naptime anyone?

Last night we hung up the new bookshelf that mom and dad got me for Christmas. I drew a giant star for Anya for the Community Club Drawdown. And I got into bed at 8:30 to read my book for a couple of hours before I put on my iPod with Riley Lee and Drifted off to sleep.

Tonight I am hoping to make a trip to the local mall and Target and Wal-Mart, for desperate supplies like toothpaste and toilet paper and other supplies like Tylenol and Bread. And I have a few gift cards from Christmas that I wouldn't mind using.

But I also would really like to take a nap. Maybe nap first and shopping second? Now THAT sounds like a plan!

Happy New Year Friday Fiver

Thank GOD it's Friday! This week has been short but it has DRUG by considering that everyone would rather be napping than working!This New Year:
1) Big Party or stay at home alone?

• We initially planned on going to the Wyanet Community Club Draw Down. But in the last two weeks we were invited to our friends John and Amethyst's house, and we opted to take them up on that offer. I think it will be lots of fun but still plenty relaxing. i.e. I can totally wear stretchy pants and my slippers!

2) Stay up to watch the ball drop?

• I will certainly try to. We are in a different time zone, so the ball drop happens at 11pm here, and we usually miss in in recent years.

3) Will you make any resolutions?

• You know, I don't know about that. It seems a little silly to me that we are supposed to have goals based on a calendar year. I honestly make goals for myself year round, and achieve them constantly. It makes me feel much better than that annual pressure type of goal.

4) Is Dick Clark a good host for New Year's Eve?

• I thought he was supposedly in bad health? I remember last year he couldn't be there. I have to say he is a lot less annoying than anyone else they put on there. The fakeness of Hollywood stars does not fit New Year's Eve. I hope he can be there.... perhaps as a head in a dome, like on Futurama.

5) Do you know the words to Auld Lang Syne?

• Absolutely. I love love love that song. It's one of my favorite "christmas" tunes and I find myself singing it several times. The Beach Boys do a really good version of it.

Bitch-Ass Bidders

Hi there! Sorry I haven't written much, but we are in that sucky week between Christmas and New Year's where work is slow, people are cranky, and everyone would rather be taking a nap.

It's all I can't do to keep on truckin. Without eBay, I am sure I would be asleep right now. I have some serious auctions going on right now, lots ending this evening...

Today I got in a bidding frenzy with this bitch who decided last night to bid against me. And I don't mean "I'll just make one bid and see what happens" I mean the "I will bid 15 times, increasing my bid by $1.00 each time, until I beat her by on penny" kind of bitch-ass bidding. MAN does that piss me off! So an auction that could have had TWO bids ended up having 15 bids and 11 of them were put on in the last ONE MINUTE of the auction. Yeah. Annoying. But guess what? I won! Mwuuahahahahahahaa! In the end I paid $35 for a shirt that I wanted to pay no more than $25 for, but when you bitch-ass bid against me, you are pissing me off to the extent of "I will keep bidding till I win because I hate your tactics."

So what else is new? Hmmm.... oh yeah. This morning I thought of something to blog about and I was ready to go and then I forgot about it by the time I was able to blog. See now, if I didn't have a day job, I wouldn't have to worry about holding all those blog-a-riffic thoughts over until I got home at night... right?

Maybe it will come back to me....

It's Over!

It's over! Back to work! Take down the trees! Stop eating all that crap! Focus on the new year!

LoL. Christmas was great. I was a little (okay, a lot) gassy.... but besides that, I enjoyed myself. My mom and dad got me a very nice bookshelf that hangs on the wall, which I really wanted, and a sleigh style nightstand, which I also really wanted, both from Pottery Barn. My sister bought me the Deluxe Turntable Edition of Scrabble, and I am SO thrilled about that. I can't wait to play it. Husband got lots of great gifts, including a new guitar stand, a steel slide, and a ukulele.

Just this morning I realized that I still haven't opened my 'stocking' from DH. He was extremely cranky when I made him get up at 10:45 on Christmas so that we wouldn't be late to my parents. So I just sidestepped that altogether.

