Much Better Now, Thanks

J got these duckies in the mail last night, along with a set of Christmas Carol duckies and a set of Nativity Scene duckies, and I got a set to bring to work with me. These, obviously, are rocker duckies. Aren't they cute? The one in front is totally J. :) He's my bass playing rocker duck.

So, yesterday never really got better, but that's okay, because today is really good so far, and it feels like it's going to be as good as yesterday was bad. And I'm very grateful for that. I woke up this morning to J hugging me, and that's always the best way to wake up, I think. And the sun was out when I came in (and it's still out now), and after a few days without it, I'm really appreciating seeing it. We don't get nearly enough sunshine here. Plus! Today is Friday, so I have the next two days off, and if he doesn't get any calls, so does J! So that's fantastic and amazing. We might go to a movie or do something fun, which would be nice.

Today is also the last day of NaBloPoMo, but you won't even notice, since I'm beginning holidailies tomorrow! So I'll still be here everyday. This is the first year I've participated in NaBloPoMo, and I thought it might be too much to write every day for two months in a row, but I'm glad I did it. It was fun. (Although by the end of December, I may be ready to take a good break. Check with me on December 31st.)

So. I hope you are all having great Fridays, wherever you may be. I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Is This Week Over Yet?

I seriously can't wait for this week to be over. I have felt behind on everything all freaking week. I'm hormonal and depressed today, and I just want to go home, crawl into bed and hide there until the day is over. But instead I'm at work. Stupid work. Sometimes the big boss here brings in donuts - you know, the boxed kind with sugar, cinnamon and plain donuts in it. I was SO hoping he would do that today, because frankly it feels like a sugar donut would help me greatly right now. But he didn't. Sigh. So I'm going to have to be happy with my morning toast.

*****

So, we're not getting the dog. Which is a good thing, because four dogs is certainly plenty. I called the woman who has him yesterday, to arrange a time to go look at him, and she had someone else interested, who was going to look at him on Saturday. So I told J, and he said to let the other people have him. So I called and told her that yesterday afternoon. I would have been happy to have the dog, because after all, what's one more? But I'm just as happy to not be introducing a new dog into the mix right now, so it's fine. I hope he has a happy life, though.

*****

Oh, also - the Beagle wasn't dead in the road yesterday, so apparently all turned out well. I was seriously stressing driving past that section of road yesterday, though, just in case.

*****

Seriously, can this week just be over now? I would pay a million dollars, if I had it, to make it just suddenly be Friday at 4:45, when I would be home from work and would have the next two days to relax. I hate this week.

*****

And rather than talking more about things I hate, because that's what I do when I'm in this kind of mood, I'm just going to end this right now. I hope you are all having great weeks, I really do.

Doggies, Doggies Everywhere

Today when I was driving in to work, there was a Beagle in the middle of the road - alive! Not hit by a car yet. It had a collar on, and was just wandering around the road. I slowed down to avoid hitting it, of course, and I wanted so badly to stop and see if it had a tag so I could get it back home, but there were two cars behind me and if I stopped I would be late for work, and so I didn't. I regret that, now. I hope it made it back home okay, and that it doesn't get hit. Stupid Beagle. I'll look for it tonight when I'm on my way home, to see if it's still around.

*****

Also, have I told you yet that J and I are nuts? Well, we are. :) The other day Jamie told me at work that someone who also works on campus had rescued a Basset Hound from their neighbor, and he might take it. Only he chickened out and didn't take it, and now J and I might. We certainly don't need a fifth dog, but it's a Basset Hound! And it's been tied outside forever! And it needs a home! So it's probably going to be ours. I'm going to call the woman who has it today and tell her we want to come look at him. We aren't for sure taking it, but then again, J has it named already (Geech, although I don't know if I'm spelling that right or not - and that name is from the Simpsons, for those not in the know), and we're suckers for dogs, so it's probably going to be ours.

