Okay, one more for the year

I have already started moving forward with my plans for the New Year. I have enrolled in an online course for 'Practical Skills' for veterinary assistants. AND, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of a couple books on the same subject. Class starts January 20 and basically lessons are released every Wednesday and Friday for 6 weeks. I am excited to take this class because, even though it's an online course, working in a vet hospital will allow me to ask my co-workers if I'm confused or need a real life demonstration.

I also am planning on starting a fun project with my sister this spring. I have no idea how it's going to work out, but I think it will be a blast. My father bought her a '67 Barracuda that they started fixing. My brother go involved and money probably ran out and any number of crazy family things could've happened...whatever it was, the car has sat and Dad has tried selling it. Now, with my fathers deteriorating health, he is in a wheelchair and has had a ramp built out his side door...it has blocked the car into the back yard. I, with my extra time to think about how to spend my time, had the idea to work with my sister to fix the car. Of course it will take some time due to timing...around work and other obligations. But she also said there are just a few minor things that need fixing. Oh, and money will be a bit of an issue...we will only be able to do what we can when we have the money. Especially since it needs 4 new tires, among the other bits.

It looks like this, except 'ours' is black and not so shiny, YET.

So stayed tuned...I may even start a separate blog to chronicle the car adventure. We shall see.

December 30, 2009

I figure this to probably be my last blog of 2009, but you never know, something magical may happen between now and January 1 that I simply can't wait to post. I guess we'll have to see about that.
At any rate, we are coming up to the end of this year pretty quickly. I am finally relaxing at home for a full day off from work. I have just put in a 7-day work week, which is just kind of strange with Christmas falling in there. It is nice to have the extra hours now, though, since Saturday was my last day at the bagel shop, after all. Not that 'not going to work' is actually a 'day off', but I find I am being forced to relax today. Since Monday, I have had a 'kink' in my neck that has progressively gotten worse. I am to the point where it is dangerous to drive as I can't turn my head to either side without being in excruciating pain. The heating pad and I have become great friends over last night and this morning. It's not really helping with the pain, but the warmth feels nice! I figure it is due to the intense cold we've been experiencing and me being sort of hunchbacked to keep warm while out walking the dogs.
But, as I said...no 'days off' really. The house certainly isn't going to clean itself (I've given up waiting for that to happen). This morning, Hubby and I got coffee before he went off to work, to give us a chance to chit-chat a bit. Then, off to run my errands: transfer station, bank, grocery store, feed store for dog food, then back home to clean. Since I am not scheduled to work again until Monday, I am quitting for today to rest my neck and back, and I will pick up again tomorrow. The house is mostly clean from having family over for Christmas Eve, anyway.
Now, for the new year.
Priority #1, obviously: find new job! I have been told by a friend who works for the company that I am hoping will find a place for me, that if I keep bugging them, and let them know I would be okay working til midnight, that I could possibly get in fairly quickly. While I am not a night owl, by any means, I could certainly make it work until they could find more reasonable hours for me. Or, maybe I'd love it? Who knows?
#2: get back into shape. This is not only a need to be healthy again, but almost a necessity to be productive at my current job. Lifting 50# bags of dog food is definitely easier if you are conditioned! And I'm sure it will keep the whiplash to a minimum.
#3: I'd love to take my Etsy stuff to the next level. I believe once I am on a schedule that doesn't have me getting up at 4:30a.m. that I will be able to focus more during the day. Right now, once noon rolls around, I feel like I've already put in an entire day and I'm ready for beddy. But I'd love to be able to use the daylight hours for creative purposes. I'm putting serious thought into making jewelry with my handmade paper. I think it would be a nice addition to my shop, but that means putting my efforts into yet another project instead of focusing on making what I already do, better. Perhaps a few months down the road I will move onto that? (Wow, this blogging stuff really helps to work through things!)
Being the simple girl I am, I guess that's all I have for the new year's expectations. Although, I am also putting more effort into my current job. I had my first review yesterday. It was my '90 day review' but it was late. Although, working only 2 days a week there, I'm probably just about 90 days 'worked'. Anyway, it was all positive. They really like me and the manager said the owner (who is also one of the doctors) is really pleased with me. I knew I was doing okay...I mean, I walk, clean, feed dogs and cats and help with restraining animals for shots and x-rays and stuff...not rocket science. But they have changed my job title and description. I believe it is their hope that I will learn what the technicians do and possibly start taking bloods and giving vaccines when they are in a bind. For me, this is really an enormous step forward. I have been giving second thoughts to actually wanting to learn these things, but then I go back and forth. So, for me to feel comfortable, I want to learn outside the job too. I can certainly learn on the job, but I also like not going into things 'blind'. I guess that could be Priority #4: learn veterinary medicine in spare time!! :)

