January 5, 2011

January 5 didn't start out so well, and apparently that was a foretelling of how my day would go. Other than the beginning of the day having serious tones, the other aggravations were what one COULD call minor. It's funny how when you lump ten or fifteen relatively small annoying items together; how they can merge and blend until they become one long string of stress. Relative to other people's lives, I am very aware that my tough day yesterday was really nothing. What it was though, was mine.

I didn't food blog, I didn't even cook really; what I did was make homemade low carb chips from tortilla wraps and we ate them with garlic hummus. Yeah, every now and then, I just don't cook.

My goal was to complete or almost complete another scrapbook page but I got caught up in feeling bad (a little under the weather), chatting with some friends and going to bed early; so I only have my photos picked out and a couple of ideas rolling around in my brain. I did look at some lovely page sets and yes, I purchased two and downloaded them. I'm not certain I'll use them for this page, in spite of the fact that I bought them for that purpose. I'm really looking forward to using some really neat blending masks and making this page! I'm hoping this afternoon will be my time to be creative.

I have some thoughts in my mind, something I'd kind of like to muse about, but not this morning. Yes, I'm actually blogging yesterday today. This morning I have to go to work and do a tiny bit of paperwork, attempt to be invisible and make my food order with an eye toward the fact that it may very well snow before next Wednesday's meal and we need to do everything we can to plan for that possibility. I don't want to lose food for 200 people!

Jan 4, 2011

Today, wow today sort of wore me out. We fed only about 73 people for Prime Timers today but it felt like a couple hundred. For whatever reason I felt sort of like I was dragging my feet through really thick mud today as we cooked, served and cleaned up. When I finally left work, you would have thought that I would have headed home right? Wrong. Beth decided to venture into the West End and go to Home Goods and Whole Foods. I managed to control the spending, but it was a close call! I had the pleasure of a cup of coffee while I was at Whole Foods, it was really nice and sort of gave me a little boost to finish my wandering around the West End.

When I got home, I was greeted by the girls telling me that WE have a problem. Seems Brittany came home and arrived at the same time as Sophia so Chelsea let them in the house. Now, Brittany was trying to leave and couldn't find her keys. They had looked everywhere that I suggested and then some. So I looked at Brittany and said "What did you do when you came home?" Her answer: "I ate a Clementine." 'What did you do after you ate the Clementine?' "Well," she says "I ate another Clementine." THAT was not exactly what I was searching for! After much more conversation and quizzing, Lindsay decided to check in the Expedition one more time. The keys were in the ignition. Problem solved.

I go out to move the car from behind Brittany and when I came back in, Linz was waiting by the door to chat, as I came in, I stepped on Princeton's foot. He screamed and held up his tiny paw for effect. I felt horrible. I picked him up and held him, crooning to him like a very old lady would her dozen cats. (I had a flash of my future and I mentally rejected it.) He was trembling, and in OUR world, that means one thing; Pubby needs to go outside. I take him out and stand waiting for him and freezing to death, while he finds just the right spot or one that he hasn't sniffed before now. I tell him good boy and let my eyes wander around the yard. I spotted the trash cans on the street and told Pubbs to 'stay' and I went to drag the two monstrous cans back to their spot by the garage. As I made my way toward the house, I lost sight of Princeton. I called to him to 'stay' and put the cans away. Then I realized that I couldn't see Princeton anywhere! My heart fell somewhere near my feet. We NEVER leave him alone in the yard, having been admonished by our breeder that he was so little that a hawk might find him to be a tasty temptation. I called him, and called him, feeling sicker by the second. I turned in a circle my eyes scanning the driveway and out of the corner of my eye, I see him turning as I do in an effort to stay behind me. So adorable, and yet kinda dumb.

Mark and I went to tan and then to dinner since the girls were gone in different directions. We came home, sorted some laundry and tidied up our room a bit. Changed the sheets on our bed and made it inviting. Our new technology for the bedroom? A set of 'electric' candles, nine of them of various sizes. They have a remote control. Of course this is very cool.

January 3, 2011

Today is actually the first day that FELT like a new year. Probably because I went back to work after several days off. I'd done such a superb job of pushing thoughts of work away while I was off; I was disoriented and felt like I didn't know what to do for a long while while I was there!

Work today went well; everyone pleasant and Marion happy to be back at work.

I got my lashes touched up today and enjoyed a chat with Kendrick. I ran some errands, did a little senseless shopping and didn't purchase a thing! THAT was a miracle. I have a gift card that I want to use, and I somehow feel that I need to give deeper thought to my desired item(s).

I came home and started to rotisserie a chicken and realized (after the horrible smoke filled the room) that the rotisserie, alas; had died. I decided to cook the chicken the old fashioned way and popped it and another just like it in the roasting pan. It wasn't a BAD thing, just not rotisseried chicken. I had plans for the chicken for wraps and snacks over the next couple of days, so it's off the carcass and in a bag in the refrigerator. Here's the link to the recipe that made me go out and get the chickens! http://bethsbestbites.blogspot.com/

Tonight was our Date night with the girls; to watch Beauty and the Beast. :) Great family time, if you dismiss the fact that somewhere about halfway through the movie, all three girls started saying 'Princeon is throwing up!' Yeah, he was... the cotton from the chewed up QTip that we found. Once that was taken care of, we resumed the movie without incident.

I finished my first Mountain Lake Scrapbook page. Go me! http://bethspicsoflife.blogspot.com/2011/01/mountain-lake-shunning.html

Tomorrow, I plan to go to the gym with Mark. I realized this evening that we need to figure out a plan for when we go together. When I go in the mornings with him, I end up at work earlier than I need to be. Might work on Thursdays, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays; wow, it just makes for LONG days.

Tomorrow I have Prime Timers at work. Prime Timers and preparation for Wednesday night dinner. I have promised Marion that I would chop the cabbage! Both meals should be simple and relatively without fuss. Here's hoping.

In talking to Kendrick this morning, she shared with me that last year she had promised herself that she would do one project around the house per month and that she didn't keep that promise last year. She has already done her January project for this year though. She inspired me.

I'm going to make a list of things that I can do myself, or largely by myself (that would mean Mark has to help me some) and, I'm going to do Kendrick's resolution: one project a month. I THINK my January project is going to be painting the hallway up the stairs. I've only put it off for about 12 years now; it's time.

So, today on a scale of 1 to 10... gets a 7. It's only a seven because I'd like to have gotten more done here at home, like laundry and cleaning; but it will happen.