UGH

Yesterday I found out we have to put one of our ferrets to sleep. The day is tomorrow. The boy has to work so I have to take Bandit there by myself. And I can't afford to have them dispose of his remains, so I have to take them with me... I'd like to know why they charge $50 extra when all they do is either incinerate him or throw him in the trash. =[ That just makes the whole thing worse. He has a disease that he can't recover from, basically ferret cancer. Kills like 65% of male ferrets. I wish I would have known that before I got 2 males. Luckily, Weezy is still his healthy self for now, so I just have to hope he's the other 35%.

I also have to find Weez another cagemate, because the whole reason we took Bandit was because Weezy got lonely after ferret-sitting for my friend's ferret when she went to Greece over the summer. He stopped eating and seemed very depressed. So I searched the state til I found Bandit for a good price, drove 3-4 hours to pick him up, and apparently the woman was lying to me to get rid of her "problem". She now won't answer her phone or emails. I normally wouldn't be so upset, but I'm being told this problem is ADVANCED and that there is no way the previous owner didn't notice he was sick. He has NO fur on his head, neck and upper body... he wakes up at all hours of the night itching so bad that it shakes the entire cage, and he seems like he's having trouble eating. It just kills me to watch it happen, so putting him to sleep is the best option. I could get him surgery but the chances of him dying anyways are too high for me to spend that kind of money and then see him die anyways. Ughhhh.

So there's my life the past 2 days, that's all I've been thinking & worrying about. I'm off work from 5:00 today til Monday morning, so that's a plus. I go back to school next Tuesday and after that starts my plate is going to be even fuller. So I'm crossing my fingers that I find a ferret this weekend for a decent price and close enough to go pick up. I'm spending my New Year's between 2 parties (I'll be sober..) and being the DD for my grandma and her friends (funny!). They're even paying me, so that's cool.


Hope you all have a good New Year's. =]

Snowed In

Technically, I'm snowed into work... My car wouldn't start so my dad had to come pick me up... And now that I'm out here in the middle of nowhere, working, the snow is coming down. We had about 5 inches this morning, so much that Ruca couldn't even pee unless we shoveled her a spot out, the snow was too high for her to squat! lol. There are pictures, I'll have to post sometime.

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Book #6: Everlost by Neal Shusterman. This was another Christmas gift, and it's sort of for younger people, I'm assuming a teenage age area, but I got the first and second book of the trilogy, so I guess I'll be finishing it up. About 2 kids who die in a car crash, but don't make it to where they're going... and they're adventures in limbo. Pretty good read, I'd recommend it for 13-16 year old readers, probably.

I just started on book #7, which is the second in that series, Everwild. It's a continuance of the first one, which puts the kids at war. Oh yay...

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Christmas Eve/Day brought in some pretty good loot for me:

• Shop-Vac
  Tom-Tom GPS (I can download voices, I'm going to get Snoop Dogg!)
• Weeds Seasons 1-5 (for the whole family)
• LOTS of clothes
• $150 in cash, $150 in Borders gift cards (yay!), $25 to our local mall
• 3 books, the ones mentioned above, and Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
• A smoking device, and something to smoke out of it.
• Nightmare before Christmas stuff (one of my favorite movies)
• Jewelry making supplies
• Bookshelf
• Smell-good stuff (perfumes, incense, candles)
• A scratch off lottery ticket which led to me winning $100, which was enough to pay my car payment that NEEDED to be paid. =]

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Overall I had a pretty good holiday. One present made me cry. It just showed up for the whole family labeled with each of our names, from heaven... weird, yes?! It was a Christmas ornament for each of us, a clear ball with a feather inside, attached was a little poem about angel's feathers, from my step-dad. Wow, 2 Christmas's later and it still feels like yesterday he was gone. I miss him. =[

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The rest of the weekend was spent shopping (I got 3 shirts for summertime, 3 books, and some household supplies), reading, watching movies, and being lazy. I currently have pleurisy (lung issues) which I get every year.. and am in quite a bit of pain from it. It hurts when I cough (which I am a lot), breathe, or move in certain ways. The worst part of it is that all they can do is give you pain medication and hope it clears up, since you never rest your lungs, it's kind of a hard one to heal. I refuse to go back to the doctor for it because they give me Percocet, which I can't handle, wayyyy too much drug for me, and it knocks me out. So at this point I'm kind of just taking the pain like a man.. aka whining a lot and resting. I work 9 hours today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, and then I get another long weekend.

The boy and I aren't doing anything for New Year's Eve, since he has to work at 6am on the first. I am going to be the designated driver for a few people (getting paid!) and we might go to a party or two for an appearance. Nothing fun is really going on, other than an Ekoostik Hookah show in Columbus, but that's a 3 hour drive, too much money, and I wouldn't want to drive there and back within 12 hours just to get him to work. lol.

