that's what you think

too bad I know my stuff better than you know yours...

stay tuned!

snowfall warning...

But it's still just raining buckets. It is welcome to rain as much as it wants...on the weekend. I know that this time last year we had lots of snow and even a snow day, but I'd rather we didn't get that kind of weather again this year...partly because I'm just a little nervous about slipping on the ice.

This weekend some friends are coming over for my annual Get-Ready-For-Christmas gathering. It's usually the last Friday in November so that those of us sending cards overseas can maybe make the deadline. But really, it's an excuse to have some yummy treats and yummy drinks and hang out one last time before the December insanity hits...

So out came the goodies from Alex's parents last year - the early Christmas, but not Christmas Christmas presents...confused by that sentence? Yeah, me too.

Anyway, it's been a slow day and I can't write worth a darn...obviously!

That's all for now...sorry if I bored you!

You have GOT to be kidding me...

On the way to work this morning, I was thumbing through the paper as usual and happened upon one of those little, two sentence blurbs.

This one, a news item, announced that some of the locations of the super-big-box-discount-store-that-mostly-sells-crap-that-I avoid-unless-completely-impossible-not-to will be open 24 hours a day until Christmas.

Who goes shopping at 3:30 in the morning?! Why do we have to shop all day and all night long for Christmas?

Sigh...I'm going to go shake my head in disbelief now....

Ducati Love

On the way home tonight I was riding the bus, just like any other night.

And just like any other night I was looking out the window but not really seeing what I was looking at (I think this might a phenomenon called "zoning out").

And then the bus pulled up to a red light.

Slowly I came out of my stupor. And then I realized that sitting next to me was a Ducati. And just as quickly as it came on, the period of lucidness vanished. Until I realized there was a gloved hand caressing the Ducati name on the motorcycle. At which point I decided it was time to look straight ahead and not zone out in the general direction of the motorcycle dude.

The motorcycle dude's response? Continue to caress his Ducati while simultaneously gunning his engine...

Yeah, I get it, you love your Ducati and you think I was checking it (or possibly even you) out...but no, it was just the post work zone.

Multiple Person Disorder

No, that's not a typo.

For the second time in less than a week, we have had our home overrun by a variety of inspectors. Last week it was supposed to take half an hour. The inspector was coming at 10:00 and leaving by 10:30. HA! I ended up walking out the door to work, finally, at 2:15.

Monday someone came to check out the air because of an asbestos concern due to a little piece of duct tape in the basement. And yesterday someone else was here to check something - maybe the bathroom pipes? I don't know, we weren't home for those.

Today the electrician was supposed to come at 9:15 for 15 minutes. Ummm...right...The electrician turned out to be an electrician, a furnace technician, an appraiser, a plumber and someone else who we're not sure what he does. Plus the owner, the potential buyer and two real estate agents.

The parade continues.

Apparently today is the day - the subjects come off and the deal could be done. I sure hope it is, because I'm tired of all these people being in my house.

Wow...someone is grumpy today!

Due to budgetary issues you only get half a cubicle

Or something like that.

Our office moved from one old building into an even older building back in August. There are four of us housed in what used to be the boudoir of the lady of the house. It's a rather large room, but due to the heritage aspect of the building, we can't put anything on the wall. Therefore, it echoes. And all of us are super typers (which means not exactly quiet keyboarding skills) and spend a good part of the day on the phone.

So...to minimize the noise, a long time ago, before we moved, an office consultant came and plotted out the furniture and suggested some dividers for our office.

Okay. No problem. As long as it doesn't mess with the natural light and it doesn't feel like a cubicle farm.

Our walls finally arrived today. Long ago, I had asked for pricing on used walls if they had what we were looking for. And they took that to mean, we'll only buy used walls.

Which means the seven pieces of wall that were supposed to be 48" tall ended up being three pieces that were 66" and two pieces that were 38".

Ummm...

PROBLEM...

So it looks bad. One of the desks looks like we are imprisoning the person who is sitting there.

I have half a wall, so it looks like I just don't want to see people who come in the office.

And it only took, oh, three months to get the walls.

Don't even get me started on the filing cabinets that have not yet arrived.

oscar the GRINCH

We're past the half way mark in November and recently, the discussion with a few of my friends has been how none of us feel like Christmas this year. Grinch has been turned into an adjective and a verb for us.

Last night, as I sat and wrote thank you cards, I thought about how much I wasn't looking forward to Christmas card writing. But then a light bulb went off in my head. I wasn't not looking forward to writing Christmas cards at all this year, I was not looking forward to writing Christmas cards right now.

Because it's not Christmas yet. Just because the stores are decorated and playing Christmas music and the guy in front of my on the bus whistled "Let It Snow" all the way home from work yesterday, doesn't mean it's time for Christmas.

When I was a kid, the tree and decorations did not appear until after my cousin Melissa's birthday on December 10...after! Maybe that's the solution to this pseudo problem...I'll just wait until closer to Christmas to be excited about Christmas...

miserable

ugh.

That's how the weather has made me feel today. Grey, closed and ugh. And wet. I was dripping when I got to my one hour meeting that lasted 2.5 hours.

grumpy. I guess that's really how I'm feeling.

at least tomorrow is Friday.

and at least it's not 2006.

I just checked back on November 15, 2006 and discovered that this isn't so bad. Last year was way more miserable. We had a broken water main on our street, very little sleep due to the crews fixing said water main, and no water in our house.

Okay, I feel better now!

Holy itsy bitsy teeny tiny!

Check out the miniature knitting. Now, I like to knit, but this is crazy. The smaller the needles, the longer it takes...patience!

Feels like home?

Going to London is like going home for me. Not quite the same, but very familiar. We didn't do a lot of "tourist" things - we went on the London Eye and that was about it. Alex did get to experience Pax Lodge.


And Hampstead crepes.


And meet a bunch of my friends and family:

Kristine

Doreen

Heidi and Sarah (who he met last summer)

Hugh and Alice (who were at the wedding)

Liz (who was also at the wedding with Hugh and Alice)

And he got to attend a bonfire day parade!

and meet Persis and George


And now we get to go home...and enjoy the memories of our fabulous wedding and amazing honeymoon.

Real life, here we come!