I should be at church, but here we are. I will be in mass quite a bit this week as it is. It's not really any excuse for not going today, but it's the one I'm going to use.

My schedule is all sorts of effed up due to the eight gazillion things that need to get done for all the Holy Week services "at" HNC. That at gets quotation marks since we're not actually in the building proper again. Chrism Mass will again be out at a north suburban church, the same as last year. What's fun about this year is that the church is approximately five minutes from our new home, which means I could feasibly go home, do something productive (or not), and come back to drive people back downtown. I could be getting paid to come home and do laundry, or to play World of Warcraft. This sounds pretty excellent to me. It will help a long day (11-8) seem a little shorter.

I have to go dress/outfit shopping this afternoon for Easter. Dinner is at Aunt Judi's, which is not so much of a big deal, clothes-wise, but brunch with Lowell's family is. I wore a nice top and jeans to his second cousin's bridal shower, which would have worked for my family but was FAR too underdressed for his. Looks like a dress will be necessary. Here's hoping to God I don't owe any taxes this year (HA), because I'm not going to have enough to pay them, even with the little bit of extra cash I'm getting at the end of this week. Thank God for babysitting.

Speaking of extra cash, I forgot to call Carol to tell her I can do this serving gig on Memorial Day weekend. It's a Christening party, so I don't see it lasting any more then five hours, and it's in the afternoon. This does kill a Saturday afternoon, but hey, I'll make at least 100 USD out of it, which is, a new skirt and top for the spring/summer, and a payment to Lowell for some vendor or another. All in degrees.

My mother is being kind enough to purchase a dress for me to wear to Kate's wedding (and possibly Lowell's second cousin's as well). Now I just have to make sure I will fit into it. I've still been walking, but I haven't been adjusting my diet too much, which is counteracting everything I'm trying to do. I used to be able to be strict with myself. I'm going to have to do it again. What is nice about this week is that the adjusted schedule might actually get me back on track with working out. I'm just going to have to push myself the way I did in college. I used to be able to get out of bed by 4:30, so as to be on a bus by 5:30 and in the gym by 6:15. The gym over here opens at 5:30. If I can get up then, I can be at the gym by 6:00 or 6:15, and be home to get ready for work in plenty of time. Just a matter of doing it. I am not happy with the way I look, and I'm the only one who can change it. I also don't want the "you need to lose weight" comments to continue. And the last thing I want is for my wedding dress to not fit.

Shower, then shopping, then domesticity, then relaxation in the form of World of Warcraft, Little Big Planet, Pokemon, and Amy Tan.

Working Christmas Eve at the store is usually fun. Despite the large party orders and such, it was. What wasn't fun was people coming in WAY too close to closing, so that we got out half an hour late. Booerns.

Kate came in, which was nice. We chatted about a few things going on in life right now, and she brought me a Gingerbread latte! Yay! <3 to Kate.

I get to spend tonight doing laundries and worrying that I'm going to fall and make a fool out of myself at Midnight Mass tonight. ><;; I have issues.

I'm very glad my cards are getting to their destinations. Huzzah!

Now, to clean out my car.

In case I don't get online tomorrow, Merry Christmas! ^^

The gentlemen left a window cracked open in the office. It was left open for long enough to give the office that lovely refridgerator feeling. Charming. And naturally, I'm running around without a coat of any kind. I really need to start leaving a blanket in the car again.

My goal for the day is to get payroll *completely* finished, so that I can just double-check everything on Monday and turn it in. I'm supposed to be here until three, though I might stay until three-thirty just to rack up a little more time so that I'm about even. I need to check and see how many hours I worked last week to figure out exactly when I can go home.

I went down south to pick up my paycheck at the store, but alas, it won't be in until later this afternoon. This is disheartening, as I wanted to get my gas and electric bills paid during my lunch break. I'm one of the only people in the office today -- my car's the only one in the back lot, actually -- so going upstairs for lunch might be a little awkward, to put it mildly. If I were insane, I'd go over to Macy's and gape at Christmas stuff. Thank goodness I'm not insane. Though maybe I'll take the risk and go to Filene's Basement and look at their Christmas card selection...

