"Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Writing Well"
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(Glee “Last Christmas”)
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(Glee “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”)
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(Glee “O Christmas Tree”)
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(Glee “Jingle Bells”)
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(Glee “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch “)
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(Glee “Angels We Have Heard on High”)
Remember when I said that I thought someone was stealing our Netflix movies out of our mailbox? And remember when I told you about the package from Walmart that contained two very large pillows that was supposedly delivered to our front door but we somehow never got it? (I’d link to the article, but I’m too lazy).
Well. Leave it to my clever husband to do something about it. He set up a web cam, trained on our front porch, to catch any would-be thief who might be tempted to troll our house for potential Christmas presents.
I was seriously considering paying for a PO Box to have our mail routed to. But Kevin talked me off the ledge and set this up instead. I’m not exactly comforted by the fact that our packages sit on our porch all day long, but at least now we’ll get a look at anyone who might snatch them.
So beware, potential thieves, we’re watching you.
And we’re the sort of people who press charges.
Just sayin’.
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(Glee “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year”)
… now if I could only find those dang elves to do my wrapping for me …
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(Michael Buble “All I Want for Christmas is You”)
I’m kidding, of course. For those out there that don’t have a sense of humor.
You know who you are.
Jazz’s driving “lessons” are going well. He’s catching on pretty quickly. We’re still having trouble staying in the lane – he tends to drive on the edge of the road, which makes me ride on the edge of my seat. I’m constantly having to point to his side of the car to indicate he needs to get over.
His corners are better – we no longer turn them on two wheels. (You only THINK I’m joking).
He’s been driving to school – We almost hit a kid in the school parking lot the other day. To be fair, it wasn’t totally Jazz’s fault. These high school kids have a tendency to walk in front of the cars without bothering to get over. I guess they think they’re being “tough” and “cool” when we know they’re being “idiots.” There’s a portion of the parking lot where you have to turn left. In the meantime, there are kids driving toward the back lot and you have kids that have parked in the back lot that are walking to the school.
So. You are trying to avoid being T-boned by an oncoming car and trying to drive around teenagers who refuse to yield.
Fun stuff.
We drove the busier roads today. He did really well. We drove all around the outskirts of town. We’ll drive those roads several more times before hitting the highways. It’s supposed to rain Wednesday – I’ll probably have him drive to school that day too, so he can start getting some experience driving in rain.
Then. Night driving. *gulp*
And parallel parking. But Kevin is in charge of that because I SUCK at parallel parking. I always have.
I’m thinking he will be ready to take his test in March. Since it’s dark when I get off work, that only leaves the weekends to practice driving, so we don’t really have very many opportunities to drive.
I took a short video of him today. He was cranky because I made him stop playing his precious video game and go driving. (*GASP* Tough toenails). I would have pushed it (because I’m mean like that), but I didn’t want to distract him too much.
I have to say, I’m ready for him to get his license. It will make it SO MUCH easier on everyone when he’s driving on his own.
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(Glee “Merry Christmas, Darling”)
Jazz had a buddy from school come over yesterday so they could finish up a project for their Earth Science class. They built a structure that is supposed to withstand a rocking table for two minutes. In other words, a structure that can withstand an adolescent earthquake. They were given some wooden rods, glue and a base. That’s it. This is what they came up with …
If it doesn’t stand the shake test in class tomorrow, he’ll only get 50%. Which will drop his overall grade, which is third highest in his class right now.
So, he’s a bit stressed. And I’ll be praying the thing holds together.
It was a gloomy, typical December day in the Ozarks. Cold and overcast. It feels like snow, but I don’t think we’ll get any snow. Then again, our weather is unpredictable so … you never know.
Correction, make that ice.
Awesome.
Kevin and I ran up to his office today … he couldn’t resist putting a little tree up.
Aw.
He had to print out pictures of his pelvis, both before and after his motorcycle accident. He’s meeting with our lawyer tomorrow … and that’s all I can say about that.
It’s pretty obvious that he loves his office …
… don’t ya think?
After we left his office, we went to Walmart so I could pick up a game that I had shipped from site to store (because I suspect we have a neighborhood creep stealing our mail/packages), and we bought these goodies.
