Saturday 9.....and a Few Other Things

Yikes, a whole week has passed since I last posted. These December days continue to be crazy busy and free time is in short supply. I'm also amazed at how fast the days are flying by. 

Work continues to be enjoyable. I got the official word today that until at least after the holidays I will be working in the adult training facility (ATF) every day but Tuesday, because a few college students that work during breaks from school are back. After that I may have to work in the shredding department 2 days a week.  I'm hoping they hire someone new and thus avoid that need. The woman they had hired after me went through all the training and then quit.

So, in the ATF it is ALL about Christmas right now. Those we work with can think of little else. Adding fuel to the fire is the facility-wide Christmas party next Friday. There will be a huge meal, music, and I'm told Santa himself will pay a visit and give out presents. In anticipation, we in ATF have been divided into teams of one staff member and several consumers (what we call those we work with). There are six teams, one for each of the columns in the dining hall. Each team had to decorate one column for Christmas. The administration will be judging them and the winning team gets to go for lunch with the big boss (though we are kind of hoping they will decide to have a pizza party for everyone). My team was the first to finish. Here are some shots I took going around our column. I hope you can tell it's supposed to represent the tree lot full of shiny aluminum Christmas trees from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Other than work, it's, what else, my own Christmas preparations and family that are keeping me busy. There is all the usual decorating, shopping, wrapping, and baking to do and it's been decided that Christmas dinner will be here this year so there's that to plan, too. 

Adding to it all is that I am now keeping Colton and Leah several evenings a week while our daughter works. Her husband was supposed to keep them with me taking them now and then, but he is depressed and does nothing with them. Our daughter has been getting home from work at 9:30 to find the kids still up, fired up on all the junk food he's allowed them to eat, not bathed and the house trashed. Our s-i-l leaves for work as soon as she walks in the door. By the time she bathes them it's after 10:00 and it's probably 11:00 before they fall asleep. It's not working out with getting up in the mornings for school and our daughter was getting stressed beyond belief. His family is no help at all, either with the kids or with getting him to seek help. So, I have been taking the kids, giving them a real supper, spending some time with them, and getting them bathed before taking them home. At least that is done, but our daughter still comes home to find the kids not in bed. I am praying we can somehow get through to our s-i-l soon.

Tomorrow (Saturday as I'm doing this Friday evening) I will have the kids again so Mom and Dad can do some Christmas shopping. I'm planning to take them to the mall to see Santa and ride the train. 

Sunday is the Christmas program and dinner at church.

Now that you're caught up, here's the Saturday 9. Thanks Sam for the music and questions! Play along here.

Saturday 9: Just Because (1956)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?  In a movie. We watch a movie at work every Friday afternoon and today I picked The Christmas Chronicles 2.

2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?  I try not to allow it to get to me, but yes.

3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?  I've never been there.

4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?  My most recent "good deal" was the oak table and chairs and the sectional I bought at an auction.

5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?  I don't know if it's officially Teflon, but I have a couple of non-stick frying pans.

6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?  Only if you count suncatchers.

7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?  Yes, we had several parakeets when the kids were growing up. I loved their chirping, but hated the mess they made.

8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?  Palmer Regional Airport, named after Arnold Palmer, a native son of my town.

9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?  I think everyone can do as they please. Personally mine go up sometime during the Thanksgiving break and come down over New Years. My mom always leaves hers up until Epiphany.