Scared of Santa

I never have understood how parents get such delight out of forcing their children to sit in the laps of strangers whenever the holidays come around--that's right...I'm talking about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Okay, I do admit that it makes for some really adorable pictures, however, it is my highest recommendation that the parents do a full background screening on the Bunny or the Claus before plumping their children into their laps for photos.

Quite frankly, I can't say I blame the children for getting upset and screaming. I'm nearly 24 and I would get upset and scream if someone forced me to sit in this guy's lap.



It turns out, being scared of Santa is actually pretty common.

The game

So, it has been extremely quiet this week in the office, seeing how there are only three people here on my side of the building: me, my boss, and one other Meeting Planner. Everyone else is on vacation. Truth be told, I haven't been very productive this week because I keep thinking about everyone else who is having the time of their life while I am stuck in the office. Okay, okay, so I had my vacation last week, but I still think if the majority of the office is going to be gone this week for vacation, so should I.

To my delight, I received an email from my boss a few moments ago that was sent to my entire department. It read: "We have really been busy this week with you gone." Then, it gave instructions and a link on how to play Polar Bear Batting Practice.

Click to make the penguin jump, then click again in time for the polar bear to hit the penguin across the ice.

This game is very addicting! It was nice to know that even my "higher ups" aren't very productive this week either. :) He actually came down and watched me play for a bit. My high score was 321 (his was 311).

We spent the entire time arguing that what he claims to be a "polar bear" is really a "yeti" (according to the sign)...either that or the big white guy from "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Makes for one scary polar bear if he's right...

This made coming to work today all worthwhile. :)

Bye, bye Christmas

I've been on vacation, so I have been neglecting my blog. :( For my few faithful readers, I apologize...

Christmas is over. The tree is down and the ornaments put away. No more 24 hour Christmas tunes on 94.1, no more packages left to be opened, no more Christmas snacks or egg nog (blech!). All that's left of Christmas are the long lines for returns and the huge markdowns on all of the holiday decor.

It's funny really...just two days ago everyone was in the Christmas spirit, being polite, joyfully giving lots of money to charities or toys to children in need and allowing people to pull out in front of them into Christmas traffic with a smile on their face. But once December 26th starts, people get mean again. Suddenly the shoppers become aware that they have had to wait in a 2 hour long return line and they start to get fussy. Cars don't allow other cars to pull out in front of them to get into the flow of traffic--and if someone tries it, the other car nudges up to be sure the other car can't get in, then curses them as they give them the finger and speed away. Everyone starts to realize that holiday eating is over and that they need to start working out to fit into the new pants they got as a gift...what motivation.

Yeah, Christmas is over, definately over...and with it went the nice, friendly people that tend to show up one month out of the year. Kind of leaves me with a feeling of emptiness and sadness--but not for long because I realize that its only 11 more months until the jovial, giving people return. Three-hundred and sixty three days until Christmas. :)

We caved.

The excitement that I have for Christmas reminds me that I still have that innerchild inside of me. I finished all of my Christmas shopping, and like a 10-year old girl I crawl up beside the tree each evening and just stare at all the packages underneath it. It can be really overwhelming sometimes as I think about what could be inside of each of the ones addressed to me and as I think about each person's response to opening the gifts Mike and I bought them.

This is mine and Mike's first Christmas together as a married couple. Lucky for me, he has the innerchild inside of him also. Each night as I start to brush my teeth before bed, I can hear the rustling of the wrapping paper as he sorts through the presents and picks out the most oddly shaped ones addressed to him and tries to guess what is inside. I never let on if he is remotely close, but usually he hits them right on the money. I just smile and say, "I don't know...guess you'll have to wait and see."

This morning was just like any other Saturday (except that it is the start of my last vacation of this year). We finished eating breakfast and Mike asked me when we were going to do our Christmas together. I, of course jokingly, said "Ummm...today?" I could see the flash of delight come over his face as he said, "Really?"

We came to the conclusion that we would open one present from each other. So, we fished all the presents that we had bought for one another out and grouped them together so we could pick the perfect one to open a week early.

Thank goodness for that little innerchild in both of us...our eyes got big and we got so excited that we decided to open them all! So we had our Christmas a week early. It was so much fun. Mike did a wonderful job buying gifts for me...he always does. He seemed to enjoy the things I got him (well, he should have! I bought him most everything he wanted from his list!)

So now, while everyone else is still lurking around their trees at night shaking packages and wondering what they got, Mike and I get to enjoy our gifts already.

Childhood

As we drove down our neighborhood street, I asked Mike what the pink stick in our neighbor's yard meant. He told me that it showed the bus drivers that a kindergartener lived there. Then a moment later he asked, "Who would make a kindergartener ride the bus?" I quickly answered, "I did." Not only did I ride the bus, but I would come home to an empty house sometimes...we kept the key to the house hidden behind the deep freeze in the garage. As I remembered back to my kindergarten years, I realized how much safer we were back then. Back when it was okay to leave a 5 year old at home alone for a few minutes...that was nearly 20 years ago (I feel really old being able to say that).

