I should write more...zzzzzz

This week has run me over so far, can't believe tomorrow is Thursday.

I am sick of the writer's strike, but so happy that Smallville and Supernatural will be on tomorrow.

I get to sleep in a bit tomorrow!!

It is restaurant week around town (3 course dinner at fancy local restaurants $25/person). Duane and I had a very nice dinner tonight.

It is frickin freezing here again!!

Sad news

The weekend has been crazy so I hadn't had time to check my email.

I opened my email this evening to find an email from my Mom. My little sister called her yesterday morning to tell her that she had a miscarriage. Why my mom disseminated this info via email, I don't know.

Sad news though.

I will report on the rest of the weekend tomorrow.

Slightly irritated

Our company-wide party is tomorrow night. I had Duane reserve a room at the hotel adjacent to the convention center and the plan was to split it with a friend of mine (she lives about 30 minutes away). I talked to her right after the reservation was made and ok'd the cost with her. Now she emailed me today and said that they would probably just go home after.

The cancellation policy is 72 hours, so no dice there. I am not made of money. Oh, she thought I was going to get the room with or without her. Funny, but I don't remember ever saying that.

I did find a dress, but I need to find shoes tonight.

I should just eat some lunch and try to be less cranky.

So how was the party of the year?

The family party at my house was this Saturday and it was a humdinger! Everyone arrived around 2 and they didn't leave until 10! The house was mostly clean. It was not quite perfect as I still had the cold and was feeling pretty crappy. We had brushetta and bread w/dipping oils for an appetizer. The bruschetta was a loaf of basil bread from a local bakery cut up and toasted on my grill pan. I topped it with fresh bruschetta mix from Trader Joe's. I also topped some with an olive tapenade from Trader Joe's. The bread with dipping oil was a loaf of white bread dough that I rolled into balls and then baked in an angel food cake pan with some herb butter. I used the other bread dough (comes in packs of 3 loaves) to wrap lil' smokies ala pigs in a blanket. Those were for the kids, but they were playing so much that I don't think they ate much.

Dinner was a traditional meat lasagna (I used genoa salami) and a pesto asparagus lasagna. I used Trader Joe's noodles in the meat lasagna (I usually use Creamette noodles) and I did not like them. The pesto asparagus lasagna was fabulous. I used frozen asparagus from Trader Joe's and a jarred pesto. You make a white cheese sauce and stir in the pesto. I used the Creamette noodles and they were great as usual.

We played the Wii, Rock Band, Singstar, and Pictionary. Even my mom and dad got into the Wii! It was really nice.

Sunday was the Packers game. The defense sucked and lost the game (my opinion). I made hot wings which turned out SUPER hot. I broiled them in the oven and then put them in crockpots with 2 different sauces (bottled). Well normally the wings are cooked, tossed with the sauce, and then eaten (at BW-3). The wings sat in the sauce for a couple of hours, which made them almost too hot to eat. Oops!

My Christmas decorations are not all put away yet. I left them up for the family party. It seems the bag I bought to store my tree in, might not actually fit my tree. I also need another box to store ornaments in. I think I could use a whole separate room to store my decorations.

My office's big shin-dig party is this Friday. I bought a dress yesterday (the first dress I tried on, which usually never happens). We are staying at the hotel which is connected to the place where the party will be. It will be fun, especially if this darn cold would go away!

RIP

May our battered and chewed laptop power cord rest in peace. It finally gave out a few days ago so we have been without the laptop. A new cord is being shipped as we speak, so hopefully we will be online in the living room again soon! We do have a desktop computer, but you know it isn't as convenient.

I am also sick, and my supervisor probably gave it me (she is off in Mexico right now, but she was sick right before she left). I have been pushing the Airborne, which seems to be keeping the worst symptoms at bay. I left the house without my purse this morning though, so I guess the Airborne doesn't improve your memory.

Duane's beer glasses from Belgium were shipped on Monday (oddly enough right after I enquired if the order had shipped). I am hoping they don't show up this weekend though, as the high on Saturday is -2. I am also waiting on something else that I ordered 2.5 weeks ago, which also (oddly enough) shipped right after I enquired WTH it was. I don't know if orders slip through the cracks when you use Paypal, but that is the second time that happened.

