As you all know I have been searching for Christmas.....well many times you find things where you least expect to.....where did I find it????.....the last place I would have thought to look....across the street from the Rite Aid parking lot on Garners Ferry Road....
Jenn and I were heading to Walgreens to buy my lovely head attire for the Christmas Breakfast at the office (I stated in an earlier post that I would not be donning the Santa Hat the other manager's would be wearing......I instead will be wearing a headband with antlers, mistletoe and bells....less chance of hat hair)......
Anyway, all of a sudden Jenn says "Mom look at that!!!!" I tuned my head and saw motorcycles......hundreds of them.....I would even venture to say thousands of them....they were in the VA parking lot and coming down Garners Ferry Road......we pulled into the Rite Aid parking lot and watched......the motorcycles continue to come for another 15 minutes......I have never seen so many motorcycles in my whole life.....I told Jenn it was the Veteran's Christmas Charity Ride....
We were not the only people who stopped to watch....the Rite Aid and adjoining parking lot had a lot of cars parked with people watching......Jenn got out of the car and took pictures and a video with her cell phone.....
Being such a sap.....I did have to wipe away a few tears.....but it was an amazing feeling to watch all those vet's riding by.....a few were even dressed as Santa....
When Jenn got back in the car she asked me if I now felt Christmas ..... I have to say I did .....it is not about the presents or food or the can you top this attitude that goes with the holiday......I was reminded it is about small acts of kindness.....I could feel the magic as I watched the parade of motorcycles go by.......now I just have to figure out how to keep that feeling.....not just for the next two weeks but also for the 52 that follow........
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Was That Part of a Pretzel???
When I was young I found the sleeves on a nun's habit fascinating.They would pull things out of those sleeves like a magician does out of his hat. Suddenly a handkerchief would appear, a piece of chalk, a rosary and the dreaded clicker.....what is the clicker you ask.....it was a little something that make a clicking sounds to let us know when to stand, sit and kneel (that is definitely material for another entry) .....anyway you never quite knew what might appear from up those sleeves......I wouldn't have been surprised if the Sunday New York Times or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich appeared from those sleeves....
Where an I going with this you might ask.....well there are times when I have used my bra the same way.....I put money, my inhaler, car keys and my ATM card down in there....sometimes by them selves and sometimes as a group.....LOL....I treat it like a mini pocketbook.....LOL
But I digress....one morning this week I was taking a shower and I saw something fall on the floor of the tub.....I thought for a second "what was that?" I picked up the fallen item and examined it....without my glasses which is a challenge....what was it I was looking at?? It was part of a pretzel......yes part of a pretzel. So now I am standing in the shower wondering where the hell a part of a pretzel came from???? Then it hit me......I had eaten some pretzels at work the day before.....I guess a piece of one had fallen into my blouse, working its way into my bra and under my left boob.....apparently even when I came home, changed and took off my bra that little piece of pretzel has found a place to stay the night.....how scary is that......is the space under the girls a new food bank??? Like the nuns sleeves??? Do I now have to check each night to make sure nothing has decided to take residence there? Imagine if I had an accident and end up in the hospital......they would have thought I was some kind of a nut with a piece of pretzel tucked under a body part....well now I have something to add to my nightly routine.....check for stray food parts....LOL.....like I don't have enough to do......
Where an I going with this you might ask.....well there are times when I have used my bra the same way.....I put money, my inhaler, car keys and my ATM card down in there....sometimes by them selves and sometimes as a group.....LOL....I treat it like a mini pocketbook.....LOL
But I digress....one morning this week I was taking a shower and I saw something fall on the floor of the tub.....I thought for a second "what was that?" I picked up the fallen item and examined it....without my glasses which is a challenge....what was it I was looking at?? It was part of a pretzel......yes part of a pretzel. So now I am standing in the shower wondering where the hell a part of a pretzel came from???? Then it hit me......I had eaten some pretzels at work the day before.....I guess a piece of one had fallen into my blouse, working its way into my bra and under my left boob.....apparently even when I came home, changed and took off my bra that little piece of pretzel has found a place to stay the night.....how scary is that......is the space under the girls a new food bank??? Like the nuns sleeves??? Do I now have to check each night to make sure nothing has decided to take residence there? Imagine if I had an accident and end up in the hospital......they would have thought I was some kind of a nut with a piece of pretzel tucked under a body part....well now I have something to add to my nightly routine.....check for stray food parts....LOL.....like I don't have enough to do......
