Author Archives: thebitchdesk
Day 24: WTH Universe!
Today started out uneventful.
I spent the morning starting my holiday cookies. I rolled up some cookie balls, made a new cookie recipe, and manually ground 4 lbs of walnuts for baking next weekend. I spent the majority of the morning and afternoon in a warm kitchen, so I didn’t really notice that the rest of the house was getting cooler. Around 4PM when I finally sat down, I wondered why it was so cold in my living room so I checked my thermostat, planning to bump it up a degree or two since it was so cold outside. That’s when I noticed that I already had it set for 70*, and the thermostat was reading that the house was 64*. SAY WHAT?
I bumped it up to 72* and hear the furnace kick on. However, while the fan was running, it was not blowing air through the duct work. So I turned the thermostat off and turned it back on again. Yep, same thing!
So I had to place a call to my landlord to let them know what was going on. I can go ahead and call the Heating Company that installed the furnace (it’s fairly new, too!). So I’m hoping I can work from home tomorrow while I wait for someone to come look at it.
On the positive side, I did finish one type of cookie, halfway finished another type that needs to be dipped in chocolate, and manually ground 4 lbs of walnuts in preparation for more baking this upcoming weekend.
I’m now looking forward to an even shorter work week if I can work from home tomorrow. I’ll miss a co-worker’s baby shower after work, but now I’ll be able to get up to Cal U to pick up Vampire Boy a little earlier. However, I’m sure hoping the weather forecasters are wrong with Tuesday’s forecast of 4-7 inches of snow!
Day 23: Let’s Go to the Mall (again!)
Not Social Diva
Photo Credit: http://www.dreamstime.com
Social Diva woke up this morning and asked to go to the mall again.
It’s 31 days (she has a countdown on her phone) from Christmas and she wants to go the mall. o.O
So off to shower I went. I told her (a few times) that I would take her but that I was not buying anything and neither was she. Christmas is right around the corner.
She did try on a few things that I think she was hoping I would buy. I kept telling her to add them to her Christmas list. (While her dad and I already know what we’re getting her, her grandparents haven’t started shopping yet. )
Three hours later, she was done. And I only left $3.99 for pretzels at the mall. Success!
Day 22: TGIF
And how am I spending my Friday evening?
Well, first Social Diva and I had Chinese for dinner. (I also had cake at work, so there goes my diet today!)
But with the holidays coming, I said I wnated to get the house cleaned up.
Tonight, I focused on cleaning up all the papers lying around, and Social Diva reorganized her “school” bookshelf in the dining room.
She’s now enjoying the Pens Game while I am ready to head to bed.
Tomorrow’s another day! (and with the cold forecast, it’s going to be a perfect one to stay indoors and clean!)
Photo Credit: http://bestclipartblog.com
Day 21: The LONG Week
What is it about this week that it seems to be taking FOREVER for the weekend to get here?
Is it because the last few weeks have been so hectic in preparing for my New Orleans trip?
Is it because I was away from work/out of town for three days last week?
Is it because I’m anxiously awaiting next week — the week that begins short workweeks until January 2014?
I haven’t figured it out yet, but Thank Goodness It’s Friday Eve!
Photo Credit: SomeECards.com
Day 20: Scattered
Today started with a trip to Children’s Hospital for a routine eye exam for Social Diva. I then got to drive back out of the city to take her to school, and drive back into town to go to work.
I feel scattered today. My thoughts seem to be jumping from one thought to another. I’ve been feeling a but Luke a hermit lately. I haven’t been out with my friends in a few weeks. Hopefully, I can remedy that soon, although this weekend’s weather forecast may not allow it to happen.
I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is next week. That means Christmas will be here sooner than we’re ready for it. I wonder if I can get myself ‘into’ the season this year? I guess we’ll see!
Day 19: Still Digging Out
Photo Credit: http://www.illustrationsof.com
I love taking time off, but I hate the days following because it seems to take forever to play catch up.
Today is my second day back after being away for three days last week. I seem to just be moving the piles from one side of the desk to the other.
With the upcoming holidays (and planned days off to bake), I need to get my desk and my workload organized.
Does anyone have any extra motivation lying around that they could share? I’ll trade with cookies!
Day 18: The Countdown is On
I saw on twitter today that there’s only 13 days left in November, which will lead into the countdown to Christmas.
