Hope you have a great day!!!
Hugs & Kisses!!
I tell her that we have a psychiatrist for prescribing medication, but need a councelor or psychologist to talk to.
"I was told they are the same thing. One can prescribe medicine, is all."
I was appalled. "No. They are very different. A psychiatrist spends 45 minutes with you on the first visit, to evaluate you. Then they spend 15 minutes with you, once every 1-6 months, then write another prescription. A councelor or psychologist spends 45 minutes to an hour with you, talking and leading you to help behavior."
She repeats, overtop of me, while I speak, "I was told they are the same thing."
When I finish, she quits speaking to me. I finally hang up, after 10 minutes of listening to her type and not answer any questions or concerns.
Now, shouldn't the insurance company people know, or have access to information that tells them, the differnece? Grrr...
Every December, I find myself reflecting on the year that is now behind me. There is usually some good mixed with some bad events, decisions, feelings, etc. I do my best to not go through the "what if" stage, and just spend a little time burning the memories into my mind... especially since having children. It seems like time goes so fast. This year, however, I find myself reflecting back further in my memory.
A guy I knew in high school died last week. My brother noticed the obituary in the newspaper, and I immediately did a search to find out what had happened. There was nothing in any papers or online that mentioned an accident. There was nothing in any of his obit. printings that mentioned a fight with cancer or heart diseae. There was nothing to indicate why a man, only 36 years old, was no longer out there in the world. I couldn't let it go, though. I have very few contacts to my childhood. I don't talk to many of the people that were friends with me back in high school, or in the small town I called home... but I talk to a few. I asked around, and they asked around. Finally, I heard back that he had taken his own life. I stopped then, though I want to know more. I want to know why... but I never will. Not just because he's not here to tell anyone, but because it looks like he had no one to tell anymore. Maybe that in itself is why...
I know it sounds odd that I'm in such a titter over some guy I knew in high school... but I didn't just know him. He was second only to one guy, in the list of men that have intertwined themselves in my high school years. I dated him... twice. He took me into a social group that I was unfamiliar with and soon realized I didn't want to be a part of. He treated me like a queen... yet he was the most controlling man I ever dated. He was also, later, someone I could talk to about anything, as a friend. He listened and made me smile. He tormented himself, and me a bit. I make him sound horrible, but he was just a teenage boy, lost and searching. I was a teenage girl who'd been lost for years, and was searching. Maybe that's why he's intertwined in so many memories... we were different, but so alike.
Whatever it was, his death has led me to think about days gone by... and I find that I'd rather not. Part of me wonders if I shouldn't have kept in touch with all those people that were so important to me back then. I wonder what I have missed out on. With the exception of family, many of whom were raging alcoholics at the time, no one in my life knows me from that time in my life. Another part of me knows, however, that if I had stayed there, with all of them, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have met my husband or made my beautiful family. I may never have found a me I could live with.
My heart breaks for him. it breaks for his parents and brother. It seems he didn't get less tormented as time passed, and for that I am sad. What tormented him, I was never sure... but something did. As my sister-in-law has pointed out to me a couple of times, the well known statement, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, " only works if it doesn't kill you...
I'm going back to my reflection now... but only on the last year. I'm going to think about meeting my daughter and my 2 neices. I'll remember the trip to Minnesota and times at Turner Lake. I'll be greatful to have my SIL back in my life after a time of tension between us. Then I'll sing some Christmas carols. I'll remember the rest after theholiday...
Wrapping paper...Though I've been known to throw last minute gifts (or really odd shaped gifts) into a bag.
2. Real tree or Artificial?
Real, much to hubby's dismay
3. When do you put up the tree?
Whenever we can get all of us together of an evening. Usually within a week of Thanksgiving, though ideally, Thanksgiving night.
4. When do you take the tree down?
January 6th or later. Why? January 6th is the Catholic Feast of the Epiphany, twelfth day of Christmas, etc.