*****

So far today has been better than yesterday. I haven't had that "running in place" feeling at all so far. Of course, it's only 8:58 a.m., but still. :) Also, J didn't have to go to work until a normal hour today, so he was there when I got up. I always love being able to see him in the morning.

*****

And now I need to get to work, so this is all for today. I hope you all have a great Wednesday!

One of "Those" Days

I got up this morning in a really good mood, but somehow by the time I was in the car driving to work, I had the feeling this was going to be a slightly crappy day, and I was right. It hasn't been bad, really, but it's been very rushed and kind of horrible. I've felt behind all day, like deadlines are nipping at my heels, and if I don't keep running, I'm going to fall behind. I hate that feeling. I'm going to be glad when this day is over and I can go home (two more hours).

It was so bad earlier, that I was sitting at the cutting board, cutting some holiday meal tickets for the dining place, and was talking to someone, and said to them that at least the day was moving along. And looked at my watch, totally expecting it to be 3:00 or later, and it was only 1:30. Ugh. That sucks so much.

But. Now I only have two more hours to go, and I'm hoping my running is over for the day. Hoping. My fingers are crossed. I want to relax and just work at a slower pace for the rest of the day, all right? Sigh.

Weird GH Nightmare

I had a nightmare last night that J had been killed. Like, really killed, as in murdered. The mob enforcer from General Hospital was in the dream, so I assume he was killed by the fictional soap opera mob. Weird, right? I have no idea where that dream came from - I hadn't even watched GH in a couple of days, so it wasn't exactly fresh on my mind. Stupid soap opera nightmares. I'm happy to report, though, that J is still alive and well, so no worries. :)

*****

I saw on Kymm's site today that holidailies is back in business for this year, yay! So guess what? I signed up, and now you're getting entries from me every day, not just for November, but for December, too! Excellent, right? Yup, I thought so. I have no idea why I'm excited about having to write every day for SIXTY-ONE days in a row, but I am, so there you go. I'm nuts. But you get more of my blathering than you thought you would, so it's a good thing. Right? Yup, sure it is.

*****

I got up this morning for work, stumbling out of bed all blurry eyed at 6:40. It was NOT easy to get up early after four days off. But I did it. I let the dogs outside, scooped the cat litter, and then looked over and saw that the tree that J had put up last night was tipped toward the window. I was all, "damn! J's going to kill the cats!" (Not that he really would, of course, that was exaggeration. But he wouldn't be happy if they really knocked it over. Of course, neither would I.) But no, it wasn't the cats. When I turned the light on so that I could see, I found that the post of the (fake) tree had slipped down in the holder, so that it was hanging down longer than the feet of the stand, so it was all off-balance. I couldn't fix it by myself, so I left it tipped against the window. J and I will fix it tonight.

*****

And okay, that's enough of an entry for today, I think. I covered nightmares and tree tipping and writing for 31 more days than I had planned - yup, that's everything. :) Later, gators!

Busy Sunday

J and I have had a busy day today. He had to go into work this morning for a couple of hours, so while he was gone, I played the Sims and did laundry, made the bed and just generally picked up a little. I'm a good multi-tasker. :) Once he came home, he started hanging up Christmas lights outside, while I continued to do laundry and play the Sims, then did the dishes and made up a batch of sugar cookie dough. Yum. I can't bake them until 6:00 (it has to refrigerate for at least three hours), but they're going to be yummy, I can tell. I'm thinking of making frosting to put on them, too. I LOVE frosted sugar cookies.

While I was in the kitchen working on the cookie dough, J surprised me by bringing down the Christmas tree and putting it together, then putting the lights on it. Yay! Christmas has officially hit our house now! We also hung more decorations around the inside. All that remains, really, is to put the decorations on the tree and the garland on the stair railing, but we're both tired, so we'll do that another day.

