Xmas is OVER!

Well, the unwrapping and buying gifts part is, now comes the returns and putting things away part. I’ve always dreaded doing that although it has to be done.
Christmas at the cabin was more than I expected, the whole family there --- at least for a while. Early Christmas morning Jacks packed up and drove back home, something is amiss with him. My Pops sat at the dinner table with a gleam in his eye the whole entire time, I suspect he had something to do with it.
Kyle is just starting to appreciate this holiday, he cried because “Unta Dacks” wasn’t there to help him color. Camen had fun enough climbing on the presents and drooling on everything. Lori did a fashion show, and the other smaller cousins have as much fun.
I visited with old neighbors and ate enough for a few seasons, the cabin was beautiful with family rumbling around and chattering. I like spending the holidays up there because you don’t have to travel from place to place to see everyone; we are all happily in one home.
Today, I’m visiting Jacks, making sure he’s ok, since he practically left before dawn yesterday. In his haste to leave he left half his presents under the tree, so in route home I’m playing Santa dropping them off. I also feel we need to have a nice chat, it was me or Luke and he doesn’t want Luke in his face.
I also want to see his new condo, check out the campus and see Shay. Shay is someone we met way back in the Habbo Hotel days. She used to listen to Jacks DJ and make the craziest song requests; she also introduced me to Blogger page when I complained about Xanga.
He’s not too happy that I’m here, “When do I get to acclimate to my environment Mark?” I laughed and told him soon enough, I do know what he means, it seems as if the whole family has made a visit to him at one time or another since he’s moved out. I also know that Jess may bust my chops for invading on them for a day, but it’s just a day and afterwards they might appreciate me being here.
Seems as if Lori might have spilt the beans on Jacks whereabouts to Pops, drama much? Hopefully not but I will feel better just checking the living conditions and knowing the area myself. Soon as he gets out of the shower our day can begin.

Is there a Santa Claus?

Some times I wonder, I know I shouldn’t -- I have everything in the world I should or would ever need. A family that loves one another (to some degree) a job that supports me and over 50 other people in my community. A wonderful girlfriend that accepts my decisions on life and the way I live them. I have enough money right now to make me very comfortable.
Still, I wonder…there are those families that are not together be because of war or divorce (family wars) a death or possibly work that keeps them apart on this most glorious of holidays.
My G tells me to be thankful for what I have, indeed I am very thankful. She also reminds me it can all be gone in a wink of an eye. Nothing is permanent in the Game Of Life as that is one of the main rules. Your youth, work and family all can be taken away from you without notice or explanation. It makes your life journey more challenging.
My PG tells us that Love is the glue to all things when your world falls apart That patience is the key to any drama in life, caring and compassion is a way to the rewards.
Then again, still I wonder… with war and diseases and hunger, everyone seems angry or in a rush to accomplish something. Money is on everyone’s mind these days, or how to be famous. Make more to get more is a viscous cycle in its self.
Rushing to do this and hurry to do that -- this year, I plan on being more organized with myself, possibly this will over flow into having time to spend and share with others to not only to make them happy but myself. I enjoy the feeling of helping someone and making them happy, if I make myself happy the world seems brighter.
I plan on smiling during confrontations, praising more and trying all around to have a pleasant attitude about life and the people around me.
Maybe if I do this all next year, I might get to see the Man In The Red Suit.

Lol! That’s All I Have To Say

I’ve been Christmas shopping with a child under the age of 10 the last couple of days. Lori…. We are supposed to be looking for items she wants to buy for others but some odd reason we keep looking in the rather small sizes of the clothing stores. She shows me something, I smile; ask her if she thinks Mom or G could wear that. “No, but I would look so cute in it!” Maybe I should do this in July with the family in hopes they all would be the same.
At work it’s been nothing but food and practical jokes, not food with practical jokes only both. The food portion is too many to mention but the practical jokes have ranged from mistletoe to phone call cranks. Phone call cranks are my favorite thing to do. Cassandra who works in an office down the street from us has a huge ass of a boss, so we decided that this was opportune time to get her. Bees downloaded the ring tone to The Grinch and have been calling her all day long playing it in her ear. Oh, she will love us! I think it might be the fact the sugar cookies have hit us and fudge.
Home wise everything is flowing along, Mom is set for the holidays and her trip to the cabin. I’m not sure how we are going to pack everything up in the trucks. We leave early Saturday morning. I'm ready to go, there are some people that live up there I haven't seen in a year now, I think this trip will be fun.

