It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

How can we tell Christmas is almost here? Well besides the cold and snow outside, on the inside, our "skinny tree" (not to be confused with "skinny jeans") is up and our halls our decked. No help from Carter this year. He had his friend over all day so they took no part in any holiday prep.

Hubby and I went to Stevens Point to shop this afternoon. First he needed an office chair. Then I said I wanted to "look" in a few stores for some gifts. You know what you don't do when it's less than 3 weeks 'til Christmas? LOOK. You gotta know exactly what you want, find it, buy it and get out of there. Crowds and lines were insane today so I said, "Forget it. We're going home and I am ordering something online!"

And that's what I did. Well, AFTER we stopped at DQ in Point for a Candy Cane Blizzard.

With the late Thanksgiving this year, I am feeling behind on everything. So when we got home, I started in on designing some sort of Christmas card or letter-type creation. I feel like I've already used up my creativity in previous years so we'll see how this one flies.

I did take a break after supper to watch one of my DVR'd Christmas movies. Hey, it's beginning to look like Christmas everywhere else, so I might as well jump in (or onto the couch) and feel the spirit!

Fa-la-la-la-la!

A Perfect 10

Guess I'm getting smarter with age. Based on the outdoor temperature and somewhat parallel indoor temperature at work, I picked a good day to work at home.

It was about 9 a.m. or so when we climbed into the positive temperature range and hit one degree. It was sunny -- deceivingly so -- and the high only reached a perfect 10 in Rapids today. Now?

We are back at zero and sinking fast. Br-r-r-r-r!

I am relieved there is no precipitation with this, forcing us to stay home and off the roads. We were able to take Carter and one of his buddies with us over to Pittsville to watch the Assumption girls basketball team stomp. And by stomp, I mean winning by some 50 points. I believe the final was 72-20.

Pittsville's team colors are purple and yellow. So while I was careful not to wear my Vikings jacket, I forgot about my socks. Glad that didn't give them any extra (or any) power. I would have felt pretty bad. As it was, it was still a fun game to watch since the extensive lead gave more of Carter's classmates an opportunity to play.

Afterwards, a few of us stopped for beverages and pizza. We didn't stay out too long since we had the "boys" with us and I'm still nursing that sore throat/dry cough business. I took some NyQuil so hopefully I am not coughing all night. And I told the boys they can sleep in as late as they want tomorrow.

Jim asked them: "Do you want me to wake you up by a certain time?"

Carter replies: "I suppose at noon if we are still sleeping."

I like the way he thinks. That will give me more time with my electric mattress pad. And right now, that still doesn't seem like enough.

Br-r-r-r. Just stinkin' b-r-r-r-r-r-r!

What Day Again?

Guess what day it is? OK, it's not Hump Day but it sure felt like Winds-Day.

With 35 mph gusts, it definitely was our first legitimate windchill. And I did not like it. While I did like that the wind appeared to have dried off the roads overnight, it was wicked chilly outside.

And inside.

While I've been careful not to mention it too often, we have had major challenges with consistent heating at work. In other words, wearing long underwear and two long-sleeved layers plus my coat and a "lap blanket" have not been enough some days.

Today was one of them.

Apparently the boiler that is directly responsible for our sector's heat, is missing something important, like a heating element. When that arrives, it should be all good. Until then, it's every man, woman and snowman for himself. Personal size heaters are not allowed due to fire hazards.

So I made an executive decision at the end of work today that since the temps are going to dip below zero tonight, I am not going to chance it by going to the office tomorrow and shivering through the day. I am going to crank the heater next to me in my office at home -- and hopefully stave off a visit to the throat doctor one more day. It does feel a little bit better anyway.

Well enough for me to get together with some friends tonight for coffee and cake. While I was stuffing my face, Carter had some behind-the-wheel time with the driver's ed instructor and then he and Dad went to the Assumption boys basketball game. We won.

We all got home about the same time and now I am desperately waiting for my bed to heat up so I can get to sleep.

And put Winds-Day behind us!

Hump Day Happenings

Guess what day it is? Guess. What. Day. It. Is! Well, apparently, it's Hump Day but it felt like a Monday since it was the first day back in the office this month. (Ha.) Some of the highlights...

