Long Time No Hear, Eh?

I was walking out of work the other day.  Wait, what??!!  Did I just say work???  Yup, I have been working for over a month, and I really like it. 

Anyway, I was walking out of work the other day, and I was thinking about how good I was feeling and how awful I had been feeling three years ago.  Three years ago, my wonderful little sister-in-law was very sick; we were just days from finding out about her stage four cancer that would take her in just two months.  But, I was also in one of the worse career decisions of my life.  Just a couple of months earlier, I had met with two people in an organization that I thought I wanted to be part of, and I was now there...in hell.

I have always thought that you should listen to your gut when it lets you know something is "off" about someone or something.  I felt this the day I was invited to a staff meeting in my new department and watched my new manager laser in on the others at the table.  I wondered if that was particular to that day, or did she always do that...pick off victims.  The second time was when I was moving into my new desk -- in front of hers -- and she was having a mini meltdown.  I should have heeded my "gut" and run away back to my former organization. 

Anyway, the next couple of months were awful on so many levels, particularly with losing my wonderful sister-in-law.  At work, I was the closest target to the childish tantrums of my boss, and I found myself conflicted in my feelings because she was so talented and yet so awful.  She was very good about my taking time to leave so I could help with the caregiving of my sister-in-law; I would have left anyway...really.

I am just so glad to be away from that toxic feeling and being in a place where I need to watch my back.  I am grateful to be close to home and to be working with people who are dedicated to helping others dealing with the devastating effects of dementia.  Quirky?  Sure, but then who isn't, right?

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait, and Wait, and Wait, and Wait, and Wait, and...you get the picture...

So, in my last entry, I was wailing at the end about not getting any calls for interviews, right?  It appears that the gods of wailers somehow heard me, and BOOM...I got calls to come into three...count 'em three interviews in one week.  Pretty cool.

The first one was at a company that produces a product that is ingested by humans, but has research labs...whatta think that means?  I'm thinking there are small animals connected to things that small animals should not be connected to and maybe ingesting or having something dripped into eyes or other orifices...how about you?  The interview went well, but then I was off to the second interview the next day.  This one also went well, and I found that I had a connection with one of the people interviewing, from a previous corporate job, and get this, no one was in their 20s or 30s...they were actual grownups...can you friggin' stand it?  Yeh, so as I was driving home after the interview, I called my husband and said, "I want this job."  Later that day, I was asked to return for a second interview the next day, but was after I had already made a third interview for the next day...dio mio!  It's either feast or famine.  You're either sitting on the sidelines or making that game-winning touchdown, or drinking punch alone or hauling a full dance card...am I making any sense?

Soooo...I scheduled the follow-up interview within minutes of the other one (which I figured would not go more than an hour).  Fortunately, they were within 10 minutes of each other, and I got to the second interview on time.

And, I was sitting at my computer that weekend, and lo and behold, I get a call from the one that I said I wanted to work at, and they offer me the job...at a salary that is scads lower than I was making at the previous employer, but scads more than unemployment...and with benefits.  They had me at hello, so to speak, and I went into "work" to cross train with the person I was replacing, and yesterday was my first, full day on my own at my new job that is only seven miles away...how do you like that?!

I am hopeful to stay with this employer for a long time.  "Long" is a relative term when you get to a (ahem) certain age, if you know what I mean.  I am pleasantly psyched and looking forward to working with what is a mostly female (yeh, I know, I know) staff.  We'll see, I'm pretty good at not sweating the small stuff, and not worrying about this or that, right?

I accept your congratulations and best wishes...gracie!

Subaru...What Have the Miles Done to You?

Remember when I was sooooo impressed about my freshly colored hair and my full tank of gas in my car and my completed bachelor's degree?  Yeah, well, the universe got especially grumpy, and almost killed my little 104,000+ mile Subie. 

I was pulling out of my driveway to go to the gym (a "perk" of being unemployed...having the time), and my car had some issues going into gear (it's an automatic).  As I passed the village policeman on our street (waiting for stop-sign violators), I did not notice that he was trying to wave me down.  I pulled out onto Rt. 9 and chugged the .6 mile to the gym and knew that the transmission was very, very ill.  I did the next best thing...I chugged back home without the benefits of the elliptical or bike...or at least attempted to chug home.  My poor little car gave it up just as I was trying to make the turn after being a good girl and stopping at the stop sign.  That policeman came up behind me as white smoke wafted its way around and up my car.  He had actually tried to catch me because my car dumped tranny fluid right outside of my driveway...who knew, right?  Anyway, three burlie local policemen pushed my Subie to rest just across from our house and out of the way of traffic.  This is when membership in the AAA comes in handy...they towed it up to the Subaru dealer (less than two miles away), and left it for them to diagnose what happened.  My husband thought it was a hose -- hoped it was a hose -- and that it would be okay.  If not...and the transmission was crapped out...it would be a very bad thing.

