Last Day of Work!!!
Ok, ok … here we are. We’ve made it over the tough stuff and we’re headed down the last leg. Just two more hours and we’re headed home. These are the quiet hours. Candice is here and probably Margarita and Holly, but they are all at their separate corners. Candice and I have been talking … it’s been real nice. Now’s the part where we wait it out to see if Sr. will send us home earlier or not. I think she has the majority of her in the Christmas spirit.But, you know what … we gotta tell you the hit of the party this year … I was so excited I could have dropped over in a faint. It was soooo exciting. After the client party – the part where they finished their lunches and danced for a while, Sr. sent me back to the staff dining room. I’d been with her watching the clients in the back of the lunchroom and front as she dived in and out taking care of one thing or another. I think me being in there was helpful to her, because I hung with the rowdier crowd. It’s like I remember it in the old days before Candice when I used to watch the big group. It is still tiring on the nerves. I think Sr. has got monumental insides. They are going to need doing a study of how her body and mind works after she goes. She keeps going and going.
But, anyway … we had together gotten the group through a slow lunch and then some and they were starting to dance, which is easier to moniter, I guess, because she said I could go rejoin the staff. It didn’t take too much because I was ready for a break from the noise and excitement. There were maybe 5-6 people finishing up on their seconds, but others were already done. I glanced over at the food table. There was soooo much food left over. It would have been impossible to eat all that was made … but, it was welcoming to see – and I bet to eat. Afterward, when cleaning up we stuck our finger in each the potatoes and meatballs to lick, but we didn’t go any further than that. NOOOO FOOOD!
Anyway … we did a little free chatting. We sat between Rich and Cathy. Holly was talking to Rich so we let that go and talked to Cathy and than Sue and later brandy as they sat down. And, soon after they were getting to the part of bringing over presents. Holly did most of the handing out of presents, but it was a little choppy. Some of the people had to go look for their own presents and some delivered theirs to their cringle person. Sue had me and she got me some kind of electronic storage toy hehehe without the directions. I’ll try to look it up online. And, then she gave me this fun tapestry bag that she said I could carry my doctorate dissertation. Well, gosh darn that gave me a mighty good chuckle. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She said I could come over if I wanted for Christmas, but most likely I’ll spend the time with Rich and then retire to all the glorious writing. I don’t know if most people really understand how important it is to me. It might only go as far as like directing someone to me because they know that – hey … Ann likes to write!
ANNNYWAY … we are diverging from the main story….
Most the staff gifts were small – as they had to be for the amount of money spent, and a good many went out that were like bath salts or lotions. We’ll have to see if I make it a year without them yet. *Sigh* I think that Margarita liked her gift, but she didn’t say much about it yet. I don’t know if she has not enough bowls, or too many bowls. I think she appreciated them for not being typical “cheap” bowls. While they were not gourmet or anything, they were nice. Candice reported back they were non-slip too. That took some extra looking, so obviously at least one person stopped to look – who knew bowls … They had an interesting rubber edging on the bottom.
I made sure to tell Margarita that I expected to be invited over for FOOD! Hehehe. I think maybe Margarita in the whole scope of things happy that she didn’t get bath soaps J She’s a practical person … I told her they were red hot for a red hot Guatemalan! I’m pretty sure God led me straight to them. No messin around!
The big deal is coming up here now. Brandi understood a little of my tenseness so she brought over the presents for Sr. Theresa and then Rich as if by Cue said, I’ll get sister Theresa – I’ll go watch the group. I said, you?! Are you kidding? He chuckled. I know he lives and breathes this world, but its not too often he slows down to take on a whole group. BUT, for the record …umm he just stood at the door. HMPF *Giggle*
Anyway, Sister came in and we told her these two presents were hers … nobody else had saved a present for this time so we figured private. I think we said that. Sister’s a fast opener … so my heart was going thumpity-thump. She seemed to be in a good mood … I pointed out that these two presents were from Rich and Us. She clarified if she had the right side of the box open and we said yes. Her first statement after she opened the box … was, “Is that a cat??!!” And, we said, well sorta … it’s not a real cat … see?? And we were reaching into the box to pull it out by it’s fleece blanket, and then we laid it down in her arms. It’s like the kind of cat you might like. It’s because of CARF …. On an on …. Everything that’s been building up since we got it came bubbling out – see it is breathing?! We could see from her face that she was captivated by it. It had caught her heart. Oh man I was about to explode I was so proud. I’d gotten something that made her eyes mushy. I told her that now we would pass … ok, we been there.
We then gave others a chance to talk about it and say there coos and ahh’s and all … people touched it and so and there was some gathering around. And, before the excitement had died down all together, we said, but there’s more … he has a sister … you need to open the other box. And, then Sister said something like oh my Lord, and we told her about not wanting them to get lonely. And, we were telling her about putting them in different parts of the building to catch unsuspecting people as to having real pets and all. She seemed so happy with the pets. And, after a while – she said … I think we’ll I’ll take them into the multi-purpose room. And Margarita was right behind her and I said, Margarita quick help! But Sister put one in each hand – bedding and all and said I think I can get this … And, then it was like me too me too I wanna watch.
Oh my God. It was like following a rock star into an auditorium. Sister passed Rich on the way in and Sr. said something to him like thank you – I suppose this was your idea?! And, Rich was so cute, he said no not my idea. Sister about giggled … I guess WE ALL KNOWW about ANN! Hehehe
So, anyway Sister takes a couple steps into the room which is like now the dance floor. She passes two people and that’s where the magic happens. It was like putting a strong magnetic field in the middle of a giant polar devise. All of a sudden – not screams mind you, but oooohs and ahhhs, people started to pull in tight and I saw the arms outstretching and reaching in and I can’t even explain it proper. As far as these guys were concerned it might as well have been two real cats and these cats would have had to be the most important thing, because it was immediately important that all people in the room hover as close as they could around Sister Theresa. She looked back so that we could capture her knowing look … she was handing them the gift of Christmas in their wonder and amazement. It was all so cool. Then, she passed on her bundles to two people and as those two constellations separated, two crowds evolved around each of them and the ooohs and ahhhs continued and people each took turns holding and looking at the animals and taking turns holding them – although some of our young motherly type women were adamant that only they could hold them as distinctly well they did.
It was a heavenly slice of pie straight from the oven! But, it got even better … sister and to a little extent Rich and certainly us and maybe another staff or two continued to watch and before the flames had died out and the chaos turned to Santa Claus – Sister opened the flour to what shall we name them. That caused a flutter – especially around a few of the kitty-dedicated women – I remember the name of one was something like fluffy – hehehe although these were definitely short-haired cats. And, the other was Spanish for meow or cat I think … it sounded at least like Meow. But, I don’t remember it. The clients decided that naturally the black and white cat was to be a boy cat and that the white cat was to be the female. I don’t know if sister is going to dare put them up because I think she’s a little afraid of losing them, but we shall see.
Oh – there was another wonderful moment when the clients realized secondarily that the kitties were “breathing” – that was one of those moments when they all had to come touch again. I remember telling one of the clients who was afraid to touch the moving stomach that it was ok, because he wasn’t really alive. And, it was the same kind of feeling when passed around at another round that if you put them closely to your ear – you would be able to hear them humming. Oh man oh man … so many happy moments. I’m pretty sure we’re going to take this long past our grave.
There are more Christmassey thoughts to get past, but right now … we’re about ready to head out the door. We’re going to close her down I think we have to stop in the wash room and then we’re like so majorly gone ! Whoosh!
posted by Ann Marie @ 12/22/2007 03:24:00 AM
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