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We tip our mail carrier (how PC is that? Ours was a woman until a few months ago, so I got used to saying "mail carrier"), but sort of randomly. When we remember. She must hate us. We tip the newspaper guy more often because he actually leaves an envelope! It sounds just like a shakedown to me too. I would be tempted to wrap up a present for him that he's sure to hate, just to piss him off. You know, like an elderly fruitcake. But then I'm a horrible Scrooge today. Seems to me he's doing well enough off the other customers. I wonder what he would've said if you'd replied "Can't I give you more than $20?"
Goodness you have a lot on your plate (food metaphor) this month. I feel overwhelmed just reading it. I've been feeling very stressed and I hardly have any responsibilities this year -- just the usual presents and cards -- we're freeloading off everybody else for meals and parties, decorations and everything. I did decorate my wreath (minimally), but I don't think I'll be doing anything else. Apparently it's all I can handle anyway. The nicest thing happened to me today. I was not having a very nice time. While DD was doing her music lessons, I went to do some shopping. The first place I went was a drug store, which I thought was going to be good because they had already marked down all their Christmas stuff 50%. But I couldn't find much of anything I wanted. I bought some ribbon and some wrap just for the principle of the thing. The whole time I was in there this awful depressing music was playing. While I was waiting in line to check out, I considered asking the clerk how she could stand to be listening to the stuff all day; didn't it make her want to shoot herself? But I decided to keep my thoughts to myself. :rolleyes: So then I went out into the mucky parking lot and got filthy opening the back end of the car (everything is sort of snow/ice/mud right now), and drove over to the grocery store, where the bag-lady put 3 bags worth of groceries into 2 bags. Then I had to get filthy again putting it in the back end of the car, plus I wrenched my hand closing the :censored: thing and I was about to trot my cart back to the store (no cart carrel at this place and the entire parking lot is on a hill, so it's pretty much of a problem if you leave your cart) when a little boy, about 10, who was walking by with his dad, actually asked me if I'd like him to take my cart back to the store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I of course thanked him profusely and he actually said "You're welcome." I was so shocked I nearly fainted. It's a Christmas Miracle. Kiwi |
kiwonk you warm the cockles of my grinchy little ice pellet of a heart.
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I know my mail carrier makes more than I do so to hill with 'em.
I am in a shutty mood. I am a batch. Even I don't approve of me. Here's the story: DS, as you know, is very shy and quiet and smart. He is currently Senior Patrol Leader in his scout troop which IS a big deal. It really is. The other kids chose him and he has last say on everything. So last night there was a Court of Honor (when kids get the stuff they've earned and we all eat) and DS knew it was coming but no the scout leader is gone (to the middle east) and no other adult thought to talk to him about it. We walk in and this nice boy says, "Do you have anybody for MC?" DS was thrown off guard and said in his shy, apathetic way, "no." Another boy (this is where I become a batch because I don't like this child!!!) said, "I'll do it. I've worked up something." He had worked up nothing as was evident but he got to the be star of the show because DS had said 'no.' So .. my emotional problem here is that the mother of the boy-who-took-over then got to enjoy watching her son shine and get bragged on and IT SHOULD"VE D&MNWELL BEEN MEEEE. But it's DS's life isn't it? But DS is my investment. I think I should be considered in these times. Help. I'm looking for that book. First bookstore didn't have it. Bye. |
Peachy, the book hasn't come out yet. You can pre-order it at Amazon.com. See? I'm already goofing up this book club thing.
