I don' t know what to name this post so I'm not. : ) But I'll just say I survived Friday's meeting with the Boss and the weekend was lovely and I wish it wasn't over.

Bub is a pizza-making fool so he made pizza for friends on Friday night. It was so good that it left me wanting more, but all good things must come to an end I guess. Friend who had falling out with Bub didn't have really any comments on the house which is fine--there's something left there from the faling out I think; he was commenting more on the cool neighborhood. They did get us a gift--meaning his wife--which was sweet--and brought back tea from their trip to Indonesia which is where his wife is from.

Saturday was a big furniture shopping day. I am so fed up with the pushy salesmen and no, I don't have any questions and if I do, I wil ASK! They were so annoying. We found a bedroom set we like but we knew we weren't going to buy it that day. Too bad the salesguy didn't get that impression. After we told him we'll think about it, he snuck into an employee only area room with a frown on his face.

Saturday night we had a delish dinner with college friends and it was a better time than expected. My friend and I have no problem hanging out, but her husband is on the quiet side and a good eleven years younger than Bub so I was worried that the conversation would fall to me and my friend to keep up. Instead we all seemed to get along well and enjoy ourselves and after we paid the check we were not anxious to all jump up and leave.

Sunday was a snowy day, but we managed a trip to see Bub's grandfather who has newly been admitted into nursing care. It was sad; those places usually are, but I hoped our visit brightened his day. He seemed to want us to stay longer, but we didn't and continued with furniture shopping and we were successful! No bedset yet, but 2 lovely luscious chocolate leather swivel chairs entered our lives and will be ready for set up as early as next week, just in time for our housewarming!

When we got home I had this desire to make mashed potatoes, but with our new peeler I managed to try and peel my finger which felt oh so painful and would not stop bleeding. It's on a part of the index finger crucial for typing on the ol' keyboard, so I know that I've managed to make more typing errors than usual!

What did you guys do this weekend? And do you ever have awkward time when on double-dates and whatnot when one person from each couple is bound by friendship or whatever and the other two are sort of strangers left with little to talk about? Bub always makes a good effort. He's just that kind of guy.

and so here we are

So far this year I've been slightly tardy to work. But I have my reasons, I do. I'm sick : ( It started as a scratchy throat and got worse. This morning I almost called in, but was glad I didn't. Not because I want to work, no, but since next week is a flurry of doctor's appointments (January is my month to do annual check-ups, starting with the eye doctor). And since most of my doctors are near my old home, that means leaving work early which means today is a good time to get some crap done.

Staying at home would also remind me of the two baskets of clothes I should fold, dirty dishes we were so tired to take care of before bed after a later dinner, and the looming list of things we're trying to tackle in the next couple of weeks. We still feel unsettled, not in that we are unhappy and feel out place, but that we can't feel totally unpacked until we get some painting done, but before that comes the demise of the wallpaper which we are in the middle of steaming off.

If it were up to me I'd pay someone to lather the walls with lovely paint among other things, but Bub wants to take care of it just us. That is fine and saves us money, but we're landlords now and having those responsibilities of sprucing up our condo for rental distract us from what we want to accomplish in the new home. I've kept from feeling too overwhelmed by reminding myself and Bub that we have plenty of time to take care of the house, but that we need to finish up tasks at the condo quickly to be done with it.

If only I weren't feeling so blah and ick and sicky that I could make a list and get done those things I need to this weekend: condo, house, and the rest of life. At least a haircut is waiting for me tomorrow afternoon. I love myself some grooming.

Happy Fri.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

So we're growing closer to D-day as my work friend likes to say.

We made a ton of progress last night with packing. All that's left are the items we need day-to-day like soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, sheets, um, the bed, hair products. There are my brown boots that don't give me a hard time when I wear them, my basket of knitting...since I don't ever really knit but would like to, and then a bunch of breakables in the kitchen.

Bub moved the sofas so that they face each other closely and hover near the remaining stray empty boxes.

There is dust and there are bunnies and there are also the turtles who must wonder what's going on.

We have one final item regarding the Christmas cards. Oh, and we're about 10 cards too short on supplies. But no big deal. They're the least important people anyway. Kidding.

Tomorrow I'll work a half day after we do a final walk through of our house. Then we'll close. And we'll release an old man of his childhood residence. Together Bub and I will begin a flood of new memories.

I think that although it is strange to be moving during such an off-season that the fact that it's Christmastime is helping. The XM carols, the decorations I see as I drive my long commute home. To think that this time next week I'll be working my last day of 2007 and have a mere 15 minutes to trek to and from our new house to the office sounds so nice.