Anyway, the diagnosis was that the radiator connection between it and the transmission blew and bled the fluid out...no damage to the transmission, and my car actually was fixed and the a/c and external thermometer work better -- my husband believes that when they did the work, they cleaned all connections, and the thermostat for the thermometer was a beneficiary for that -- I just know you were anxious to know that.

Oh, and no friggin' calls for interviews. 

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

So I said to my husband that this would be a good week for me to be called in for an interview because...my hair is freshly colored (thanks to Revlon) and my car has a full tank of gas, AND my schedule is free...hellooooo!

I totally lost all self-respect and actually wrote a personal letter to an HR person at one of the places I've applied to over this past year-and-one-half (and applied, and applied, and applied...) to see if I could garner some attention to the number of applications I've submitted.  I figured, "nothing ventured..." 

I mean, has anyone noticed that this economy is bad...huh?  Oh, and besides the whole hair and car gas tank -- which are fleetingly temporary -- I have a completed college degree which is not...more or less.

Geez...

Death of Innocence

As you may or may not know, we foster several stray cats outside of our house.  Along with others in our village, we are trying to curtail the "dating" habits of strays by capturing them, spaying/neutering and releasing them -- all at our own expense.  Let's face it, cats are sluts, and as soon as a female has (more or less) weaned her kittens, she's looking for the next tall-dark stranger.

In any case, we are doing our best to get these loose kitties off the streets and tested for diseases.  Unfortunately, there is one big gray male tom cat who has made it his mission to impregnate as many loose ladies as he can possibly do in as little time as possible.  This has resulted in a few litters that we are in the process of trying to get captured and placed.  And, unfortunately again, the cat rescue organizations, the SPCA, and foster organizations are overwhelmed, so we have no place to place these little guys, so we have kittens in the yard...or HAD kittens in the yard until last Thursday.

We have lived in this neighborhood in this house for over 30 years.  We have never ever had any issues with any neighbors.  I am not a nosy neighbor, and the fact that I've been working full time (until last January...'nother story), has kept me even more out of the loop as to new neighbors and their personalities and such.  We are close to our long-time neighbors, but there is a family right across the street from us that we just wave to occasionally.  Their son (I never even knew Mom was pregnant with him until we saw her carrying him across to the park) has a habit (he's about 8 or 9...maybe even 24...who the hell knows) of playing ball, riding bikes, sleigh riding, etc. on not only his yard, but others' as well.  We don't have any tempting hills on our lot, so he's not tempted to come over here at all.  Maybe it's old fashioned of me, but I believe you should teach your kids NOT to go onto other people's property without permission.  And, that goes for your dogs -- no matter what temptations are on the other people's property...there lies the rub.

Last Thursday, we were watching kittens tumbling and attacking each other in our back yard.  It was adorable, and they were enjoying the weather and just being young and adorable.  Then, my son shouted to me that the neighbor's dog was torpedo-ing towards our yard, and we heard the most horrific screaming that will never, ever be erased from our memories.  That big dog (lab/boxer mix) had gone after the kittens and had grabbed one in his giant mouth and was not letting go, despite my screaming at him and slapping the piss out of him.  That little baby was screaming and fighting for his/her life, and the dog was friggin' relentless.  In the meantime, the woman who owns said dog was calling out for him, and he ignored her, and she never ever came up to him to grab him at all.  My son whistled, and that caught the dog's attention, and he dropped the  kitten who crawled under a pine tree.  I didn't go under the tree to check on him because I did not want to further traumatize him; I wish I had checked on him.  The dog eventually followed his mistress' commands, and we were left with wondering what happened to that baby.  That was the last time we saw any kittens playing, and the adults were spooked for a couple of days.

A few days ago, when I went out to feed the cats, I told my husband that I smelled something really bad, and I wondered if that little one had died and was under the tree.  My heart broke thinking about it.  Yesterday, we had some landscaping done, and one of the guys said that he found a dead cat in the area where he was going to work.  Let me tell you, you can be told what a maggot-infested body looks like, but you cannot fully appreciate it until you've actually seen the sight.  That poor baby must have crawled to the back of our house and died sometime after the attack, and we never saw him.  There, the maggots very efficiently disposed of most of him, along with these beetle things...there must have been thousands of them...even crawling up the side of our house.  Now, you know that maggots eventually become flies, right?

Well, lord love that kid, he assisted me in getting what was left of that baby into three plastic bags.  I fastened the bag and was ready to bring it to my neighbors' house, but thought better of it.  I hosed down the area -- the smell over overwhelming -- and then poured Lysol all over it, then hosed it again, then soaked it with bug spray (four full cans) including the side of our house.  It was one of the saddest and grossest things I have ever done, and I was so overcome with sadness and the feeling that I should have done more to stop that bastard of a dog.

Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but I wanted that dog dead.  More, though, I wanted his owners to take responsibility for his lack of training and response when I was trying to get him to stop. 

