Happy...your DH sounds so sweet. I needed that inspiring man story as I am bah humbug on men these days. I know I don't need that hassle right now, but it would be nice to have someone around now and then. I think. H*ll I don't even know what I want anymore.

MEL...you just kill me laughter. Everyone goes on strike, gets sick, doesn't go to work, they hit the default button, that is MELLIE. You must be the MELLIE EASY BUTTON...That was easy. Easy like a Sunday morning. NOT! Farm the kids out to other places and you will get some quiet MEL time. Encourage them to go visit all the relatives! Take yourself a hot Bubbly, (insert favorite adult beverage here), and relax.

Chelle, Chelle, Chelle...you are one wonderful, upbeat woman. Even when you are down, you are more up than I am. DS won't deploy until June or maybe July as he goes to basic sometime after the first of the year then he will be in military police training/school for 6 mos. So the way I look at it, anything can happen in 6 mos with the U.S. Hopefully it will all be good. DS said his recruiter told him no matter what the news says about how many troops are coming home, we are getting ready to deploy around 70,000 troops between now and June.

Should I pay bills or spend the 100 bucks on myself? I feel so guilty about so many things right now. My life feels like it has gone to sh*t. Somebody smack me and remind me how blessed I am about anything. Would ya?

I suck,

Laura....that movie looks good, do give us your review after seeing it. Take the cookies to work, don't eat them.

Sheesh! I was only away for a couple hours and I'm behind on the posts! Story of my life this time of year, I guess!

Mel - You are definitely NOT a Scrooge! Just the opposite! Since you asked, our team building exercise was to build and decorate a reindeer...now keep in mind we mostly focused on supplies to build/decorate a Christmas tree - so we had garland, lights, etc. One of my team members was wearing brown pants, so we convinced him that rather than construct a reindeer, he should just be the reindeer. We used gold garland as a harness, gloves as antlers, beads as a bridal, a red pincushion as a nose, lights wound around his front legs (arms), raffia as hay, hershey's kisses as reindeer poo, you get the idea. Anyway, we won first prize! It was a lot of fun, and the team member who was the reindeer was SUCH a good sport about being decorated! And we had a great potluck lunch as well! Our penguin cube row theme took 3rd place out of 6 teams...the 1st and 2nd place team were very good too. Glad to hear you're having the seniors come to you rather than you having to hang out in the office. I hope the Xmas card problems weren't too serious.

Happy - I'm sure you know this, but the best things to alleviate swelling are R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). Continue to take it easy, okay sista? I'm glad you're postponing the flooring guys. That is too much to deal with during the holidays and getting ready for your vacay. DH is over his cold. Yay! And since my company depends on the Christmas spirit for a surge in sales, we often get extra discounts throughout the month of December to encourage us to spend, spend, spend our paychecks! Between the sale prices and our discounts, we can get GREAT deals!

Laura - Glad you had a nice long weekend and that your street party was fun! Good for you for sending the desserts to bf's mom and her sister!. I hope you enjoy Everybody's Fine. I'd really like to see that movie. I enjoy DeNiro is just about all his roles, but especially the heartwarming/funny ones like Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. And I also enjoy Drew Barrymore.

Annie - Thanks for the nice compliment. I try and be positive and upbeat...lately I've just been tired. Do you know where DS's basic or MP training school is? I hope he will have some time to spend at home before summer. Enjoy every bit of your time together. As for the $100 bucks...if I had an extra (or surprise) $100...I would purchase something that I've wanted for awhile...but something at least slightly practical too. You've had a rough several months, but you are still blessed. You're in good health, you've got loving children...a job where people really appreciate you...and a job where you can earn a bit extra. Many people nowadays don't even have one job, let alone two. I know you'd like someone to share some moments in your life with...that'll happen. For now, enjoy your kids, and spend time with your mom even if she is being totally crabby and a pain in the arse. Okay...that's your free advice for the day! Remember free advice is worth what you paid for it....nuthin'!!

