Sons and Stuff

Chloe is a whiny mess this morning.  She wants to be fed which I cannot do since she's having 'surgery' today.  I can't distract her fast enough.  She knows the routine - and THIS IS NOT IT.  Even though we gave her a hearty snack at 8PM last night (which we never do though now she will probably think it the norm from now on), she is still famished and getting frantic that I'm ignoring her hunger pangs.  Poor baby.

B. called last night which was unusual 'cuz we'd talked to him over the weekend.  He needed to ask to borrow $50 for gas until he gets paid.  We gave him $50 and told him no repayment necessary.  Lord knows we've treated H. to a tank of gas or two (or three, four, five....) in the past months so spotting B. a tank is the least we could do.  Just wish he lived close enough to borrow the Costco card and go get gas there - but oh well.  B. said 'that's really generous Mom, thank you so much but I can pay you back' and I said 'no worries.  Just don't use the 'extra' $50 as an excuse to eat junk food'.  He's being very careful about what he eats...and training really hard.  That young man is driven.

We took the PS3 console to be repaired and are leaving the piece of junk at the repair place vs. paying $30 to pick it up.  It'll be close to $200 to repair it....so H. is getting an early Christmas present - a 500gb PS3 that should be here tomorrow.  We have promised him a bologna sandwich under the Christmas tree as a reminder that a big 'gift' was provided  months early.  The guy practically cart-wheeled out of the room.

One thing I will say about my job:  my days zoom by.  10-12 hour days gone in the blink of an eye and I do love that.  I can't imagine passing 8 hours being bored with not enough to do.  That never happens which is a wonderful thing.  The closing of the books is winding down and I'm working on the comparisons between this year and last year to make sense of the variances.  Am even managing to get a bit 'ahead' of my auditors (who will be here in four weeks) and start working on the things they will need to finish their report.

My new assistant is amazing and handing off big things to her and knowing I will get them back completed and 'right' is a blessing.  An extra brain is a wonderful thing.

We have company for the next few days and that means attempting to plan actual dinners.  Tonight might be leftovers 'cuz the fridge is jammed full.  We also have what we need to make gazpacho but I'm not sure the two carnivores in our midst will appreciate the effort to craft a delicious, cold tomato soup.  Even if it does have shrimp in it.

We continue to be jerked around by BofA.  I won't list the myriad of things they have been completely idiotic about - but there are plenty.  I continue to insist that they have no intention of underwriting a refinance....but J. still holds out hope.  We've been in process since the end of May.  Three months.  No new mortgage.  I'm not hopeful.  The lack of refinancing will make our 'retirement budget' a huge challenge - so that's concerning.  But I know we'll be fine.  We'll adjust.  Some how.  Some way.

OH - I bought a Bodum coffee press ages ago and then decided to take it back only never did.  So today, I used it.  J. says I should write a book on the 1000's of ways to end up with a cup of coffee 'cuz I've tried them all.  It is pretty good - though the key is probably to make just enough for a mug at a time.  That just seems like a lot of time and effort in the morning - heat water, make coffee, clean press, heat water again, make coffee.   Not sure I am up to that many steps twice a morning.  Though it probably doesn't actually take that much longer than the single cup brew process - it just seems more labor intensive.

Time to get showered.  My one hour of 'me' time is up.