Mom had AWESOME food, meatballs, tortellini pasta salad, salmon spread, mashed potatoes, BBQ Ribs, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole, Corn Casserole, Wheat Rolls, Cheese and Crackers with Sausage, Chicken Taquitos, Turkey, etc. It was fabulous (that was two meals, not all one)

We watched Talledega Nights and the Jack Johnson Weekend at the Greek DVD that Evan bought me. What was really cool? At the end of the Jack Johnson DVD, it said that he recorded it August 19th and 20th 2005, which was the dates of our overnight wedding reception. What's really cool is that when we got married In Vancouver, he was there performing THE NIGHT that we flew out, so we couldn't go see him. I kept telling Evan that I was waiting for them to check into our hotel or see them out and about. So right after playing in Vancouver, while we flew home for our wedding reception, they flew to Berkley to film that DVD and perform at the Greek. How cool is that?

So last night Husband put together the nightstand for me. I did some surfing online and then went to bed after watching Pleasantville on cable. All is well. How was your Christmas?

NOW It's Christmas

Several times this month my husband and I have remarked "it doesn't even seem like Christmas."

Today after work I had a nice 30 minute massage and got some more bare minerals make-up, all courtesy of a gift certificate that Ava bought me for Christmas. It was a fabulous massage! Then Evan took me to Hardees and I had a Roast Beef (my favorite!!) and Chili Cheese Fries (first time!)

Tonight mom came over and then I popped myself some popcorn and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" on the couch in my pajamas. I LOVE that movie. It's my favorite Christmas Movie of all time. I hadn't seen it in so long, I had forgotten parts! And it's amazing how a favorite like that, which has been around for so many years, can be SO relevant today. And how as you get older, it becomes even BETTER because you can relate to it even more.

Overall, it's been a GREAT day and I am ready for bed!

We have Christmas Gatherings with family every single day from now until Tuesday, so you might not see too much of me for a little bit.... but only time will tell.

As for me, I got the best Christmas present EVER already, so this Christmas is already great!

There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays....

Well, my husband is back home. It's a good feeling. He was only gone 3 days or so, but it was just long enough for me to ejoy myself thoroughly and then just start to miss him as he arrived home. Perfect in Every way.

My main goals:

• Eat Grilled Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup
• Eat Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
• Watch CMT
• Read a Book
• Take a Bath
• Don't shave anything for 3 days
• Wrap Christmas Gifts
• Run the Dishwasher
• Enjoy my Christmas Party
• Bond with the Dogs
• Keep the house picked up and the laundry in the hamper

What I accomplished

• Shaved the 2nd day because my legs were itchy
• Ate Peanut Butter and Jelly and REALLY enjoyed it
• Ate Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese (mediocre)
• Took a bath
• Woke up early each day, went to work early
• Slept like a ROCK with no interruptions
• Went to bed early each night
• Watched CMT
• Watched Roseanne Marathons
• Ate Chocolate and Potato Chips
• Laundry is in the hamper
• Did 4 loads of laundry
• Thought about running the dishwasher
• Enjoyed my Christmas Party
• Wrapped 2 Christmas Gifts
• Didn't kill the dogs, even after Boyd sneezed snot on me and pooped on the floor a record 3 times while I was in the basement doing laundry.
  

Christmas Frenzy that Everyone has Created for Me.

Wow! Busy Busy Season!

Last night was our Christmas Party for our department at work. We went to the Chestnut Street Inn in Sheffield, and Monika made Italian. It was FABULOUS!! I got a great gift in the exchange, I received a journal jar and lots of flowers for scrapbooking, and a handmade journal... and a cool book about living artfully, and some misc background papers for scrapbooking. Right up my alley. My gift was also received well. We had a wonderful time together.

When I got home I went right to sleep because I had to get up early again today and come to work early. Today I had so much to do! My sister came over this morning and I had to run to the hobby store and pick up her gift to my dad for Christmas. Then my DAD called me and I had to run to Wal-Mart for him to see if a gift for my mom had arrived on the truck. So I had lunch plans with CB but canceled them to run errands for my family. I didn't even get to EAT lunch because I was gone 45 minutes instead of 30 and didn't even have time or $$ to get something to eat. Someone had bought me a gift card to Wal-Mart and I bought the "Little Big Town" CD and I love love love it. I knew I would. It's fabulous. They are so beautiful!

