Signs of the times

Gosh I'm feeling OPTIMISTIC. Watching the unemployment lines get longer, the lines at the food bank are getting longer too. I was in the grocery store on the first, the number of people with WIC and food stamp tickets was amazing to me.

In light of all that, and that crazy times bring ou the worst in crazy and borderline crazy/violent people, and the fact that my daughter works in a pizza parlor and delivers, I'm reminded to remind myself and everyone else of some basic RULES of SAFE CONDUCT:

MOST important!! Be aware of your surroundings.
Watch your back. Show purpose in your walk - don't look lost or fumbling with keys or packages while crossing a parking lot. Know where your car is!
Watch your purse!! Don't leave it in the grocery cart DAMMIT!! *(I could have stolen probably a thousand dollars from open wallets and purses in carts unattended).
Lock your car doors. Put your purse on the floor in the car, or in the glovebox while you're driving.

As I advised my daughter, my boyfriend, myself, and now everyone else - since I'm so smart and all!!!! In the face of a potentially violent person wanting your money or your property - PLEASE!! Give it up! Stuff is only stuff - not worth getting hurt over.
I told her open the cash register and hit the floor. Don't try to save your employers money.
There's been two armed robberies lately in our little burge - and that's really rare.
Now is the time of crazy people with guns who need money or drugs to sell so - please be careful, someone loves you and needs you...like me!!

Hope springs eternal, but

Ass-bites are always just around the corner.

Mrs. A called me a while ago - (same said Mrs. A from the previous post).

She says the girl they hired to replace me and get the cleaning done stole from her, and did I fill her spot yet? Come back on Thursday right??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? The woman came in and did a really good job cleaning up the bedroom, dusted everything up so nice....went to the grocery store, sat down to watch a movie....later on I went to bed, went to get a pill, and they're gone!!! Well, she called the police and the police say this happens ALL THE TIME!!! That people come in to older folks homes and steal their pain pills and sell them on the street!!! OH MY GOSH!!

So--- let me get this straight, I told her. You let me go and (lied to me) told me you were being forced to move to assisted living, and that someone had been hired to clean up the house so you could either sell the house or maybe rent it out. But turns out that after over 5 years with me and never even stolen a cookie from you, done all your shopping, cried with you over losing Newman, fought on your side more than once, relable, honest, always doing extra things for you, and... NOW you say you hired someone to replace me, and you got ripped off, and you want me to come back to work?

Ok - sure, I'm happy to put you back in that spot - however, the rate is $18 per hour. I never raised your rate because I thought you couldn't afford me, but you told me the other day that money isn't a problem, so that's the rate. You have to pay the same minimum rate as everyone else - period. I hung up the phone after telling her she's welcome to call me back if she wants me to work for that rate.

And I'm about done crying over it - thanks.

Reasons to be greatful in this life

Today, I'm smiling. I spent several hours alone with Amanda yesterday, and try as I might, I couldn't remember the last time we spent ALONE time together. It was pretty nice, indeed, even though we were cleaning a VERY VERY nasty house. She hired me for her client, and paid me when the job was over. At least its over for now - the carpet has to be replaced, there's serious plumbing and electrical work to do.... and the State people to pass inspection, then it'll need a buff-up and then he can go home. Maybe. Another long story there.

Meanwhile, Fay is growing and changing and amazing to me. I miss her terribly because she's been spending so much time with daddy's family. The cousins are all in town for the holiday school's out break and staying with other grandma. I miss her, but would never ask to take her away from her cousins, at least not till spring when the garden is in bloom and Fay wants to be out here with us. Hurry Spring!

Chris and I are doing OK. We've gotten to spend extra awake time together with the holiday breaks from work and snow days. I'm always amazed to realize we get a long a lot better when we're on vacation together. We're starting out 8th year together. I hope we'll get to do a 50th anniversary some day.

Work wise, I'm still a necessity for most of my clients. Mrs. A's daughter has forced her to move into assisted living. I don't imagine she'll live long after she leaves her home of over 50 years. Her husband died in April, and though Mrs. A is doing alright, she is a shut-in, and is beginning at 92 to need extra help. She could afford easily to hire a live-in help, but won't do it- she wants to leave all that money to her ungreatful unvisiting uninvolved freaking grandkids and great grandkids. I hope so much that she lives long enough to spend all her money on an assisted living place - screw them all. Monday, I'll be placing an ad in the paper for work. It's hard to get work in the winter, but heck who knows? Never hears to advertise.

Meanwhile, 2008 is over. We didn't lose a dime in the stock market crunch (aka the market adjustment). Neither of us lost our jobs or were forced to shoot-to-defend our homes, food stocks or livestock. Our health was good, I lost weight, our comittment to better eating has paid off. The best part of having older clients is the lessons they can pass on to me about their time in their 40's, and what they were doing then - that put them in their current health in their 80's and 90's. The cats are all doing well. Ruby is growing and thriving and officially too big to weigh. She and Ben are great friends. The other old ladies hiss and smack and ignore, right up till Ruby is chasing and hitting and biting, then they run. It's been kinda fun having a baby in the house. Amanda and I had a couple really rough spots this year. Having a child so near your own age makes it very hard to be a mother. I hope we have hit a neutral zone and we can remain friends. I like being her friend so much better than fighting with her.

For 2009, I hope to get in more backpacking trips. I need too to find someone to stay out here while we're gone in June on vacation. Chris said he won't leave Ruby without someone to stay out here. Of course his next sentence is that the garden won't survive - which is the truth, but his first concern is that silly black cat... bitch.

Happy New Year everybody.

What's important is that we spent time alone. No Fay, no phones, no velcro baby friends... just us. Two women helping out a shut-in