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December 29, 2007

December 28, 2007


December 28, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Oh, what a night! (ha ha) As a thank-you for letting her live here until she found an apartment, Aarti got the entire family tickets to see Jersey Boys (thanks again!!). It's the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and it was fabulous! Everyone was great, the music was familiar and catchy, and the story was fast-paced and interesting. Two thumbs up!

Before the show, we went and ate dinner at the Walnut Room at Macy'sMarshall Field's (it'll always be Field's to me) under the giant Christmas Tree, and then saw the windows (Chicago Nutcracker this year). That's a Christmas tradition I'm glad to have still kept up!

Posted by kate at 02:10 PM | | Comments (0)

December 28, 2007

December 27, 2007


December 27, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I really am happy that I'm still in touch with so many of my high school friends. I didn't get to see everyone this trip home, but I'm glad to have gotten together with as many people as I was able to. Em came down from Milwaukee (thanks, Em!), and Jamie and Craig came out from Lake in the Hills (right?), and we went to brunch. Afterwards, Em and I went and did a little shoppingbrowsing, and stopped at Cold Stone for a tasty treat. Yum!

The afternoon was filled with 40 Year-Old Virgin (always a joy to watch with parents), and then Juno with Mom and Jess. Another good movie!

[Mostly unrelated, but do you remember the movie The Ex with Jason Bateman and Zach Braff that came out earlier this year? I was on imdb looking up people from Juno and I didn't see The Ex listed under Jason. The title is now, apparently, Fast Track! How weird is that?]

Posted by kate at 06:16 AM | | Comments (0)

December 26, 2007


December 26, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
We thought it best to stay away from Woodfield Mall, so we took Grandma for after-Christmas shopping to Deer Park, instead. She sure was successful! I didn't buy anything, but it was a lot of fun to help Grandma get new clothes. *g*

Afterwards, Grandpa came over and we spent a long while playing Blink and Set. Good times! And then in the evening, we got Ocean's Thirteen from InDemand (I'd never gotten a movie from there before. Neat!) while Mom slept on the couch. Good movie. Two thumbs up, fine holiday fun.

Posted by kate at 06:03 AM | | Comments (0)

December 26, 2007

December 25, 2007


December 25, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Christmas Day was sunny and bright, and just as nice as always. Grandma P and Grandpa J spent the night, and we opened stockings, exchanged gifts, and munched on breads and candy and coffee. I got a bracelet that I absolutely adore, and some Jodi Picoult books I'm very much looking forward to reading. I also made mom cry--twice--which might be a record. I count it a successful Christmas! *g*

This year, Grandma P and Grandpa J came with us to my aunt's house. We ate lots of delicious food, played Spider Whack and a game called You've Been Sentenced (pretty entertaining!), and looked at pictures. And after dinner, my family went to see the new National Treasure movie, which was short on believability (not that we expected any different), but enjoyable.

Hope all your Christmases were wonderful!

Posted by kate at 09:43 AM | | Comments (0)

December 24, 2007


December 24, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Christmas Eve was lovely. After only two trips to Jewel and one broken glass jar, it went flawlessly. *g* The usual crowd was there, and I'm still assigned to the Kids Table. I have a feeling it'll never change! Grandma J is slipping farther and farther into Alzheimer's, but she's gracious as ever. And Grandma P is energetic as ever! We played Pass the Bags to Twas the Night Before Christmas (I won!) and sang Christmas carols ("Silent Night" is pictured), and then went to church after most of the crowd went home.

Posted by kate at 09:26 AM | | Comments (0)

December 23, 2007


December 23, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
My absolute favorite Christmas cookies are snowballs. They're pecan balls, but the trick is to roll them in powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the oven, and then let them cool there. Lots and lots of sugar sticks, and they're delicious. Mmmmm!

Posted by kate at 09:21 AM | | Comments (0)

December 22, 2007


December 22, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Call in Mulder and Scully! Call in the Winchesters! Saturday was warm and rainy, and as the snow melted, it revealed this strange pattern on the front lawn. It almost looked like veins branching out from around that tree. I'm sure it was some little creature burrowing under the snow, but still. Weird.

Posted by kate at 09:18 AM | | Comments (0)

December 21, 2007


December 21, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
After a two-hour delay due to fog in Chicago, we felt lucky that our flight wasn't canceled. Take-off is my favorite part of the flight. There's just something about zooming along fast enough to lift off into the air!