So I picked up family photos from our trip to East Peoria and a rechargeable battery and charger for my mom's digital camera as she bought one for me and I am paying her back by buying one for her. Tonight I have to wrap presents that arrived at my house from DAD to MOM, so that he can pick them up at midnight tonight. Then tomorrow night MOM will come over to pick up a gift that arrived at my house from MOM to DAD. And today my sister called me with a credit card number so that I could order a gift from her to mom. It's crazy silly really. So right now I have gifts from Liz to Dad, from Dad to Mom, and from Mom to Dad.... all at my house. And I still have 1 gift from Liz to Mom arriving AT my house. Call me Mrs. Claus. And of course my shopping has been done, and all my stuff is wrapped.... so all these running around and wrapping have been for everyone else. Apparently I look like I have time on my hands!

The forecast says rain starting this afternoon and going through Saturday. Not really looking forward to it.

So that's all folks!

Our Year In Review...

Go see our "Year in Review"

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

If I get one more email with the words

• "It's Not Too Late!"
• "Free Shipping If You Order By Midnight"
• "Last Day for Christmas Delivery!"
• "Guaranteed Delivery By Christmas"
• "Get it there on time!"
• "Last Minute Deals!"
  

I think I might kill someone.

Kisses,
Scrooge

7 days and counting....

Friday night I had fun. I went with my mom and sister to 6 & 34. I had pickle Chips, Amaretto and Cokes, and smoked Marlboro lights. Nothing can lift your spirit like that. When I got home Friday night at about 11:30, I put on my pajamas, washed my face, pulled back my hair, and settled on the couch with a book when the phone rang. It was Anya.... she, Bobbi, and Anya's brother Brandon wanted to play Cranium, but Brad didn't want to, so I went over in my pajamas and we played a good game. Anya decided that she and I shouldn't be partners anymore (not fair to those who had never played) so I was Bobbi's Partner and we won. I had to Hum "I heard it through the grapevine" but Bobbi didn't know it. It was fun. I went to sleep about 1:30am and about 3:45am Evan woke me up. I could hardly talk to him I was so knocked out sleepy. My throat was dry and I Drank a whole bottle of water, went to the bathroom, and went right back to sleep.

Saturday I woke up late. Yeah! I balanced a checkbook (eeww) and then put in 3 hours at work. Then I went to Wal-Mart. Then I babysat Ava and Husband brought Dinner from 6&34. I wanted a burger, so I ordered a 6&34 Burger. It has ranch and sautéed mushrooms and onions. It was not my favorite. Usually their burgers are really really good, but this one wasn’t fabulous. I think I would stick with a regular burger next time. And my fries were cold. Darn.

I also worked at home on Christmas Cards. On Saturday night I completed the 24 that I was hand-making, and when I pulled out the list from 2004, I sent out about 50 cards, so I had to order some photo cards to mail out too. So husband helped my stuff envelopes, and he signed our names on the 24 handmade cards. It was funny because when my mom opened her Christmas card, she said “Wow! Did Evan sign all of them or just ours?” and I said “All of the handmade ones were signed by Evan” and mom said “I am impressed!” and I responded, “Sure, I slave for WEEKS making 24 highly decorative hand-made cards and Evan sits down and signs them in 10 minutes and THAT is what impresses you.” I just can’t win. So anyway, Sunday we went to brunch at Wise Guys and we dropped our Christmas Cards in the mail, and then on Sunday night I went to East Peoria with my family to see the Festival of Lights and take the drive through VFW park. It was awesome. I highly recommend that you go. It’s well worth the drive. It was fabulous. I took LOTS of pictures. Liz and I got our annual photo with Santa taken (two poses!) We had Corn dogs and Ice Cream for supper, and ate Christmas Cookies in the car.

Last night from 10pm till about 3am I spent running around the house picking up, organizing, doing dishes and laundry, preparing for cleaning people today. Ugh. I finally couldn’t stay asleep, despite the Roseanne Marathon. This morning I spent another hour and 15 minutes cleaning up around home before work. For the next 3 days, I completely plan on reading books, doing crafts, and sitting on my ass. This weekend was too busy! I also plan on watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” if it kills me. I have been thinking about it since Friday. I will hopefully have 2 more presents arrive in the mail so that I can wrap them, and I have some of mom’s presents from dad that should be arriving soon and I can wrap those. I bought husband a Resonator Guitar for Christmas, and it’s still on it’s way. Everyone else is done and wrapped. I really only shop for mom, dad, Liz, Evan, Carrie, Angela, and then I do half of the gift exchanges I am asked to participate in. So this year I did 3 out of the 6 I was asked to participate in.