And! We bought a pumpkin pie pumpkin before Halloween, and it's still sitting in the kitchen - I had no idea what to do with it. It's still firm and I guess still good, so I found directions online for how to cook it, and I'm going to make homemade pumpkin bread from it! I love pumpkin bread, so I can't wait. I hope it comes out okay. I've never made it with fresh pumpkin before.

And now I'm going to go back to my game until we go out - we're going to go get dinner somewhere fast-foody, which is fine with me. Happy Sunday, everybody!

Choking on the slowness of blogger

Ooh, late entry today. I usually post much earlier than 9:25 at night! I had a good day today, though. J got home from work somewhere around, what, 8:00 this morning? Something like that. We had a quiet morning together, until he went in to take a nap, because he hadn't gotten much sleep last night (he was at work all night), at which point I of course played the Sims for a while. :) Then this afternoon we went to Walmart and got groceries (always a fun time), came home and put them away, and then went to his work. He had to check up on some things, and then we went out to dinner. I love that. We went to the place where we went for our second date. It was nice to go there a year later, and think about how different our relationship is in a year's time. It's better than I could ever have guessed, and I'm very happy about that. And then we stopped by his parents' house and visited for a while, and then came home.

Excitinging, right? Right. And now blogger or my Internet connection or something is being horribly slow, and I can't stand it, so I'm cutting this entry short. I'll write more tomorrow. night!

Black Friday

No, I did NOT go shopping at the crack of dawn (or earlier) this morning. I'm not that crazy. Besides, I'm broke. :) I have, however, had a pretty good day. J was home this morning, and I had fun hanging out with him for a little while. After a while he went outside and started stringing lights up the flag pole, and I hung the start of our indoor decorations - our stockings and some Christmas bells and balls. Plus J hung up reindeer and snowman lights in the living room, so it looks very nice in here already. We still have a lot more to put out, but this is a start. And when we get everything up, I'll share pictures.

Yesterday was a very nice Thanksgiving for me and J. We hung out at the house in the morning, just relaxing, and then we went to his parents' house for dinner. The meal was great, the company was better (I like his family a lot), and it was just nice to hang out with them. They're going to be my family too, some day, so it's nice to get to know them a little bit better with each of these visits.

At about 7:00 or so, we left their house and went to the place where J works, and he showed me around. Now I can totally picture his office when he's in there e-mailing me. :) I'm glad about that.

And, since I've done a "thankful" list every year since I started this blog, I don't want this year to be any different. So, one day late, here is what I'm thankful for this year.

J. Without him, my life was very empty, and now it feels so much more full. I constantly think I love him as much as I possibly can, and then I look at his gorgeous blue eyes, and I somehow love him even more.

My family, especially my sister and her kids (and grandkids). My sister is a very important person in my life. I love talking to her and hearing family stories from her, and just being around her. And her kids are all fantastic, too. Being in their house is comforting, welcoming and fun.

My dogs. All FOUR of my dogs, because Rosebud and Duff are mine now, too. They all have their own personalities, but one thing they all have in common is that they are very lovable and sweet. I'm glad to have them around and healthy.

My cats. I love every single one of them. I'm happy to have them in my life.

My friends. I have a great group of friends, local and far away and online. They all make my life so much richer.

Our house. I bought it eight years ago (and moved in eight years ago this week), hoping that I would someday have someone to share it with, and now I finally do. It's gone from just a house to a home, and I love it even more because of the person I now share it with.

My job. I don't love it, but I like it, and that's saying a lot. I work for a very nice woman, and a decent company. I'm grateful to have it.

J's kerosene heater. :) It's cold outside, and we're trying to go easy on the fuel oil, so the kerosene heater in the living room is a life saver. Even if it is a pain to fill it up, especially when the kerosene can is full. Man, that thing gets heavy!

And those are the top things that come to mind at the moment. I'm just grateful for every part of my life right now. I wish I had less bills (like, a lot less), but as tight as things are now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and things will get a little less tight all the way until I finally reach that light. So I try not to dwell on how broke I am now. Sometimes I'm better at that than others, but it will all get better. I know that.