And of course, after thinking about that, my mind began to wander back to the time when I was a child...how safe I felt, and how carefree everything was. My sister and I would go back into the woods with all of the neighborhood kids and play for hours without even thinking about checking in with Mom. Audrey and I would camp out in our backyard for days hoping Dad wasn't praying for rain. We would ride our bikes up to the school and play on the toys or walk around the track around the school. I can even remember walking from the junior high all the way to Braum's with Laura during the summer. We were too tired to walk all the way back, so we went to her Grandma's house and had her take us back to the school. Does that make my mom and dad bad parents? Of course not...it was just a much different world back then...

Oh to be young again...where bills were nonexistant and gas was simply something the kid next to you in class suffered from. And everyone giggled because it was funny. Where the most important thing was whose house you would spend the night at that weekend or who won the basketball game the night before. Where Barbies were cool to play with and SuperMario Brothers was a luxery. Where the kid who had a computer in his house was the richest kid in the class. Where holiday parties at school meant homemade treats and costumes. Or where any place was a good place for an imagination. And where Mom or Dad would meet me halfway on the walk home from school with a snack prepared at home in the kitchen.

Life was good back then. Life was enjoyable with no worries. Memories are great things. I am happy to say that I have good ones...especially from my childhood. May we all take the time to remember the carefreeness of our childhood, look back, and smile.

P.S. We made it to day 11 of blogging... :)

Predictable...

One of the things that I struggle with on a daily basis is my ability to make it to work on time. I could leave for work at 7:40 and make it to work at 8:10 or leave my house at 7:15 and I would still make to it work at 8:10! What is the deal?!

Well, this week I am proud to say that I made it to work on time or even EARLY (can you believe it!) everyday...until today. :( I think it is truthfully impossible for me to arrive on time 5 days in one week. I was excited this morning as I was gathering my things together at 7:27 because I knew that I would be at work on time! As I bent down to pick up my bag the house phone rang. I looked at the callerid and was greeted by Mike's work number. As I answered the phone Mike asked me if I had an extra set of keys to my car. Well, no--why would I be responsible enough to make an extra key to my car?! Apparently when Mike picked me up last night from mom's, my purse tumbled over and my keys fell onto his floorboard.

I remember making a spare and giving it to my mom, but the likliness of her knowing where it is after the move is probably nonexistant. But I called her anyway. Sure enough she didn't know where it was, but she offered to let me drive her car to work today so that Mike wouldn't have to drive all the way home from work to bring my keys to me. How sweet. :)

What frustrates me the most in this whole situation is not the fact that I left my stinkin keys in Mike's car, or that I had to drive Mom's car to work today, or even that I was forced to eat an extra cookie while I waited on Dad to bring me the car...what frustrates me is the fact that I knew that my chances to be at work on time 5 days in a row were over...and it was only day 3! It must be that perfectionism that is creeping out again...

The Snowmen

The Rice Krispies site has a lot of good ideas for holiday treats. Among them I found a great idea for making Mr. and Mrs. Snowman. Now, I don't know about you, but whenever treats with faces on them are placed in front of me to eat, I have a really hard time with that. I mean, come on...can you really look at these faces and think about how good they would taste?

I certainly couldn't, which is why these two little guys, which were the only two left after having shared the others with my family, did not get eaten.

They suffered a worse fate...they got stale and I had to throw them away. :(

The curse

Being married has taught me a few things...one of them being that my husband, bless his heart, is not a prefectionist. I, on the otherhand, am the evil spawn of perfectionism. I don't know why I grit my teeth when I see an empty pop can setting on the counter instead of in the trash, or why my stomach makes this weird gurgling noise when I see that my DVDs aren't in alphabetical order.

Some would consider this trait a blessing...I, however, feel compelled to let you know that it is a curse. Yes, it is great that my house is clean (most of the time) when unexpected guests arrive at my house. And yes, I do smile when I walk into a clean bathroom to take a shower. And yes, I get warm fuzzies when the house has been freshly vaccumed. But, who lives like THIS?! I hate not being able to leave a candy cane wrapper on the sofa or not being able to sleep at night knowing there are two dirty bowls laying in the sink in the kitchen. I can't even enjoy a meal because I am constantly thinking about how quickly I'm going to have to clean up after.

It certainly hasn't always been this way. Growing up, my family would have to get shots just to open up my bedroom door and not be infected with some crazy disease that was likely growing on the piles of dirty dishes under my bed. Oh the joys of being younger when cleaning my room consisted of stashing everything under the bed or in the closet. Why can't I be blessed with that apathy once again?

And I'm not like this in every area of my life--I practically live out of my car...or one would assume so by the contents laying within. The backseat is not even presentable. And don't get me started on my desk in the office. I just can't help it that the papers just keep piling up...I have no more storage to hold it all!!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone has their own quirks about things that have to be done a certain way. For some, it is the way they fix their hair, for others it is the way they do their work. For me, it is a clean house. It is a long road before me. I long for the day when I might be able to sit through an entire movie at home without thinking about the laundry or the dishes or...oh wait...is that a candy cane wrapper hidden secretly under the couch? Better pick that up before that rash breaks out on my arms...

