Category: Uncategorized

Man the holidays wiped me out this year.  I’m not complaining — I just wish they were spread out a little more, and not compacted into one 7-day period.  I pretty much spent all weekend at home either cleaning the house or playing Skyrim, and since the house was already mostly clean and just required general maintenance cleaning, it was mostly Skyrim.  My character is significantly better than she was on Friday, and the most exciting thing I did was build each of the shrines on my alter in the cellar.  Yes, I have one of each of the nine shrines now.  It’s pretty fancy.

Here’s a random screen shot I took; I had dumped the cultist’s bodies in the blacksmith forge in Windhelm; unfortunately with this type of situation, the bodies just stay wherever you leave them and don’t disappear.  I guess Windhelm is cold enough that they don’t rot?  I have no idea.  Anyway, to get them out of the way, I put them in the forge.  I walked up to the market area to buy some ore or something, and found all the merchants gathered like this (“Oh, what happened?”); most amusingly of all, the smithy himself is standing inside the forge, presumably turning his feet to charcoal.

Anyway.  I’m glad I holed up and spent the weekend that way, even though part of me wishes I’d gotten out and done something (it was a rainy, grey weekend btw, or I would have gone hiking); I think I’ve gotten my Skyrim fix out of the way, and have recovered from all the social interactions of late.  I’m not particularly thrilled to be at work, but without an unpleasant contrast, I wouldn’t enjoy being home as much, so I’m trying to keep that in mind.

Also put this up, and I like it!  So far the cats have not been swatting at it at all, though I’ve been keeping them mostly out of the bedroom lately too.

Tonight, I’m going to put on CardioX before I do anything else.  Need to start getting back into the habit of doing this after work every day.  I’m generally unsuccessful at forming new, healthy habits (although I haven’t been smoking for a while – weeks?  a month? – which is a good thing).

Well anyway.  This is the only new year’s update you’re getting from me, but at least it’s something!

• Reorganize jewelry.  I’m thinking either find a cool tree branch to use as a hanger, or possibly dig out that shadow box and re-purpose it (or both?).
• Clean my kitchen.  Purge/organize.  Start Goodwill box.
• Clean the bathroom, for heavens sake.  This room could also stand some reorganization….
• After taking down Christmas decorations, decide if I want to move the love seat back into the living room and move the chair back to the library.  Would free up some room in the library and create more seats in living room.
• Get back door fixed.
• Make flask covers for myself and Stephen (should have done this in time for NYE eh?)

Tomorrow, I’m off.  I’m thinking of ways to comfortably spend the day outside, reading.  Hm.  I guess I have a fire pit in my back yard, but the door is broken ATM and the back yard looks trashy anyway.  (I cannot wait for Ryan to get his stuff moved out.  You don’t even know.)  I have visions of Percy Warner and lots of warm blankets.  Don’t know how well this would work, though.  Might just hit up a coffee shop with cozy chairs – like JJ’s or something.  Wonder how busy coffee shops will be on New Year’s Day, or if they’ll even be open?  OK, so I could just stay home and make myself coffee.  Hm.  I wonder if Stephen would be up for being mobile.  He’s feeling better but still coughing a lot and doesn’t have much energy.

(Oh good news!  My landlord is having a contractor come to look at my back door, so I probably will not have to get it fixed myself.  How nice!)

(Oh and more good news!  We’re probably going to be closing at 3:00 again today!  Yay for holidays!)

Although I will say that my introvert is not looking forward to going out tonight.  I’m not a fan of staying up past midnight unless I’m engrossed in something that has made me forget to check the time; I’m going to a party tonight where Stephen will be the only person I know, and I’m trying not to dread it.  Not working too awfully well at the moment.  This is why I mentioned flasks earlier.  Will gird myself with courage later.

Well, today is my last day at work before Christmas starts.  I’m taking tomorrow off, and we’re closed the 24th and 25th.  Am quite looking forward to spending all day tomorrow baking – I’m going to make linzertortes, babka, and rugelach.  It’s going to be very good-smelling at my house tomorrow.

I finished 99% of my Christmas gifts.  Some of them have turned out better than others, so if you get one that isn’t as great as someone else’s, I’m very sorry.  I really put a lot of time into all of them, so….  (Though Anna Laura/Marshall/Mary’s gift was the most time-consuming, but it’s partly a new baby gift as well, so you know.  It’s totally fair.)  Just have to wrap them up tonight, and clean my living room which is covered in crafting supplies and trash.  Probably mostly trash.  It’ll look great once I have everything cleaned up and wrapped, which I hope to have done by tomorrow morning so that I can just focus on baking all day.

This Christmas is so far worlds better than last Christmas.  It’s odd to remember how I felt about life last year, and compare it to where I am right now.  Last year, I knew that my life would get better eventually, and the light at the end of the tunnel (a poor analogy which I’m going to blame on weak coffee this morning) was getting slowly brighter, but I wasn’t happy.  I didn’t feel festive, and I had to force myself to do the Christmas things that I generally do with relish – such as getting gifts for family, decorating, baking, watching Christmas movies, etc.