Layer Cake: While I did get to work today, it took me well over an hour. The roads were caked with layers of ice, snow and slush. Not a fun drive, but I was determined I better put on my big girl pants and get used to this! The drive home was better since the temps rose above freezing during the day and melted some of the ice.

Dream Catcher (or Kicker): Visions of sugar plums are overrated. This morning's conversation...

• Hubby: Did you sleep well last night? 
• Me: Yes, why?
• Hubby: About 4:30 you were kicking at me.
• Me: Oh, that's right. I dreamt we had joined a soccer league and I kept missing the ball.

Hope his shins are OK. I was really struggling to make contact with the ball!

Stan the Man: Got some sad news today. The 97-year-old nursing home resident I called Spry Stanley has died. He was such a warm-hearted spirit. He was so good to my dad, encouraging him every day not to give up. He was just so positive and a joy to get to know during our two months of visiting there this spring. I sure hope he was surrounded by loved ones in the end. I'm sure he wasted no time reconnecting with Dad up in heaven. Lots of stories to be told yet around the dinner table. Bless you, Stanley.

Doing Some Good: I get to report for Red Kettle Duty the next three Wednesdays. After several years of doing this, I am learning a few things. Time goes slowly when you are flying solo. So tonight, since I was ringing by myself, I downloaded some Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tunes onto my phone to play. I tried ringing the bell to the beat of the music. I can tell you with certainty, I would fail any audition for a Hand Bell Choir. Uff da. I think people were giving me money to stop. This one woman said, "You know, some people sing while doing this." I bet that would boost the "hush fund" even more. Something to think about for next week...

Off Key: While I do enjoy singing Christmas carols, I couldn't have tonight anyway. I have been "ignoring" a sore throat the last few days and now it's to the point I need to take it seriously. So, naturally, I went straight to McDonald's after my bell-ringing shift to get an eggnog shake. (My first of the season, mind you.) If that doesn't do the trick, I also stopped at the store for some backup cough drops and that Emergen-C stuff. Probably the shake will work best, though. They don't have an MD in McDonald's for nothing.

Snow Place Like Home

It was quite fortunate I had already planned to work from home today. I picked a good one.

Overnight, snow, sleet and "what have you" fell and coated the roadways with the wet, slippery, slushy stuff. It guess it was pretty hazardous driving this morning and now it is repeating itself this evening.

In between, the temperatures warmed above freezing so the roads weren't so bad when I went into town shortly after 11 a.m. for my church committee meeting. I hear tomorrow will go the same way: Cold and slippery in the morning, then warming up enough to change the precipitation to rain -- which I hope doesn't freeze before I head home!

Welcome to winter, I guess!

I spent the morning digging out of email while hubby dug out the snow. It felt weird to be back at work but not AT work. It's pretty pathetic that after 6 days out of the office, I couldn't remember what I was working on right before I left. But I can tell you the plot of at least 8 Hallmark Christmas movies.

In detail!

Need to switch gears so I can have a productive month and finish up the year with my use-it-or-lose-it block of vacation. Somewhere in there, I do have a few personal projects to get done, too -- most pressing being the annual Christmas card or letter or "creation." We did get a family picture or two taken for church so I could possibly use that.

Here's one of just Jim and me. I took a picture of a picture in a frame. So then it's legal, right? Unfortunately, with all the copyright laws out there, I will have to find some alternatives. There is a nice one of the three of us, too. That one I might just have to scan in and risk arrest.

But you didn't hear that from me!

I'll figure out something in between work fun and driving fun. And I'm sure, just like this weather, you'll love it!

Mellow Monday

Mondays have earned a bad reputation and I think I know why. Typically they bring stress at work and this immediate feeling of "I'm so behind after the weekend" and "I have so much to do" and "Friday will never get here."

They are rarely like the one I had today.

Of course, I had to take a vacation day to experience the difference. And, more importantly, I had to choose to not try and see how MUCH I could get done today, but rather how LITTLE. I really had to force myself to mellow out.

And it was worth it.

