Life...

Good and bad for the New Year...

Bea has told us that she can only work Mondays now. She watches her grandkids for her daughter (for free) and said daughter is looking for a day job and likely to get it soon. If we can't get anyone else that'll mean Mom can only work every weekend and all nights during the week. We can't afford for me to just quit altogether and I've been late and had to call off enough times lately that my next review is going to suck majorly. I might ask if I can cut my hours down to 32 each week. We can't afford it, but until we find a replacement for Bea that might be the only way to fairly work this.

I wonder if I should even visit Sunni and Sheri at the end of the month. Do we really have the money for me to spend on the bus fare and doing things down there? Gods, I hope so. I need the time away. So does Mom, but I can't do anything about that.

There is, as usual, much more going on, from insurance fiascos to Grandma's sugar being totally out of whack for the first time in months. She has agreed to give us a list of foods she'll eat and she was going over them with my cousin and me (mostly my cousin). They're all foods we already know she'll eat for us. If the other relatives think we're not doing our duty by her, they're nucking futs. She has also promised Dr. G that she'll eat three times a day for us. If she can't get the sugar under control in a month, then he adds more pills. She hates pills.

The insurance thing is about our house insurance. We took it over along with the rest of the bills and have been paying it each month thanks to our bank's computer payment system. Well, they now say they issued us a refund when the front step railing thing was handled. Not one of us has received or cashed a check, but they say we owe them almost $400. Worse yet, they don't return Mom's phone calls or leave messages on our machine, but call my aunt and uncle (whose names aren't even on the policy) and discuss the situation with them and ask them to get in touch with us. Isn't there something wrong with this picture?

As for the good, I actually went out for New Year's Eve! *chuckle* Only my friends and their friends would find watching The Muppet Show on New Year's Eve amusing, but it really was. I also fractured my brain watching Jackass 2. I fear I will never get the image of a fully nude midget racing across a table directly toward the camera out of my mind. If only he had been handsome, it wouldn't hurt so much. Kim's friend (the host) likes the Creature from the Black Lagoon as much as I do! Yes!

I crashed at Kim's and ended up staying there all day New Year's Day. The ladies had a small dinner party for Thanksgiving, Christmas and such. It was fun. Mom gave me one instruction: to bring home the cutting board of the cheese thing I brought to the party. I did. So I forgot the bowl I brought the dip in at Kim's house. Next time I see her I'll have to bring it home.

My brother called a few days ago and Mom told him I'd gone out and hadn't gotten home until late the next day. He was shocked, to say the least. Tee-hee. It's nice to know I can surprise him every once in a while. He seemed shocked when Mom reminded him I can't drink. He's known about the fact that I can't drink all of our lives. What a maroon.

He comes home this month. I hope by saying it and typing it I don't jinx him or his fellows. He's an annoying PITA most of the time, but I love him dearly and don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him.

Anyone reading this, please wish him and the others stationed overseas good luck. They need it.