Breakfast w/Santa...

So against my better judgment tomorrow I will be participating in our annual Breakfast w/Santa at work. Tons of kids and only 6 volunteers - woo boy!
Since it's going to be a long chaotic morning I am going to say stay tuned.
I am sure I will have stories.
:)

Two days

So it's day two of my mystery illness and I am hating it.
Not that anyone likes being sick but I am that person who goes to work and then needs to be sent home. Except this week.
I have missed two days!!!
I never miss two, one yes, two no.
I am feeling so guilty but I also now as I type this my throat is so sore it hurts to swallow and I am running a fever. HOorah...
After three days I need a doctor's excuse but here is hoping since I only slept 14 hours today instead of 16 hours yesterday I am finally kicking this thing.
We can only hope.
I need to eat some oatmeal and take a steamy shower.
As I have no voice right now.
Lovely....
Caprise

Work Christmas Parties = bleh

Had mine Thursday night. Why must we have assigned seating? Chris and I were lucky we were seated by people we get along with but I know other people were not that fortunate.
The food was really great but there was so much of it that I didn't want to be touched at all after dinner. That is no good.

It was still very awkward - we had toasts thanking everyone for all they did. I was the last one thanked which made Chris angry since I work with everyone.

The climate at work hasn't approved much. I think the party might have made it worse.
I had a pity party with two of my coworkers yesterday over lunch and we concluded these women must be making up for not being popular in high school or frankly ever.
What's funny is the three of us talking were far from popular in high school ourselves. Two band geeks and a literary magazine editor. :)
What felt good both days was to get validation for how I felt from people who really didn't have to agree with me. Sometimes we over react to things but if felt good to have my husband say he now understood why I feel the way I do about work. And then yesterday during the pity party to have my two friends say they feel the same way I do. Our office has turned into a high school subculture and the only thing that keeps them going like me is the fact that internally we may torque off about 3-4 people but that is 3-4 out of a 800.

In the scheme of things that isn't too bad. Unfortunately some of those people from the small group can determine my promotions and raises but hey... I will survive right?
I have too and as I always say especially lately - there are people out there who have a lot worse at least I have.

Everyone was writing resumes (sung to Kung Fu Fighter)

Well... what a day what a day.
Since what news I have is highly confidential let me just say time for a new job.
Holy crap manufacturing blows...
Unless it's Harley everyone else believes in moving things away.
Thanks a lot Mr. President.
Ugh.

You know if our cost of living wasn't so damn high, people wouldn't have to make so much and it wouldn't cost so much to make things here and people would have jobs.
Whew... but that would be oh I don't know too easy.
We are all about the buck and what we need and what we have and mine needs to be bigger.
What about people, and values and being nice?
I am child of hippies aren't I?
I always said as long as I was loved I would be happy without money. Unfortunately our society doesn't make that very easy.

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I shouldn't be going all political and crazy on everyone's ass but geez when are we going to get it? Middle class families are being phased out. People I know that make $30,000 a year can't afford to pay their electric bills and still have food and a car.
What is wrong with that?! EVERYTHING

I am feeling the stress and now fear.
I know we will make it no matter what we always do but what about people who can't?
Who is going to take care of them?
Two of my good friends every year no matter how strapped they are do the giving tree at the mall. If I can't stop the chaos at work maybe I can make someone else happy at Christmas.
I am going to do the tree this year too.
My husband will kill me 'cause things are tight but you know what we have. I want someone else to too.
I apologize for my rant.
It happens sometimes when you feel helpless and right now I do more than I ever have.

33 why not 23?

Another year and here I am.
All holiday weekend I kept dreading going to work on my birthday because there is a nasty tradition in my office - only sign the cards if you don't like a person. Write a message if you do.
Yes, yes I work with a lot of mature people.

So I was dreading going to work because knowing this trick I would be face to face with what everyone really thought of me. I still was but not as blatantly.
'Cause our VP didn't send around a card for me.
She never has... has for everyone else but me. And you know that is really fine.
I had a great day.

Got some hilarious cards from some of my friends outside the dept. My favorite is from my second husband Jim. It has three old ladies on it yelling out "Tart, hussy, slut" inside it says "Girl you still got it"
And while eating my birthday treats a couple of the supervisors asked me if I was now 21?
Oh how I love the bald faced lies. :)

This weekend I got to hang w/Bethie - always a kick, and got the very pretty earrings and pendants I have been wanting. Which I made Beth more than aware of.
You rule Beth. A p.s. mall fashion weren't there some huge don'ts?

My parents, brother and friend Dani sent me some funny cards.
Love the funny cards.
And tonight - my husband is taking me to my favorite restaurant.
So the day I dreaded is turning out pretty good.
Now the Pack just needs to win and it will be pretty close to perfect.

Gobble Gobble

I did it.
I made my first Thanksgiving dinner. That's right. I made the turkey (granted a breast), mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and rolls. My husband was pleasantly surprised and was impressed I was not only able to have everything maintain it's steaminess but cleaned the downstairs as well.
I think I am getting this homemaker thing. It's not about being the best at it or being perfect.
It's about for me - a good cd (in this case Jimmy Eat World) and Pepsi Spice. And away we go.
The only thing that could have made it better was my family.
Who were supposed to be in Arkansas but missed their flight to Chicago and due to weather even if they changed flights would have been stranded there. As it was the flight they missed was still on the runway because they had no where to send it.
So my Mom and I talked for an hour, my Dad and brother ate shrimp and managed to find one pumpkin pie left at their grocery store.
It wasn't my best Turkey Day but it was our first Turkey Day and that made it pretty good.
Although if I don't eat Turkey again I will be ok with that.

In novel blog news I am not going to make the deadline. Too much personal stuff for me to focus like I needed to. I feel bad I dropped the ball but I have gotten a game started and want to finish it. I have some big fans who feel if I do I could actually get it published and wouldn't that be nice :)
Have a great long weekend everyone.

Everyone has one...

One friend who knows how to push all your buttons and sometimes enjoys it.
I do... and she pushed my buttons hardcore today and in the process made me so upset that I dragged two innocent bystanders into the fray.
You know who you are and I am sorry.
Sometimes saying I tease because I love isn't an apology or something a friend does.
Nor is tracking them down at a bar to get $ you lent them then leaving, or standing in front of the mirror at their wedding reception so they couldn't get ready, or getting so drunk at same reception that the bride and bridesmaid were hauling presents in the rain into cars, or giving them a gift and asking for it back 2 years later.
These things build and up and bubble and mine is about to burst.
I know I should suck it up - its hard too.
Especially when I am getting beat up at work as well.