Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Oy

What a week it's been!

Seems like forever since I've posted here, but I really have not had much free time.

Last week M and I attempted to put up the Christmas decorations. Saturday I walked the dogs while she had some appointments to attend to and then we needed to run some errands. The front light in her car was out so I put on my butchie clothes and set out to fix it. Normally I am good with mechanical things but either my hands have gotten bigger or cars have gotten smaller. You used to be able to just reach down and pull out the bulb and then stick the replacement back in. Now you have to unscrew this, move that out of the way try to squeeze your hand down a tiny hole and then get enough leverage to twist the freakin' thing so you can get it out.

After much grumbling and cursing we had success. We went to the auto parts store found a replacement and as I attempted to put the bulb back in...I realized I bought the wrong one. I replaced the High Beam bulb instead of the regular headlight.

D'oh!

Also on Saturday we went to Target to take back some things we didn't want and to buy the movie Wall-E. (Damn cute movie, we highly recommend it). M was in a shopping mood so we did our very best to contribute to this nations failing economy by spending money!

We decided on a whim were are going to change all of the decorations on the tree AND we actually found decorations that we both agreed on! (My fabulous taste is starting to wear off on her).

Once home, M put all the packages away and I had the job of giving the dogs a bath. Westies are known for their bad skin as they get older and our one dog Corky has been scratching and itching for weeks now. They were pretty good about it. I only got mildly soaked and Casey tried to escape once but I got him before he could make a run for it.

M's task was to take all the dogs bedding and wash it. I think I had the better job!

After all rampant buying and errands for the day were done - we were pooped. Spending money can be soooo draining sometimes.

One of the purchases we made at Target was a make your own pizza kit. It came with a pizza cutter, sauce, seasonings and some kind of flour mixture to make your own dough. M went out to get some cheese and toppings and I settled in to make the dough.

I like to make bread, it's one of my favorite things to bake. I like the whole process and I don't use a bread machine. The kneading is very therapeutic to me so I know dough pretty well.

I followed the instructions to make the dough, added water, kneaded it for a bit and then put it in a bowl, cover it and let it sit for about 15 minutes to rise.

It never rose.

I waited a freakin' hour for that damn thing and it never rose.

Finally through anger, desperation and shear hunger I said fuck it and used the un-risen dough to make the pizza.

Per the instructions you were supposed to divide the dough in half to make 2 pizzas that would fit on a large cookie sheet.

Well, I could barely get MY dough to fit on ONE cookie sheet.

I stretched and I pulled and I coerced and I cursed but that dough wasn't going no where. It had no elasticity.

Screw it...I stretched it as far as I could and then plopped on the sauce, cheese, spices toppings and just as I was about to put it in the over M came over and said: "That's kind of an odd looking pizza!"

I glared.

She cowered

I replied through clenched teeth: "I fucking lost my patience with this damn pizza." through the damn thing in the over and hoped for the best.

Actually, it didn't taste too bad. The crust was a bit chewy, but edible.

We sat in our jammies, drinking wine, eating home made pizza and watching Wall-E.

Not a bad night actually.

On Sunday we got up early to take the dogs for their walk. It was COLD outside and we had a bit of snow on the ground. My dog loves the snow...he rolls and jumps in it. The bath from the day before was wasted as they gathered mud and goose poop all on their paws and bellies since they are so damn short legged.

Oh well, they had fun and we all felt a bit invigorated by the crisp cold air.

I don't know about anyone else, but before I put up my decorations I need to clean up the house a bit. Rearrange furniture to make a place fo the tree, remove the knick knacks so I can put up all the Christmas "shtuff" I've accumulated over the years. And this takes some time.

ALSO we decided now that the cold weather is here we needed to switch our clothes from spring/summer to fall/winter. We don't have a lot of closet space so we have to store the off season clothes up in the attic. AND we have to use moth balls to keep the little vermin away. Soooo, to keep us from smelling like old people, we have to wash all of the stored clothes first before putting them away.

This was a process.

It took a lot longer then we anticipated.

We never got our tree up and it's 2 weeks until Christmas.

M suggested we do it at night, but we're usually both so damn tired by the time we get home we don't have the energy for this kind of thing.

Maybe this weekend.

Monday's I normally work from home, but I went into the office to hand in my resignation.