I'm a bit anxious about settling and decorating. I like getting things done, crossed off my list, never to be thought about again. But we move in Saturday after an afternoon of cleaning tomorrow and we will not have yet steamed off the drab wallpaper or torn down the 60's drapes. In time, these things will get done. I want to get a feel for the space first. We moved into our condo after painting every inch of it. It was a little rushed towards the end. But since it was small, it was doable.

Not that our house is a McMansion, no, it's rather a cozy little abode that we are so excited to make ours, but all I wanted was to be home for Christmas. Fitting in renovations and painting would have interrupted the moving chain of events. And so we will be home for Christmas, we will be.

So I'm signing off until next week. Because I won't have a chance to write sooner and because, well, our Internet will be disconnected and I won't be at work either.

So until then, belt out some carols, drink some egg nog if you like it, and shop 'til you drop--but sneak in a fun gift for yourself. And if you live near where I do--good luck with the fluffy white stuff coming our way.

Whirlwind

We move in 3 days just in time for a snowstorm they are predicting for Sunday.

I haven't been to the gym in ahem I *think* a month and the only meal I had yesterday outside of dinner was that of anything Hershey's, thanks to a partner.

We've made good progress on the holiday cards. Another make your own project. I'm not sure what we were thinking by trying to make these and move in the same week.

My face hates me. The great zitfest of 2007. I have a zit on my neck that screams chicken pox. It looks like one of those things and since I'm pale it's smack dab in the center of my light skin. What gives? I'm already thinking about the new sweater/top I should buy in case it doesn't go away in time for Bub's Christmas party at work.

My arms feel fat as I type this and they squeeze against my body for warmth.

I'm freezing.

I have 2.5 days of work left this week and a 2-day week next week. Then I'm off until 2008. Reminding myself of this is what's getting me through the stress.

Our condo looks like it threw up boxes.

There is so much to do.

On the fun front, there's a local organic farmshare in our new town. We are already in the organic club and can start ordering organic fruits and veggies this week if we want.

Now all we need is a dog so that we can partake in the local dog park with Sass.

I still haven't gotten my period and I'm confident I'm not pregnant. But I've never missed a month so I wonder if I should call the gyn. Ugh.

More later.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I've been a good girl all year. Ahem. And I'd like to put in my request for a couple, I mean just a few, things. K? Thanks.

OK, so we just bought a house--no thanks to you, Santa, because how can you fit a house inside of a house's chimney and then tuck it under a tree? And since our current home has no chimney, I do think you owe us some extra goodies for not being able to properly visit us the past three and a half years. K? Thanks.

I never said I was Martha Stewart, Santa, but I certainly like her Web site and magazines. This girl never ever buys magazine subscriptions for herself. Can you help a domestic-wannabe-diva out?

I do love my Anthropologie apron that my dear friend gave to me at my bridal shower, but I'm sure the other home goods they sell would do just fine on our wood floors and in the three bedrooms I need to decorate. I wouldn't mind a cute little dress to wear on New Year's Eve, either. I hear they have some pretty fab stuff. I mean, I know they do. This is where this girl likes to get her shopping spree on. After all, a new year means new clothes, right? You wouldn't want me shopping at a less-than-stellar boutique since we're now broke from putting a down payment on the house. K? Thanks.

Now that we have a gynormous screened in front porch and a cute 'lil deck to play in when the weather turns warm that means...lemonade! And entertaining! And barbeques! But wait. We don't have one of those things to cook burgers and hot dogs and therefore we have nothing to serve the potato salad with. That's right, Santa, make us yearn for summer with a new grill! K? Thanks.

I don't want to act like a gift-grubber, Santa, really, so please just give as many toys and homes to those who are in need of them and who are alone this holiday season. K? I'd even let you not get me a grill if it meant you gave millions of toys to children out there hoping for shiny somethings under the tree.

We're pretty bummed about not being able to attend that wedding in Anguilla that we were pleasantly surprised and honored we got invited to. So in lieu of that please help us save, save, save our pennies again so that we may be able to go on a nice little trip in '08 that doesn't trump the Italy honeymoon, but maybe involves some sun, beaches, swimming, shopping, and a tad bit of camping and hiking (to please my Bub).

Oh, and Santa, when I was a little girl many years ago, wishing upon a star, smelling Christmas in the night, wishing with all my might as I attended party after event after get together solo, sans my love...Santa, thanks for my husband. He's the best gift under the tree each Christmas. And the best gift every day.

K? Thanks.

