perfect, shiny, and new

I guess traditionally this would be the "wrap up the year" post, but I'm really just looking to kill about twenty minutes before I need to start working on things for the evening, and frankly that's not enough time for anything productive.

(Well, unless you count popping open the bottle of sparkling grape juice you bought for the booth *now* rather than during the show as productive. Then, goodness, it's quite helpful.)

This patch of time has also been productive for:
* finishing my bowl of soup
* remembering the batch of paychecks in my desk for the children
* reaffirming that I know nearly all the lyrics to Everclear's "Buy You a New Life"

I need to decide if I'm actually going to wear my NYE-appropriate dress all evening, or slosh around in my usual blacks. It's extremely likely that comfort is going to win out on this one, but we'll see.

I can't get the newspaper to go on vacation hold, because they say I don't have an account even though the papers keep coming and the toilet that was "fixed" from leaking out the back on Wednesday now leaks out the front and for a moment there it sounded like a spaceship was trying to take off from my parking lot...

But THAT'S OKAY, because this time tomorrow I'll be on a flight to the northern lands, where--according to this morning's report, at least--we shouldn't end up snowed in anywhere.

Also, at that point, time needs to take some sort of slowing down potion (those exist, right?) because I won't see the fam again until probably next summer. [Also, I love my BCPE kids, but we all need some time apart. Yes, even with just one week to go.]

I'm trying to do an all carry-on Christmas this year, so we'll see how that goes. (That should also indicate how much shorter of a trip I get to have this year.) Also, please airport staff, don't break the [=======] for [-------] or else I'll cry big fat tears. Also-also, I should maybe see about getting a ride *from* the airport next week, seeing as I'll be headed straight to a show. (I'm already aware this was a bad plan. 3:57 at IAH, anyone?)

My favorite post-haircut game is "No, I didn't get a haircut."

Yes, I'm still nine.

There's a small part of me who kinda wishes I hadn't cut my hair, as it was fairly (within about two inches) of being Locks for Love ready again....but that side of me was happily beaten into submission by the 'tired of stringy hair' side. What kid wants my split ends, anyway? So, goodbye hair: you had a good year (wedding updo, Bellatrix updo, too many pigtails full of pencils to count), and I'm sure we'll do it again next year when I'm too busy to get you cut again.

Not so much with the productive today...

(though it's only 7 p.m., so I have at least another four hours)

Of all the things I attempted today, the only really successful endeavor was cleaning my bathroom (*you're welcome, soon to be here brother!*). I burned my casserole [which was supposed to feed me off and on for the week], I discovered that apparently the mall does NOT have a JCPenney [which then makes it hard to purchase family Christmas gifts from the JCPenney folks], and my day can always be torpedoed by a Top Model marathon on one of the style channels.

What *did* I accomplish? (a brief, somewhat disappointing list):
- bought a new gallon of milk
- washed dishes
- pulled out the vacuum (which is that much closer to actually using it...)
- caught up to middle of October of "Wait Wait" podcasts
- stared at all the cool kits in the LEGO store and again lamented that no one in the family asks for them for Christmas anymore, meaning I don't get to sort the bricks Christmas morning anymore
- bought discounted alligator earrings (the mouths chomp)

GOSH! I was productive today!

I should do this "stay home from work" thing more often. Grocery shopping, done. Cleaning kitchen, done. Laundry [including hanging things up after], done. Organizing junk boxes, done. (Though, regrettably, Finding address book to send out Christmas cards, failed from the start as I still cannot find the address book) Goofing off by reading half a book, done...and congrats to self on only spending that much time on it.

I need to vacuum, cook a casserole for the week, and finalize some Christmas presents, but I have tomorrow evening free as well (bliss!) to tackle the rest of my list. I should probably make a dent in my newspaper pile (only one week behind) before they become ridiculously out-of-date again. For now, though, I'm gonna eat another cookie based on my brand new stoneware. Thanks, Mamita.