Good deed done

I don't know if a person can claim that a good deed is completed if the "good deed" is related to a family member.

I just got off the phone with my mother; we were on the phone for an hour. The last time we spoke was around Christmas. Since then, she has called me twice and I have not bothered to listen to the voicemails. I assume they would go something like this: "It's your mother...haven't talked to you in awhile... I'm good here...Spice [the cat] is good too..I'm reading a lot...you got me addicted to books!...call me sometime."

She is so phenomenally predictable.

Tonight, she repeated lines from a previous conversation two times. Repeating one's self seems normal enough, but if you barely talk to someone on the phone and she is repeating herself, then that's an issue. My mother talked about WalMarK...one of the most annoying words that she says. She also continues the k-for-a-t pattern when she says KMarK. She calls my sister-in-law Ray-leen, when the name is Raelen. Mispronunciations are her strong point.

She also repeated something from our last conversation. Basically, she since makes NO income, she gets lot of deductions on her bills and get free things such as cell phone minutes. Each month, she gets 4 hours of free cell phone minutes and for a mere $5.00, she could get three more hours. In my mother's words, "Sometimes it pays to be poor."

She is such an irritating and selfish individual whose utterly predictable behavior induces me to have an instant headache.

So...I did my good deed for the week...spoke to her for over an hour and did not once scoff, breathe heavily and irritatedly, or say a short, sarcrastic response to her. Now, I'll just wait another three months until I once again talk to "Whiting" (she's identified in my phone by the name of the town where she lives).

The devil and the angel

Recently, work has been stressful. Even more emphasis is being placed on the standardized tests and I find myself using timers all the time, saying statements like, "You'll have 45 minutes for this task when you take the NJASK." We have a new teacher evaluation model in place and I feel like no matter what I do, I am destined for a 3 ("average") or even a 2 (needs improvement).

At a recent team meeting, a few of us were discussing how we know others in different occupations who make more or = what we make, plus they have the added bonus of less stress-inducing factors (parents, state tests, administration, etc). The topic of bartending came up.  One of my co-workers said she feels like calling a resort in the Caribbean, inquiring about hiring opportunities, and flying down to that location over spring break.

My sister is a bartender in Florida and I definitely see the allure of the job. She lives about five blocks from the beach, works outside in the later afternoon/ evening hours, and gets to have fun. I doubt that it is entirely an "easy" job; you do have to deal with alcoholics and people drowning sorrows with liquor. As a temporary gig though, it could be fun.

My sister is tall and tan with sun-kissed blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She can walk into any bar and get hired instantly.

I am shorter and pale with mousy brown hair and bright blue eyes. 25% of me matches her. I would not be able to walk into a bar and instantly get hired.

I did, however, come up with a "occupation plan." By myself, I may not have much allure, but when you combine two sisters together, people are instantly fascinated. I imagine us bartending on the beach, with some nickname related to our sibling status and opposite personalities. I could see my sister working the bar with a small top, short red leather skirt, devil horns, and strategically placed tail. I could wear a white tank top, longER skirt, and a halo headband. Angel and devil are so cliched and overplayed, but I bet we'd be talked about bartenders for awhile. It's so cheesy that it could actually work.