18 Days until Christmas

I don't know much about Snowbabies, but I got this ornament as a present about 2 years ago. I love it, because it has 4 penguins. Did you know that 4 is my favorite number? I also love penguins. It's a great ornament.

19 Days until Christmas

I made a tree skirt.

20 Days until Christmas

This is the Christmas tree in my mall. I think it must be about 4 stories tall!

21 Days until Christmas

The stockings my mom made for us arrived on Saturday. There's nothing like homemade stockings hanging from your fireplace. Thanks Momma!

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Note: Actual names have been removed to protect the innocent.

Sometimes I Enjoy Mimicking Spinning Girl

Elvish


To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
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Beauty

I was telling a friend how I'm sappy enough that commercials can make me cry. When they learned that I cried about a Haagen-Daz commercial, they laughed. Now, it's not like I was bawling. It was just a tear or two. But the beauty of the newer Haagen-Daz commercials is just more than I can take. The imagery.. The music.. it's just so pure.

I found out that you can watch them online, and I've been watching them over and over. My favorite is "Anthem", but I also like "Vanilla" and their new "Impossible." I recommend watching them with QuickTime if you can. On my computer at least, the PC versions have been having trouble. They're just not framed right.

You can also download the music to them, which I've had on repeat. I'm all goosebumpy now.

You can laugh if you want to. But you have to admit that even for a commercial, those are some wonderful pieces of art.

22 Days until Christmas

It's snowing again! I love snow. And it's starting to feel like Narnia around here.

23 Days until Christmas

I inherited the nativity set on my mom's side of the family. It was handpainted by my great-grandmother or something like that. I'll have to ask her again, cause I'm not sure. Unfortunately, it didn't fair well on the long trip here. A little super glue and a few cracks later, it's as good as new!

24 Days until Christmas

My friend Chanda, reading my post about the lack of ornaments as a plea for help, has sent me a lovely addition for my tree. I love how he looks handmade! So cute!! Thanks Chanda!

The Office

I just finished watching the last episode of The Office. Brilliant.

"Beans?!"

"Muff.. now that was the bit for me."

New Toys

Bobi recently hooked me up with a new toy, which I have been spending a lot of time playing with. Hugs to him for always having an answer! (Also, I found that music I was after finally!)

I have also gotten the piano music to A Charlie Brown Christmas recently, and plan to spend many hours in the near future practicing my favorite songs. I have been wanting this book for so long! Excitement is just not the word.

My desk is currently an assembly line of ornament production. Saying that reminds me of when I use to build cars. That was a pretty cool job. Though tiring. If Rob Beckham ever reads this, I miss you guys.

In other news, I ran a mile yesterday. I was quite impressed with this feat, as I have asthma. It's been a long time since I could run a whole mile without even stopping. So perhaps I will give this running thing another shot. Inhalers are your friend.

There you go, a random update. They may be few and far between for a bit, as I'm doing too many projects at once. But as soon as these ornaments are done, I plan to be back in what shall henceforth be known as "Full Monkey Force!"

Crap, almost forgot to tell you about getting the new Fiona Apple cd! I miss that about working at Wal-Mart.. always knowing when new cd's are coming out. But it's okay, because now I have it.

"You can be nice to me, or treat me mean. I'll make the most of it. I'm an extraordinary machine!"

TURKEY!

I came home to a turkey in the oven! It smells soooo good. I love my boyfriend.

So, I'm going to eat some turkey, and stuffing, and drink some wine. And then I'm going to give this santa ornament thing one more try. Should it go as badly as last night, I shall resort to plan B. Wish me luck.

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Photo Edit:

The turkey is finally done, 2 hours after we expected it.

DS cuts the turkey.

Dinner is served!

Making progress with the ornaments tonight. Still thinking about just going to Plan B.

Ornament Update

I spent quite a few hours yesterday working on my new ornament design after work. The prototype always takes a long time to work out. With no pattern, I have to work out the size of everything, the colors, and how it will all come together. I managed to put together a rather cute santa in sleigh yesterday, only to completely ruin it while trying to find a good way to hang it inside the orb.

I think it would be easier if this part were smaller, but the smaller you quill something, the harder it is. So tiny, and so tricky to handle with clumsy fingers. I had hoped to be able to take a completed one to work today, because everyone has been asking about them. Not it looks like it's back to the drawing board.

Turkeys in the tub and fish on the counter

I hope everyone's holiday went well. I know mine did. DS and I spent the morning watching episodes of The Office while we failed to thaw our turkey. Which means we didn't have turkey for Thanksgiving after all. But that was okay, because the whole thing was funny. Especially when we tried putting it in the tub...