Today I received a Christmas Card with 2 cents postage due, and it sent me into a panic. I thought “what if our Christmas Cards are postage due” because I never weighed them, I just put them in envelopes, addressed, and stamped them, and then dropped them in a mailbox in Princeton. I never even checked. SO if you receive your Christmas Card postage due, I pre-apologize, because I never even THOUGHT of checking them until I received one postage due today. Oh well, too late now!

I love it when you Spanx me!

I am addicted to spanx. And I don't mean tawdry S&M sexplay (that's another post altogether. lol.) I mean the soft and stretchy Hide and Seek "Spanx" line made by Sara Blakely. The camisole/tank tops. Now, if we must discuss underwear, we might as well make it wonderful. I don't wear camisoles. Never have. Don't need anymore layers of clothes. Really. I need a pretty well-constructed Frederick's of Hollywood Bra to make me happy, and to fit me. I recently bought 4 bras for $109 dollars from FOH, which is a steal, especially considering that it's no secret that Victoria's Secret bras ate $42-$45 EACH and they don't last me a month and they have already lost their underwire, and the hooks are bending. Frederick's Makes bras to LAST. And they are less money, around $28-$30 each, and as low as $22-$26 when you buy 2 or more of one style. I personally love lacy satiny ones, but I also love me some Microfiber. Especially in the winter, because I have insanely dry and sensitive skin (eczema) and my clothes and bra seem to rub my skin raw. So Microfiber is a true true luxury for me.

So, last weekend, I had the Christmas Party for work. I had ordered a little black jacket from eBay and it was on it's way, to match my red skirt, and I really thought (by the pictures) that I could wear the jacket with no shirt under it. That's my usual plan. Well, when it arrived on Friday night, it had only one button. It was cute as the dickens but it buttoned closer to my belly button than I thought, so both my tummy and my boobs were very visible. Evan laughed when I tried it on. I thought "shit! I need to get a tank top!" Okay. 5'8" women with D cups do not just FIND tank tops. Either they are so damn short that they don't even REACH your stomach, or the line that is supposed to go UNDER your boobs (think empire waist) hits you at nipple height and it is very uncomfortable and unattractive. You feel like you are a giant wearing barbie's clothes. It's very unbecoming and frustrating. So I have ONE DAY to get one found, and I only have time to shop IN PRINCETON and that means Wal-Mart or Four Seasons. Well great. Nothing dressy at Wal-Mart that isn't velvet or beaded like something grandma would wear. Ugh. So off to Four Seasons where Every tank top is $24 on CLEARANCE. As I was weighing my options and had two $22 clearance tank tops that I was sure would be too short..... I suddenly happened across SPANX. I touched them and I was in love. Spandex-y and microfiber-y and all soft and sexy! And (YIKES!!!!) $42 each! But If I was going to spend $40+ on 2 tank tops that wouldn't fit, I could spend $42 on what that I knew Would fit, especially in a pinch. So I picked up the camisole/tank and it has made me the happiest woman on earth. It is so comfortable that I Don't even know it's there. Soft and stretchy. It tucks your tummy and hides lumps and bumps and bra ridges. It stops my clothes from chafing my skin and it fits nicely over my bras. It is attractive and comfortable and I find myself even wearing it to work under my shirts. I MUST HAVE MORE! So I started combing around and found 2 on eBay in my size for around $15 each. FABULOUS! They are gentle cycle wash and hang dry, and I will wash them in a lingerie bag. I did buy 1 size larger than my actual size, but I knew I would have to so that my boobs would fit, and so that the "waist" line would actually fit under my breasts instead of awkwardly across them. I love the v-neck one with lace too.... that will be the one I eyeball next.