Where Are You Christmas - Part 3
I am still in search of Christmas. I thought I felt it for a few seconds here and there. Not with the overwhelming excitement I felt as a child but there have been a few moments of the Christmas feeling.
Each day at 5:00, I turn my Iphone to the Pandora application. I have Christmas music as one of my stations. OK.....let's talk for a second about Pandora.....this is amazing.....I started using it by accident.....I was at work after 5:00 and I pulled out my IPOD to plug into my little portable speaker but the battery was dead, I was telling Jenn about that on the phone and wanted her to remind me to charge up the battery so I could use it after hours. Jenn said I should use Pandora in the meantime. WOW....that app is great.....I use it each day after 5:00 while I work.....the sound is great and I don't use a lot of the phone battery.....
Anyway......I just want you to know I did feel Christmas even if it was only for a few fleeting seconds......hopefully this week I will feel it a little more......I am running out of time.....Christmas is only 2 weeks away.......so I better find Christmas fast.....other wise I have to wait another 52 weeks to feel it again.....
Each day at 5:00, I turn my Iphone to the Pandora application. I have Christmas music as one of my stations. OK.....let's talk for a second about Pandora.....this is amazing.....I started using it by accident.....I was at work after 5:00 and I pulled out my IPOD to plug into my little portable speaker but the battery was dead, I was telling Jenn about that on the phone and wanted her to remind me to charge up the battery so I could use it after hours. Jenn said I should use Pandora in the meantime. WOW....that app is great.....I use it each day after 5:00 while I work.....the sound is great and I don't use a lot of the phone battery.....
Anyway......I just want you to know I did feel Christmas even if it was only for a few fleeting seconds......hopefully this week I will feel it a little more......I am running out of time.....Christmas is only 2 weeks away.......so I better find Christmas fast.....other wise I have to wait another 52 weeks to feel it again.....
Benefits of Working Late
Working late.....I have been doing it a lot lately......not that I mind. I use the time after 5:00 to get caught up on what I don't get to during the work day. I could bring my laptop home and work from there. I may start doing that.....I am thinking about getting an flat screen monitor to hook-up to my laptop so I will have 2 screens like I do at work. That will make it much easier to work at home. In the New Year, Tuesday and Thursday will not be late nights because I will be getting back to the gym on a regular schedule and that is a good thing.
Anyway, there is a benefit to working late......each night when I leave the office.....I call my Mom. The conversation usually starts like this "Hi Mom" that's me...."Donna, are you on your way home?" that's Mom....."Yes, I am on my way home" that's me....."Oh Donna you are working late and long days" that's Mom.....but the nice part is I get to set aside the time during the ride home to catch up with Mom. We cover the same topics each day.....how is her day, how is she feeling, has she talked to anyone, what has she had to eat and on and on. She asks the same questions.....how was my day, anything new with Jenn and have I talked to any family members.....
This might sound boring and routine but it means a lot to me. It means each day I have a 20 minute or so conversation with Mom. Usually we do not solve the worlds problems, we do talk about sports and TV. But I treat it as a daily visit with Mom. As I move along the highway headed home it gives me something else to think about other than how tired I might be.
Mom will say after about 25 minutes, "Are you home yet?".....my usual response is either "I am just driving into my sub-division or I have already been in the driveway a few minutes." We end the conversation by saying "I love you and I will talk to you tomorrow." Those conversations give me chance to unwind and talk to Mom as if we were sitting across the table from each other having a cup of coffee.
If I was coming home at rush hour I might not be able to afford myself that luxury. If I start bringing home my laptop....I will still carve out time each day for our conversations. And I know is some states talking on my cell phone would be grounds for a ticket but for now it makes the commute home after a long day a good way to pass the time......and a chance to visit with Mom.
