I Caved Like The Weakling I Am

Let me tell you a tale of Christmas. A tale of the electric scooter that almost didn't happen.

Once upon a time, there was a sweet(if slobby) little girl named Keri. One day, a friend of hers showed up at the door with a shiny new scooter. It was an electric scooter. Upon seeing this beautiful new contraption, Keri decided that she simply must have one. After all, her friend had one. Everyone knows that you simply must have whatever your friends have....right?

Keri had a sweet, kind, gentle, loving, wonderful mother. Her mother worked two jobs to provide a decent life for her children. Keri decided that she simply must convince  her mother Santa Claus that she really needed to have the beautiful, shiny electric scooter. Her first plan of attack idea, was to include it on her Christmas list ensuring that her mother Santa Claus would see her heartfelt request. Her second plan of attack idea was to be sure and mention VERY frequently how much she wanted the beloved EC (electric scooter).

So, her mother Santa Claus began researching this electric scooter. She compared styles, colors and prices. She also read quite a few customer reviews. Much to her dismay, many people expressed dissatisfaction with the EC. Apparently, some customers had to replace the battery within months of purchasing the EC. The replacement battery costs approximately $100 to replace.

Her mother Santa Claus was very dismayed about the battery failing. It was decided between her mother and Santa Claus that purchasing the EC would be a waste of money. She felt that Keri would enjoy getting more presents as opposed to one big present and a few smaller ones. Keri had to be told. But how do you go about crushing a girl's dreams anyway? Shouldn't Christmas be a magical time of year when anything is possible?

Once the decision was made, Keri's mother tried to tell Keri gently that she would not be getting an electric scooter for Christmas. After all, it was now a few days before Christmas and possibility of finding one was pretty remote. Keri had one last idea to convince her mother and Santa that she HAD to have the electric scooter. She very cleverly brought out the "big guns". During one of the discussions regarding the EC, Keri looked at her mother with her sad, beautiful eyes and said, "If you don't have enough money, you can use some of the money that Grandma Tina sent for Christmas".

At that moment, her mother realized that Keri's Christmas would be ruined if she didn't get an electric scooter. The devastation would be heard about for years to come. But what could she do? It was now TWO DAYS before Christmas Eve. How would she ever find one that quickly? First she checked the internet and found that the shipping charges were outrageous. Her mother couldn't afford to buy the scooter and pay the shipping charges too.

Luckily for Keri, she had an aunt a Christmas fairy looking out for her. Her mother called a local toy store and found out they had ONE in stock, but they wouldn't hold it. When her aunt the Christmas fairy found out about this, she stepped in to help. She had her boyfriend one of her helpers pick up the electric scooter for Keri. What a wonderful aunt Christmas fairy to drop everything and get this magnificent present for Keri.

To end this beautiful Christmas story, on Christmas morning Keri found a brand new shiny EC under the tree just for her. She was so happy. On a side note, her mother did allow Keri to partially pay for this grand present as it was pretty expensive. Now Keri and her friend happily ride their scooters together.

The End

OK, OK, I caved like the big weak, mushy, sappy parent that I am. She wanted that darn scooter SO BADLY.  I prepared myself for the fact that I may have to replace the battery in a couple months, but it will be worth for the joy on Keri's face. Keri doesn't get everything she wants throughout the year. "No" is more frequent than "yes" in our house. I just think Christmas should be  a time when the impossible becomes possible. After all, that was the day that Mary gave birth to her miracle Son, Jesus.

Being Humbled, Veggie Treats and Other Stuff

I knew when I took the second job at a department store that it would be an adjustment for me. I am smart to realize what a nice cushy job I have during the day. Even though our lunch time is set at 11:30, I can go earlier or later if I need or want to. If I am in a bad mood I can stay in my little cubicle and just avoid people. I do my job pretty much without anyone looking over my shoulder or telling me what to do all the time. If I have an appointment with a doctor, I am not docked. I get paid holidays and paid vacation. I am not required to work holidays. It is understood that I will TRY to get to work by 8 am, but sometimes that is not possible. When I am a few minutes late, it's no big deal.

