Twas the Week Before Christmas or I Said It Would Be A Crazy Week and it was......

As I said last week, it was going to be a busy week........

Monday night I got my hair cut and highlighted.  It was shorter than it has been before and definitely lighter.  Someone at work actually called it blond.  I call it highlights so my thin hair doesn't stand out as much.  I don't wear my glasses when I get my hair done so when I put my glasses on it is then I see the finished product.  This time I have to say Wayne surprised me and I loved it.  It also doesn't hurt to get so many compliments about it........

Tuesday was the employee breakfast and that went well.  The food was catered in and that meant less stress.  That night was the managers dinner.  I thought I knew where I was going but when I walk in the restaurant the manager said "TD isn't having a party here."  OK so me dopey had to call another manager and say "where is the party?" 

Thursday,  I stayed home in the morning to finish a test I had to take for work.  Isn't there ever a time when we can stop taking tests???? As I headed to work around 11:30,  I stopped to pick up lunch for my team as a Christmas gift.  We had lunch together and had our gift exchange. 

Saturday started by taking my damn dog to the vet......ugh.  Grooming, med's for his rash and shots!!  Then it was breakfast with a friend followed by shopping.  I made more cookie batters so I can ship them out this week.  I was planning on baking them early Sunday.

That's when my plan went to as they say here "to hell in a hand basket"....(still not really sure what that means).....my phone rings and next thing I know I am in my car heading to the office.  I was obviously not prepared to leave the house.....no makeup, hair just dried from the shower and no hint of having tried to style it at all, an old t shirt, Capri's and flip flops (thank God I remembered to throw on a bra)......

So here I am racing down the highway, foul mood, looking frightful, not feeling great and swearing like a sailor.....get the picture??? Now the hard part is I am going into the office to take complaint/questions from customers and I have to be friggin cheerful.......like Miss Congeniality.....ugh.....talk about a stretch!!!!! I get settled about 10 minutes late but I am there and ready to go.  One of the ladies on my team offers to come in and we decide she will come in from 2-4 and I cover from 11-2,  I worked on reports, emails, time cards, plans that need to be finished while I wait for the customer calls.....and wait and wait.....finally after 90 minutes,,,,the phone rings....total talk time with the customer 3 1/2 minutes......210 seconds.......and then I wait some more........another 90 minutes and then phone rings again.....total talk time.....4 minutes.....240 seconds.......then it is time to leave.  OK so on the upside (which I am still trying to find in ALL situations) I got a lot of other work done which means Monday will be less stressful. At 2:15 I head home.....

Once I get home it is time to work on the bills for the week.......I realize I forgot to write down a payment I had made this week....uh oh.......my balance in my checking account is $12.79 until payday on Friday......guess it's time to roll up the loose change.....LOL.....I work in banking and forget to write down a payment....I am such an ass!!!!  I try to look for the good in this..... this is really a stretch but then I think....... it's a short week with Christmas in the middle of the week.....I really don't need anything additional this week and will be able to get the things I need for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on what I have left in the bank.......I also have enough money left in my wallet to mail out the last of the cookies so all in all I am OK......

Good things:
The last batch of cookies is in the oven.......the house smells great from them baking......

I was able to see my 2 favorite Christmas movies this week...."It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim.....

It's a short week coming up.......

It's Christmas........I love Christmas Eve more than any other day of the year......it is the day when anything is possible.......

Merry Christmas to All!!!!

Until next week.......

10 Days To Go.....

I can't believe another Christmas is just 10 days away.  Wasn't it just the 4th of July???

I am happy to report with the exception of a few things that are still on their way to us we are pretty much done!!

As I write this there are cookies baking in the oven.  We made all the batters and then started baking and it seems to have gone well.  We have one more cookie chilling in the fridge and can bake those tomorrow.  Jenn has promised a lot of the people she works with cookies on Monday and I am bringing some to work.  I didn't make my favorite cookies to avoid additional temptations!!

The inside and outside of the house are decorated.  Thanks Jenn!!! She did have to use a cattle prod a few times to keep me moving!! 

Jenn has also kept up with the wrapping and mailed some cards for me.  Please don't get mad if you don't get a card from me......it is one of those chores I hate......I would rather talk to you on the phone or send you an e-mail.....or text. 

I haven't felt as stressed as I have other years with the big day approaching......that is a very good thing!!

I can't believe that next weekend right before Christmas I can do some fun things like going to see a local light display or watching my favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" and not worry about what I still have to do.

This week will be busy with a haircut, holiday breakfast for the employees, dinner with the managers, and my team's Christmas lunch.  All of which will be fun and make for a fast week!!

While I go through these days between Thanksgiving and Christmas I can't help but think about holidays past.  I am so grateful for those memories!!! I was just telling Jenn about one of my earliest memories.....we lived in a 5th floor walk up in the South Bronx,   it was close to Christmas and I remember sitting on the kitchen table "helping" my mom make Christmas cookies.  Then my Dad and brother George came into our apartment with the Christmas tree.  It was maybe a 5 second memory...like a short video but I can see it as clear now as all those years ago. 

In just a few short weeks we will all be reflecting on the year ending and making resolutions about the New Year ahead.  From now until the end of the year is filled with a lot of land mines for me.....food choices involving things you don't get to eat all year and not enough time to go to the gym.  But I have promised myself to not go crazy with the food but not to deprive myself either.  I also plan on hitting the gym everyday I am off between Christmas and New Years Day.....a nice jump start to 2014!!

Just a few more comments......

First..... thanks to my friends who e-mailed or texted me and said "where is you blog entry?"...it is nice to be missed.

Second.......my damn dog.....back to the vet again....cha ching cha ching......I could probably take a nice vacation on what I have paid the vet this year for his ear and skin issues....ugh.  He is not the easiest pet to have and has been know to bite the hand that feeds him but when he greets me when I walk through the door from work it is hard to not give him a big greeting back

Third......I am still counting my blessings each day......whether it be listening to Christmas music on my IPhone.......or laughing with a co-worker.........or the nice feeling just before you fall asleep .....or a hot shower in the morning........I am grateful for them all.......and for all of you.....my friends and family.......

See you next week.......promise!!