Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animals!

Ah the sounds of a honking horn and your own cursing as you drive though the streets in search of last minute presents for your loved ones! As you can see, the world didn’t end on the day everyone expected it to. It’s more exciting to not know when the end is coming, in my opinion. I just hope I am doing something awesome like eating chocolate while floating the Frio River with my family. What a way to go!

This time last week, I was happily packing 3 years worth of accumulated junk and heading to a bright, but unknown future. It’s amazing how much hair you can lose in a week! Stress is my middle name right now. With the anxiety of losing a job and starting another, that should be enough. But let’s make this extra fun by adding that the new job is completely out of the field I had been working in for the past 10 years. For a tasty dash of insanity, mix Christmas in there too. There we have the perfect recipe for my mental break down. I’ve started speaking in one word sentences, because that’s pretty much all I can get out. But it’s all about to relax a bit.

Tomorrow is the big Christmas finale, and hopefully the insanity dies down, and I can get back to focusing on just the new job.
My new office is great so far. They have treated me like one of the family since day one. The challenge that this position presents is not an easy one. I will have to learn all about an industry that I have never dealt with before. It’s exactly what I wanted, and feared most. I knew what I was doing in insurance. I knew the rules, regulations, the paper work, and the people. I was shoved out of my comfort zone, and into this amazing opportunity.

This upcoming year will be a challenging, but good one. I'm off to a party at my parents with a few of my favorite people. Time to dust the powdered sugar and get festive. Much love to all my readers! Merry Christmas!

A Happy Ending

These past few days have been full of ups and downs for me. On Friday I finally got my long awaited answer about my job and if I would have one after the new year. The answer was no. Three years of putting up with the crazy people and ridiculous procedures, and I was given my walking papers. There was no "I'm sorry." Just a brief speech about how he has been working on this for years. It was just as sad and disappointing as it sounds. I might have been expecting it, but the reality doesn't hit until you are driving home worried about how you will pay bills and survive.

But all hope wasn't lost yet. Just minutes before I was called in front of the firing squad, I was called by a recruiter that had a position she thought I would be a great match for. They needed a person to start right away. She said she would make arrangements and call me back. Not 10 minutes after I left the office with my stomach tied in knots, she called me back. She said the company was interested and they wanted me to come in first thing Monday morning. I felt a little better after that. I was still pretty bummed and nervous.

I spent my weekend doing Christmas things like baking cookies and going to see the Nutcracker Ballet with a friend. Sunday I knew I would need to be extraordinarily awesome to land the job I was interviewing for. I bought pantyhose for the first time in years. I polished my shoes, and practiced interview questions in my head. I wanted to be as perfect polished and professional as I could be.

I woke up this morning as nervous as hell. It's been a while since I've interviewed under so much pressure. I headed over to the recruiting office first for paperwork and a warm up interview. Soon enough I was sent on my way to the clients office for the main event. I knew they would have to make a quick decision, and my first impression had to be perfect. Of course I was nervous enough, but when I arrived I wasn't meeting with some HR guru. I met with the bosses. The big bosses. They didn't have any of the normal "where do you see yourself in five years?" questions.

They asked me about my abilities, and if I had thick skin. Could I work under pressure? I almost laughed at that one. I wanted to say, you have no idea the pressure I'm under this very minute! So very quickly the interview was over. They asked if I had a few minutes to speak to the lady they were replacing to know what I was potentially getting into. After 30 more minutes, I was out the door. I still had no idea if I had the job. I drove back to the recruiting office to fill out more paperwork. I was faced with having to go back to my old office and clean out my desk.

I was done with my paperwork, and I was getting ready to leave the recruiting office. They said they would call me when they heard. Before I could get out of my chair, the other recruiter burst into the office and asked if I could start my new job at 1pm. And so, I did. Of course I still had to go clean out my old office. I proudly walked into my former bosses office, handed him my keys and credit card, and packed up my stuff with a pep in my step and whistling while I worked.

I drove away from the office that had thrown my hard work away so easily, and headed towards my new position. It's something I have been wanting to do for some time. I always wanted it to be on my own terms. But you know, I don't mind it this way. My former employer actually asked me if I could still make myself available to help him and the rest of his office transition into the new company. He didn't need me to stay, he just needs me to train his newly configured staff on how to do my job. Well, I'm pretty sure I won't have time. This is a goal I've been working this for years. 3 years to be precise. The End.

