Power

Someone in Arizona split the massive PowerBall jackpot with someone in Missouri....exciting to have a winner in my home state!  My assistant's mom lives in Michigan so we bough 10 tickets from her yesterday....no idea if they are worth anything....

I just emailed J. and used the word 'harumph' - as in 'the sound I would be making regarding my current state of mind if you were down here with me to hear it'.  But since he isn't, he gets it via email....

Rain for the next four days....lovely.  Layering is the only way to go....

Already only 11 days left......I know my countdown mentality is likely annoying but I can't help it.  I am so happy to be so busy that the days are flying by - in fact, I thought yesterday was Tuesday until I got home and J. reminded me Survivor was on - time is flying by!!!  Yeah!!

Chloe-Bear Sunshine

The very cooperative tech support staff helped me get my picture where I can upload it here....thanks, Tech Support.  You are awesomely awesome....and I love you.

Chloe seeks sun all day, everyday.  We have those 'doggie stairs' so she can climb up on the couch (and we are diligently training her that she MUST walk down them vs. jumping down.  When you've had a dog that ruptured a disc and was paralyzed, you are very careful about your current little dog jumping off couches).  Chloe can get on the couch easily and now, she's learned to climb off the seat cushions and up to the back cushions as the sun creeps to different locations throughout the day.  She is cold...constantly - but she won't wear coats or sweaters. 

So here is the missing picture from my Monday morning post:

This morning I awoke at 2AM...and couldn't go back to sleep.  Until 4AM.  So when the alarm went off at 4:40ish (later than yesterday because I didn't feel compelled to be in my office by 6 like I did on Monday), I turned it off instead of hitting snooze.  I woke up at 6:30!  Felt late all day - but managed to wedge it all in.  I got there 'last' in my building which is rare - but oh well.  It happens.

Only 13 work days left....and they really fly by 'cuz it's so busy.  I do love that - how quickly time passes when I'm swamped. 

Cyber What?

Today is Cyber Monday so I should be shopping away - keys clicking, credit card buzzing....but I already did most of that this weekend.  I was one of the shoppers that made this a record sales weekend according to Yahoo news.  The fun thing is J. and I 'shopping' together and using Christmas as an excuse to buy stuff we would probably not usually consider buying....but it's Christmas and we are enjoying a little merry!

There will be a bunch of packages arriving in the next week or so and that means wrapping and shipping and decorating!  Time for the tree!

I came downstairs early this morning reciting 'one down, fourteen to go' - one getting up very early day begun and fourteen left to go before a nice long winter break.  Did I mention I am turning the two and a half week break into three full weeks?  I am!  Twenty three glorious days of sleeping in...

When I'm off, I like to stay up late(r) and get up later.  I slept in until 9 quite a few days this past week and it was terrific!  But now it's back to 'work' schedule and I get up early so I can go in early - trying to carve out some quiet time each morning before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.  It works - but wow - even with  Christmas music waking me up, it was a shock this morning.

I'm not sure I like Christmas music this early - and it really feels 'fake' to me...like the radio station is just playing taped stuff so they don't have to pay DJ's....

Still, awakening to The Little Drummer Boy is a nice way to start the week.

The heat came on upstairs but it's freezing down here....I am making another latte, turning on the heat and getting showered....time to get this show on the road.  The three weeks looming ahead will be the busiest, longest three weeks in quite awhile and I've decided to just hit it head on - embrace the craziness!  I just did a fist pump!  Practically high-fived myself!

Chloe is looking at me like I'm nuts.  It's too cold for this much enthusiasm.  This is how she spent her weekend -

Well, I can't get the damn picture to upload so I'll have to try again tonight when Tech Support is open.

Turkey-itis

Thanksgiving was full of the usual - cooking, feasting, running the dishwasher non-stop and much to be grateful for.  A pleasant, fun day ensued and while it felt like we cooked all day, it all came together easily enough.  The turkey was delicious - not stuffed as we've decided that stuffing draws all the moisture out of the meat - so the stuffing is baked separately.  I even made giblet gravy which was delicious and the kids didn't notice the boiled parts included - per Pioneer Woman 'those are flavor!'.  Thanks to J. for the careful chopping and for peeling off the meat from the neck, too.

The pies were also scrumptious and I am not ashamed to admit they were frozen.  Claim Jumper!  

I've done a fair amount of cyber shopping and have to say that I love the ease of just ordering.  Now have to make a list so I won't forget what's coming and what I've spent so far!  