After I HAD to gush to my mom about the Spanx, and how FABULOUS they are and how EVERYONE must have one or two, she said that she has heard all about them on TV and that all the celebrities wear them under all their super party dresses for the red carpet events, and they are fabulously mentioned in hollywood and all over TV. Considering all I watch is TIVO from cable, I had missed that, and thought I had really discovered something new and fabulous. But I have to tell you firsthand, that Spanx are WONDERFUL. Now if I can just find some no snag pantyhose.... the world of undergarments will be mine!

Honey, There's a Runner in my Pantyhose!

Because this happens to me. Alot. The runner thing. Okay, and sometimes the no underwears thing. Wardrobe malfunctions are a serious matter, especially when your workplace mandates what you wear, and that you wear pantyhose.

But really, the advice does nothing to solve the problem. And there is never any public transportation around this neck of the woods, unless you count Rose in the Tiger Town Taxi, which I haven't seen for a while. But maybe her old 83 Buick is out of juice these days.

New Shlippers.

Today is a good day. Besides my wrist fucking killing me that is.

I got the new Close To My Heart Catalog for Spring 2007 (yum yum yum!) and I got my new pink slippers from Avon, with Bottoms! I love slippers with bottoms, like shoes. I guess they could be called Shlippers. Or Shoeippers. Love them.

Carpal Tunnel HNT

Oh man. After completing the 239 pages of website in the past couple of days, and 16 hours on the mouse at work, and then working on the Handmade Christmas Cards, my carpal tunnel is KILLING me. I had to break out the braces, and I haven't worn them in MONTHS or probably close to a year. Damn repetition!

Oh and Since Osbasso wanted us to show our Christmas Trees for the Holidays HNT... Here is my tree at home..

And here is my tree at work.... in my office....

Been An Angel All Year, Santa Baby... SO Hurry Down The Chimney, Tonight!

Still Kicking

I am still alive. I have been so busy! This week at work I have been literally shut in my office with the door closed, the phone forwarded, and concentrating on finishing up our HUGE webpage. Finally. 2 years and many many obstacles and opinions, it is finished. Of course it is an ongoing project and there are things that need to be added once we can gather the information, but overall FINISHED! There are 99 individual webpages (htm/html) and then a "work-specific" directory of between 140-300 more pages. And I made ALL of it. Myself. Me.

Do you wonder why I haven't had time to write? When I get home at night, I just want to do stuff at home and wear my pajamas and listen to Christmas music. I try to block out work but all night long (even in my dreams) I think of things that I want to do with the webpage, ideas to try, information to gather, people to check with. My brain hardly shuts off. But I have been doing some reading on inducing the relaxation response using body scans, breathing techniques, and meditation. I was surprised to know that a body scan and the breathing excercises are some of my favorite parts of my Yoga DVD's. I have enjoyed body scans and not even known what they were. I am reading books by Dr. Domar on using your mind to heal your body. Quite Interesting. I don't care if you think I AM a granola munching hippie, I do enjoy the subject quite a bit. I need to look into her tapes. I find it difficult doing body scans to my own voice, because if I am going to listen to my mind, it's harder to shut it off. If I listen to someone else, like Rodney Yee (he he) then I turn my mind off and just do as he says. That works better for me. So I am thinking I might want one of the Mind Body Medical Institute's tapes, so that I can listen to someone else instruct me on body scans, and can shut off my own mind. Trying relaxation response exercises has been helpful in getting myself to sleep earlier- like 12 am (or 1 at the latest.)

Besides that I have stamped, embossed, colored, glittered, and sponged 24 christmas trees for the fronts of my Christmas cards. Tonight my mom will come over and I will work more on the cards. In the sense of irony, my dad gave me a catalog to order mom's Christmas presents, and my mom is coming over tonight to have me help her order dad's online. I feel like Mrs. Claus. But really, I am just happy being Mrs. Johnson.

Friday!

Friday! YAY YAY YAY!

This week has been cRaZy! I have been so busy at work! When I would check my voicemail, I would have one voicemail, and by the time I got finished checking it, I would already have another voicemail, and when I got finished checking that one, I would have ANOTHER Voicemail! Insanity!

So thank god for the weekend. Tomorrow night is my Christmas Party for work, and I am all excited. I usually don't care, but I got a new outfit to wear and I am getting my hair done, as part of the Holiday Party spirit. I don't usually do any of that, but this year, I could use a little holiday spirit.