The family comes this Saturday (on the -2 day). I have the apps nailed down, but not a veggie lasagna recipe. Spinach is the default, but I would like to find something a little more exciting.

Work has been going well. I had a good talk with my "new" manager. The staff typically use one manager and she wasn't my manager previously. We talked about my interest in staging and it sounds like more opportunities will be coming down the line.

Alright, I am headed home now. I am hoping the road conditions are better (and not worse) than this morning. We were supposed to get a significant amount of snow (6 inches), but they backed that down to 2-4. Since I don't have my purse, I don't have my cell phone either.

Is it still a shop?

Is it still an online shop if you don't post anything to sell (and therefore don't sell anything)? I forgot to post an update about the hemp fleece I am trying to get to make baby wipes. I got a message from the guy sometime around Christmas, that he could no longer get that fabric. I was pretty po'd. He said I could come in and get my money back. Last week I got a message from him that he found a different source (or fabric) that he thought would work and he has it for me to pick up. I was happy to hear that, now I just have to get over there and pick it up.

The craft business took a slide with Christmas and I need to get some motivation to get it back on track. My sister mentioned that she needs me to make some onesies for friends, so that will be a start!

There was a little productivity this weekend. Duane got a new door installed downstairs, but I didn't work much on my projects. The Packer party was fine (especially since they won). My haircut was good. It is a little darker now and a little shorter. I had her curl it and Duane wants me to curl it all the time. Well I would need a curling iron for that to happen.

I drank a teensy bit more water than usual last week. I did no exercising. The productivity level is up a teensy bit.

I did eat breakfast AND lunch today, so that is a better start to the day.

I am planning

I am planning on some productivity this weekend, although I feel like taking a nap right now. I know I am not getting enough sleep, but jeez louise I have the hardest time getting in bed earlier!!

I have a cut/color/eyebrow appointment tomorrow. My hair looks good today, but I feel like something different. How different? I don't know.

We are also going to a party with realtor people in the afternoon. It will be interesting. As a staff member I have been getting a little closer to the other staff members. It is nice to be another step inside a circle.

My supervisor is in Mexico all next week (she is going with another staff member and they wrote up mini-wills this afternoon, wth?). I should be busier, which means I will try to prepare for the family event this weekend. I am making lasagna, but I don't know what kind yet (I have to do a meat and a veggie).

Duane and I are hitting Trader Joe's for a Friday night date, how exciting are we? We are both a little run down, so low key it is.

I could take a nap right now.

A break in the weather

Today was sunny and not too cold. The dogs were happy to get out for a nice walk, as was I. I didn't have time to do some damage control on the poopy back yard though (as I slept in an hour). I took some meds last night for the post-nasal drippyness. I slept but the cats and dogs were in and out all night. We were out of kitty treats (someone put an empty bag back in the cabinet!) and Boots was not amused. Brisco usually zonks out, but he was in an out all night (maybe the leftover steak I put on their food?)

Yesterday afternoon was not super productive. I was still feeling like crap and only got a few things done here and there.

I felt better at work today, probably because I ate some lunch before I left. My latest (unintentional or is it?) weight loss plan is to not eat breakfast or lunch. Oddly enough I can be a little low energy during the day. Our pantry needs restocking, so I am planning on doing that tomorrow.

I need to go dress shopping (big work shindig) so maybe I will get to that tomorrow afternoon as well.

Weekend

Ok, I have not been to the gym yet (although now that my legs have been de-sasquatched, I have no real excuse). I have not starting drinking more water and this weekend was WOEfully under productive. *sigh*

Friday night we hung out with Duane's friend from work. We played with his kids and he and Duane played some video games. We got home late.

Saturday night we hung out with some realtor peeps (it was a going away party) and got home late (and Duane got druuuunk, probably not the best idea to start the evening with a giant glass of 10% alcohol beer). We also drank some boots that night!

Sunday was spent laying around on the couch all day.