That is not the world of a department store worker. Not.At.All. One of my first humbling moments was the day I was scheduled to "work the truck". Working the truck means that you help unload the merchandise that comes in. It means you take clothes out of boxes and plastic. When I was hungry I asked a manager if I could go on my lunch. I was told that when you work the truck, you go to lunch when you are told to go to lunch. What? Excuse me? You mean I have to have someone TELL me when I can eat? What travesty of justice is this I ask you? I am sure there is a perfectly good reason for this, I am still not sure what it is. Not to mention that if I am in a bad mood or just not feeling talkative, I still have to smile and be nice to the customers.

Even when I am not working the truck, my breaks must be carefully scheduled around my fellow coworkers. Everyone comes in at different times and someone else may be entitled to a break before me. This took a while for me to get used to. I think I have finally adjusted. As long as they don't start telling me when I can go to the bathroom.

Another issue is that managers seem to constantly tell me what I need to be doing. Or my personal favorite is when one manager tells me to do one thing and another manager tells me to do something else. WTF(udge)? I also really like it when customers tell me how to ring up their items or how to bag. I mean, I had NO IDEA it could be so complicated(Insert dripping sarcasm here).

I admit to not being the best choice to work with the public. Unfortunately for now, this is what I HAVE to do. I deferred my student loan payments until this month. I make my first payment in a couple of weeks. I NEED the extra income to loosen the noose around here a little bit. Until I started getting paychecks from this second job, I had no idea how tight things had become around here. With the addition of the extra income I have actually been able to make some need and not so needed purchases. All three of us got new winter coats at a really great deal. I got 30 percent off the sale price for all three coats.

Keri and Melissa both got new clothes which were really needed. I also bought a food processor. Oh the joy, the rapture. I can actually use onions in my cooking. I don't have to chop them myself. It also came in really handy when I made the "Veggie Treats". Remind me to post the recipe, it's really fabulous. I digress, I know.

Anyway, I am having to deal with some of the above mentioned injustices. There is no other choice right now. I hope I don't have to continue to do this on a long term basis. I was expecting to have my hours cut after Christmas was over. So far, no such luck. Apparently if you work hard and show up on time, you get more hours. I can't really complain because we really need the money. Especially since Melissa quit her part time job with my blessing. She had an issue with a manager and I advised her it was time to get out of there. Lord, I am so digressing again. This is what happens when you don't blog for two months, it all runs together.

I confess that it peeves me to have to deal with rude and inconsiderate customers. I don't know if you noticed, but I tend to be a little mouthy sometimes. I learning to control my tongue the hard way. It is difficult to leave one job where you sort of have SOME authority, and go to one where you are just another employee and there is always the possibility of someone treating you like you are a half wit. Do you know what I mean?

I'm bored as I sit here waiting to go to work tonight so I will give you the Veggie Treats recipe:
(2) 8 oz blocks of cream cheese
(2) 8oz cans of crescent rolls
(1) 1 oz envelope dry ranch dressing mix
(1) cup finely chopped veggies (brocoli, cauliflower, red pepper, mushrooms
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Soften cream cheese for a couple of hours-otherwise it won't spread nicely(trust me I learned the hard way)

Unroll crescent rolls and make a rectangle in a 15x10x1 pan (spray with Pam for best results)
Seal perforations
Bake according to directions, then let bread cool
Blend cream cheese and dry ranch mix. Spread on cool crust. Sprinkle cut up veggies on top and then added shredded cheese. Chill for 8 hours, then cut into 1 inch squares

I served these at our family Christmas and they were a big hit. I also made an extra batch for the girls and I to enjoy on Christmas day.

