Mystery of the Missing Hoops

Well, mystery of the missing hoops has been solved--not really--I don't know what happened.  Remember I wrote about how I thought I may have lost the golden hoop earrings I bought at the store the other day?  And, how I went back to the store where they gave me a new pair?  Well...  I was taking out the trash in the bathroom, and I found one of the gold hoop earrings!  I recycle my store bags and use them in my waste baskets, and it looks like one earring made it's way into a bag.  I then went into the garbage can to look for the other earring, but did not find it.  I figured..  Oh well..I then decided to take some laundry out of the dryer when behold, there was the matching gold hoop earring still attached to the store card with the price tag!  I have no idea how it got from the bag into my laundry, but I've been struck by guilt.  I was so sure that it got left at the store.  I called the store, and those poor people went looking for it, and I even assumed the lady who took my cart may have taken them.  Oh the guilt! 

I called the store this morning.  They all got a good laugh out of it anyway.  I can't even return them.  So..  Oh well..an extra pair of earrings for my dear mother!  Damn do I feel pretty stupid.  Oh well.. 

I just got back from the ghetto potluck, and I must say, it was pretty fun.  The food was good, and everyone enjoying eating my store bought cookies.  Some wanted the recipe but I told them I bought them, although some people said I shouldn't have said that.  Anyway, they were good, chocolately and chewy.  I personally liked the frosted sugar cookies I brought better.  The chocolate cookies get stuck in your teeth--as I soon discovered when noticing my fellow co-workers chocolate stuck on the tooth hillbilly smiles...  Anyway, the funniest part was the gift exchange.  The funniest lady I work with got stuck with the last present, which happened to be a "love whip."  Ironically, she supervises the sex offender caseload.  So, she got on a chair, and danced away with her love whip and proceeded to do a little dance.  It was quite entertaining.  I was suprised my other co-worker Dennis didn't get up there and join her.  Oh, how I wish I brought my camera!  The receptionist is here today, but was a no show at the party.  She doesn't do parties.   

'Tis The Season

If you get a chance today, please visit this website!

http://journals.aol.com/Canyonsun04/the-giving-tree/

It will put you in the holiday spirit of giving.  You will want to visit there all year long. 

 

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Ho Ho Ho....

Well, I think I've done it.  I think I'm done with most of my holiday shopping.  I just need to make a list for Christmas Eve dinner, and I'll be compeltely done.  I did some non-online shopping in the REAL world this weekend.  Oh my.  Thank God for online shopping is all I got to say. 

I was in line at this store, and here comes this woman dressed in tight jeans and a very tight black t-shirt with the BeBe logo in rhinestones.  She is standing in line with me with what I presume to be her husband who is holding a bunch of little girl clothes.  The entire time that we are waiting in line she just went on and on bitching over everything.  "I'm not buying all this crap for this kid.."  Or, "This store is a f...n mess..."  Blah..blah...blah..  the worst part of it was they had a little girl with them, and it got to a point where I had to turn around and give her that disapproving Portuguese evil eye.  Of course she didn't see me, but her husband looked quite embarrassed.  I guess the thought of shopping at Mervyn's with the common people, was just so beneath her she had to vocalize her disapproval. 

It was pretty much a zoo at the stores.  I was lucky to find a cart, and while I was unloading my cart, this one woman stood there impatiently waiting for me to unload my bags, and she almost took off with one still inside.  I had to stop her.  Crazy.  I think a smaller bag was still in there when she took off.  I came home and noticed that a pair of earrings I had purchased wasn't in the bag, but it was on my receipt.  I called the store and asked if the cashier forgot to put it in the bag.  They couldn't find it, but  they gave me a new pair to replace it anyway.  That was nice anyway.  I hope the lady likes her new pair of earrings too. 

Tomorrow is the annual potluck holiday celebration at the ghetto.  Whoohoo!  It's a very boring event where people sit around a very big table in the boss' office and do small chit chat.  No alcohol or dancing..just small chit chat with that uncomfortable silence--you know what I mean?  Where it's so quiet you feel like you should say something just to break the silence?  All you hear is the chewing of food kind of silence.  Yes I'm talking, loads of fun now, people!  Don't you wish you could come with me?  I wish you could.  I'm tempted to bring my camera so you can see the people I work with.  Imagine: a picture of the receptionist all wrapped up in a scarf and coat sitting behind the glass at the reception desk?  Wouldn't that be exciting?  I'll be lucky if she is here for that rare photo to tell you the truth.  She IS here today, believe it or not.   I'm tempted to bring the camera, but I would want to post them, and I may have to ask permission?  There is also a gift exchange, white elephant gift.  I'm not quite sure if I'm up to it this year or not.  Too bad we can't be like other offices and actually go out to a restaurant or something for a REAL party.  But, alas' it's going to be another ghetto building Christmas.  I should be thankful.   Someone got rid  of the dead rat. 

