, frustrated and depressed. I find it hard to understand how I can apply for 188 jobs in a 7 month period and get only two interviews out of it. Some aren't even jobs related to my professional field - jobs in department stores, Walmart, Target and other retail places not to mention temporary and part-time positions. I feel like I can do anything if someone will explain what they want me to do. I'm really not fussy.



I know how people react to whiners and that's why this has become instead a pick-me-up journal of the one thing that keeps me laughing and makes me think about something other than myself. Being a dog-lover most of my life, I think it was a miracle a little lost kitten wandered into my life just before the storm came roaring in. She gives me love without asking for anything but a little kibble and some time outside in the sun. She's given me something to focus on and something to excel at - being her 'staff'. It pleases me when someone remarks about how sweet she is, how social she is, and what an amazingly funny and personable cat she is. I can't help but beam with pride because I know it's mostly all her, but I like to think maybe a little of it is the way she's been raised and I'm a good pet owner as well.

I will continue to fight the good fight in job hunting and hope that somewhere is a business or company willing to take a chance on a 'mature' worker. And Jypsy will continue to keep me laughing.

Found it!

So after Jypsy's disappearing act last week, which totally had me freaked out by the way, I was determined to find her new hiding spot.

And I found it! Basic preliminary info - I have a chair that she was starting to use the back of as an additional scratching post. I found a throw the same color as the chair and pinned it to the back. The pinned throw sort of puddles on the floor behind the chair. Earlier this week I started looking for her and once again she was nowhere to be found. This time I knew she was in the house because none of the doors had been opened. I went to all the normal places, but she was in none of them. At one point I looked behind the chair in the living room and noticed there was this strange bulge at the bottom. I used my toe to nudge the bulge and it was a pretty solid, heavy bulge. I couldn't help but laugh - not only is it her new hiding place, it's her new nap place. She was pretty zonked because I didn't see her for another 20 minutes.



I had a friend email me this last week with some Easter greetings. She said as Easter represents a new beginning, she hopes my career will have new beginning. I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly. It seems every week I get my hopes up for some job I've applied for and either never hear back about it, or the position goes unfilled. The good news is that in March more jobs were added than were lost. Perhaps this will indeed be a turning point for me.

Happy Easter to everyone - and don't go biting the ears off first on your chocolate bunny!