That time of year

Okay - as it's December 31st, it's officially time to assess the year past and figure out where the next year is headed. During 2008 I:

• Ended a relationship
• Worked a second job
• Moved into a new apartment
• Became a capable housekeeper
• Reconnected with old friends
• Went to the gym faithfully for 2/3 of the year
• Baked a Cheesecake
• Had a lot of fun with Asrai

That's a pretty decent list if you ask me. Granted there are loads of things I won't include (some examples are that I changed the litter box an average of 1.2 times per week, went to the gynecologist, things like that). But I think that's enough for the big 2-0-0-8.

2009's a whole new pot of spaghetti though, and I'm ready to make some Resolutions - here's the plan:

• Grow my hair past my shoulders
• Go to the gym faithfully for 4/5 of the year (I'm not even going to bother pushing this one in November and December)
• Continue my trend of keeping the house tidy - and try to stay more on top of the dirty laundry situation
• Learn how to make baked Alaska
• Learn how to operate the new sewing machine
• Keep having fun with Asrai while she's still young enough to like me
• Write more

Also, a totally rocking list, if I do say so myself. I didn't add boring things like change the litterbox an average of 1.4 times per week, or FINALLY quit those last few cigarettes I seem to be smoking every day. I am hoping those will evolve on their own, and if they don't - I don't want to feel like 2009 was a total failure.

I'd also like to lose a few pounds, however, I weigh just what I did when I started this year, which is very much better than weighing more, right? So I'm not going to push myself - if I work out and stick to a daily dietary regimen of cheesecake and pasta, I should break even, right?

The Overeducated, Underemployed, Pretty F@cking Complacent Girl's Guide to Relationships

This is the first book that Kathryn and I started working on back in 2006.

Thoughtful Chapters include:

1. I'd rather stay home with my cats
2. If he really loves you, he'll clean the house
3. Avoiding familial nagging about your single status
4. The big "O" - why you don't need him
5. 101 ways to introduce yourself without looking like a desperate dumbass

I'll try to visit the different chapters in future blog posts - but this is what I've got for major headings at the moment.

The Great Pigeon Rescue of 2008

Here in Libby Hall, we occasionally get birds that fly into our big air ducts (they're the size that toddlers could walk around in - we're not talking Baby Jessica-type spots, more roomy) and they twitter and tweet very loudly and we all feel guilty - then we'll take the grate off, and try to woo them with bird seed and water, and after a while they go away (or they die, but I'd like to think they find a way to escape and are maybe living in the break room or something like that).

Well, least week the twittering and tweeting started, and what sounded like wings thrashing around. Angela and I took off the grate and she put some seed and water in for it. Eventually it was comfortable enough to let us see it, but not to come out.

This morning, someone came and rescued that little bird, who I have named Sally - it's a baby pigeon - and so effing cute, I just want to bite it (I refrained). I got to hold it (then I promptly washed my hands, so as to avoid the pesky bird flu) and it was sweet - I wish I could take it home, but Acie and Gracie would just think I'd brougth them a live snack - and that wouldn't end well for anyone.

The gentleman who did the rescue is bringing little Sally over to the animal science or something people - hopefully they'll be able to nurture her and get her ready for a long life of living under a bridge and pooping on strangers!! Yay for Sally!!!!

Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me, so I had to google the closest picture I could find to my beloved Sally:

Somebody stop me!!!

I have a little problem. It's money related. Unfortunately - my little problem is NOT that I have too much money - it's not even that I don't have enough money - it's that money runs through me like a sieve. I've been caught up in this rush of excitement with Christmas shopping and really have no explanation for all the money I've spent. Tsk Tsk Tsk!!! I'm like the US government - just spend spend spend!!!

I just love presents. Presents FOR me are okay - but I absolutely crave the excitement of finding the perfect gift for another person - and unfortunately for me, Asrai is SUPER easy to shop for - everywhere I turn around - woo hoo - there's another perfect gift!! She's going to think Santa was smoking heroin when he put together her presents this year because there are so effing many of them. Thank goodness we have a basement!

I do feel bad about it - because the economy is in the toilet, and when I can't afford to buy groceries at some point in March, I'm going to look at all those American Girl doll accessories and outfits and curse my loose purse strings. They're just so goddamn cute. Whose fault is that???? Hello - it's got to be Mattel.

Seriously though, I don't know why I'm worried about the future. If I were an uber-Christian, I'd probably think the end of days was coming - when people are trampling employees to death at Wal-Mart and shooting each other at Toys R' Us over deals - nevermind the pregnant woman injured in a mall shooting in Atlanta - something is very wrong with the world. And while I'm not a very religious person - I do see the irony in people killing each other over cheap toys for the holiday celebrating Jesus's birth.

I'm not one to dwell on the negative, so I'll move on.

Tonight begins the two weeks of my person hell. For the next 16 days I have one day off - and most of the rest of the days I'll be working both jobs. I have two days off from LLBean in the next 16 days. Yuck-O. But - It will help compensate for my dreadful purchasing practices of late. Tsk Tsk Tsk. Honestly, I enjoy the LLBean work - it doesn't require any brainpower from me - I can be pleasant and present on the phone with one hand tied behind my back - oh yes. Unfortunately my day job is not quite so lenient. Such is life. In 22 days it will be Christmas, and all will be well with the world!!!

O Christmas Tree - O Christmas Tree

I am a big fan of Christmas. I'm into all Christmas-related items and activities. I enjoy shopping and decorating, baking - all of it is gold to me. It's become a tradition of mine to go and get my Christmas Tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Yesterday I dutifully went to an ATM and got cash out. I'd already called around for prices (the lowest anywhere is $25 - which is a sure sign of inflation if you ask me). I stopped where I guy had a whole bunch of trees set up in a parking lot, and was going to go back there (he's a local guy, seemed to make sense) - but then I saw that they had a bunch of trees at the Blue Seal store. We picked the skinniest tree we could find - not that I don't love big, full trees - it's just that the spot we have for the tree is near the doorway into the kitchen and a full tree could keep us from being able to get in there.

Yes - we got a skinny tree. When I got it home, I noticed that some of the branches at the bottom of the tree had been broken when it was bundled up (the tree was bundled with rope when we bought it), and that alarmed me a bit, but you have to cut the bottom off the tree in order to let it get water, so I didn't think much of it.

I stood it up in the stand and screwed it in while Azi held it straight, then she cut the rope, and immediately all sorts of branches started falling off. Apparently when they packaged our tree, they weren't very gentle with it - hell, maybe it fell off the truck or something. I decided that it's just a plus, because we've got to have the tree against the back window, and the huge bald spot actually gives it a nice, flush fit against the wall.

However, today it was bugging me a bit that the tree was so very obviously sub-par - so I called Blue Seal - I just wanted to voice my concerns and let them know they ought to check the other trees - the fact is that they're paying for those trees from somewhere and are getting a pretty shite deal. The lovely woman at Blue Seal offered me a partial discount on my tree - and when I stopped by at lunch time she gave me 1/3 of my money back - none too shabby!!

I also had to return some items to Penney's today. I spent a weeeeeeeeee bit too much money there on Friday when I was sleep deprived and debit-card happy - tsk tsk tsk.

The most important thing I did this weekend was to take this AWESOME picture of our cat Acie. She is apparently not a big fan of Christmas or hats.