Friday....finally!

It's been a weird week. 

Yesterday afternoon I had to pick up Nicholas early from daycare because he had the case of the runs. 

"Mommy!  I made a big poop in the toilet!" 

I immediately heard a big yelp of laughter close by from one of the daycare people who exclaimed soon after:

"Yes, and I got to clean it up!"

Poor lady.  Well, at least he did it in the toilet.  If he has the runs, he can't go to school, so it looks like I may have another early day at work again... 

I'm feeling like the receptionist at work--a complete flake.  (By the way, no--she isn't here today; again.)  I've been working half days, and 6 hour days all this week because of either a doctor's appointment or aches or pains from one child or another...  It's just been kind of a stressful week.  Last night I finally finished most of my Christmas cards--only a few more to do, and I'll be done, with only a few more to do for the people at work.  Oh, and I have to put in an Avon order by noon today..  It's the last order I make for before Christmas delivery...  (Insert shameless plug in now:) BUT, it's not too late to order online at: 

http://julielangley.avonrepresentative.com/

Enter coupon code: REPSS and get free delivery for an order of $15 or more... 

Thank you for the recent orders I got ladies...you know who you are.  I don't expect everyone who comes here to actually go and buy stuff from my website---but thank you just the same.  :)

                                        

I need to get coffee, like now!  My office is freezing, but there is still that dead rat outside.  That just cannot be healthy.  This dead rat has been there since Monday.  Eww..  Can someone PLEASE remove the dead rodent?!  I refuse to go next door to get my coffee---just the thought of it laying there...  I think I will go across the street to get my coffee today instead.   I need to go now before I have to break the reception desk.  Yes, the lovely receptionist is gone today--she on average comes in twice may be 3 times a week, and continues to fork every lame excuse you can think of for not coming in.  Meanwhile she is getting all her Nordstrom packages delivered here.  I am so tempted to open one of those boxes and just see what she is buying at this place.  Perhaps it would give us an inside scoop of what she really does outside the office.  Perhaps revealing lingerie or hip boots, or men's clothing?...  Hmm..  You never know. 

Growing Pains

Whew...  Is it only Wednesday?!    I've been having a strange week.  I am running on a short fuse. 

Well..  Monday my son called me from school claiming that his back was killing him.  Naturally, I was a bit concerned--but not so much because I know he has been playing a lot of basketball and just finished flag football recently..etc..  Plus, add to fact that it has been pretty cold lately, and the boy refuses to put on a pair of pants.  He insists on wearing shorts everyday to school.  He is in denial that summer is over, and it is really getting on everyone's nerves--especially my mothers.

So, yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of driving back home with the kids and mom home after work.  The journey involved listening to Andrew whining about his back, and  how he thinks if he doesn't see a doctor as soon as possible that he will never play basketball again, and end up using a wheel chair, (no I'm not kidding), and my mother arguing back that if it happens it will because he refuses to wear pants and sweatshirts to school....  Yadda..yadda..yadda... 

Well, I took my son to the doctor's early this morning, and after she checked his back, and bones, she concluded that my son had a case of third stage puberty, "growing pains."  Yes, it's a real occurrence apparently.  Add that to his improper shoe support--(he does not lace his shoes up), and the fact that he plays a lot of basketball on asphalt, and likes to sulk--play video games late into the night...etc..etc..  So, all this I guess is a stage he is going through; a stage of growing pains.  I will have to say it was a relief to hear a professional say this to ease my son's concern--and mine as well.  Andrew felt a little embarrassed by the doctor's diagnosis, but was feeling better already; not to mention the prospect of new basketball shoes.  Did you know that arch support in an athletic shoe is null after three months?  I did not know this.  For awhile I wasn't quite sure if the doctor worked for Footlocker, and sold athletic shoes on the side. I had no idea.  Oh well, you learn something everyday, hey? 

And so we do..  Why just last night I solved a mystery.  For some reason the screens to a few windows in our home have been found taken out and left on the roof or at the side of the house.  Now I know why.  Apparently we have an escape artist living at home.  Don't even get me started on this one...  :SIGH: 

I also learned another "fascinating fact".  Apparently there are "no" drive thrus on the East Coast?!?!  I was waiting in line at the Burger King drive thru, leaving a space behind the yellow line for cross traffic.  I noticed this one car driving up, and waiting to the left of me.  After a few moments, the car decided to just cut in front of me.  Excuse me?!  I honked my little horn.  The car then backed out of line and the weird woman driving, who looked like a client at work comes up to my window and tells me:

"I'm sorry, I didn't intentionally cut in front of you.  I'm visiting from Boston, and I don't know the international laws of this state because we don't have drive thrus..." 