Ahhh, I guess now I'll catch up on blog-reading and do some work.

Love, love, love. =]

tomorrow?

Tomorrow begins the madness for me. Wake up early, first gathering starts at 10:00 AM and then from there I have a few places to go for food & presents. I already had 3 Christmas parties over the weekend, but that didn't quite qualify as madness, because most of those people are relatively calm. The party Saturday was nice, as it was the first time we've all been together since my first Christmas (21 years ago), other than my great-grandpa's funeral in June, 2008. Too many fueds, people just blowing things out of hand. My generation and my mom's generation are the only ones who have managed to get along all of our lives, but we have never been all together in years, so it was veryyyy nice.

So far my Christmas loot is: $25 to Borders (yay!), $20 cash (in my gas tank!), a sparkly clutch/wallet I had technically gotten for my brother's now-ex, pajamas and lotion from Josh's mom. I am very satisfied. =]

My favorite part of Christmas is watching people open the stuff I bought for them. I am especially excited this year. My brother, sister and I got my mom a family ring & necklace set, with all of our birthstones in it, among other boring things. My mom and I got my boyfriend an awesome djembe, because the one he has is horribly out of tune & needs a new head. I also got him a lot of stuff I know he'll like and I'm just excited! I got my little sisters all a bunch of random stuff, my brother some movies. For my step-mom, my sisters and I threw in and got her an MP3 player for her new car. For my dad, a chainsaw (he is a worker, that's all he does, all he likes to do, his ONE day off a week, he finds work to do around the house or property) and a deck of cards with 48 drinking games. I also got random things for gift exchanges, a present for my cousin's son (first Christmas), and a necklace for my Nana with all the grandkid's birthstones on it. I just can't wait for tomorrow and Friday, to watch everyone open their stuff and love it. I even got the dog's both stockings from the Humane Society, and my dad's dogs 2 rawhide bones. I honestly could care less what I get, because when I need/want something, I go out and get it. Most of my lists for people were books, movies, comfy warm pajamas (never have enough!) and a Shop-Vac which I know I'm getting. =]

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I finished Fight Club, and am on book #5. I actually checked it out of the library, since I knew I was likely to get a lot of books and Borders gift cards for Christmas. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. The last one was so good I figured this one would be as well. So far, it has been. =]

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Tonight I am going to attempt some baking with my sister. That should be interesting to say the least. I have recipes for homemade Take 5's, turtles and of course the holiday favorite peanut butter cookies with Hershey's kisses in the middle. MMMM. After that I'll finish wrapping the last of my presents and go to bed early. I'll need the rest to face the madness.

Gotta Have Faith*

Ive been in a considerably bad mood all week, and today made it almost ALL better.

-The class I've been iffy on my grade, I found out I got an A+. Okay I'm happy with that!

-The boy was shorted his check for his "paid" vacation he took the week of Thanksgiving. They told him it was a mistake and his vacation was actually unpaid. He went to pick up his check today and had TWO checks!!! This is one of the main reasons we've been so behind, so that definitely made my day!

-September 11, this year, 2 kids I know were riding their bikes, training for a triathelon, when they were hit by a car. The guy left them there to die. One of them is still paralyzed (mind you, he has been a runner/biker for as long as I can remember) and one is recovering well. They found the guy, who is someone I know personally, the same day, with blood, and pieces of their reflective clothing on his car. He had no insurance and was driving without a license. He is also a known drug dealer/user. Today was the first court date, and he pled guilty. Now neither of the boys will have to go through testifying and the hell it would bring back to them. He will be sentenced in about a month. I hope he gets the max. He definitely deserves it. This is a great Christmas present for both boys and their families. =]

In about an hour, my weekend will officially begin in all it's madness. I'm going to visit a friend/business partner tonight. And then there is a party I'm supposed to go to. I need to wake up early tomorrow in order to finish shopping and wrapping before the first Christmas which starts at noon. I also have to get to the Humane Society so that I can pick up my dogs' Christmas stockings that I ordered for them. I am so excited for them to both be having their first Christmas. We have only had one incident, which involved Izzy eating one of Savannah's small presents. Luckily it was a glass pendant I got her on a ribbon, and all she ruined was the paper and the ribbon. I, being the smart one in the family, thought ahead and got extra ribbons just in case anything happened, so all is well with that. It just needs re-wrapped.

Tuesday night I had to give Ruca her first ever home-grooming experience. lol. It actually went pretty well. I've been meaning to get her into the groomer, but I am always nervous. The first time I took her, she got dropped or something, and it set her hip dysplasia into effect, which is JUST starting to get better. So for her 2nd visit, I picked a different groomer who made her look like a rat-dog with no fur and big eyes. I must say, I did a better job than both of those groomers.