Last night I did that thing where you bite the inside of your lip till it bleeds. I hate that.

I watched the past two episodes of the O.C. where Taylor and Ryan FINALLY hook up, and I loved it. I was so freaking excited, I am so happy! That show took a downward turn (in my opinion) and Marissa was really pissing me off. She was so Depressing and all that, I just wanted Ryan to dump her and start giving it to someone else. Now that she's all dead, I am like on a cloud, and then I see the preview for next week and it's when Ryan falls off the roof (I assume putting up Christmas Lights) and wakes up in a different world where Julie Cooper is with Sandy, and Marissa is ALIVE. That pisses me off. She's gone. Give it up. Leave Ryan alone. Taylor is totally cooler than Marissa. Can you believe this has me so upset?

ON another note... how about Men In Trees Last night?! Lynn back!? Lynn Pregnant?! And JACK TOOK HER HOME from the hospital to take care of her! OMG! Let me tell you, I know that's what a nice guy does. I appreciate that. But at the same time, he should not have let Marin just stand there and go home. He could have, just as easily, taken Lynn to the inn and let her stay there. Jack could have stayed with Marin at the inn and totally watched over Lynn. Or hey, how about Jack invites Marin over to stay, so that when he gets Lynn comfortable, he can sit and cuddle up with Marin, instead of sending her home? Wow that pissed me off. And really they didn't show a make-up session with Patrick and Annie, and I freakin LOVED it when she threw the pie in his face. That is SO something I would do. Not to Evan though, cuz he would probably be really pissed about that, and wouldn't have laughed about it like Patrick (kinda) did.

So I got my fill of the TIVO'd shows last night. Yeah! I do have lots of Frisky Dingo, Robot Chicken, and Family Guy episodes to catch up on, but I have the whole weekend!

I do need to continue working on my Christmas Cards. I stamped and embossed 24 Christmas Trees from the O' Tannenbaum set by Stampin Up. Next step, color all the trees, add gold detail and glitter. I have one tree colored, and then I needed to borrow markers to get the rest of them done. So now that I have my markers, I am UNSTOPPABLE! My cardstock and ribbon order is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday next week and then I will be able to finish and assemble them, and get them mailed out. I used to have a list of 50 recipients, and then I started cutting back to those who actually send me cards. It's tough!

I am still waiting for my pink and green swap from November, mine hasn't been received yet, but I had to send it overseas, so it may be a while, especially with Christmas. I can only assume that mine is also arriving from overseas, otherwise I should have had it by now!

Let's see, what else is up. Oh yes, I took my picture this morning so I could show you the fabulous coat that my husband bought me for my Birthday. He gave it to me early, back in October, so that I could USE it (I needed it) but I just thought it would be neat to show. I took the picture in the mirror, so there is no flash. But you get the idea. I love taking pictures! It really makes me sad that at most occasions there are no pictures of me. or of me and Evan together, It's like I am the ghost behind the camera.

It seems like there was more to blog about, but my brain is blank now. I guess that I just don't want to think now. It's Friday and I want to relax and just BE.

I am an Evil Pop Tart!

Okay First, You HAVE to see my new renter. OMG! I had 5 bids. They were all great but I couldn't turn down the Evil Pop Tart! It's a site where people can anonymously turn in all their evil deeds and it's great. I totally love it! I have one that I can submit but I will probably wait a while.

You MUST go see the evil pop tarts!

That's all for now. Just trucking through a Thursday!

Decisions, Decisions, HNT

What shoes to wear today?

Run of Bad Luck?

• Saturday I broke a Ceramic Pumpkin that was expensive.
• Sunday my car got a flat tire and today husband took it to get a new one.
• Monday I broke my $390 Oscar de la Renta Glasses.

Bad Things Come in Threes... Right?

• Or do I get to count the $140 washing machine repair the day before Thanksgiving?
• And the $350 (out of pocket after insurance) that I paid The Dermatologist Last Thursday.
• Or can I count the News that I have to have 3 Wisdom Teeth Pulled in January? And that will cost me $350 after insurance?

That makes 6. Two sets of threes in the last two"ish" weeks.

I'm even gonna count the 15 inches of snow and being stuck at our house and taking another day off work without pay as a GOOD thing.

