Another Snow Day

We had another snow day today.  How cool is that?

Let's see what I've gotten done today.

• Wash dishes
• Make bed
• Vacuum
• Wash two sets of sheets
• Wash dirty clothes (1-2 loads)
  
• Wash towels (1 smallish load)
• Clean bathroom
• Clean kitty boxes

Laters.

Pics!

I finally uploaded some pics from my camera. Let's see how this works, now.


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Thanksgiving turkey. Don't look too close. The other side has been eaten. ^_^











Cupcakes I made for the student worker birthdays at the library.  They were a little on the scrawny side but I think they were cute.  The one on the left looks a little Eeyore-ish, though.












Kisa and Emme. They would not pose for me. Not even for a Scooby kitty snack.  If you look closely, Emme is sticking her tongue out.  I can't tell you how many pictures I have of her with her tongue hanging out.  ^_^




Okay. Not really good at the picture placing thing. Gotta get better so I can join in the Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes on Monday!


Laters.

Snow Day!

When I got to work today, I had a surprise. I was walking up to the library and I saw this mass exodus of students coming from the library. One of the ILL girls waved at me and I went over to talk to her. This is our conversation.

Me: Hey. Are we closing?
Her: (looks at me funny) Yeah. We got an email saying you weren't coming in and that we were closing.
Me: (moment of silence) Well, I wish I would have gotten that email.

So we got a (paid, I think) snow day and we'll know by 7am if we get tomorrow off as well.

I decided to use the time wisely...ish.

• I put away the baskets of clothes that had been languishing in my bedroom for the past few weeks
• Matched up all my socks
• Washed my comforter (yes, the washing machine is big enough for my queen comforter!)
• Washed my new flannel sheets
• Washed my king comforter (also big enough!!)
  
• Washed my king blanket/throw
  
• Picked up a whole lot of stuff
• Got rid of a small garbage bag worth of clothes
• Drank a half gallon of chocolate milk
• Vegged on the couch and bed with the kitties
  

Still planning on doing before bed/tomorrow if another snow day

• Wash dishes
• Make bed
• Vacuum
• Wash two sets of sheets
• Wash dirty clothes (1-2 loads)
  
• Wash towels (1 smallish load)
• Clean bathroom
• Clean kitty boxes

Laters.

Everything is April Fresh

A little over 3 hours ago, I got a different washing machine!  I wanted to say "new" washing machine but that would be a lie (unfortunately).  My landlord had another washing machine that the repairman swapped for mine.  The repairman didn't know what was wrong with it and may have to completely take it apart.  Oops.  The new-ish one seems a little smaller than my old one.  Not sure if my queen comforter can fit in it.  T_T

So I was a little late to work because I didn't want the repair dude in my house.  Alone.  With my cats.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but just about everyone that has ever come to my house leaves the front door and my apartment door wide open.  Even in winter.  I don't understand this.  I don't think I have to worry too much about the cats getting out, though.  They are terribly traumatized every time someone not Mommy or Grandma is in their house.  Emme actually growls when someone knocks on the door.  Before fleeing in terror, of course.  Kisa just flees.  No warning growl just absolute terror.  But there's still that chance.

I was kinda upset that I had to be late to work.  I had the first part of work all planned out in my head.  We started giving treats out to the students for their birthdays and I had December so I made some Rudolph Cupcakes.  As a side note, I need to go to Cupcake Remedial School.  They were kinda scrawny looking cupcakes.  I'll try to post the picture later.  If I can figure it out.  So I had cupcakes to bring and I just got some ornaments for my tabletop tree to take to work.  I was going to to spend the first half hour decorating the tree and getting my desk ready for Christmas!  Well, the tree is up but I forgot the extension cord in my rush.  The cupcakes survived the trip to work until I had to shift into park and my elbow hit them and they kinda mushed a little but they looked okay.  And I forgot my new Trans-Siberian Orchestra cds. 