I’m not ready!
I’m not ready for the cold weather, and snow, and shoveling.
The malls and other stores are playing Christmas music.
I’m not ready!
Thanksgiving used to be my favorite holiday. I loved hosting for my family and my in-laws. Divorce changed that.
Christmas should get easier as my kids get older and I no longer have to pretend to be Santa. They’re at the ages that they can tell me (and their dad) what they want for Christmas. That’s the easy part. They still want the Christmas tree and decorations. That’s the not so easy part.
I tell myself that I’m going to try to get excited for the holiday. I ended up buying stuffing and a turkey this evening, as well as stockpiling cookie ingredients.
I can do this, right?
Day 17: Recovery
I planned for today to be a fairly low key day filled with unpacking, laundry, and housecleaning.
The best laid plans, eh?
Vampire Boy was hoping for a visit to take him grocery shopping to stock his room for the last week (!!!) before his Thanksgiving break. [Seriously, the last week before Thanksgiving break!!!] So after a quick shower this morning, I hopped in the car and headed up to California, PA.
He quickly browsed through the store and grabbed the few items he wanted. We were then going to grab lunch at the nearby Eat n Park, but there were so many senior citizens waiting around. OK, Foursquare, tell me what’s close! We found a nearby Hoss’s Restaurant. (I haven’t been to a Hoss’s in over 15 years!) I also spied a Gabriel Brothers next door, so of course I had to stop in.
I returned Vampire Boy to his dorm about mid-afternoon, told him to clean his room, and hit the highway to come home. I was hoping for a quiet afternoon, but Social Diva was texting to request an early pick up from her dad’s house. Oh well, quiet house tomorrow night hopefully!
PS: My foot is still swollen today. Hopefully, the swelling goes down soon or I’m going to have to break down and go to a doctor. [gasp!]
Day 16: Goodbye, NOLA!
Looks like we planned our trip pretty well. The weather today in NOLA was warming up and it was getting pretty humid!
Check out at the hotel was 11 AM, so we woke up, packed our bags, and headed out for breakfast. After breakfast at Café Fleur de Lis, we headed back up to the French Market area to hit the gift shops one last time. We had to shop quickly to make it back to the hotel to retrieve out bags before 11 AM. Once our bags were safely secured with the hotel’s bell hop, we headed back out to explore a few different streets.
We found a wedding chapel!
Does anyone remember these?
Jackson Square was filled with artists selling their wares. Royal Street also had artists performing.
Looks like a remote controlled car, right?
Guess again!
We stumbled upon a quaint little coffee shop. (A favorite of Grenalda’s husband.)
The Fleurty Girl shop was busy this morning. We popped in to look around. (It’s also where the bubbles were coming from.)
One of my favorite types of performers was found near the French Market.
Our flights home were uneventful. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it home in time to go see the Stephen Kellogg show at the Rex, but I’m sure my feet with appreciate that more in the morning!
It was a great trip. Grenalda and her husband were great traveling partners. The countdown for The Rock Boat is now 98 days!
Day 15: NOLA Conference Day
It’s our third day in New Orleans. The conference I was working was early this morning (5 AM alarm!). The business lunch finished up around 1:30. After a quick change of clothes, Grenalda and I (and her husband) hit the streets of NOLA again. We didn’t have any particular location in mind this afternoon, but we ended up at the trail along the Mississippi (ippississiM) and headed toward the French Market.
Since we were in the French Market area, we stopped into Cafe Dumont for beignets. It’s a required stop if you’re visiting.
We wandered through some of the actual stores along the way, but I was on a mission. I wanted to walk through the French Market Flea Market to search for presents for Social Diva to give her friends for Christmas. As I got closer to the end of the market, I found the guy! Mission accomplished!
It’s a good that that we had dinner plans with one of our former physicians, or I may have crawled into my bed at 6 PM (don’t forget, I’ve been up since 5 and walked around all afternoon). Dinner was very good. It was nice to hang out and catch up with everyone. After dinner, we all walked back to our hotel together.
On our last night in NOLA, I, however, am lame and sitting in my hotel room with my throbbing feet propped up on the bed. I seriously considered (TWICE) stopping at one of the creepy foot massage places because my feet are SO sore!
Bonus sight today — a rainbow!
The Bitch Desk 