lunch date

Had a lunch date with my boss and the executive director yesterday. We went to one of our fave places and enjoyed a nice meal, some good conversation, and came back to the office for a rather lazy afternoon.

While I have to go in and clock some time today, I don't have anything major to do. We are caught up. The magazine is at the printer. I made the digital edition yesterday and it is online. The selected articles are on the website and are ready for viewing.

The GIRLS arrived home yesterday. YEAH! They both look great. The energy level in the house is now off the charts....well it was last night. They are both snoozing and may still be snoozing when I arrive home late this morning.

We are ready to start cooking and baking. Turkey Day is tomorrow. WOW.

So, Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the day!

See you in December.

ick

I've been battling a sore throat for a few days and it has decided to up its game. UGH. I've done the warm salt water gargle and taken some pain medicine. Hoping for relief soon. The weird thing is that other than this throat pain, I feel okay. No real congestion. No body aches. Very strange. And my throat is sore up high, sort of like a sinus drainage sore, but more painful.

Not sure what the heck is going on, but it needs to STOP. I have too much stuff to do to be sick this week.

UGHHHHHHH.

tree is up

Our Christmas tree is up, lit, beaded, and ready for decorations. Yeah! Yes, it is early. Really early. But with Thanksgiving coming late this year and the girls not getting home for break until mid month, I wanted to have the decorating done before they went back to school after Thanksgiving. The house still needs to be decorated, but I'm thinking of some different things to do this year. Just want to use what I have in different places and in different ways.

So, we will see what I come up with.

It was a productive weekend and it will be a short work week.

Off we go! Gobble, Gobble.

foggy

I overslept yesterday and today woke with such a foggy-headed feeling. Ugh. We need to get our humidifier going for the house. I have ordered two new 'filters' for it as the one that was in it from last season was absolutely disgusting. The air is so dry it is making my sinuses go nuts. UGH.

The boys will be gone Friday night and all day Saturday and a speech competition. Not sure what I have planned, but I'll come up with something to do.

Was chatting with my pen pal's sister this morning on Facebook. She works in the part of London where we have rented a flat for our stay in March. She is very excited to see us. Going to be an amazing visit. Hard to believe it has been almost 30 years since I first met all of them in person. Wendy was just a young girl in a school uniform who would stop by her sister's in the morning on the way to school. Now she is a mum of two and a successful business consultant! And my pen pal, Donna, is a grandmother!

Off I go! More coffee is needed.

good stuff

I was more than a bit excited when I found Scott Westerfeld's latest YA book available on our library's ebook site. I had picked up the hardcover version while in B&N a few weeks ago. It looked interesting.

Darcy Patel is an 18 year old debut YA author. She writes a book, sends it off, and gets the dream contract, dream agent, and moves to NYC to make good on the six figure advance they give her for a two book deal.

But we don't meet Darcy first. First off we meet Lizzie, the main character of Darcy's book. Lizzie is traveling home from NYC to California when a terrorist attack happens at an airport. Advised by 911 to play dead, she does it so well that she makes it into the "afterworld." Her talent for thinking her way into death thrusts her into a new role: psychopomp, reaper, valkyrie.

The book moves back and forth between these two characters and the lives they are creating for themselves.

Westerfeld is one of the best YA authors out there. He doesn't patronize. He's real. He taps into teenage thoughts, fears, ideas with a knack for avoiding the overblown drama so many YA books serve up as authenticity.

"Afterworlds" is good stuff.

over it

Okay, It isn't even December yet and I'm officially over this sh!tty weather we've been having. UGH. It is sleeting, icy, windy, arctic nasty outside. No walking for us today. It is just ugly. No redeeming prettiness of an actual snowfall, just icy ick.

BLERG.

On to other news....I downloaded Scott Westerfeld's latest YA book from the library's website yesterday. Wish I could stay home on the couch with my quilt and a pot of hot cocoa and just read the day away.

But, instead I will bundle up and head into work to finish the December issue of the magazine. I have a list for the designer of things that need to be fixed, like making our feature story look like a feature story.

Yes, it is Monday. I'm whining. Can't be helped. Not today.

ugh part II

UGH. Didn't oversleep. Got ready to walk. Opened the door, Arctic blast complete with icy rain and gusty winds.

Not walking today!!!!!

On the bright side, we had a great visit with my folks. Thanks for coming to see us, Mom and Dad.

On another positive note, the Boy ROCKED the ACT and beat his sisters' scores. Wowsa.
The middle girl had a great skype interview with the BHA and thinks she will get an offer. The hiring attorney is a Kappa from Georgia who is working in London on this association's efforts to lower the VAT. Kappa women are taking over the world it seems!
The older girl went shopping......yes, that is a thing to applaud as she hates shopping and she bought a skirt. WHAT?! Where is my daughter? What did you do with her?

So, all is well, other than the crappy weather.

Off to kick and stretch in the living room. After all, I'm almost 50. lolz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trcXlTiy3Xw

ugh

That's it. UGH! Overslept. Rainy out. Warmish. Gross. UGH.

Enjoy the weekend!

mixed

Well, the two aldermen candidates we backed lost. All four of the amendments passed. Wine in grocery stores passed. The last one was the only bright spot in a rather disappointing night.

UGH.

The thing that gets me is how folks don't realize that all the things they love about our town and enjoy about our town from schools, to parks, to our amazing Square are not supported by the two men they just elected. The disconnect is astounding.

Off the soapbox.

election day

And so it is here. Another election day. Another day for low voter turnout across the country. In our fair town, I'm not sure if the candidate I've assisted will win today or not. I think it will be a close race given the fact that only 7,000 voted early. We are a town of over 40,000. Pretty darn sad. The truth is, most folks are not engaged, informed, or interested enough to learn about local politics let alone national or state politics beyond the sound bites they are fed on the TV.

For most, I guess they feel that their vote does not matter. Even in a local election where the town governing body has direct impact on the quality of life they and their families enjoy.

The four voters in my house have already participated through early voting. So, today is a day to drive past polling places, toot the horn, and wish the candidates well.

Not just another Tuesday.

weekend recap

It was so nice to leave work at 11:30, come home, get the girly, have a light lunch, and take her shopping. Perfect Friday afternoon. We then came home, relaxed, did some reading, watched a bit of TV and enjoyed the evening. Saturday and Sunday were more of the same. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. She went back to school yesterday after we had a big lunch. Safe and sound back in T-town.

The weather has turned cold. We had our first frost overnight for Sunday morning. This morning for our walk I will need my parka. It is 40. Brrr. And gloves!! Brrr.

I think we are going to move the treadmill from the garage to the bonus room so when it is really cold and icy I can still put my 20 minutes in.

In reading news, I finished Prince Lestat! Oh, Anne, so wonderful to have that cast of characters back on the pages of a new novel. How your readers have missed them. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The plot. The new characters. The old characters. The lush writing. Delicious.

Off into the new week we go. A week from today my folks will be here. We are looking foward to their visit!

Bye!