5. Do you like eggnog?
It's okay. We usually have a little, but we don't stock up or anything. Though there are days leading to CHristmas when I think a good spiced rum/eggnog mix would be delightful. (maybe in mass quantities)
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Cabbage Patch Kid, probably... I don't really remember much.
7. Hardest person to buy for?
My Brother, probably
8. Easiest person to buy for?
Right now? Celesta because she'd be happiest with an empty box or random bowl. Always, probably Cyndi or my mother.
9. Do you have a nativity scene?
I have more than one: My Charming Tails & a couple or undividual knickk knacky ones.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
The cock clock. lol Big rooster clock.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Miracle on 34th (old one)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I normally shop starting the day after Christmas and periodically throughout the year. I buckle down the middle of November, though.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Maybe... though I normally don't.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Pumpkin pie, though I forget and think I want other things... Then I eat a piece and wonder what I was thinking.
16. Lights on the tree?
White
17. Favorite Christmas song?
I LOVE Christmas music! I hum some of it throughout the year to ease my stress. lol My favorites are more traditional: Silent Night, The First Noel, Hark The Herald Angels, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, etc. I am very fornd of Favorite Things done by TranSiberian Orchestra.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Home, mostly. Though we do go to my In-Laws sometime in the season, usually a few hours Christmas Eve.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolf... forgive the spellings
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
We do all our regular stuff CHristmas morning, though we do have other get togethers where we open gifts... like at the In-Laws.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Bad weather and stupid people. Also, I hate the crowds at teh stores when all I want is a gallon of milk or some mittens for the kids.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Red, Green, and gold themed
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Uh... we did this... Pumpkin Pie. I also believe in turkey (though it'll be turducken this year, probably), not ham.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Books, sewing patterns, sewing books, stuff, lol. Now, ask me what I'll get. lol
What does the position involve? It requires 18 months of service. There is a 35 hour training program. Once this is done, I'd basically be the advocate for neglected and abused children in the court system. I would provide objective assessments of people, places, and other matters affecting each child's life. I'd be able to make a difference in the lives of children besides my own. Another level of protection in the interest of the child.
I think I'm ready to fill out the application.
Yesterday, we spent some time catching up on shows taped by the DVR earlier this week, and one gave me an idea. I'm not sure which rock my head has been under, but I'd never heard of Turducken. A Turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. I am sooo going to try this for Christmas dinner this year... I think. I've looked it up, and this site looks promising. Should be a snap, right? The only foreseeable issues are...
- I have to come up with a couple more stuffing recipes we'll all like (I make a sage, bread recipe that's been made for four generations, though I have adjusted it each year to make it better)
- Not only do I have to find enough time to debone 3 birds, but I've only ever deboned a chicken breast. lol
- I've never cooked duck.
- I have to add all these extra things into a schedule that involves last minute shopping, cooking all the desserts, and getting extra sleeping arrangements around for all of our company. Did I say desserts? I meant 95% of the food... (which is what I like to do, so I'm not really complaining, just worrying).
Okay, the Thankful Leaf/Thankful Tree project. My daughter and I were having a long talk about all the things we take for granted. Not just family and friends (which is a big one), but little things like the awe of the first snowfall and the sudden moment of quiet that can sometimes engulf the house. So, we talked about some of the things we're thankful for and decided it would be nice to make sure we do that every year. So, we decided to make a Thankful Tree. Each year when we do Thanksgiving, the people that come to Thanksgiving will add a leaf, complete with their name, the year, and one or more things they are thankful for. We started this year with the outline of a maple leaf, sectioned it off into six pieces, and had people decorate it and fill it in with 6 things. Sometime this week, they will be laminated and put into a box for next year. We will also be creating a big tree to put them on. Next year, the leaves may be something smaller, with only 1 or 2 spaces for things... encouraging each person to think of something other than what they did last year, so as to add to each person's thankful list. As kids get old enough to participate, more leaves will be added to the tree. Yeah, I know it's kind of cheesy, but our families have had a rough couple of years and I thought it couldn't hurt to be reminded that we all have things that are good in our lives. Sometimes the cheesiest things are those most likely to come to mind at the times they're most needed to bring a smile or help us get though something tough. Beides, the kids will have a ball. lol I'll try to remember to post photos of our craft once the new computer arrives.
