the most difficult job is done. it started at 10:30 this morning and ended somewhere around 6 this evening. it was relatively painless, if you discount a mild headache, and now everything is "fixed". the good news? my checking ledger is all neatly balanced. everything agrees. the bad news? the account is in desparate trouble and i REALLY need to get some money in there fast! although i know the soonest will be, more than likely, next week. we just have nothing coming in earlier. the only reason i can think that the bank let me go on this was because, a) i have been a good customer in general until the last month or two (and still haven't figured out why it got all whacked out to be honest, i can't find the "extra" money ANY WHERE), and b) its a small bank that knows its people as peopls rather than numbers and so is able to cut a few breaks here and there. it is so nice to be able to walk into my bank and hear them greet me by name. when saxy and i were separated, they consolled him and told him it would all work out, knowing that i was his wife. anyway, i now that i have everything in balanced form, hopefully i can start getting it all straightened out and get us out of the red before they can't cut any more breaks and i lose the account entirely. while we may be better off in some ways using money orders, we can't afford it. between the cost of money orders and bus fair, my bank fee is by far the least expensive route, as long as i don't bounce.

in other news, it appears saxy didn't get the job. at least they didn't call today. the real rub of it all is when he tried to call them they told him they would not connect him with any managers and would not tell him if he got the job or not or anything. the casino has got to be THE most paranoid place on earth, next to the mental hospital nearby. they have theri own gaming commission who does background checks to make sure you can be employed there . . . as a janitor. mc has worked there as one of their most reliable employees for five years and is thoroughly checked every couple of years. this year's questions: "have you ever seen him drunk?", "does he drink?", and "does he hang out with or have friends who are involved in illegal activities?", among others. all this to mop floors and climb scaffolding to take care of the lights up in the high ceiling'd rooms. mc is now a step ahead of all of that, although his check is also now more rigorous. he's now the head steward of the union there. and he wins his union disputes. if they can find a legitimate way to do so, they really want him to go away now. still, this sucks for saxy. he never even made the background check.

tonight we all went to see kitten's performance in her dance winter festival. this was her first time in the front two rows (although she still complains about not making the hip hop dance). dance was one of those things she really didn't want to do at first. but i didn't see her aas a traditional sportsy p.e. kid at the time so told her to try it for one year. she loved it. now in her third year, she REALLY loves it. unfortunately her current school is the only school that has a dance program. so we're going to be shopping for dance classes for her real soon. next year she's in high school (and i have to "shop" from the available public school choices for an appropriate school for her for that too). tonight she did a GREAT job if i do say so myself. she was into it, enjoying it (until she had to dance with another girl, when it looked like she got a bit uncomfortable). in fact, for the most part it seemed she was into the dance and not really paying attention to all the other girls around her.

now, while the kids were all great, the audience was one of the rudest i or saxy have ever seen. talking, clapping, whistling, shouting out the dancers names, and so on . . . all before the performance was to begin! seriously though, these people were loud and disrespectful. i swear i lost my left ear drum to the lady behind us shrieking and doing piercing whistles and screaming out someone's name. i really did want to turn around and tell her to knock it off because even if the kid was paying attention enough to hear her she couldn't friggin answer her anyway! and the last group had barely gotten off the stage before people got up and left. no one waited for the principle's closing remarks. there were a few kids with costuming problems that the audience even laughed at. isn't it enough that htese poor girls had to perform with the problem? did the audience REALLY have to be thoroughly embarrassed and/or mortified by the ADULTS who came to watch. no wonder we're in such a lousey neighborhood. if the adults can't be mature, no way the kids are going to grow up much better without a lot of motivation and luck. and we certainly don't help provide for either of those in this country.

but on the brighter side of things, my girl did wonderfully. and next spring, she WILL make the hip hop dance. she got called back this time but didn't make the final cut. next time she will be in that coveted position. now that is a proud mama talking, cuz she knows her kid's got talent!