Happy belated Thanksgiving. I hope you all had great ones (those of you who celebrate it, anyway).

Happy Thanksgiving!

So far we're having a quiet Thanksgiving Day, me and J. We slept in a little bit and I've Simmed a little bit and we've watched TV a little bit. And in half an hour or so we're going to leave to go to his parents' house, and have some good food and company. It'll be fun, I'm sure.

Last night when I got out of work, I came home and picked up J, and then we went to my sister's house for dinner. I got to see all of the kids, including the ones who aren't usually there, and I met my niece's boyfriend for the first time. But mostly we hung out and talked and laughed and just had a really good time. It's so nice to hang out with family sometimes.

(I didn't get any mac & cheese, but that's okay. At least I should be able to get some mashed potatoes today at J's parents, so that'll be good.)

And now I think I'm going to go watch the dog show until we leave the house. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving - or a great Thursday, anyway. :)

Dang Dog

So, last night I was sitting at my desk, minding my own business and playing the Sims. J was napping on the couch, the TV was on as background noise, and all was well. Then Bernie asked to go out. No problem, I'll open the door for you. So I let him out, and J's two dogs go as well. A few minutes later, his dogs are in, but Bernie is nowhere to be found.

I go outside and stand on the porch and call for him - "Bernie? Come on, Bernie!" But no Bernie. He has never shown any desire to run off at all, so I started to get worried almost immediately. My first thought, as always, is that he somehow fell in the pool and can't get himself back out. I walk back to the dining room and look out at the pool, but the water is all clear and calm. So, he's not there, that's good. And he still isn't out front, so I put on my shoes and a coat, and I go walking outside. I walk around the front yard and the side yard and back to the pool (just in case) and then back to the front, and then around to the other side, and all the time I'm yelling for him. But he doesn't come trotting up to me, and I don't hear him barking or whining or making any noise whatsoever.

I go back inside and J asks what's going on (he woke up to watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special), and I tell him that Bernie is gone. Now by this point, I'm already pretty upset, so I'm sure it comes out as, "Bernie's gone!" And of course that is meant to be all full of hysteria and on the edge of tears. I love all of my animals - that includes J's, of course - and I don't want any of them to go missing. Ever.

So J gets up and puts on his shoes and gets his keys and starts driving around looking for Bernie, while I keep yelling his name. I start to cry, because I just know I'm never going to see him again. He wasn't wearing his collar, because I never put it back on after his bath, so if he was found, no one would know where he belonged. And what if someone picked him up? Or what if he fell in a hole or somehow got hurt? All of the worst case scenarios set up house in my brain.

J drove down the street to the left, then came back and drove down the street to the right, and then came back and drove up the farm access road across the street, and still no Bernie. Then J started back down the road to the left, and I was in the yard, crying and calling Bernie's name. And then all of a sudden there he is, trotting up the driveway and around the snow fence. My Bernie is back!

I give him a big hug and cry into his fur, asking him where the heck he was, and telling him NEVER to do that to me again. I feel him all over, and he feels fine, except for some burdocks in his tail. J comes back, and sees that Bernie is back, so he tells him that he better tell me I'm sorry, and then he parks his car and comes in. Bernie and I go in, and I sit on the futon next to J and take some time to calm back down, while Bernie lays in his crate and thinks about what he's done. Or wonders what all the fuss was about, more likely. And J and I rewind the Thanksgiving special, which was completely over by the time Bernie came home, and watch it.

Once it's over, I take some scissors and cut the burdocks out Bernie's tail, and manage to cut a hunk out of my middle finger in the process. And I told him over and over that he is never to do that to me again, never! Dang dog.

