Today's Work Peeves

So recently we had another person leave our team leaving us with four people short and no go on permission from the direct to interview yet. State red tape is on tight right now with our governor and since other agencies are consolidating also, they want to preserve what positions there are in order to transfer people so they won't let us hire anyone until they decide what they are doing for sure. Meanwhile the work still needs to be done.

I have been cross trained in about every area of finance and can help out where needed and when I was asked yesterday to help with our medical billings I was more than accepting knowing that no one else could step in. So the lady that sits next to me, who's been working in government for 30 years and has no plans for retiring so she can continue to buy her medication that keeps her alive from all the smoking she does, grumbles and is going around telling people that they are "making" me do all this additional work. No, I volunteered and don't really mind. They did ask. And like I've told her, I'd rather have stuff to do to make the drive worthwhile, especially today's 2 hour drive from all the snow (another peeve). It's not like I am doing it all for nothing, I did tell management that I would probably need overtime during the temporary help.

When the first few people left I volunteered to take on some more duties permanently (because remember I was so bored stiff and didn't have enough to do?) and of course this same lady made negative comments so I told her that there are some people that take on challenges and are team players and then there are those that don't do anything above and beyond. Funny how she shut up. Besides, she wouldn't have offered. She's always saying how she doesn't have time to do what she has yet she has been visiting with people at the office ALL morning.

I get so sick of people who say they are swamped but yet you rarely see them working. Maybe I'm just a work horse, and maybe things will change when I get as old as she is, but until then, Shut Up! Don't say negative things to me because I am willing to help my team out and can handle it. Don't be sarcastic and tell me that I'm a butt kisser! And most of all, don't decide offer to help me with my workload all the while complaining about your own job.

Then there is our "end of year" work party. We can't call it a Christmas party or even a holiday party. I think that it's wrong that because one person doesn't celebrate holidays that we who do don't get to. So of course we can't do a gift exchange and make gift giving easier for those of us that want to give and have some spirit around here. So it's pretty boring in this office, but at least the lady that doesn't celebrate gets respect. I think it should be the majority that gets favored, don't you?

Thanksgiving Weekend

Our feast with mom was grand - what Thanksgiving dinner isn't? Next year I'm offering to have it at my house and plan to do just as much. I can't imagine having it at a restaraunt or somewhere other than family and I can't imagine not having tons of food otherwise, what's the point of giving thanks?

Our prime rib roast turned out great only it didn't get done at the same time as the turkey. I didn't get to eat as much as I had wanted to (probably from my dieting?) nor did I think about bringing dishes to take leftovers home so luckily since we bought our own turkey while they were on sale I can soon have more. Savannah didn't eat well at all. She would have done better had I brought her high chair and kept the olives out of reach plus I think she was antsy with all that was going on. My husband never eats a lot or finishes his plate for dinner in the first place so it was no surprise when he didn't all that he took. My boys ate two dinners, one with their other grandma and one with us. They're still complaining that they are full!

Friday we chose our tree, it's pretty close to perfect. I love the smell of pine in the house and the shadows it casts on our walls when the lights are on at night. I think I'm finally ready for Christmas now and can you believe I'm ready for a big snow storm to finish off my Christmas mood?

So as an afterthought of our lovely weekend, I'm finding I'm puzzled about a few food items in relation to Thanksgiving...

1. Why must the cranberries be in such a large can? Why isn't there a miniature can for those parties that only have one person who wants them? How much cranberries really get thrown away for this very reason?

2. Why don't gravy mixes actually make gravy? You'd have to buy 5 mixes in order to thicken it to the right consistency and if you did that it would taste icky! And what is the purpose of having gravy once it's been ruined it with stale corn starch?

3. Why does my husband insist that I make a certain type of pie and then not eat any of it? This year it was peach, the last two were blueberry. No more asking, from now on it will strictly be my favorites, pumpkin and cherry.

4. Did I miss something or does it seem that every year the one thing that does not get offered to people to take home as a leftover is the pumpkin pie?

5. Isn't the point of having a relish tray to keep you from dying of hunger while the kitchen smells of beautiful brown-skinned turkey? After all how can you eat off a relish tray when you have a plate full of food in front of you.

Hope you all had a good one. Back to work tomorrow. Ahh well.

Happy Turkey Week!

Can you believe it's 63 degrees outside over here? I love it! But hold up, it will be freezing before we know it.

We're having Thanksgiving with my mom and brother and sister this year. Of course I hope all the others can stop by to visit at least for a while. We don't really get together much anymore, or at least not this year we haven't. Charlie's going to try to make a prime rib roast from his memory of working as a chef in Reno. I hope it will work. Sometimes it's harder to cook when you are not in your own kitchen. I am so ready for turkey though! I can't wait!

Friday we will be making our annual trip to a local neighborhood where we get our Christmas tree. We have vaulted ceilings and this guy has tall trees and at a good price. Plus he's a nice old guy, reminds me of my dad in his overalls. I just found out that Charlie has the day off too, so I'm really excited now.

