my return to civilization

Life goes slowly and predictably until it socks you and suddenly you are reeling and busy and tired and not so interested in updating your online journal. :) I'm back for now, friends!

Grizzly Bear is doing soooo well. He is the cutest grumpy old man in the world - he spends his days rearranging his cage. This means hours of rustling and banging sounds as he shoves his food dish and cozy log around, and it also means that the carpet all around his cage is littered with shavings and food husks. He is kind of messy.

His favorite food EVER is sunflower seeds. And apple. And spinach. And he thinks carrots are stupid. Anyway, yesterday I held my hand to his cage door with a pile of sunflower seeds on it and he hopped out onto my hand. (!) This is the first time he has willingly come out on my hands, though he's done it for J a couple of times. I was SO excited and we gave him lovies and then he bit me and we put him back in his cage. Yay!

Oh! I should mention that Griz is apparently very hard of smelling. And seeing. He's very old, and we are realizing his humorous disabilities as time goes on. He'll be hunkered down eating and drop his seed...but he won't be able to find it again. It's so cute. And pathetic. And sort of sad.

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Super Duper Tuesday (as our local news station called it, dorks) was yesterday and I proudly voted in my first primary. It was pretty impressive and great. I couldn't figure out how to close the curtain to the voting booth or how to vote for who I wanted for that matter, but with the verbal coaching of J and some little old ladies I did the deed! Because I hate the guck that comes with all political discussions I will not inform you of who I voted for, you will just have to squirm with curiosity.

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My watch died the other day. It is now perpetually 5:15. I tried wearing J's watch for a couple days, since it works and we are trying to save money, but in the end I couldn't stand it and layed down $7 at Wal*Mart. J's watch is nice (my folks gave it to him a while back) but it kind of large for my bony little wrist and kept getting stuck on my sleeves and driving me crazy. Anyway. New watch is on and telling time and all is well in the world. We are contemplating smashing my old watch with a hammer, I'll keep you updated on that.

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Unfortunately for you I suddenly have zoom and am going to clean up the apartment a little, but just so I don't forget these topics will soon be written about and posted by me:

* Our new mentally disabled cocaine-addict friend, "Bud".

* My inability to resist purchasing picture frames on clearance.

* Taxes for the self-employed are a pretty sad and mildly stressful thing.

* Having lunch with J and our grandparents (i.e. the toilet water story).

a very merry questionairre

It's true. I stole this from my Mama's blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Wrapping paper - because if you wrap everything individually it feels like you are getting/giving so much more than if you dump it in a bag. Plus with a bag there's none of the joy of cutting and taping and ribboning...how I love to wrap presents!

2. Real tree or artificial?

Right now we have a two-or-three foot fake tree that J has had since childhood. Hencely most of our ornaments are laying decoratively on bookcases and window sills since not even half of them are small enough to fit on said tree.

3. When do you put up the tree?

This year we made until the week before Thanksgiving...but we couldn't take it anymore and had to decorate and be jolly. :-D

4. When do you take the tree down?

If it were up to J it would probably never come down, but I usually lose my Christmas spirit around February and pack everything away.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Eggnog is the beverage of my soul. I delight in every creamy sip, though sipping is scarce this year...$4.43 for a half gallon is just too much for these poor folks. We've only bought it twice so far - once when it first hit the shelves in October and once last week.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

The first thing that comes to mind is the down comforter my folks got me when I was in my teens (I think). I was SO excited and it was so warm and cozy and I still snuggle into it to keep warm.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

We have two, soon to be three. The first is from J's sister when she went to Venezuela years ago. It's less than an inch tall, but cultural and cute. The second is about the same size, but made of ceramic...from J's childhood. We're inheriting his folk's old nativity (a more 'normal' sized one this year since they got a new one, so that's exciting. The one I unChristianally covet is made by Willow Tree, as you see on the left. Of course I love just about everything I've seen made by Willow Tree, but oh my gosh, I just adore this nativity set. Perhaps one day...

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My brother-in-law. I have everyone else done and so far my ideas for him include....nothing. Everything he likes has to do with hunting and fishing and all manner of outdoors and thus anything to do with those hobbies is pricey, so I've come up with nada. Last year I think all he got from us was an assortment of candy. Poor guy.

9. Easiest person to buy for?

J. I know everything he likes and my biggest problem with him is not buying him a thousand things.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Well. Sorry, Gramma C. One year when she was poor and I was like 11 or 12 she sent me a used spatula for Christmas. It was kind of a let down...

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail!!! Yay! I know this phase of card writing will one day dwindle, but I just love jotting personal notes and addressing cards and applying stamps and sending them on their merry way.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?