So, drama over, J goes to work, and I go to bed with tired, achy eyes - crying always does a number on them. My finger is aching where I cut it, my eyes are sore, my face feels all puffy, and I can't believe how close I came to losing my dog. Also, I'm in bed alone, and it's lonely - I really wanted J's arms around me. They will be tonight, hopefully, if he doesn't get called in. And I go to sleep and dream weird dreams.

This morning, when I let Bernie out, I walked outside and watched him until he came in. It'll be a long time before I trust him again. And I put his collar back on him, just in case.

Dang dog.

Good Day

Day two of a three day week is almost over! I love holiday weeks. I'm having a good day at work, too. I found out yesterday that we had been given the green light to go ahead with a work blog, aimed at the students and faculty (mostly students) of the college where I work, and I'm very excited about that. I don't know why - it just seems kind of fun to get paid to write a blog. The page is all set up, and it looks just like a page of our school web site, and it's very cool. I think I'll be writing in it either tomorrow or Monday. Neat!

*****

So, our holiday plans are all made. Tomorrow night J and I are going to go to my sister's house for dinner - not a holiday dinner, just an informal get together. That way we'll get a chance to see my niece, who is coming in from school, and my nephew and his wife and son, who are coming in as well. (Hi Michelle!) I'm glad we're going to get to see everyone. Even if my sister IS making her famous macaroni and cheese, with regular milk and butter, so I won't be able to eat it because of my lactose intolerance. *Insert loud pained sigh here.* But the food isn't the important thing, of course. It's seeing everyone. And maybe she'll surprise me and make me a little bit with Lactaid milk and margarine. Maybe. We'll see. She's good to me, so she'll take care of me one way or the other.

And then on Thursdsay afternoon we're going to go to J's parents' house for the actual Thanksgiving Day dinner. And he e-mailed his sister (who is cooking) about my lactose thing, and she was already on top of it, getting Lactaid for the potatoes, so that I can eat them. That rocks. People are too good to me. I look forward to hanging out with his family for the afternoon - I like them.

*****

And I'm REALLY looking forward to the long weekend. We'll be hanging up Christmas decorations starting Thursday afternoon, I think, and I'll be hanging out and playing my Sims and working on the baby blanket I'm making for my soon-to-be-born great-niece. I need to get that thing done before the baby is born. (Oh, and Michelle? When is your next little one due again? And do you want a blanket for him or her? :) If so, we can decide on colors when you get closer, if you want.)

And now I'm done writing, I think. So. Bye!

Holiday week Mondays aren't so bad

Day one of a three day week is almost over. Woo! I love short weeks. Today has been a good day, so far, too. Work went well, and now it's almost over. When I leave here I'm going to go to my sister's house for dinner, and that's always fun. I love being able to see her every week (just about). The food is great, but the company is better. She has a great family.

And while I'm at her house, I'm going to ask my brother-in-law for some advice on my car. My check engine light came on a couple of weeks ago, and when I got gas last week, the gas cap was loose, and the gas hose kept clicking off even right after I started pumping (and the tank was almost empty). I finally stopped pumping it when I got to $35, but that only got me to just over 3/4 (also, gas prices suck, but that's an entry for another day). So how do I get all of that air out of my tank so that my check engine light will go back off? Do I fill until it overflows, pushing the air out with it? I have no idea, but he will.

J took his dogs with him to work this morning, because they have to go to the vet this afternoon to get their stitches out (they had lumps removed two weeks ago) - in fact, they're probably there as I'm writing this. And it felt so weird to only have my two dogs at the house this morning when I got up! Freaky weird, like time warped and I was back to a time before J started staying with me. Only his stuff is everywhere, so I know that didn't happen. :) I think the ideal family for us is going to be two dogs and either no cats or only one cat, but right now normal is four and five, respectively, and it feels weird when half of one of those parts is gone. I'll be glad to see his pups tonight.

And okay, I've got to go, so later, taters!