I also cooked a hot breakfast for us on Christmas morning. This was special for us because I NEVER cook breakfast. It was nothing fancy. I made pancakes, bacon and eggs served with orange juice. I didn't mess up the bacon or the pancakes. If you are a long time reader then you know that one other time I attempted to cook bacon, it was so hard it could break your teeth.
I think I am really starting to enjoy this whole cooking business. It's actually kind of fun. I am even considering investing in a griddle so that I don't have to spend an hour cooking breakfast next time. I only had one skillet big enough to make pancakes. Incidentally, I also had to use it cook the bacon for the same reason. I had to cook all the bacon, then cook the pancakes. Very time consuming and not at all efficient.

AAAAnnnnnddd I made a couple of pumpkin pies. All by myself. With no help. Yes it's really me. No there is not an imposter blogger pretending to be me. So, now that I am getting into this cooking thing, I really need some help. I can make the basics; meatloaf, spaghetti, chicken, hamburgers, but I NEED some new recipes. If anyone has any good recipes for a novice cooker, I would be eternally grateful. We can't live on meatloaf and spaghetti. I have a crock pot and would love to put it to use. Got any ideas?

Confessions Of A Department Store Worker

Hey you. Yeah, you. You know who you are. You're the one that goes to a department store and leaves things EVERYWHERE. You decide you don't want something and you just lay it anywhere. Or try on clothes and instead of returning the item to the rack in which you found it on, you leave it lying on the dressing room floor. No, you don't even bother to put it back on the hanger. Sometimes you even leave the clothing INSIDE OUT on the dressing room floor. You figure it's someone else's job to clean it up. Well you are right. It's MY job.

Do you even take into consideration that picking up your mess is not the ONLY thing I have to do in a day? No. Are you aware that this is a second job for me? Yep, that's right. I get to work full time all day, and then go to this department store and spend my evenings cleaning up your mess. You never thought of that before? Well, maybe you should. Did you consider that your mess determines what time I get to go home to my two children who are waiting for me? No, I didn't think so. Did you consider that if I am not able to clean up not only your mess, but the mess of everyone else who does the same thing by the time the store closes that I have to stay late and clean it up? No, cuz that's not your problem is it? It's mine.

Does your mother know what an inconsiderate slob you are? Does she know that you would go into a store and leave such a mess for someone else to clean up? No, I thought not. I bet she didn't raise you to leave clothes in the floor. As a matter of fact, I bet you don't leave clothes on the floor like that in your own home. Well, maybe you do.

Could you do me a favor? If you try something on, for love of all that is holy take the time to AT LEAST put the clothes back on the hanger. If you really want to be generous, you could even return to the rack you found it on. I promise, it won't take very long. If you and all the folks could do that, I might even get to leave early once in a while. I might even get home before my two wonderful daughters go to bed. That would be nice.

I might even have time to update this blog which has not been updated since October. Yes, October. I have not had the time to blog about anything. What our Christmas was like, or how we had a mouse infestation of epic proportions. We caught about 15 mice. It was really gross. Sometimes the trap wouldn't kill them, it caught them by the tail and left them squirming and squealing in the trap. Guess who had to remove them from my home? Me that's who.

I didn't have time to blog about all the great deals I got on Christmas presents this year because I work in this department store. Nor did I have time to mention I paid CASH for every single present this year. I did not use one credit card or borrow money.  I didn't have time to blog about my mother being hospitalized for a week or the stomach bug that stormed through my house taking no prisoners. I didn't have time to post my annual pictures of our tree decorating, or all the food we consumed, or Melissa's ticket for expired tags that we have to go to court for next week, or the electric scooter that Keri got for Christmas that she ALMOST didn't get for Christmas.

I also didn't get to post the recipe my coworker gave me for "Veggie Treats". I didn't even get one chance to whine about the fact that some weeks I have worked 70 hours between the two jobs. I didn't get to whine about how I thought my feet were going to fall after my first week.

Anyway, maybe you should think about the people you are affecting when you make such terrible messes. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but you never know how your slobbiness is going to affect the people working in that store (for very little money I might add). Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

A Department Store Worker

Cats and Scary Stuff

So a couple of days ago I went on the back deck. My lazy cat came running towards me. My lazy cat had something in her mouth. What could it be? A mouse. No, not the one that is living in my house, one she found outside. So.....let's get this straight. Not only is she NOT going to catch the one living in the house, she insists on only catching "outdoor" mice. What is wrong with me? What is wrong with me that my beloved cat, who has been a part of our family for SEVEN years, refuses to do her job and rid our house of one little vermin mouse?