I slept in until almost 8 and awoke to hubby holding a steaming cup of Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino for he. He got it in town after taking Carter to school. After that, I had cereal with eggnog again. I didn't actually plan it that we were out of milk, but I can't think of a convincing argument for you to believe that. It was tasty.

I did do some organizing in my office a little bit, just knowing my Christmas gift was going to arrive this week. Well it arrived at 10 a.m. today! I am now blogging from my new iMac computer with all the bells and whistles needed for my extra curricular creative activities. It's awesome. Everything was set up for me so I just had to plug it in and turn it on.

There seems to be a pattern of none of us waiting until Christmas morning to open our "gifts." We should nip that in the bud. But that would mean I have to put the cute boots I wore today back in the box, too. Not going to happen.

After my quick computer setup, hubby took a lunch break and treated me to el Mezcal. Good food and great company.

We parted ways after that. I went over to my BFF's house since she had the afternoon off. It was BYOB -- bring your own blanket! We reclined on our separate couches and managed to squeeze in two Christmas movies before I had to leave to pick up Carter from school.

We're pretty good when we're on a mission! She challenged me to not "work" and squeeze in one more Hallmark movie from my own couch. Although I kept thinking of all the work I should get to after a day off, I was determined for once to stick to a plan. Keep the day lazy. Keep the day mellow. And watch another holiday flick.

Now, rumor has it I might even get a massage before bedtime. Seriously, Monday, why can't you always be like this?

I tried something new today. You can, too!

Hello, December

Apparently November left the building yesterday while I was busy baking, er eating, cookies instead of blogging -- and December sneaked in overnight. Just not mentally accepting that we are wrapping up 2013 already. I must say, though, it was a pretty good weekend to usher in this final month.

Carter and I hit the road shortly after 7 a.m. yesterday as planned. I drove the first 3 hours Up North and he drove the last 40 minutes when it was no longer "freeway" and 65 mph. It was the longest amount of time so far that he has driven at once. He did fine. I did not mind riding "shotgun." Is it legal to say that during deer season if I am not wearing blaze orange??

Family arrived over the next hour or so for lunch, followed by visiting and games and eating and laughing and eating...

And while this is billed as a Cookie BAKE, our hostess Raylene was the only one who did any actually baking this year. The rest of us surprisingly had our act together and all brought our goodies ready to go. That left more time for the aforementioned games and visiting and eating and laughing and eating...

My clever mother created a game with scrambled words specifically related to our annual Cookie Bake.

Here Rachel tries to give Romey a clue about one of the words -- that all looked German or Scandi-hoovian to us!

That moment Romey realizes the "obvious" answer!

Other games included a wicked battle of Sequence. My nephew Tony looks puzzled about how Grandma always seems to win!

The other young competitors: my niece Beth (left), nephew David and his wife, Sara.

A big group of us played Apples to Apples and an endless game of 3 to 13 that I honestly can't recall who finally won. I know it wasn't me.

The sophomore boys -- Carter and his cousin Anthony and Anthony's friend Jared -- amused themselves indoors and outdoors. There is actually ice on the lakes up there. In fact, my brother-in-law Rick was so frustrated with not getting a deer this week, he went ice fishing yesterday instead of hunting! True story.

Glad it was mild enough for the "boys" to be outside.

But not too mild to melt the ice on Raylene's teeny pond. At least while Carter and the others were "walking on water."

As usual, I can say a good time was had by all! Carter and I spent the night there and hit the road by 10 this morning. He drove the first 30-some miles to Spooner, then I drove us to Eau Claire, where we shopped at Oakwood Mall for some good deals. Found a few. Not as many as we hoped. Hit the road and stopped in Osseo for a Candy Cane Blizzard at DQ (hey, it's December now!!), then switched drivers in Pittsville and Carter got us home just in time to see the Vikings get a rare win.

What a great way to wrap up the weekend. SKOL!

After unpacking the car and our clothes, Carter did homework, I caught up with hubby, then vegged on the couch watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. Have to get a jump start on that movie marathon I plan for Monday!

I should say "tentatively" plan... I could skip my Hallmark fix and actually get the tree up or maybe organize my office or tackle a handful of other projects. We'll see what speaks to me.

Ha. I'm sure you can guess.