Hubby went out yesterday... not just to go to work. He actually went to a couple of stores. It was so funny to see his face when he got home from buying 2 pairs of new dress pants for work. He usually spends like $40+ per pair, and he was able to find two pair for only $30 total. He was geeked. Me too, for that matter. He went and paid a bill for me, plus dropped off rent, so I didn't have to go out in all that craziness. My after Thanksgiving shopping took place online, where the idiots are hidden from me and definately not annoying me or cutting me off on the road or in parking lots. I know that some people may think that's harsh, but I cannot help myself. The day after Thanksgiving crowd once made me cry because I was so excited about Christmas (I love this time of year, when it doesn't depress me... lol) and all these throngs of people felt that the best way to show thier Christmas spirit was to crowd, push, argue, and yell at anyone not moving a billion mph. *shrug* So, I shop online. No tax and free shipping added to the great deals doesn't hurt either.
In non-holiday related news, I think Celesta will be walking by Christmas, or shortly there after. She's been standing next to the furniture for months (like since she was 4-4 1/2 months old) and now she's begun cruising along it. She's only 8 months old. I wish she'd slow down. lol
Well, babies are crying all around me, so I guess I should go attend to one. I think my daughter and niece feed off each other, especially when they first wake up.
Hope you all can keep the stress away, kick back and relax, and enjoy Turkey Day!!
Well, my computer stopped booting. I'm pretty sure that Windows is corrupted, but I won't be doing anything with it until the one I ordered is delivered. It actually quit in the evening a few days ago, but I shrugged it off and went to bed. Somewhere in my mind I had decided it would be fine in the morning. It was't. I had a panic attack. Suddenly I realized how much of my life is on that computer. All of my appointments, birthday reminders, anniversaries, photos, videos, etc. I have backed a ton of it up onto disk, but I know I missed things because I don't back the thing up like I should.... Serious panic attack mode. On the bright side, we were able to bring out the first computer Joshua and I bought together (almost 10 years ago) and it'll function for a little online contact...
Speaking of panic attacks..... My father is a GM retiree. While he is recieving partial social security benefits, the majority of his income is from his pension. These things going on with the auto industry have him, and us, concerned. If something doesn't happen, he definately looses his insurance; possibly his entire pension. He won't be able to afford the apartment he's lived in for the past 24 years. (I should note that he pays less than any other person renting there because renewal rent rates increase less than new people coming in... every year or so for 24 years... adds up to a ton of savings). He busted his ass for years for GM and now he may loose all the security he relied on. WHich means he'll be here... in my home. It's not even something Josh and I had to discuss. When Dad mentioned it, we both immediately said he'd come here. We knew we'd have him someday... It's just that he and I tend to butt heads and it'll suck to have to spend time figuring out how to make him understand that this is my home... my job... my rules for the kids. Just a bit of panic at that thought though... it's what you do. Right?
As an aside, I told my Mom & Step Father, jokingly, that if they really love us kids, they'd take care of my Dad. They do have a basement with a finished portion that he could stay in. My step dad laughed and said he thinks Josh and I have plenty of room. When I pointed out I'm already one bedroom short for my kids, he said they and Grandpa should double up. lol Can't blame a girl for trying, even in jest.
Getting ready for the holidays hasn't gone as smoothly as I'd hoped. There will be another last minute push with the cleaning and laundry.. though not as bad as last year or the year before. The big thing is getting the kids to clean up their rooms. I have given them until 7pm on Tuesday, at which time I will clean up the remaining messes myself... with a trash bag. I hate to throw their things away, or give them away, but this is getting ridiculous. At one time, they were lacking a bit of room/storage because their rooms are so much smaller than the old house, but we've taken care of that. We have 6 people spending the night on Wednesday, so we need places to put the mattresses.