Celebratorily speaking (yes, I believe I did just make up a word), we are having dinner with friends for new year's eve. Originally, we were going to do our usual dinner at our favorite tapas restaurant in town. We have never had a bad experience there, and you never feel like they just want you to eat and get out so they can turn over their tables. And they serve their regular menu on new year's eve, which so few restaurants do around here. But, sadly, they are closed for the holidays and there are rumors flying that they are in the process of selling. Sad.
Instead, we are joining a couple of friends who have reserved a table for another friends' band's show. Last year, we went just to see the band, I saw the crowd inside, and we drove back home. This year, they said if you plan on seeing the show, you must make reservations. Having our original plans squashed, we decided to go for it and added ourselves to the list. It should be fun, though, as most of our friends will likely be there, as they all know the band. Plus, having a table for dinner means no fighting for floor space to stand on all night. I should be fun.

So, what are your new year's eve plans...and plans for the new year? Something fun and inspirational, I hope.

The Christmas Eve party wet okay. I, of course, kept thinking of how I could have made it better and the things I did wrong. But I was reassured by a phone call today that it was a fine party and everyone was just happy to be able to get together for a night of conversation, games, trivia, and all 'round silliness. When the girls in my family get together, you better be ready for some laughs!

My kimono was so pretty! I was so excited when I got the package and I just couldn't wait to wear it. My only wish is that I had been able to spend a little more on a proper obi. I basically just wrapped some of Sisters pretty fabric around my waist and held it up with my yoga strap!! Another scrap of material was 'bloused' in the back to give the illusion that I had an authentic obi. (I didn't get any shots of that, though.) The picture isn't great, but I have to say, I kind of like the grainy texture of some of my photos after trying to 'fix' the exposure on the computer.

I wrapped all of my swap gifts in scraps of fabric. I thought it made for pretty packages. Auntie even specifically picked a gift for the fabric it was warpped in!!

We used our giant nutcracker as our 'gift protector', and I, of course, had to get another picture of me, with him!

I made Sakitinis when people arrived. I even ordered a can of Lychees to use in place of olives. Spicy snacks in pretty bowls were really enough to make me happy. I think I may have a problem...I love pretty bowls!

Steph made a BEAUTIFUL cake. It was a sponge cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh fruit. A traditional Japanese Christmas would include this dessert. I felt terrible because we never actually got to eat it! She and I had a small piece, but it was really late and everyone was getting ready to leave when we remembered it was there. Like I said...laughs galore...we just forget everything else!

The 'make-your-own' sushi wasn't the grand event I thought it would be, but it was fun. A few of us made some rolls and everyone just shared. When the party moved into the living room, we just never made it back in to make more. I didn't mean for this to look so dirty...My first sushi roll turned out HUGE and I meant for this to be like a cigar!!

I had also made Miso Soup from scratch (I boiled the seaweed to make the stock and everything!), and everyone liked that. I burned most of the tempura vegetable 'nests' but apparently my youngest sister likes burnt food...she ate most of them. I was glad for that, since I was pretty sure the mistake had spoiled the party.

Moxie fit right in with or 'theme' (since pugs were originally bred for Chinese Royalty, I think, and I was pretty loose with Japanese theme...I called it 'Asian'). Auntie dressed in a pretty '50's inspire dress with an obi-type sash and a pretty Asian parasol (which I didn't get pictures of). And baby sister dressed as Anime Gothic Lolita (? I'm not sure the proper term...she and our other sister had gone to an Anime convention and made cute outfits to wear there). I wish I could have that blue hair always.