Where does the time freaking go?

I just noticed that this very weekend I will need to drive up and help on the cabin, maybe I can con my uncle Gerald to drive up since he’s only 3 hours away to check on it. Besides My G and PG are visiting him now, doing some Christmas shopping and making their trip to the cabin shorter.
From what I understand, they plan on stopping by Jacks condo and picking him up; I don’t see that happening. Jacks wants to come home early. G doesn’t want Jacks driving right now since he’s with pneumonia. I told him, Mom told him, G, Amy, Tali, Lori -- we all told him to take it easy after Thanks Giving. That’s a no go with him, but I cant blame him with all the things he needed to do to be settled in.
Lori and I plan on doing some shopping the next couple of days, she’s about as prepared as I on the gift purchases.
I talked to Amy some today, more like was disconnected and listen to her yawn the whole time. She’s beat tired and I kept hitting buttons as I shopped making us lose connection. Yep, I got talents! After a nice chat I sent her to bed and me back to work.
Tonight I chatted with the huge dork a while checking up on him “All is well here, I don’t know what you are talking about really” Oh man, can he really think I’m that dumb? I think he does!
Tomorrow is some more shopping and a necklace hunt. Man, I dread going to the mall its just not me and I hate the crowds, I plan on zooming in grabbing some items and zooming out.

Ahh the quiet

Its quiet here in the office today, I let everyone go home for the rest of the afternoon. We decided to have the office wide Christmas party for lunch. The ladies had it catered with BBQ and the “Fixins” some sort of southern Christmas party, however they brought in deserts and other items. We all sat down and had our lunch laughing and what not. Diane was the master of ceremonies this year and wanted some people to tell funny stories. Of course I was asked to tell one, I really didn’t have a humorous one to give out. I told the story about my older brother, Kyle and the rat. Our American Idol tryout fellow sang us some holiday songs. We had drawings for gifts and under certain chairs that people were sitting in, there was a number matching to a decoration that you could take home.
After all the chatter and eating and signing and story telling I asked if everyone was finished, they all looked around so I shouted “Ok then, go home!” I didn’t have to say it twice, the greenhouse cleared in minutes.
Now, I sit here alone thinking about family and what gifts I still need to purchase, who is the lucky one that going to make the early drive up to the cabin. On top of that I need to make future plans on my life. Like my house and school and where I plan to go with this business.
I draw the future out and squirm with nerves of anxiety. I know, an old man in his 20s not knowing where to go. Doom, Doom!! My Mom says not to push it, that everything falls into place and to try and force something to happen isn’t always the best idea. My Pops is the totally opposite telling us to strike while the iron is hot and go for it.

Humm – Can you read me now?

The other day I posted about Amy, how she works herself into the ground and how I wasn’t going to complain about it. However, this person emailed me felt I was complaining about it adding it to my blog -- not so true. I’ve said many times this is my outpost of feelings and happenings of the day, be it work related, school, family and my personal relationships.
I do feel that Amy is working herself into the ground to avoid her family, ask her, she probably won’t deny it either. Then again, this is my blog and I can bitch about anything I wish to here. She does read this as it’s evident in some of the comments below, she also misreads a lot of things, followed by her calling me crying on the phone. (i.e., she is probably so damn tired she misreads them).
We have also discussed multiple times how to correct the situation, I can’t force her to do anything, it’s “her” family not mine. How she chooses to use my suggestions is clearly up to her.
I don’t go into much detail about what is going on in her life; she has her own blog, evident in the link to the side of this page. She is in the very spot I was in about 3 years ago with my Pops out of the country/state all the time, my Mom sick and I with Lori and Jacks to take care of along with me in school and work. I do have to say Lori was a piece of cake to watch, minus a few incidences of her wandering off, I nipped that in the bud really fast. Jacks on the other hand, well we won’t even go there.
It’s hard for outsiders to read another’s blog/diary and completely understand the situations being read. I try to go as much into the daily details as possible without being too boring. At times I tend to hang on one subject post after post; then again I drift off forgetting to give the outcome of the repeated offender/s. I don’t mind people asking me questions if they are confused and welcome their comments.
The majority of personal blogs are like a window into someone’s life, you, the reader looking in (Peeping Tom). Some times the curtains get in the way or I might slide down the blinds for a while to obstruct your view. Neither being intentional, just happens that way.