Posted by kate at 09:14 AM | | Comments (0)

December 20, 2007

December 20, 2007


December 20, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I thought this was an appropriate picture to take for today, because not only was it raining, but I definitely felt like singin' by the end of it!

The day started off *early*, with me leaving the house before the sun was even up. We had our holiday breakfast at Eggs 'n Things, exchanged Secret Santa gifts, and basically just had a nice Christmas send-off.

Then, once we got to the office, THE AUDITOR SHOWED UP. I have a feeling a little birdie might've tipped them off that I'd be out of town next week, because this was our last chance before I leave! I was totally stressed out, headachey and shaky-handed, throughout most of the morning. This one day is basically what my entire year is in preparation for, and whatever the branch scores will follow us for the next twelve months. (My 'adequate' last year cost me in every quarter's measurement, as I only got 10 out of the possible 20 points in that category.)

At first, she said she'd be back for half a day tomorrow. Then we found all the documentation she asked for pretty quickly, and she was able to finish up tonight! The best part? ZERO FINDINGS!!!!11!!1! I mean, it's only preliminary. Several more people have to look at the report, and it's possible they could find something she missed. That doesn't happen very often, though, so... SQUEEEEEE!!! I couldn't believe it! You can still receive a 'good' with findings, and it's pretty rare not to have any. It is, of course, the luck of the draw. No one's perfect, and it's just chance which items they pull to look at. But no findings! I am still in shock.

OMG I am relieved and ecstatic and bouncy and exhausted, and I can go on vacation and RELAX, and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! So happy.

Posted by kate at 08:10 PM | | Comments (0)

December 19, 2007

December 19, 2007


December 19, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I put on my elf ears, striped tights, and shoes with bells on the toes tonight (or would have if I owned any of the above). As is my holiday tradition, I put together little goody bags for my staff. I have fun doing it, so I hope they like them!

Posted by kate at 09:39 PM | | Comments (0)

December 18, 2007

December 18, 2007


December 18, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
My new toy came today! Isn't it pretty? It does so many nifty things! I've never had a phone quite so fancy. I'm proud of myself for figuring out how to transfer my contacts (mostly) and set up my preferences. It's way more complicated than my last phone. I really need to sit down with it and explore. Can't wait!

Now, though, I really just feel like snuggling into bed and watching a movie or reading a book. It's cold (well, California-cold) and damp and raining, and I'm in flannel pajamas and a fleece robe and fuzzy slippers, and it's really just the perfect night for hot chocolate and a good story.

Posted by kate at 08:31 PM | | Comments (1)

December 17, 2007

December 17, 2007


December 17, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Kate: What should I take a picture of today? I'm in the home stretch here.
KC: Hmm...
Kate: My thoughts exactly.
KC: Take a picture of the lights on your tree. Turn off the flash, hit the button and move the camera a bit.
Kate: Huh. Okay. I'll try it!

And... *Vanna White pose*! Came out kinda cool, eh?

Posted by kate at 08:58 PM | | Comments (0)

December 16, 2007

December 16, 2007


December 16, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Today was spent mostly trying to finish up Christmas shopping. Between the two of us, we got a lot of gifts purchased, but Gen gifted herself, too, with this exciting new toy. And let me tell you, the iPhone is just as cool as it looks. I almost wish I had AT&T just so I could get one. Unfortunately, not only did I just sign a new two-year agreement with T-Mobile, but for the number of minutes I need (and use), the plan I'd have to have on AT&T would be astronomical. So I will just sit in awe of Gen's snazzy phone. Pretty darn cool!

Then tonight, D came over and we got Indian food and watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, which I hadn't seen since probably 1988. It was fun to see it again! Duuude.

Posted by kate at 11:00 PM | | Comments (0)

December 15, 2007


December 15, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
My coworker's son is in the Los Robles Children's Choir, so I went to see their holiday concert. It took me waaaaaaay back to my days in the Palatine Children's Chorus, and had me all nostalgic. They even sang some songs I'd sung, either in PCC or school choir. The concert was quite good, and I'm glad I went!

Although I had quite a time getting there... stupid Los Angeles and its tendency to only allow you to get to a place if you already know how to get to it! Sign-age is terrible around here, I swear. I wasn't late, but I was later than I'd wanted to be, after a 20-minute detour. And navigation systems only work if you've programmed them for your destination ahead of time! Magellan got me back on track once I pulled over and put in the address. Oh well. Hee. The concert was worth it.