I've got to get some more work done in my last hour of the day. Tonight, I'm going to wrap and box up the gifts I have, and get the Christmas cards done. Tomorrow I'm starting work at 6 or 6:30 (like usual), but since I'm taking a 1/2 day off, I'm leaving at 10:30! Plenty of time to get gifts purchased, wrapped and shipped.

Love to all,

Thanks Chelle

Hi ho, hi ho, it's almost time to go... home that is and I'm off the next 5 days, I've already planned a vacation day for January and decided that it's high time I took care of me. I'll be taking metal health day once a month in 2010. The meeting for Wednesday has been moved up to Thursday so that means I have two meetings this day. One I will drive an hour to attend but that's okay. Going to do some shopping, and check on my uncle. Not sure if he'll have a brief stay in the hospital but I'm assuming yes. His back surgery is taking 5 or more hours. They are reparing 5 disc's.
Exercise has been completed. 20 minutes lower body and 10 minutes upper body. I was hoping that this thing would fit into my locker but it will not. :sigh:

Michelle
Your office must look very festive. I thought I was bringing a Christmas cd of Andy Williams but when I opened it the case the cd wasn't there. It's probably in the cd player at home. Think I'll dig out my small fiber optic tree.

Annie
I say spend that 100 dollars on youself. You deserve it plus you have been working two jobs.

Mel
You are diffinately not a scrooge. I've told every one in my family that I'm not participating in gift giving this year. You know, there comes a time that family means more tha gifts. My excuse was the new ADT system that I had installed. I sleep alot better at night knowing I have someone on guard so to speak.

Happy
I know the feeling of getting those stitches out of your foot. I couldn't wear a normal shoe for about a month after they came out cause my foot was still very tender and would swell. Try to keep it elevated as much as possible.

Laura
Good for you in giving your mom and her company some of the food. I'm with Michelle take the cookies to work with you. They will disappear. And good for you in getting the weight back down to 182.

Shad
Is this job easier than some of the previous jobs? Did I read/hear that an ice burg was heading towards Australia? Maybe I dreamed that!!

Afternoon all,

Thought I might log in from work, since I can now do so. However somethings are long and involved, so it may not post. I will have to ensure I copy this before I post. My computer here is not what one would call speedy. It is out of memory more times than my mother was in her last year. I am dealing with another atrocious accent trying to get some improvement. So far it has been a series of what - wot - huh?

Ceejay - No you did not dream the iceberg. It is slowly drifting north from Antartica. NZ has had quite a few float right on by recently. It's all part of global warming. But every cloud has a silver lining. One enterpreneur in NZ sold tickets to 'A Dinner on Ice' - very expensive they were too, but you got helicoptered out to the iceberg floating off the South Island and treated to a 5 course dinner and wine and helicoptered back. He made heaps on the trip.
So far this job has been fairly easy, but for the next couple of weeks I have to mentor a man who has limited computer experience, limited warehousing experience and limited knowledge of physical inventory and how it works with a computer system. Poor guy has a learning curve that is straight up and a mile high. Still we do our best. Plod on till something clicks.

Michelle - all that decorating sounds like fun. Not a lot of that sort of thing here. People are just frantically busy trying to wind up year end and prepare for SAP and just get on with their daily lives.

Happy - glad to hear the foot is coming right and the stitches are out. Now to prepare for the big trip. I hope DH can get the floor put back because the guys probably are running late anyway.

Annie - they tell me life's a ***** and then you die! Well it might be a ***** but don't die. There are other things to hang about for. You are not having a good time right now, but that will change. What goes around comes around.
If I was you, I might be putting that $100 away for things that are bound to happen. If they don't within a certain amount of time, then spend it on yourself. I have this theory about these things - I don't have insurance, because that means someone else is hanging on to my money and I might not have the use for which it was intended and then they get to keep it! So I put things away for the rainy day. And when that day doesn't eventuate I spend up large on all the money I would have given the insurance. My medical benefits fund has taken me around the world once and to England and back once, plus trips to Japan, US & Canada, Singapore, Fiji and NZ - I think there are real benefits in that.

