More Time in the Day

I really like to sleep.  A lot.  Like, really kind of a lot.  It's one of my favorite things and naps on the weekends are one of my ultimate guilty pleasures.  So, I can't give it up so that I can have more hours in the day.  Really, what I need is for the days to just be longer.  Not the daytime, mind you.  There are plenty of those hours and working for eight of them is more than enough.  No, just...how bout instead of 24 hour period, we have 36 hours?  That would suit just fine.

You see, if I had more hours, then I could still work for eight and sleep for ten and I'd still have a good 18 hours to split between reading/writing/yarning.  Because it stands, I have, like, five.  And isn't 18 way better than 5?


There's just so much more I want to do.  So much more that I want to have time for.  But instead, I have to choose what do to, cut time short on one thing if I want to go to another, or simply put it off until the next day (or later) in order to do one thing.  But if there were more hours between working and sleeping, I'd have so much more done!  It's the perfect solution!


I know, I know...it's just wishful thinking on my part.  A girl has got to dream though.

The 100th Post!

It seems fitting that I write my 100th post with celebratory news...That's right folks!  The tree is finally up, adorned, and sparkling!  And yes, it was a typical situation in which I did all the work while everyone watched.  OK, Sis helped with the lights and then opened boxes and handed me ornaments to put on the tree. 

Some other bits of random news:

Co-worker has a horrid flu and was in today before she left, went to the doctor, and found out it's a nasty version.  She's out until after Christmas.  We are all now paranoid that the flu will attack us all.  I'm crossing my fingers that it avoids me.

The BFF and I will be doing our Christmas prezzies plus our movie and wine on Saturday night.  I'm very excited for BFF time...and prezzies and wine.

I wrote a little story, basically because of a picture prompt over at Matty and Brad's blog.  Matt put it in the comments.  You can check it out here,  I also highly recommend following their blog.  It's fun and sweet and serious and a lot of wonderful things. 

I've got all my Christmas shopping done.  If there's anything else that I should have gotten, well, too damn bad.  I'm done and that's all she wrote.  

I'm very excited about Christmas this year, simply because everyone will be home, my aunt and uncle will be joining us, and there will be family time and a feast...and yes, OK, presents.  I like getting stuff, what can I say?  It doesn't make me bad, just makes me human.

I don't have to work on Christmas Eve, which is very nice.  It's the first time ever and I don't have to work because my boss told me I wasn't working that day.  I do have to work New Year's Eve, but only from 8 till noon.  At any rate, I appreciate the little bit of time they give us to show their appreciation.  It's little things like this that remind me yet again that I made the right choice back in March to take this job.

The muses have been fighting in my brain again.  I'm just waiting to see which one wins.  Right now, it's a draw.  They've retreated to plan their next attack.  I sometimes wonder why they can't combine forces.  There should be a way for me to yarn and write at the same time, right?

Happy Thursday!

☺

So, we all know my need for external validation.  And how I've been known to try and fish to get extra praise.  Yesterday, I'm very proud to say that I got a lot of thank yous and praise but I did not fish for more!  This may seem like not a big deal, but for me it is.  I made apple bread for the office party and gave my coworker the lapghan she ordered.  For both of these things, there was much love shot in my direction.  But I smiled and said thank you and I'm glad you like it and went about my business.  It's very nice to hear that my efforts are appreciated but I don't need more than that.  Knowing I've done a good job is enough.  Admittedly, I had to give myself a stern reminder before I got out of the car that whatever was said was enough.  Even if it was nothing, I didn't need the external validation.  I'm a work in progress, but I did well yesterday.

I also started a new throw with what's left of the homespun thick and quick.  It's so cushy.  I really love it a lot.  I don't know if I'm going to keep it or give it to someone else.  It's not really my color, it's a wine-y color called Claret, but I may keep it it because it's so fluffy and cuddly.  Or I may purchase some more in a more me-like color.  There are at least four different colors that I like.  And if I purchase more I can make it as big as I want.  Hmm...

In other news, the living room is still sans Christmas tree.  If I hadn't been so tired last night, I would have gotten it up no matter what.  But I needed sleep more.  So maybe tonight?  I'm not going to make any solid plans just so they can fall through, but I'll see if I can't get it done.  It's starting to stress me out, not having it up.  And I'm not enjoying that feeling.  Besides, it will really start to feel like the season once there are pretty lights and garland.  

I also baked another loaf of apple bread last night because the first words out of everyone's mouths when they saw me was that they didn't get any.  I made two loaves for the office party and brought them both in.  I didn't make any for home.  Apparently, that was a very bad thing.  I had one extra large apple left and that was enough for one loaf, so I halved the recipe and popped it in the oven.  The family was very happy with that.  Though mostly they just wanted to devour the bread.