It's over, right? No more bad shit? No Broken Mirrors in my future to doom me for 7 years?

Goodbye Oscar. I loved you dearly. Let us remember the good times we had....

And we need a little Christmas, Right this very Minute......

What is it about December that totally sucks? Ah yes, MONEY! We have two license plate renewals due (overdue) that total $170. The power bill is higher because it is now ZERO degrees outside. Tonight I discovered that I have a FLAT tire (CaChing$$ another $90) and we are supposed to be buying Christmas Presents AND making and mailing (ca-ChINg!) Christmas Cards.
Then my co-workers decide that our departmental Christmas Party will be at a neat little location, which I do so adore, that just happens to cost $50 per couple to eat. So not only do I have to take $30 in gifts, but we have to take $50 to eat. That's an $80 occasion, occuring 6 days before Christmas. So that has me all worked up. Then I am supposed to be participating in THREE gift exchanges with a $15-25 gift, on top of my usual gifts for Family, Husband, and my two bestest friends. If it were up to me? Prioritize. Purchase gifts for my family, my husbands, and my two bestest friends. Don't purchase gifts for co-workers. Don't get in on the three gift exchanges. Don't spend $50 to eat at a restraunt 6 days before Christmas when we could all bring something and have snacks at someone's home (I would even offer mine!) And pay my bills and get a new tire instead of frantically freaking out about how in the FUCK I will pay for everything. I did do some Christmas Shopping Online today, which was great, and it made me feel good, like I was actually ACCOMPLISHING something, until I ran to Wal-Mart for necessities.... and when I left my tire was flat AGAIN and then I realized that I would have to buy a new one. AGAIN. Well, at least I will officially have 4 new tires.

And then tonight we got a bill for CAR INSURANCE due December 27th. Ahhh.

Ho Ho Ho!

Blogging On The Edge

Don't you love blogging when you know you shouldn't be? Like in the morning when you will be late for work, or when you SHOULD be getting ready for something else or cleaning your house, or letting the dogs outside? It's like "wow I need to clean this place.... Let me just blog for a sec....." and then time flies by. Today I just woke up. Yes I know it's noon. I like it that way. I went to Anya's last night and Ryan and Emy came over and we played lots of games.... Cranium, Imaginiff, Boxers or Briefs, and Scattergories. It was good fun. I got home around 2:30ish. I was so tired. I washed my face. I pulled back my hair. I brushed my teeth. I didn't even get my clothes all off, or do my nightly face soak. I was lying in bed, using the zeno and I was falling asleep... but it beeps so it kept waking me up. I remember (barely) sitting up and taking off the black lacy push up bra and then deciding to keep on the black tank top and the red Pirate Love Shirt and my red underwear. That was all. I was asleep in seconds. I slept right through husband coming home AND getting into bed with me, he was just THERE sometime in the morning, complaining of a stiff neck and drinking lots of bottles water. I was so tired! I didn't do a WHOLE lot yesterday, although I did get the lights and ornaments on the tree, and the santa and reindeer assembled.... And I shoveled a little bit of snow and traipsed through some snowbanks. And I made a pizza. That's all.

Today I am supposed to have an altered clipboard class at the Printer's Box but the streets in Princeton still aren't plowed completely and there is no way to park because of it. So We have decided that if another class member arrives, They will call me and we will have the class... Otherwise I will stay here and pick up and vacuum. Tonight I will watch Ava for a little while, I don't know what else is going on.

Hadley tried to escape this morning... apparently he wanted to poop in the freshly plowed STREET. You see he never leaves the yard, but apparently the snow had him all "Little House On The Prairie" where he was disoriented. I didn't realize that he COULD Leave, because we were so snowed in that the snow was too high for him to get through. What I Didn't realize is that sometime during my morning slumber, the plow guy showed up and we are all plowed out. SO when I was standing in my underwear and let Hadley outside, I didn't even GLANCE at the escape route that he had. Never even noticed it in the world of white. Then I looked outside like 2 minutes later and he is NOT in the yard, and in the street at a busy intersection. There are cars going by, and he is taking a shit in the middle of the road. Dumb Ass Dog. So I yell at him and he doesn't come TO me but goes AWAY from me so i run inside and get my pants on and I am doing that "running while putting on pants" thing that cheating husbands perfect so well, and then cramming my feet into boots and wearing a sweatshirt with no bra, my hair all sticking up, and he walks BACK into the yard and finds a clear spot to poop more. Then as a big diesel truck pulling a trailer decides to round the corner, he takes one look at it and decides to walk in FRONT of it. All the while I am screaming at him. Finally the trailer makes a noise and he takes of running with his tail between his legs like someone was chasing him, and goes right through a big drift and into the house. Dumb Dog.

