Friday, November 25, 2011

Cliche "Thankful" Post

It's The Day After Thanksgiving. For my family, that means digging out our Christmas decorations and decking the halls. Its 4:00 and our halls aren't decked yet. Actually, I'm working.

Since I work for a large retailer, we don't get black Friday off. Actually, one of the fun things about working where I do is getting to work in the stores every once in a blue moon. Black Friday is a popular day for us corporate people to lend a hand in the stores. They need the help and it's free payroll for them. I headed out to my closest store this morning around 6:45. I stopped to get donut holes for the store associates. My goal was to be there before the bus of EVPs and SVPs arrived. No dice. I had already missed them even though I was there by 7:10. My first job was greeting customers and handing out chocolate bars. Next, I was assigned to an aisle that looked like a tornado had hit it. I didn't get to finish it, but got most of the way through. Since most people DO have today off, I needed to come home and get Ryan to bed for his nap. I did that and have since been in my office working. That's definitely a downfall of working from home. Even though I can shut the door, it's always lurking behind it. Plus, I'm not technically "off" today, so I should be working.

Now that it's nearing evening, I'm going to be shutting my stuff off for the weekend and spending some time with my family.

Now, onto my "What I Am Thankful For" list:
1. My family. My husband. My son. My parents. All of them.
2. Coffee. I've recently started grinding it fresh. Hell, I'm having a cup now.
3. Sleep. It just feels good.
4. All the material things in my life that make things easier (my iphone, dvr, laptop, online banking, keyless car so I never lose my keys)
5. My job. There are times when I wish my job wasn't as stressful, but overall, I like my boss, I like the company I work for, I like the actual work I do. Plus, I get to work from home in my jammies all day and get paid pretty darn well for it.
6. My friends. They're there when I need them and when I don't. That's all you can ask for.
7. Macy's. Yes, seriously. I LOVE Macy's. I love how it looks. I love how it smells. I love how it makes me feel to shop there. I suddenly find myself thinking, "Hmm, maybe I can go tonight!"
8. Our home. There are so many people who have so much less than we do. We are very fortunate.
9. My health. I'm young and in good health. I should take better care of my body.
10. More than anything, I'm thankful for Ryan. He brings me joy that I didn't know existed. He makes me laugh every day. He is full of wonder and love and I could stand to learn a thing or two from him.

That's my top 10. I could name more, I suppose, because I do reflect frequently on how fortunate I am to have all the things I do. And I am thankful for them. Now, to decide whether I want to go to Macy's or decorate my house this evening.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Life is not fair.

My friend Kristen's husband has stage 4 colon cancer. He is going to die very soon. He's on hospice now. He is in his two years older than my husband. That makes him thirty-three. I am horribly shaken by this news, which I just found out today. Kristen and I worked together back when I lived in Illinois and since I've moved, we haven't talked nearly as much. I knew he was sick but I guess I didn't realize how sick. He's going to die and it's not fair.

I had a bad afternoon. I got screamed at - literally - by one of our District Managers. This is a really hectic time for them and for our stores, as it is for most retailers. I was really upset by it and burst into tears the moment we hung up the phone. And I've let it dictate the rest of my afternoon and evening. I moped around until I went to get Ryan and then I moped around all evening as well. I didn't play with Ryan a lot and now I'm typing this from my bed, where I'm feeling sorry for myself. This is bullshit. I'm feeling sorry for myself because some pompous bully yelled at me for doing my job.

Then I think about my friend and her husband. And I think about The Sikes Family. And I realize that all my pissing and moaning is stupid and I need to get the fuck over myself.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Pie Time.

I keep forgetting that Thanksgiving is next week. I'm happily chugging along at work, scheduling interviews, when I see my calendar blocked out indicating I'm out of the office on Thursday. And then it dawns on me that it's Thanksgiving that day.

And for me, that means pie. I could give a crap less about the turkey, stuffing (blech), mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce. Give me pie and only pie. My Thanksgivings growing up did not typically include homemade pie. There was usually a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie. Perhaps a sub par apple pie as well. Over the last few years, I've insisted on homemade pies and have volunteered myself to make them. Admittedly, some years have been better than others. Here's what's in the pie lineup this year:

Creamy Blueberry Pie - this one, I made last year and made on occasion throughout the year. I love it because it's a fruit pie that's a bit tart and nice and cool and creamy.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake - This will be a new one for me to try this year. People like pumpkin pie and I like to give it a twist. I've done a pumpkin cheesecake before but I like the idea of a pie and a cheesecake all in one!

Classic Pecan Pie - Yup, the Karo recipe. It's the only way to go. I love pecan pie!

Banana Split Pie - No link for this one. It's a recipe of the mother of one of my coworkers. He brought it to work a few years ago and I couldn't get enough. It's now one of my family's favorites!

I'm debating on making an apple pie, if only to be able to try out these bad boys and making a pretty leaf top. They just look so cool. I have a friend who has made several pies with leaves baked onto the top and they're so beautiful.

There will also be a Marie Callendar cobbler. Because I can't be arsed to make a cobbler on my own after doing 3 or 4 pies.

I hated Thanksgiving as a kid. It was hands down my least favorite holiday. Now, I love it. We'll be celebrating at my mom's with 25 people in attendance. I sure hope they don't eat all the pie.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Be Married

We traveled to Starved Rock State Park in Illinois this past weekend to celebrate the marriage of Paul's sister, Bethany. It was Ryan's first plane ride and he did amazingly well. Much better than I had ever anticipated. It was only a quick trip, Saturday through Monday.




We got to see all of Paul's extended family and some had never met Ryan, so that was nice that they were able to meet him. We were fortunate to see some beautiful fall colors and the weather wasn't too cold, just perfect. It was a great trip.