So today, as I was coming home from the gym, and my son was heading out to work, he told me that the dog had run over to our yard again.  My son was able to get him and he ran back home, but still.  That dog killed a kitten!  I was livid and I went from my car to the neighbors' house.  Their oldest daughter was there, but the parents were not.  I told her about the kitten (she had no idea), and said that I hoped they would get the dog trained because we cannot have a dog coming over to our yard and killing kittens or cats, and to please tell her parents.

About an hour later, we had her mother at our door who spat out about how much cat shit was in their yard and how the cats were killing the birds that she was feeding (really???  you know there are stray cats around, and you're providing them with an open buffet???) and that she does not particularly like cats and found one dead in her driveway (I wonder which one) and that her dog was an abused rescue dog and he hates cats.  So I told her that we are doing all we can to stave off additional litters and spending our own money doing so and that she needs to keep her dog on their yard.  Oh, and she informed me that they did indeed have the dog in training, but his abuse issues come into play, and that he hates cats.  I was remarkably calm, given that I had this shit-spitting chick with her religious medals in my living room.

My son explained that we all love animals and that he would never ever hurt a dog or any animal, but it was close for her dog.  Only when he whistled did that dog stop and pay attention, and that was because, she explained, his hearing was affected by the abuse.  I said we will have to work together, but we cannot have him coming over, and she said how they're putting up an electronic fence to keep him there, but what are we going to do about the cats because he hates cats.  I said we will continue doing what we're doing -- oh, and she wanted us to stop feeding the cats -- as if! 

Listen, I love dogs...grew up with them.  However, if I see any animal abusing another, I will protect the attacked one, and that goes for humans abusing an animal or another human, for that matter.  I get the distinct feeling that they would think nothing of killing the cats who wander into their yard.  I don't understand people like that who think they are so righteous with their friggin' religious medals and have no regard for life.

Auuuugggghhh.  The woman did not care that her dog is now a killer.  I am on the lookout for that dog coming over.  I am so sad about that baby and so angry about this woman.  She obviously cannot control her son from trespassing, so I'm guessing the poor dog is even less of a concern.

I don't blame the dog at all; he is a product of the abuse and the lack of control of his current owners.  However, I will not stand by while he comes into my yard again.  And, that is the name of THAT tune!

Such a Pretty New Bathroom...Makes Me Flush

I really do believe that in a previous life I really, really had to "go" and -- for whatever reason -- I was unable to find a private shrub or cave so this has marked me through the ages.  It's the reason my ideal house would have four bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, I'm thinking.

Anyway, the bathroom is functional in the sense of having the toilet and sink working, and that is a big-time advantage.  We're waiting on the granite to be cut for the threshold and the shower, then we can order the doors to the shower, and walla!  Oh, and there's a gaping hole where the over-the-sink light was going to be located, but that didn't work out once the medicine cabinet was installed.

In the meantime, our older male cat (10 years old) has finally settled himself down.  We're thinking that the installation of a new chimney liner and stove in the living room done the poor, nervous psycho in...it was the proverbial last straw for a cat who appeared to hold it together for the last five weeks what with all the comings and goings of big burlie strangers.  This cat began to over groom himself, and let me tell you, it is not cool to see pieces of fur around the house that resembles the aftermath of a fight-to-the-death match with 50 or more animals. 

Of course, with the over grooming comes the mighty hair balls.  If you think that hair balls look like balls, you have never ever lived with a cat.  They are a long, slimy tube-like things that are solid hair...a real ewwww sight for sure.  We ended up bringing him to the vet's and having him tested for stuff  -- like possible ingestion of one or more of the toxic substances that have been used in the new bathroom.  Fortunately, he tested healthy and settled himself into a new normal (for him).  It's always the pretty ones that are the craziest, right?

Marriage...As Interpreted by Conservatives

So, we have been getting endless phones calls from a Washington DC number that does not leave any messages.  Sooooo...I looked up the number (202-630-7993) and guess who it is..."The National Organization of Marriage" or NOM.  Yeh, so these are the folks who are calling with a survey that asks a question that goes something like this:  Do you believe that marriage should be limited between a man and a woman? 

It wouldn't have been so bad, but I did send them an email earlier this week to tell them to take their hatred elsewhere and stop calling the house.  BIG MISTAKE...the crazies are now sending me emails...even though I chose to opt out of them.    Aaaauuuuugggghhhh!

By the way, my answer was "no" to their dumbass question and a hang up by me.  They are targeting NYS because of the vote in Albany about legalizing marriage for gays and lesbians.  What is wrong with people?  Stop bringing your narrow-mindedness into it as you wrap yourself up in your so-called religious, know-it-all-about-the-Bible (or whatever).  This is not a religious issue...it's a legal issue that is geared to giving everyone equality in the benefits that being married brings -- especially medical benefits -- and just plain acknowledgement that they count as a couple who love each other and who happen to be of the same gender.  Does it take anything away from anyone?

Auuugggghhhhhh!!!!