Fadedwords

2009 has begun without much fuss or excitement.  We spent New Year’s Eve at my friend Bre’s house with several other friends watching a marathon of Dog the Bounty Hunter.  We had a wonderful time laughing and joking, along with snacking on some delicious treats that Bre provided. 

Yesterday was a laid back affair as well.  Jake and I lounged around most of the morning, and then got motivated to do some organization of the things we’d brought home with us from New York.  He put together our new DVD tower, helped me move the bookshelf that my aunt sent home with us (my grandfather made it!) to its spot in the living room, and then I took some time to put books on the shelf and rearrange our DVDs and utilize the new shelves. 

We took a trip to B*est B*uy after all of that, intending to exchange some things that we got that we already had as well as a charger I bought for the GPS that I did not need.  I needed a new universal remote for the TV in the bedroom (or so I thought) and wanted to see if they had the last season of Will and Grace at the store.  As it turned out, they didn’t… but it worked out for the best because I decided to buy Guitar Hero World Tour instead.  I just got the game, as we only need the drum set and I didn’t want to buy the whole kit if I just need the drums.  The game is awesome and we’re considering e*bay to get the drums.

While I was surfing around e*bay I started browsing at cameras.  There are several really good bundle deals, and I am seriously considering buying one with my tax return this year.  I could get exactly the camera I want, plus 4 lenses, a bag, filters, and an external flash for about $800.  This is an awesome deal.  We’ll see where it goes.

I’m not one for resolutions.  I am committed to continuing with WW and losing the last 50 pounds that it will take for me to be at a place where I’m proud of myself.  I am almost decided upon putting at least one of my NaNo novels up on Amazon for sale and seeing what happens.  I’m going to try hard to cook more and bake more.  I would like to be riding once a week by the end of Spring, but that’s up in the air.  I am going to try to feel more satisfied with life in general, which I’ve been struggling with a great deal lately. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful year. 

A conversation brought about by a close friend of mine who is going through a tough break up…

Me: Can you promise to never tell me that you’re ‘not ready for commitment’ as a reason for breaking up.
Jake: I’m not going to tell you anything because I’m not breaking up with you.  Ever.  Let’s not talk about this.
Me: I’m just saying!
Jake: I’d just change the locks and stick the restraining order to the door.  No need to say anything.
Me: You wouldn’t need a restraining order.  You’d need full body armor.  Because I would kill you.

The last few days have been busy.  Here’s a breakdown:

• Thursday and Friday I was home sick.  Bronchitis.  Yay.
• Friday afternoon I manned up and drove to Plymouth.  I’d had the trip planned for about a month, and there was no way I was canceling.
• Spent about 2 hours hanging out with friends/former coworkers at the middle school I worked at when I first got down here.
• Had a great conversation with Jay, a very good friend from that school.  It was great to hang out with him.
• Went out to dinner with Courtney and Paul at Mama’s Pizza, my favorite place ever.
• Went to the most redneck party of my life.  No, seriously.  There was a confederate flag prominently displayed on the wall, a stripper pole installed in the ceiling, and I was one of two people who were not smoking.  Also, there was a girl going on and on about how much she hated another girl because she happened to like the company of black people.  Of course, she did not say it that way.   I lasted about two hours.  The combination of severe smoke inhalation, bronchitis and being a yankee that cannot put up with ignorance got the best of me.
• Up late late late on Friday night coughing, tossing, and turning.
• Slept in on Saturday.
• Went to the new Super W*l-mart in Williamston and got supplies for a dinner of snack food (cheese, crackers, veggies, french bread).
• Hung out with Courtney and Kristen enjoying food and many laughs.
• Watched Wall-E, which was incredibly adorable.
• Drove home today.
• Finished up the very last of my Christmas shopping.
• I got home at 1:30 and have been baking ever since.
• I have finished up gift boxes for my administrators, two friends, and the family of the little girl I provided homebound instruction for.  I’ll have 3 more boxes for people on my committee done as well.

I have to bake another batch of sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate chip cookies.  I also need to make up another couple batches of peppermint bark.  Then all of my holiday baking will be done.

This week is going to drag by, simply because it’s the week before an extended break.  It is made worse by the fact that I have so much to look forward to next week because we’re going to New York for Christmas.  I can’t wait to get up there, see my family, and enjoy the time off with Jake.

I don’t think there will be a Merlin Monday tomorrow.  I don’t have any new photos of him, as I’ve been sick and way too busy to take any.  We’ll see how it goes though.

The holiday season is a busy time for everyone I think.  There are gifts to buy, homes to clean and decorate, traveling to do, baking to get done… it’s exhausting just thinking about it.  This is my list of what’s been done and not done:
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I’m going to have to take a rain check on Merlin Monday this week.  I do have a couple pictures to post from Thanksgiving, but to be honest… right now my back is so sore that posting pictures is not at the top of my list of things to do.

We may have a Merlin Tuesday or Wednesday this week… or perhaps even a “Merlin Monday Evening” edition depending upon how I feel when I get home this evening.

He went to doggycare this morning and was so incredibly good in the car on the way there.  I think he knows when I’m just not in the state of mind to deal with shennanigans.  Either that or he remembered last Monday and having to come all the way back home because doggycare was closed.  Somewhere in his warped, furry little head he probably thinks he did something bad.  It was a welcome change this morning; almost the whole trip was silent minus a few whines.  And those came from me.

I need to go through and start planning my holiday baking this week.  I do little gift boxes for coworkers and friends here at work, as well as some for friends up North.  I will be baking a lot in the weeks to come.  We have our annual Girls’ Cookie Night Exchange this weekend.  Then I’ll bake one day the week of the 15th so everyone gets their cookie gift from me.  It’s a lot to think about and plan for.

I’m off to lunch.