But I will not complain (too much)!  I now have a washing machine that doesn't try to do the hokey pokey and go through the wall!



Laters.

Confessions of a (non)Shopaholic

It may come as a surprise to some but I'm not a fan of shopping.  I don't hate it but I don't like it either.  I'm not a fan of the crowds of rude animals people that shove their carts into you or can't keep their spawn kids from using the store as a giant playground.  (Can you tell I'm not a fan of spawn kids?)

Anyhoo, despite the above fact, I spent 5 hours shopping on Saturday and it was awesome!  My mom and I went to Le Mars to finish up my Secret Santa shopping.  Can't say for who though!  Totally ruins the surprise.  We went to the Dollar Tree so I could get most of my Secret Santa presents.  That store was a total lifesaver!  It is very difficult to get four days worth of Secret Santa presents for only $20.  At least for me.  I have to go back there and pick up a few things.  Some of the presents I got for my Secret Santa person are really cool and I want one, too!

After that we went to Wal-Mart, conveniently located next door.  And that is where I totally died.  By the time we were done shopping, I wasn't sure I could feel my feet anymore.  Spent way too much money but I finished up the Secret Santa shopping.  And got a few things for me.  Of which I can only remember three things.  2 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas CDs, a mulled cider candle (my absolute favorite!) and a drill bit set for the drill I got after Thanksgiving.

Then we went to Hardee's to get some sandwiches to take back to my mom's.  And some shakes.  'Cause Hardee's shakes are awesome.  Then we went to my mom's house and spent about 3 hours putting her tree up.  We finished around 10 pm. 

Then, we loaded up my mom and went to my house, took three trips to get everything in the house and collapsed in the living room.  We looked at the things I bought, sorted out the Secret Santa stuff and somehow four hours went by.  Don't ask me what we did.  I was pretty foggy by then.

Finally, we went to bed.  As an incentive for putting up her tree, my mom gave me one of my stocking stuffers to open.  I got a lighted magnifying tweezer thing which will probably see some action tonight and a sleep mask which I have totally fallen in love with.  The room darkening shade blocks out most of the light while I am asleep and the mask blocks out most of the rest.  Bliss.  All I need is ear plugs and I will totally have the best sleep ever.  Except for the fact that I won't hear my alarm.  Oops.


Laters.

Black Friday

After we ate our Thanksgiving dinner my mom and I made a decision that I am still blaming on the turkey. Apparently our turkey had some sort of drugs injected in it that made deciding to do Black Friday sound like a good idea. And that since we were just going to have to get up in a few hours anyway, why not just stay up talking until we had to leave. I know. We are dumb, d-u-m, dumb. So we went to Wal-Mart at 5am. Okay, now people. 5am is when I usually go to bed. I am not supposed to be in a store with fifty gazillion crazy people. Also, it was freezing!

So we got to Wal-Mart at about 4:50am. There was a ton of people already there, with carts and kids (why would you take kids?) just milling around crazily. Everyone was huddled around the stacks just waiting to pounce. I was a little confused that no one had actually grabbed anything yet but then I saw the signs that said No Touching Until 5am or something to that effect. I was confused until I vaguely remembered seeing something like that on tv. So my mom hovered around the vacuum cleaners and sent me to guard the drills. I was expecting something like from tv. A loud announcement or whistle or something and then people would get to the grabbing. Only it was kinda boring. I almost didn't hear the guy on the PA announce that it was time to shop and I didn't even get to experience the mad grab and dash. I was the only one who picked up a drill.

It was a little scary with all the people and their carts. I just tried to stay out of the way and not get run over. I ended up with the drill, a set of 600 count chocolate brown sheets, a set of tan flannel sheets (yes!), an electric blanket, a new set of Rubbermaid containers, a new roaster and rack, Tomb Raider dvd and Patriot Games DVD. Totally exciting. And all for me!