It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas are tied in my heart. The thing is there are so many different types and styles of holiday movies that I find my list of faves is huge because none of them really compare to each other.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

Usually the urge hits me around June...I start scouting for deals and piling things up so the spending isn't a deathblow in December. J adores Christmas so as soon as Christmassy things hit the store shelves he loves to buy little ornaments or crafts for us to do, and we can afford it if I have most of the shopping done by then. He's so cute browsing the aisles and looking at everything. :)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Oh of course. Who hasn't? There's not much else you can do with all those bottles and cans.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Cookies! Nog! Rolls!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

Every manner of small twinkling lights...and by twinkling I mean not flashing or pulsing or any headache-inducing spectacle. Just little lights all aglow.

17. Favorite Christmas song?


Oh Holy Night.


18. Travel for Christmas or stay home?

This year, being poor, we are staying home. And by home I mean on Christmas Eve we have a get together with the Groovys almost all day, and sometime before that is the Funny Side's Christmas festivities. And Christmas Day we open our presents from each other in the morning and then probably head down to Blondie's for the day. Basically by staying home I mean we don't get to see my side of the family since they are across state borders. :(

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

I admit to you...no. I never can remember all their names, probably because it's very infrequent that I try.

20. Angel on the treetop or a star?

My special, beautiful porcelain tree-top angel is about half the size of our tiny tree, so until a larger tree is procured she graces the top of a bookcase and a kind of corny, shiny star tops our baby tree.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Last year we couldn't wait and each opened a present from each other on Christmas Eve - this year we've been especially horrible. For instance, J let me open a present today. YAY!!! It was the special Charlie Brown Christmas soundtracks - three discs of Charlie Brown music in an adorable collector's tin that I'd been eyeing at Wal*Mart a while back. I'm so happy! Needless to say we've been listening all morning and afternoon. :)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

Humbugs. Like my mama. I just love all the decorations and the shopping (only because I do it ahead of time, if I waited until the last minute shopping would not be such a highlight) and the music and the smells and seeing Christmas lights. I'm enjoying it all so much that grumpy people annoy me to no end! (no offense, mommy)


23. What I love most about Christmas?

Everything, but mostly knowing I get to share it with J. He makes it all so fun and bright. Well, and of course, the reminder of Jesus' trip to earth. Pastor Dan has made some great points that hit me just right in his sermons lately to do with Christmas and it's really made me appreciate the real meaning of Christmas all the more this year.

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I assumed there would be 25 questions to this thing, but apparently I was wrong. Bizarre and kind of confusing.

checked-up

Mom picked me up this morning (for the car of delight is still dead, never to run again) and drove me through narrow, harrowing streets of City doom to my little doctor's office.

Success! I am pleased to report that my new doctor did not scare, hurt, or yell at me. She was so great and easy to talk to. She put my cringes immediately at ease :)

After much talking and catching up (I'd gone MIA from the doc's for about a year and apparently they frown on this) I got my two RXs renewed and have a new muscle-relaxer to try...I'd tell you what it is but I sort of already dropped it off at Sam's Club (this just in: you don't have to have a Sam's membership to fill your prescriptions there and, even though under the same corporation, they are actually cheaper than Wal*Mart!) and have forgotten the long, hard-to-pronounce name.

So I'm happy and at ease. Except that I'm due for my next pap smear at the end of January. Gross.

After this jubilantly easy to get through appointment we ate dollar-menu Wendy's and hit up the grocery stores:

Aldi's...is the stupidest store I've been to, but I keep going back because of great prices on spinach, mac and cheese, juice, and bread. First of all, making people pay a quarter to get a cart - even if you get the quarter back in the end - will keep people from leaving the carts everywhere, but it's darned inconvenient for people who never have quarters in their pockets. I also must say that narrow, crowded aisles, along with a guaranteed long, slow moving line is (to put it mildly) annoying.

Wal*Mart...is the best store I've been to, and I've started getting my groceries there almost exclusively (no offense, Wegman's) because of the low cost, ease of finding things, and quick check out lines. I love Wal*Mart, it is my friend.

We came home and I collapsed upon the floor (after thanking Mom profusely for all the rides she keeps giving me) for about 30 seconds. It would have been longer, but let's face it - yogurt, milk, and cheese don't do too well sitting on the counter for long periods of time.

I then cheerfully sat myself down at the computer to hammer out this faithful account, and in the middle of doing so I remembered that oh yah...the worker's comp auditor guy is coming today at 4:30 p.m. Maybe I should stop spilling my tired brain into my keyboard and get things ready for him.