It's been hard to be thankful as of late, but I am. Really. I am thankful for the usual stuff - my job, my family, and my health, but I'm mostly thankful this year for my decision to try and lose weight and succeeding. I never made it a new year's resolution or anything, but it's always been on that list in my head. So I'm thankful I've lost a total of 29 lbs as of today. My goal is to maintain what I've lost so far during the holidays. So I've been thinking that I won't be using WW any longer to save money by not renewing. I think I can use a similar online program that is offered for free, so we'll see. I just need a good scale and some self discipline.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and holiday! I know I will! ;)

Bah Humbug!

Never, ever go to post office if you just need stamps! Nothing like waiting in line for 30 minutes with a toddler on your side who informs you that she needs to go potty right as you are about to get your turn. And then to top it off, you ask for holiday stamps and they don't have any until the postmaster comes back from vacation. And that they only care two types, but yet they have several to choose from online?!?! I knew I should have paid the extra $1 and bought them online.

Let's just say my day off went terrible! I slept in too late barely making it in time to get to the portrait studio for Savannah's photos. Then when I get there the lady informs me she's a trainee and that the person who was supposed to train her didn't show up. So I got my intro package for free for coming back in an hour after the manager came, but needless to say try keeping a toddler clean and happy while we wait is not fun! What's the point of making appointments if the people you make them with can't keep them?!

So the day's shot, I wanted to get the Christmas party invitations finished and ready to go in the mail, but I haven't even started on them, and I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast and still need to make my bed, start the chili, and get some laundry done. Maybe it would have been better had I gone to work! I'm not in a very good mood let's put it that way.

AAAARRRGGG!

Now that I have that out...

Christmas Poll

I was thinking of how next week is already Thanksgiving and as I started to get excited and hungrier than ever I decided to focus my thoughts on Christmas instead.

So what gets you in the Christmas spirit? I find that I've been wondering if mine will come this year but as I walk by people's offices and hear their Christmas music, it seems to be sparking some excitement after all. That and the fact that I'm off tomorrow and can finally start some shopping! Woo hoo! For me, it's music, memories, and movies that get me in the spirit.

I guess the reason for my doubt of having spirit this year is that I have been reflecting and taking inventory of all the disappointing things that has happened during the year. That and not knowing what next year will hold. My poor husband has not been able to really settle down since he moved here from Wyoming and it seems that the problem is not finding a job when his plant shuts down, but finding one that he can retire with and like. Yes, we found out a couple of weeks ago that they are consolidating and will be closing in January. At least it's after Christmas, right?

I'm a loser.

Am I just getting overly relaxed? Is it because the button up shirts that once could not be buttoned up are now fitting so well that I think I am God? No. I know I'm not finished losing weight and yet I've somehow lost my overzealous drive to work my weight loss program and exercise regime to get the best weekly results. Weird, but sometimes I wonder if I'm just scared to get to my goal and then not have any more fun watching the scale go down. It's like watching a series of The Biggest Loser y'all. I often wonder what I will feel like once I've finished off these 15+ pounds to go? Will I be let down? No more excitement? Just maintenance? No more awards or encouragement. What's wrong with me?

Soggy Saturday

Savannah's not feeling well today. She woke up with a nasty cough and is congested. I feel so bad she has only drank one cup of juice and had three bites of her breakfast. She is down for her second nap already and I hope she will not be worse tomorrow than she is today. But I do love how cuddly she is when she's sick. It's nice to have my baby back for a little while at least.

Sure doesn't feel like 54 degrees to me today. I look outside and it's gray and soggy. I just feel like staying in my PJ's all day and dragging my blankie around like Savannah does. So I am! When's the last time I did that? I'm allowed every so often, and for no reason at all.

Hope you all are having a sunnier Saturday than I am.

It's November already?

Michael broke his foot while playing kick ball in PE last week. It turned out to be only a fracture and nothing is displaced, so he needs to wear a walking cast for the next four weeks. It's in a place where the tendon pulls in the area of the fracture so the cast will stop him from using the muscle and keeping it to heal correctly. The other option is to put a screw in place. I think it will heal fine and I have no idea why he is excited about wearing the thing. He obviously thinks he needs sympathy and attention, probably from girls at school.

Savannah thoroughly enjoyed trick or treating! She would tell us, "Let's go to 'nother house, 'nother house!" And then she'd say "tricktreat" before the door would open and I'd have to remind her to say it again. As we left each house she'd say "thank you." It was so cute. If the neighbors allowed her to choose her own candy she would pick and pick and at one stop she wasn't finished and yelled out, "I want sucker I want sucker!"

We went to my mom's to visit, but forget about the pizza. Savannah requested soda and happy cake as soon as she saw them sitting on the counter. And before we left, Grandma gave us some cookie dough free from the pizza place and put it in Savannah's little pumpkin bucket so we wouldn't forget it when we left. In no time, Savannah had it open. That girl loves sweets! I feel so bad cause we live so far away that none of us kids are together with Mom on Halloween any more. It was fun to see my neices and nephews and their costumes and have doughnuts and cider. It seems there are always those same memories that we will always miss and dream to have again.

Good job for Jacob though. He originally wanted to go trick or treating with his buddy, I know what you are thinking, too old. I told him that too. But then when I asked him why he didn't go, he stated that his friend decided to bring along another kid. A kid that he referred to as a pot head. So Jake told me he didn't want to hang around him. Good choice.

Lunch with my sister last week was nice. We got to catch up on a lot of things and hopefully we'll start to get together more often. Oh, and the dessert was heaven! Thanks Tina!