Yup - I'm leaving the academic publishing world and am starting on a new and exciting adventure.

The new company I think will be a better fit for me. It's a small business, which I prefer, it's 100% woman owned and operated which is great AND after my initial training I get to work from home FULL TIME!

Weeehoooo! Yippee skippee!

The commuting 1 1/2 hours to work and 1 1/2 hours home really bites the big weenie. (Dive, I don't know how you do it). Traveling for business is also not what it's cracked up to be either. Yesterday I drove over 500 miles in one day. That is freakin' exhausting.

Luckily where I am going I will still be dealing with some of the same customers - Librarians so I won't go cold turkey.

Dec. 19th is my last day and I'm excited and nervous and all those things that you get when you start a new job.

It's good though, it's all good.

For the next week and 1/2 I will be trying to wrap up as many of my accounts as possible and make the transition as smooth as I can.

Now you know why I haven't been on the blogosphere lately.

BUT...I will be back.

Just not very often until things settle down.

Be well all!

Peace!

10 comments:

Shark Butt said...

Congratulations and best wishes!

Middle Girl said...

ooo how exciting! A new adventure! Congratulations and yes, very best wishes.

BTW I don't usually even think about putting up the tree until the 15th or so. This weekend we'll be pulling the stuffs from the storage cube.

neetzy said...

I loved Wall-E (or however you spell it).

Congrats on the job change. I think it will do you good.

We braved a weird freak snowstorm to get our fat tree. The snow landed and froze on the roads instantly. We only had maybe an inch of accumulation, but driving was horrific. Of course we had to find our tree on top of a mountain! It will not get decorated until Saturday or Sunday.

Shazza said...

SB - thanks! I am looking foward to the new challenge!

Deb - Bless you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who waits til mid-December! You and I are cut from the same cloth I often think!

Neetz - Bravin a freak snowstorm to find your Christmas tree is a story to embellish and add onto for years to come!!!

Vic Hubbard said...

Well Shazza, it sounds like this new job is the best Christmas present you could've given yourself...probably M, too. Sylvia decorated the house two weekends ago. I worked for FedEx for 16 years and still don't have the whole HO HO HO feeling. I still pretty much hate the whole freakin' commercial "lets be nice for the season" BS. I think everyone should be good to each other all the time...but, I was a solid stoner most of my youth and it has obviously skewed my sense of reality. Enjoy the new job and the time you will be saving.

dive said...

Many congratulations on your new job, Shazza! Woohoo!
Working from home will be wonderful, but you need to be disciplined about it.
I work from home two days a week (the only way I can face the commute the rest of the time) but I still get up at the same time (04:40) and get dressed for work (though I have an hour's lie-in with breakfast and coffee, watching the news and then a yummy bath instead of a rushed shower).
I usually start work a little after six and by lunchtime have already done most of a good day's work (plus some … er … blogging). It's great to have those three hours before people get into the office and start emailing me. Very productive.
After a leisurely lunch I can carry on working for a few hours then watch a movie or do what the heck I want(as long as I'm there to field emails and phone calls).
And after all that I still have several free hours before my normal commuting home time.
You are SO going to love it!

And I am SO glad I don't decorate the house at Christmas. Sheesh!

mccutcheon said...

Congrats on the new job! It sure is an exciting adventure - I know that now :)

Presbyfruit's History Bits said...

Congrats on the job and especially the working from home bit.

Is that what that old people smell is? I thought it was from only once a week hairdo-washing-and-setting.

And screw the Christmas tree.

Shazza said...

Vic - Thanks, it is a great present and I'm really looking forward to it. I would guess working for FedEx around the holidays would pretty much suck the spirit out of you.

I want to see stoner pictures!

Dive - Thank you sir! I find that I put in a lot more hours working from home. They may not always be consecutive hours, but as long as I get the job done who cares! I'll send you the brain in cello that is on my desk if you want it!

McC!!! Hey lady...good to see you and thank you very much!

Presby - moth balls and well...soggy depends? ew
I like the Christmas tree too much not to put it up.

Vic Hubbard said...

LOL! I'll see what I can find, Shazza:D I've never been too fond of getting my picture taken, so there aren't a bunch out there. I can think of one, though. I'll scan it and email you.