What About An Emergency Equals A 30 Day Wait?

Ok, so yesterday I posted about how I was notified that I lost my disability benefits and have no income. So today I went to the local public aid office, completed application in hand, proof of my no income and bank statement copies. Everything I could possibly need to facilitate an emergency application for food stamps and cash. I was made to wait for 2 hours for my "interview" for my emergency application. When my name was called I was told that it would take 30 days. Really? What about the word emergency equates to a 30 day wait? When I asked about my "interview", I was told that was it, buh bye. I was like...wait a minute, I'm applying for emergency assistance, I was told I would be "interviewed" today. The worker told me my case worker was not in and there was nothing she could do. I walked over to the security guard to ask what I could do because 30 days to wait on an emergency is seriously unreasonable. She said to take the next place in line at the counter and ask for a supervisor, which I did. I was told that I could ask for a supervisor, but I would be told the same thing...30 days, and I would have to wait an unknown amount of time to talk to a supervisor. My back was already screaming from sitting for 2 hours in those uncomfortable kiddy chairs they have. I told him never mind and left. Then I went to the township office to talk to them about it because I'd remembered reading somewhere that they provide emergency assistance when public aid can't. Of course the social services person was out of the office, so I left my name and number. They called me back a few minutes ago and told me they only help when you get a utility disconnect notice and recommended I contact my congressmen.

Merry f'n Christmas to me.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Perfect Timing...

I just got notified today that my disability benefits have been terminated. Merry F'n Christmas to me. That means I have no income. WTF? There are no jobs out there. I've been applying for jobs for months and nothing.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

It Happened At Daycare

Writer's prompt - It happened at daycare from Mama's Losin' It.

When my kids were younger they went to a variety of daycare centers. Both home run, church run, hospital run and a privately owned local daycare center.

The privately owned local daycare center was a well run establishment. Lots of friendly staff. We didn't really know any of the other parents, but got an invite from one of them for a birthday party for their child. The daycare center owner took us aside and told us not to go to the party. She provided no explanation why we shouldn't go. So my mind wandered...considering all the possibilities...

Could the parents be drug dealers or gang members?
Could the parents own guns in the household?
Are the couple weirdos or clingy people who once you go to an event you can't have any peace?
Could the place where they live be a dump?
Is the husband a screamer/abuser?

I don't know the answer, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. Still, we did not go. What would you have done? Would you have gone to find out for yourself if one of my possibilities was true, or even something I never considered?

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Today we picked Julie Andrews. Here’s Wednesday Wickedness!

1. “All love shifts and changes. I don’t know if you can be wholeheartedly in love all the time.”
Have ever felt that you’ve been in love with someone constantly over a long period of time? I guess it depends on how long you mean, but in general I'd say yes.

2. “I am an optimistic lady.”
How optimistic are you? I'd say I'm fairly optimistic. If I weren't, I don't know how I would have gotten through the tough times.

3. “I don’t think today’s younger audience… would even know what 1920s musicals were like.”
Do you have any knowledge of 1920 films or musicals? If yes, any favorites?
Charlie Chaplin movies. Don't care for them though.

4. “I hate the word wholesome.”
Play word association. I say “wholesome” and you say: Vanilla.

5. “I have always wished I could learn to be a potter. I love collecting ceramics; it would be so fulfilling to create something lovely.”
What have you always wished that you could be? Employed in a very well paying job with lots of vacation time, and a friendly, supportive boss.

6. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.”
Tell us about something that you had to persevere through. Hello! Read my blog!

7. “Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me, it is a kind of order that sets me free to fly.”
How do you define your self discipline? Knowing when to stop. (Applies to just about anything.)

8. “Sometimes opportunities float right past your nose. Work hard, apply yourself, and be ready. When an opportunity comes you can grab it.”
Have you ever missed a golden opportunity? Hellz yeah! But I try not to dwell on those and try to move forward.

9. “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and… SNAP! The job’s a game!”
Have you ever had that perfect job that was always entertaining? I've never had the perfect job...but all of them have been entertaining in one way or another.

10. “Sometimes I’m so sweet even I can’t stand it.”
Has anyone ever considered you as sweet?
Actually yes...quite a few peeps.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

I'm Making Cookies...Hand Me A Hammer And WD-40...

Sunday we had a cooking baking/Bears game viewing get together at a friend's house. (Ok, can I first say dat da Bears are embearassing?)

We made Sugar Cookies, Pfeffernüsse, Hershey Secret Kiss Cookies, Spritz Cookies, Kolachke, Almond Crescents, and Peanut Butter Cookies. (Wayyyyy too many Peanut Butter Cookies.) It was 3 of us adults making the dough for each and one of the kids helped decorate the Sugar Cookies. (Thank you!) Of course all the kids were around when the cookies came out of the oven!