Run, Run Rudolph

I have been crafting like the wind lately. Planned projects and even a few unplanned projects have been getting done. I feel like a sewing genius because I tailored a pair of pants, and they didn’t come out too bad! Apparently I can sew. I never knew I had it in me! The latest project I have taken on is one for Mr. Pigglesworth. He’s an angry birds fanatic, and this weekend I saw some angry birds ribbon. Of course I asked my mom what I could make for Piggy that I could use the ribbon with, and she suggested I trim a blanket with it. I took it all home, and contemplated it for a couple of days. Last night I got to work on it, and it’s not half bad. I’ve decided it needs something else. Right now, it’s a plain red fleece blanket with fancy trim. It looks like I need to make a trip to the craft store for felt. I don’t mind putting a little extra effort into it. I must say, sewing in a strait line is as hard as drawing a strait line for me. I don’t know why this is.

This week is soup week in the house, since we are enjoying our first real cold weather of the winter. Monday and Tuesday was chicken and dumplings. Tonight will be tomato parmesan basil. I am not a fan of tomato soup. Canned tomato soup makes me want to gag. I treat it like toxic waste when I make it for my hubby. This morning when I was opening the can of tomatoes to put in the crockpot, I felt ill the moment I smelled it. Maybe it’s all in my head. I’ll eat tomato sauce with just about anything, but put cream in it, and call it soup? I’ve got to give myself a pep talk before I eat it.

Tomorrow night Santa and the wonderful people with the volunteer fire department will be coming down our street and visiting with the kids. It’s time to make some cocoa and get excited. Only 12 days until Christmas. I feel the pressure of unfinished shopping and baking on my shoulders. I know I will get it all done. But it feels like such an impossible task to get it all together before the most wonderful time of the year. Baking and shopping will happen this weekend. Next Friday, Piggy and I are invited to a special Polar Express Party. My friend has put so much thought and detail into the party, it is sure to be a good time. Plus, we can wear pajamas. There isn’t anything better than a pajama wearing party. Unless there will be whiskey at that party. Then it will be perfect.

Ready, Set, Christmas!

17 days until Christmas. AHHH! Time to get it together and look like I know what I am doing! My sewing machine is back, and ready to rock. I have things to do with it! Everyone is complaining it doesn't feel like Christmas because the weather is warm. Look, we are here in South Texas. It's warm down here. I for one like to ENJOY the outdoors without burning to a crisp or freezing my cheeks off. A slight chill is acceptable. Anything lower than 50 is illegal in my book. Of course this coming Monday, we are going to be freezing our colungas off. Thank goodness it will only last a few days.

This weekend, I am getting my mise-en-place (ingredients in place) for my food gifts. I won't make them yet, but I need to make sure I have what I need. At some point this month, my parents are recruiting myself and the rest of the family for tamale making. A few years ago, my husband and I decided to try our hand at it too. While we had a good time, and made some tasty tamales, it isn't a cheap endeavor. Also, make sure you have all day, and patience. The results are delicious, and you can't beat homemade tamales. 

As many homemade gifts as I plan on making, there are also a few things I will have to buy. I'm not looking forward to shopping, but it just can't be helped. I need to finish up some gifts and projects, and there are things I just can't make. I wish I could knit. I would love to make scarves and hats. Maybe that will be my goal for next year. I can conquer needles and yarn. Maybe I can "yarn bomb" something one of these days! If you don't know what that is, it's worth a Google search. You can learn more about it here: Yarn Bombing

I Did and I Still Do

Today is most assuredly Monday. Not only did my dogs dig out yet again, I was running late for work. Of course I decided to take the freeway to work because it is faster, only to realize that everyone else in my city was apparently running late too.  But all of that is negated by the fact that seven years ago, I was standing in front of my friends and family trying to get through my vows without bawling, and failing. Of course my sister in law told me to keep some tissue in my cleavage, and boy howdy, did that come in handy. The funniest part was when I started crying, the hubby's grip on my hand went from sweaty/nervous groom to, "It's too late to run now!" He clamped down on my fingers, and got his feet shoulder-width apart, ready to trip me, or run me down.

Of course, I am elaborating. Really, he did grip my fingers harder, and yes his hands were sweaty. He didn't get ready to trip me, but I did see worry flicker in his eyes. I wasn't crying because I was scared, I was crying because I was finally there. I was finally marrying him! It was surreal.  After the wedding, we went home, changed out of our wedding clothes and went back over to my parents' where the keg and other party goers had relocated. We caught up with friends and ate pizza. Our wedding night was a memorable one. We ended up taking our nephew and the hubby's best friend home with us. We had a discussion on the the why's and why not's of circumcising baby boys. (friend's wife was pregnant) We put our nephew and friend to bed, and just as our heads hit our pillows, we passed out. We didn't get a honeymoon, because he had to work on Monday.

On our 20th anniversary, I want to renew our vows, while we are on a trip to Italy. As per my best friend: "Your husband should get a medal for putting up with you for 7 years." Yes, and I should get a trip to Italy for putting up with him for 20 years. Only 13 more years to go!