Today, B. asked if he could accompany me to Target - he 'just wanted to get out of the house'.  I think he's having a bit of anxiety only his departure being just a month away.  It's all becoming 'real' as he mentioned in the drive to the mall.  Um...yes, sweetie...but isn't/hasn't that always been the plan?  I think 'the next big thing' is truly a BIG THING and his slight OMG approach at the moment seems completely appropriate.  So he hangs close - spending time with both me and J. and trying to spend time with H. - and H. wants nothing to do with any of that stuff.  I know H. will miss him when he's gone but for now, B. is just a huge PITA and H. avoids him.  Siblings.  It happens.

This year, the boys are 'active' participants in their gift selection.  It's hard to shop for B. who can't take any of it with him to basic - so we select things he will enjoy and we will ship them to him (or better: fly out there to see him when we can and personally deliver them) when he's allowed to have his stuff.  And H. has few requests other than the mattress...so it may be easy shopping for them.  Yes, the annual scavenger hunt will happen but I think we will keep it 'low key'.  Translated: not a lot of $.  Some...just not much.  We're on a budget now - and our carefulness is really helping us as we transition to less income.  

The long saga of J.'s new computer is winding down as it appears to be here and working.  The first one worked, too, for a few days - so we will see.  I do not think we will ever order an HP computer ever again - going back to strictly buying whatever Costco has because you can't beat their customer service and their guarantee.  HP has been great about all the issues - but there are a zillion issues and it's been a long, drawn out process to fix it.  We've paid for two computers and await the return and credit of one....hoping that all goes well.  

I worked a bit yesterday and will work quite a bit tomorrow - but managed three full days off and then took today off, too!  Sleeping in until 9 makes the day 'short' and while I should have worked today, it will all work out.  

B. and I treated ourselves to Sonic for lunch - I am already totally over the leftovers.  We froze a bunch of stuffing 'cuz I forgot we weren't stuffing the bird and made enough for an army!  Thinking of making turkey enchiladas for dinner tomorrow just for something different.  

The big news in town is Amazon is opening up a warehouse in town this spring!  1,000 jobs and over a million in tax revenue for our city.  It's BIG news here in a place where most people commute 45 minutes or more to their jobs.  We are hoping H. will apply and be hired - his current job is great experience and his equipment skills will also be a plus.  And while his commute isn't bad - it's the first exit past the Altamont - it's still a commute and it would be wonderful for him to be a non-commuter.  Oh - he found out he is paid for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years days - his first paid holiday was yesterday and he loved it!  They don't get a lot of holidays or any paid sick time - but at least they get paid for a few days they don't have to work!  

It was a nice Thanksgiving and I did a good job of not getting overly emotional about it being B.'s  last at home for awhile.  Maybe we will go to Georgia for next year - who knows?

Vacation!

Last year, my work contract was changed - a variety of reasons, really.  One of the major changes was the addition of accrued vacation.  Based on my tenure, I receive 15 paid days of time off each year.  Sounds great in theory (and is really great in many ways) but as y'all know who read here regularly I work a lot - so it's going to be interesting to find 15 days I can take off each year.  But I plan to.  I still get the two weeks at Christmas - but now if I want to be off the M-T of Thanksgiving week and/or Spring Break week, I use vacation for that time.  Plan to.  And will still have a week left for summer fun - if there's time to be off in the summer.  This summer will be easy 'cuz on June 29th, we are boarding a plane for Cancun and spending 11 days and nights on the beach! 

So today was my first official paid vacation day (it's taken me 11 months to use a vacation day) - and I spent it treating myself to lunch at Red Robin followed by the final installment of the Twilight series movies.  It was a fantastic movie and I loved every second of it - time flew by.  Loved it and can't wait to see it again.  As I left the house this morning, J. said 'take Kleenex' and I thought 'now why would he say that?'...possibly because he knows me very well.  I didn't actually cry but I did get a lump in my throat as the closing credits were rolling.  Guess that comes from loving a series of books so much - and just like the last page of the last book, it's sad to see it end.  Though personally, I think there's plenty of room for more books and more movies - still much of the story to be told.  Hoping...

Tomorrow, we are heading to San Leandro for lunch with J.'s brother.  Then home and hoping for not too much traffic.  Have some pre-turkey day prep to do - baking pies; making cranberry sauce; chopping stuff for the stuffing.

The first Christmas present arrived from Amazon - and it's for me and J.!  Shopping for us is the easiest part this year - we seem to know what we want/need.  The boys are another story.