This is what she looks like now >>>

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Monday... Ech.

I had a VERY uneventful weekend, although it was planned out to be full of things to do.

Friday night, my friend's baby was sick, so she cancelled our plans. Totally understandable. Instead, I sat at home and started watching a TV movie: Shattered, about a family whose kid gets kidnapped, yada yada yada, come to find out it's all because the husband was having an affair and the woman's husband was behind it. Lame. I fell asleep between 8 and 9, woke up at 2am, WIDE AWAKE! My boyfriend and brother were up playing Call of Duty (surprise!) so I hung out with them for a bit (read: watched them play games and listened to fake gunfire) before heading up to my cozy bed and TV to watch One Tree Hill and pass out around 4:30am.

Woke up early on Saturday, made a nice big breakfast for my mom, sister, boy and I. =] It was delicious. Everyone else fell asleep after that, and left me to my own bored day. I read an entire book. (Dear John, Nicholas Sparks). I had left Fight Club in my car and didn't want to go out to get it. (It was cold!) It always blows my mind how Nicholas Sparks writes theeee most amazing romance stories. They're always a bit sad, too, but they're so romantic! I cannot wait for that movie to come out next year. I was alone until around 8pm because my mom went shopping, the boy slept, and sister went to hang out with some loser. (She has horrible taste in guys!) When he finally awoke, we had plans to go over to my best friend's and indulge in some fun. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned, and we ended up back at home around midnight. Oh well. I hit the hay as soon as we got home.

Yesterday was a little more fun. I ALMOST finished up my Christmas shopping. I have 4 small gifts left, and the gift for my dad & stepmom, which I am waiting on my sister's contributions for. We spent about 4 hours shopping, which shocked me, as he usually doesn't last that long without complaining. lol. Then he tells me he has yet to shop for ONE thing for me! How rude! lol. Then I remembered that he has done the same thing for the past 3 Christmas's and they've always turned out wonderfully. =] We came home, had dinner with my Papa, which was nice, and spent the rest of the night doing laundry and hanging out around the house.

I officially have 4 days (not counting today) to get ready for Christmas. My holiday officially starts on Saturday, which includes my papa's side's get together at noon and then the boy's mom's at 6:30. Hers is always a bit uncomfortable as we didn't get off to the right start due to age differences when we started dating. Onto Sunday, which I have my former step-family's get together. I know that sounds weird, but I was a high school baby who didn't meet my bio-father til I was almost 18. My mom's first marriage was my family from before 1 year and when they divorced, they stayed my family. Her second marriage was my stepdad, who passed away last year, and was from age 6 til now. So I am lucky to have LOTS of families. lol. Then I get a break for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thursday morning (Christmas Eve), I head to my step-mom's family get together for breakfast and opening gifts. Which is always fun and crazy because about 25-30 people squeeze into a tiny house and there are 10 grandkids younger than me. When presents are opened, the house turns into a flurry of wrapping paper and presents, there is NO ORDER to it, which drives me nuts, but it's fun in it's own right. Then that evening, over to my Nana's for our family thing. This is probably one of my favorites. Usually end up staying there, drinking, playing cards, talking til 10 or so. Head to bed, and wake up early to keep on going with the fun.... I head out to my dad's first to open presents with him, my step-mom, sisters and stepgrandparents. Then I pick up my sister from her dad's which is down the road, and we head home to open our presents. I think my mom said something about cooking breakfast too. Then that evening I have "friend's Christmas" at my house, with my BF and her daughter, maybe a few other people, but us for sure. Then the day AFTER Christmas, I have the last one, which is my step-dad's family. And by that time, it'll have been an entire week of Christmas gatherings, and I'll be ready for a break.

This Christmas should be better than last year, I hope. Last year was hard. For every year as long as I can remember, my stepdad was there with us on that morning, making us laugh like he always did. And then last year he was just gone. I remember the first Christmas he was with us, he got my sister and I a dog, even though it wasn't allowed at where we lived. We had him for a few weeks and then had to give him away, but I remember being sooo excited! Last year we opened presents, we hung out a little bit, and then my mom went into her room and cried. That's what makes it so hard, is knowing nothing can make my mom feel better. So that's why we're trying out the new traditions this year, because the grief counselors in our life tell us that should help. So for Thanksgiving we had a dinner alone at our house, rather than spending it with his family, and it helped. So maybe Christmas breakfast will help too. And we have my brother with us, who is a spitting image of his dad, says the same crazy stuff, has the same mannerisms and it blows my mind. He wasn't raised by his dad, but he somehow got all of the best characteristics from him. The feelings this year aren't going to change, though. I'm still going to wish he was here. I'm still going to remember his last Christmas, the one where I gave him the shirt he is now buried in. That morning we opened our presents, he loved that shirt, I have photographic evidence of that, thankfully. That picture captured his personality wonderfully, and I absolutely love it.