Posted by kate at 10:55 PM | | Comments (0)

December 14, 2007

December 14, 2007


December 14, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I am slowly but surely making my way through *all* my Christmas decorations. Totally unoriginal, I know, but I just worked twelve hours without so much as a lunch break, with nearly an hour commute tagged onto each end, and I simply don't have the creative energy to spare. *laugh*

This is last year's Hallmark singing toy, and I had to get it because my friend C is the voice of the two little penguins. She's in a bunch of Hallmark toys, including this year's Christmas one. This was the first, and by far the most exciting (not that the others aren't cool, but the first time you hear your ex-roommate's voice boppin' around the Christmas tree in a Hallmark commercial? Kinda fun.)

Posted by kate at 08:41 PM | | Comments (0)

December 13, 2007

December 13, 2007


December 13, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I feel very accomplished after my productive day. I went to the eye doctor and used up the rest of my insurance benefit (still having trouble with one eye, so I have yet another medication to try... bah!), then visited my old office. I brought lunch for everyone and caught up, which was fun. I visited the T-Mobile store where they informed me there's a new $20 upgrade fee (thanks for being a loyal customer, pay us $20 to extend your contract! yay!), so I called and complained and they waived it. *g* I did have to order my new phone through the mail, so it'll come in 7-10 business days.

Then! Christmas shopping! I'm not quite finished, but I only have a few more small things to pick up for people I'll be seeing on or before Christmas, and then a couple people I won't see until January, which is not quite so urgent.

Unrelated: as an addendum to yesterday's picture, I was going through my 7th grade yearbook again this afternoon, trying to see how many names I could remember by just looking at faces (surprisingly, quite a few, which makes me feel better about my normally swiss-cheese memory), and I noticed that I'd taped a picture of Jonathan Brandis (looks like a magazine cut-out of a yearbook picture of his) at the end of my class's pictures with the caption this year's heartthrob (did not go to our school). Bwahahaha! My twelve-year-old self cracks me up.

Posted by kate at 05:45 PM | | Comments (0)

December 12, 2007

December 12, 2007


December 12, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I've been emailing back and forth with this girl I knew in fifth grade (and hadn't been in touch with at all since she moved away at the end of that year), and it has me all nostalgic. The earliest yearbook I have with me here is seventh grade, and holy cow. My eyes! I was such a little geek. I was in *two* pictures on this page (I tagged myself, lest I be confused with the other awkward eleven-year-olds). I can't believe I was in computer club! I have no recollection of that AT ALL. Lol. If you go by the picture, it was apparently a very small club, just me, my friend A, and some random boy I probably knew at the time. Art club, that I remember. I loved art club. Aaaaanyway.

We had a lunch for all the operations managers in the region today, at Cheesecake Factory. I am so full of food, and it's been a few hours already. Ha. They gave us the afternoon off, too, which I did absolutely nothing with. I have class tonight (last one of the semester!), so I just came home and relaxed for an hour or so.

Posted by kate at 04:56 PM | | Comments (0)

December 11, 2007

December 11, 2007


December 11, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Instead of coming home and finishing my final project for school while listening to the TV like I'd planned to do, or going over to JL's for a game of Munchkin like I'd wanted to do, I cleaned the house. Like I needed to do. The friend of mine who's taking care of the cats while Gen and I are home for Christmas is supposed to come by tomorrow to see what's what. While I *know* I don't have to clean the house for him, he's never been here before and I have this thing about first impressions. So I washed and organized and scrubbed and swept and put away, and now I am mostly satisfied.

Also, I really thought I owed it to my kitchen after the Thanksgiving chaos to take a good picture of it. *g* (This is not the first time it was cleaned since then, by the way...)

Posted by kate at 07:53 PM | | Comments (0)

December 10, 2007

December 10, 2007


December 10, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
I'm annoyed with T-Mobile, and I really probably shouldn't be. I've been needing a new phone, and I finally found one I like. I went to buy it yesterday, and they didn't have the color I want. He told me he was getting a shipment today, and he'd call me as soon as they came in. He didn't call. I hadn't really *expected* a call, so when I didn't get one, I shrugged and trudged over to the store anyway. The store is not on my way home from work, by the way. Well, the shipment didn't actually come today! So I nearly doubled my already-lengthy commute and didn't even come home with a phone. Hmph. He promised he'd call when they come in, so I guess I'll take his word for it this time.

And I'm annoyed with work, and I have a headache, and Chuck's not on, and it's Monday. *whine*

But! This little Nativity Play set is just the cutest thing you've ever seen, isn't it? Their little tennis shoes! The heads poking out from beneath the camel's hump! SOCUTE! It's Akarui's, but if I was going to have myself a Nativity scene, it would be one like this.