Well, it's time to start the day. I am going shopping for the last of the holiday food, though I'm still working on what will be for supper Wednesday night... I borrowed a book of holiday stuff from
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
pixy_dust_79 , when I was at her home 2 nights ago. I'm hoping something will jump out at me...Picture this, three days before Halloween (2 days before the first night my kids would go trick-or-treating) and we have no costumes. It's 9am, we're at the store, and i cannot imagine paying those prices for costumes. I have 3 kids. At at least $18.00 per child, we're looking at almost $50.00. No way. So, my hubby and I decide I will make them. Charity will be Dorothy, Celesta will be Toto, and Riley will be a Jedi. Sounds okay, right? Well, let me tell you that I have a sewing machine, but I've never learned to use it. I did a project in Home Ec in like 7th grade, and I tried a couple things about 4 years ago (and failed miserable). Still, I thought I'd try... with 2 days to do it.
Hubby wanted Jedi costume, too, so I did him one. I finished the guys and moved on to my oldest; which required some sort of understanding of actual clothing and elastic... but I got it sone. So, 3 down. Celesta's costume.... bad. Really really bad. I didn't have the time to do details because I still had to do laundry, housework, take the kids to their activities, play with kids, cook, clean, etc. So I ended up buying her one on the way to my MIL's house on the 30th, where they got to go trick-or-treating.
ALl in all, I think I did pretty well... especially for 2 days and learning to use the sewing machine as I went. In fact, I'm wondering what I could do with some sort of patter... Did I mention I didn't have patterns? Yeah, I just looked at pictures and made the clothes.
( Here are the costumes... and Celesta's store-bought one. )
and the costume we got for Celesta. Let me know what you think. By the way... I spent $26, including Celesta's costume, and I have enough fabric left over to make other stuff... hopefully with patterns. lol
I need to start by saying that, in my experience, people on both sides of the Iraq issue believe we need to support our troops. People who want to get out feel that our soldiers should come home to their friends and family. People who believe we should stay there feel that, in arguing against the war, we leave our soldiers feeling like they've been there for no reason. Both sides, however, have strong feelings about doing right by our troops. I have opinions on the Iraq thing, but that's not what this is about. Whatever people feel about it, I hope they'll take the time to read the following, mark their calendars, and support this project.
There is a group out there called Homes For Our Troops. They help those soldiers that have come home with injuries and disabilities. Imagine coming back to the states, severely injured, spending months or a year in hospitals, only finding that your home cannot/ does not have the things needed to allow you to recover or survive. You can't go home to your family because your wheelchair won't fit through the doorways or travel up and down steps to bedrooms or bathrooms on upper or lower floors. Imagine needing machines to help you breath or rehabilitate you, but there's no way you, even with the government's help, can afford to put them into your home. Your family has to visit yu in hospitals, but you cannot go home. Well, that's what this organization does. It basically helps these soldiers to go home.
HERE IN MICHIGAN, in Middleville, actually, there is a young man by the name of Cpl Joshua Hoffman that was injured in Iraq and this group is helping to build him a home to suit his needs. The American Legion is helping, and other companies are doing fundraisers. (My father-in-law was on site last weekend, working on this with the Stevensville American Legion). Applebees is doing a pancake breakfast in many Michigan stores (corporate locations) and the proceeds will go to this organization, specifically to help in the Michigan chapter. So, I'm hoping that people will mark their calendars. November 8 8:00am -10:30am. Each ticket is $5.00. The list of participating Applebees is seen here. Personally, I'll be at the Comstock Applebees location on Gull Rd. in Kalamazoo, if anyone wants to join me. I'm hoping people will spread the word.
Remember, whatever one feels about the war with Iraq, these soldiers signed on to defend our country and they need our support. This is one way to do that.
