the inbetween
The days between Christmas and New Years are always a little bizarre. You have plenty to do, but no real ambition to do those things. Also, you may be very far away from the place where those things matter more and thus you may not feel the true urgency to accomplish them. Yes, you is really me. So, I will not talk about those impending deadlines. Instead I will pretend that I am like all of the other people I work with who have taken off through Jan 3.
There’s much you may not know about now. I’ll try to start at the beginning. I don’t know where the beginning is, so I’ll start with last Wednesday. We had a bunch of friends over for cookies and cheese and delicious turkey cranberry rings and all sorts of goodies that were supplied by our lovely friends. i played with some friends’ little girl and had a blast tap dancing and jigging to know music on our hard wood floors. She’s so adorable that we may not be able to have them around much for fear of being tricked into having one of own. Okay, so maybe we’ll just have her around more!
Thursday came early and after giving away a car at work (glad the ticket assigning/promotional tracking is OVER and that the guy didn’t want the car but the money instead so that he could put up a fence and install new windows), we were off. I didn’t feel all that well – feverish, achy, headache, so I slept off and on while Jud waded through terrible traffic that perpetually congests I-35. Finally out of the junky traffic I took over outside OKC and we were back to flying. I was “making up time” on the Kansas turnpike and loving it. We stopped for gas in Holton and Jud got back behind the wheel. I was stir crazy by this point and urging him to drive faster because I just couldn’t take this car anymore. Faster! Faster! I finally gave up the screaming in my head and put my head down to sleep. Not long after, Jud gave out a little laugh and pulled over to the side of the road.
“Is this a rental?” That was the first question the trooper asked us. Oh, how I wish it had been a storm trooper. We gave him our info and he went back and then came back and gave us a ticket. 72 in a 60. $119.00 Jud gave him a “Merry Christmas” after he gave us the ticket that was completely genuine, but I was pretty sure the guy thought it was sarcastic. Either way we’re sending their county a little bit more holiday cheer.
Christmas Eve we celebrated with G&M crabcakes (you should get some. they are worth it.) and my family. We ate and went to the Christmas Eve Service and saw lots of people. All good things. Then we opened presents and those were also all good things, though completely overwhelming.
Christmas Day we drove out to Burwell, NE for Christmas with Jud’s family. Six hours in the car does not a great day make, but it’s family and you do what you can. Actually getting to the ranch was unreal. The “trail” was snowed over and so we had to go 4-wheeling in my parents’ Buick LeSabre through a field. It was either that or 3 hours of driving for naught, so I think we chose wisely. We got even more good things, including a quilt that Mandy, Jud’s sister, made for us that is great. We’ll take a picture and show you sometime soon.
Monday was a down day. Went to the gym. Ate at Hu Hot. Went to see Munich, which was very good, but graphic. Not family friendly in the slightest. Another one of those movies we love and will not recommend to people for fear of judgment. So, stop your judging. Thank you.
I almost forgot, that we went to a party at Tom’s house on Friday night where I ate my weight in home-made Chex-Mix. Tom makes great Chex-Mix. Also, I hear the tortilla roll up things were also a big hit.
Okay, so now you’ve had the run down and like fools we’ve taken very few pictures.
Sorry about that. I’m sure you’ll recover, though.
Well, if I don’t see you soon…Happy New Year and all.
Read Morethe goose is getting fat
so i braved the mall two weekends in a row. i’m an idiot. but the second weekend, which would be this weekend, i had a partner in crime. my friend, jenn, and i went up to frisco and shopped for a long time. we both had shopping-legs by the end of it. i had three or four bags full of stuff and was ready to get out by the time we finally shuffled to the car. jenn, the good wife that she is, had no bags. so proud of her! anyway, while there i followed my husbands orders and bought myself something, but when i got the somethings home, jud didn’t like them. so back to the mall i will go. good bye blue sequined shrug! good bye blue corset-like top. good bye 2005! in the store both seemed not only beautiful and flattering, but fun and inexpensive too. but, they have skinny mirrors and sales that don’t look anything like the sale price at Gap, so. They were both completely impractical too, but something just seemed right about them. i think the something was the skinny mirrors.
i did however pick up a gift for my brother and one for someone(s) who read this blog. i bought omaha steaks for my boss and jud’s grandparents tonight, so i think we’re about done in the gift purchasing department. which is good, because the timing of paychecks and the paying of bills could work out pretty interestingly this month. i was being paid every week, before i became permanent, so it’s just this one month where things are strange. and a great month for things to be strange with your pay, right?!
