Cinematic Classic . . . . . I Don't Get It

During my 40+ years I have heard raves about a movie - many times people have quoted the movie and cracked up laughing - when I tell people I have never seen this movie they are shocked and say You must watch it. It is great. It was a discount rent pick on iTunes $.99 - I decided to rent it and see what all the hullabaloo was all about. What movie am I talking about . . . . . . . Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

I like John Cleese - I enjoyed watching him in Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda. I like English Humor. This movie though has left me scratching my head and wondering WTH! This had to be one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen - even worse than Napoleon Dynamite which is another 2 hours of my life I will never get back. I just didn't get it. I heard all the little sayings that people would quote - "What are you going to do, bleed on me?" (said with an English accent), "Runaway, Runaway", "We are the Knights who say . . . . NI", "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries" - they say these things and then just start laughing. I'm telling you - they're not that funny - not in the movie or when other people say them. I was telling Putbory how stupid this movie was and David was like - great movie - I said I didn't get it and then quoted the line "What are you going to do Bleed on me" He started laughing. I'm thinking this might be a guy thing. If I remember correctly it was mostly guys back in high school that talked about this movie. I didn't find it funny or entertaining - the ending was really stupid - I can't believe I wasted 2 hours on this. But, if you think Englishman galloping around on pretend horses and talking about things that don't make sense is hilarious then this movie is for you. And when you start quoting the movie I will just shake my head - roll my eyes - and runaway runaway!

De

Cats and Dog Working Together

I think I have lost control of the house and the animals have taken over - at least they are taking steps in that direction!

I get home from work and I am immediately greeted by Niki - she's usually hiding and asleep when I get home so this should have tipped me off but it didn't. I sat on the couch and she was just on me purring - wanting to be petted - being a big ol' love bug. We were that way for a few minutes and then I said I should probably go let the dog out of the kitchen. She just dug her claws in to my shirt and didn't want me to get up and/or put her down. I finally got up off the couch and started moving towards the kitchen. Buffy came running down the hall and cut me off on her way to the scratching post - was this an accident or was it the purrfect plan of two diabolical cats.

I get to the kitchen and start unlatching the gate - where's Muppet - she is usually at the gate dancing just waiting for me to open it and let her out. I turned on the light and peeked around the corner - Muppet was curled up tight in her bed - almost as if she were trying to make herself as small as possible so I wouldn't see her - or she wasn't feeling well and was just sacked out. Then I saw it - right next to her bed - the plastic jar of Muppet Cookies sitting on the floor with the lid open - and about half of the cookies gone!!! They probably would have been all gone if she could have gotten her head all the way inside the container.

Now I know I put the container on the counter this morning after I had given Muppet her cookie - it wasn't on the edge of the counter it was sitting firmly on the counter. Sometime during the day one of the cats must have gotten up on the counter and knocked the cookie jar down for Muppet!! Which one of you knuckleheads got the cookies down for the dog - Niki just kept staring int the fire place and Buffy looked up from her spot under the chair as if to say - I have no idea what you're talking about.

Needless to say - I need to go to the pet store tomorrow to pick up more Muppet Cookies - which is really code word for pill pockets that I use for giving her her meds.

Too bad I don't have a web cam set up - it would be interesting to see how this whole thing played out!

De

Flat Tire

Who knew it could be so difficult to get a flat tire fixed! I have been trying ever since Friday.

Friday - put air in my tire and parked it at the Park and Ride to take the bus in to work. After work drove the car down to Big O Tires - they were getting ready to close and there was no way they could fix it. OK - went by the Shell station and put more air in it again.

Saturday - Took the car to the Shell Station and they couldn't fix it - booked solid for that day but the mechanic told me to come by on Monday at 7 when they opened and they could do it then. Went to the air station and put more air in the tire. This was a pretty good leak - when the car was parked you could hear the air leaking out of the tire.

Sunday - No Service stations are open. I have never understood this - wouldn't the weekend be a busy time - both days and not just Saturday. They seem to fill up rather quickly on Saturdays - the overflow could come in on Sunday to get things done. If you have a good answer as to why these places are all closed on Sunday I would love to know!

Monday - Got up and went to the Shell Station to be there when they opened at 7 like the mechanic told me to do - oh gee, they were already full and wouldn't be able to get to it today. Went to their air station to put air in the tire - it wasn't working!! You've got to be kidding!! Slowly drove down in to town - went to the Shell Station - their air machine was out of order!! It's a conspiracy! Went across the street to the Chevron Station - their machine was working but it wasn't free air it cost .75 - why is it that some stations give the air away free and others charge you for it? Is it really that expensive to suck air through a tube and into a tire!! So got air in the tire so that I could now drive to Big O Tires and sit in my car until they opened at 8 so I could see if they could fix my tire - it was only 7:15 so I had to sit in the cold car for 45 minutes. I was the first one in though!! They were able to work on my car!! Oh Gee - they couldn't fix the flat - the hole was too close to the edge and the tread on all the tires was really really low. That's right - you guessed it - the flat tire has now turned into needing to get a full set of new tires. So that's what I had done - out of there by 8:45 and in to work by 9:30. Perfect Monday Morning. . . . . . . . . . NOT!!