Mel - I remember the frenzy I went into when I was renting in Perth and Townsville and the rent inspection was due. Strangely enough, I was a model tenant until the final inspection came about and I was about to leave. Then I became the worst housekeeper of the year. Rental agencies have a lot to answer for.
The kids might be fun for Jen and Rich although it may be too cold to take them many places. Do not spend your refunds on them!!! They will have enough, although they may not have any warm clothes. Now we know why the old guy wanted them to come down - so he didn't have to have anything to do with them!

Laura - glad to here the dessert course went off okay and there was plenty to go round. Shame you had to keep it all. Chuck the cookies if you are not happy with them.
As for weight, I'm a bit worried myself. Yes I am exercising, but there is a canteen just down the hall and they have some really nice stuff - WHICH I DON'T NEED! but eat anyway. I am going to have to dig up the willpower to stop going in there.

Yesterday I went for a swim rather than a run. It was fine and I can feel different muscles spasming today. It's too hot to run today although that is an excuse I shouldn't be making because the mornings have been cool and foggy. Shad shoulda been out on the trail, but opted to stay in bed with a book.

So there we go - I'm on line and can check up on you during the day but won't have too much time really in the next couple of weeks, but I am here and checking the emails every so often.

Take care

Happy Hump Day -

I'm so glad to be taking 1/2 day off today so I can get chit done. Got nearly everything wrapped and in the mailing box last night...just need to purchase and wrap a couple more gifts that I somehow forgot about. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not even a train!

Ceejay - Enjoy your 5 days off!! Great idea to take a mental health day once a month. I hope your uncle's surgery goes well...sending him prayers, : and The ADT and the peace of mind it brings was the best Christmas gift you could give to yourself.

Shad - Too funny comparing your 'puter's memory to your mom's! I had no idea there were icebergs floating past NZ. Can you see them from land? Sounds like you have a challenge on your hand the next couple weeks...good luck!

I should probably get to work....lots to do in just 4 hours!

Love and hugs,

HAPPY~ I AM GLAD TO HEAR YOU GOT INTO THE SHOWER AND ALSO THAT THE FLOOR IS POSTPONED. HOPE THE HOLIDAYS GO EASIER NOW FOR YOU. SENDING HEALING THOUGHTS SO YOU CAN GET A REAL SHOE ON SOON

LAURA~ GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE WEIGHT AND DESSERTS LEAVING WITH THE BF'S MOM. IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE STREET PARTY LIKE THAT. SO FEW TOWNS DO THINGS LIKE THIS ANYMORE. NOW YOU TUNAS CAN SIT AROUND AND WATCH THE DECORATIONS!! YOU ARE TOO FUNNY!!

ANNIE~ IN THIS LIFETIME, I NEVER FOUND MR RIGHT...SO NEXT LIFETIME I AM COMING BACK AS A GAY WOMAN AND SEE IF THEY HAVE IT ANY BETTER....EITHER THAT OR A PROSTITUTE...CAUSE THEN I AM GONNA GET PAID WHEN I GET "SCREWED" WHATCHA THINK? GOOD IDEA??? DEFAULT MELLIE...I AM CRACKING UP OVER HERE YOU ARE BLESSED...JUST LOOK AROUND YOU AT WORK AND YOU WILL SEE THE WAYS.

MICHELLE~ CONGRATS ON THE REINDEER!! WHAT FUN THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. NOW THAT'S WHAT HOLIDAYS ARE ALL ABOUT. AND HOW CREATIVE!! I AM CRACKING UP ABOUT THE KISSES POO!!! :kiss: I EAT THEM EVERY DAY...NOW THAT'S GONNA CRACK ME UP TOO! WE LOVE PENGUINS HERE TOO. JEN'S ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. CONGRATS ON THAT TOO. ENJOY YOUR 1/2 DAY OFF TOO!