Typical Fall Sunday Afternoon

It's 4:03 and the sun is already setting. I have a pan of blondies in the oven, J is home, the dogs are anxiously awaiting dinner time - it's a normal late fall afternoon here in my house. :) I'm sitting here watching House, and I had a good day. I got stuff done - cleaned the dishes, cleaned off the kitchen counters, stripped and made the bed, went to town and got some kerosene for the space heater, shoveled the snow and slush off the porch steps - and I managed to relax a little bit, too. Really, it's just the way any Sunday should be.

So tomorrow starts the work week, and normally I'd be all bummed, because my free time was about to end (even though I like my job), but this is a three day week, so it's not too bad. :) And even though J is on call all week, he may actually get Thanksgiving Day off (knock on wood), so we're planning on going to his parents' house for dinner (which reminds me, I have to remember to tell my sister that tomorrow when I see her after work). I hope he doesn't get called in - he works so hard, he deserves the day off.

And now I'm going to go to the kitchen to check my blondies, so I'm going to sign off. Bye!

Sneaky Holiday Spirit

J and I just went to Walmart to get groceries, and it was a madhouse in there! Usually by 3:45 it's quieted down, but not today. I guess it's going to be busy now until the holidays are over. Sigh. I hate when Walmart is super busy.

I'll tell you one thing, though, for some reason this trip has put me in the beginning of the holiday mood - well, that combined with the snow on the ground, which is deeper than it was yesterday morning. I don't like it much, but it is necessary to make me feel in the Christmas spirit, and somehow, against my own wishes, that seems to be happening.

I also got the stuff to make chocolate chip cookies, because it's my week to clean at work, and we have to bring in a treat on the weeks when we clean. And it occurs to me that I never wrote about that in here, so a lot of you have no idea what I'm talking about. Well, our office cleaner quit, and instead of replacing him, it was decided that the people in the office could take turns cleaning the office. So once every ten weeks or so I have to take out the trash twice a week and vacuum once a week. And then, for some reason, the person who cleans has to bring in a treat for the rest of the office, which seems completely backward to me, but whatever. I think the company should be bringing in a treat, since we're saving them the cost of a cleaner's salary. But maybe that's just me. Anyway, long story short (too late), I'm bringing in chocolate chip cookies, because that's what I felt like making. And of course I'm going to make stuff for us at home, too, but I'm making us blondies - the same thing, just baked like brownies. So yummy.

And I think the thought of baking is putting me in the holiday spirit, too. Stupid holiday spirit, sneaking up on me like that.

And now I'm off to do something - I don't even know what. Happy Saturday!

Yuck!

That was the view from my window this morning. The first word I spoke today was, "yuck." This picture doesn't really even look that bad, but what you can't see in it is that the snow was all slushy, and there were actually a couple inches of it on the ground - and on the roads - because they hadn't actually gotten around to plowing out where I live. Fun! So it was the first semi-tense driving to work day of the season. Well, I guess it's out of the way, now.

And I need to thank J again for cleaning out the garage this summer, because I did NOT have to clean my car off this morning, for which I am very grateful. In fact, if I had needed to clean it off, I would have been late, because I didn't get up early enough for that. So, thanks J. You rock. :)

*****

Sarah posted an entry in her blog last night. Her gall bladder is gone, but she had to get transferred to a bigger city hospital, because a stone escaped during the removal process, and today she has to get knocked out, have a tube stuck down her throat and have the thing sucked out. After they find it. Bad gall stone! Causing so much trouble. I hope everything goes well, Sarah - I'm thinking about you.

*****

I just did my bills for the rest of the month. I'm now depressed. That is all.

*****

But, on the lighter side, nobody puked as they were walking toward me today, so that was good. :)

*****

Last night was one of the nights this week that J was actually home, and it was so nice to see him! His job has the craziest hours ever. I love you, J. I'm happy when you're home.

*****

And I guess that's all for now. I'm going to go do some work and dream of winning the lottery, so I won't be broke anymore and so I can stay home and not have to go to work when it's snowy and gross outside. Later!