My mom got a pink! vacuum, a set of 600 count green sheets, a set of green flannel sheets, an electric blanket, a new set of Rubbermaid containers, two paintings (exactly the same as the ones she bought me for my birthday!) and a new set of pots and pans. We spent way too much money. I was hoping to get the Sims 3 but they were sold out by the time I got back there. T_T

I think the lack of sleep let me be way more laid back that I usually would be. I hate being around a lot of people. The sounds and the lights and the smells and the colors all make me really dizzy. But I did okay. I mostly just hung back out of the way and watched everyone run around like crazy people. We were only there for about 45 minutes but is was enough to make me turn to my mom and say, "I'm pretty sure I'm ready to never do this again."




Laters.

Thanksgiving Recap

Hope everyone survived the holidays!  Here's a rundown of what's been happenin'.

Wednesday I took the day off from work because I wanted to have some time to do some cooking.  Also because I had to work Sunday and we get Friday as a paid holiday so I would be over almost an extra day in hours.  Trying to figure out my schedule during the holidays is painful.  Anyway, the day I was going to use to get ahead on cooking did not turn out at all.  When I got home on Tuesday, I wanted to get some presents wrapped and put under the tree.  I had one homemade thing to do for my mom so I figured I would get it done in a few hours, wrap some presents, get my pots and pans and whatnots ready for the big cooking day and call it a night.  Well, six hours later I finally finished the present for my mom.  Apparently I had underestimated how long it would take by oh, five hours.  I still got everything wrapped but then I went to bed and crashed until a half hour before my mom came over.

By this time, I was supposed to have made two pies, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed the living/dining room, done a few loads of laundry and had all the dishes done and put away.  When my mom got there, I had just drug myself out of bed and relocated to the couch.  A few hours later, I did make up 5lbs of mashed potatoes.  And that is all I can remember.  Hmmm.  I seem to have a few holes in Wednesday's memories.

Thursday, was just messed up from start to finish.  My aunt had emailed me that she was having Thanksgiving at her place at noon and that they would be taking pictures because my grandma is sick.  I was really upset when she emailed me and all for the wrong reasons.  I felt irritated because she emailed me only a week in advance and it was like I obviously had no other plans so I should just drop what I'm doing and run.  And I know that it wasn't meant like that but there's a lot of bad feelings (on my part) with that side of the family.  Most of it probably isn't based on reality but it's how I feel and I can't change that.

So I was trying to figure out how I was supposed to juggle getting to my aunt's for pictures and trying to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my mom and I.  I wanted to do all the cooking from the turkey to the rolls and I couldn't seem to find a way to fit in leaving for over an hour.  Every time I would think about it, I just started bawling.  I did not want to go to my aunt's.  And then it hit me.  I didn't have to.  It was such a freeing realization.  I had always hated going to my aunt's for all the holidays but my parents always made me.  But now, I can decide if I want to go.  And choosing between going and being unhappy and uncomfortable and staying and cooking and laughing and being so damn happy with my mom wasn't hard at all.  I know that I'll regret it later, either by something happening to my grandma or having this hung over my head by my relatives for all eternity but you know what, I'd rather be with people who I want to be with and want to be with me than to be guilted into being with people that don't really care about me.  In the past few years that I have been having trouble with my family, I haven't been that hard to find.  And sometimes, it really is a little too late.

Anyways, now that I have been really depressing, let's move on to the good stuff!

Thanksgiving dinner was awesome if a little late.  I made everything!  I was so proud of myself.  And it all tasted so good!  The turkey was brown and moist and delicious and the stuffing was to die for.  I'm going to try later and post some pics of the turkey.  I forgot to take a picture before we started carving so I had to turn the bird around and crouch down a little so you can't see that half of it is gone!  The only bad thing that happened was that I didn't get a chance to bake the pie!  My mom was so disappointed.  I promised to make her one this weekend but I totally spaced it.  I promise this weekend, Mommy!  We'll put up the tree and eat pie.  ^_^

Laters.