Kevin picked up cards for an 18-year old boy and an 8-year old girl at a radio station last week and we went shopping for them. The girl wanted a Barbie doll and an MP3 player (I can’t believe how cheap shuffles are now), and the boy wanted tools so he could use them to work with. Kevin had a ball with this one. We bought him some sort of screwdriver set, a toolbox, a gift card and Kevin cleaned out some odds and ends in the garage that he has never used – so the boy will get a few surprises when he opens his toolbox.
We LOVE shopping for foster children. It’s heart warming to do something for them. I just wish we could do more. My heart breaks for these children that, for whatever reason, have been abandoned by their parents.
I hope you’ll find it in your heart to donate to needy children this holiday season.
Afterwards, I dragged Kevin to Shoe Carnival. I needed to buy some dress flats to wear whenever I have to work outlying clinics at work and when I tried these beauties on and they felt so good, I simply bought the same style but different color. (Can you see the difference? One is black, the other is navy).
That pretty much sums up my clothes shopping – once I see something I like, I tend to buy it in every color and BAM, I’m done.
I hate to shop. I’m sure you didn’t pick up on that.
We’re having fried chicken for dinner …
… I hate to cook, too.
I’m like the epitome of housewife, don’t you think?
Kevin’s so lucky to be married to me. *snort*
Dude pretty much hasn’t left this chair, or this game, all weekend …
I’m really looking forward to him starting college in January and REALLY looking forward to the day he starts his part-time job. Not that he HAS a part-time job right now. *sigh* But it’s BOUND to happen eventually, right? RIGHT?!?
The kid won’t know what to DO with all of that reality.
*evil laugh*
Jazz’s high school marching band is scheduled to march in next weekend’s Christmas (*gasp* SHE SAID CHRISTMAS … CALL OUT THE LYNCH MOB – *HEH*) parade. However, if the weather sticks to the forecast, and it’s sunny, but only a high of 31 degrees, then they won’t march. The band director has told the kids he won’t make them march below 40 degrees.
So I’m thinking it’s not going to happen.
*sigh*
I hope he gets to march at least one parade before he graduates.
I also made two loaves of pumpkin bread this weekend …
That wrapped part on top is all that is left of one loaf.
One guess on who ate most of that loaf.
I ran over a trash bag full of leaves the other night and unbeknownst to me, it got stuck under my car. We heard it flapping in the wind when we went grocery shopping Friday night. Kevin got most of it out, but a significant portion of it melted to my exhaust pipe and now it smells like someone used a hot glue gun ON the underside of my car.
I’m betting the people behind me are LOVING that.
Have a good week, ya’ll.
Would you hate me if I told you I’m actually GLAD tomorrow is Monday?
I know. Sick, right?
And we mustn’t forget another Christmas tune. You’re not being all “hum-bugg-y” on me, are you?
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(Michael Buble “Jingle Bells”)
I must, must, MUST, get my caffeine intake under control.
See. I worked the Harrison clinic (more on that in a minute), and I just figured they would have coffee that I could steal, ER, buy, (I’m not totally cheap), at some point during the day.
I learned, on the way down to Harrison today, that the clinic did not have coffee anywhere close to where we would be setting up. So, the girls I rode down there with today stopped at a really awesome bakery/cafe (“The Mills” if you’re down that way), and HO BOY, did they have muffins to DIE for?!? I also bought some coffee, which YAY.
Only. I left it in the van and we were too busy for me to run out and get it and plus, I was too embarrassed to ask the gal for the keys so I could get it. As a result? I didn’t have my coffee intake for today.
See where I’m going with this?
Yep. I had one KILLER migraine on the way home from Harrison. And I wasn’t driving, so add car sickness to that and I was literally swallowing back bile. Luckily, I’m not the only person who gets car sick, so they already had a large measuring container in the car in case anyone needed to lose their lunch. LUCKILY, I had some Excedrin Migraine on me and I took it (actually, I will NEVER be without it again, quite frankly) and though I wanted to throw up in the car, it kicked in before we arrived back to Springfield and I was pain free the rest of the day.
Though I did have a massive nosebleed later in the evening, which I attribute to taking too many Excedrin Migraines, which has aspirin, which thins my already thin blood but … I’m only speculating at this point … I’m not a doctor…
I only WORK with doctors. HA!
