Gonna have to do something about my grumpy Staff person

Sheesh. Staff person has been, like, a bear to live with. She's cranky when she gets up and, truthfully, she doesn't get much better as the day progresses. I know she's tried really hard at the place where she's working, but some of the stuff I overhear makes me glad I get to stay home and sleep all day. People have been really rude to her and the job she applied for? Even though she's been there 6 months and feels like she's learned a lot of the things she needs to know, they hired someone from outside who doesn't know anything and will have to be trained from scratch. Staff person decided it was their loss and not hers (YAY MOM!), and when her contract ends in August she's hoping to be able to finish editing her book and maybe get it published. She used to sit at the computer a LOT and write - like for hours at a time - but has done very little of that lately. She's tired when she gets home and growls and is obviously not a happy camper. Not to mention she's put on a coupla pounds too. (Don't tell her I said that! She'll KILL me!)

She also lost another friend. The person she would meet at the gym and then go out for coffee with got laid off and left today to move back to Seattle. She's bummed. I kinda don't even like being around her - I've spent a lot of time in the front room with the guy who's staying there. I think she thinks I've abandoned her, but she's just so...GRUMPY all the time.

I'd like for her to either get the darn book finished or find a place where she can work and be happy. Staff person 'happy' is a totally different person from staff person 'not happy'. Wish I could meow enuff to convince someone to hire her. Although, if truth be known, I'd rather have her right here, banging away on the computer.

What's a kitty to do? I said a little prayer for her the other day. Hopefully someone was listening.

Losing Friends

It's hard to lose a friend. Doesn't matter if it's someone you've known for most of your life (that one really hurt) or someone you met just a few short months ago.

Oh, I'm not talking about someone moving on to their heavenly rewards, no, not at all. I'm talking about having a friend, enjoying them almost every single day, and then for whatever reason, they move on and leave your life. I count friends as one of the major benefits of my life and they're pretty important to me.

I met a young man several months ago who was a temp in the office I'm currently working in. Politically he's on the 'other side of the fence' from me. He has that capability however, to converse in calm and measured tones, and to make sense about what he's saying, because, in reality, he's not that different...only he is. Does that make any sense?

He's a very unique human being in a lot of ways. He's done more in his short life (much shorter than mine anyway) than I can ever hope to accomplish. His main focus is music, and it's quite amusing that his name is a European form of 'music', but he's more into Country music than I am. He's passed around some sample country cd's he's been associated with, and while I like them and listen to them, I still consider myself an old rock and roller. He's worked for country music stations, designing programs they've eventually asked him to host on air because he's the best man for the job. He's produced country music videos. He knows everyone that's anyone in Texas country music. For pete's sake, he has WILLIE NELSON on his cell phone message telling you to "... call back and, maybe you'll get Willie, but probably you'll get (my country music producing friend's name here) so just leave a message." Gah!

I can call him a 'good kid' because he seems really young. I thought he was about 27; turns out he just turned 42, but in my life that counts as a young whippersnapper. He's got his head on straight. Things have been pretty difficult for him lately and he made the decision to quit his temp job and move to a ranch where he has steady work for a few months and an inexpensive place to live. It will allow him to corral his finances and make some money while he figures out his next step. It makes perfect sense to me and is an excellent decision, but I admit I'm going to miss him. A lot. His amazing sense of humor and unbelievable intelligence have made work interesting. He makes more sense than anyone I've met lately, about everything. "In America we read left to right and top to bottom." I'm not explaining that; let's just say he willingly took the blow for that one against a wall of umbrage.

One of the other temps and I gave him an 'exit interview' last week. We met for happy hour at a local watering hole. We got his opinion on every single person in the place, (well, except for us, but I think we had immunity since we were buying him drinks) and we were laughing so hard I thought Donna was going to spit in her margarita. We talked about tv, music, mexican food and the weather. Several other topics were analyzed; some while trying to drink without snorting and some with all due seriousness. I must add I think he had started on the adult beverages without us, but that's okay too.

So, John. Please stay in touch. And of course I have your number with Willie telling me to leave a message; if I leave a message you or Willie damn sure better call back. And if you ever get to town, you are under threat of death to let me know so I can at least take you out for a beer or a margarita or something alcoholic. Gonna miss you, dude.

p.s. Borrowed your FB pic, hope you don't mind. If you do, hey, too bad!

Finally!

Ah. The temperatures outside are almost perfect. It's wonderful to stretch out in the grass and just watch over my dominion - which is, of course, the backyard. It did get a little nippy a few days ago, but only in the mornings. Afternoons are wonderful.

Well, with one exception. There seems to be an awful lot of loud noises on the other side of the fence. Now, I'm no scaredy cat, but I learned from my early days on the streets that if something is making a whole lotta noise, it's usually much bigger than you are and your chances for winning a fight with it are next to none. The noises start up early in the morning and go until late afternoon. I'm not so much on venturing out since I never know if whatever is making that horrible noise is going to jump the fence and chase me. Sooooo....I just stay inside where I know I'm safe. Oh, well, I guess I should say, I'll go out if staff person or the guy in the front room goes out with me. NOT that I need protection or anything, but they go in and out the door and I can always slip back inside. Or get under the chair they're sitting in.

I guess staff person is going to continue to be gone during the days. She's sometimes just a wee bit irritable when she gets home, moaning about how much she has to do and not enough time to do it in, but I just do what I do best...I fall over and stretch so she can reach down and rub my belly and she starts laughing. Shortly after she gets home the noise stops and she and I go outside for a bit. It's nice. I think it lets her relax a little, and of course, I'M outside so I sure don't mind. Sometimes it relaxes me as well, and I just have to take a little nap. And if I'm under that seated swingy thing that staff person is sitting on, all the better. You know, even bricks make a good pillow sometimes....

Boy, time flies when you have to get up and leave the house early, get home exhausted and veg on the sofa so that you have to spend your weekend doing all the things you used to do during the week.

I know. Whine, whine, whine. I'm very grateful to have money coming every single week. It's great to be able to pay bills without creative financing. I'm still sort of in 'eek I have no money' mode, which is actually a good thing. I've been able to keep some of what's in my bank account, but am leery of spending much of anything.

Of course, the best laid plans...

I did have some eye surgery back on February 10. It's amazing to be able to see again out of my right eye - the cataract had gotten so bad I could see nothing but a gray fog. I did this through the poverty clinic and they did a better job than the surgery on my left eye I had back when I was employed AND had insurance. Didn't cost as much either.

To do laundry in my house currently takes about 4 hours or more to do three loads. I have a clogged pipe that prevents the washing machine from draining, so take a book back and when the machine goes into the spin cycle you watch the top of the drain pipe and lift the lid just before the pipe overflows and floods the room. Then you read for a while until the drain pipe quits gurgling and put the lid back down until the pipe almost overflows and ......well. You get the picture. Then you do that with the rinse cycle as well. The plumber is hesitant to roto the pipe again, so wants to run a new pipe to a different drain. The cousin has started part of it so it will be all set up when the plumber gets here sometime this week. Got to happen - don't want to do another load of clothes that way. So there are two economic drains on my wallet. But I'm able to handle them, which a year ago I wouldn't have been.

Jypsy's been very good and I only have just a wee bit of kitty news. The city is fixing the next street over and has piled several small mountains of gravel and dirt on the cross street next to my house. Jypsy is not so much for big machines that make a lot of loud noise, so has been pretty much staying inside unless someone can go out with her. That makes her feel a little braver, but if there's a loud clank she's up on the deck next to the door. Smart cat. Here's a picture of her 'incognito' look, but she's making sure to keep an eye on those machines out the window....

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