Gold or Silver? Silver or Gold?

I know, I know, I'm spoiling you with two posts today....

So my online shopping demon is taking over. This time it's for moi...I know, I know, it's Christmas, but this is TOO cheap to pass (we're talking UNDER $40!!!!! and that includes the clutch!).

Me LOVE:

But now there's the question of which clutch: Gold or Silver. I'm more a silver chick, but gold seems like it will work with the dress better. I'm very sensitive about matching. I don't wear gold jewelry with silver, etc.

Gold:



And now...silver:



I could wear the dress to Bub's holiday party next week; I have a cream wrap. I think I can pull the outfit off except that it will be minus seven hundred thousand degrees for sure and my legs have turned into liquid fat from my banishment from the gym.

Oh, I didn't tell you? I decided to make up a story that I was banished from the gym. Makes me feel better about the situation.

Thanks for your input. Or please tell me that the dress is ugly and I'll go save my $27.80 plus shipping for it.

Good Progress

I'm making good progress with my shopping. I know, yesterday I was bitching and now today? It's all changed?

No, really. After a few swipes of the debit card, things are looking up on the gift front.

Thanks to Pessimistic Redhead I've got my sister covered with some baked goodies. I even got some licorice for my mother too.

+++

Everyone in the office has been freezing and running space heaters non-stop. People with offices...ahem...like moi (and damn proud of it!) are shutting their doors to keep the warmth close.

It is so cold here, and I so despise walking through the icy parking lot to the car so that I can run an errand to the post office, let alone entice myself with some Starbucks!

Yes, the post office has been on my list for some time. I want to fill out a change of address form thingy so we are set with our mail. Apparently, if you do so online, they make you pay and they have to ensure that your credit cards all have said new address so that they don't thnk you're being fraudulent.

Hi, who would want to be me? I have bills, bad hair days, and I've been PMSing forever. Oh, I didn't mention that my period is 2 weeks late, approaching 3? Yeah, my period is so irregular. A week to two weeks late is pretty consistent, but we've just passed the 2-week mark. It's like Christmas in your pants when I get it, but not really.

That was kind of gross. Sorry. And no, I'm not pregnant, but thanks for thinking that. I so appreciate it : )

Phone is ringing, ohmygod!

Work this time every quarter blows balls. Literally. And if you're offended by my language, you should hear me talk to Bub after work on these days when I am up to my ears in this quarterly task.

First, it's the emails. "I was wondering if you could tell me our number for this quarter?"

Umm...no, I can't, but yes, you and 303 other partners would like to know that, I know. I'm sorry it's incovenient for you to have to contact me to find this out because your happy little check with the report hasn't arrived on your desk. But I'm the one still stuffing envelopes with an immature intern because this is what I do each quarter. And this quarter? This one has been one of the worst since I started working here.

So then you start calling. "Thanksgiving is around the corner. We need that lift. All those returns."

Not my problem. Wait. It's only the 15th TODAY. That means I tell you nothing before then unless I'm really, really nice. I was for this person.

I'm also starting to fret because the Tuesday after Thanksgiving I am getting on a train (again, a very early one) with my boss and her boss and another VP...so that we can go to the sales conference of one big to-do partner and present in front of a number of people, all of whom have super duper fancy titles. And though I feel a tiny bit important having the opportunity to attend this, my boss wants me to speak in front of said people.

I may just die.

I took the public speaking class in college. I did swimmingly well. But something about work and presenting in front of my boss's boss, whom I've never presented in front of before, coupled with all these important peeps makes me want to secretly scream and hide under a blanket.

My boss said it will be good "practice"...Silently I thought, for what? Practice for my...job? As in the one I have now?

I told her I'm happy to sit in a chair and listen. That didn't go over too well.

She laughed.

On the good news front, we signed the P&S yesterday (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Some think that is great (I am one of those people), but some feel as though it's also sad. (We just wrote one big honkin' check.)

Hi, this will be brief

I woke up with my period today. I feel ugh and I'm having a Mocha Madness from Honey Dew and I just KNOW I'm going to get a stomach ache because I happen to have an extra-sensitive stomach during this unpleasant time of the month and that blended with milk products? Notsogreat. Molly knows about this and so does Daily Editor. For DE, she may have to think back to the one-way street and Bread & Circus incident to trigger the memory. Ahem, moving on.

So, the weather and the need for some caffeine? A very important thing since hi, Red Sox! And hi, late staying up for me is difficult since hi, I go to bed early like a granny, or try to.