AWOL Update - I texted with L this afternoon and she said that Talon went back to the base in Texas this morning. YAY! I texted that that was good - I didn't want him to have to be on the run and worrying about going to jail. She said neither did she.

The stress of today has resulted in . . . . . . . . . . . what's my stress relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . that's right . . . . . . . . . . . . BAKING!! I baked up a double batch of banana muffins which will be brought in to work tomorrow for the Finance Team to enjoy. It's Year End so I know they will appreciate having them.

De

Another Dramatic Year Ahead

If today is any indication, 2009 is going to be as interesting a year as 2008.

This morning I received a call form Talon's mom. Talon is a friend of L's who she likes to refer to as her gay husband - they have been friends for 2 years although most of that time Talon has been in another state and most recently he was at basic training for the Army. Talon was able to get leave for the holidays and after visiting his Mom in Minnesota he came here to visit his Dad and see L. So the call this morning was surprising - Talon's Mom called to say that her son was AWOL - he had never gone back to the base in Texas. She said she had left a message for L and wanted me to talk to L and try to get her to understand that this wasn't helping Talon and that she needed to try and get him to call his parents and get this straightened out. I called L and she first said she didn't know where Talon was but then after I talked to her a bit she said she would call and see if she could get a hold of Talon.

This afternoon I spoke with L's Bama - she confirmed that they had given L money this past week for gas too - they gave her about $16 and we're both pretty sure it was probably used for cigarettes and food. She also told me that L had been given the chance this past month to manage her money on her own - this means that they didn't take half her check and she has shown she doesn't have the ability to manage her money on her own. They have about $600+ from her first paycheck and are holding it so she will be able to pay first and last months rent if/when she gets a place. They have extended her stay at their house for about a week - giving her until this coming Saturday to find a place. So I pretty much have a week to brace myself for the possibility of late night calls and begging for a place to stay. I did just text her and tell her to try looking on craiglist for roommates wanted - I looked quickly and I saw a few that would be in her price range - one in Kirkland that was $325 a month + $80 for utilities. Her response was just OK. Her Bama had told me that she had given L the paper yesterday with roommates wanted circled and L didn't follow up on any of them. Everyone keeps reaching out and trying to help her but because she is expected to actual do something she just ignores it.

Well - here's to 2009 and Another Year With De and L.

De

Falling Off The Wagon

I think giving up being an enabler is almost like an alcoholic giving up drinking - there are going to be good days and then bad days. Today was a bad day - a slight bump in the road of recovery.

L called me asking for gas money - said she didn't have enough gas to get herself home. I stood my ground and said No - she kept arguing and made all sorts of promises about how she would pay me back when she gets paid on Monday. I stood my ground and kept saying No - told her the conversation was over and hung up the phone. Then the little nagging guilt started in - that old feeling of being the Mom and how could I let her be out there without any gas. So when she called I was in a weakened state - I also was afraid that these calls would keep coming and the thought of the phone ringing off the hook at midnight did not sound like fun. So - I asked her where she was and whether she could make it up to the Klahanie Shell Station - told her to be there in 20 minutes to meet me. I didn't give her cash but I did fill her tank for her. Fell off the wagon and enabled her and bailed her out of not having any money because she spent it all on who knows what during the month. But - like the alcoholic - I need to remember that this whole process is not going to go smoothly and be perfect over night - there are going to be bumps in the road and times when I will take two steps forward and then another step back. I won't beat myself up for this and will just learn from my error in judgement and go from there. I did find out today after I filled her tank that she had gotten $20 bucks on Tuesday from her Bepa to fill her tank. She has been playing us all - I gave her a $25 gas card for Christmas and she used that up already - She told me that it hadn't filled her tank but then today when I filled it for her it was only $23. So either she lied about the gas card not filling her tank or she lied to me about not having enough gas to get herself home. I need to build up some resolve because her last day with her Grandparents is supposed to be this Monday and I know she has not found a new place to live yet. I need to be strong when those late night calls come and she is cold outside. My health depends on it because I know I can't handle the stress of her living with me.

Keep us both in your thoughts.

De

Welcome 2009!

Out with the old and in with the new - 2009 is here whether you're ready or not!

I made it to midnight at Lyd's house - Texas time that is! I left her house a little after 11 my time - got home with 5 minutes to spare before the big ball dropped. I had a single serving bottle of champagne in my fridge so I poured a little glass and toasted in the New Year.

New Years Day - thought I was going to have to go in to work - some data we use at Quarter End has to be pulled on the first day of the month - Indri can login from home so she said she would do it for me. So I get the day off!! No snow on the ground so I may go do some of the things I was planning on last week during my vacation. We shall see!

L called me this morning - not to wish my a Happy New Year - to ask me to buy her iTunes card off her - she needs gas. I told her no - same answer I gave her on Sunday - and she hung up on me. Girl needs to learn how to plan ahead and not be driving all over the place when she can't afford to fill up her car. I think 2009 is going to be a year of tough lessons for her.

De

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!