Anyway, there is a benefit to working late......each night when I leave the office.....I call my Mom. The conversation usually starts like this "Hi Mom" that's me...."Donna, are you on your way home?" that's Mom....."Yes, I am on my way home" that's me....."Oh Donna you are working late and long days" that's Mom.....but the nice part is I get to set aside the time during the ride home to catch up with Mom. We cover the same topics each day.....how is her day, how is she feeling, has she talked to anyone, what has she had to eat and on and on. She asks the same questions.....how was my day, anything new with Jenn and have I talked to any family members.....
This might sound boring and routine but it means a lot to me. It means each day I have a 20 minute or so conversation with Mom. Usually we do not solve the worlds problems, we do talk about sports and TV. But I treat it as a daily visit with Mom. As I move along the highway headed home it gives me something else to think about other than how tired I might be.
Mom will say after about 25 minutes, "Are you home yet?".....my usual response is either "I am just driving into my sub-division or I have already been in the driveway a few minutes." We end the conversation by saying "I love you and I will talk to you tomorrow." Those conversations give me chance to unwind and talk to Mom as if we were sitting across the table from each other having a cup of coffee.
If I was coming home at rush hour I might not be able to afford myself that luxury. If I start bringing home my laptop....I will still carve out time each day for our conversations. And I know is some states talking on my cell phone would be grounds for a ticket but for now it makes the commute home after a long day a good way to pass the time......and a chance to visit with Mom.
The Ring Fits
As I have said before I need to look for the little changes that show I am heading in the right direction. This week I decided to step out of my comfort zone. I decided to wear a Christmas bracelet and a Christmas pin the says Believe. Now you may not think of this as a major event but it is for me. I am such a creature of habit. Each day I put on the same wrist watch, same ring, same 2 pairs of earrings and the same necklace. I have some very pretty necklaces but at a time when I needed a reminder of faith I started wearing a little cross each day. I have not worn another necklace since......now I am superstitious that if I don't wear the cross something bad will happen. How foolish is that......as if the necklace had the power to keep everything in check and all I care about safe. I know logically that the little cross is not changing anything but the subconscious side of me has a hard time making the change
Another New Year resolution......wear some different necklaces.
Anyway back to the little changes I seek. While I was walking on the wild side with a the Christmas bracelet and pin.....I came across a ring I used to wear. It is a simple white gold ring with 2 rows of tiny diamonds. I loved the ring when I got it almost 20 years ago. I stopped wearing it years ago because it had gotten too tight and it was a struggle to get it on and off my hand each day. You would have thought I would have taken it as a sign that I needed to focus on my weight. But at that point in my life it was easier to just to remove the offending item and ignore what was going on.
On an impulse, I tried the ring on.....and it fit. No struggle to get it past my knuckle...no pushing it to get it down my finger. It slid on with ease. I stared at my hand in shock. The ring was back on my hand and it moved freely on my ring finger. In fact it slid around my finger. I was amazed. I didn't think I would ever wear it again. I have worn it everyday this week....like a medal. I know it is not huge to anyone else but it is so significant to me.
What a week......wearing a Christmas bracelet and pin......and sporting a forgotten ring that has given me the push I needed to continue. Next .....it is time change the necklace......in 3 weeks I will make that step and I bet the world will not stop because of that change........
Another New Year resolution......wear some different necklaces.
Anyway back to the little changes I seek. While I was walking on the wild side with a the Christmas bracelet and pin.....I came across a ring I used to wear. It is a simple white gold ring with 2 rows of tiny diamonds. I loved the ring when I got it almost 20 years ago. I stopped wearing it years ago because it had gotten too tight and it was a struggle to get it on and off my hand each day. You would have thought I would have taken it as a sign that I needed to focus on my weight. But at that point in my life it was easier to just to remove the offending item and ignore what was going on.