Living in regret

Is there something from the past that you wish you could take back or do over to make it right? I am only asking this because I have a confession to make, and I don't want to be the only one regretting something from the past. . .

Yesterday, a co-worker was walking around the office passing out home-made brownies that she had made that morning. As she came into my door and offered me one, she asked if I wanted two (she was really wanting to get rid of them). Trying to be polite and save some for the "others," I declined her offer for an additional brownie.

WHAT was I THINKING?! It wasn't until I sunk my teeth into the moist, chewy corner of the brownie she had left with me that I immediately wanted to run down the hall and beg her for another. This brownie was like no other I have tasted before. I kept picturing everyone in the office mobbing her chanting with their fists in the air, "We want more! We want more!" Or was I the only one who truly thought this brownie was divine? The hall was quiet--not a single movement or peep could be heard. Was everyone else relishing in the fact that they had just tasted a small, sweet piece of heaven? Or had they already stampeded their way to her office and beat me to the last few delicacies?

I got up from my chair and tiptoed to the door, careful not to let anyone hear me, for fear that they might run me over in hopes that a few extra seconds ahead of me might win them the prize. No one was in the hall so I grabbed some papers from my desk and began to casually walk in her direction. Maybe if I had work-related material in hand, no one would think I was scheming to get one of the last few sweet treats.

To my dismay, as I rounded the corner to her office the brownie tray that was once filled with warm, chocolate pieces of delight only moments before, now lay empty, cold, and stale. I would not be able to forgive myself for declining this rare, special treat. She was no where to be seen. I quickly snuck up to the empty tray and to my surprise, there was a small corner that had fallen onto the plate that no one had claimed. I looked around me in all directions, to be sure no one was watching...then I scooped up the brownie corner and shoved it in my mouth. It was heaven. Then, I turned around and headed back for my office with a smile on my face.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

I love my job as a Meeting Planner, and one of the things that makes my job more enjoyable are certainly the people that I work with. There is always a side to people that you don't normally get to see in the office. But yesterday, I had the opportunity to see the childlike side of my 45 grown-up co-workers.
Yesterday was our annual Christmas luncheon, and a new suggestion for this year was to sing Christmas carols while we waited for our food. After singing quite a number of carols, someone suggested we sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas." We divided the tables up, each taking two days to sing. Then suddenly, one of my co-workers decided that we would not be allowed to sing this song without standing up and doing the motions that correspond with each day. The moaning and groaning began, but as we started with the first day and progressed to the twelfth, my co-workers began to participate in the silly motions that correspond with each day's gifts. The group was such a sight that the staff of the venue began to group around to watch from a distance. I think they were afraid if they stepped too close to the display of chaos that they might get sucked in and forced to participate. Even still, to watch my co-workers celebrate this song so carefree and jovial brought a smile to my face. Some of the interpretations of this song were quite entertaining--who thought that this Christmas song would bring out different suggestions for 11 pipers piping, and I have never seen the like of possible swim strokes that those poor swans suffered through.
Anyway, watching my fellow co-workers let loose and enjoy themselves made this holiday party one of the most memorable ones.

Sitting in traffic

So, I was on my way to work this morning when the traffic came to a dead stop (the signal light was out ahead). As I was sitting there in one place for what seemed to be an eternity (in reality was only 10 minutes), I began to observe the people around me. Have you ever noticed how funny people are when they don't realize that someone is watching them?
To my left was Mrs. Bufont with a stack of hair as high as Priscilla Presley's. Apparently she was running behind because she was putting the rest of her makeup on in the car (I'm sure she was the only one not cursing the signal light for making her late).
To my right was a clean shaven business man, who clearly did not notice me watching him (or else he just didn't care)-- I would give anything to know what song he was listening to in his truck because that was some hard-core jamming that he was doing. Apparently the steering wheel can now be used interchangeably as a large drum set whenever one is not available.
Directly in front of me was a girl about my age who must have been listening to the "Easy-Listening" station or a slow Christmas carol because she was swaying side to side in a steady rhythmic motion (either that or she had a nervous habit and forgot to take her medicine this morning).
If anyone was watching me, they were likely wondering what sort of tragedy had just occurred in my life because the face I was making was one of a confused scowl as I tried to figure out which one of the three vehicles around me would be the most fun to be in right then...probably Mr. Truckjammer--he was definately the most entertaining.
I was almost a little sad as I finally pulled up to the signal to move on, as my new traffic friends and I each went our separate ways.
I love people-watching. It made this morning's drive to work a lot less bland.

My First Blog

So, I hear that blogs are all the rage these days, so I am stepping out into the year 2004 (what's left of it) and starting a blog. This is, of course, my first post, so it is all very exciting to me. I hope that this won't be one of those New Year's Resolution type things were I vow to not bite my fingernails anymore, or to drink more water and excersise daily, only to discover ten days later that I'm not movitvated enough to keep the promises I have made to myself. Sadly enough, I don't ever feel bad about not keeping the promises....hope that isn't a sign to myself that this blog won't last more than 10 days. :) I guess we'll see... Here's to Happy Blogging!