I've got to be done writing, more working to do for the last half hour, then home for my boy's birthday dinner. Luckily I have a wonderful sister who is making his favorite dessert in time for us to eat.

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Book 3: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk; still reading, but almost done now. There are a few parts that differ from the movie, so now I'm getting more into it. It's hard to get into when you have a picture of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in your head.

Book 4: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks; Great book! My sister just read it because the main character's name is Savannah and she had a boyfriend who was in Iraq for 7 months. He, like most of her other choices was and is an ass, but she said it was so sad. I didn't get that. I liked the book, the entire thing, and I loved the ending. The movie will be out in a month or two, and I'll go see it, hopefully it stays true to the book like The Notebook did.

Irregular

My postings are going to be irregular for awhile. I definitely am not getting my laptop fixed. One google search with the problem shows me that Dell is well aware of the problems going on, and no matter how many times I get it fixed, it will keep happening. I should have guessed the first 2 times my battery leaked acid all over the place and had to be replaced. Oh Dell, I love you. Not.

In the meantime, I've read book #2 for the year "Boys that Bite" which was a gift and definitely weird. About a girl who accidently got turned into a Vampire, whose bite was meant for her twin. lol. I'm still broke so that is why I'm resorting to the free books already sitting on my shelves.

Now I'm on "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk. One of my favorite movies, and it's hard to read the book without picturing the movie in my head. It goes along the movie storyline almost perfectly so far, though, which almost never happens.

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On to the rest of my life's happenings lately.

There was another suicide in my life Sunday. He was the same age as me, married, with a son. I haven't seen or talked to him in 5 years, but it still blows my mind. I know he struggled with drugs, including pills and heroin. I hope that had nothing to do with the death, but I'm guessing it did. His services are Thursday, and I have a final. I can't miss it because my instructor waited til the last possible minute for our final. (Grades are due midnight on Thursday) I will miss his services, just like I missed his dad's 4 years ago. And I still feel bad for it. Ugh.

I am broker than broke this week due to a few small issues. I had all my bills due last week, which always happens, except I overspent on Black Friday. Josh took his vacation the week of Thanksgiving, which he was told would be paid. Come to find out when he went for his check, there was a "mistake" so he got NO check. Are you kidding me?! That's more than a mistake, when you are depending on that money to pay bills and have gas and whatever. We're 22 and 19, not really at the point yet where we have money to fall back on. Especially during the holiday season. Thankfully, I only have one night of class this week, which gives me an extra 10 hours at work. Phew.

Christmas gets closer every single day and I am totally unprepared for it. I have 2 family gatherings next Saturday, which I need to finish buying for. I have my cousin who I barely know for one of them. She lives in Tennessee and I see her once or twice a year. Oh joy. And then Josh's mom & step-dad. I got them a package of rubbermaid kitchen containers but I'd like to get them something personal too. We'll see what I come up with before then. And then that Sunday I have another one, which I got the bad end of a deal on, I got my cousin's girlfriend, whom I've NEVER met. I got her a gift set from Victoria's Secret. Hopefully she at least pretends to like it. I've heard she is a bitch.

Not to mention Josh's birthday is MONDAY and I have no idea what to get him. Granted, he hasn't gotten me anything yet because I want him to contribute to my new ink when I get it. But he doesn't get inked, so I don't know.. I'll find him something after I get paid Friday. OR maybe I'll give him his smaller Christmas gift and get something else between then and now to replace that. Good thinking!

My mom did put up some of the decorations AND the tree, which we were unsure about doing because we didn't have our dogs last year. Shockingly they haven't messed with it once. Ruca does have a slight issue with this mechanical, moving ornament, you plug it into one of the light sockets and it spins.. She stood there for 5-10 minutes barking her head off at it. I have got to start taking more pictures of my fur babies! I love them! =]

I think tonight I may go home and start wrapping gifts. We'll see how motivated for that I am after 5 more hours here at work. It's been an extremely busy week, which is good, it goes faster for me. And I'm working 44 hours instead of 36, so it's going to seem like a long week. Tonight and Saturday are Josh's days off, so I'll actually get to see him! I will be so thankful in 5 months when I am DONE with school for good (or for now). Even next quarter should be easier, I have a Tuesday night class every other week. And a Thursday morning and Thursday night class, which means I get Thursdays off instead of Fridays, not sure how well I'll like that, but it'll give me extra time at school to use the computer lab for everything since I suck at life and can't afford a new one.

Since I'm on company times, I should probably do some work. I'll update when I can. Hope everyone's week is flying by as quick as mine!