On an impulse, I tried the ring on.....and it fit. No struggle to get it past my knuckle...no pushing it to get it down my finger. It slid on with ease. I stared at my hand in shock. The ring was back on my hand and it moved freely on my ring finger. In fact it slid around my finger. I was amazed. I didn't think I would ever wear it again. I have worn it everyday this week....like a medal. I know it is not huge to anyone else but it is so significant to me.
What a week......wearing a Christmas bracelet and pin......and sporting a forgotten ring that has given me the push I needed to continue. Next .....it is time change the necklace......in 3 weeks I will make that step and I bet the world will not stop because of that change........
Sunday, December 4, 2011
New Year's Resolutions
It is only a week after Thanksgiving and I am already thinking about New Year's resolutions..... maybe it is the guilt......I have been so busy at work and getting ready for the holiday's that I haven't been to the gym as much as I normally do. I am getting there are often as I can but not my usual 4-5 times a week. Once we get to January......it is back in the routine.
Resolution #1: nothing should get in my way of the gym at least 4 times a week
Resolution #2: Work more on my Italian lessons. I have the books .....I need to use them.
Resolution #3: Keep up the healthy eating and only eating when I am hungry. (I have been good about this one even now).
Resolution #4: Spend more time with friends and family laughing.....the laughter is the important part.
Not an overly ambitious list so far. I will be adding to the list as I get closer to January 1st.
So far the overlying theme has been.....health, happiness, laughter and love.....not so bad......if that is all I accomplish next year......well then 2012 will be a banner year!!!
Resolution #1: nothing should get in my way of the gym at least 4 times a week
Resolution #2: Work more on my Italian lessons. I have the books .....I need to use them.
Resolution #3: Keep up the healthy eating and only eating when I am hungry. (I have been good about this one even now).
Resolution #4: Spend more time with friends and family laughing.....the laughter is the important part.
Not an overly ambitious list so far. I will be adding to the list as I get closer to January 1st.
So far the overlying theme has been.....health, happiness, laughter and love.....not so bad......if that is all I accomplish next year......well then 2012 will be a banner year!!!
The First Gift Returns of the Season
This might be a record......I have already returned gifts I bought. Having a large team at work had me thinking......I needed to plan early to I could get each person a nice gift without going broke. On Black Friday, I took care of it.....or so I thought. Last Friday, I found out that we aren't allowed to give out gifts to the team. Management feels it isn't fair because what if some manager's don't give their teams gifts....
I am not going to say what the gift was because I might be able to use it on another occasion. Meanwhile, I did find out there is a Christmas breakfast at the office on December 20th. The manager's make and serve breakfast to the employees. I am good with that but I also need to wear a Santa hat.......I think I have made it pretty clear I have an issue with my hair. Do you have any idea what my hair will look like after being under a Santa hat for a few hours??? So in order to avoid a hair problem I will need to go hunting for one of those headbands with reindeer antlers or something equally foolish so I can preserve the beauty of my hair.....at least this way I won't have to have hat head for the whole day.......
Did I mention I will need to be at the office at 5:00 AM....yes I said 5:00 AM......that means I will have to get up at 3:30AM!!!!
I will let you know what headgear I decide to sport that day.......I am sure it will be just stunning........and unfortunately.....I am sure this will be photo op for the company newsletter.......fa la la la la la la la la
I am not going to say what the gift was because I might be able to use it on another occasion. Meanwhile, I did find out there is a Christmas breakfast at the office on December 20th. The manager's make and serve breakfast to the employees. I am good with that but I also need to wear a Santa hat.......I think I have made it pretty clear I have an issue with my hair. Do you have any idea what my hair will look like after being under a Santa hat for a few hours??? So in order to avoid a hair problem I will need to go hunting for one of those headbands with reindeer antlers or something equally foolish so I can preserve the beauty of my hair.....at least this way I won't have to have hat head for the whole day.......
Did I mention I will need to be at the office at 5:00 AM....yes I said 5:00 AM......that means I will have to get up at 3:30AM!!!!
I will let you know what headgear I decide to sport that day.......I am sure it will be just stunning........and unfortunately.....I am sure this will be photo op for the company newsletter.......fa la la la la la la la la
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