Let the parties begin

Today I’ve been cordially invited to the 10 days of Christmas parties. Why 10 days? Well there are approximately 10 working days until Christmas and Bee has decided to have some sort of meal or snack in the greenhouse every day.
Works for me, she cooks great, not hard to talk to and makes a killer Funfete cookie along with a cheese dip and chips. So the ladies are going to cook and the guys will have the pleasure or eating and cleaning up after if they chose to partake.
Cari will be gone this whole week, she and her two daughters are going to a huge mall in Atlanta to shop and spend some time with her family. That leaves me and Diane to fend for our selves, take it easy this week and just see how things ride. Besides I have a new chair for my desk and I need to work it in.
Didn’t make it to Jacks this weekend but plan to this one, he was in a weird mood most of Sunday in a battle with what ever their name is and Pops bugging him. Mom wants me to drive up and give him some items for the house to make it more homely, what ever that means and as long as it doesn’t have flower prints on it.

Funny people

Mom and I worked a while on Saturday, putting up Christmas decorations and wrapping the newer presents. I think it’s odd that we go all out on decorations around the house and we don’t even celebrate the holiday here. We all glop up and travel to the cabin, we have for years. Usually the weekend before, either; PG, I or some family member drives up and decorates the place, just setting up the tree and making sure all the utilities work properly.
I was correct on my assumption with Lori and her new man, his name is Brent. I called him Bent and she lost it. “Mark, why do you always make fun of my boyfriends?” First off, he’s not a boyfriend, he a guy in your grade. Second off, that’s what older brothers do, it’s my job.
Jacks and I had a long talk today, just like old times babbling about things going on in our lives. He was telling me how inadequate he feels about himself, ok, he didn’t use those words per se but I heard them. I know for a fact my Pops has been calling him all day on Sunday, because Pops keeps asking me if Jacks has changed his phone number along with his address. Whenever my Pops calls him, Jacks whole outlook on life changes, he doesn’t see himself as the funny bright guy that he is.
On top of that the person he’s hanging out with right now seems to be on the high strung side of life, not that it’s a bad thing. I have to say, I stress out on many things that seem trivial to others. That relationship has to be toxic at times.
Amy, well I didn’t get to hear from her any this weekend again. I’m getting used to it. She either calls a million times and I miss it, or she calls and then is distracted. Lately she’s had so much drama in her life its unsettling even for me way over here. Once again, she’s working herself into the ground to avoid people and her family, this time I’m not going to complain about it.

Well he called…

I’m talking about my little brother, man he will kill me calling him little, he’s taller than I am and probably weighs more than me.
I’ve been waiting on him to call me so I could possibly get his address and directions to invade is privacy, he was telling me about the 2 classes he has and how boring they were and then proceeded to tell me about the schedule he’s next year. They seem full; on top of that he’s looking into tutoring some, just to get out of the house and into the public scene.
His last visit during Thanks Giving he didn’t feel well with a cold coming on and you could see he was dead beat tired from all the moving and worry to be organized. Today in the phone call I heard wheezing like an old man would and called him out on it. “I think it’s my asthma, Mark” Since when did he contract that?
He and I planned some for the family Christmas, making sure we didn’t duplicate our presents for everyone and I put the feelers out on what he might like to have. “Good will and peace on earth” I banged my phone on the table for punishment.
Of course the Christmas holidays will be spent at the cabin, the whole clan there piled up waiting on old Saint Nick. The first question he asked me was “Do you think Pops will be there?” That I couldn’t possibly answer, I don’t want him there anymore than Jacks does – then again, I think Jacks does want Pops there. Why? There again another question I can not answer.
Speaking of shopping, I’ve spent the last two days going to the same warehouse over and over, forgetting this item and that, bad thing is, I had a list! Maybe this weekend when I drop in on Jacks I can buy a few items and work my way down my list. Maybe I can get his “Good will and peace on earth” while I’m at it.