Okay.  Is this true?  I didn't realize that California was another country with it's own international laws.  Interesting.  I just nodded at the lady and pointed to the yellow line.  Honestly, I just closed my window and wished her away--she really looked like she was on crack or something. 

My neck and back are sore from being in front of the computer all night for two nights in a row.  I've been busy creating slide shows with the pictures I took last summer.  I learned how to add music, and finally got them burned on discs.  I will be sending them to relatives overseas as gifts.  A family friend will be bringing them personally for me, and I was under the impression that he was leaving Friday--but I was wrong--he wrote me back to tell me that he has yet another week until he leaves!  All that stress to get it done NOW was unnecessary..    It took awhile to discover that my computer will not burn discs using a vhr disc.  And of course I only had two of them at home, and 200 vhr discs.  So frustrating!!  Oh well...at least they are done now... 

I'm having a bit of stressed week-can you tell?!  My body feels like it's on overdrive, and I consumed what I'm guessing almost 4 cups of coffee today, and I NEVER do that.  I went shopping with my mom and the kids last night at the mall.  Nicholas was getting a little out of hand for awhile until I convinced to sit in a shopping cart at Target.  We went to various stores to help mom with her shopping.  Are you familiar with the Hollister clothing store?  It's pretty popular here on the west coast, and apparently, I have nieces that will absolutely wearing nothing but Hollister clothes which totally confuses me, because the clothes in my opinion is nothing special.  I guess it's that seagull emblem that is stitched on all their clothes--I guess that is cool or something?  You go in there, and it is so dark inside.  I'm guessing that's on purpose so you don't see the outrageous prices on the tags.  The music is loud and crappy, with overstuffed chairs, stairs in unexpected places (great for older people and children--yeah, right) with surf boards and beach items decorated all over the store and the ceiling-not a place to be in an earthquake, okay?!  I don't understand why they call it Hollister either.  It's not like Hollister is a beach town of any sort.  It's a mostly rural country town about a hour away from the ocean that prides itself being "Artichoke Capital Of The World."  Marilyn Monroe was crowned "Artichoke Queen" there at a festival years and years ago.  I don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon.  My mom didn't know what to buy, so we ended up buying gift cards with half naked couples on the them.  Lovely gift for grand-daughters, huh?  I'm sure they will love them though.

Yeah..I'm in a bitchy mood...can you tell?  Dammit, where is my chocolate?!?!

Other than that..that's all.  I think I'm due for a nice foot bath today.  Avon carries GREAT products for the feet.  FOOT WORKS!  Pamper yourself and get some today for all that holiday shopping at the malls!  (Insert shameless plug here:)

http://julielangley.avonrepresentative.com/

Type in REPSS in coupon code box and get free shipping with a $15 order or more...

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I will honestly tell you, it took all my integrity and strength to get out of my warm and cozy bed this morning.  It has 32 degrees each morning - I know that you Non-Californians may think that's nothing, but it is just too damn cold for me.  It may reach 55 degrees over here.. Brrrr...  I wish it would snow or something, sheesh.  At least make it look pretty!  Actually, the sky is blue, it's just soooo cold!!!

I checked my email at work, and I got two comments from a very old entry of mine by two questionable screen-names.  I don't know their precise names, but I think one of them was "Diirtydenise" and "Rubmesoftly"..  Lovely.  They left their links on my comments.  I am so sure.  Ewww...  I feel so violated right now!!  (I'm just kidding--there is enough Jland drama as it is.)

Today I went over next door to the ghetto to get my vanilla coffee and I stopped in my tracks to see some furry thing in the dirt. I take a short cut through this little dirty path behind the bus bench.  Never again.  Nothing like starting a new work week with a dead rat in your path.  Eewww..  I quickly turned around and walked on the side walk  It was grey, big and fat and dead.  Eeeww!!  It makes me quiver just thinking about it still. 

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? 

I haven't really--but I'm almost there.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I went to the mall this weekend.  What a zoo!!  I was sooo thankful I didn't have my youngest with me-he stayed home with Daddy.  I cannot tell you what a difference it is shopping alone without constantly worrying if Nicholas will stay in the cart, or get up and run away..  Sometimes he will hold my hand and is a compelte angel, but other times, he just gets so cranky I cannot think let alone shop.  I saw a lot of little toddlers and babies at the mall, with very tierd and frustrated parents. I sympathized with them.   If you are ever at the mall...please be nice to these poor people.  Don't give them dirty looks, or say stupid and rude things like:  "Those kids should have stayed at home!"  or "Those brats need to be controlled."  I heard one old lady say this to this poor woman with two kids, and I almost said something equally as rude to the old bag, but I didn't.  You are at a mall at Christmas time.  There will be children there.  If you can't deal with it---don't shop at the mall during the day--go late at night!  Or....shop at my online website at: 

http://julielangley.avonrepresentative.com/

Under coupon code, type in REPSS for free shipping for a $15 or more order!!

