Cats and Cashiers......

What do they have in common? They do things that are COMPLETELY incomprehensible!!! My beautiful little orange tabby female, Secret, has a thing about things that roll. She doesn't like regular cat toys (none of my cats do/have, for some reason). They STARE at them and at me, like I have three heads, when I give them the toys I spent a million dollars on! A piece of string or a pencil.... THOSE are real toys! And since Secret likes to stand in front of me when I'm on the computer (with her bum in my face, of course!) so I can't see the screen, when I make her move, she will almost always knock over the pencil/pen cup on the desk... and then proceed to stand on the printer and roll those same pens/pencils INTO THE PRINTER! THEN... you've heard of a lap cat? Secret is a chest/shoulder cat!!! Especially when I'm sitting at the computer... she feels the need to climb on my arms/chest/shoulders and lay there-- and heaven help me if I somehow let her slide or fall!! If looks could kill!!!!

Meanwhile, WHY is it that cashiers INSIST on putting bread on top of HARD objects in plastic bags? Where they don't STAY on top? And have none of them heard of 'keep raw meat away from other things, especially things you plan to eat RAW?" When I complain, I am told, "Was the bread on the TOP of the bag?" "Um, well, maybe when she PUT it there, but once you pick it up, it doesn't STAY there!" "Was the meat in a separate plastic bag?" "Um, a SMALL one that won't keep it from leaking on my vegetables!" "Oh, well, that's the way they're TAUGHT to bag things."

A nice (but, again, way too short) weekend. Friday I was supposed to go to J's after work to be there when the window guy came. She's going to get replacement windows. However, I ended up leaving work later than I planned, and HE ended up getting there a lot EARLIER than planned, so he was already gone before I got there. So, we decided to go get something to eat.... of course, J. couldn't decide whether we should stay in and order pizza or go out and get something. She didn't feel like going out, really, but we both wanted a salad, so I asked her if she wanted me to pick her up. She immediately said, "YES!" Not sure if she was just tired or what, but she did NOT want to drive. Not a problem, since I was out anyway.

Yesterday, I drove to Virginia. More about why later. So that was most of the day, there and back. Did I mention I really DO NOT like driving? Especially spending up to 2 hours each DAY in my car? And that I RELISH a day where I do not have to get into my car at ALL???????? Though they very rarely happen.

Today was a very relaxing day, for the most part. J., L., and I thought about going to a movie. Since L. was at home and J. was at work, I ended up playing phone tag between the two of them to make arrangements.... eventually we decided that there wasn't a movie we really want to see that badly-- well, not that we ALL want to see-- so we just went out to get something to eat. We discussed Thanksgiving-- it's definitely going to be here... since Bob Evans has great banana bread, I ended up promising I'd make some banana bread for Thanksgiving, along with the usual rolls.... then L. decided she'd like pumpkin bread even better, but since everyone wants a pumpkin pie, I guess banana bread it will be. But, I already told them, NO NUTS. I HATE nuts, especially when they ruin my wonderful banana bread. They said they'd bring their own and stuff them in the bread before they eat it!!!

Mom is going to send me some pecans because I cannot find chopped pecans here, and I really don't like to use half-pecans for pecan pie.... now, of course, I COULD chop them myself (and DID the first year I was here and was shocked that they didn't have them-- chopped walnuts, yes. Chopped pecans, no). But, the ones Mom can get are better. :) No-one here had ever had pecan pie before I made it for Thanksgiving one year, so that one they always want. I made a chess pie one year instead (which is very similar), which they liked, too, but since Sis is coming, I'm going to stick with pecan... it's her favourite.

Anyway, after we ate, I had to do all the things I had put off.. .going to Target, going to the grocery, washing clothes, changing the bed, etc., etc., etc. I also got some Halloween decorations and a whole bunch of cute little $1 stuff for my 'treasure box' at school that I think the kids will love.... so it was worth the aggravation of trying to maneuver through all of the people out shopping-- you'd think people had NOTHING else to do!!!!!!!!!!! Other little rant, which is towards myself-- I spend a lot of time going through coupons, trying to find the ones (VERY few) that I might actually USE, that aren't ".50 off of FOUR of....".... and then totally go and forget to use them! ::SIGH:: There they sit, in my purse!

When I talked to Mom today, she informed me that someone had 'invited herself' for Christmas dinner... her down-the-street neighbour, Katie, who is a divorcee who is used to having a lot of money to spend and time to 'go have lunch,' etc. She is now living on much less since the divorce, and is very lonely. The problem is that she doesn't want to do anything about it! Mom volunteers at the Senior Center, and invited Katie along. Nope. Told her she should get a part-time job (to get out of the house and earn some extra money). Nope. Told her she should get some hobbies. Nope. She calls several times a day and wants to talk-- for HOURS. Which Mom is too busy to do. I said, "If she doesn't have anyone to spend Christmas with, let her come!" Which she will, I know. Mom is nothing if not generous and kind. And when we were there in August, we kind of 'hid' from her, so she didn't get to see me, and was very disappointed and upset. So, hey, when I'm there for Christmas, I don't mind spending some time with her..... she is a very nice person, just very needy and lonely. She's actually quite a bit younger than Mom, though you'd never know it.