Friends from the past..

The other day Amy and I talked a while and she asked me about a girl that used to work for me. Jenny, she was a super bright young girl (she’s older than me), came from one for the prominent families here and married into one as well.
Status means nothing to drugs, her husband was just a dabbler in them when they first married “Oh, he smokes a little marijuana now and then”. A year later their first child arrived, the cutest little girl.
Being a huge football fans, they always managed to have football parties. No big deal, everyone has parties at one time or another, but you don’t lay your child on the floor and scatter 100 bills on her after winning the football pool and take pictures. The very sight of that sickened me and to this day I hate the movie with Demi Moore where she rolls in a bed of money. After that incident I knew things were going to go down hill for that clan.
A year later a son came into the mix -- still they didn’t settle down. The dad was arrested a few times for drug possession and DUI. One incident her husband had the kids in the car, running from the police as he tried to smoke the crack in his pipe. Her son told me “Daddy was driving so fast! Smoking that stuff and it stunk so badly!” A few run-ins with rehab and a couple slaps on the wrists for bad checks and what not it all turned for the worst, Jenny started missing work and if she was at work she was high. After multiple attempts to help her, I found I could do no more but to let her go.
Last Christmas she nearly broke into the house wanting me to buy a Toys R US gift card from her. I don’t have kids; I don’t need a 95 dollar gift card from there. She was messed up as she tried to explain to me why she needed the money. It broke my heart to see her like that, gaunt and pale, her shiny brown hair now dull and flat. Her whole spark in life was missing and her face vacant. After my third refusal to buy the card from her she left in a huff as I stood in my drive way dumbfounded.
This summer an eye opening experience for her family was made when they found her husband dead in the bed from an overdose of drugs. Her daughter refused to have anything to do with her and her kind hearted son was only confused more so.
Right now I think of those kids and what kind of Christmas they will be having this year without a father, and semi without a mother. I’ve heard they have moved in with parents of the husband and Jenny is trying to get straight.
I know there are sadder stories out there, which make me, worry more for the world.

Time flies….

AKA - No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth…
This has been one monster week for me, getting ready for school and working on the City projects along with the Big Lot lady. The City projects consist of making sure the holiday decorations are out shining brightly all throughout the area, I sort of enjoy checking on that. The Big Lot lady is having a Christmas party; she wants her whole lawn area perfect; hey, she’s a new house I can’t blame her there.
Now for the school topic, I was lucky enough to be placed in all the classes I requested. This means a lot of school time; since the cooler weather is here, it really puts a halt on working outside for me and its a perfect time to get some studies in. I need to really get on that and get school out of the way. Other than the fact that Bee insists that I drop by the greenhouse every day and check in, we are cool on that area.
Home, well Pops is on his way back to the Gulf, due to the fact that Mom seems to be feeling much better and one holiday is out of the way. We had a small bout of sickness on Friday but on Saturday she was in keen shape again. She and Lori have been working on school projects, such as cookies and candies along with stocking stuffers and nifty little fillers for the kids in Loris class.
I think Lori has a new man in her life; he’s not in the same class room as she, so that might be a benefit to her in her studies. She has me rolling on the ground, racing home to do homework and then get online to talk to her little buddies and gossip about the days happenings. “Oh, did you see what she had on today?”
As for Amy, Amy who? We never have the time to talk anymore, with us both running around for the holidays or a sick family member or work getting in our way. Maybe after the first of the year things may calm a bit for us to settle in. It’s a fact of life and we both have accepted it and work with what time we may have together.