Posted by kate at 07:28 PM | | Comments (0)

December 09, 2007

December 9, 2007


December 9, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
They say we don't have seasons in California, but I think we do. They just trickle in bit by bit so that you don't notice. Here it is, the middle of December, and there are autumn trees. It's certainly not as striking when the leaves turn one tree at a time instead of all at once, but it's a happy little surprise to turn down a street that's decided it's time to change seasons.

Despite the fall-like scenery, I did a lot of Christmas shopping today. I actually feel quite accomplished! I picked up some more toys for the Toy Drive we're doing at work, and got a lot of the gifts that have to be mailed or given before Christmas bought. I still have a long way to go, but I made a good dent... in both the shopping list and the bank account. *g*

Posted by kate at 06:36 PM | | Comments (0)

December 08, 2007

December 8, 2007


December 8, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Our final project for class is to create a book with all the projects we completed over the course of the semester. It's what I've been working on for the last several days, and I knocked out a good chunk of it today. There are still a few more things I need to include, but the majority is done. Whew!

Posted by kate at 08:57 PM | | Comments (0)

December 7, 2007


December 7, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
As if I don't already get enough junk mail, the ads and coupons seem to increase exponentially during the holiday season. All of this was in my mailbox, and only one thing was actual, real mail. I have so much mail from just the last week or so to sort through my head is swimming! Save a tree, retailers.

I finally coordinated schedules with Roni, after months of trying to get together. We saw August Rush, which was really good. I think I need the soundtrack. The end-of-year good movies are finally coming out, and there are a few things I want to see. There's been a long dry spell in that department, so I'm looking forward to some movie-going. Also, the theatre closest to my house has been closed for remodeling since late spring, and it's open again. Yay!

Posted by kate at 02:11 PM | | Comments (0)

December 6, 2007


December 6, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay5
Our festive little Christmas tree. The icicle ornaments are a family tradition, and no tree is complete without them.

Posted by kate at 07:11 AM | | Comments (0)

December 07, 2007

December 5, 2007


December 5, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This is me, about to head home after a loooong day and a very long week with very, very little sleep. *yawn* And it was only Wednesday!

Posted by kate at 11:35 PM | | Comments (0)

December 4, 2007


December 4, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Possibly my favorite Christmas decorations. I just love how the dog's joining in the Christmas carols, too!

Posted by kate at 11:32 PM | | Comments (0)

December 3, 2007


December 3, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Just a few hours after arriving back in LA, I went with D to the cast member holiday party at Disneyland. So pretty! And cold, so it *felt* like a Christmas party. *g* The castle (barely visible there at the end of Main Street) was all icicled. Very cool!

Since the party didn't start until 8 and we both had to be at work early-early the next morning, we only had time to hit a few rides (which still got us home after midnight). We might've gone on one or two more things if not for the fact that the Pirates of the Caribbean kidnapped us--we were stuck in the crossfire for thirty minutes! I never realized a) how amusing the pirate at the end who really doesn't know the words to the song is, and b) how quickly you can get to the point where you just want them to shut UP, already!

Posted by kate at 11:30 PM | | Comments (0)

December 2, 2007


December 2, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This was after Sunday brunch, the day after Moving Day. As you can see, everyone was a little tired! We had six people putting things "away" in Grandma and Grandpa's new house. Six people's ideas of where things should go. I'm afraid it's going to take a very long time for Grandma and Grandpa to locate and reorganize their things. Sorry, Grandma and Grandpa!

It was also Mom's birthday. After A went back to her apartment and the Wisconsin crew went back to, well, to Wisconsin, we celebrated Mom's birthday in the new house with a delicious Wildfire salad. Best. Salad. Ever. OMG.

Posted by kate at 11:24 PM | | Comments (0)

December 1, 2007


December 1, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
The first snow of the year! I generally dislike winter, but I look forward to one week of white stuff. Being in Chicago only for the weekend, I didn't really expect snow, but I was pleasantly surprised by a light dusting on the first day of December. It also happened to be Moving Day for my grandparents, which made snow less convenient, but it sure was pretty.

Posted by kate at 11:18 PM | | Comments (1)

November 30, 2007


November 30, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
After an hour-plus delay, the passengers got restless and started milling about the gate, even though the flight hadn't been called. This is what happens when it nears midnight and everyone just wants to get onto the plane to sleep.

Posted by kate at 11:15 PM | | Comments (0)