MetaChat - Tuesday three-point status update

I AWAKEN
I DESIRE COFFEE
I AM DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS OF AN E-MAIL

posted by The Whelk 22 December | 08:16

1. Driving halfway across the state this morning for a funeral. Loaded up with new podcasts to make the trip better. Great boudin shop along the way.

2. Still waiting for a few Christmas presents in the mail. Got about half the Christmas cards we usually get. Wrapping has only just begun.

3. Already have funerals for Christmas eve. The weather is supposed to be lousy, too. But it clears up for the weekend, when I have to go to Mississippi Christmas with the inlaws. Hope the food is better this year.

posted by ColdChef 22 December | 08:18

1. Last of work this week!

2. Big changes at work that I still can't talk about. Hopefully for the best but keeping my resume up to date just in case.

3. Driving to Massachusetts on Thursday to see the family, they drive me nuts but they're family.

posted by octothorpe 22 December | 08:27

1. Woke up starving even though I had 2 huge bowls of the thai curry last night that I made for dinner
2. My face is a mess and I need to stop picking at it when I'm nervous
3. Going out with sister, bf, and friends to a Georgian (country not state) restaurant tonight, which should be a real adventure because it's super far away and (IMO) Georgian food is always questionable

posted by rmless2 22 December | 08:40

1. Just finished putting together all the envelopes for doormen, handymen etc. in our apartment complex. Nearly $500. Gulp.

2. Kid is being weirdly projectile vomity. She's fine - no fever, no lethargy, runnign around like a crazy loon - and then she'll just puke. She's also getting hiccupy which makes me think reflux, but she's not in any pain, so hrm. It's only been a couple of days, so we will see.

3. Extremely sore neck from sleepign with a pillow (I don't, usually). But I need the pillow bc sinuses are blocked and I can't breathe if I'm lying flat. Neti pot is working, but only about 50% of the way.

posted by gaspode 22 December | 09:14

1. Hungry, because somehow I skipped dinner yesterday.

2. Confronted my usually reliable employee about her lackluster fall performance and she broke down for a couple of hours. Lots going on there and I don't know how I can help her. She is already seeing therapy etc. Now I have her on work that is more admin based and therefore easier for her. Hope it works.

3. Feeling displaced, as I am leaving the country for 3 months in a little over a week.

posted by typewriter 22 December | 09:14

3A. Around this time of year, the women's shelter down the street gets lots of late-night drop-offs. Kids in pyjamas getting out of taxis, sleepily going up the stairs, with mothers carrying one or two suitcases. So sad, but glad they got out of whatever situation they were in.

posted by typewriter 22 December | 09:19

• Currently sitting on the Tarmac waiting for my flight to take off.
• Wish those new rules w/r/t length of time airlines can sit on the Tarmac had gone into effect immediatly
• Tired (got up around 2:30am to catch my ride to the airport)

posted by kodama 22 December | 09:35

1. Saw a boy I like (but have no chance with, for various unsolvable reasons) today.

2. Really exhausted, even though I got up at 9am, and it's only 8pm. I wish there was some way to go running here; I think it would burn off this restlessness and give me more energy.

3. Looking forward to seeing my cousins and aunts and uncles in a few days. Who knows where they're all going to sleep...

posted by unsurprising 22 December | 09:45

1. Ansty about the holidays. It's not an unpleasant feeling, exactly, but I fee like I want to be home getting various things in order. Work is an unwelcome distraction.

2. Man, I'm gettin' chubby. The only reason I don't look too chunky is I have small bones. But my clothes don't fit and I jiggle. Oy.

3. My birthday package from my mom has arrived, but customs is making us pay £24 to get it. (I think my mom doesn't understand that if you put a high value on the customs slip, it doesn't mean that you get more money if the package gets lost, it just means that customs will be interested.) But yay, presents!

posted by Specklet 22 December | 10:01

1. I had a very nice little ritual yesterday. I think that is something I will need to include more in my life, even if it does mean I may need to be a touch more public about it around my parents. Hrm.