Turkey Duck!

In what is fast becoming a holiday tradition, these Thanksgiving duckies are on my desk at work. :) Look at that one on the left! It's a turkey duck! I freaking love it. We have more pilgrims and Indians at home, but these are the two I have here.

I love my holiday duckies. I say we get them for EVERY holiday. :)

*****

So yesterday I went to the post office after work, and then came home, thinking I was going to be alone all night, because J was going to be at work. But he surprised me by coming home! I was very happy to see him in the driveway when I came up. I love nice surprises like that. So he watched me get all crooked trying to back up into the garage (I do better some days than others with that), and we went in and hung out for a few hours before he had to shower and go back to work. I didn't get to see him for long, but it was so nice to see him that I didn't even care how long it was for. I miss him when he's not there.

And now that I've gotten all schmaltzy.. :) I'll stop.

*****

I noticed in the above two paragraphs that I was saying I loved things a lot. That means I'm having a good day. When I'm having a bad day, I'll say I hate things a lot, especially when I'm writing in my personal, not online journal. It's a clear indicator to me that my mood is NOT good. Then I usually stop writing about whatever is making me say hate a lot, and move on. My day can't get better if I'm focusing on negative stuff, after all.

And wow, was that Pollyanna enough? Man. There is such a thing as being too happy! :) Or maybe not.

*****

And wow, this entry is all over the place, isn't it? It's a fun ride through my head sometimes.

*****

I've had a slower than usual day at work today, which has left me plenty of time for my mind to wander, and what has it wandered to? The Sims. Specifically the one family that I play all the time. Obsession is a fun thing. But I've figured out a perfect storyline for the current generation, so it's okay. Now I just wish I could be home playing it all the time!

*****

This morning I was in the bathroom getting ready for work, when J's dog, Rosebud, came walking toward me with that "love me " look on her face. So I called her name, and was going to pet her, when she stopped in the doorway and puked up a big pile of water. Um, thanks? I love you too! Silly dog.

*****

And okay, now I'm out of things to say. So. Later! (And Sarah, I hope you're feeling better.)

Sarah, and Oh Brother

When I got to work this morning, I had an e-mail from Sarah that she was getting her gall bladder removed today. :( Get well soon, Sarah. I hope everything goes well and you're back to feeling healthy again quickly. (And readers? She would probably love some get well comments in her blog when she gets back home. Hint hint.) :)

*****

So. I think I probably wrote about my brother moving back to this area this summer. Right? If not, well, my brother, who I love dearly but who has multiple problems, wore out his welcome in West Virginia, so he moved back to this area. He told me he was going to rehab, and then like a month later he calls and says he's living with some woman he met online, in a town about an hour and a half from where I live. Sigh. Fun.

Well, anyway, I haven't heard too much from him since then, which really is the way I prefer it, so I'm happy with that. But now? I'm getting calls from his creditors. HIS creditors are calling MY house looking for him. Why in the world did he give them my number? Well, I guess if they're calling me, at least he's not being bothered by them, and in the meantime, he's still driving around the truck that they probably want to repossess. He's no fool. And I don't even have his phone number to give them, and believe me if I had it, I WOULD give it to them.

I always did tell Mom she should only have had me and my sister, and sent the boys back.

Lots of Stuff

I felt like I got an absolute crappy night of sleep last night. I kept waking up, and I had this dream or something going on for what felt like the whole night, and I don't remember it at all, except that it was annoying and I felt like it was keeping me from getting any good quality sleep. I woke up this morning and felt like I wanted to sleep for at least two more hours. And then I remembered that J hadn't gotten home from work to drop into bed until about 11:30, and then he had to get back up at 4:30 to get ready to go back to work. So I shut up and got out of bed. :)

*****

We just drew for our Secret Santa person at work. Agghh! Didn't I say I wasn't ready for this stuff? Man. I need to start playing the lottery. Not that the Secret Santa thing is expensive, but I have other people to buy for, too. Sigh. Holidays schmolidays.

