I slept in sooooooo late this morning. I didn't get up till 9:29 sharp. The kids had been up for quite a while, but not as long as they would have been if the lightning and thunder hadn't awakened them at 3:30 this morning and kept them awake for a while.

After they got up, I woke up lots of times for a second or two each time. At one point I asked my princess to check and see what everyone was doing. Then I had a little dream that she came back and told me - it was something to do with a tiny rabbit??? - but I was fine with it and happily went back to sleep. Much later I woke up enough to realize that I hadn't gotten the answer that I wanted, and was relieved when all they turned out to be doing was watching Herbie.

In a bit we'll go to the park while it's still sunny, before the next round of rain hits later today, and give them a chance to try out their "new" rollerblades somewhere besides the living room.

I will keep the Dervish's adrenaline strips in my pocket (thank you, Neaksis <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />) and slip them to my niece and nephews when no one is looking. Maybe I'd better have one, too.

Then, when we get home I will try and find someplace to put the bagpipes where no one will ever ever find them again.

If any of you had a Christmas that was less than merry, just picture me shut up in the house with six little children and a bagpipe, and you will feel so much better. See? It could always be worse. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am still dumbfounded. Bagpipes.

Well, I had to remind myself where we left off, it has been so long since I've been in here. The next item that had to be tackled after shutting down her little email eavesdropping project was that of getting company equipment back from her.

Just as with sending a full total for the amount owed, she had promised some time earlier to mail out the uniform and office key, knowing that she would be reimbursed for postage. As time dragged on, I asked several more times for the company items and she ignored me.

Then came the point where we were losing the office because there was no money left in the corporation to pay the rent, and we had to get the keys back to them. The idea of leaving her with a key to somebody else's property was almost as scary as her having a grudge and uniforms. Who could even imagine what someone with so much malicious inventiveness would do? I really didn't want to find out.

So, from the September payment I subtracted $110 to cover the cost of shirt, jacket, and new locks for the office. Almost instantly, an email flamed its way back to me, entitled "Don't play games".

Quote
Neak,

Don't play games with me, you owe me money and by LAW you cannot withhold money because of uniforms or keys.

If you want to be stupid about this I'll bill you for all of the hours that I was not paid for, and I'll have the backing of the labor board. Maybe you better talk to your husband about it. For example, May 26, 2005, I went to Stockton and did surveillance and photographs, at AJ's request, I was told I would be paid for it, but never was.

I'm not going to pay to ship a box to you. Next time you are coming over let me know and the box will be under the mailbox.

I have been very patient, don't make involve other people, and I know you don't want me to speak to AJ about this (make no mistake, I can find him)

As always, Gargamel

This letter, along with so many others, tried to slyly undermine the small bit of faith I have in my husband by bringing up yet another thing he had "neglected" to tell me about, and the tone was unmistakably hostile. How badly I wanted to at least blow up her house, but settled for just breaking chairs on Idiotville....again.

It was two days before I was calm enough to respond with grace, and her threat to track AJ down just had to be dealt with.

Quote
Gargamel,

I had no idea there were more hours you had not been paid for, as they never appeared on your time cards. Please get the totals to me as soon as possible, and I will forward the information on to the bankruptcy attorney.

I will let you know when someone will be available to pick up the box; it will probably be sometime next week.

I'm not sure what you would hope to accomplish by finding AJ, when he has made it very clear that he does not wish to communicate with you again. It is very difficult for him every time he is reminded of his selfish and sleazy behavior. He wants to focus on making a future with his family, not dwell on an unpleasant part of his past.

Sincerely,
Neak

A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
~ English proverb


Neak's Story