Seven Things

I haven't really posted a well-rounded entry in a little bit, so I am going to write a "Seven Things" catch-up post.

1. I really think that my employer should just send us home for the remainder of this week... and most of next week too. The phone doesn't ring. Nobody is stopping in. Nobody seems very interested in even following up on e-mail. I went to a vocal performance at lunchtime...and would really like to take a nap right about now. Co-Worker Nina is out today with a cough so the day seems like it is going by very slowly, despite the Christmas carols on iTunes.

2. I took a half day yesterday in order to start my Christmas shopping. Yes, START. What can I say? I am a procrastinator when it comes to Christmas. I love the music, I love the food, I love the television, but I cannot stand heading to the mall during the holiday season. Fortunately, I had a general idea of what I was going to buy my family... er, well, at least where I was going to buy their gifts anyhow. I ended up spending the night packaging up presents while making homemade chicken soup and doing two loads of laundry. It was a very productive day. Go me, go me!

2a. Rather than going back to the mall today, I have to T it up to Harvard Square to finish the rest of my shopping. I also want to try to get Christmas puddings at Cardullo's. I still don't have a real handle on the new system for buying fares for the T. It's like they want to be like a real city with a real transportation system, but somehow it still feels like a little kid running around in mom's high heels.

3. Having gotten lost not once, twice, but three times, I spent a fabulous evening at a holiday party at my friend MH's house in Hingham on Saturday night. I haven't been there since the beginning of the summer, shortly after she and her husband (CC) purchased it. It is GORGEOUS and looks like it should be featured in the West Elm catalog. It wasn't a very large party, but it was people from all different areas of the hosts' lives (MH and I are friends/roommates from college)... and yet, 10 out of the 12 of the guests there were from Connecticut...all over the state. It was SO random and so cool at the same time. I really like CC's friends and hope that I get another chance to hang out with them.

4. So I spent two nights last week (Tuesday and Saturday) out and about long past my bedtime. (MP: no follow-up from my Tuesday night companion, which is disappointing, but at least this is a consistant pattern of behavior. Michelle says either I am going to have to get some patience or let this one go. My response to both of those options is "no" so clearly I am going to be having some problems with this.) ;-)

To catch up on my lost sleep, I have been to bed before 10pm every night this week; I just can't keep my eyes open any later. My life without caffeine is sucking so bad, and my teeth STILL giving me problems. Except these particular hurty teeth are part of a whole new problem called: "I am so stressed out by Christmas that I am going to grind my teeth into a pulp while I sleep." I think that I am going to have to suck it up in the New Year and buy myself a nightguard. Otherwise, I might end up doing Polident commercials in my old age.

5. I now am the owner of not one, but TWO, Slinky Juniors: a purple one and an orange one. I think that I might have to race them down the stairs next week when no one is around... (see item 1) I should come up with some fun gifty things to bring in to work for people next week. I really do wish that I wasn't quite so far behind with things this year.

6. Is anyone else missing tv? Everything on lately is repeats. I watched "House" reruns last night, as there wasn't even a "Veronica Mars" rerun on. I like House... wellll, I like Hugh Laurie :-) but he is no Veronica. I was checking entertainment blogs earlier today and new shows aren't going to be on again until mid-January. Is this a new development? Are the networks ordering fewer episodes? Because I remember new episodes right up until Christmas and then a few reruns during the Christmas week and then back in to your regular scheduled programming in time for MLK weekend.

My personal favorite is when I catch myself watching films that I own on dvd on tv...with the commercials. I don't know why I can't be bothered to go put in the film and watch it without the commercials. Maybe I just like the option of being able to change the channel if I want to. I have some films that I really want to see coming from Netflix this week: Mrs. Palfrey at the Clairmont, Lady in the Water, Scoop; so that is something to look forward to for tonight.

7. Tomorrow night, I am going out with some old work friends for dinner at Redbones, where I have never been. Nothing like a little barbeque at Christmastime; makes me feel like I belong in the cast of Steel Magnolias. I have to stop reading the menu; it is making me horribly hungry. These Lean Cuisines are just not cutting it. I am totally having pulled pork... and hush puppies... and mac and cheese. Screw the diet. (Question: would it be horribly gauche to order a cocktail with one's barbeque or should one stick to Coronas?) Then I am meeting other friends to see a friend's band at the Kirkwood Cafe: The Allstonians, who are reunited with original lead singer King K. It is going to be a HOOT. Hopefully I won't end up feeling too old. ;-)

So that is the big picture of what has been going on with me. Holiday greetings and blessings to all of you.