This holiday season has felt like the best Christmas gift ever, compared with last year.  I spent this last weekend at Stephen’s, making gifts and listening to the Nutcracker and feeling so content – while he spent most of the weekend working on the couch next to me.  It was so lovely.  I may be introverted but I adore having someone around (preferably someone I can go kiss every now and then) who doesn’t feel the need to talk all the time.

Uh, anyway, will stop it with the mushiness.  But just saying – this year SO much more enjoyable than last.

BTW.  Janet posted this on FB yesterday, and I almost cried.  Sarah is the most gorgeous 7-year-old in the world.  (Cropped out her friends because their parents probably wouldn’t appreciate their picture on my blog….)

So!  Due to poor planning and poor decision-making skills, I have scrapped half of my original plans for Christmas presents and have been coming up with new ideas all week.  Yes, I realize that Christmas is exactly a week from today.  I have 5.5 gifts completely finished, which leaves a mere 5.5 to complete.  Actually, I have 6.75 finished – so 4.25 to go.  I forgot about one.  So yeah – can totally finish 4.25 gifts in 3-4 days.  Then Tuesday I’ll devote to cleaning the house and baking, so that I can (I hope) take it easy on Wednesday until I have to start traveling.

The Reeves are doing a cookie exchange this year, which is new.  I usually do bake cookies around Christmastime, so will probably do rugelach and something else.  Or maybe just rugelach.  Everyone always seems to like that stuff, and they’re fun to make.  Rugelach and linzertorte (for Christmas dinner, and probably will take one to Jeff and Tammy’s)…and maybe a chocolate babka.  That one I made a few years ago was SO GOOD.  Hm.  Will probably depend on whether I get all the gifts finished (and wrapped) by Monday.

Anyway.  I guess I’m blogging because I can’t actually make anything right now.  Hmph.  I’m looking forward to being able to blog about the cool gifts I’m making this year……..

somehow, I’m mostly awake though.

went to Knoxville this weekend, and Stephen needed to get some writing done so we went to Golden Roast on Sunday morning.  they had these succulents sitting in the window sill.  HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO GROW LIKE THIS.  like seriously wtf.

First of all — let me say, in regards to my most recent post, that my sister had her baby on Sunday and merely seeing pictures of mini-Anna-Laura on FB practically makes me want my own.  My friend Cathy and I talked about kids last week, and she said what I basically knew – that it’s not normally a logical, metered decision to have a child.  And I said as much in my rant from last week, too, but the way I phrased it sounded much more bitter than the way Cathy did.

Anyway.  So other stuff that’s been going on includes getting my Christmas tree a couple of days ago (obligatory picture…..)

Stephen came over and helped me put it up (we’re doing his tree tonight), and we drank White Russians while watching the Big Lebowski after getting it set up and decorated.  OH – and he found this recipe for baked brie which was AMMMAAAAZING.

Try it.  It was phenomenal.

Also I need to buckle down and get to working on all your Christmas presents, for crying outloud!!  I DID finally mail Liesl’s on Monday, and I hope it gets there before the 25th.  If not, oh well.  Late Christmas presents can be fun, too.  I’m 89% finished with Anna Laura & Marshall & Mary’s gift (how odd to include another person in that!) but then I need to start on the rest, heh.  I’ve been obviously very organized this year…..guh.  And last night, instead of being productive at all, I watched American Horror Story (recommend the 3rd season so far – features Kathy Bates who has been one of my favorites ever since Misery) and went to bed early.  Er, got in bed early.  Heh.  Hey, even if it wasn’t a productive evening, I sure the hell enjoyed it.

I guess that’s all I have to say at the moment.  So.

Menu included —
•Cheese platter
•Maple ginger turkey with Riesling gravy
•Cornbread stuffing
•Aunt Carol’s sweet potato casserole
•Green bean casserole
•Mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and truffle oil
•Asparagus
•Yeast rolls
•Cranberry sauce
•Magic chocolate pie (with whipped cream and sugared cranberries)

What would I do without a blog?  Waste a lot of paper?

Gotta figure out what exactly what I need to do today, and make a timeline for what I need to do tomorrow.  So that’s what this blogy will be about…..

My house is clean except for the mess I made working on Liesl’s Christmas present last night (which I realized I need to hurry up and finish and mail), but that should be easy to clean up.

Tonight, I need to

Make yeast rolls for tomorrow (get started on this asap)

Prep sweet potatoes (peel, cube, boil, mash – everything except streusel, which I might mix tonight)

Prep mashed potatoes (peel, cube, boil, mash – although I’ll add seasoning etc tomorrow) (actually might no mash these)

Tomorrow….

Make the pie in the morning – also whipped cream, and sugared cranberries

*Don’t forget to let turkey come to room temp before cooking

*Also make turkey stock

Start turkey….um, around 1pm (about 3 hours cook time, 45 minutes rest)

Gravy, of course

Bake sweet potato casserole

Saute onions, prep mashed potatoes, and bake when sweet potatoes are done

Bake rolls around 4pm

I feel like I’m missing something, but I’m hoping that’s because I’m not worrying about stuffing or greens.  Hm.  Although some of this might change if the stuffing/greens end up needing to be cooked at my house.  Which would be totally fine of course.

