Thursday Thoughts ...

Today is just a random day, so why not a random blog? LOL ...

Talked to my mom today. Holiday plans are definitely up in the air. She asked what we'd do for family get-togethers once she and Daddy have passed, and I honestly couldn't say. Not that I don't know - we'll stop them altogether ... and each go our merry way. But voicing that to Mom would have been a little too brutally honest. So ... I just hemmed and hawed and said "I dunno, I suppose we have time to figure it out". Yes, call me chicken!

Speaking of holidays, DIL wants to put a tree up this year. I usually don't fuss, not with the kids grown up, but with Grandson living here, we'll make a little fuss. Very little as far as I'm concerned. I've never been one to put up much more than a tree, and stockings when the kids were younger. Don't feel we need to go hog wild now. They can go hog wild when they have their own house.

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I finally talked to Alien today. It's been a few weeks so I called her to see if she was still around. LOL. She's still around. She's working two jobs now. Good for her! They're both part time, but hey, it's work! She's doing payroll for some payroll company and is now doing mystery shopping, too, with another company. I used to mystery shop and loved it! Alien said she'd find out from her supervisor if they have openings for me to fill - just so it won't take away from her "shops". She says she'll ask the next time they talk. In the meantime, she had a million questions for me (her first "shop" is tomorrow). I can't wait to hear all about it!!

It's funny, I hate shopping. Grocery, clothing, appliance ... any type of shopping. But the best jobs I've ever had were shopping related. Mystery shopper, which I did for seven years. I also was a comparative shopper (comp shopper) for one of those national warehouse stores. That was fun, too!! I got to go spy on the competition and report my findings back to the management where they'd determine if we had to lower our prices, raise them, or offer an item on special limited time sale to match the competitions prices. Either job had to be done with extreme caution ... getting "busted" by the store I was either mystery or comp-ing was something to avoid at all costs. I never got busted ... and in fact, would have lost my job(s) had that happened. It was close once, but thinking on my feet, I told the manager who had approached me that my father was in physical therapy at the hospital up the road, and I often came to this strip mall to kill time whilst he was in with his therapists. A lie, but they believed me. My job was safe. LOL!

Granted, Mystery shopping will never pay the mortgage (or rent), but it is good money ... think I'll see if I can get back into the company I worked with, as well as applying for the one Alien is working for ... maybe see if there's anyone looking for Comp shoppers, too ... heaven knows I was good ... no ... great ... spying on the competition.