CEEJAY~ I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER FOR YOU WITH THE 5 DAYS OFF AND A MENTAL HEALTH DAY EVERY MONTH NEXT YEAR!! GOOD FOR YOU!! HAVE FUN SHOPPING AND HOPE THE MEETINGS ARE SHORT!! SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS TO THE UNCLE TOO. 5 HRS IS A LONG TIME. HOPE ALL WILL BE WELL FOR HIM. AS FOR ADT...I AM SO VERY GLAD YOU SLEEP BETTER. I FELT THE SAME WAY WHEN I CAM HERE. I LOVE ALARMS!!

SHAD~ DINNER ON AN ICEBERG...NOW I HAVE HEARD IT ALL. VERY INNOVATIVE IDEA AND A GREAT WAY TO MAKE MONEY!! HOPE THE BLOKE WITH THE SKY HIGH LEARNING CURVE IS A FAST LEARNER. HAD A LAUGH AT THE ACCENT...WOT? LATELY WHEN SAL TALKS IT'S LIKE HE'S SPEAKING ITALIAN THE ACCENT IS SO THICK THEN HE SAYS..."MALADY...YOU DON'T HEAR ME?" IS MELBOURNE WHERE THE TRAIL BY THE WATER WAS THAT YOU JOGGED ON? THE ONE WITH THE PURPLE FLOWERS HANGING...WERE THEY Bougainvillea? MAYBE I AM GETTING MIXED UP. ALSO...HAVE NO FEAR. JEN AND I ARE KEEPING $$ FOR OURSELVES AND EMERGENCIES. JEN IS NOT AS "EASY" AS I AM

THE COLD IS RETURNING WITH A VENGENCE. I KNEW THE DAYS OF 50'S WERE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. TAKING THE DAY OFF. I DID ENOUGH MON AND TUES. YESTERDAY HAD A FUNNY ENDING...ALLMEN WERE AT THE DOOR OR PASSING IT WHILE I WAS TALKING TO ONE. ONE WOMAN'S SON WANTED TO BORROW MONEY, ONE KNEELING DOWN KISSING MY HAND, MY NEW NEIGHBOR ACTING LIKE MY SECURITY GUARD, A MAINT MAN GETTING PISSED AT ALL THE "TRAFFIC" AND ANOTHER SAYING A SARCASTIC GOODBYE AS HE LEFT FOR THE HOSPITAL WITH SUITCASE IN HAND. WTF? I CLOSED THE DOOR AND SAID WTF AGAIN. "rofl: I WAS NEVER SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM ALL LEAVE. VERY STRANGE ENDING TO THE DAY.
I THINK THE HOLIDAY STREASS IS BRINGING OUT THE REALL NUTTINESS OF PEOPLE THIS YEAR.
YOUR POSTS MADE ME LAUGH...I HAVE ENCOURAGED THE KIDS TO MAKE SURE THEY VISIT ALL THE RELATIVES AND TO SLEEP OVERNIGHT IF ASKED I AM SO BAD
GOING TO RELAX WITH SOME BREAKFAST NOW AND PRAY THE NUTTERS READ MY SIGN ON THE DOOR AND WALK AWAY!!

For anyone who is interested....this is a photo of the reindeer we "built"/decorated at a Christmas luncheon yesterday. The teams were chosen by random...and I actually didn't know any of these people before we worked together on this fun project.

OK, Happy HUMP Day??? Got the trash out this morning in 12 degree weather, good golly miss molly it was so cold out there. Hella Bella didn't even want to go out, then yapped her arse off wanting back in. Demanding little dog.

