After the dust of Christmas has settled

I can't believe Christmas was just barely a week ago.

Where did the time go?

Anyway, I hope everybody had a FABULOUS Christmas.

I got some fantastic things this year.

I love all things Evita.





















I'm still a kid at heart.




















Don't judge. It makes me happy.





















You try scooping pasta out with a spoon and fork.  Not.  Easy.





















A rather scary looking knife.  Slices, dices, chops and wards off home invaders!














A super cute sifter.




















My Keurig machine with hazelnut syrup which is tasty if

you mix it with dark hot chocolate!  Then it taste like melted Nutella in a cup.  Yum!

Merry Christmas!!!

It's kind of strange to realize that Christmas is here (and nearly gone) already!  Perhaps this is because I work in retail and we plan for Christmas early.

In June.

No, I'm not kidding.

Anyway - just wanted to say


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Cookies, cookies, cookies!

If you want to feel Christmasy in a flash...just put up a live tree and bake cookies!  Let me tell you, your place will smell FANTASTIC!

Especially if you make Snickerdoodles!





















Or chocolate shortbread!























Or mint chocolate chip cookies (aka Grinch cookies)!




















Or cut out cookies!

So...need a little Christmas?  Spray the Pine-Sol (or, you know, get a real tree and real pine smell) and bake up some cookies!  You'll be feeling Christmasy in no time!

Stories from the Front Lines of Retail

I work at a retail store in the historic shopping district of a small-ish town.  It's popular with all sorts of people: tourists, people with more money than sense, rude people, smart people, nice people, idiots, etc.  This can lead to some interesting stories.  Some stick out more than others.  This is one of my favorite exchanges of the day:

"So, if I don't see a jar of something...do you not have it?"
"Uh, no.  I can jar it up for you." (That's me, by the way.)
"So you'll jar it up?  In a jar, right?"
"Yeah, I'll jar it up for you."
"But that will be in a jar, right?  Because I want it in a jar.  So, you'll jar it up?"

At this point I just smile broadly and go jar it up.

Seriously.  It's not rocket science...

Merry Christmas to me!

I got a tree.

Yes, a Christmas tree.  A real one - for the first time in almost twenty years.

I had kinda given up on getting one, to be perfectly honest.  I figured because I was working so much that I just wasn't going to get to it this year.  But I was pleasantly surprised!

Monday night (when it was frozen tundra temperatures) I texted my best friend if she wanted to go get my tree that night.  She said no but that she was free Tuesday night.  So I thought, "What the hell?  I have nothing going on Tuesday night.  Let's go get a tree!"

Side note: no, it wasn't much warmer Tuesday night.

Anyway, we get to the tree lot.  I realize that A) I know nothing about trees and B) I have no stand for my tree.  Thankfully, the man at the lot couldn't have been nicer.  He helped me pick out a really nice tree (8 feet for $45!) and cut it to fit.

My best friend and I get to Meijer.  We scrounge around for lights and a stand.  They only had one.  And it's for trees no larger than 7 feet.  Weeellll....we'll just say a little prayer that it works.

We get back to my apartment, unload the tree and get it upstairs.  Smartly - we moved the furniture BEFORE the tree arrival.

Get it in the corner.





















Put on lights.






















Garland.





















Ornaments.

Ta-da!





















My FIRST Christmas tree!

Winter Driving

So, I drove out to my parents for dinner in the midst of a winter storm.  Watching the weather you would have believed that it was the storm to end all the storms.

Pfft.  Please, it was an awful lot of hullabaloo about nothing.  At least where we were at.  I mean, sure.  There was some blowing snow but as long as you use your brain (you know, the electric jelly located between your ears) it was fine.  Just don't go too fast and you'll make it to your destination all fine and dandy.

Having not driven in winter weather out to where my parents live - in the middle of cornfields - in quite some time I was a tad nervous if I would forget how to drive in the snow.  Honestly, this is one skill that I do not want to get rusty on.  Mostly because I figure that I would remember at some point while almost dying and pull the car over and listen to my heart pound in my ears...baBoombaBoombaBoombaBoom....

I am pleased to say, that it is like riding a bike!  Well, I'm sure it is if I could actually ride a bike.  But, I digress.  And that's another post for another day.  Short of a few rough patches, I made it out there alright.  Sure, I had to go about 35 on a 55 mph road...but in these conditions that's alright!

For those who don't drive out in the country during the winter all that often, roads can kind of be rated on how fast you can go:
55+ : Snow, what snow?
45 - 55: Eh, be a bit cautious, but you're alright
40 - 45: Okay, things are getting a bit dicey...just pay a little more attention
30 - 35: Roads are not great, but just keep both hands on the wheel and you're okay
20 - 25: Holy crap...radio off, cell phone silent, hands gripping the steering wheel with ninja grip
15 - 20: Mother of God...you're still allowed to drive in this?  Time to start singing "Jesus Take The Wheel"...
10 - 15:  Start praying.  Jesus, Buddha, Brahman....they're all your buddies now!
5 - 10: WHY ARE YOU DRIVING? Park the car, walk home.  It's not worth it.

Winter

I wanted to post this before I remembered exactly how much I hate winter.  Right now, it's still kind of novel and pretty.  That should all change promptly tomorrow when I leave for work.  The temperature is supposed to plummet and the winds are supposed to pick up.  Hooray.  But, before then, I want to at least acknowledge that some people do enjoy winter.

The white streaks are not an error (well, fine...maybe a "user" error).  It was snowing at a pretty good clip and my camera capture them this way.  I think it looks kind of cool. 

 I realize, that it may also look slightly "Narnia"-esque...

As I said - I am not one of them and never will be.  But, for a moment, it is kind of pretty.