2. The snow plow dude FINALLY did our parking lot last night. After several promises of 'oh I'll be there in an hour or so'. From Saturday afternoon? Yeah, you fail at your job. At least I was able to get my car to work today!

3. Not all of my presents for my family have arrived yet. Crap.

posted by sperose 22 December | 10:10

1. I haven't been able to use the car for the past five days due to snow, but today I really needed to get food for me, the cats and the wild birds. It took me half an hour to clear the snow away from my garage door.

2. The stores were a nightmare. I had to go to Costco, Pets at Home, Morrisons and fill up the car.

3. So although I'd told my boss I'd probably take "a wee bit longer" than a normal lunch hour, it took me three and a half hours. This means I will be working late into the evening to make up the time. :-(

Specklet, you are tiny. Teeny-weeny tiny.

posted by essexjan 22 December | 10:45

3.a The cats saw me bring two sacks of Hill's Science Food into the house and now they are yowling loudly because they want that and not the Hill's Science Food (which is exactly the same) that is already in their bowl.

posted by essexjan 22 December | 10:52

3.b. When I was clearing snow, I was hit in the face - hard - by a tree branch that I'd been holding back when, unthinking, I let go of it. I now have a horrible headache and an awful feeling that I might end up with a black eye tomorrow :-(

posted by essexjan 22 December | 11:08

1. Yesterday I was the only person at work because of the snow; today there are two of us. I like snow but this is enough; it needs to go away now. I haven't taken the dogs for a run in five days; I need to do more shopping; this is all getting to be a pain. Asheville is just not set up to handle this much snow.

2. Not feeling Christmassy no matter what I do. Kids are too old; it's just not as fun anymore. And after hostng 1)Thanksgiving, 2)son's family birthday party, 3)holiday party for friends & family and then 4)2.5 days of cooking & caring for family staying with me during the blizzard while they had no power, I find I am just not really in the mood to spend all Thursday and Friday cleaning and cooking and hosting and then cleaning up again. Trying to figure out a way around it.

3. My car has a jaunty hat made of snow. It won't fall off even though I've been all over town and up and down the hills. I kind of like it now.
≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by mygothlaundry 22 December | 11:22

1. Crazy, crazy dreams last night, and this morning I was awakened by The Fella who --- in a sound sleep --- landed a sleep-punch right in my belly. He sleep-punches when he's stressed out, which he is, because...

2. We may be without a vehicle for the holiday. I'm fine with that: I've done most of my Christmas shopping (on foot no less, yay local shops!), and staying home on Christmas would be cozy. But The Fella is FREAKING OUT a little: he feels guilty that we might miss my family's celebration, and he has lots of errands to run before Thursday.

3. This means I am trying to prepare food and goodies concurrently for two possible Christmases: the one we would have here at home, and the one we would have at my brother's home.

posted by Elsa 22 December | 12:14

I AWAKEN
I DESIRE COFFEE
I AM DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS OF AN E-MAIL

Boy, this describes every day of my life, except with some more desperate verb in place of "desire."

posted by Elsa 22 December | 12:15

Enjoying life in winter wonderland. Have not seen another human in 3 days. cellphone does not work here! and I am just about ready to unplug the internet.

Listening to bluegrass, making skillet potatoes and fried eggs, and getting ready to go poke around the woods.

I may never leave here.

posted by special-k 22 December | 12:16

1. Sitting around with nothing to do, because my 9am client no-showed. For the third time. All three times being 9am.

2. Debating going to get some coffee.

3. Christmas present shopping is done, Christmas wrapping is done, Christmas food shopping requires just a trip to the nice butcher shop that I enjoy, Christmas cleaning requires just vacuuming and dusting the upstairs. Little bit of errand-running that needs to happen during lunch, but plenty of time to do it. I'm feeling weirdly calm about everything.

posted by occhiblu 22 December | 12:27

1. usual playgroups and preschool suspended for holidays. watching clock until afternoon playdate.