Did I mention I am working two jobs now? I am working at a department store. I thought it was going to suck a whole lot worse than it actually does. I work with some REALLY nice people. So far, only one problem. My poor little pampered, spoiled, office working feet are killing me. The shoes that I have been wearing to work are from the devil. My feet absolutely throb by the time my shift is over. I purchased a pair of shoes Friday night from said department store cuz I get an employee discount. I tried on the display shoe and didn't bother to try on the pair that I actually bought. Mistake. Big mistake. I got the shoes home and they didn't fit. I didn't have time to exchange them before my shift this morning.


My feet are killing me. After my shift was over I exchanged the shoes for a different pair. Please let them leave my poor feet in fluffy softness. Please don't let my feet ache and throb the way they do now. As it gets closer to the holidays, I know that I will be working longer hours and comfortable shoes will be very important.


I overheard Keri talking to one of her friends last night. She was discussing whether or not they should go on  a haunted hay ride. Let me tell you something about Keri. She is a wimp. She will have nothing to do with anything remotely scary. If she even THINKS something will be scary, she covers her face. She apparently has a solution for this dilemma. She told her friend that if anything creepy gets up in her face that she will "punch them in the freaking nose".


She has been listening to her mother too much. That sounds just like something I would say. The only problem here is that I KNOW she is so wimpy, that if something scary does happen she will more than likely scream and then cry. I didn't say anything to her. I didn't want to ruin her illusions of "punching someone in the freaking nose".


So I really thought that I was going to hate working two jobs. I know there are going to be times when it's hard. I really thought it was going to make me feel bad about myself that I need another job. That is not the case. I like going to my second job. I love the feeling that I am DOING something about the finances in this house. I like the fact that I go to work, punch the clock, do my job, and then go home. There is no stress going home with me. I just do what I'm told then I'm done. I was afraid I would have "authority" issues. So far that has not been the case.


I think I will be doing most of my Christmas shopping at this store, you know, cuz I get a discount. They also offer special days where associates receive extra discounts in addition to the employee discounts. How cool is that I ask you? I will continue working this job through the holidays. If I continue to like it the way I do now,  I will probably continue working there. I could really use the extra money.

I know I have a million more things to blog about, I just can't seem to think of them at the moment.

I Think I Am Anti- Mouse

Well, capture of the mouse remains elusive. I have spotted the little vermin THREE times today. Yes count them, 1-2-3 times. Does this mouse not realize that he is supposed to stay hidden and not dart out from behind furniture and race across my living room floor to the next safe place? This could only happen to me. I bought two traps and have yet to catch the little booger. Even though he seems to be everywhere. Poor Keri made one of the cats sleep with her. She spotted the mouse in the bathroom and that was it for her.

I have to say that I was against the murder of mice. Last year we spotted one at work. You can read all about it here. We set a trap and caught the mouse. I felt sorry for it. I didn't think we should KILL the mouse. Couldn't we just trap it and release it into the wild or out in the parking lot at work? That was before a mouse came to live in my house!! Death to the mouse I say! That freakin' critter has got to go. I considered trying to catch it and let it go. Unfortunately, I am firmly convinced that if I simply catch it and release it outside, it will just get back in the house again. That is completely unacceptable. 

I bought one of those "No Touch No See "  mouse traps. Apparently our little critter is too smart to fall for that. He seems to run everywhere but into the traps. No time to carry on and on, I must go and try to figure out how to outsmart the furry little demon.

Details, Details

It is time for me to seek absolution. From you, my fellow bloggers. I disappeared for a month. I confess my sin and repent. I sort of feel like I had some good reasons. There was NOTHING even remotely interesting going on in my life. I was sick of spending all day on the computer and then going home and sitting in front of the computer. I was really starting to feel like a whiner. Everything was always bad, it seemed like I all did was use this blog as my personal whining space, a place to vent about all my doom and gloom. Well….nothing has changed. This is still my place to whine and complain although, a nice long break has refreshed me and given me some new material to work with.