With this much snow, you get a teeny tiny taste of how it must have been on the prairie with snow that disorients you. If you look down and don't pay attention to the landmarks, you end up off course. You spend so much time concentrating on walking through the snow that you don't watch where you are. It's difficult to gauge how deep the snow is until you step into it. Even though it is 3/4 of the way up the picket fence over there, it might be much deeper here due to drifting. And with everything being so blindingly white, it's not always easy to tell. Canyou imagine the snow being so high that you would have to use your upstairs window as a door? That you would have to tie a rope between the house and barn? I know. Insane. And to think that's what Illinois was once like. Prairie affected by global warming?

So that's it for today folks. Have a great weekend!

15 inches of snow in less than 12 hours!

Looks like it finally stopped snowing. We have gotten 15 inches of snow here in less than 12 hours. Everyone is home today, snowbound. All morning guys spent time pulling out people on main street who thought they were going somewhere. My sister works 3rd shift and got snowed in at work, when she tried to leave, the whole front end of her car got buried and she had to dig it out by hand and go back to the parking garage. Evan and I stayed up till 4am, and by that time the Wyanet-Walnut Blacktop was completely closed, and the drifts were about waist high. It's just before noon and we officially have 15 inches of snow. I guess that means today was meant to pick up this messy house and put the lights and ornaments on that tree that's been looking at me all week. I tried to let the dogs outside but the snow was so deep they couldn't walk. So I had to bundle up and go get the shovel, and dig them a square where they could pee. I also picked up the lawn furniture so that it was out of the way for when the plow guy shows up. The picture of the snowdrift in front of the door is taken from INSIDE the house, that's what the back porch looked like this morning when I woke up.

The neighborhood just started to start officially digging out around 10:30. The best thing about being in small town, everyone knows everyone and everyone helps each other out. Whoever hsa a 4 wheeler with a plow, a truck with a plow, or a bobcat, goes around helping whoever doesn't, and they pull each other out when they get stuck. And Believe me, there have been lots of stuck folks this morning. I heard that a state plow truck overturned on 251 and that it was loaded with salt. I heard that 6 state plow trucks from the Bureau County Region are stuck alongside the road somewhere and unable to plow. Around 11, a plow truck came through and plowed one lane open on the Wyanet-Walnut Blacktop.

Yesterday was Evan's birthday, and I had two doctor's appointments. One at the Dermatologist, in which I was told my acne is 30% better, and given (okay, sold. It was $225.00) a Zeno. I have been trying it out to see if it works for me, it has a 30 day money back guarantee. The second appointment was at an Oral Surgeon's, where they had me watch a horror movie about wisdom tooth extraction. Then they decided that all 3 need to come out and that we will do that on January 26th. For someone has never even been hospitalized, has never had a broken bone besides toes and fingers, hates needles, and has never been put under anesthetic.... this should be a frightening adventure. I am less worried about my teeth than being knocked out. Husband is super supportive, having been under several times, and he will be there to take my home and feed me soup and pain pills.

After those two Doctor's appointments, we ate at Ruby Tuesday's in Peoria and then went through Circuit City and Guitar Center. Then we came home and watched Nacho Libre, which was okay. Funny. Not exceptional. We watched You Me and Dupree on Wednesday night, and totally loved it. They are due back tonight but we might not be able to get to Princeton, although now that it has stopped snowing they should get the roads cleared this afternoon. I think we are going to Anya's tonight for pizza and Game night with Ryan and Emy. That should be fun.

Well, SOMEONE Needs to clean this pig pen, so I had better get going.

Oh and I made TWO of Leanne's snowballs, and mine are not nearly as cute as hers, but since I am snowed in and I have 6 more started, I should get better with practice. Check them out...