(Ha ha ha...  I bet you thought I was going to not put in my shameless plug, huh?) 

I just got a call from my son--he isn't feeling well.  :SIGH:

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What A Day!

That's me..  The penguin jumping, jumping...jumping...

Whew..

At least it's Friday, hey? 

It was raining cats and dogs last night, and the wind was howling.  All this rain made traffic quite chaotic this morning.  I woke up at 6 am and put the T.V. on only to learn that there were 3 separate accidents on the highway I take to work.  I called into work to tell them that I would be coming in later.  No use to get ready only to sit in traffic for a hour.  By the time I dropped off Liz at school (a real treat for her because usually she takes the bus or lightrail) the highway was clear with no rain.  The only scary sight I saw was this rental truck with it's tires smoking.  Hmm..  Drove past that truck as fast as I could.  Eeek..  I could tell the lady driving it didn't know what she was doing by the expression she had on her face.  Scary stuff. 

Well, after dropping off the boys at school, I get an email from someone who wants to place an order on my Avon website, which happens to be:  (shameless plug..sorry)

www.youravon.com/julielangley

For FREE SHIPPING for a $15 order or more enter REPSS in at checkout under coupon code!!  Order now for before Xmas delivery!

(sorry to be sooo obnoxious..) 

Anyway, this new customer wants to order a really large order, and needs it ASAP--like right away.  I don't keep products in stock, because frankly--I just started.  So, I have to backorder by phone and get delivered ASAP.  So I call Pasadena and request the order to be shipped ASAP.  The Avon rep (who I could barely understand) said, fine and good everything is okay...  Well, being all new at this, I didn't know that I had to pay for the order shipment that I just got yesterday before I place a backorder!  Can we all say "DUH?" : SIGH:  All this frazzled me.  Well I paid it, and hopefully they will send out that backorder soon before the lady cancels it!  All that work for nada-I hope not--running around trying to collect money..then to the bank.. Oh and the strange IRS woman, well according to her boss, she retired, and probably won't be back until she pays a visit in another week... nope, I don't have her phone. Hopefully she'll come back and pay me..  Oh well, we learn from our mistakes...  I'm just feeling a bit worn out.

Here at the ghetto things are a bit crazy.  Apparently, there has been changes in regards to case assignments.  This change was done...um...2 months ago, and nobody cared to let me know about it until now.  Um.. HELLO!  I assign cases!!  Don't you think it's a good idea to tell the woman behind the partition who assigns cases about this?!  HELLOOO!!  A seasoned probation officer asked me why she wasn't getting a particular case, and that is how I found out about it.  And it was discovered that some other probation officers KNEW, but failed to tell me?!  I asked a supervisor who told me.. "I'm sorry.. we really should have written this down and told you more about it.."  Yeah, lady, I think so!!  Shhheeesh...  And this same woman has the gall to ask me how many people were assigned their designated probation officer under the new rule last month.  Um..  I didn't know the new rule lady until yesterday, so forgive me if I can't give you numbers...  Shheesh!!  I'm keeping statistics on that now.  Just a tad frustrating, but at least they know they were at fault for not telling me.  I guess they think that since I've been here so long, I should automatically, know, like a psychic or something. 

Speaking of psychic..  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I think I have; my friend Sharon, who is a medium has done a lot of readings in this building, and from time to time again, strange things happen.  I think I told you about the time I was sitting on the toilet and I saw the lock on the stall move by itself?  Well if I hadn't before--I just did.  But anyway, lately other things have been happening with the office doors.  Three times this week I've felt weight on doors when opening them with my key--like someone is on the other side trying not to let me in.  Last week, I was in the mail room, and I heard someone turn the key on the lock, and then stop.  Then my boss eventually opened the door and told me "Very, funny!"  and I didn'tknow what she was talking about, but apparently she told me that it felt like someone was blocking the door and not letting her in.  Weird, huh?  I sometimes wonder, what "stays" here after one of those medium readings...  She has done dozens, and dozens in this building.  This other lady that works here, the real irritating one told me that she has "felt" something rest on her shoulders when she walks down the hall ways... Freaky, I tell you..... 

Well, this has proven a very long entry indeed.  It's the weekend though.. Praise the Lord!