So where does the hammer and WD-40 come in? Doesn't every dyke require a hammer and WD-40 to make cookies? I brought my KitchenAid stand mixer (Awesome! Love it! It made some of the really stiff doughs a breeze to mix.) The hammer comes in when the bowl gets stuck in the KitchenAid base and no matter how hard each of us pulled to try to free it we just couldn't do it. So I asked the hostess for a hammer and began tapping on the side of the bowl, tapping on the underside of the base, and tapping the bowl handle. One of the other adults asked for WD-40 and we sprayed it around where the bowl attaches to the base. We tried a butter knife to try to pry into the space between the bowl and base. Couldn't budge it more than a couple centimeters after all of that! Finally, I had the hostess take firm hold of the base while I tried to push the bowl in the opposite direction. It moved a couple centimeters. We tried again, a couple more centimeters. And again, and finally the bowl was freed from the base! OMG! We laughed so hard! One of the kids took video of part of the struggle. It was hilarious! OMG! We could not stop laughing. Sorry I can't post the video here, the video is on a camera that cannot upload to a pc.

So...have you been baking cookies for the holidays? What have you baked?

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Reason to Believe

1. Has anyone asked you to believe in something that called for a huge leap of faith on your part? Can't really think of anything.

2. When is the last time you moved? Why did you move? I moved to suburbia 6 years ago. I moved to be closer to Anastasia's family. Now I'm stuck out here.

3. Malls? ..or one Internet? Are you doing more online shopping this year? The polls say we are, but I’m curious about what the real people are doing. I don't do malls. I do Target, Walmart, Kmart and Meijer. It's about equal, about 1/2 online, 1/2 in store.

4. Do you remember the first meme you participated in and if so, what was it? Probably would be 8 things about me or something like that.

5. If you could invent something, what would it be? I don't know, but whatever it would be I would want it to be the next "thing" and I would want it to sell bazzillions of units to make me lots of moola!

6. Are you finished with your shopping? Do you still a few things to go? What? Not even a game plan? …or is there just one person you’re having trouble finding something for? I think I'm done...except for buying my son a birthday present.

7. What’s left to do at your place (or where you are going)? Is the tree up? …or maybe you’re just happy you found the Christmas coffee mug and are calling that good? Everything is left to do! The Christmas tree and ornaments are still in the attic and I don't have a single gift wrapped.

8. Is your life turning out the way you thought it would when you were a kid? If not, is it better or worse? I can't even remember that far back anymore!

9. Tell us about something you’ll miss about 2010. I'd rather not say.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010

Randomness

Soooo...What are you all doing for New Year's Eve? I still don't know what I'm doing. In years past I've either stayed home, gone to or hosted a house party where guests were welcome to crash til morning, or in the distant past...bar hopped by bus where I was once a freakin' walking New Year's Eve Party.

Wednesday I took my son to the orthopedic doctor. He got a walking cast. Not because it's broken, but because that way his ankle and foot will stay stable to promote healing because he really injured it badly. His toes were even bruised purple! He gets the cast off in 3 weeks. I am not thrilled that I have to drive him to the freakin' bus stop and pick him up every day though, but I don't want him breaking the cast or getting the boot or the cast wet...and with the snow, getting it wet will be guaranteed on a 3 block walk. And realistically, falling and breaking his neck is a possibility too. And I did call the bus company for the high school...they refuse to do door to door...even...with a doctor's note! That's bs! Their excuse was that there were way too many high school kids with casts on their legs to accommodate everyone. Again! BS! I've had bus drivers for my kids in junior high who gave my kids door to door service when it was raining or snowing, so to not do so for a kid with a cast or on crutches is BS! Anyone out there not clear on that? It's BS!

...My son will only learn that the knit cap I wrapped around his foot (because even his big men's socks won't fit over the cast) and strapped his boot over will keep his feet warm (and not look very cool, but so what? Isn't Spiderman still in?) when he gets a frost bitten toe! He actually told me when I picked him up from the bus stop and noticed the missing Spiderman knit cap that it fell off. It fell off? Really? The boot that goes over the walking cast is like a ginormous sandal with straps...exactly how did it fall off?

RIP Ron Santo. His funeral is today. Anyone going to the funeral or the simulcast at Wrigley Field? I just heard about the Wrigley Field thing today, but a bunch of people I know did want to go to the viewing and funeral and I could have tagged along, but we all thought that because the area for the public was so small, that it would just be a waste of time. Who wants to stand in a line in the cold in a crowd and not even be able to see it?

So...how bout dem Sox? Konerko...$37.5 million...seriously?

How bout da Bears? How do you think the big game is going to go on Sunday? I'm rooting for da Bears, but I don't know if they're gonna be able to pull off a win.

Did anyone see "O" on Babwa wa wa? She said she's not a lesbian. Bwhahwhahahahahah!

Oh...and the Christmas tree? It's still in the attic with the ornaments. However, we do have Christmas stockings up. My son went up in the attic on Tuesday and brought them down. No doubt he overheard me saying that Saint Nicholas can't come if you don't hang your stockings. Unfortunately I tried it with Santa Claus, Santa can't come unless he has a decorated tree to put the gifts under, but I doubt it's gonna work. The reason being...Saint Nicholas usually puts a little candy in the stockings. Santa does bring candy. Lol!

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010