Post-Thanksgiving Post

I quit my job at Joann Fabrics. My first day of work was a Sunday and I spent the 5 hours unloading boxes, putting the product in bins on carts, and taking the carts out to other team members who stocked the shelves. I had a great time, it was good physical activity, and was exactly what I'd wanted to do. The next day, when I reported to work, I was told I'd be trained on the registers because that was where they needed me most. As I explained in an earlier post, I had signed on to do stock. Not registers. Not taking shit from 90 year old ladies who think the item should have rung up on sale when it didn't. I do enough of that at my full time job that pays nearly four times as much. I told the store manager I didn't sign on to do registers, and she insisted that this was what she wanted me to do. I told her I neither needed the job nor the money and that I really wasn't up for being snookered into doing something I didn't want to do. And at minimum wage, no less. So, I quit.

We really had a great holiday weekend. Michelle and Doug and the kids came up (they drove separately, as they're separated). Cher was finally able to eat after her accident more than 6 weeks ago, and that little girl ate and ate and ate. Annie did too! We were amazed at how much those two little munchkins ate. Of course, Michelle informs me that Annie lost her Thanksgiving dinner later that night. No huge surprise there.

My aunt and uncle came up as well. It was a nice, manageable 10 people, counting the three kids. We put on soft background music like Yanni, Enya, Mannheim Steamroller, Celtic Moods, etc. and put on a DVD of a fire in a fireplace. Yes, I'm a dork. But, in a 36" television with the music and soft lighting, it really did create a nice ambience.

Friday, like I promised myself and Lisa, I sat and knitted and watched television. I got ten rows done on little Brandon's blanket. While that may not sound like much, it is when you consider that each row is 296 stitches. I watched a few shows that we had on the DVR and the Terminator Trilogy. Lisa went to the Home Depot and got mouldings and other supplies that she needed to finish off the mouldings in the living room and the trim around the fireplace. Once that's done, the upstairs will be completely finished. We tend to take a long time to get things accomplished, as we wait until we have the cash to do it rather than run up debt. This causes Lisa a bit of stress and anxiety but she likes that we're not in debt doing this stuff.

Once we get the upstairs done, we'll tackle the downstairs family room, but that won't happen until after the holidays are over. We still have a lot of paint left over from when we did the entryway and decided that it would transition beautifully into the downstairs family room, so we won't have to fret over colors and cost. There's more than enough there to get that room and the ceiling done.

Saturday we went down to one of my staff member's house to help them finish putting the roof on a shed they'd bought, but were unable to complete. Of course, we were there as GoldMar Enterprises, not Pat and Lisa. It took us just a couple of hours to complete the task and we decided to swing by the mall as it was only noon and we had some things we wanted to look for. We knew we were taking a huge chance, but ended up being amazed at the lack of traffic and crowds. I kept looking around in the mall asking Lisa "Where is everyone?"

After the mall, we went across the street to a new furniture store that just opened up. We've been browsing a bit, without much intent to buy -- we're not ready for that yet. However, we came across a china hutch that Lisa just fell in love with. I have to admit that I was very taken with it as well. We gingerly looked at the price and found that, while it certainly was a lot of money, it was still reasonably priced enough that I began to do the math in my head. Lisa just kept looking at it, and oohing and aahing and I told her "We can get it if you want it." We left without it, but she kept talking about it. She really was very taken with it -- moreso than I've ever seen her with any other piece of furniture.

We got home and did some light housework, fixed an early dinner of leftovers, and settled in for some relaxation.

Sunday Lisa putzed around some more with cutting and staining more mouldings while I worked on the books for our business. At one-o'clock, I was sitting in front of the four televisions watching football, knitting in my lap, Idgie at my side.

All in all, it was a nice, long weekend. Good food. Family. Relaxation.

Yesterday after work, I went back to the furniture store and bought the china hutch. It is on back order and not due in before mid-January, but that's okay with me because that gives Lisa ample time to get the finishing touches put in on the flooring and mouldings. I put $1000 down on the hutch and got the remainder "financed" at zero percent for one year. (Note to self -- be sure to thank that putz ex-husband of yours for that nice, lump sump payment of child support arrears.) I knew there was no way I was going to "surprise" Lisa at Christmas with this hutch, and didn't want it to be HER Christmas present -- I wanted it to be OURS (I'm selfish that way). So, when she got home, I showed her the sales contract.

Let me tell you, I have never, ever seen Lisa dance like a little kid with excitement the way she did last night. She was just beyond ecstatic and kept grabbing me and hugging me and kissing me. She can get her grandmother's china out of the box it's been stored in now -- and it's big enough to hold that and my china and crystal as well.

This is the first piece of furniture that WE have purchased. The first of many, I hope.

Can I just tell you how much I love my life? I lack for absolutely nothing.