So on future out-of-town clinic days? I’m going to brew myself some coffee and drink that stuff first thing so I (hopefully) won’t develop a headache later on.
Of course, some of my headache could be stress related … I don’t know …
Anyhoo…
The drive down there was not bad at all. I was thinking we were going to be stuck on some curvy roads, and we would have been, but they had extended the highway, so save for the hills, it wasn’t that bad of a drive. The clinic is pretty small and my job is to check patients in, and out, and show them to their exam rooms … sometimes all at the same time. It’s busy and crazy, but honestly, I’m sort of getting used to this crazy, busy pace now so it wasn’t AS big of a deal as it’s been in the past.
We had Arby’s for lunch, but didn’t have time to actually TAKE lunch, so we stole bites of food in between patients.
I actually dressed up in business casual clothes today, which was awesome, but I made the mistake of wearing heels and … NEVER AGAIN. There’s just too much going on for me to wear heels. I’m unloading laptops, setting up laptops, up and down with patients and it’s just too much in heels. Plus, I’m like the Jolly Green Giant compared to the gals I rode down with today. One of the gals is only 4′ 11″ and with me wearing heels? I’m like a whole foot and a half taller than her!!
I do NOT like that feeling at all. I already feel like an Amazon woman anyway, so wearing heels just makes it ten times worse.
So. Note to self: buy flats. Like these beauties for instance.
We only had 14 patients, but it felt like less – because the day went by so fast, I guess. I honestly have no time to think of anything but what I’m supposed to do so I have zero time to even THINK about what time it is, let alone SEE what time it is.
I love that, actually.
We took the company van down there. I think next time, I’m going to offer to drive because then I won’t have to worry about getting car sick, I’ll only have to worry about not crashing and killing everyone.
HA!
Sorry. That’s not really funny, actually.
We got back into town about 3:15. The other gals left early, but I stuck around until 5:00. Actually. I was there a little AFTER 5:00 and I think my boss was getting a little impatient with me. I mean, I had been at the clinic since 7:30 that morning and here I was, still working away. I wasn’t trying to brown nose, I just had a number of important flags from the nurses that needed to be addressed and I didn’t want the situations to snowball and bury me come Monday morning.
I’m thinking ahead, you see. Or at the very least, trying to keep my head above water.
I learned a lot of things today, and not just work related. I learned that I need to eat something, regardless of whether I feel hungry or have time AND I need to drink some coffee so I don’t have a withdrawal headache later.
I know what you’re thinking, “But Karen, why don’t you just stop drinking coffee?”
To which I say, “HAHAHA… are you HIGH?!?”
*sigh* That would be the LOGICAL answer, of course. But I need the caffeine to retain what little mental focus that I have; giving it up would seriously hamper my job performance.
And I can’t allow myself to run on anything less than 110%.
I work with SMART people, remember??
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(Glee “Deck the Rooftop”)
I’m tired.
But what else is new.
I’m going to Harrison on Friday.
As in Arkansas.
I know you’re silently screaming FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KAREN, WHY?!?!
I’ll answer that silent scream with, “Because I opened my big, fat mouth and volunteered to learn outlying clinics and *POOF* they took me up on it and now I HAVE TO TRAVEL WITH PERFECT STRANGERS AND REALLY SMART DOCTORS.”
God help me.
Also?
We spent three hours with a contractor last night.
We are very excited.
But I’m too tired to go into details … yet.
Soon, my pretties, soon.
I just spent thirty minutes proof reading Jazz’s Volcano brochure. Even though I had to pinch myself to stay awake three times. I also uploaded it to Kinko’s so they could print it out – we’ll pick it up tomorrow after dinner.
I’m making Jazz drive over there.
He doesn’t know that part.
Remind me to tell you about yesterday … when Jazz nearly ran a kid over in the school parking lot driving himself to school.
I’m totally not kidding.
I’m such a tease, aren’t I.
Soon, my pretties, soon
Are you taking time out of your busy schedules to take a breath, appreciate the season and listen to some good old fashioned Christmas music?
Well, WHY NOT?!?
Do it now.
Or I will go all Grinch-y on you.
Also. Where did November go!?!
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(Michael Buble “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”)
(This isn’t exactly “old-fashion” Christmas music, but whatev).
Write From Karen 