Somehow, I ended up having 2 cans of Similac formula sent to me by the company due to some new baby mailing list I ended up on. I nurse and supplement with Nestle Good Start, so I have no need for these. I am giving them away and willing to ship to anywhere in the U.S. I'd just like to have the shipping cost of $5.00 covered for each one. I think it's fair and it's still saving over $10. Here's what I have:
*** Similac Advance Infant formula (light blue can of powder) 12.9 ounces - USE BY FEB 1, 2011
*** Similac Isomil Advance SOy FOrmula (very pink can of powder) 12.9 ounces - USE BY MARCH 1, 2011
As these are the only 2 I have, it's a first come first serve basis. All comments will be private, so we can set up payment of the $5.00 and get shipping information!
- I feel...:
cheerful
It's about 20 minutes past midnight. I'm sleeping and the phone is ringing. Groggily, I answer the phone, thinking it's my husband calling to say that, by some miracle, he's going to be headed home soon. This happens sometimes, even though the restaurant was open until midnight. Rarely, but sometimes. Instead, I take a 3 minute phone call that stops my heart and wakes me completely. The call is from the security company at my husband's work. They call him when the alarm goes off at night. The woman says something about being from the security company and something about a fire alarm. She doesn't ask who I am. She doesn't begin by asking for my husband. She tells me that a fire alarm is going off at his work and that no one is answering the phone. Then she asks for him & when I tell her he's at work, she tells me that he should be answering the phone if he's there.
Suddenly, I want her to go away. All I can think is that, if he were able to, he'd answer the phone. Why didn't he answer the phone? Apparently, I said this out loud because it dawns on this woman that she may have said something wrong. She asks my name to verify that she called someone, tells me he's probably outside with the fire department, and hangs up! Yeah, really. I sit there with the phone in my hand for a second, then quickly dial his cell number. I mean, if he's outside the building, he'll have it on... right? It goes directly to voicemail. Panicking, I take a minute, then call his store. One of his keys answer and I can hear the alarm in the background. I ask for my husband and the guy tells me everything is okay and that he's on the phone with the security company. He says there must be something wrong with the fire alarm system because they cannot find any smoke or anything. Apparently, my husband did answer the phone when the first call came from the security company, but the other line rang and he thought finding the source of the fire more important than figuring out who else would be calling that late. Security lady said, "Ooops! Must have been a mix up on our end!"
The key gave Josh a message to call back after dealing with the issue. When he called me back, he had good news and bad news. The good news? The fire alarm said the fire was in the men's employee bathroom and there was no fire. The bad news? The stupid alarm could not be turned off and he had to wait for a security technician to show up to fix it. More bad news? There may be a cost for the fire department responding to a false alarm. There is normally a cost for maintenance to the security system, though the people were there for preventive maintenance less than a week ago. Both costs coming from hubby's bottom line and possibly affecting our bonus. So, thanks to a faulty wire in the ceiling of the men's employee bathroom, and a security company that needs to review their policies, I got to receive one of the most frightening calls of my life, then find out it only cost us money. I will remember that woman's voice for the rest of my life. For her sake, I hope she doesn't get the job of calling at 2 am the next time something sets off the alarm. I may have to pay more attention to her name...
In the meantime, my husband will put a call into the home office about what happened. All I know is, if something ever happens to my husband, it better not be some stupid woman at the security company that tells me on accident.
It's 5 am which is sooo not a good thing, as I've been awake for at least 2 hours. I just kept having to get up to go to the bathroom and finally decided I was too awake to get back to bed. I know I'm pregnant and all, but I don't think I drank this much liquid all day yesterday. lol
So, I started working on my resolutions. I have done a great job getting my control journal started and working on my daily routines, as well as setting aside date nights, cooking days, and office time. I'm even giving myself a "relax and renew" day and a total day off. Woo Hoo! Well, day off is probably a loose term, as I will still have to do the basics (like straightening) for the day, but at least there won't be added cleaning, errand, school, and other responsibilities. We did our first "date night" with the kids last Friday. Joshua took Charity skiing and I took Riley out into the snow and later baked cookies with him. (They weren't edible, as my 2 year old put more flour on the floor than in the bowl, but it was fun!) I also signed up for some story and play times at the library. The first one is this morning at 10:15am. Hopefully this will give both RIley and I the opportunity to meet more people.