H. wants a California King bed.  Turns out the full size bed he has is causing him issues - and I should have considered it more carefully when we bought their beds a few years ago.  He's 6'2" tall and his mattress is exactly the same length - 74 inches.  Add a pillow and it's no wonder the kid has never slept with a top sheet on the bed - he can't do that 'cuz he is too long.  He has to sleep curled up or in a variety of uncomfortable positions - and all he wants for Christmas is a remedy to that.  Mattresses are not cheap.  The Cal King isn't feasible 'cuz his room isn't big enough - but a Queen might work.  We are going to watch for sales at Costco and see what we can do.

We are strategizing on something to get for B. - something 'meaningful' as he moves out and onto the next phase of his life.  Not sure what it will be - but we'll think of something.

While J. was walking this morning, I answered a call that I thought was a sales call.  Turned out it was an HR rep from J.'s former employer letting him know that there was an opening for a job through their program for positions open for displaced employees.  Around the right salary range and a 5 month assignment.  The urge is to snap at the chance for the job - 5 months of salary and moving out his severance by five more months.  But it's not something he's ever done - and while you think 'it's a five month assignment, a chance to learn something new and if I totally suck at it, who cares 'cuz I don't work there anymore!', both J. and I are wired the same when it comes to work.  He doesn't want to apply for something that he has no experience in (producing training videos in this case) even if it would be $ and extending severance.  He wants to be 'good' at whatever it is - and while I'm sure he would be good at this - it's essentially a project management job - I can see how it's a little out of his comfort zone.  So I don't think he's going to apply - and that's OK.

The cleaning ladies were here today and the house is tidy.  I have a list of things I am going to clean - baseboards, window sills, etc. - things the cleaning ladies do once in awhile but could use some more attention.

I am treating myself to today, tomorrow and Thursday being totally 'off' - no work.  Did check emails once in awhile today but no laptop; no bag of stuff to read or do.  Just vegging.  I need it -

Damn Raiders (and Networks)

B. and the group of Army recruits he meets with twice a week attended today's Oakland Raiders game.  During the half time 'ceremony', they were re-sworn in.  We stayed glued to the tube (including watching half of the damn game - we don't care about the Raiders one bit) - and guess what?  They didn't show it!  Not even a tiny little part of it.  Filled the time with replays of other games.

Darn it!

I'm sure B. had a great time and at least he'll know we tried.

Tonight we are making potato leek soup with bacon - and some of us will add clams and/or scallops for a sea food chowder kind of soup.  We are putting the soup in bread bowls 'cuz we hope the break will entice the boys to at least try it.  We have leeks from our produce box and it's a soup kind of night - feeling more winter-y every day.  It's been a little stormy and rainy the past few days - lots of wind.

Work tomorrow and then on Tuesday, I am heading to the movies while the cleaning crew is here.  Can hardly wait for the final movie of the Twlight story!  I may even go right back out, buy another ticket and see it twice!!

Wednesday we are heading to San Leandro for dinner with J.'s brother - should be good and fun.  Hoping the traffic won't be too bad...though I am sure it will be.  There's a new huge outlet mall off the freeway in Livermore and from what we've heard, it is wreaking havoc on traffic in both directions pretty much all the time....and with people traveling to places far and wide for Thanksgiving, it will be a freeway zoo.

I've got a couple items shipping for Christmas for me and J. - we are easy!  The boys want cash...so it sounds like another scavenger hunt will ensue.

J. and I made it to WinCo to do the big shop for this week's festivities.  We ate hot dogs at a fairly new place near the mall - and both of us asked for relish on our dog.  Only it wasn't sweet pickle relish - it was the fluorescent green relish from Chicago that is dill pickle relish.  It was ok - but not the same - and as we were leaving, J. inquired if they have sweet relish.  They don't but you can 'bring your own packets' if you want.  Uh...right.  Cross that hot dog place off our list - we miss Caspar's!

Hostess

It was Friday...and it had been another very long week.  My will power was low.

I panicked at the news Hostess was closing and when J. went to get lotto, I asked him to pick up a few items.

I already ate a pack of Twinkies and Ding Dongs.  Meaning: there would be five items in the picture but two are already consumed.  I know.  I told you - I panicked!

These are hidden in a bag on my desk.  B. discovered the stash and asked if he could have some and was directed to 'check with Mom'.

He hasn't -

He knows the answer.