I cannot believe it's November next week. The month of Thanksgiving! We made travel arrangements last night to see Bub's family. It's all coming up so fast. I was shocked to see the holiday catalogs arriving already...I'm already wondering what I can wear to holiday parties...hmmm....

I have a lot of work to do today which could mean staying late, but not too late since hi, it's that thing called the WORLD SERIES and although we seriously crushed the Colorado peeps last night, I don't think we're going to get off so easy. I just don't.

So if you'll excuse me, I have to go be a good employee now (yeah right).

GO SOX! GO ORTIZ!

P.S. The house? Some of you know the dealio as of now... Fingers crossed!

Hi, Nutella? It's Me, Ripe.

One of the reasons I like the hotel we stay at in Frankfurt each year is for its breakfast. After having been to Italy, I can say the breakfast doesn't hold a candle to what one could eat over there, but I digress because it beats any runny eggs and crispy fat continental breakfast.

Mini croissants - warm
Granola - with cocoa bits
Cheese - soft, perfect for breakfast sandwiches
Meats - to make with said cheese sandwiches

Nutella - in jelly-sized packets

How I love thee.

I bring home a few each time I go there not because I didn't know I could buy Nutella in the grocery store (we should all know that!), but because it's heaven on wheels. Heaven on wheels! Got that? And it's the perfect little size so as to feel like you're not being a heif-heif by consuming it.

Before I left for the trip I was not eating much as I had been so busy at work (note: still busy) and because I was sick of eating crap.

Cue to the wine and beer and wine and champagne and fat-induced breakfasts that I consumed on a daily basis while away. Add to that the obligatory desserts and fabulous ice cream they sell at each of the exits of the convention center.

Hello, I'm Fatso, nice to meet you.

Now that I'm back, my clock is f-ed up. Up at 4:30 yesterday morning, up at 5:30 this morning and I feel that I should have already had my quiche Lorraine or caprese sandwich after my croissants with Nutella. In other words, I feel ready for lunch! But no, at 10:24am I'm eating peanut butter with a fork (already had the rest of my Nutella packet on toast when I woke up) and a banana and a latte...

I'm on the way to Fatsville and I want to turn back.

Please help!

I'm back...

Did you miss me? Tell me so!

Tomorrow I'll be in another country...

But I hope to post at least once while I'm away. This all depends on the Internet, my exhaustion level, and the abilitiy to privately and safely write here...

Wish me luck that my bag arrives safely (my luck with lost/delayed bags is horrible) and that I don't kill the you-know-who.

And drop by here to wish Mrs. Sass all the best; she just got married! Whee!

Have a great week all.

Bub, I'll miss you, but you know that.

Mind Poo

So I have to say I'm sorry that I've been lame at posting this week, but work has been kicking my butt. So in honor of it being Friday--yay--I feel compelled to write now--while I have a moment at work (shhh, don't tell anyone!)...

First, I just have to say that sometimes I love anonymity. One of my contacts at company we closely work with is someone I've never met in person. So when I was making plans for Germany next week and thought maybe we could meet and get caught up on business there, I was told that he doesn't get to travel to those events, much less leave the state of NY where he resides (and works). And he's like, and I won't be coming to Boston any time soon since I'm a YANKEES fan. He may as well have told me I was fat for the way in which he said it was like a slap in the face! Then he laughed and so did I and that's when I said something to the extent of "The Yankees are going down...so watch out!"

That brings us to today with more banter--an obscenely large Yankees logo taking up space in an email much about nothing was sent to me. So I decided that even though there was no update on our latest agreement that we've been toying back and forth with through legal for months, that I would send a little email his way, throwing in his face that the loss against the Indians was u-g-l-y (you don't need no alibi, you ugly, you UGLY!)...

And so we just had a nice chuckle on the phone now. In your face, Yank pants!

Moving on.

Bub is away this weekend and there's a good chance I won't see him prior to leaving for Frankfurt. Sigh. He's off to Maine for a kayaking trip with his friends as one of them is getting married in the spring and this is his bachelor party. I'm going to miss him, but there's lots of laundry and cleaning and packing and shopping (!) to do before I leave so I'll keep myself busy with that. My parents offered to come over and check out the new kitchen renovations, too.

Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze Bub goodbye once more before I go. Otherwise, I'll be counting down the days to when I see him. I know, I'm a sap. But it gets hard when you're in a routine and then you all of a sudden don't see your best friend for a long time! A week is a long time!

Finally, the last update is that I started my very first online class. I was skeptical about it and still am, but I wanted to write and be pushed and get my mind moving again, wiping the cobwebs away with homework and lectures and stuff. So last night I had to write and it was hard. And I sat in front of a screen for a while typing and deleting and typing. And I put it out there.