Friday I finally have my ultrasound. I have been having signs that I'm further along than even I thought to begin with. At this point, with some of the things going on with my body, I wouldn't be surprised if this baby comes sometime in late February or very early March. I'm guessing I'm at least 32 weeks. Since they'll take him/her out at 39 weeks, we're taking about somewhere near the 25. I guess I'll know for sure after the visit.
Ooh! My dad is taking the kids home with him on Friday so that Joshua and I can have a date night of our own! I think we may just do dinner and a movie, but that is soooo much more than we've done in ages. I cannot even remember the last movie he and I saw in the theater together.
Last, but not least... my hubby got me a gift certificate to this place not far from here that has cake decorating lessons (his intent). They also do a bunch of other cooking/baking related functions, however. Though I'm still thinking about the decorating classes, I may see what else they do exactly. I figure that, not only will I get to learn something fun, but meet other women, too. Can't beat that!
Sorry for my end of 2007 rant. My husband is a restaurant General Manager. one of the stores north of his had a manager call in this afternoon and he called to say he was going to go work that store. I argued against it and he got off the phone with me saying that he would send one of the other managers. I called his store 10 minutes ago to ask him a question and they told me he's at another store. I am pissed. One of our biggest issues has long been putting the needs of the company above those of his family. Well, this is the forecast in the area:
"THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EST TUESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING...AND WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. SNOW WILL CONTINUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...AND DIMINISH IN INTENSITY ON TUESDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS EXPECTED. HIGHEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND SOUTH OF A KALAMAZOO TO LANSING LINE."
Now he's out in the boonies (because this store is only accessible through back roads from his store) and the weather is horrible. What would usually take him 15 minutes to drive is expected to take him at least an hour. AND IT'S NOT HIS FREAKING STORE!!!! How did it become the potential problem of my family that some other manager hasn't got the balls to tell his employee to come to freaking work?
New Year’s Resolutions
I don't normally do resolutions. It's not because I feel bad when I don't meet or exceed my own expectations, I'm used to that. It's because I don't understand them to be important and I therefore don't make them a priority. This year, however, I need to make some changes and I figure resolutions are as good a way as any. Here goes:
1.) Get medicated and do the things I need to do to take care of my bipolar.
2.) Become more active:
a.) join something with Riley - like a Mom's group or a reading group at the library
b.) Find something just for me - like a book club that meets biweekly or a cake decorating class
c.) Make monthly dates with each of my children and my husband
3.) Schedule family time with parents and in-laws on a monthly basis.
4.) Quit smoking
5.) Make 3 new could-be-friends in the area before February 15
6.) Get back into routines, like updating livejournal and getting homework done not last minute. Basically, end the funk of the last 6 months.
So, there it is. I've closeted myself off a lot since moving here, and even before that. It's time to branch out and start to be more than a mom & wife again. Mostly, it's time to take care of me and do things that have been on my "to do" list for quite a while.
I forget about the tipping of some people. It's horrible of me, I know. But on some level, I believe that most people get paid for the jobs they do. I tip my hairdresser, at least $5 and often more if I have my eyebrows done or something that takes more than 20-30 minutes. I tip servers and bartenders, usually about 25%, though less if I feel ignored or treated poorly. I tip cab drivers and the guy that pumps my gas at a full-service pump. I even get the baggers at the small time grocery stores that take my food to the car, or the guy that puts the large item I bought into my trunk. Forgive me please if I don't give a cash tip to the woman that discreetly puts mail into my mailbox, and fall back on the loaves of bread that I make for the managers at my husband's store. It was a full loaf, and not the mini loaf like I gave hubby's hourly associates. In reality, the associates probably provide more of a service to me, as their behavior affects my husband's mood and our income, but whatever.