we’ve been getting christmas cards/letters/pictures in the mail and i LOVE it. I cry every time i read one of those letters and i get stupidly excited to hang up the pictures. i also feel guilty for not putting one out. i really thought i had more time and over estimated my mailing capabilities. in the car on the way home from a friends place today jud and i tried to decide who is worse at mailing things out. he said that i am worse because i take all the time to write things and put them in envelopes and lick said envelope and probably even address it, but then i just don’t finish it and put the stupid thing in the mailbox. he, on the other hand, doesn’t attempt any of it. ever. so i’m the one who’s worse. and, of course, i had no argument against that because he is right. months and months ago i wrote allison a six page letter. it’s still in the notebook. i also saved funny things that i found to send to her too. they are sitting on my dresser. i am a terrible person. at least allison knows my affliction and doesn’t think i don’t care. she knows i’m just lazy. Thanks, Allison! I truly appreciate your understanding and still intend to send you that letter, but uh….
items of interest for this week
MONDAY – Jud has a class to make up for the day that the “wintry blast” hit Dallas. I will go to work and then come home and make Christmas cookies.
TUESDAY – Jud will study study study. I will go to work where I will leave after just a few hours for lunch with a big group from work and hopefully return the aforementioned shirt and shrug to Rampage and then come home and pack and maybe go to my friend Kay’s house for a tv watching party.
WEDNESDAY – Jud will take his finals and come home and sleep. I will go to work and then come back and finish making our house ready for people to come over for Christmas cookies and things to celebrate the end of exams and the end of semester 1.
THURSDAY – Jud will drop me off at work in the wee hours of the morning. I will work. Jud will pick me up at noon and we will drive to Omaha.
FRIDAY – Kim is off work. She will spend time with friends and sleep and enjoy the dogs and stuff (I’m not sure why I felt the need to type in third person, but at least it was clear).
SATURDAY – We are going to the Christmas Eve Service at CBC.
SUNDAY – We are driving to Burwell for Christmas with Jud’s family.
Okay, I feel better seeing it written down.
It’s past my bed time so, I’m out. Happy sleeping!
Read MoreIntervention
Well, things are starting to slow down with school. I’ve finished most all of my actual work, with exception to some reading. However, I have to exams to prepare for on wednesday. And I’m sure that they’ll occupy a good share of my time over the next few days. 
In related school news, things worked out for my father-in-law, Rick, to take a class with me during early January so I’m pretty pumped about that.
As far as Kim goes, she’s found herself pretty busy this week with work. And as many of you know, she’s been involved in this “game” where she has been trying to never wear the same outfit twice to work. In spite of her large amount of clothing, things have now become a bit desperate. Lately the combinations have gotten more and more bazaar. Considering that she’s worn a different outfit each day for the time she’s worked this job (August til December 16), I consider her to be the champion of the game. If you feel similarly, please let her know. Maybe we can go together and get her a trophy or something.
The game must end. 
Wishlist
Well, its my understanding that the 12 days of Christmas are well underway and I honestly feel oblivious to the whole season. Being couped up in our apartment the majority of my week tends to do that. While I hopefully be finished in 9 or so days, I have a lot more things that will continue to keep me at this desk. Anyway, all get to my reason for this post… (other than posting a picture of one of my favorite foods). Kim had published her wishlist a couple weeks ago and in my business, I failed to put my list on the site. You can access my list here. As my list says, do not be afraid to get me anything that is used. I really don’t care if someone else has previously owned something unless they’ve messed it up somehow. Anyway, I better get back to things.
Turns Out I Didn’t Get Punk’d
This was me before…when I thought I got punk’d by the COE
So, ages ago, in September, I ordered a computer from the help desk, which my work, no lie, calls “The Center of Excellence” aka COE. Obviously someone used this term in a derogatory manner once and some executive thought he wasn’t being facetious and thought it was just a “great suggestion, Jones.” Anyway, I gave them my little internet order and asked that they send it to me, you know, in a reasonable amount of time. Many days went bye. Many phone calls were made. Emails. Voicemails. Angry phone calls. Angry emails. Angry voicemails. And yesterday, December 8th, I received my laptop. Whatever they are the center of, it is clearly not excellent. Do not let my disgust lead you astray. No, no. I am grateful for said laptop and glad to be able to do my work at a normal pace as opposed to the double click, sleep for 5 minutes, wake up to computer still making funny grinding noise, get hot tea, stir, steep, stir, double click on next page, i could go on, but i shouldn’t because it is over. That chapter, the painstaking portion is over.
Tomorrow I will both begin and hopefully end my Christmas shopping. This will not take long because 1.we have very little money to spend and 2.i think i’ve decided what to get just about everybody on our list. Places I am attempting to get to: 1. Bed Bath & Beyond 2. Half Price Books 3. Target 4. Sam Moon or Harry Hines 5. Kinkos…i’m going to attempt to send out Christmas postcards, so if you want to get one, email Jud or me your address and i will happily send one out. (if you know me even a little bit, you will know that this will be nothing short of a miracle should a postcard ever reach any of our friends’ homes. rest assured that they will be printed, even addressed, even stamped, but mailing, this is my downfall).
I’m off to rest before my battle in the stores tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Read More