Texan Tales (& Tails) - by TinysMom

[undergunfire]

All I want to do is :hug: you....so there :hug::hug::hug::hug:!

Arlene is amazing. Once I finally have the funds to give her for communication, then I want to do it. I'm no longer wanting to communicate with Zaide because I feel that Quil is Zaide...which is why I don't want to know if Zaide is still out there. Hopefully that makes sense?

What I really want Arlene's help for is bonding Morgan & Molly...I want to see if they are even interested in each other so I know to continue bonding at this point. I don't think they are interested....I think moreover Molly & Brody have interest in one another :shock:.

Arlene charges $30 for a half hour, right?

 

[TinysMom]

Arlene charges $30 for a half-hour session which is for one animal. Two animals normally require an hour session - and I will say that every session I've ever had with Arlene has gone over the normal time period - it isn't like she sits there with a stopwatch and then goes "time's up".

There was a lot more that we covered in the session - we discussed the upcoming flight and recommended that the girls just go to sleep so they don't get scared by the noises (One girl doesn't want to miss anything though)...and we discussed toys (it turns out Ali has the toy that was described to me...and the rabbit loves it)...they talked a lot about Ali and wondered if she was my sister (and she smells good too...according to one girl) plus they think she's funny. We even discussed Montana a bit...

Oh - we talked about their litter box habits. The girls didn't know it was for that - one girl was embarrassed (they were doing good at peeing in the box) and the other girl was like, "Whatever..".

Ali just looked though and there is a pile of poop in one of the litterboxes.

Oh...and the girls were like "yucky boys"...and Arlene told them to wait till they got here and got to meet them.

So yeah - it was well worth the money for us.

Arlene goes in the hospital this coming week for surgery and I'm betting she won't be able to do this for at least a month or two or three....but it is well worth the money.

SunnyCait also knows Arlene from a rat forum...Arlene has ratties (and you can tell she loves them by the way she talks about them) and ferrets.

 

[Pipp]

TinysMom wrote:

Robin pointed out to me this morning (I was talking about how angry I was at something and trying to tell myself to shut up...which I didn't follow)...that I'm angry a LOT lately. She hears me talking to friends on the phone and I'm talking about how angry I am at this or at that - I'm touchy with her and Art.

:hug:

Yes, you have been uncharacteristically angry -- I'm used to an occasional emotional or depressed, but 'angry' is new. That said, I think its a world-wide thing. All sorts of people are 'acting out', the world ambiance seems to be negatively supercharged. Everybody seems to be affected. And of course the more people feel nervous, angry, depressed, suicidal, homicidal, etc, the more it passes off to others, so its a self-perpetuating thing. I don't think its anything within you, just a reaction to abnormal outside forces. I really hope we all fell better soon.

You're doing really well recognizing and not escalating the issues upsetting you. All I can suggest is pet your bunnies (my little valiums), cry over your loses and try and only do things that make you happy.

Anything I can do to help, just let me know. We all care about you very much!

(Love Calypso and Harmony, btw. Great names!)


sas urplepansy::rose::hug2:

 

[TinysMom]

Well - I've figured out this much about the anger.

It isn't so much that the anger is "new" per se. Its just my speaking out about it is new.

Its still about the same people/issues that have upset me before - I've just always stuffed it - to be a "good Christian" versus speaking my mind.

Sure - other things are also setting off the anger - but the things that make me blow up...are the things that have been bugging me for a while.

Its like a pressure cooker where you have the valve covered. For a long time the thing on top has been making those warning sounds of boiling going on.

Going off the meds - just took away the control of keeping control of my words. I felt much of the same anger before.

I think I've got plenty of valium (and friends) to help me now - especially since I see what it is doing to me when I Let go and give into the anger.

 

[TinysMom]

Oooh - I forgot to tell y'all.

Miss Milina - my holland lop doe - who normally rips my hand off (or thinks about it at least) if I put it in her cage (but cuddles up next to the cage door to BEG Art for pets)...let me pet her last night for about 10 minutes.

She even let me put my hand IN her cage and pet her...and then stayed there waiting and waiting for me to pet her some more.

Methinks she is missing Art and is desperate enough to let me pet her.

 

[missyscove]

TinysMom wrote:

Christina- it seems so hard to believe you're 19....I remember when you were still in high school - then I remember your first college acceptance letters and how I said you'd get in everywhere you tried....now you're in college and pretty soon you'll be graduating.

To me - you're not just a "silly 19 year old girl"...you've always shown a great deal of maturity.

After all...you had the sense to love Bones!

I know, I feel so old sometimes, and I often find myself going, if 5 years ago someone had asked me where I saw myself in 5 years, this would definitely not be it...
Like last night, sitting in an organic chemistry lecture, writing "feed heifers" on my hand - I never would have guessed my wake up schedule would be dictated by cattle.

I feel really blessed to have been a part of this forum for so long. It's a great group of people we've got together.

 

[TinysMom]

It could be worse ....well...sorta.

Robin was always more mature than her age - even as a young child...

One Sunday (we had just started going back to church after an absence of several months due to the lack of a car....so we were excited to be back and be able to be around "friends") - we had another couple coming over after church for lunch and to spend the afternoon.