Now...for the 'racy' swap gift I got. I almost didn't include it because it was so random. And completely un-p.c. But, I put it together with one of my handmade paper ornaments with origami so that it was just a birthday card. And, actually, my sister got it and she had wanted one of my ornaments anyway. She thought the card was funny, too, though, so...

Here it is...
It is a birthday card from from the '50's. Inside it says, 'No plesant' and in the bottom corner it says, 'so solly please'. It is one of those things you just can't believe...but it is vintage...this used to be an acceptable birthday card to give to someone! It is strange how times change.

It's Coming...

So, today was my last chance to get the bulk of my Holiday errands done. And boy, did I make the most of it. I have been washing dishes, washing linens, cleaning the kitchen, making dashi soup stock for my miso soup, shopping, more shopping (all food and liquor...no more gifts!), wrapping gifts (still have to wrap Hubby's stuff, though), shoveling the driveway, and much, much more. I went to bed last night thinking, 'oh, crap! I need space in my driveway for 2 more cars!' So, today I had to shovel a lot more of my driveway than I normally would.

Not a great picture, but it's hard to get good contrast in a picture of snow. But, I think, and boy oh boy do I hope, that this will be the last of my shoveling duties for awhile!

On another note, but still related to Christmas, I am actually looking forward to Christmas Day. After work, of course. My hubby is...well, his family is Jewish. His parents took him and his older brother to Temple until they were each Bar Mitvah-ed, then they were left to decide for themselves what they believed. But Christmas is such a high profile holiday that just about everybody is home for the day (or more), so everybody celebrates in their own way. I left most of my family back in Michigan when I was 20 and moved out East with my Aunt (my mom's baby sister...she is just 4 years older than I). Then a few years later, my mom and dad moved my sisters out here. Before we had family out here, Aunt and I just spent the holidays with any other friends of ours who were without family. It was a ton of fun...just friends having dinner and hanging out. When there was more family, we decided to do Christmas Eve together so that we could still have Christmas day for fun with friends. Hubby's Jewish tradition was to go to the movies and have Chinese food for Christmas day, as that was about all that was open for business on Christmas Day when he was a kid. Every year, the theater gets more and more crowded and the Chinese restaurants seem to do a good business...and I don't really think it's because more Jews are moving to the area...but, I could be wrong.

Anyway, this year, we may be doing Christmas Day with friends! I'm kind of excited, as I really miss that from the 'old days'. Plus, this Christmas we are seeing the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr.

Now, I know he has had a sorted past with all the drug use and whatnot.

But, I just get so gooey inside when I see him. I remember so little from my youth, but one thing I remember was my grandmother taking Aunt and I to see Chances Are. I'm pretty sure it was his first movie, and I'm pretty sure he was the reason I wanted to see it.

Hubby mentioned a second option, but I can't remember what it was and I'm pretty sure if he goes to see the other one, we'll be seeing different movies!

Oh, and I can't wait for A CHRISTMAS STORY to start tomorrow night!! I love that movie!

