Christmas Shopping, Pet-Sitting, and Piss-poor Spanish Skills

Sunday was my day to deliver the publication down to Redding. I woke up around 6am, and was packed and loaded with the publication and on the road by 7:30. Not bad. However, it was about 15*F here, and 12*F over the hill when I gassed up. (That's about -9*C and -11*C). Yep. Cold. Fortunately the roads were not icy.

I pulled into Redding around 11, had lunch with Mom and then spent the entire afternoon Christmas shopping. Mom usually helps me buy stuff for everyone in the family, because I never know what to get my grandparents or my aunt and uncle. My parents I can sometimes think of something on my own, but not always. Plus, it's always a good excuse for the two of us to enjoy some quality Mother-Daughter time. We tend to have a few good laughs. The kind that make other patrons either look at us funny, or make comments like, "It's nice to see such a relationship". Usually it's the former.

We started off at Target, visited Kohl's, paid homage to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Pier One, World Market, the mall for a soda and a Godiva chocolate bar while we shopped, a beauty store, back to Target, off to Lowe's, and then it was pizza for dinner - take out. While in Bed, Bath, & Beyond, we were making silly comments on things, and giggling. At one point, my mom picked up this tiny Santa Suit saying it was the perfect size for Libby, although the hat was just way too small. I always roll my eyes when my mom picks up doggy clothes because I don't necessarily thing dogs need clothes. However, I will give my mom props for not buying Libby anything blinding, embarrassing, or just plain hideous. As we were staring at this particular Santa suit, it suddenly dawns on us that it's a wine bottle hugger. We both started laughing. To the point of tears and worried we may pee our pants. After that, every time we saw a "wine bottle hugger" we started giggling uncontrollably.

I got all but Mom done on Sunday, and then I went back into town Monday morning to buy something for her, run my errands and continue my delivery route.

I got home in Sticksville around 7pm-ish. I unloaded everything into my living room, repacked my over-night bag with my work clothes, grabbed my work coat and muck-boots and ran back out the door. Our neighbors, the H's were gone for a couple nights and had asked me to house-sit again. Luckily their ranch hand was going to take care of the sheep this time, and all I really had to do was look after one dog and a few cats. It was so freaking cold I slept with the heater on high all night. But when they're gone, they prefer someone be there at night to make sure everything is okay. I woke up, fed the dog and cats, and sped off to feed cows at my grandparents ranch by 7am this morning. I got a call from the H's this evening telling me they were heading home and to just make sure the one dog is in on the porch where it's warm. They should be home by now. So my two nights of pet-sitting turned into one.

Today at work at the Sticksville clinic, I called the main clinic to go over appointments for tomorrow. The girl started rattling off stuff and I was like, "Whoa! I have appointments during those times" and got a reply of, "You do?" Anyway, the vet will be running round to a few ranches working some cows. I had to call and reschedule a few appointments. Everyone was fine with it and understood. I feel horrible doing that, but according the main clinic, these ranches all called this week and said this cattle work had to be done this week. I'm quite sure they knew this stuff was coming down the pike, so I'm a little clueless as to how all of a sudden they're realizing they were running out of time. Anyhoo, one client I had to call is Hispanic and I know the adults in the family don't speak much English. Their kids do, and usually one of them is present when they come in the clinic to help translate. I nearly had a panic attack calling this gal because my high school Spanish is bad. Like, really bad. I mean, I can introduce myself, ask how you are and reply, thank someone, ask where the bathrooms are, and apologize (all of it very slowly). That's about it. So, here's how my conversation went with this very nice Hispanic lady:

Lady: Bien.

Me: Hola. Habla ingles?

Lady: No.

Me: shit. Um, me llamo Jamie . . . from the vet clinic?

Lady: Oh, si.

Me: you can do this-you can do this-I can't do this!! Um . . . para Marshmellow?

Lady: Si! says something and then . . . 1:30?

Me: Si. Um . . . okay, pero. . . I don't know the words! I should know this! Um . . . is 1:00 okay?? sigh. shake head. utter shame.

Lady: Oh si! Okay. 1:00.

Me: sigh of relief. Oh muchas gracias!

Lady: De nada. Adios.

I swear, my high school Spanish teacher would die of a coronary after hearing that.