We got home and Robin was unusually fussy and pitched a temper tantrum...very much unlike her.

I stood in the doorway and yelled at her, "What do you think you are...a 2 year old?"

You see it coming.....please tell me you see it coming...

From behind me Art goes, "uh Peg....she IS a two year old. Cut her some slack."

My point? I think some people are more mature than their age even when they're young...

By the way - how IS college going? Are you enjoying it? You're a sophmore - right?

 

[missyscove]

I am a sophomore, yes. College is great in the sense that I love everything but chemistry, but I have to do the chemistry if I want to go to vet school which is still my dream.

I've gone back to trying to update my own blog (though it's full of cattle instead of buns since my buns aren't here) instead of hijacking yours.

 

[TinysMom]

:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead

So I tell myself, "I'm going to rest. I'm going to take it easy this week. I'm going to take care of myself."

I take Monday & Tuesday off for Floppy....knowing I HAVE to work tomorrow. I did do a mystery shop both days.

Tonight - I'm about to head to bed when an email comes from a scheduler - she has an "EMERGENCY"...she needs to have several bank shops done ASAP.

So what do I do?

I pick up six shops to do tomorrow - along with my 10 stores and my cable company mystery shops.

Oh well - March 20th will see another $95 or so in my paypal account for these shops - so I'm pretty pleased.

But I need to be careful I don't overdo it.

:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead

 

[hartleybun]

arlene sounds a fascinating lady - im open minded about these things. my dogs communicate with each other and those that i look after so im used to 'thinking dog' the rabbits are much more subtle - having only had them in my life for the past five years im finding learning 'rabbit' a slow process. roxy is easier than hartley tho

thinking of yourself for once probably doesnt come easy - for me its my patchwork group once a week. this is the one thing i do that benefits me, is for me and done by me. i found that over the years i had given up everything for home, husband and kids. now that kids are in their teens im able to be more flexible with my life.

things do work out in the end! dont give up, you do have the strength! after the childhood from hell im still here and enjoying life:bunnydance:

 

[TinysMom]

Well - on my way out the door in about 5 minutes to do - a cable company mystery shop - 10 stores for merchandising (15-30 minute service call) - 6 bank shops - all in a town an hour away.

I so wanna take a bunny to pet in between visits...and its cool enough that I could...but I dread to think of what a bunny would do.

Oh well - I'll just THINK about bunnies...

 

[missyscove]

bunny in a cable company... Sounds like a dream come true!

 

[TinysMom]

too wiped out to type right now - but wait till I share about my day...

I have to laugh - cause its either that or cry

 

[juliew19673]

VERY curious to hear about your day out..

 

[TinysMom]

juliew19673 wrote:

VERY curious to hear about your day out..

First of all...let me explain that I once told Art that I thought our marriage would be like the Waltons or Little House on the Prairie - and instead it wound up like "I Love Lucy". Since that conversation - Art can attest to the fact he agrees with me - because I've done stupid things like leave him notes in his hotel room propositioning him - only the maid thinks he wrote them for her...and other stuff too.

Since this post is sorta a bit of how this thread almost became "Mexican Tales" ... with a side order of "Debbie Does Dallas" only as "Peg Does Eagle Pass" and isn't quite the same..

I am not responsible for YOUR reactions to this post and you should put down any coffee or dangerous instruments that might be in your hand.

If you're at work and aren't supposed to be here - be prepared to stifle your laughter if you think its funny.

Consider yourself warned!

Ok - so first a bit about Eagle Pass. Population wise - it is smaller than Del Rio - but to drive around it - its much much bigger. I know someone who was born and raised in Eagle Pass who gets lost in it when he goes home...so when I say I get lost many times when I go there ...I don't feel too badly about it.

So...yesterday I had 10 stores to visit as a Kraft rep - plus 7 mystery shops. Six mystery shops were in 4 banks - meaning two banks had to be visited twice - at least 20 minutes apart. In addition - two of those shops were "targeted" shops....meaning I was trying to shop one particular person.

Normally if I have a shop where I'm going into a place twice - I'll have a spare top on me to change into and I'll brush my hair one way for one shop and then another way for the other shop. I don't dare remove my glasses as I'd stumble into things and I'd be blind as a bat.

So I did the first bank shop only I used my REAL name...which is ok - except supposedly I'm wanting to open a new account and I already have an account with this bank. I don't want them to have my real name.

I think that flustered me and is part of what set off the rest of the day.

I go around doing stores and shops - and I get to one shop where I know where the bank is - and I know halfway where the cable company is (or I think I know where it is) - and so I drive towards the cable company...only to wind up about 200 feet (or less probably) from the border crossing to go into Mexico...and I see no way to turn around.

So I do a "u" in the middle of the road (no one was around - I hoped) and go back to the bank and do that.

From the bank - I get directions to the cable company (after all - I'm Cheryl Masters moving down from Kansas and don't know my way around...and I need to get cable set up for my husband while we sell our house and he stays in an apartment.)