2. tomorrow will be the same. sending out many emails begging for company, not hearing a thing back. is everyone really on vacation already?

3) after Thursday at least there will be two of us to keep one toddler from jumping off the dining room table.

posted by pinky.p 22 December | 12:28

1. Slept for 8 hours last night, had some dreams, nothing out of the ordinary as far as I know, and yet woke up feeling (and still feel) like I hadn't slept a wink. Weird.

2. I like Messiah sings, because despite the amateurism (and the cuts in the score!) it's always a very large, rich choral sound, especially in the mens' voices.

3. In my dream in #1 was a college acquaintance named Lydia, and now "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" is running through my head.

posted by Melismata 22 December | 12:37

1. Almost done Christmas shopping. Hope everybody likes their prezzies.
2. Having lunch (turkey and avocado sandwiches, Doritos, pineapple) with my sister while watching "What Not to Wear".
3. Can't wait for Christmas!!!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 22 December | 12:39

4. OMG CRIZZMAS MIRACLE! The (usually slowpoke) mechanic just called, and he thinks the truck is ready to hit the road. The "thinks" part is a little unsettling, but miracles are few and far between, so I'll take it!

posted by Elsa 22 December | 13:15

Hey 'Pode...is she teething? The boy got super pukey whenever he had a tooth coming in. (The girl always got listless and spiked a high fever.)

1. Riding the train with Santa tonight!
2. Bought all the presents too early this year. Which is bad...because I just keep shopping anyway.
3. Think I might actually get through Christmas without my annual "I am the only one who does anything around here and I am completely overwhelmed" martyr meltdown. Fingers crossed!

posted by jrossi4r 22 December | 13:34

Hrm. possibly, jrossi. Good thought. Didn't consider that bc the rest of her teeth have come up without incident. She has been gnawing a bit lately though.

posted by gaspode 22 December | 13:41

1. I'm done Christmas shopping. My husband is picking up one more thing for his father this afternoon and then we will be really done. My kids are getting awesome bikes for Christmas this year. They have no idea. It's going to be fun! I'm a little worried, though. They are both analytical and can be pills. I hope they don't say, "We already have bikes. Why did you get us bikes?" I am not looking forward to wrapping. I have not wrapped one thing.

2. I just had some yogurt and pineapple. That didn't cut it so I made a tunafish sandwich.

3. I'm in the midst of cleaning my master bathroom. I just threw out several unflattering lipsticks.

3a. I have decided to eat 1,500 calories a day until I reach my goal weight. There is no stopping me.

posted by LoriFLA 22 December | 13:53

1. My first 3-month call-back with the dermatologist. He looked everywhere that the sun might shine, and also felt my nodes and displaced my eyeballs this way and that so he could look at the tissue that surrounds them. Ouch. But, so far, so good. . .no sign of melanoma at this point. yay.

2. Go packages shipped off to my fam. in California. I always get stuff for my sister and brother, although they never send me anything. This bugs my wife. Part of it is because I was always the black sheep, ne'er do well sib, and think I am compensating for that, in a way.

3. Cold is returning, but at least it will be dry and clear. I have Thursday off, as well as Friday, and we might go over to the coast and whale watch Thursday.

posted by danf 22 December | 14:08

5. After a couple of months of me trying (and too often failing) to refrain from giving unasked-for advice, THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE emailed me in the space of 30 minutes explicitly asking for advice on three different matters. All this and a working vehicle, too? I AM IN HEAVEN.

posted by Elsa 22 December | 14:39

1. Am on vacation in Juneau, AK. I love it, cold, dark and all. Have been to see the glacier and other gorgeous natural places. Cute little town, and very walkable. Company's not bad, either.

2. Baking up a storm. So far buckeyes (thanks pinky.p for the reminder!) and shortbread. Sadly, I think much of the shortbread is undercooked. I may try to remedy that later on today. Can you re-cook cookies, (other than biscotti, of course)?