Last week I was checking my bank account online. I usually log in once a day just to check things out. I immediately noticed purchases I had not made. I knew my bankcard was in my wallet because I hadn’t used it in days. You know, cuz I don’t have any money. I knew I hadn’t made any recent purchases, once again cuz I don’t have any money. Treachery was afoot. Lies and deceit abounded. I felt financially violated. I got on the phone to my bank right away. They cancelled my card and refunded the money back to my account. Granted it wasn’t a great deal of money, but it was still MY $43.61. I guess someone hacked into my computer and got my bankcard number. Obviously it was someone who does not know me. Anyone that knows me, KNOWS that I don’t have any money. Anyone that knows me also knows that even if I did have money, I wouldn’t keep it in my checking account. My checking account is for bills only. I almost feel sorry for the poor sap that decided to rip off my bankcard number. Almost. There is a small part of me that would like to find this person and rip their heart out, fry it in a pan and shove it down their throat.


Last night seemed to just really suck. After dinner I was watching TV and I thought I saw moment out of the corner of my eye. I was immediately tense. I was tense because I knew whatever this movement was, it wasn’t anything good. After all, nothing good ever sneaks around in your peripheral vision. Only vile, sneaky, furry things sneak around like that. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later I saw it darting along my wall and run behind my entertainment center. A mouse. A furry, disgusting, sneaky, vile, rodent. IN.MY.HOUSE!!!!!! I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t freak out or yell. Why? Because that would cause mass hysteria in my house. Well, as much mass hysteria that can be created by three people. My heart was pounding, my breathing was labored, I was close to panic. I decided not to upset the girls by telling them about the mouse because at least one of them would react with something like, “Mom, I can’t sleep with a mouse in the house. What if it crawls on me while I sleep?”. See what I mean. Panic would have overtaken the entire household.



I have a question. We have three cats. Two of them stay outside most of the time. But still…You mean between the THREE cats, not one of them can muster up the energy to catch this mouse? Only I would have cats that wont catch the mice. That is so wrong.



A few minutes later, the phone rang. I answered it. It was my credit card company informing me that I have not made a payment on one of my credit cards since July. Great. Just friggin great. I just forgot. I have no excuse. I made payment arrangements and ended that call as quickly as possible.



I have once again proven my worth for the title of “Misfit Mom”. Keri warned me a couple of weeks ago that she had a project to do for school. I of course, forgot all about it. She forgot all about it. Until last night. It was due today. We had to run out and by the stuff for her to make her project at 8pm last night. This was in addition to the bill collector that called, and Micky Mouse (Spelled incorrectly on purpose). Since we had to run out anyway, I decided that I would mosey on over to the bug spray aisle and pick up a couple of mouse traps very nonchalantly. Keri says, “Why are you looking at mouse traps? We don’t have mice.” It was like her mind could not grasp the concept that I might be looking at mouse traps because we actually have a MOUSE. I very calmly informed that yes we did have a mouse, and that I had seen it with my very own eyes. She did not have a “come apart” as I had expected her to. I guess it doesn’t seem real to her since she didn’t see it with her very own eyes.



Keri stayed up until about ten working on her project. Then she went to bed and crashed really hard. Without a bath. And she really needed one. Who let their kid go to school dirty today? Me that’s who. Who had to run out at the last minute and buy materials to make an animal cell? Me, that’s who. I really think I have this Misfit Mom thing all wrapped up.



So……..in summary in ONE night I had to deal with a mouse, an unpaid bill, and the school project. I personally think that’s too much for any woman to deal with in one evening. I mean, the mouse did me in. That was enough for me.



You know how everyone always says that money can’t buy happiness. I disagree. To a point that is. Now that I know I have this part time job and that I will soon have extra money coming in, I feel MUCH better. My stress level is not nearly as high. Yes, it sucks that I will have to be away from home more. However, I am sure I am not the only single mom out there who has to work two jobs. It may end up being just through the holidays anyway. We’ll see how it goes.



