1. It's cold and rainy here, so I haven't gotten out of my pj's.
2. I did throw on a Pittsburgh sweatshirt though to support the team.
3. Pittsburgh won.

1. Group paper due tomorrow. I HATE group projects. I always feel like I end up doing most of the work. I've played editor all semester but I'm not a martyr and I refuse to do this whole dang paper. And one group member is really ticking me off by dragging her feet on every single thing she's been assigned to do (she still hasn't given me the bulk of her work of the paper). Whatever, after tomorrow, it's done. Only 30% of our grade.
2. 6 days left of work this year! WOOHOO!
3. Still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do (Mom, Dad, Husband).

1. A friend got a homemade Bydgoszczopoly board last night, completely playable with personalized cards! The best secret Santa gift ever.
2. Spent quality time with the SO!
3. Watched all four Die Hard movies today. I am John McClane.

Holy crap, the dress already (barely) fits. Miracle.

1. My parents were in town for a family Bar Mitzvah this weekend. I re-met some long lost relatives and heard about some pretty awesome ancient family drama. Seriously crazy stuff!

2. I saw the movie Tangled today. It was pretty cute. Then I saw two rainbows on the way home!

3. Looks like I'm seeing Tron at midnight with my favorite cute guy this week, so yay!

Woohoo on dressed fitting and new oddly named games!

1) Crazy weekend running around with the girls. Some fun stuff too, but felt like a taxi service, which is (luckily for me) an unusual feeling.

2) Good friends had their Christmas open house last night, so I got to see a whack of people I don't see too often, on top of many I see regularly. It was nice to hear so many compliments on my weight loss, and general appearance of happiness. That's some nice positive feedback, right there, it is.

3) We're having out first decent snow storm of the season, so I've shoveled twice today. It's fun having icicles in this new beard :-)

1. I have been listening to the Conet Project and reading the accompanying booklet (PDF).

2. 4. 9. 0, 4, 5, 8, 9. 0, 4, 5, 8, 9. 4, 1, 6, 9, 4. 4, 1, 6, 9, 4. 2, 9, 2, 7, 8. 2, 9, 2, 7, 8. 3, 8, 9, 5, 1. 3, 8, 9, 5, 1. 2, 6, 0, 1, 4. 2, 6, 0, 1, 4. 0, 0, 3, 2, 1. 0, 0, 3, 2, 1. 9, 8, 5, 0, 3. 9, 8, 5, 0...

3. Achtung!

1. For the first time in I can't remember how long, I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I have four huge projects going on from now, to February, and I just don't think I can do it. I am so, so tired,

2. I got back together with my ex. WHEE.

3. First therapist appointment tomorrow. I'm nervous.

1) Got thru another winter weekend with my cooped up kid who wants to play outside, at the playground, even though it's under a foot of snow.

2) Winter storm warning covering the next 3 days. I mean really. 3 days? Up to 2 feet of snow. No want. STUPID SNOW.

3) Made spicy chicken & rigatoni recipe from Cooks Country for dinner. It's great.

Yay amro on fitting into your dress! And an early Happy Birthday!

1) Just back from a walk. It's overcast but very mild, and my neighborhood is full of toadstools and poppies.

2) The drugstore on the corner had a huge sign saying FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE TODAY, but apparently this really means FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY. Of course.

3) My closest cousin, who's sort of a sister equivalent, is breaking up with her boyfriend and moving out on her own. She's going to be fine, but right now she's not feeling so hot, and just listening to her talk is reminding me of some sad and tough times.

1) We're helping a client up at our clinic that got a new Pit Bull Puppy and can't keep it because their home insurance premiums would skyrocket, so she's trying to rehome it. This, combined with the Denver City Council's bullshit has made me cranky for about three straight days.

2) Sort of related, I've refused to watch Vick this season at all (it's a personal choice) and since the Iggles are playing the late game tonight, I'll make it a movie night. I'm thinking "Slapshot".

3) Tired of being cranky. Need to resolve this. I'll work on it.

ufez, of course you're cranky -- that stuff is so demoralizing. But on a lighter note, you've seen this, yes?

1. Made two loaves of bread today, one for the office potluck tomorrow and one for us. The monsters rose and rose so much that once I pulled them out of the oven, the two of them together had expanded to the total width of the oven. So, their outsides are a touch charred from where they were touching the sides of the hot box, but other than that they're gorgeous and smell incredible. Will be making a cabbage salad later tonight as well -- one that I made up earlier this week and can't wait to eat again. Also made a pot of beans for dinner.

2. Finished all christmas shopping today. Did it all entirely online, except that I still need one more thing for the GF and will probably trek to a bookstore. The bookstore is a 5-minute walk from work, though, so all in all, EASIEST HOLIDAY SHOPPING EVER. (But I still hate it.)

[1 + 2 = Oh, THAT'S why I'm so tired!]

3. We leave on Saturday for the trek to Texas. GF will be spending christmas with my family after we spend ~5 days getting there. I'm nervous about it -- about how we'll get along during the drive, about how sensitively she'll react to my family's jovial way of showing affection (i.e., we harass each other mercilessly), and about whether they'll appreciate the change in our routine or whether they'll wish it was like every other year. I've resolved, though, to let everyone have their own 'stuff,' and to not worry about their stuff, and to only worry about my own. (The hard part of this is not making their stuff my stuff, and that's where it's easier said than done.)