3. BIRDS! One of the coolest things for me about visiting far away places is seeing new birds. So far I've seen at least four new birds to add to the life list. Mostly ducks. Awesome.

posted by Stewriffic 22 December | 14:55

1. The so-called days are around six and a half hours long around here right now. And it's not easy telling the difference.

2. Fortunately, there's always tea. Nice, tasty, green tea.

3. Stressed out about the Christmas. All the shopping's done and there's not really too many preparations left to make (apart from packing my girlfriend's gift), but all these rituals and meetings with family is something I could really do without.

posted by Daniel Charms 22 December | 15:28

1. One, last minute, nail-biting out-of-the-country gift-shipping kerfluffle. Feh. This person's gift-shipping *always* turns into a mess. I should either get used to it, or start the process in June.

2. Waiting for snow.

3. I'll be glad to see the end of this year.

posted by faineant 22 December | 15:43

1. Second-to-last day of work for the year :-)
2. Unoffical, semi-impromptu 'bring your kid to work day' today - my son has already drawn and printed about 20 pictures from the electronic whiteboard in my office and it's only 7:17 am! Gonna be a long day :-|
2. Christmas shopping is complete, now for the mammoth wrapping task :-(

posted by dg 22 December | 16:19

1. Blowing snow. Two rounds today already and I've got more to do lest I end up with an unholy mess come tomorrow's sleet.

2. Wish that could be everything. We're only halfway done with the kitchen work my mom is getting through a local church -- installing our new (self-bought) dishwasher and (donated) laminated flooring, to replace a carpet my grandmother pushed my dad to install back in the 1970s. A carpet! In the kitchen! Well, maybe yours doesn't, but ours always gets gross in about three hours.

3. Barely keeping up with bills paperwork. There's money, sort of, but my dad's personal expenses at the assisted living place are pretty high. His, uh, Depends are not covered by any insurance, for instance, and he needs those every day. Yikes.

posted by dhartung 22 December | 16:58

1. Last day before winter break tomorrow! (I think the teachers are more excited than the students. This never occurred to me when I was a student.)

2. Our so-called holiday party at work tomorrow is a BYOC affair (bring-your-own-cookies). Tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses for our four administrators based on our school's success (much higher than the individual teacher bonuses) and the bosses can't spring for a cookie? They said they'll provide the coffee, though (big spenders). You get a better deal at the mission.

3. Quiet Christmas, just Jon and me, on the horizon. (His family's gathered up in Maine at his sister's house, with the grandkids, and Jon has to work the next day. We did get to see them all at Thanksgiving, though, which was nice.) We did pick up a couple steaks on our most recent grocery run, so I'll make us a nice supper, and we'll cuddle up on the sofa and watch movies. (I get weird little pockets of hollow stomach depression this time of year, so a quiet day with Jon is just right.)

posted by Pips 22 December | 20:59

1. Will just be me & EM doing Christmas everyone else is working. Not a holiday here.

2. Saw my closest buddies on Monday gave them boxes filled with home made goodies (will be posting pics later).

3. Kinda wore myself out baking and making confectionery and picked up some bug. Ignoring it and taking EM to Enoshima Aquarium.

posted by gomichild 22 December | 23:10

1. Took they day off for a single doctor's appointment because wait times and paperwork are a bitch

2. Most of that time was spent getting pre-registered for gallbladder surgery on Thursday. That's right, Christmas Eve. Luckily, we don't have to be back at work until January, so the hub can chase the kids.

3. How do you wrap a kickball?

posted by lysdexic 22 December | 23:43

Want very badly to be out of town on New Years but kitchen needs to be finished first.
Tooth hurts from 1st stage of gold filling work. Have leftover codeine from last trip to UK.
Saw John Waters Christmas show.

I'd use enough wrapping to make a bag, twist the excess on top and tie with a ribbon.

posted by brujita 23 December | 01:45

22 December 2009