No Plans

I like making plans.  I like it a lot.  I always feel more secure when I have a game plan in place, a list of things I'm going to do.  Some sort of general idea about what's what and when and who.  But once again, my plans were foiled by others.  So, I'm not going to make plans anymore.  I'm not going to worry about when we get the tree up anymore.  They don't care then I don't care. 

OK, yeah.  That's totally not true.  But I'm not going to make plans about it.  I'm going to have a frank conversation with my family.  They aren't usually this lazy about getting the tree up and decorated so I'm not entirely sure what's going on.  But I'm tired of waiting.  Christmas is in a week (gasp!) and I want the tree up.

OK, OK.  Enough complaining from me.  I did get the lapghan done last night while the bread was baking. The yarn is super thick and soft and awesome and I'm glad I inadvertently bought too much because now I can make something else with it as well.  It's really fabulous.  I can absolutely see myself using it frequently in the future.  I'm putting it on my love it list!

Foiled!

The great tree plan of this weekend was foiled by well meaning members of the family who really want to help.  What that resulted in was the tree not getting up and decorated.  At all.  I'm trying not to be upset about it.  I'm trying very very hard to just roll with it and say, "OK fine, then let's make a plan to get it up and decorated." But the truth is...

The truth is, I am upset about it.

And the reason is simple.  This has happened in the past.  A lot.  For years now, I make the big plan and then it's "no, I want to help and I can't do it that day," or "let's not do it tonight, let's do it later." And then?  Then, I end up doing it myself.  Because, when it comes to the day, and even though everyone is there, I still end up having to do it all myself while they sit and watch me.

Except...

Well, I guess that's sort of tradition now too.  So I guess that I shouldn't be upset about it at all.  It's how it always goes and that appeals to the part of me that likes things the same year to year.  And at least, if I do it, then I know the ornaments get put where I like them to be.  And the lights will go on just how I like.  So, I guess it's a good thing after all, huh?

Izzy's party tonight, which will be fun.  And then home to bake some apple bread because our office party is tomorrow and we're going to have food all day.  And maybe while the bread is in the oven, I can convince the family to watch me put up the tree.

O' Tannenbaum

The first thing you have to know about our tree is that it's fake.  And before you get all up in arms about it, we can't have real as several members of my family, including me, are highly allergic.  So, if we want to be able to breathe, then fake it must be.

The second thing is that it's old.  Really old.  Older than me.  It belonged to my grandparents.  It's the kind where the branches are individual and you have to fit each one into a hole on the center post.  

The third this is...well, there's no easy way to say it.  It's ugly.  I think it's attempting to be a Douglas Fir of some sort but it doesn't really succeed.  It's pretty hideous.  It's sad and pathetic and every year when I get it out of the box and get it all put together I think "50 bucks and we could have a normal looking tree."

But...

The thing is, it's our tree.  Our tradition.  And once I get it all put together and get the lights on (white only of course) and get it all decorated, it's actually quite lovely.  Boarders on beautiful even.  And I love it.  And I think "this is why I didn't waste 50 bucks on a new tree." 

Of course, it always is a big to do.  Everyone wants to help and then, well, I end up doing it all myself anyway because they don't actually want to help, they just think they do.  So I put it together, and Sis helps with the lights, and then I end up putting on all the ornaments (which actually appeals to the bit of OCD I have so that I can put them right where I want) and then I have to rub my arms down with lotion because the tree branches scratch the crap out of them and because of the dermatographism it welts up in crazy patterns.  But in the end, it's worth it.

So, that's on the agenda today, finally.  Get the tree up and decorated.  Take something ugly and turn it into something beautiful. 

Of course, there is a pall of sadness over this day.  And many days to come.  In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, CT, all I can do is hold my loved ones close, take comfort in the familiar traditions, and send thoughts and prayers eastward.

The "No" word

Yeah.  I did it again.  Someone asked if I could make something and without hesitating, without thought, I said, "Of course I can!" I swear, I always tell myself I'm not going to do it but...I don't know if it's my need for praise, or my need to help, or just an excuse to make something new.  At any rate, there's no pressure which is nice.  And I'm making a lapghan in Lion Brand's new Homespun Thick and Quick.  You can check it out here Homespun Thick and Quick. 

It's really super chunky and it will hardly take anytime to work up.  That I'm incredibly excited about.  And it's something I've never worked with before.  Well, I have made many a thing in homespun (it's one of my favorite yarns) but this new version is even thicker and cushier.  Big hook, I'm thinking an N or a P, and I'll be done in no time.  My brain immediately went into auto pilot, the yarn muse into overdrive, and I think I've thought of a pattern that will work quickly without being too heavy or too light.  I have to see how the yarn behaves first, but I'm thinking it can't be too different from Homespun original, right?

So, even though I couldn't say the no word, I at least get to play with a new yarn.  And when she says thank you, I will simply say you're welcome.  Because I don't need the extra validation.  I want it.  But I don't actually need it.  Right?