Domestic Geek

I hate how items or colors go in and out of style. I hate how someone somewhere decided that this year's color scheme for Christmas is earth tones. I want bright green and red things, dang it, not avocado greens or pale reds. The papers at the scrapbooking stores are absolutely hideous. Yucky.

I also hate that last year I saw cool covered vegetable/dip trays or Christmas patterned storage containers everywhere and this year I have the money to purchase some and can't find them anywhere. Even just this summer I saw a neat vegetable tray at King Soopers that had liquid inside that you froze so that the vegetables would stay cool and even that is no longer available.

I hate having to go to work. Granted, having a job is better than having no job, but I really hate working for other people during set times. I want to be able to have a flexible work schedule. I wish I could figure out what my passion is.

I'm really starting to hate this one girl at work. I'm trying my darnedest to ignore her and concentrate on my job, but it is soooo difficult. Universe, give me strength.

I hate having really bad dreams that leave you terrified and afraid to wake up. I had one of those last night. I was trapped in a house with a malicious spirit of some sort. *shiver*

I hate how I avoid unpleasant things I must deal with or how I procrastinate. It's definitely my worst trait. I haven't yet figured out how to change yet, though.

That's enough hating for now. I just had to get that out.

I felt out of sorts all day and even though I could've stayed at work, I opted to go home at my regularly scheduled time. By the time I got home, I was wiped. As I sat trying to read emails and catch up on forums, I suddenly got very cold and had to go curl up in bed. After three hours of sleep, I feel a little better. I hope it is just exhaustion or fatigue and not me trying to break down in sickness. Isn't it odd that one can be exhausted from a desk type job? Except for the girl at work that I wish I could ball gag, it's not overly stressful or physically demanding. I'd be doing the same danged thing if I was at home (typing on a keyboard), so it's weird that I get so darned tired.

On a sad note, there is no more of my yummy cheesecake left. The last piece went into Marcus' belly. No more until Christmas. Hey, at least it was enjoyed by all that partook. LOL

I was just pondering how much better I'm feeling about this holiday season than the last two years. For once in a loooong time I am not underemployed. I don't have to worry about whether a jerkwad pizza owner is going to not give bonuses and therefor not have present money. I don't have to worry about the slack in sales as people buy holiday stuff or them being cheapskate tippers because they've overspent their budgets. It's a bizarre and wonderful feeling to know that I can buy gifts because I'm actually making extra money due to OT.

I agreed to go into work today, but I couldn't make myself get out of bed. When I finally got going and started driving, I really couldn't do it. Yesterday was a really trying day and I really didn't want anything to do with that place. I got as far as I-225/Parker Rd., then decided I was going to go check out the new location of a quilt store in Parker that I used to frequent instead. I called my supervisor and asked if it was OK if I came in tomorrow instead and then I continued on. The store I was going to is called High Prairie Quilts. I originally found this store way back when I worked at AutoZone and I used to have to drive the parts truck to Parker to deliver filters and junk to this one mechanic. The quilt store was in the same shopping center and I'd stop in and browse if I didn't feel like going back to work right away. I would tell my manager that traffic was really bad if he asked what took so long, and as that was the case on a lot of days, it didn't hurt to use it. One day when I went down there looking for something in particular, they were no longer there. I didn't think anything more about it until I started working where I am now. We actually print their newsletter, so I had their new address and made a mental note that if I ever had to go by that area again, I would stop in.

I found a pattern for a table runner that I really want to do, but except for three fabrics, they didn't have what I wanted. This started one of my "Toodles." This is what Marcus calls my little treks that takes me all over town, the state or into another state (as one trip took me to Wyoming). I used to do it so frequently that Marcus would joke with me after I'd had a day off about what state my "Toodle" had taken me to today. Since my periods of underemployment hit a couple of years ago and the soaring gas prices continue to rise, I've not allowed myself to take such trips. It felt really good to just drive about.

After Parker, I hit Holly's Quilt Cabin at Holly and County Line Rd. I then went to The Creative Needle over on Broadway (South of Arapahoe). There is also a JoAnn's in that shopping center, so I hit that and all quilting notions were 50% off! I got myself a quilting square and a mini iron that I've been wanting for over 10 years and never allowed myself to get. I then went to Fabric Expressions on Platte River Drive and Bowles, but they were no longer there. The website is still up, but I don't know whether the store closed or moved. After lunch at Wendy's, I continued on to Harriet's Treadle Arts in Wheat Ridge over on 44th, between Wadsworth and Sheridan. I checked out the Pointsettias and other holiday goods at Paulino Gardens. My final stop was Heirloom Treasures' new location up at 136th & Huron. I wanted to make a stop at The Great American Quilt Factory over on Hampden & Tamarac, but by this time I was tired and I wanted to do was head home. I'll hit that one on my way home from work tomorrow. I think that's everywhere I went. I may have made a couple of other stops, but I'm not remembering at the moment.

While I was at Paulino Gardens, I saw the most pretty purple Pointsettias. There were also some navy blue ones. I was curious as to how they bred such a color, touched a leaf to inspect it and ended up with purple dye or paint all over my thumb and index finger. Yeah, these things are white plants that are airbrushed or something. Yuck. I would've realized that if I had seen the neon pink, blue or orange ones I came across later. I didn't get any yet because they're still a little pricey. I know if I wait until closer to Christmas or go to Lowes or Home Depot, I can get them cheaper.

It became official this evening that Marcus and I are hosting the annual Christmas Eve get-together. I've got a lot to do between now and Christmas to get ready, especially if I want to actually finish this table runner I got today. I'm also making a Christmas theme for the blog that I hope to have live next Saturday (since I totally never finished my fall theme). Guess I'd better head to bed so I can get to work tomorrow and then get cracking on holiday stuff.

I hope everyone had a relaxing and happy day of thanksgiving. I've got so much to be thankful for lately and with a little bit of work on my part, I will have so much more. I'm working on a Thursday Thirteen post about the things I'm thankful for, but I'll probably not get that posted until tomorrow. I was just reading the posts I did about Thanksgiving from last year and from 2005 and my life is changing so dramatically since those years. I'm definitely growing and making forward progress.

I did decide that I'm never offering to work my entire normal shift on Thanksgiving again. We didn't end up eating until after 6 pm and I hate eating a big meal that late. The cool thing about working today was the lack of traffic. I sure wish I could get to work that easily every morning.

It probably goes without saying, but the table runner didn't get finished. In fact, I didn't dig out most of my Thanksgiving decorations, either. It's been such a crazy, busy time. I did vow that I'm going to have it for next year, though, so I'm not going to pack it away and will get it done soon.

OK, I'm off to watch the CSI I recorded this evening and then I'll be off to bed.

Have you ever had a hair (pet or human) in your sock and it worked into the skin of your foot? It happened often around here with Ursa's coarse hair about. Well, I could tell that there was something in my foot the last two days, but I couldn't see anything. I figured maybe I had stepped on a burr or something and the point was down deep. Last night I couldn't take it anymore, grabbed a pin and the magnifying glass and took a look. I ended up pulling out a pretty good sized hair that looked like it belonged to Marcus' goatee. How weird is that? I must've picked it up in the bathroom at one point and it spent the day in my shoe boring into my foot.