So thanks for tuning in to more whining and complaining. I hope I was able to change it up and keep it interesting by whining about something besides my messy house/children or my financial situation.

The Month In Summary

I am so ashamed that I haven't blogged in a flippin' month. Sit down and get comfortable while I attempt to summarize the last month. Let's see, let's see, where to start. How about with Melissa? OK, works for me. Melissa FINALLY got a job and has been working. Unfortunately, she does not get a lot of hours in. I merely suggested that she keep her eyes open for something that might offer her a few more hours. To which she immediately bit my head off and chewed it up. And swallowed it. (Maybe PMS? I don't know)

Fast forward to last week when she informed me that she is not getting enough hours and she is going to look for another job. HOW SMART!!!!!!! WHERE DID SHE EVER GET AN IDEA LIKE THAT? Not from me, apparently. I guess it's not cool for your mother to offer a perfectly reasonable suggestion. I guess if you are a teenager, you must ignore your mother's advice, wait a few weeks then pretend like it was your idea the whole time. Oh well, guess I can't win them all.

Melissa braces finally came off. She wore them for 2 1/2 years. I am embarrassed to report that I have become the "Retainer Nazi". I find myself constantly squinting at her to see if she is wearing her retainer. If she is not, I immediately begin my tirade about how I spent near 5000 DOLLARS on those braces and she better wear her retainer. Then my head spins around and I levitate off the floor. OK, not really. She is not too happy with this new role that I have taken on. She usually says something like, "Mom, I'm 16 years old. I know I am supposed to wear the retainer. I only took it out so I could eat". Oh, my bad.

Keri has decided to give up her life of being a good kid to become a criminal. I am not allowed to reveal what she did exactly, so I will skirt around it. It involved her and another girl. It also involved vandalism......and toilet paper........and eggs. Nothing was broken or destroyed. I was so shocked that she did this. I just couldn't believe it. My baby. My sweet little girl, turning to a life of crime. OK, OK, I exaggerate. Anyway, she was grounded and made to clean up the mess she made.

In other, other news, I got a part time job. I didn't want to, but I felt I had no other choice. The holidays are right around the corner and we will not be getting bonuses this year. Not to mention those pesky student loans I have to deal with. So I went for the interview on Friday afternoon after work. I figured I would be there for 30 minutes at the most. I was there for.two.friggin'. hours. I have never experienced anything quite like it before. My first mistake was thinking that I would be the only person there for the interview. I arrive at the store. (I will not be revealing the location of my part time job at this time) There were at least ten women in line waiting for the same interview. We stand around for about ten minutes, then we are lead into this sort of meeting room. It was a group interview. I had never heard of such a thing. The first order of business was to let everyone know that if they are not available to work around the holidays, they should just leave.

Next the interviewer began asking questions and each person had to answer said question. The first one was, "If you saw a fellow employee stealing, what would you do and what do you think should happen to them?" Give me a break. Where do these questions come from anyway? If I didn't REALLY need this part time gig, I would have said, "Personally I admire people who steal, and I would NEVER report someone if I saw them stealing. Heck I might even ask them for pointers on how I too can get away with stealing". The rest of the questions were equally lame. Next the interviewer and her "assistant" stepped out of the room on the pretense that they needed to get some paperwork or some such nonsense. What they were really doing was standing outside the door talking about us and deciding who wasn't going to make the cut. Hah! I was right. They came back in and called three people out of the room. Then they came back and said that the rest of us were hired pending a drug screening and reference check.

I have never had to sign anything stating my willingness to work the specified hours. I felt like I was signing my life away. Oh well, at least I can make some extra Christmas money and I get a 15 % discount over and above the sale prices.

We also got invested with fleas, the cat ate a mouse and left the head in the living room, we got rid of the fleas, AND my baby sister Alicia is getting married next week. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about all that. Hopefully this is the end of my hiatus and I am back in blog world. I sure missed you guys.