Speaking of, I already got my first Christmas card. Fr. Mike put his in everyone's boxes already. That man is on the ball, let me tell you. I really am going to get Christmas cards out this year; it will not be another year of writing messages in tons of cards, addressing them, sealing them, and then not mailing them. So if addresses have changed since last year, and you'd like a card, please do post and I'll send one along. Otherwise, may they discontinue the caramel macchiato at Starbucks so that my coffee life as we know it is over. Comments will be screened, obviously.

I suppose I should get going on that payroll. Wouldn't be a bad idea to get that over and done with.

Stupid cold office. ;;

I'm currently working on what is tentatively titled "Payroll redux", according to a list of names on my desk. Because I stupidly panicked and deleted my entire payroll folder for the year, I have to go back and redo all the payroll files for all our musicians. This is no small task, but also not a huge one. It would have been worse if it were right around Holy Week or something. Thank God we haven't gotten to Christmas yet.

Speaking of, I'm inordinately excited about Christmas this year, and have no real reason to be. It's going to be much of the same in terms of where we go and what we do. It's just...I don't know. This year feels different somehow. However, it's a little bit too early to be excited for Christmas. Therefore, I'm going to be excited about taking a bath tomorrow and Wednesday. I'm actually going to try and get a switch going on for this coming Wednesday, so I can have a night to myself. Granted, I'm going to have a few nights to myself next week, but I can feel myself going crazy from work, and really don't think I can wait that long. We shall see.

My stomach's making odd noises. I'm not really liking it.

Argh argh argh...why must the mood swings and over-emotionalness kick in so hard when they're the least needed? Booerns.

I have a Mudkip figurine on my microwave at home. It's for the action figure game or whatever, but it's just going to sit in my apartment. I believe I will make him a tinsel crown for Christmas. Wewt.

I'm so anxious for December this year. I don't know why. I think I just want the year to be officially over. I'm also craving Christmas and New Years, and normally I'm just not that excited over either. That'll be the next big "social" time for me -- dinner party, family stuff, ST Days, etc. -- so that might be why.

I'm also anxious for my trip to Dallas. It'll be good to see Trish and Steve again, and I'll be away from both jobs for five days. What's nice is that I supposedly have 24 hours of paid time at the store, so I can apply that time to my days in Dallas, and be able to pay rent for December. Always a good thing.

Today's goals are to make the AGO program for an organ concert later this month/early next month (I can't remember which one it is), and calling more cellists. Yes, I've gone through sixteen now. Keeping my toes crossed that today will be the day.

Just working, working, working.

First, help an address book out, and receive holiday cheer in return!

Second, Christmas has already started around here. I got a gift already: Kristi from work got me a combination coffee maker/espresso maker. It was on sale at Wal-mart and she wanted to get me my gift early, as I already got hers (a carton of Newports...doesn't take much to make smokers happy. XD). I'm making my first cup of coffee in it right now. ^^ I also already have my tree up. It's a small tree, but it's cute. I've got white lights, clear bead garland, and red ornaments on it. The cats keep eating it. ><;; Oh, well. Once Sally and I finish cleaning around here, I'll hang stockings and snowflakes, and maybe decorate the doors with wrapping paper since I have plenty but never use it on account of I don't wrap gifts well. I'm not going to start Christmas cards until it's actually December, though. I will draw the line there.

I don't know what we're doing today. If Lowell raids, there won't be anything done until after 5 or 6. We might be going to see Casino Royale and dinner, and we might just stay in. My gall bladder's been giving me grief, so going out is kind of a blah for me today.

OH YES. Rejoicing time. I'm supposed to be at work right now. I gave Kristi my hours for this weekend as she needed to make up for lost Thanksgiving hours. I needed to make up for them, too, to be quite honest, but to have a *whole* weekend off? Too good to pass up.

All right, time to go see if this coffee turned out okay. Then, breakfast and a bath, some minor cleaning, and a phone call to Lowell to get the day started.

Hope everyone's weekend goes well!

I'm going to get started on the Christmas groove. This weekend, I'll get the house in order (I have Saturday off; how can I pass this opportunity up?), go out and get Christmas decorations, put them up, and start my shopping. This is where others come in.

Dinner party people:

I was thinking we could set up wish lists on Amazon, to get an idea of what to get for people. This would especially be if there was something really silly you wanted, or something you really needed for work/school/whatever. Let me know if you think this is a good idea. It was just something I was toying around with.