I meant to go to the gym this morning, but slept like crap and turned off the alarm. I have some post-nasal drip thing going on which has made me feel like yakking all day. My supervisor was pissed today (maybe at me, who knows), which was not a good start to the work day. The weather has been shitty (2 huge pile ups on the interstate yesterday). Warm, foggy, and rainy.

It is an early work day tomorrow, so hopefully my afternoon will be more productive.

My New Year to dos so far

Drink more water (not so far but I did bring a clean water bottle to work)

Exercise some (not so far but I aspire to tomorrow)

Be more productive (we got the house clean in record time for the party, I started clipping one of my blankets that is woefully overdue last night, and I have productive plans for the weekend).

I think I will do a weekly update on the to dos.

Oh look....

I forgot to report the most surprising recent news (which I don't think was a slip btw).

My little sister and her husband are having a baby! I have very mixed feelings on this, which you can email me if you want to know. They are planning on cloth diapering, so any suggestions for books on that or new parenting books that were actually helpful, would be great.

Oh and yes, I thought it was fabulous when my extended family members (and one not so extended, my other sister) wondered aloud on how I felt about this or that they thought for sure the baby news was going to be from me.

New Year dos

Today is a long day at the office, so I am getting in a post early (work, class, work, going away party). Ok, I was writing this earlier but got interrupted.

I don't get much laptop time at home (Duane is a computer hog), so I haven't had a chance to post pictures. Maybe this weekend, if I can remember!

I have some want-to-dos for the New Year:

I want to drink more water

I want to exercise (some) more

I want to be more productive (craft wise, job wise, house wise)

My family is coming on the 19th for their yearly trek to my house. Really my house is not that far away from Janesville and they should come more than once. I am hoping we can keep the house clean until then.

Oh and in other news, we are going on a trip. February 28th to March 10th (I think). We are going to Belgium (for sure). Maybe Luxembourg, maybe Paris.... I know it breaches the 6 month no travel rule, but Duane insisted that the airfare prices go up considerably in April. Besides, I am renovating the kitchen in April (no excuses Duane!!).

Holy Crap am I behind

December 15th was the last time I posted? You would think I had forgotten I had a blog.

Well the NYE party actually happened to be a party without the afore mentioned guests. Since a couple of our friends were going to be there (i.e. we weren't going out), I decided that we could invite some other people. My little sister and her husband came, Duane's mentoree and her husband came, and later another friend of Duane's from work stopped by.

The party preporation got slammed into Sunday night on Monday afternoon as we had unexpected company and a birthday party. We went bowling Friday night with the 2 friends that were to come over for NYE. We "some" how ended up buying Rockband (a PS2 game with a guitar, mike, and drum set) and the friends stayed over Friday and Saturday. We stayed up late both nights playing the game (which is fun).

The food for the party all turned out (good thing I invited people that like their meat rare). My sister brought an excellent salad and succotash (made with honey yum!). I made flank steak and a 2 potato dish. One of our guests bought a french silk pie for dessert. We had good food and played Rockband, Singstar (which is a lot harder than singing in Rockband), and the Wii. I will remember for the future to NOT drink champagne out of a regular glass because then you somehow end up drinking a whole bottle yourself and the result is NOT a good one.

Yesterday was a veg day but we did watch the third Pirates movie. Not as ridiculous as the second, but not any good either.

Boots also had a stressful weekend and spent all Monday and part of Tuesday at the vet. It was due to the mystery peeing problem that he had once before. Our animals always seem to get sick on the weekends! We took him in right away on Monday. He will need to eat a special food (which he ate when he had the problem before) for the rest of his life (i.e. we shouldn't stop feeding it to him) because this problem is such a mystery (most likely caused by stress).

Christmas was good all around. Duane bought me a necklace he picked out at an antique mall in Pasadena. I found some great things for him at the Columbus antique mall that he liked. 10 days before Christmas he mentioned he would like these certain Belgian beer glasses. I told him I would do my best (he says, "well can't you just go on the internet and order them?) and it turned out that all local suppliers were sold out! I ended up ordering 4 different glasses from a Belgian website and I have NO idea when they might show up.

Alright, I should get back to work. More later!