If I liked my mail carrier I wouldn't mind giving him a tip, but this particular guy is a jerk. He likes to brag about his workman's comp claim he's cooking up for his injured back, and in the next breath tell you all about riding his moto-cross bikes. Now do you think his back is messed up from carrying mail or jumping motorcycles across hills and such? grr. Peaches, don't worry. The other boys know your DS is the real star or they wouldn't have made him Senior Patrol Leader. Kiwi, sometimes I try to be that nice person to take back a cart or hold open a door, but ppl often look at you like you're a nut. Everyone except old ppl. They seem to remember when it was ok to be friendly. And yes, Lush, I suspect I really am a nut. We don't have no such thang as Easypasses way out har in the frontier. This is the land of the brave and the home of the free as in we have no toll roads, and the only toll bridge that I know of is between Oregon and Washington in the Columbia River gorge. It costs a buck and it's definitely not computerized. They call our interstates freeways for a reason I guess. They're free. So far..... and ya wanna know something really crazy?? we don't have a sales tax in Oregon. Of course our property taxes are high, but at least we aren't nickeled and dimed to death. And the real kicker is that it's against the law to pump your own gas in Oregon!!!!! We have polite gas station attendants who pump the gas and run our credit card. we don't have to step out of the comfort of our car.... isn't that a concept??!!! and our gas prices are no higher than Washington's which is right next door to us. Now don't be telling everybody this stuff or everybody will be moving out here. |
I went to a lovely program of Christmas music this evening. By myself. Couldn't interest anyone else in going with me. Oh well. It was very nice. A bit elderly, but nice. This one lady sang a Christmas Lullaby without accompaniment that was so beautiful it was just mesmerizing. And one of my neighbors (yes, only 2 miles away!) who used to be a math teacher played several pieces on the organ, a solo and a couple of duets. Really nice. And some crazy lady banged on a glockenspiel and then played Joy to the World on an ocarina. What is an ocarina, you say? Well, it looked like a low-tech pitchpipe. And sounded like a whistle. And then there was this old lady who could really sing, and also played the French Horn. Not at the same time. All in all an uplifting evening. And there were refreshments.
Kiwi |
I wish I'd gone to Kiwi's Christmas program.
Instead, I got roped into one by a friend. don't get me wrong, I loved being with the friend... (and she said it was OK with her if I knit.) But the alleged " Traditional Anglican Service of Lessons and Carrols" turned out NOT to be traditional at all, but a Crystal Cathedral styled extravaganza with big swelling harmonies, not much finesses and crowds and crowds of people. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrinch. At least they didn't take up a collection! I am going to prepare lasagna for Christmas day and a small ham, and a salad, some other side dish(es).... and I don't know what else. but DH and I are skippping out first and going to Kerrvile. Not for the annual folk festival, but for an exhibition of hand/home-made furniture. And some R&R. Stayed up til 5 am last night and it's 2"30 am now... have Cmas card designed and a few printed. Don't start holding your breath yet... need to address and stamp and hand over to postal workers who are unlikely to get a tip from me. I never actually SEE tham, and the guy who comes most of the time is surly and slow. Bless us every one... in hope that we get called "Tiny"! |
No rush at all, Painty!
Cow Town Rule # 1: Any card that gets there before Easter can be counted as a Christmas card. I have cards, but I haven't even started with the writing and the stamping. Haven't taken the annual picture of the kids either. People are used to getting my cards way late. They'd be disappointed if they didn't.
Feeling like cr*p today (Dh says I'm too much of a lady to need to use words like that. Heh. Little does he know). Headache, muscle aches, nice raspy cough. Might be because that tile-layer person has been here almost every day this week doing the powder room and he smokes the WHOLE TIME. I don't take too well to second-hand smoke. If it's doing that to me, imagine what it's doing to HIM! He started puffing away on the first day before I noticed and now I'm too much of wimp to say anything. Yeah, I know, it's MY house, but... I sure hope he's finished by Friday. If the whole thing isn't done by Christmas we'll be forklifting Grandpa up to the upstairs bathroom. :D Peachy! One day ds will be rich and famous and will go around making speeches about how he owes it all to his lovely mom and you will be swamped with awards dinners and research grant extravaganzas to go to. It's illegal in Germany NOT to pump your own gas. No attendants except for the people inside who sell snacks and take yer money. My youngest baby brother turned 36 yesterday and I forgot to e-mail him. Not even sure if I have his address. He won't mind. We're just so lazy about birthdays. Must go and rake in the big bucks tutoring someone else's kid. See yas! :smug: :smug: |
sugar, I copied and emailed to ds what you said about him !! Are you teaching those kids anything interesting? How to greet people by saying, "Get back, you wanker!"?
