Saturday, December 31, 2022

CANDLES FOR K

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Last week I spoke with my very dear friend from high school. Sadly, her brother died, much too young. I also knew him in high school, although not well. He was a member of our school's elite singing group. He was never anything other than pleasant and kind. 

He later married a good friend of his sister's, whom I also knew. Now she's a widow. They have children and grandchildren who will miss him.

He had continued to be involved in music as an adult and volunteered at his church's food pantry. 

It's a terrible loss for my friend, and for their mother, who is 88. 

I didn't know what to do, so I lit a candle in his memory.

Every evening since I learned of his death, I've lit candles in the front window of my house.

,

Tomorrow night I'll light candles for all the dear lost ones of 2022. 

I wish you all well for 2023. 


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

Thursday, December 29, 2022

GO HOME! JUST GO HOME!

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Fortunately, I am home and quite comfortable. It's our slow season at work, so in between handling small tasks, I can read, or  I can open my personal laptop for some blogging. I'm not neglecting my work. I simply don't have a lot of work to do now.

We were under some pressure to be in the office once a month for in-person meetings and to socialize over a provided lunch. That pressure is gone for now because the higher uppities decided they want our offices to be in a different part of the city, close to many restaurants and high-end shopping. Our former space was rented to someone else immediately, so a month-to-month continuation of the lease was impossible. The new space is being remodeled and it has been alleged it will be ready in March. I'm betting on June or July.

 I don't want to go to the new office. The traffic is terrible. If I should be required at some point to return to the office full time, that would be my breaking point.

I was supposed to go to a friend's for Christmas dinner. She texted me during the morning to say she was ill. I'm sorry she didn't feel well, but I was fine with staying at home to enjoy my favorite Christmas movies and a simple dinner. 

I thought I was done with Christmas shopping for myself after I bought three pairs of flannel jammies from Victoria's Secret. But I ended up getting myself a new office chair, too. I couldn't relax in the one I bought from the furniture store when I purchased my desk. On Mondays, I had no back pain. It commenced on Tuesday afternoons, and by the end of the week I had a constant sharp pain in my back, beneath my right shoulder blade. I needed a chair that allowed me to lean back and get comfy. And I found one. It even has a heat function, similar to a heating pad on the lowest setting. The warmth comforts my back and bottom.


I did not want to make any purchases on the larger side until at least March, but my back demanded I spend the money. 

I'm especially happy that work is slow now because I'm having annoying issues with the work computer stuff. My supervisor noticed yesterday that I don't have access to a particular application that I would seldom use and am not trained to use. He insisted that I call IT so they could make the %^&*$#! piece of shite work for me. No one in IT knew how to take care of it. Finally, someone who is supposed to know this stuff contacted me to ask what the problem was. He said he would send a temporary password for the application and once I used it to gain access, I could set a new password for myself. 

Instead, he sent me a password for an application I use all the time, which caused me to be kicked out of the system and unable to perform the little bit of work I did have. Again, I called IT. Again, no one knew what to do. Again, the knowledgeable person contacted me. He helped me get into the application I need and asked me to share my screen so he could be sure of what I needed with the application I don't need. When he saw what I was trying to do, he said, Oh, no. We can't help with that.

Christ on a cracker.

I was again locked out this morning but managed to get back in on my own. I am ignoring a message from the knowledgeable person and communicating as little as possible with my supervisor in the hope he will forget his need for me to have an application that no one can help me get into and I don't know how to use.

I was very grumpy upon being locked out this morning, but my mood is gradually lightening. Florida is out of the freezer. My backdoor is open so Franklin and Penelope can run in and out as they please. I can use my important work systems, at least for now. I enjoyed reading your most recent blog posts. They helped me feel better as well, as did writing this post with my complaints, which you should feel free to ignore.

My recent training was not very successful, and more training is to take place soon. I fear I'm being made a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug











Tuesday, December 27, 2022

DOGGY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

It's cold in Florida. At least in my part of the state we don't have iguanas. When South Florida gets cold enough––and it's cold enough––iguanas fall out of the trees. I would not want an iguana landing on my head.


Since Friday, we've had temps in the 20s at night. This is the longest period of extended cold I've experienced during my 13 1/2 years in Florida. Of course, much of the U.S. suffers from far worse with whiteout conditions from a blizzard and snow falling so fast that the plows can't keep up with it.

How much snow do you have?

When Franklin went out for his morning potty on Monday, he came in shivering. I felt so sorry for him. I've never seen my thick-coated dog shiver before.

He found a sunbeam in the family room and I covered him with a blanket.


