Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it. We're off to the relatives in a few hours but first it is time for some Steelers football!

Baking, Baking, Baking

This morning I managed to hit 5 stores in just over an hour. I was very proud of myself. I started at WaWa (must have Kona coffee), then went to CVS for a few final stocking stuffers, then to the natural pet food store for some "dental chews" to improve the dog's buffalo breath, stopped at the new pretzel place (3 for a $1), and finally got baking supplies at the grocery store. I came home and baked a babka (a Polish sweet bread) and then baked 4 loaves of Amish Friendship bread (we are giving them along with other things to our many hosts over the next 3 days). I also did 2 loads of laundry.

All of this was made possible by the fact that on my first day of vacation I woke up at 7 fucking o'clock. Now if the Christmas gifts for The Wife would wrap themselves.

What to do?

When the wife is in the hospital I feel very much at loose ends. Last night I cleaned out the cabinets under our sinks, the vanity drawers, and the medicine cabinet. I started cleaning because we are collecting supplies at work for the local womens' shelter but once I started I couldn't stop. This evening I am puttering around waiting for Mythbusters to start. I still need to put the laundry away (I promised The Wife I would do that) and water the Christmas tree. I should brush the dog who is just a mess. She was stinky and a mess before today but then dog walker took her for a walk in the rain. I have completed our holiday Excel spreadsheet and averaged what we spent per person/couple this year and last. We aren't done with the shopping but we know what we are getting for people and how much we will spend for the gifts we haven't purchased yet. I still need to do "stocking" shopping for The Wife but I have no desire to go this evening. Even the dog is at loose ends. She keeps wandering around and taking her cookies for a walk.

So, what should I do to entertain myself?

Well Said, Sir.

If you have any interest in the on-going debate over Christianity and being queer go read this article. I have been making many of his arguments for years, although he argues it far more eloquently (and with great biblical references) than I ever did.

This is my nightmare

Flying is often painful for me because it does something to my gut. In order to reduce the pain I sit there pooting away. No choice really. This is my nightmare. Although I do know better than to light a match on an airplane these days.

So THAT'S why I hate to shop

Today I remembered why I hate to go shopping. Shopping makes me have to poop. I have no idea why. Today, I had to stop at the mart of K for some random stuff (forgetting it was a weekend during the Christmas season) and a.) the place was completely packed and b.) the act of shopping in large stores (eg, Kmart, Costco, Target, Borders) makes me have to poop. Who wants to poop in a store bathroom? Certainly not me. However, one has no choice. It is very weird and it happens all the time. Doesn't matter what time of day it is, doesn't matter if I've eaten just before shopping or not, doesn't matter whether I need to buy a little or a lot. I have to make a stop in the restroom at some point during my trip. This happens so often I have MEMORIZED where the bathrooms are in the stores we shop in most frequently.

Blah.

Eh. Not much to say

I haven't had much to say lately. I thought that I would spend my long weekend (and oh it was blissful to have 4 days away from the office) blogging at least some. But it came and went and I don't think I even signed on to the computer. Work is slowly returning to normal and I don't have thoughts of my co-worker who died first thing in the morning and last thing at night any more but I'm sort of just going through the motions right now. Maybe it is the time of year with the shorter days or the "Season of Obligations" that is making me want to be anywhere but at the office but I'm not sure.

On some level I am really schizophrenic about this time of year. I'm not big on re-decorating the house for a month [part of that is because Jesus is not and never has been my Lord and Savior despite my Christian childhood] but I like to look at everyone else's decorations, I like having a Christmas tree in the house but I hate putting it up and decorating it, I don't like to be bothered to send cards but I do it anyway, I struggle mightily to select an appropriate gift that the recipient wants/can use and I get peeved when people give me gifts that they gave no thought to (and that's a really bitchy selfish horrible feeling because I should be pleased [and I'm sincere here] that they cared enough to get something for me at all.)

I saved this post for a while and now the weather has changed (it's seasonably cold now), we've done much of our Christmas shopping, we aren't going crazy with the decorating this year, and I just am feeling better about things in general. It's a Sunday morning, I've had my coffee (and bizarrely, I might have chipped a molar on my granola), and now I'm sitting here looking at the sunny day with my favorite poochie sitting on the arm of the recliner. We have only one obligation today and otherwise I get to putter around. Puttering makes me content. I guess in the long run content is a good thing to be.