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floatingleafAs I might have mentioned, I was still off today, so I decided to do some last-minute Christmas shopping (yesterday was filled up with getting groceries and cooking, as well as phoning my dear friend in Poland whose birthday is today; btw, she is the same friend I had called before on my international cellphone plan, this was the third time we talked so far, and even though we kept getting disconnected, it was still great to hear her, and she sounded very happy to know I haven't forgotten...;). Mostly I wanted to get a little something for the three friends I am meeting for dinner the week after Christmas; but as it usually happens when I am not looking for anything specific, I found a whole bunch of stuff for myself instead.:P Including the jacket I had been hunting for since early fall. I probably won't get to wear it until next spring, since it's a pretty light spring/fall jacket - but I absolutely love the style and the color (a smoky greyish-green), and it was marked down from a hundred bucks to $39, so really... it would have been stupid not to grab it.:D Plus, it does fit very nicely - makes me look almost slim, in fact, which is pretty outstanding for a jacket. I just have to make sure not to gain any more weight this winter... *bites lip* ;)
I also bought a new cookbook, for all of $4.99. It's called "QuickCook Chicken", and claims to offer a 30-minute, 20-minute and 10-minute version of each recipe. Frankly, anything that can be cooked (from scratch) in less than 30 minutes sounds suspicious to me (somehow, it always takes me at least an hour, no matter how "quick" the preparation instructions seem to be) - but we shall see. I flipped through it and it does look like most of the meals included are light, easy and appetizing, with plenty of Mediterranean and Oriental influences. Which is right up my alley. I've been in need of some new inspiration in the culinary department...
So, it wasn't a wasted shopping trip, all things considered - but if I hear that damned song about Rudolf one more time, I just might lose it and start behaving really out of character (i.e., in a rude and violent manner). Just saying.
Tomorrow is our department holiday lunch at work, after which they might or might not let us go home early (usually they do, LOL). Because of this, I didn't schedule any PTO hours. I am leaving early both on Wednesday AND Thursday, though. And on Friday I am off again.:) Btw, we are supposed to get a massive winter storm on Thursday. We haven't had ANY snow so far, so it will indeed be a big event IF it happens.:D There have also supposedly been major improvements to the Chicago public transport system as of yesterday - not that I noticed. A number of bus & train lines are supposed to be running more frequently "to avoid overcrowding". I can only hope this includes the lines I normally take to work. I guess I'll see if my commute is any quicker tomorrow...
Since this is such a mundane, practical post, I might just as well mention that I failed to send any holiday cards this year. I wasn't exactly planning on it, since I haven't been doing it for the past few years - but now that I have several new people on my flist with whom I feel a deeper connection, I'm thinking maybe I should have. I just haven't managed to find the time and/or energy to think about it far enough in advance, since I am "out of habit". And since I wasn't sure if I would get my act together to send anything to anyone, I haven't signed up to receive a card from anyone either. Even if there are a few of you I would be very pleased to get "snail mail" from. Well... next year, perhaps.:)
I used to send tons of snail mail, btw. I was an avid "pen pal" throughout my teens and twenties. I just sort of started "downsizing" on it as soon as I discovered the internet. Which probably saved me from getting severe scoliosis (I am short-sighted and tend to keep my head really low and to the side while writing by hand, which causes major discomfort after a while). At this point, I can't imagine being able to handle more that a few postcards at a time (I am also extremely obsessive-compulsive when it comes to handwriting; I do it forcefully and with ridiculous amounts of perfectionism, causing my hand to cramp up after mere minutes - I could never make myself do it otherwise). But if you happen to be one of those people who enjoy sending handwritten cards/letters, and you want to add me to your list, let me know and I'll see what I can do.;)
That's it for now, methinks. I'll be checking in again this week, I suppose, but in the unlikely event that I don't, have a very merry Christmas/Yule/Winter Solstice or whatever else it is you celebrate.:D
I also bought a new cookbook, for all of $4.99. It's called "QuickCook Chicken", and claims to offer a 30-minute, 20-minute and 10-minute version of each recipe. Frankly, anything that can be cooked (from scratch) in less than 30 minutes sounds suspicious to me (somehow, it always takes me at least an hour, no matter how "quick" the preparation instructions seem to be) - but we shall see. I flipped through it and it does look like most of the meals included are light, easy and appetizing, with plenty of Mediterranean and Oriental influences. Which is right up my alley. I've been in need of some new inspiration in the culinary department...
So, it wasn't a wasted shopping trip, all things considered - but if I hear that damned song about Rudolf one more time, I just might lose it and start behaving really out of character (i.e., in a rude and violent manner). Just saying.
Tomorrow is our department holiday lunch at work, after which they might or might not let us go home early (usually they do, LOL). Because of this, I didn't schedule any PTO hours. I am leaving early both on Wednesday AND Thursday, though. And on Friday I am off again.:) Btw, we are supposed to get a massive winter storm on Thursday. We haven't had ANY snow so far, so it will indeed be a big event IF it happens.:D There have also supposedly been major improvements to the Chicago public transport system as of yesterday - not that I noticed. A number of bus & train lines are supposed to be running more frequently "to avoid overcrowding". I can only hope this includes the lines I normally take to work. I guess I'll see if my commute is any quicker tomorrow...
Since this is such a mundane, practical post, I might just as well mention that I failed to send any holiday cards this year. I wasn't exactly planning on it, since I haven't been doing it for the past few years - but now that I have several new people on my flist with whom I feel a deeper connection, I'm thinking maybe I should have. I just haven't managed to find the time and/or energy to think about it far enough in advance, since I am "out of habit". And since I wasn't sure if I would get my act together to send anything to anyone, I haven't signed up to receive a card from anyone either. Even if there are a few of you I would be very pleased to get "snail mail" from. Well... next year, perhaps.:)
I used to send tons of snail mail, btw. I was an avid "pen pal" throughout my teens and twenties. I just sort of started "downsizing" on it as soon as I discovered the internet. Which probably saved me from getting severe scoliosis (I am short-sighted and tend to keep my head really low and to the side while writing by hand, which causes major discomfort after a while). At this point, I can't imagine being able to handle more that a few postcards at a time (I am also extremely obsessive-compulsive when it comes to handwriting; I do it forcefully and with ridiculous amounts of perfectionism, causing my hand to cramp up after mere minutes - I could never make myself do it otherwise). But if you happen to be one of those people who enjoy sending handwritten cards/letters, and you want to add me to your list, let me know and I'll see what I can do.;)
That's it for now, methinks. I'll be checking in again this week, I suppose, but in the unlikely event that I don't, have a very merry Christmas/Yule/Winter Solstice or whatever else it is you celebrate.:D
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-18 04:01 am (UTC)Enjoy your holiday lunch and your time off. You'll probably be glad that you're not working Friday if that storm does hit. What is it about the first snowfall of the year that makes everyone bonkers???
Wishing you a joyous celebration of the season! Peace & hope to you.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-18 04:33 am (UTC)It's supposed to start Wednesday night, actually. I'm hoping it's an overblown prognosis, as usual.;)
Joyous season to you as well! <3