*****

So, I got on the scale yesterday morning, and I'm down five pounds somehow. I'm not sure how, because I'm still eating junk food. I am, however, doing better at getting in an apple a day, and that takes the place of one of my daily snacks. So I'm increasing my good food by a small margin, and reducing my bad food by a very small margin. You wouldn't think that would be enough to equal a five pound loss, but what the heck - I'll take it.

*****

My wrist is feeling a bit better today. It's still a little achy, but not bad at all. So I guess I'm clear to get back to working on that baby blanket for my nephew's baby, who is being born at the end of December. I've been sucking at getting projects done lately, but I have to get the baby gifts done. The babies need the cute homemade stuff! They just do! :)

*****

And that's all I can think of to say for today. Aren't you glad I'm doing this post every day in November thing? :) Later, gators!

Not Ready for Christmas Yet!

Did anyone else notice that the Grinch (the cartoon, not the movie) was on TBS last night? I love that cartoon a lot, and I watched most of it, but it's just way too early! I know, Christmas is only six weeks from today (gulp), but I'm in denial about that. I'm broke, and I have no idea how I'm going to get all of my Christmas shopping done, so I'm trying to make believe that it's still months and months away. Sigh. I really hate being broke all the time. Hate. Loath. Ugh.

That being said, I somehow managed to have $35 left after I pay bills this month, so I went online to buy myself The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff, and I only needed to spend $9 more to get free shipping, so I bought J a Christmas present. So J, when you read this? If I haven't told you already, I'm telling you now - don't look at your wish list. :) Thanks.

What I got him isn't much, but it's something he'll like, and at least I have something bought for someone for Christmas. Because no matter how much I wish it wasn't, time is speeding by, and that holiday will be here before I know it.

*****

So. Last night I was scooping cat litter, and I wrenched my wrist enough to aggravate my carpal tunnel (or whatever I have in my wrist - I have never been to a doctor to have it diagnosed). I know from past experience that the way to get it to feel better is to keep it straight as much as possible, and to have it supported when I'm on the computer, both on the mouse and the keyboard. So I'm doing those things, and it's already feeling better, but it just doesn't seem right to injure myself scooping cat litter, of all things. I'd much rather be doing something fun, like playing the Sims or crocheting or, I don't know, attempting to do yoga or something. Oh well.

*****

And now I'm off to clock watch while I wait for it to be time to go home. I'm not going to my sister's house for dinner tonight, like I usually do on Mondays, so I guess I'll have cereal for dinner, or something. So here's the question - Frosted Flakes or Corn Pops? Oh, the agony of deciding. :) Talk to you tomorrow!

Doggy Bath Day

Today, much to Bernie and Willow's chagrin, was bath day. When J and I each got home Friday, we found Bernie stinking like crazy, so today I gave him a bath, and since I was at it, I gave one to Willow, too. Bernie came right to me in the bathroom, but I had to pick his front end up to get him in the tub, and he behaved fine once he was in it. Willow, though, saw what happened to Bernie, and wanted no part of it. I had to drag her into the bathroom by her collar. Silly Willy.

But somehow she survived, and now my two dogs are clean and no longer stinky, which is always a good thing.

Other than that, it was a pretty quiet Sunday. J had to go to work this morning, so I had the house to myself until he got home at about 2:15 or so. I played the Sims, of course, and didn't manage to do much else, but since I cleaned a bit yesterday, I didn't feel too bad about that. I did strip the bed later, too, though.

Once J got home, we ran to Lowe's and got some more snow fence posts, and then ran home so he could finish watching the Dolphins football game. (Sadly for my J, they didn't win. Stupid Dolphins.)

So, like I said, it was a quiet weekend, and now it's almost over. Hopefully we'll have a nice relaxing time tonight watching stuff on TV.