After a bit, he moved to his bed and took the blanket with him. My guy needed a nap.


Penelope likes to bunch up the blanket on the living room couch to make a nest for herself.


By afternoon, the temperature was up to about 50 and Franklin was ready to spend a few minutes on the deck.



I also took off his elf jammies after getting this photo, although he never tried to remove them on his own, which shocked me. Maybe Franklin has changed his opinion about clothing in his old age.

Stay warm!

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug



Saturday, December 24, 2022

PENELOPE SPEAKS: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT KISSMAS OF MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE

 Merry Kissmas! I knew you would visit me today because Santa Paws comes tonight!


When I wear my Santa Paws sweater, I carry Santa with me everywhere I go.

But now I have something new to wear because Santa let me have one gift early. You won't believe what it is!


It's a new hoodie! I am so excited.


Mom Mom said Santa gave me this beautiful garment because it is very, very cold here. Santa is worried about me. 

I love you, Santa Paws.

But I think something even more important has happened. Santa Paws is using this gift to send me a sign.

Santa knows that this hoodie is the costume for a character in my favorite movie, the one about the little reindeer who can fly. 


Every time I watch this movie, I cry when the other reindeer pick on Rudolph and won't let him play reindeer games. I cry for him because I know how he feels. You know that I am a poor, sad abused little doggy. Mom Mom ruined the secret passage to France and Mom Mom neglects me because of the stupid work thing. And she's always cackling with that Rubekkkkuh.

But then I am so happy when Santa asks Rudolph to help him deliver presents to all the good children and good doggies. When Santa and Rudolph and the other reindeer fly off I know they are bringing presents to me. 

I also cry when Rudolph visits The Island of Misfit Toys. The toys are so sad because no one wants them. I am crying now just thinking about it. Aaaaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaaah  It is so sad. Waaaaaaaaah Waaaaaaaaaah

No one should be unwanted. It gets better again when my friend Santa goes to get the toys so children can have them again. I am dressed as the pink polka-dotted elephant.


I am sure Santa brought me this beautiful costume because it's his way of letting me know that I will star as the elephant toy in a sequel to the movie, or maybe a reboot of the original, the best movie ever. I am so excited. When I get the call telling me I have the starring role, I will be ready. Maybe the movie will even be made in France! And I will bark in French!

I can't wait. When I know I am the star, I will tell Mom Mom how foolish she was when she ruined my journey to France, and I will not take her there with me. Poor, stupid Mom Mom. Everyone will admire me and applaud me and I will walk on a red carpet and not even pee on it. Just you wait and see.

So now I say to you my loyal fans, Merry Kissmas and I am coming soon to a theater near you.



Friday, December 23, 2022

FRANKLIN FRIDAY: YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT MOM'S DONE TO ME NOW

 Hi. It's me, Franklin the Bordernese and geeze louise. Mom has gone and done it now.

First it was, Here sweetheart, put on the elf hat so I can take your picture and then you can dig in the yard. So I wore the damn hat and then shook it right off and did my digging.


But then Mom said, Come here, buddy, I have something extra special for you. You're my boyfriend and I can't wait to see how much you love this present.

I couldn't resist that. I thought she'd give me a hamburgerger or something else really great. Instead, this is what she did to me:


Mom made me into a flippin' elf.


I turned my back on her. I was indinadignant. That means being upset and angry because you're an elf.

Mom just kept right on taking pictures of me and telling me how adorable I was. I only got one tiny treat. I don't like to use bad words, but I told Ole Penlapee, This is bullshit. She laughed.


But then it was time to go out to potty before bed. It was raining. It takes a lot of time for my thick fur to dry after I'm out in the rain.

I discubbered that my hair didn't get as wet with my elf suit on! That was a good thing!

It's also pretty chilly here and it's supposed to get really really cold this weekend. Prolly colder than I've ever been before.

I slept in the elf suit last night. It was the first time I ever wore jammies.




Maybe being an elf isn't too bad.

So now I say Bye bye bye bye. I'm Franklin the Bordernese and I'm a cozy elf when I wear these.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

FRANKLIN FRIDAY ON A TUESDAY: IT'S THE MOST WUNNERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

Hi! Hi! Hi! It's me me me Franklin and I don't lift my leg on Kissmas trees!

Mom said if I would put on this hat and get my picture taken then I could go out to dig in the yard all I wanted.

So I said, HO HO HO!




 

Then I shook that damn hat off my head and ran outside to dig and dig and dig!



Merry Kissmas from me me me Franklin the Bordernese!