Everyone:

My address book is lost, so I need addresses for Christmas cards. I have money and *will* be sending them this year, come hell or high water. I'm going to screen comments if you want to leave them there, or if you want to email them, my email is [email protected]. I may be hunting people down via AIM, IRC, mySpace, and Facebook to get addresses too, since not everyone is on here. I just really want to send cards this year, and would love to get my address book back in order, too. So thanks!

Now, to work on my hair (I just dyed it, and am considering blow drying and straightening it now, and hope it'll hold for work tomorrow). Thanks again!

Still feeling content overall. It's nice being back on the same paragraph again.

However, am weirded out slightly. There are a few regulars at the store that I enjoy having legitimate conversations with. They'll come in, I'll have their food made in about a minute, but then they'll stick around for at least five or so to have quick "how're you doing" kind of conversations. There's one guy I like talking to 'cause he reminds me of Dad, and is someone who I know my Dad would be friends with. You know, very easy-going, friendly, that kind of thing. Not Dad on scary mode, Dad on mellow mode (people who met/knew my dad would know what I meant). We talk about football and about random happenings and such.

A few weeks ago, he came in earlier than usual, and I commented on it. He said, "I just saw your car outside and wanted to ask if you'd seen the Bears game the other day." (this was the miraculous Arizona game) We talked about it for a minute, and he said he'd be back later. I got slightly weirded out 'cause he knew which car was mine, but I kinda brushed it off, despite Kristi and Elicia teasing me about it.

Well, now I'm more weirded out, 'cause within the past two days, he's 1) said "You left early yesterday, and I was going to see if you wanted to sit down and have a sandwich with me [at the store]", and 2) asked what kind of pizza I liked. When I responded that I couldn't really eat pizza because of the gall stones, he said he'd "have to try something else." O.o Now I'm definitely getting weirded out. Before, it just seemed like we were being friendly. Now it doesn't. I don't think I'm being flirty, and I hope it doesn't seem like I'm hinting at things when we talk (the girls at work tell me I'm not, 'cause they're usually around when he comes in). I swear to God that I've mentioned Lowell before. Hell, before the pizza comment, I pointed out that I was 23, and he *has* to be near my Dad's age. ARGH. This hasn't happened before, and I wish it wasn't happening. It's putting a damper on the content.

We'll just have to see what tomorrow brings, no da.

And while I detest the fact that all the Christmas stuff is coming out early, I am ETERNALLY grateful that the Starbucks Christmas drinks are already back. YAY! XD

I'm in Palatine once again for new year's, trying to stay awake. I haven't had a full night's sleep this whole week, so my body's shutting down as we speak. I don't think I'll last more than an hour.

When I get back to work on Tuesday, a full review of the year will go up. It will not be pretty. I can sense this now. That's part of the reason I don't put it up right now. I want to start the new year off well.

Thanks to the guys and the marvelous Evie for letting me join them again this year.

And because it's delayed, thanks to the four best girls in the world for one of the best nights of last year. I don't know what I can say to express how good the whole evening felt. You are truly the best of people.

And now, to try further to stay awake. Kyuu's whistling "Good King Wencenslaus"; Evie's playing WoW; The Psycho brothers, Ed, and Lowell are playing Super Mario Strikers, Tim's blowing up the inflatable bed, and Rob's owning in Civ 4. Maybe WoW again? That tends to work. ^^

Yeah.

Christmas itself was kind of a downer, as that's the day we usually spend at Dad's. Instead, I went to my Mom's, fully intending to go to my aunt's house, then not going at all. I chatted, went to Walgreens to get some stuff for my sister, and then sat around here some more until I had to go to the store and load bread. Whee. I could have done more, but I knew my heart wasn't in it. I did give the cats Christmas treats, so all was good there, at least.

And now, it's back to work, with a wronked up schedule to boot. I'm going to have to work a Thursday; I hate Thursdays. >< Oh, well. But tomorrow's the Christmas party, which I'm really looking forward to. It's the only time of year I cook, so I get excited enough about that as it is. ^^ I just wish I had more presents...and I will once rent and bills are paid. Wewt.

Laundry, then driving Hans to the train (possibly), then work, then more laundry. Whee!