This of course meant that dinner was to be vegetarian. Which actually wasn't so bad. My favorite part was the 4 desserts I had. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, some kind of mixed berry cobbler, and rum cookies. Quite tasty, though the pumpkin pie was by far my favorite.

After dinner we took a walk around Monona Lake. This was probably not the best idea considering the temp of around 10 degrees and very high winds. DS and I had to switch scarves, because his poor head was freezing. I'm trying my hand at crocheting him a beanie now. While walking, we came upon a park, which had a shelter with fireplaces built into it. We found a fire at one, with some people hanging out in front. I'm not entirely sure, but I think they may have been homeless. It was hard to tell, as DS claims he's never seen a homeless person in Madison that looked on the brink of dispair. But I really could not fathom any othe reason a group of people would be huddled in front of a makeshift fire made from wood gathered from the park on Thanksgiving when it was so cold out. They were quite cheery, and shared their fire with us for a time as we talked. I hope they have a Shelter to stay in tonight if they are homeless, as I'm sure a night in this cold would be horrid.

Once our appendages were quite numb, we walked back towards our friend's house and decided it was time to head home. We wanted to give Invader Zim another try, since we thought it might be the kind of thing you have to grow in to, much like Aqua Teen Hungar Force. Then, despite the lack of turkey, we fell into a food coma. When I awoke, it was nearly 9. Appalling.

We tried watching the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy afterwards, but DS just can't stay up much past 9. I watched it without him while I worked on his new hat.

Oh, and I forgot to mention yesterday: I'm fish sitting for the weekend. Now, considering my previous experience with caring for betas, you would think that my friend Katie would not trust me with Grover. But indeed she has. So far so good. He's eating well, not convulsing, and quite responsive in a good way. I was told that if he were to die while in my care, to not come back to work. Either that, or find another just like him and never let her know... I just have to hold out until Saturday.

Turkey Time

DS has been kind enough to make me a turkey for tomorrow. We have been invited to dinner at friend's house, but that friend happens to be vegetarian. I just can't imagine Thanksgiving without turkey. She says it's cool if we bring a bird, and he said he was willing to make one for me. I am definitely thankful for him this year.

I have spent the evening watching Batman Begins and eating pizza. I plan to spend tomorrow morning in my pajamas for as long as possible. I hope to get some ornaments made, as I've been invited to a Craft Open House on Sunday by one of the people at work. Her sister makes jewelry, and she sells it here in Wisconsin. She says there will be about 12 crafters there, and I'm very excited. I didn't know if I would have any made by then, but she said if I did, to bring them along. She has a seller's permit, and I just have a wholesaler's permit. A seller's permit is expensive! So yes, I'm going to enjoy a crafty Sunday, though I'm not sure it will be as cool as that craft girl sweatshop thing going on down in Florida.

And as usual, medicine meant to dry out my sinuses has given me a dry nose that now burns to breathe through, and a headache. However, nastiness dripping down my throat is no longer an issue. As my biggest sickness related fear is nauseous however, I'll take the burning nose and headache over dripping sinuses anyday. So no worries about me sneezing on my turkey :) (Though I'd probably eat it anyway.. *shhhh!*)

Herbert Kornfield

I have recently been rekindling a relationship with one Herbert Kornfield. He's the Accounts Receivable Supervisor in some company. By far, my absolute favorite column writer over at The Onion. If interested in some good humor, check him out.

But for now, I must find some Benedryl, as draining sinuses bypass my nose and head straight for my throat, making me slightly naseous. If left unattended for too long, it'll feel like I have bronchitis. I'm not sure what happened to my ability to be healthy, but I totally lost it somewhere along the college path.

Stockings

I spoke with my Mom yesterday day. I was telling her how DS and I are too poor to buy all the things that go with a Christmas tree, like a tree skirt. And also stockings. So I bought the cheapest skirt I could find, and I'm decorating it myself. She seemed a little panicked. Turns out, she was in the process of making DS and I stockings herself, and was worried that I wouldn't want hers if I made my own. She's so silly. We always had handmade stockings growing up, and I always loved them. My Mom rocks. I can't wait for them to get here!

So now, I have a lot of crochet patterns for stockings and a bunch of green and red yarn. Anyone want to buy a stocking?

Firing Day

It finally happened. The girl we will no longer name was fired at work. The whole thing was actually pretty anti-climatic. Katie and I had been popping up saying, only 2 more days! Things like that. And now it's over. No more having to do two people's work because the other does nothing. No more having an employee lie to me about how much work they've done, or the fact that they've done it at all. No more awkward hugs from people I would never even speak to outside of work...