I am confused these days about who I am supposed to give money to. I've read msbc's tipping tips. I've even seen others' blogs and some other news stories on it, but I'm left dumbfounded. I totally get tipping competent servers in a restaurant. They make their pay in tips. I understand tipping my hairdresser for the new look she gave me with little to no input from me. I understand some of it. What I don't get is when all these new people got added to the list and when it became okay for a service provider to tell me I forgot their tip. When did tipping become mandatory and, if it is, shouldn't the amount just be added to the original fee so as to make the rest of our lives easier? Do I have to give money to the guy who has forgotten to pick up my trash 7 times in 6 months? GRrrr! I hate this!
So, I've revised my gift guide for next year to include the mail carrier, trash, and recycling folks. I suppose that, by this time five years from now, I will have to add the woman that sent me in the right direction at the grocery store, the lady that rung me up and suggested a sale item, and the guy that turned on the pump so I could pump the gas myself... I mean, they all provide a service, right?
- I feel...:
aggravated
With my family, we would have gone on to do it, but with one sister moving to Alabama this week, and another unable to make time for us all to get together except for on Christmas Eve at like 8pm, the whole get-together is basically canceled. Unfortunately, I think this is a lot due to me, because I just couldn't see driving an hour and a half to my Mother's home to do Christmas that lasts until like 10 or so, then having to make the same drive back (weather permitting). Once home, we'd still have to do our Christmas Eve happenings, like midnight mass, reading the story of the first Christmas to the kids, and telling "Twas the Night Before CHristmas. Oh, and you cannot forget playing Santa. We'd be lucky to be finished before the kids woke up. Not to mention that I have a whole feast to make the next morning. It just wasn't feasible.
Hubby's parents were really receptive to the whole idea, however, and I thought we would have a go. However, his brother had a tough time with it. It wasn't personal enough for him. While I can concede his point, I must also note that, in drawing names, hubby and I run the risk of getting either his brother or sister-in-law. It isn't that I mind buying a present for either of them, but we really don't know them very well. Hubby and his brother haven't been that close for quite a while and we really only see them for large family get togethers or holidays. Fortunately, we got his parents this year, I think because my MIL knows our concerns. Apparently, we're going to draw names again before we leave, so that we have a year to think something up. That should work... I hope.
All of that said, I'm actually having a pretty good holiday season, so far. Most of our Christmas shopping is done, though my father will be down today to give me money to shop for the kids for him, as always. I have my baking planned for hubby's employees. I found a great new dessert recipe that I'll probably alter a bit and use for Christmas. Riley's old enough this year to really enjoy the snow. All of my Christmas presents have been wrapped as they were purchased. My SIL's cheesy potatoes made my husband and son the happiest guys alive at Thanksgiving and for a few days afterward. Charity's being helpful around the house, though Riley's been a bit of a terror. Still, all of my ornaments are currently in one piece, even if he did get to one of my Charming Tales. Our tree and all the decorations were up by the end of November. Lots of Christmas cards have already been mailed. Gifts have been shipped and should arrive any day. It's pretty good.
The bad spot? My step-father called me yesterday to say that my mother packed a bag and left yesterday afternoon. Don't know where she is or if she's going home. I would stress over it, but I don't think she's in any peril, just pissy. She's overreacting if the issues are what she says they are, and if they are not, then she cannot seriously expect for the two of them to work things out if she doesn't tell him what's up. I'm assuming she'll go home today, but I guess we'll see what happens. Truth be told, I feel bad for him because I'm not sure he has a clue what's going on and that make a lot of us.
*Shrug* Wouldn't really be my family if there wasn't something screwy about the holidays, right?
- I feel...: cheerful
Profile
- only1opinion
- Just Me