I posted my weaknesses and shared my downfalls, but hopefully there's a hidden gem in there somewhere. Hopefully something worked and someone will release me of my insecurities or help me through the process so that I can once again feel like a strong writer and someone who can feel that she knows what she is doing. Because there's been a lot of not knowing lately.

Short 'n Sweet

I'm sipping on a nonfat pumpkin spice latte...

I'm having thoughts about going shopping after work (shocker) in that this week has been torture trying to figure out how not to freeze my buns in the office (hello, it's freezing) and because it is very close to fall, and I should no longer be milking my warm-weather wardrobe.

I went through my casual tops and I seem to have 2 black, 2 green, 2 white/very light, long sleeve numbers and a couple of borderline spring long sleevers-too. How exciting, huh?

I have either summery or wintery cardigans and the new sweater I bought is definitely too warm for now.

So yes, now that I feel good in the shoe department (and I am wearing these today, for the second day in a row, because I love them so much and because they are comfortable which is a hard thing to come by in shoes), I need to concentrate on the stuff that will cover up my underwear while in the office.

The office has been quiet because my boss has been out since Monday. Tomorrow she returns and we have too many meetings planned. More than I usually have in a month. OK, maybe that's exaggerating the facts, but it's a lot and they're practically back to back. And dammit, I was productive this morning and it seems to be waning, my drive, hence the post.

En route to my trip to the bucks that is star for this latte, I called my friend who just had a baby boy. I heard him in the background. I heard her talking about diapers and c-sections, and dialation. I heard her speak the gooey baby talk to this baby whose name I'm fairly sure I'm not a fan of. But I would never ever ever tell her because she is my friend and she doesn't need my opinion about what she named her first born child. And she doesn't read this blog (or so I hope), so I think it's safe to say that.

Anyway, I got a mommy pang while listening to all of this baby talk from her, and that's all I am gonna say about it.

More later.

i pulled into the parking lot at exactly 9:03 this morning. i looked at the clock on my phone at my desk and it said 9:07. this is my exact arrival time, but there's a slight possibility that i arrived one minute earlier (9:06) seeing as how i did not look at the phone clock at the exact moment i got to my desk. no, i took off my rain slick coat, put down my bags, including lunch, and proceeded to open my laptop bag.

i'm going to forgive myself for being a little tardy because it's raining in a psycho manner outside.

we had our christmas gift exchange with my family yesterday. i got this yummy tea i was hoping santa would purchase for me. it's heaven, really. we also got a new dvd player as ours died and it was very difficult watching episodes of Six Feet Under on a small computer screen and not being able to pop in your wedding video to check out the way people looked as bub and i declared our love for one another.

the other day, i discovered a cool 'shared blog': Indie Bloggers. they're actually looking for creative pieces to post and they can be posts you've already posted in your blog. the thing is, there might 1 or 2 pieces only out of my entire blog, which was started in the fall of 05 that might get a read, but might get tossed to the general posts page--or looked over completely.

the thing is, i need to get more creative. but it's been a struggle to do so here. sometimes it's forced. sometimes i just want to bitch and moan. sometimes i just want to be me, and making sure i have no spelling mistakes and decent grammar is all i can handle.

so one of my resolutions is to take it up a notch. i'm not sure how, but maybe you'll let me know when i have.

1 year

I meant to write on Halloween. I really did. But lately any spare time is consumed with watching Six Feet Under on DVD. I am really digging the show; I've come to really like Nate, identify with Federico, get irritated wtih Keith (but still think he's cute even if he is gay) and find Ruth to be such a spazz. We're about 1/2 way into the third season and we're lucky that Blockbuster is a short minute's walk down the road although we miss Netflix and have considered rejoining.

I'm at work so this post has to be brief because I have the paranoid "Big Brother is watching" thing going on. But I just wanted to say that it's been a year since I started this mish mash of writing stuff. I'm not necessarily proud of it because I think I can do a whole lot better than writing a bunch of posts which are entitled by variations of the word "quick" and that there's nothing mind-shattering or lovely about my style, if I have one. But as another poster stated somewhere in cyber world which I'm not completely remembering: this place, this space, this screen can sometimes be therapeutic.

For me when I started this a year ago it was my pouring out how excited I was to prepare for my wedding day. And so I look to write about other momentous occasions. For now while the water is fairly calm and things are just busy in general, I look to other bloggers for inspiration and great writing. You help spark the thing in me that reminds me why I love words.