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Oh, Sug-- thank you. I'm finally pretty satisfied with card image. So when I get home this evening I'll fire up the printer and begin doing envelopes. I used to do ALL the envelopes in full-blown calligraphy. It was a 3 day process because I was vain enough to send literally hundreds of cards. Between the US postal costs and my DH wanting me to be "available", I am more casually about the addresses... but perhaps my new bovine buddies will elicit the old calligraphy nibs and some red ink!
Hope I stay awake while my clients are here!! hee hee. I am proud of eating well at breakfast this morning... (just some egg & veggie omelet, tomato juice and a bit of applesauce. Skipped the deli's latkes, blintzes and hashbrowns. :-) |
I have tons of stuff I should be doing, and yet here I yam. Procrastination R me.
Late cards can be savored in the post Christmas lull. Sugar, sometimes it more important to get a nice tile job than to breathe. You can breathe next week when he's gone and your bathroom is pretty. I wish I'd gone to either Kiwi's or Painty's concert. I could use a little Christmas cheer. I have to admit that I would prefer Kiwi's concert because it came with refreshments. My favorite part. Painty, when do you sleep???? 5 am? 2:30? are you partying or insomniac? OK. I guess I really do need to go get something done. Must make a list. |
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Oh ick, I feel cr*ppy too. I'm starting to understand how stress can make you sick. I spent an hour on the phone this morning with my stepfather (and mother in the background) trying to either a)help him understand what was wrong with the document he printed out or b)how to email me an attachment so I could fix it myself. Good thing he has a thick skin, because I was practically yelling at him before we gave up for lack of time. This was after 2 phone calls last night to try to help my mother (and stepfather in the background) figure out how to type her Christmas letter on the computer. They claimed that since their computer had crashed a few months and everything had to be reloaded, they didn't know any of the programs anymore. We had this kind of conversation: "Well, do you remember the name of the program you used to use to type things?" "No." "Maybe Word for Windows?" "I don't know" "Would you recognize it if I mentioned some of them?" "Should I press Okay?" "Sure" "Are you sure?" "Well, yes, if you want it to do something you're going to have to press Okay" "Well, sometimes I press Go" "Yes, sometimes you press Go and sometimes you press Okay, but you have to press something for it to work" I am not soooooooooo not kidding. And I have a pain in my side. Kiwi |
hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa--------------youse guys are a riot------LOVE to hear all the latest----------------sugar is absolutely correct peach!!=====your boy is headed WAY above and beyond these local yokels----they will eat his dust----------------you will be feted ad nauseum in the future---you will be complaining about all the events you must take in!!!!----------------dd is home from university for christmas holidays---so far has two course marks in--an A- and an A+{good thing cause if she's not on the dean's list out goes the scholarship!!!}--NOT done decorating,NOT done shopping,haven't started wrapping...............yikes
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Kiwi-- I'm not sure that pain was actually in your side.
I've been skipping sleep. It means I have an excuse for staying fat fat fat, right? No? Oh, well off to bed then, and those pounds better evaporate. |
PS: My DD said the NICEST NICEST things about me in her blog. (well, after rambling about some other things.) you can read it at http://www.sometimesatypical.blogspot.com
I have the best daughter possible (and I know all of you are good daughters... but she's wonderful.) |
Hi Cowsies, I'm coming to you via my new computer!!! It has a beautiful flat screen monitor so I can pile my desk with even more papers and junk. Everything's up and working except my email, so bear with me on that. If you have something to tell me that just can't wait, send me a message on 3FatChicks, please. Once I rework my old computer I'm going to take it home with me so I'll be yakking at you 24/7.
Paintypants, I love your daughter. Such a sweetheart. Isn't it nice to have a grown up daughter? I'm going to my DD's place tonight to make Christmas candy and cookies. I never would have believed it when she was going through her goth stage in high school. She actually wore a dog collar with spikes for a necklace. Thankyajesus that we lived to laugh about it. Must go work. A client just dropped off 2 lbs. of chocolate covered caramels and creams. Must not give in. Well maybe just a couple. :devil: |
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