2017 December 7-11

December Thursday the 7th started cold with drizzle. I stopped at the post office to pick up my new laptop and to mail some birthday cards.

Yesterday we had gone to Arik’s for supper and got home right around 9.

I started hand washing my white gloves in the morning and let them soak all day. When I got home I finished washing them and one of my white shirts. And hung them on a hanger in front of the fan to dry. I took my INR and found it at 2.7 and I checked my glucose which was 124.

Ella has gotten our Christmas cards and Christmas gifts ready for mailing. At work this morning I had to 5 screaming toddlers in a row. Over and over I have told the photo helpers to educate the parents on how to bring their kids to me. Have the children facing them, don’t oversell Santa to them, just bring them and quietly set them on my lap. If they are toddlers, I prefer them to set them down on the floor and let them come to me rather than be brought to me. If they are hesitant to come to me I can usually start playing a game with them and win their confidence so they will come and see me. These things of course take time and as the season goes on there will be less time for that.

I think there must be something in the water or in the air today because there seem to be more tears than smiles today.

An elderly couple (that means they were around my age) that had come in yesterday for photos came back today and brought me a cup of coffee.

My white gloves are becoming stretched out and it keeps sliding down and I realize that that is leaving me “m bare wrist”.

This is another day without a manager on the set. And according to the schedule everyone leaves at 4 and only one person is scheduled to come in at 3:30. And he is new this year has worked less than 1 month.

As I was leaving the mall I saw little tiny scattered flakes of very small snow hitting the windshield. By the time I got to the Leander library to pick up Ella it was snowing full force.

On the way home we stopped at Walmart to pick up prescriptions and a few other items. This is the Walmart that had to a fire of few weeks back. And they’re not fully open. Their Pharmacy and food department is open and they do have a section of Christmas related items that are now out and available.

One of the things that I wanted to purchase was a USB drive flash drive but since that department wasn’t open I was unable to get it at Walmart. So we drove over to Target. However we discovered the right next to the Target is a former OfficeMax that is now an Office Depot and they carry such things.

I went in to check on the price of that and found that they have a tech department that can do the transfer from my old laptop to my new laptop and give me a back up at the same time. So that’s what I’m going to do.

Friday the 8th started with 27 degrees. Fearing that the roads would be iced we left early only to find out that the roads were nice and clear. Which means I got Ella to the senior center about 8:30. And was at the mall by 9. I don’t start until 10 this week.

Saturday the 9th I left Ella at home while I worked today. I needed to stop for gas on the way.

Ella had a busy morning. She had the Christmas cards started, clothes ready to go to the laundromat and lots of dishes washed.

I was busy straight through from 9 to 3. Long lines were waiting to see Santa at the mall today. I had so much fun that I didn’t even notice that I hadn’t taken a break all day.

Ella asked me to buy about 50 more Christmas cards. So I stopped at Dollar General. They happened to have all holiday cards on half price. I purchased two books of 36 each.

Sunday 10th I had my only day off between now and Christmas day. We attended worship and Sunday school. We are lunch at Taco Bell. From there went to the laundromat to wash three bags of clothes. I sat on the big comfy couch. I was listening to one of my sermons that was recorded years ago. The next thing I knew, Ella was waking me to help her with folding clothes. That’s kind of sad to admit that I went to sleep listening to my own sermon.

Monday 11th I started work an hour earlier than I have been. This will be the new normal until Christmas. This also means dropping Ella off an hour earlier at the senior center.

I arrived early and got ready and then I sit here it’s after 9 and no one has come to get me to take me to the set. I took a peek over the mezzanine railing and there’s nobody on the set.

So I sat there for an hour before somebody showed up. Although MY schedule (given to me by the regional manager) said that I was to begin at 9, the mall doesn’t open until 10 this week. Once again I am just amazed at the job this new company is doing.

After work, Ella and I went to Office Depot to retrieve my new laptop. I’d left it Friday, along with my old laptop, so that they could transfer all of my files to the new one.

From there to pick up meds.

Follow this link to see me in action with some special needs kids http://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/news/local/special-needs-children-enjoy-quiet-meeting-time-with-santa-claus/269-496569742