my goodness, the 'to do' list does grow!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) was going to be my last chance to do my last minute bits for my Family Dinner on Thursday (since I will be working Thursday morning, I only have a couple hours to get ready before people arrive). I have to get to the transfer station to take care of my mounding recycling and trash. That may end up as me taking a bag of trash to work with me to dump in the 'company' bin. We'll see. It is just that, after this ridiculous storm, our roads are crap. The storm was Sunday. It is now Tuesday night. The road I live on is basically one lane of tire tracks. The 'main' roads are fairly clear, but they thaw during the day just to freeze when the temperature begins to drop again in the evening. It is really sad how badly they deal with this weather out here. I guess 'hearty New Englanders' can only be if there is a 4-wheel drive in the driveway?
At any rate, due to the roads and my Chevy Cavalier not getting along too well, I am driving as little as possible. As luck would have it, my dad called yesterday asking me about his dog, Chin. He's having issues with his 'be-hind'. My dad is pretty much housebound in a wheelchair and can't easily get his puppy to the doctor. So, knowing that I am working at an animal hospital, he asked me a few things and I ended up offering to drive out to take a look at Chin. I'm not a Vet. I'm not a Technician. I have merely assisted with a few things and I am confident, if the problem is just what I think it is, that I can take care of it at home. We shall see, I suppose, but that means driving out to his place which is a 45 minute drive on a good day. I'm meeting my sister there so she can help before she goes to work. Then I can stop off at the grocery store near Dad's house and finish my food shopping for my party, and hopefully get home with enough time to do all the prep I need to finish before Thursday.
I had ordered some of my Japanese staples from an Asian grocer online. I forgot some stuff, well, actually, I realized too late that it was a lot cheaper online than at the grocery stores here...so, I placed another order, fingers crossed that I would get it in time. Every day I tracked the package on FedEx. With the storm, I think, it seemed to be pushed from a Saturday/Monday delivery to Tuesday (today). After work, seeing no package, I checked the tracking to see that it had been 'left on front porch'. But where is it??? With flashlight in hand, I searched the front yard. There are no footprints to my front door, and no package at my side door. My brilliant mind deduced that the neighbors must have it. But how do you go to your neighbors and say, 'do you have a package for me?' Well, I didn't have to, as minutes after Hubby drove off to play poker, the doorbell rang and the girl from across the street said, 'I think this is yours. Your 38, right?' Yippeeeee! I've never been so happy to get a box full of seaweed!!
Unfortunately(Fortunately?) Christmas week does not mean any extra time off for me. Instead, I am off tomorrow (so that I can run errands and get ready for Thursday...and now help dad), but then I work a short day Thursday, then Friday morning, Saturday is my last day at the bagel shop and then I am going straight over to the Vet.Hospital to work til close, then I'll be working Sunday (the other kennel girl is leaving Thursday through Sunday)...then my usual Monday, Tuesday shifts. However, after that, I am flying by the seat of my pants, working only 2 days a week. I have exactly 2 weeks to find another job before I start to worry about the mortgage payments. Despite all of that, I am eager to be done with bagels! (Though, I'll miss the free coffee!)
I think I'll end your misery, whoever has managed to hold on till the end of this amazingly dull post....
I am hoping to get lots of fun shots at the party Thursday...

ho-hum

Not really...we finally got snow!! Our friend just turned ...gulp...47 yesterday. She has had quite a year, and not in a particularly good way. Keeping in mind her age, imagine your oldest daughter deciding she can't take care of her 3 year old daughter! Sadly, this friend is the SECOND of my friends to have this happen. I also know an ex-co-worker who is in her 50's who is now caring for her 15 and 10 year old grandchildren!!

Wait...I'm way off track from my original starting point here...

Friends decided T. needed a night out, so we all met up at a local bar and celebrated for a few hours. I was excited to go out, and as usual as the time grew nearer to actually leaving the house, I wanted to stay in. They had been predicting a massive snow storm for the area to start anywhere between 4pm and midnight. Everyone was meeting up at 5, Hubby was working til 6, and I had been begging for the snow to start since 2! Without the snow storm, we had no good reason to miss a friend's birthday party, so we went. And of course I had fun. I always do...it's just the act of leaving the house and GOING somewhere. Around 9 or so, half of the group moved on to the next bar; while the other half went home. Hubby and I hadn't eaten all day so we got a table and had dinner before we went home. It was a nice night. We actually got to see people we haven't seen in forever. And in a totally uncharacteristic move, I left Hubby's side and mingled!

But I think that's it for socializing until New Year's Eve. That means I can concentrate on MY party. I put the finishing touches on decorating the house yesterday.

I am so excited about these clever paper lanterns. I got a dozen of them on etsy (here) and they are so cool up close...dragonflies and koi...I just love them.

Today I'm making my eggnog...which is actually a recipe I got about 14 years ago from one of Hubby's co-workers. But I have consistently made it EVERY YEAR. One year I cut the batch in half because it makes so much, but then I was sad to not have any left over for Christmas day...so now it's all or nothing (so...ALL).

I'm also going to try my hand at homemade green tea ice cream. I don't have an ice cream maker, so it will probably be a little more checking and stirring, but the recipe seems fairly simple.

