Month: December 2007

What’s That White Stuff Falling From the Sky?

I’m at the folks’ place in Washington for the holidays. I’m working the system pretty well, I think. The boss said, “go ahead and work from home the week following Christmas,” so I’m working from Mom’s home. I got in yesterday. I had to work the after school job through Monday.

Right after we got back from the airport, it started to rain/snow. It was all slushy, and nothing was sticking because of the rain in the mix. On the news last night, they were reporting from a hill in Seattle, where it had actually started sticking. They were saying it was the first white Christmas in Seattle for over a decade, and they showed a little girl building a snowman. It was my first ever white Christmas. It only took 30 years.

Just about 20 minutes ago, it started really snowing, though. I’m sitting here right now watching it fall out the front window. It’s collecting on the trees, the lawn, and the road. I’m glad I don’t have to go anywhere. I did go out and catch a few flakes on my tongue, but that was good enough for me. I’m over it.

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Sitting here is like the opposite of being in a snow globe.

Holiday Madness = No New Posts

I have been going non-stop since Friday afternoon.   Once I get to my parents’ house on Tuesday, I’m sure I’ll have to devote to writing some blogs, and giving the run down on all I’ve seen and done.

Tomorrow night – the Strange Manor Christmas party.  An annual tradition.   My favorite party of the whole year.  I can’t wait!

Really? It’s Jessica Simpson’s Fault? Really?

Today’s “What the – ?” moment brought to us by Fox Sports. I don’t really follow football, but I saw the article in my Google Reader, and I was confused about the connection between a pop icon and an athlete, and how the heck Ian O’Connor brought it all back to Rocky.

To spare you the details, apparently Cowboys’ quarterback, Tony Romo, played a less than inspiring game against Eagles while Simpson was in the stands. Apparently he had also had a poor performance against the Eagles when his previous girlfriend, Carrie Underwood, was in the stands last year. So, the connection is made that it’s the girlfriend’s fault. Apparently the fact that both games were against the same team hasn’t occurred to sports writers. That perhaps the Eagles have something going for them that gives them an edge against Romo’s game?

The thing that gets me, this isn’t just covered on one site. The same angle is covered on USA Today, MSNBC, Boston Herald, and (get this) The New Zealand Herald! Really? NEW ZEALAND!

That’s some ace reporting right there! Why take the time to analyze the performance of the athletes involved, and formulate a theory or opinion about why this team keeps losing to that team when you can just point at a woman as a scapegoat?

Just sayin’.

Casual Tuesday

 

This morning when I woke up for work, I just couldn’t bring myself to do the whole business attire thing, or anything even remotely resembling business attire. It was raining and crappy, anyway. So, I wore a pair of jeans and a hoodie to work today.

It’s not like my workplace has a stringent dress code anyway. My counterpart showed up in flip flops. She even brought herself an extra pair of flip flops, in case the one pair got drenched. So, I wasn’t being completely subversive. It felt really good to be very comfortable today, though. It was just one of those days.

I might just do it again tomorrow. Who knows? I’m crazy, wily, and unpredictable like that!

Just sayin’.

Jiminy Christmas

It’s a first. I finished with all Christmas shopping well in advance. Not only am I done buying it, but last night I wrapped it all.   I am way, way, way ahead of schedule.  There was  a time in life when I waited until the night before or Christmas morning to wrap the presents.   Usually this involved a beer or cocktail.   It was a ritual of sorts.

Of course, I only buy for four people. To the rest of the world, my gift to them is that they don’t have to bother with a gift for me. I think it’s a very equitable arrangement. I’m one less person that you have to buy for. That’s nice, isn’t it?

One of the other things I have to do to prepare is finish “the letter.” I started writing one of those year in review newsletters to include in cards to the family about five or six years ago. It was a joke, but it turns out that my family actually likes to get it. The one year I didn’t write it, my Great Aunt Imogene complained. She was actually pissed. Well, Aunt Genie has passed away, but knowing that she would have been hopping mad if I didn’t write it, I feel like it’s a tradition that I have to continue.   This year’s version came out quite snarky, so I may have to rewrite it.

So, Christmas Eve you’ll find me at Strange Manor, as always.   There will be dozens of friends, a gift exchange gamey thing, Rock Star the video game, maybe some karaoke.   (It’s my personal goal that my gift will be the most fought over in the exchange/steal game, but it never is.)   It’ll be good times.   Those crazy kids put out Volume 2 of their holiday CD, and I have to say, Mr. V-Rock blew me away.  Who knew that kid could sing?

Christmas Day, I’ll be hopping on a plane and floating off to Washington (state not district) to hang with the parents for a week.  It’ll be good to get away, and frankly, to be fed by my mother in a way that only a youngest child can be.

Oh, and did I mention that I’m still working my after school, holiday, part-time, retail, mall job at FYE?   Good times.   I actually yelled at a couple of little kids last weekend.     I may not be Santa, but I know naughty when I see it!

Just sayin’.

A Grand Party

I have been such a slack about the posting lately. There have been quite a few things that have happened lately or random thoughts that have popped into my head that I’ve thought would make for good blogging, but I just couldn’t get myself motivated. I even wrote half a blog on Monday, but then didn’t post it. It turned out to be a rough week.

On Tuesday morning, I got to work, and opened my email (professional & personal). On the personal account, I had an email from my aunt in England, letting me know that Great Aunt Kath passed away on Monday. She was 97 years old. When I was in England in April, I saw her, and she told me that she’d never see me again. I was kind of hoping that she would be wrong, that I’d make it back again, and it wouldn’t take 30 years for me to get there again.

I talked to my cousin Jenny that afternoon, and she said, “I think they’re all [Aunt Kath,  her mother, my grandmother, and their other sibilings] up there having a grand party now.”

Cheers Aunt Kath! Cheers to Grandma, too!