Wandering Aimlessly

Grandpa Jim draws these little cartoons--Sabatuchers, he calls them--for every occasion. First day of school, violin recital, holiday, promotion, new apartment, etc. They're little almost-stick figures posed in front of an appropriate background or jumping for joy or shouting out their reason for being created. This Thanksgiving, my Sabatucher is chasing a turkey with a hatchet. It is, quite simply, the most hilarious little cartoon ever! By far one of his best efforts. It's so simple, and yet I can see my grandpa drawing them out, and it makes me giggle. Hee.

There are many things I'm thankful for today, and all of them seem too big and too important to write down in this little post. Most generally, family, friends, and good fortune. I'm lucky in my life, and that fact is not lost on me. I'll spend the rest of the day thinking about all the more specific reasons for thanks.

Last night, Caitlin, Sean and I were up until 2:00 am preparing and cooking. I'm about to go back over there right now to get the turkey in the oven and finish cooking the rest of the meal.

I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Gobble gobble!

Posted by kate at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, today. I met a man. Had a loooong conversation with him, and he told me he liked me a lot. Told me I have a wonderful personality and a sparkling smile. He's fantastically wealthy. Like, yeah. Fantstically. He offered to cash his $9,700 check and take me to "drink it away.... not all at once, but wouldn't it be fun?" Ha. Then he called me back (at work) to tell me again how sweet and wonderful I am (who doesn't like hearing that? *g*).

And he invited me to Las Vegas. For after Christmas. And he was serious. Asked if I could get two days off work because he and another couple have a trip planned and he'd really like to take me. Perfect man, right?

Did I mention he was born in 1928? Forgot that part? Oh.

I know this is LA. I know it happens all the time. But EW! He could be my grandfather! He's seventy-seven years old! Ahahahahaha! Ahaha! Ha ha!

Of course, I laughed and said wouldn't that be nice? and played it like a joke, and he said no, really, I'm serious, I'd love for you to come and I told him I'd be at home in Chicago then, and besides, I didn't think it would be such a good idea, although it was very nice of him to ask.

But dang, he's very, very rich. Wish I could get over being squicked by the fact he could be my mother's father! Heh heh. I told the girls I needed to find myself a man like him, only 50 years younger. But just as rich. *g*

Right now, I'm sleepy. I have to go to the grocery store for the last-minute Thanksgiving things, but I don't wanna! It's going to be so crowded. I'm dreading it. I think I'll wait a bit, and maybe if I go later this evening, people will be done shopping already. *crosses fingers*

Posted by kate at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday, my alarm clock station started playing Christmas music. It really puts a person in a good mood when they're woken up by Elton John's Step Into Christmas. I love Christmas music. It's really one of my favorite things about the season. Now I have even more motivation to get my car radio fixed quickly, because I'll be darned if I'm missing out on Christmas music on the radio this year!

I've started my Christmas shopping, too. Just a few gifts bought, but I have ideas now for most everyone. There are still those stinkers who make gift buying sooooo difficult.

Did I mention that last week we were audited at work? The audit is a Big Deal. All year long, everything we do is fueled by the audit. If we make an exception to policy, we have to document it to death so that it won't become an audit exception. We were due in September (the auditors were running a bit behind this year), and pretty much since August we've been living and breathing the audit. Going back and self-auditing everything, fixing anything that wasn't done/documented correctly. It's been exhausting! Well, last Monday the auditor came. The stress level, on a scale of one to ten, was at about an eighteen for the two days he was here. Let me tell you.

We got the results yesterday. The ratings are, I think, deficient, poor, adequate, satisfactory, good. It's very difficult to get a Good audit. If you get poor or deficient, you get re-audited in six months. For the last two years, my branch has gotten Adequate. This year, our entire region so far has gotten Satisfactory, so can I just say there was a wee bit of pressure there? We did NOT want to be the ones to break the streak with an Adequate.

We got a Satisfactory. HUGE relief! It was a big old celebration in the branch. Heh. Now we can enjoy the holidays and not worry about a looming audit, and not be disappointed that we let anyone down. Yay!

Also, I finally got my room cleaned last night. All the Crap Left Over has found a home, and it's pristine and spotless and that makes me happy. *g* Now, to work on the rest of the apartment...

Posted by kate at 06:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow. So very much has happened since I last updated! This is not entirely my fault, this lack of updatedness. When Gen and I first moved (yes, the first weekend in November), we didn't have internet (or phones). SBC couldn't figure out why not, because everything looked connected! A week and a half without any sort of service and SBC was finally able to send someone out. Lo and behold, they'd done the switch to the new address in the computer, but hadn't actually come out to connect it. Silly SBC. And since then, our internet connection has been spotty at best, and infuriating at worst. Bah.

Today, so far, so good. So I update. I know you're thrilled. *laugh*

Did you notice Wandering Aimlessly's new holiday look? I'm so proud of myself! I found the picture, colored it in, added text, and then figured out how to change my blog settings all by myself! And it's in CSS, folks, not html. Not the most simple thing for a little old internet dunce like myself to do.

So, let's see. Just after moving in, Jessica came to visit for a long weekend. She got an internship out here for a few weeks this spring, and was checking the place out. I took a day off work and I pretty much dragged her all over town looking for a TV stand/entertainment center for the apartment. Must have been fun for her. Ha. But we did go out to eat a few times, and then saw King Tut! That exhibit was amazing. When it comes to a city near you, definitely go see it. Definitely. We had 10:15 pm tickets, and were kind of rushed through the last few rooms as it closed at midnight, but it was fabulous and interesting and phenomenal. Lots of information, lots of artifacts. No body, so don't be disappointed when it isn't there. But many things from Tut's tomb, as well as other influential Egyptians' from around his time.

Gen's belongings arrived about a week ago, so we're ever getting closer to being fully set up and moved in. She's at a family reunion this week, but when she returns, we'll get our kitty. Yay!

My car had a bit of a freak-out the other day when, according to the mechanic, the battery was SO dead that the alternator was constantly trying to charge it, and the car's computer shut down the entire electrical system to keep the alternator from overworking and burning out. For which I am thankful... a new battery is a lot less expensive than replacing a burned out alternator. Especially since BOTH the alternator and battery were brand new as of last August. But this whole ordeal happened on Wednesday evening, as I was getting gas on my way home from work. It resulted in about three hours of standing out in the chilly evening with Gen (thank you!!) and a handful of older men from the gas station, liquor store and restaurant in the vicinity who were helpfully trying to jump start my car (to no success). It was finally towed, and fixed by my wonderful mechanic, and now the only problem is lack of radio/clock/CD player and remote entry. Don't know why those two things burned out, but they seem to have. Perhaps it was just a blown fuse, or perhaps something needs to be reset. Can't afford a whole new radio, so I'm hoping it's going to be a quick fix. Sucks to drive all day with just the sound of traffic and your own thoughts. Yeah.

What else for this marathon update post? Caitlin's hosting Thanksgiving and I'm going to help prepare all the food. Actually, she'll be working most of that morning, so if dinner sucks, it's pretty much going to be all my fault. Ha ha ha. Lovely thought, isn't it? Hopefully it all goes well. Wish me luck. This will be the first Thanksgiving in all my twenty-four years that I won't be at my family's meal, so that'll be strange. But better Thanksgiving than Christmas, was my thought.

I fell asleep at 8:00 last night (I know! On a Saturday! I suck.) and then was wide awake at 7 this morning. So now it's nearly 9 and I've been up for two hours and I think I should get ready for the day. Christmas shopping and birthday shopping and grocery shopping. Watch me spend all my money. Just watch it go.

Posted by kate at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)