Mellie....I know I am blessed, however the level of blessing could rise. The ending of your day actually sounds like a new sitcom or something. How funny. Yeah, not only are people nuttier they are even more short tempered, mean and rude. I thought about the gay thing myself here lately, but I like d*ck too much for that. lol

Shad...your philosophy on the grand ole dollar sounds actually right. I think I may just put it up in hopes of not having to use it. I never feel comfortable spending money on myself anyway, then when I do I feel guilty. Might as well avoid that stress. Sounds like your new job has you jumping hurdles just trying to understand the situation. Goodluck sista. The swim sounds grand, I am not much on running as my ga-floppins, flop too much.

Chelle....enjoy your 1/2 day off, even if you have to fight crowds, wrap and ship. Beats the h*ll out of working. Walking is the best kind of exercise too!

Ceejay...good for you on taking vacation days. We all deserve them but hardly ever take them. Hoope the uncles surgery goes well. Speedy recover too!

Other than working, not much going on here. Christmas pitch in, secret santa reveal, and taking gifts to our adopted family all happens on Friday. Should be a busy day as our monthly staff meeting is also that day.

Everyone have a good day.

Love and hugs

Annie - Quit cha' whining, sista!! It was 3 above when I left for work...with a windchill of 15 BELOW!! And my dear friend, your level of blessing will rise with the new year. I just know it.

Mel - I can totally understand your love of alarms...except when they go off all night and all weekend, right? Thanks for sending me your address...wow, you do live right near the river! I've got relatives in Dumont (northwest of you) and Old Bridge (south of you). The cold is already here and heading your way so STAY WARM. Too funny about all the men at your door last night. Hopefully you get some peace today.

It's cold today with the high if it makes up to 42 degree's. I may get out after lunch and run somoe errands.

Michelle
Didn't realize that your object's were human. That had to be fun. I don't think I could live that far North. Our coldest temperatures are in January and I'm never ready for them. Stay warm.

Morre later.




Annie

Ceejay – I agree that time with family means more than gifts. Our family mostly exchanges gift cards, and that's just ludicrous and meaningless when you think about it. I enjoyed giving real gifts, even when we all exchanged lists and we just bought something from the list. I sort of miss wrapping gifts, LOL. I did wrap a few the other night and doggy had to come in and step on my work (I was on the floor). Surgery on 5 discs sounds major – hope the surgery goes well for your uncle. Enjoy your 5 days off!!! 42 degrees sounds really good to me right now!

Shad – So will you be mentoring 1-on-1 with this guy lacking all the experience in several areas? Sounds like a major challenge, but I'm sure you're up to it! Not sure I'd like "Dinner on Ice" – what if the ice broke apart during dinner?!

Re the health insurance - at our benefit open enrollment meetings this year, the tactic was to try and get employees to enroll in the high deductible plan with a health savings account. Presentations selling the lower premiums for both employer and employee, and pointing out that a lot of us are likely overinsured in the regular PPO plan, and that the out of pocket and cash flow aren't that different between the plans – the caveat being that this applies for generally healthy folks with not much expense to begin with. I chickened out and stuck with my PPO plan. This is the 2nd year of having bf on my plan (no plan from his work) and he's still catching up from years of no insurance or doctor visits, so I thought it might be better to stick w/ the co-pays, etc. But I do believe the high deductible plan might be good for us – maybe next year, LOL. That first year of funding the health savings account would be the most challenging, but I guess you just have to look at it as putting away the money you'd be paying in higher premiums w/ the other plan. So Shad, you have your informal HSA of sorts, but yours can be used for more than just medical expenses!

Happy – I was really surprised about you having the floor going down during this time of year, with you still dealing w/ your foot surgery and getting ready to leave town! Glad that'll be postponed – one less thing for you to worry about. I hope you're close to set for your trip up here – meaning, pack warm clothes, LOL. And I’m glad you can wear regular shoes next week – you need to have your feet in proper shoes up here in the cold!