I'll be wrapping gifts today, trying to find some fun Japanese music on Pandora (which is proving to be quite difficult), a little bit of 'maintenance' cleaning, and shoveling my car out for work tomorrow. I'm hoping there will be some time for a glass of scotch, a fire, and gazing at the snow, too.

Some of my chores for the day will have to wait until Wednesday since I can't really get out of my drive or down the road right now.

I am still excited to be leaving my bagel shop job. Last night I had a friend ask, 'so, I'll ask...what now? what do you want to be when you grow up?' To which I replied, 'That's the thing...I don't think I want to BE anything. I have never found one thing that holds my interest long enough to make it a lifelong thing.' Now, in the past, this has been sort of hard for me to accept, but I have such an odd feeling of joy from quitting my job I hate, while having nothing lined up to take it's place, that I think I've finally come to terms with this aspect of my personality. Something will come up. I mean, I can't NOT work...bills tend to keep coming whether or not money is coming in. But in the meantime, I have made sure there is enough to give me some time to find something. Hubby was offered a full-time position the day after I quit my job. And, being the type of person I am, if things get desperate, I don't have any problem taking what I can get until things heat up in the job market.

I'm actually happy again.

And I think this will help with my creative side. I am hoping to get some new stuff going, but I also have had some stuff in a shop in Maine...none of which as sold apparently...that I will likely have them send back after the new year. It's all stuff that I think is really cute, and I thought it might do better in a retail setting where people could see and touch (it's stuff I had sold at my first craft fair), but no luck there. oh, well...

Is everyone else ready for their Holiday parties? I told someone last night that our Christmas party is just like a night at the 'kid's table'! One of my favorite parts of being grown up...still getting to act like a kid. I am looking forward to all the laughs and silliness on Christmas Eve. Then, a movie and Chinese dinner on Christmas Day.

How about New Year's Eve? The past few years we've had plans then bailed and stayed in. This year, we have the same plan as last year, but I don't think Hubby's going to let me get away with 'it's too crowded in there, let's go home'. But I need that sometimes. Like I said, I always end up having fun...I just need to be pushed into it sometimes.

Friday afternoon...what to do?

I finally got to see snow today. This morning, during my 5am commute to work (I'm not sure 'commute' is the proper term since it's actually just a quick 10 minute drive down some long and winding roads), I saw snow. It was so pretty. Just some random flurries. Nothing sticking to the ground, no slippery roads...just pretty snow fluttering around me as I drove to work.
However, there is a storm on it's way, apparently. Hubby says it's supposed to start around 9 tomorrow evening, but I just heard on the radio that it won't start until midnight tomorrow. Regardless of when it actually will start, I had planned on getting an early start Sunday (not that I don't always get up at 6, but I had a schedule I needed to keep this time, so close to Christmas). I was going to go in early and get all my eggs and cream and milk for my eggnog so that I could make that Sunday afternoon (since it needs at least 3 days for the alcohol to ...um, 'mellow out'). And Hubby was going to get into town to do his shopping this weekend, too.
Now the plan is for us both to go in tonight. I have all kinds of food to buy, but I am trying to do it in stages so that everything is fresh for dinner. This really wouldn't be an issue if not for trying to get stuff done around work and snow storms! I have notes everywhere that I keep checking and re-checking just to make sure that I don't forget something important. I am also going to have to do a lot of prep Wednesday, since I do have to work the day of our dinner. The good news is that my co-worker is going to come in and work 10 to close so I can go home by noon at the very latest.
So, now, I'm just killing time before having to go shopping.
We were also planning on going out for a friend's birthday celebration (sounds like it's basically going to be a cape cod pub crawl), but if the weather turns out as bad as they say, I'd much rather sit by the fire with a glass of wine or scotch. I guess we'll see what happens.
On an unrelated note...I found another tail in my yard. I am sure it is a different one, as it is much bigger. But it's still by the side porch and appears to have come from a squirrel. Do they lose their tails? I mean, why are there animal tails strewn about my driveway?? Weird.
I think now, I will go search the internet for a hairstyle. I am saving money by not getting it cut, so it is at a very ugly stage where it just looks like a hair helmet. At least it's hat season!!