4. The game I was playing with the cat five minutes ago -- "Let's Catch This Fly Buzzing Around Inside the Lampshade" -- has turned into a game of "Hey, This Lampshade Is Tasty and Now I Am Going to Eat It Nom!" She's been a little shit all day. I think it must be going to rain soon.

1. My CD prof says my research paper is almost publishable. Eeee!

2. Totes hooked on The Vampire Diaries (TV show, but I'm rereading the books since I last read them sometime in middle school

3. Not looking forward to this week. I have so many things planned and there's a board meeting at then end (which will have been the first one since APRIL) which is going to be a bloodbath.

1. Looking forward to my (minor) knee surgery on Friday. Had to run a little bit today (it was cold!) and my knee did not enjoy it.

2. Was able to take my ex's cats into the Humane Society. Now it's just me and the dog.

3. I found my way into the IRC. You can all thank Terrapin for my presence.

1. Friday morning upon arriving to work, I received a phone call offering me a job overseas. It's a lateral move but I feel as though I can't pass up this opportunity for my family.
2. Later that morning, I had a sit-down with my boss where he said what you're doing is solid and will garner more attention as events unfolded, and keep it up, and oh btw I'm putting you in for this award, what's your middle initial? Doh.
3. Good hike with my eldest today. Much to do in the next six months, but not a bad position to be in.

1. I just finished reupholstering one of my chairs, and it looks pretty swell! Not perfect, but I'm cutting myself some slack since it's my first whack at full-on reupholstery. I still need to clean the wooden frame, repair a leg, and screw the whole thing together I'm taking the rest of the evening off to let my hands unclench.

2. Because I clearly bought twice as much fabric as I needed for the lounge chairs, I'm now brainstorming to figure out what else I'll make. I'm certainly making an ottoman, and I think I might put some padded seating on one of the trunks we use for a coffee table.

3. My mother asked me to cater a holiday cocktail party for her, so we spent yesterday working out the menu and scheduling. It's fun to do a good-sized party, even for someone else!

1. Worked all weekend, just finished up yet another excel spreadsheet. Meeting with my boss at 8am. BLAH. It's been really stressful. We are in crunchtime now with our live release date being Jan 3 and the product is not ready and I am worried worried.

2. Wanted to go see Black Swan tonight but I was yelling at the computer and bf decided (rightly) that it was probably not the right time and that I should just do what I needed to do for work. He has been really nice during this and even joined me for dinner at my office on Friday and we ate pasta at my desk while I typed.

3. Last night I took a break and went to a friend's bday party which was a lot of fun, met some really nice new people and played fun group games including one from Canada called "Things" (inventive, no?) where you all write down an answer to a question and then have to guess who said what. I won even though I didn't know many people and I felt awesome and psychic.

1. Had a reasonably productive-yet-relaxed weekend, including buying a Christmas tree and putting lights on it (though it's still sitting outside; getting it inside is tomorrow's project), doing a lot of driving to get a lot of good food for two very nice dinners (sushi and balsamic chicken), getting all the Christmas decorations out of storage, going for a walk and a drive to look at the neighborhood Christmas lights, and watching a couple football games.

2. Still need to wrap a package for the White Elephant exchange and mudpuppie's post reminded me that I am supposed to cook something for the party tomorrow, which I had entirely forgotten. So I'll need to shop for and cook that tomorrow morning.

3. It was 80 degrees today. I was helping wash my partner's car in the driveway this afternoon, and everyone on the block was out goofing around or putting up lights or puttering. It was very nice.

1. Monday, I get my pacemaker exchanged. Should be simple outpatient surgery.
2. Beat the insomnia by only going to bed when I am literally too tired to stay awake.
3. Despite some lingering shingles symptoms, I feel really good.

There's lots of good things in here today. I'm glad.

1. Finally heard that I did not get the promotion I applied for at work. Not really surprised, but it would have been a change and more money so it makes going back to the same thing I've been doing for 11 years a little blah.

2. Can't seem to shake an overall feeling of malaise. There is very little these days to make one day any different from another.

3. Finished my MeCha Christmas cards, and in an effort to drum up some Christmas spirit I did the whole list, not just my group. The post office will be a little busier today.

Belated, but:

1. The handyman arrived and we finally plugged up the hole behind the stove. Why we didn't do this the other few times he's been over, I don't know. I never got a call from the cleaning lady's daughter who translates for her while they work, so I still have a job ahead of me to clean the kitchen and bathroom.

2. Later in the evening, I heard a tremendous amount of squeaking coming from behind the stove. Didn't think too much about it because my landlord said it was because we'd trapped them behind the wall. Until I actually looked and pulled the stove out again to see two mice stuck on one glue trap. And when I was debating who I should call to get it moved into my trash can, another mouse found its way to the trap. So there were three mice on the trap! Again, I had to screw up my courage, take the handle of my Swiffer mop, pick up the trap by the glue, and wipe it off into the trash can. Put shoes on, take trash to can. Whew!

3. Tonight will be the holiday party and I really need new jewelry for it. Didn't shop for it yesterday like I wanted due to a bad headache that I had all day. Oh well, let's see what I have.