Slow Going

Monday morning after a long holiday is always hard to come back to. Of course, if I was self-employed I wouldn't have this problem. I probably wouldn't have to scrape ice off of the damned windshield either. Hopefully, in 2010, my Etsy store will take off and I'll be on my way to self-employment in no time. (power of positive thinking)

How was your holiday? Mine turned out to be much better than expected. I spent the night at Mom's house on Christmas Eve and we watched A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott. That's the best one, in my opinion. I couldn't watch it without comparing it to the Muppets version though. We managed not to get into a fight, mainly because I was able to hold my tongue. I didn't have to deal with her "other family" either.

After Mom's house, I went to visit Dad. I was sure that, by two in the afternoon, he'd be completely sloshed. I was dreading it all the way there. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was more sober than I'd seen him in a long time. Granted, he was still downing whiskey like water, but I guess he started later than usual. We ate lunch/dinner and opened packages from the rest of my family. I felt a little bad for not giving my dad more presents. But, I'm broke and men are hard to buy for.

I've got to endure only three days this week, and then I'm off for another four!

Ugh. Christmas is Lame. And So Are Guys.

Yes, I hate Christmas. Big surprise, right?

This year, I'm totally broke (and that's different how?). Since I'm inclined toward the DIY thing anyway, I'm trying to find make-at-home stuff that won't cost me a ton in supplies or time. The problem is, guys have a tendency not to appreciate the homemade angle on gift giving much. So, I was just surfing around online to see what I could find in the way of manly crafts. What did I find? Nothing but crap. Sure, if I was dating some adorable, hipster type fella, he'd probably appreciate something I made. (and the guy I was dating dumped me for another chick last night.) But the men in my family? Hard to please. For starters, the only thing ever on their Christmas lists is socks. Socks? Well, I sure as hell don't have enough time or patience to try knitting up socks for the uncles and fathers and cousins I have. I've got to finish up things pretty quickly, since everyone except my parents lives out of state. Factoring time for shipping...forget about it!

Oh, and also factor in that I'm trying to do the whole NaNoWriMo thing. I'm so stressed out this week with work and relationships and money that I feel like I'm going to vomit. Maybe I'll lose some weight this way. I dunno.

Maybe I can go the give-everyone-the-same-thing route and just make popcorn balls or something equally as ghastly. Anyone have a suggestion? Must be cheap but not look cheap. Martha Stewart couldn't save me this time. Felt slippers? Nobody's going to wear that.

What the Hell Is That?!

Look at what my co-workers gave me for the holidays:



It's a Red Lion Amaryllis plant! It came in a nice little box with a pot and some soil to plant the bulb in. As you can see, the pot's not nearly big enough. When it grows up, it should look something like this:



It's funny that my fellow employees should get me a plant as a gift. I mean, sure, I have more plants at my desk than anyone else in the office. However, I'm really terrible at caring for them! The ones I have are all orphaned and I adopted them from eminent disposal.

In other news, the holidays suck (as always), it's freezing outside (and in here too!), I think I'm coming down with a cold, and my mom's mom will probably die on Christmas day. ....and you wonder why I haven't posted in a while...