I think that was the thing I disliked most. The way she always hugged me like we were best friends. So clingy. And she would stand there, while she wasn't working, watching you work, and stroke my hair. I hated that. *shudders*

The store manager was nervous about it, as it was only the second time she had to fire someone. Apparently the first time did not go well. Being the third ranked manager, and only one witness being needed, I stayed on the floor. They didn't even let her clock in. Just, hi, how are you, let's talk.

I kept myself occupied, as there were floor moves to do, and elderly ladies needing help. Thankfully, I was busy with one of these ladies when they all came back out about five minutes later. She had tears in her eyes as she gave me one of her clingy hugs, me in the middle of telling the customer about our fragrance lamps (no one ever knows what they are..). Kate and the SM rolled their eyes. And with that last moment of discomfort, she was gone.

In a way, I do feel bad that she was let go without any written warnings. However, being that she was within her probationary period still, none were necessary. But then, every time I think of how she actually told another employee that the old manager (whom I was hired to replace) taught her to do next to nothing and get away with it, I lose that empathy. When I remember how she would sit behind the register, where no customers could see her, to build lamps, and then tell not only other associates but other managers that no, she didn't have to listen to them and stand up, because I told her it was okay.. I still don't know how she turned "You can't sit behind the register, no one can see you," into "yeah sure, it's okay." And especially when I think of how she actually argued with a manager about the price of something, an as-is price that only a manager can decide, right in front of a customer... Yeah, I'm glad she's gone.

She had started coming in and saying things like, "My mom is mad at you." This person was over 20. Not by a lot, but still, more than enough to be an adult in every way. You have no idea how aggravating it was to be told that her mother was mad at me. Saying that her mother didn't work there didn't seem to have an effect. Therefore, it wasn't much of a surprise when she later called in anger about her being fired. I can't tell you how many times SM had to say, "If she wants to talk to me, she can call me. She's an adult." Just ridiculous.

So yeah, work is now like, 20 times better. Everyone left that works there actually works. And while things are still far from perfect in the store, the imperfections that remain are ones that I can deal with and still come home without fuming and threatening to quit. So I'm happy.

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Note for those that care: I learned how to lead climb and lead belay tonight. Ooyaxzah!

(yeah, so I stole that from mo.. what are you going to do about it?)

Accusations

I have been accused of putting my tree up too early. I have also been accused of making baby Jesus cry, but that probably has more to do with me breaking his arms off. He looks funny in my nativity set now....

Let me explain something. In case you have all forgotten, I work in retail hell. That means the day after Thanksgiving, I'll be spending my entire day fighting with uppity people who want to spend their day shopping instead of putting up their tree. Considering that most of the people that shop at my mall are rich white women, they probably have their husbands/servants doing it for them, but whatever. My point is this: I don't know when my next day off will be after Thanksgiving. It was yesterday or nothing. And I am not one to wait a week or two after Thanksgiving for this sort of thing. I love it too much.

So, you can all take your condescending judgements and aim them at Chanda, who puts her tree up the day after Halloween, every year. (I still love you Chanda)

My First Christmas Tree

Today, DS did his duty as a boyfriend and bought me my first Christmas tree!! I'm so excited. I've been singing made up songs about it all week in anticipation. :)

It was actually really hard to find one that wasn't prelit. Why do all the trees come with the lights built in now? I just don't get it. Like DS said, putting on the lights is half the fun! Not to mention that the two strings of lights cost less than $5, which saved me at least $50 by not getting my tree pre-strung. What a rip off!

I know some of you will be disappointed by the fact that we didn't get a real one. Especially when you learn that I've never in my life had a real Christmas tree. DS and I discussed this, and we decided that we would wait to mess with all that when we have a house. Living on the second floor of an apartment and getting a live tree up there just seemed like more of a headache than anything.

DS wore his "Superfly" t-shirt for this important event.

That mug on the chess table is the carousel mug I bought my Mamaw for Christmas. It makes a good eggnog mug.
We went with the cheap ornaments, just so our tree wouldn't be bare. But really, we prefer the random assortment that you collect over the years. The problem is that we haven't had a lot of years for collection, so we only have about 6 of the cool ones. You can't have a tree with 6 ornaments.
This is the only picture of the ornaments that turned out okay. That last drop of my camera at Devil's Lake really made it useless. Stupid broken focus... Also, it's not really our first Christmas, that was last year. But that ornament is at my mom's right now.