I get to the cable company and the woman I'm watching is speaking fluent Spanish. Normally I wouldn't be worried - but I've had a greeter at Walmart not speak English before in this town - and a cashier who didn't speak it either and had to point to the amount on the register to tell me how much I owed.

So I'm starting to get stressed. i suppose I could wait and ask for the man to help me cause he is speaking English and I can understand him.

But she gets done first and waves me forward.

Now mind you - the last time I tried to tell someone I didn't speak Spanish - Robin laughed and pulled me away saying I was telling them that THEY didn't speak Spanish.

So I walk up to her and give her a pathetic look and go "No Espanol?"...and she smiles and says, "That's ok...how can I help you?"

I do the shop and get the information I want and she asks if she can help me with anything else and I'm like, "How do I get to X without going over into Mexico? I've already done a u-turn once in the middle of the road.." and she starts laughing. She also tells me how to get back to the mall.

Now - I needed to go to the mall to get another shirt for my mystery shops because I forgot to bring a spare with me. I know Ross Dress for Less will have something in my size for under $10 and I'll feel more confident going back to the first bank (at least) with a different top.

So I come out of the mall (with TWO shirts...don't ask)...and I go to my next store which is new on my list. I know where it is ....sorta. What I don't realize (until later) is that that road leads...to Mexico.

So I'm looking for my store and drive by it because it doesn't look like a convenience store and I start thinking, "This looks familiar? I don't think I've been here before.."...

....and I see the crossing into Mexico. I'm not quite as close as before - but somewhat close.

So I pull another u-turn - get honked at a couple of times - and go back.

I finally get to the point where I'm done with the my stores. I have one bank to visit twice - plus the second visit to the first bank.

So I go to the bank I need to visit twice and wait for a moment because it looks like the woman I need to shop is busy. Then I get a bright idea - I'll do the teller portion first...go across the street and eat something and then come back and say I came back since she was busy.

What a bright idea - no need to change my shirt - my "id" will still be intact, etc.

So that is what I do - except I change my story when I go back for help (because I did the teller portion first).

I go have lunch and kill a bunch of time and then go back to do the shop. I approach the woman to ask for help when the MANAGER walks over to me and asks if HE can help.

I state that I was there earlier to get some help but she (I point to her) was busy and thought I'd come back.

He states, "I'll be happy to help you..." and takes me back to his office.

So much for shopping her..(if I'm offered help by someone else - I am to take it - but I am to ask for her if possible).

This now leaves me with doing a teller shop at the very first bank I did. For some reason - I'm very uncomfortable with this....I just feel like I definitely need to change my shirt and hair and stuff.

I also need to pull money out of an ATM so I can redeposit it at the shop. So I go around back to the ATM and a lightbulb goes off.

What a nice PRIVATE place to simply change my shirt. I'll pull a couple of feet forward so the camera won't get me (Leverage taught me that about the cameras at ATMs)...and change my shirt.

So I get my money...pull forward...get my shirt unbuttoned and am about to change - when this honking huge Ford F150 or something HUGE pickup pulls up behind me - and honks at me.

So much for changing my top now.

I know...I'll just hold the blouse closed - go to the next bank - and go behind their ATM.

So I do that -get to the next bank - only to realize - THEIR ATM is out front - right by the road.

ARG.

Well - I have the price tags off the shirt....go down a road that is a dead end...change the shirt - go back to the bank - get out of the car - look down to check myself..

and the tape showing the shirt size is still attached to the front of the shirt.

So I pull and pull and finally get that off.

I change my hair - go in to do the shop - get all the way through it and go to say goodbye...and the person who helped me earlier hears my voice - and looks up and out his door and sees me.

I pretend I don't notice him and have never seen him and walk out the door...and then die laughing in the car.

I think the next time I have to do a double shop like that - in my first scenario - I'll be visiting my twin sister who recommends the bank...so when I do the deposit...I can be the twin sister..

The things I do for mystery shopping.

At least I didn't wind up in jail for flashing someone - or in Mexico.

This time.

 

[wabbitmom12]

TinysMom wrote:

At least I didn't wind up in jail for flashing someone - or in Mexico.

This time.

Or, for flashing someone IN MEXICO! :biggrin2:

What a day!! Been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.

For those who think mystery shopping "might be fun and easy, maybe I should try that"....consider yourself warned!

 

[TinysMom]

How true Karen - it isn't all fun and easy and boy - you better have good spelling and be able to write in complete sentences (no text speak).

I just counted up what I've done in the last few days - on the 20th of next month I'll get something like $133 from them deposited into my paypal account...which will almost pay for the hotel room we'll need for the state show (and just in time).

Maybe yesterday was worth it after all...maybe.

 

[TinysMom]

It just hit me - we're about 12 days from our next litter...or litters.

Plus I need to get the new girls here...

Oh wow.

 

[TinysMom]

The front and back of my NEW business cards I just ordered....they aren't quite what I wanted...but oh well - I do like them.

I crossed out my phone number...

 

[katt]

very nice. i love the look of the darker blue with the light grey flemmie.

and the photo on the back is a really nice touch.

so who did you use as your front model? i can't tell cause the photo is smaller and i don't have my glasses on!