I did not want to get out of bed this morning.  I know I know, that’s the most normal thing ever.  But still.  I just finished a cup of coffee which was mediocre and has not made me feel any more alert than I was already.  Bah.  Also my throat is very vaguely sore, which probably is from drainage as I forgot to take an antihistamine yesterday.  At least I hope that’s what it’s from!!

I’m glad it’s Monday for one reason only, and that is because Thanksgiving is on Thursday.  Otherwise, Monday can go fuck itself.  I ended up getting to sleep around 3am this morning, because a) I had a cup of coffee before dinner…around, oh, 6:30.  Usually I don’t drink coffee that late in the evening, and usually if I do it’s a weekend when I don’t have to worry about being at work on time the next morning.  Also, b), I’ve had a lot of phlegm/drainage the last several days, and I thought I was getting sick but now I think it was probably just allergies/extreme weather changes, but at any rate once I laid down last night I couldn’t stop coughing.  Stephen said I didn’t keep him up too much, but he might have just been being nice because I seriously laid in bed coughing a good chunk of the night.  Was not much fun.  Finally fell asleep, and got about 4 hours of sleep.  Gah.

On my lunch break today, I’m going to the Sysco store for plugra (will probably get at least 3 pounds….it’s the holidays, after all), and then home to take a quick shower.  Wish I could fit in a blasted nap too.  After work, I need to go grocery shopping and basically get everything – so that will probably entail a trip to Aldi and one to Publix.  After grocery shopping, will probably be going to a show.  I stopped at the Pilot down the road for coffee and energy drinks, heh.

Other than last night though, which was only bad because I couldn’t get to sleep, this weekend was pretty great.  I hung out with Stephen on Friday, and spent most of Saturday/Sunday at home.  My weekend was super productive; I cleaned the whole house (excepting craft stuff I have out in the living room because I’m actually using it), which included mopping the floors in all rooms except living room and bedroom, and putting away all my clothes.  I also did a couple loads of laundry.  And put up my new magnetic knife rack.  And decorated the dining room.

You know, I could always just buy the plugra after work, and shower then too.  To make time for a nap.  I’m feeling oddly…uh, like my eyes are burning and hard to keep open.  You know?

(Bah, Aunt Barbara just expressed great disappointment at the fact that I said I wouldn’t be there for Thanksgiving this year.  Blast.  Now I feel guilty.  And I do love Thanksgiving in Oak Ridge.  But I’m so looking forward to cooking, and to my long weekend which includes my birthday, and I want to be at home for it all.  I still feel guilty though – a perfectly useless feeling if I’m not prepared to act on it, right?)

Suddenly my brain has stopped working.  Will probably spend the rest of the morning staring at my computer screen, and ignoring as many phone calls as possible.  Eh heh.  And maybe going back for more coffee.

UPDATE: just got back from lunch. Stopped feeling so sleepy so decided to go home, shower, then hit up the Cash n Carry story for butter. They had glass gallon jugs of cider on display as you’re walking in, so….duh, I had to get one of those too. Bought three pounds of pulgra, which has gotten a little more expensive than last year but is still cheaper than buying it at a regular grocery store. (Out of curiosity, I just looked it up on Amazon, and it’s twice as expensive there as at the Sysco store!) Anyway, bought 3 lbs so that I can use it for the pie, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, turkey, rolls….basically everything that needs butter. Yeah. That’s right.

And I’m looking forward to grocery shopping tonight, too.

The one thing I did neglect is getting actual lunch. Naturally, when I got back to the office, it smelled delicious. I’m now wishing I had more food than natural peanut butter and hazelnut chocolate spread (a healthier version of Nutella…). Should’ve stopped at Subway or something. Damn. At least I have energy drink!

Things I’d Rather Be Doing Now Than What I Am Doing

In no particular order

Reading Wuthering Heights

Or reading Bridget Jones’s Diary, as – for whatever reason – I suddenly felt compelled to read it again

Cleaning my kitchen

Or dining room

Or bathroom

Or bedroom

Or living room

Prepping Thanksgiving decorations, which has the prerequisite of cleaning the dining room

Putting my recently purchased Fleur del sel into my new salt cellar

Which, as long as I’m at it, means I should also refill my pepper grinder

Doing laundry

Playing Oblivion I guess

Or Skyrim, I guess

Finding pretty leaves, spraying them with a coating, stringing them up from a pretty stick

Dyeing my hair

Watching thew newest season of It’s Always Sunny

Cleaning out the refrigerator

Yoga

Or hiking

Alphabetizing my books, by author, within each genre

As long as I’m being so negative already (wishing to be doing so much besides sitting at a desk), here are some reasons I’m “glad” my job entails sitting at a desk

(“glad”……i.e. “ok with”)

I can make lists ad nauseam

I can browse Pinterest for table scape ideas

I can check Facebook every 30 seconds, if I want – while thinking about how much I dislike Facebook

I can look at my face in the mirror and figure out exactly which angle gives me the least amount of chin fat

The contrast makes going home nicer than it could theoretically be