03/29/2013

Today is Good Friday.

It’s a beautiful day! The sun is shining and it’s supposed to go up to 9 degrees, so by this evening I suspect we will have no snow.

I was talking to my sister Maggie today.

She talked about something Mom had told her when she was young, which has stayed with her all these years …

Mom told her “it is always bad weather on Good Friday”.

She was a very strong Catholic and, of course, Good Friday is the most holy day of the year … and the most sad day of the year. In Mom’s mind, the weather reflected that … every year.

The funny thing is, Mom told me the same thing, and I think about it every year in the days before Good Friday. Perhaps it was something she said to each of us individually or maybe during a conversation when we were all around the supper table. Neither of us remembered the circumstances of when we heard it, but the fact that she mentioned it without me saying anything shows that it was pretty significant to her too.

The funny thing is, Mom was just wrong.

Most Good Friday’s are pretty sweet. It’s springtime (sometimes early spring … sometimes later spring … but spring nonetheless!) and springs are usually rather pleasant!

Like most of us, Mom had a pretty selective memory.

Probably, her recollection was that Good Friday’s were always dark and sad.

I’m sure that the weather on many of my 56 Good Friday’s has been awful. But, I like springtime … and I’ve always like Easter … and my Good Friday’s have been, as the name suggests, pretty darn good.

* * * * *

I’ll be going to my sister Mary’s tomorrow … and, after my rant a few entries back, will be spending the night. It’s impossible to not. I didn’t have a valid ‘excuse’ besides the fact that really just prefer to be home and that is just not good enough.

I don’t understand why people can’t just respect another’s choices.

Like, if I’m asked something and I say “No, thanks”, why can’t that be the end of it.

If you think my reason for saying “No, thanks” is because I’m concerned that I’m putting you out, then sure … assure me that I am NOT putting you out.

But, when you know me and that I just really like to come home, then just let me come home.

I said “No, thanks. I’ll come for the day and then come home” THREE times!

She wore me down and I finally said “sure. I’ll spend the night.”

I just don’t understand why it’s so important to her that I spend the night.

But, I will and I’m sure I’ll have fun.

+-3333310+0410 <– Moodie sat on the keyboard! This is her hello to you all.

Her son and his new wife will be there. I didn’t go to their destination wedding in early February … and didn’t give them a gift yet. Maggie and I are going to give them $$ – so, I’ll tell them that when Maggie is here, we’re going to take them out to dinner and give them their gift then.

Maggie and I are kind of disagreeing about how much to give them.

I said $250 each … she thinks $150 each.

It’s been so long since I’ve been to a wedding, I don’t know what the going rate for wedding gifts is.

And, the thing about giving money is that they know how much you spent!! When you give an actual ‘gift’, you might find something wonderful on sale … and they’ll think you were very generous when, in fact, you went totally cheap!

(Feel free to tell me how much of a gift would be acceptable in your life!)

* * * * *

Kids and money … how quickly things change!!

Lara has been hired ‘on site’ so will be heading off to some remote camp to be the pastry chef.

She’ll be making in the range of $90,000.

Yes.

That’s what I said.

Ninety. Thousand. Dollars. A. Year.

21 days of 12 hour shifts, then 7 days off.

Free room and board.

They fly her to civilization for her days off.

This is so wonderful for her. She has so much debt and wasn’t making enough to even stay even – there was no way she would have ever been able to pay things off.

She figures in two years she’ll have her student loan, car, personal debts (me and her b/f) paid off AND have fifty thousand dollars in the bank as a down payment for a house.

I told her when she got up there, either their HR would offer financial guidance or she should speak to an adviser to figure out what to do.

She’s going to be in a crazy high tax bracket so needs to take advantage of any breaks that are available. She needs to buy some RRSPs, open a TFSA, etc., etc.

And, bonus – she said “now I’ll be able to go to Will’s wedding in Thailand!”

Yay!

* * * * *

There is still a ‘promotion’ in the works for me. In case you’ve forgotten.

Boss’ wife (or whatever she is) has been away visiting her sister. While she was there, she ‘hooked up’ with an old boyfriend … and came back ‘in love’ and ‘engaged’.

(she and boss have a rather odd arrangement … not married, not divorced, still live together. Just odd. Hence the “(or whatever she is)”)

So, she’s been very distracted.

And certain things in the company are crippled when she is distracted because we need her approval to move forward, but she just isn’t there.

Boss doesn’t seem to realize how dysfunctional the arrangement is and how unfair it is to the staff.

How many people would have patiently waited for their ‘promotion’ (unsure if people had forgotten) after being told it was at the beginning of March?

It’s kind of screwed up … but, that’s why they need me. Because I’m able to be pretty effective in a screwed up atmosphere.

She’s planning to move where he is (a 4 hour flight) but wants to stay involved in the day-to-day operation of the company.

Should be interesting.

You know how sometimes you get knots in your gut?

I get them a lot at that place.

You guys know that because I’m so up and down about my job … all the time.

My little voice often says “run! run as fast as you can!”

But my big voice says “you make a lot of money … and every place has it’s problems … just stay put”.

Ah well. que sera sera.

* * * * *

Tried a new recipe for supper … cabbage stew. It turned out pretty darn good. I ate too much.

I have to run out and get some milk to make rice pudding. I’m going to head to Erin’s directly from my sister’s place on Sunday morning. Erin has asked for some Rice pudding, so I’m going to make some to bring to my sister’s tomorrow and another dish for Erin. I have to remember to bring Erin’s Easter surprise to my sister’s too (having to come home first would add a LOT of miles to my trip).

I don’t have any raisins either, but I doubt that the convenience store will have any … and all the grocery stores are closed. So, no raisins in the pudding.

* * * * *

Guess I’ll get to it!

* I WISH YOU WELL! *