Michelle – Oh, those work activities sound fun. Congrats on the 1st prize win! Enjoy your half day off. Running around shopping and shipping gifts is still more fun than work. Well, my work anyway, cuz I don't get to decorate and create reindeer, LOL!!

Annie – Maybe spend half of that $100 on something fun for yourself and the other half on something necessary. Or just avoid the guilt and put it away. I can totally understand you looking back on this year and seeing more than your fair share of bad. The early part of my own year was rather sucky (my brother died, and I was dealing w/ an employee from ****). But there's still blessings to count, and I hope 2010 brings you even more blessings!!

Mel – As usual, never a dull moment in your building. And you'd be bored silly if things got too quiet for more than a couple days. Admit it!! Hope you get just enough and not too much time with Richie's kids!! Bf and I are enjoying our decorations. I'm looking forward to a nice evening sometime soon to just sit with a book and enjoy the glow of the Christmas tree and maybe watch doggy warming himself by the fireplace. He gets warm on one side and turns to the other side, sort of like a rotisserie, LOL.

Well, I saw the movie "Everybody's Fine" last night w/ Robert DeNiro. He did a good job, and it was a good movie. I would NOT consider it "heartwarming" though, like Blind Side was. I actually thought it was rather sad. I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that it's about families keeping secrets. Which struck a chord because my mother avoids telling people bad news… Anyway, good movie, worth a rental. Or going to the theater if you're a big fan of DeNiro.

Well, I spent a bit of yesterday and most of the morning today writing my performance review. Ugh. Yup, we have to do a self-evaluation, and then the boss adds her assessment. Not sure why I put much time into it - our company isn't paying bonuses or awarding merit increases this year because business is down. But I need to keep my job, so I do need to play up my accomplishments, such as they are.

I only have a 3-day week, but it's sort of dragging…but at least that self-evaluation is done and I can move on to more fun stuff now. Nothing planned tonight, but I should get some Christmas cards sent. Tomorrow after work we'll go gawk at the Christmas decorations in one of the suburbs that has really nice ones.

Cheers!

Laura
Don't think I'd like doing a self evaluation. Glad you enjoyed the movie.

Happy Thursday ladies -

Today is another WW weigh in...and I'm not looking forward to it. I haven't done well in my portion control, and my exercise has mostly consisted of the Wii Fit and a little snow shoveling here and there. At least now that all the Christmas gifts are bought, and the ones that needed to be shipped to California are all wrapped and sent, and I got the Christmas cards out, now I can focus on other things...regular exercise, relaxing and enjoying the holidays, and maybe even a little portion control. I may go to the doctor today because my pink eye seems to be getting worse not better. Well, at least it's better to have pink eye during the holidays than pneumonia like last year!

Ceejay - For our reindeer build/decorate...you could build from scratch or use humans as the base. One other team decorated a person. Enjoy your time off! I hope your uncle's surgery goes well. 42 degrees would be positively balmy compared to the single digits and low teens we've been having lately. It's going to "warm up" to 30 degrees this weekend...might have to dig out the shorts (just kidding!).

Laura - I buy gift cards for some family members who are just absolutely impossible to buy for because they don't like anything. Other family members are easier to buy for so they get actual wrapped presents. So nice that you can put your bf on your insurance plan. A lot of companies require couples to be married before they are eligible to get insurance. So sorry to hear about your brother's passing early in the year. Got a great laugh about the doggie rotisserie! Thanks for the review of Everybody's Fine. My family tends to avoid sharing bad news too. I hate writing my own performance review. My company does that too. It's so difficult. And then the boss adds his assessment also. TSo are you going to Lincolnwood tomorrow night? We were going to go when we were in Chicago, but it got late. We have a few suburbs that really do up the lights/decorations...so we may go check those out tomorrow or Saturday night.

Well, I'm off to get more coffee. Got to wake up!

Love to all,