Laying Low and Knitting

It has been a quiet couple of months for me. I have been shying away from most technology mainly due to the stress level of work.

When I come home, I have been trying to tune out.

The tune out process has left me out of the loop, I don't always know my current events, I am behind on reading all my favorite blogs, Facebook is a land I visit not so often anymore....I miss my online routine, but apparently not enough to make time for it. I can blame it on the weather too.....It is much cozier to have a lapful of yarn and a Woody Allen movie on in the background than to cuddle up to the screen of my computer. Thus.....my winters work!!!!!!

I managed to knit hats for all my female managers.....I completed 9 of those. I was trying to be fiscally responsible, yet wanted them to know I care.....they were a great success! What girl doesn't need a slouchy beret?!I made myself an awesome, weird hat that looks like this....note the tattered hair and tired woman wearing it......the glass head makes a much better statement, but I appreciate the weariness the actual human head shows...I love this hat, it is super warm and really funky. Some might hate it......but I don't really give a crap. I think it rocks.

I made an afghan that tooks weeks during the holidays...I obsessed on it as I learned new techniques and tried my best to keep the cats away from it.....but Bebe loves it and lives on it now.(It horrifies me when the cats lay on stuff I made.....But really, we just live in their world anyway.)

And finally, I am baby knitting for some friends. I made this yoda hat and matching sweater.....My friend is having twins, so that means two more to go! Knitting these two items convinced me that if I ever have my own baby - they will wear sweaters like this....nothing with choo-choo's and froggies or duckies, but awesome duds like this.

Jolasveinar Make Me Happy

Clueless and Delusional.

These words describe me perfectly this week.

Somehow I missed the news that a major snowstorm was coming this way.

My mind has been on other things. Mainly work and the success of the stores in my territory. I have had my head so deep in the sand, that my personal holiday enjoyment has been pushed to the side a bit.

So I decided yesterday during my lunch break to pop into Williams Sonoma to see what I could see. There was a frantic quality to the shoppers yesterday. Which I found curious. But, as a retailer myself, I tend to not shop frantically or panic. So I wandered and happily came upon the cutest elf napkin ring holders. They were marked $24.95 - (you have go to be kidding was my first thought) Then I saw they were marked down to $2.99! Hello Happy Elves! They reminded me of the Jolasveinar - so I had to have them. Yes, yes, I know they are cheesy....but c'mon for $2.99 they rocked my world. And happily - the Jolasveinar knowledge I have has come in handy. Not once, but twice! They came up in conversation and in a trivia contest. When a smartass thinks they can stump you with jolasveinar and you know the answer - the feeling is pretty fantastic.

Now with my new napkin rings, perfect for my holiday dinner party sunday....I decided to hit the grocery store after work......

While shoppers were stocking up on milk, bread and bagged salads (eeew gross), I was happily wandering through the aisles clueless.

Why are there only 2 5lb bags of carrots left? I can't believe I have to buy a 5 lb bag of carrots. Crazy people were buying canned green beans by the dozen, I was filling my cart with frisee and endive. As they frantically grabbed at frozen dinners, I was selecting the perfect wine. What was up with the late night chaos at the Wegmans?

By the time I reached the checkout line and stood for one hour, I guessed something must be up.

I walked outside to see snow falling!

OOOOooooohhhhh!

I am convinced that I can manage to survive the snow storm without a fall out shelter food supply on hand.

The over reaction of the American public at the first sign of bad weather is astounding to me.

As the snow falls, I have onions carmelizing on the stove and dough rising on the counter....I think we will make it through.....

OMG!

I am beyond mortified today.



Last night, I was out to dinner with my husband. Just as we sat down, I saw that my work phone was ringing.
I chose to ignore the call - because really, I am not working a job that requires 24 hour availability - even though that is what it has become lately.

After a few minutes obsessing, I decided to call "the boss" back.
It went straight to his voicemail, so I hung up.
(or thought I hung up)

The next day - my boss calls me back to ask,
"where were you last night at 6:30?"
"do you have me on speed dial?"

I am confused and puzzled by his questions.

Suddenly, he begins to recite back my PRIVATE DINNER CONVERSATION with my husband!
The damn thing recorded 3 minutes of our dinner chat in a restaurant.

Who repeats back nearly word for word a private conversation?
I begged him to stop - but he kept on.

Lesson learned -
always hit the 'end' button 7-8 times.
always return phone to handbag - don't leave it on the table to record every spoken word.
don't mock people in the restaurant, bad behavior has a way of haunting you later.

Playing It Safe with the Turkey

It turns out that the flu makes you not want to do anything.
So with 13 adults and 2 children descending on Sunday for "2nd Thanksgiving", I decided not to be ambitious and just stick with a classic turkey dinner.
A roasted turkey I have made before that is always yummy and the sides that we grew up eating.
I am disappointed, but also being a realist.
Classic Turkey it is.

Kathleen Turner Turkey Feast

Stress has almost overcome me in the last few weeks and months.

Stressed me out to the point where I figured, why write about it here? Do I really want to remind myself about my stress? Do I need to rehash it?

Hell no.

So therefore, no posts from me.

But now, I am sick. Obviously the stress helped get me here.

I can't even figure out what is wrong with me. It is not exactly a cold. Not exactly a flu.

I have the flop sweats occasionally. I have body aches like crazy. I had a terrible sore throat. Now I just have a gross mucous coated throat and talk like Carrie Fischer or Kathleen Turner. And I mean the recent not good years of Carrie or Kathleen.

Nasty, deep, smoker lady voice. (and I don't smoke)

I coughed so much last night that my back and ribs hurt. And to top it off, I am not hungry. I force myself to eat - and I guess that after a few more days of all liquid foods, I will at least be a few pounds leaner.

I blame all of this on sick people that don't stay home.

They diseased me. And in my weakend, stressed out state - my body could not fight back.

What is wrong with people that won't stay home when sick?

What is up with people that don't wash thier hands?

Gross!

Anyway - at least I am managing to work from home and keep the disease contained. I am beginning to plan my Thanksgiving Feast.

This year, we are going to my aunt's for Thanksgiving - but on Sunday I am having '2nd Thanksgiving' for a group of friends.

I do this mainly because I want turkey leftovers in my own home.

I hate taking a plate of leftovers from someones' house. Because secretly I feel they are begrudging me taking thier leftovers.

So now we have 2nd Thanksgiving.

I learned this from my father in law. Even if he was going somewhere for the Thursday meal - he would roast his own turkey too.

Genius!

I am attempting to re-create the Thanksgiving meal featured in the current issue of LaCucina Italiana.

But, I may go for the Giada Thanksgiving feast with the Butternut Squash lasagna and the Ciabatta Chestnut stuffing.

Lots of decisions to make.

And of course - there have already been requests for certain recipes to be on the table beyoned the LaCucina menu. Which is fine - because so far, there are 14 adults coming - so if I don't make more food, I won't have my own leftovers!

Going Vegan.....kind of

I am thinking about going 60% vegan....and 40% not vegan.
Does that sound reasonable?

I mean, I love meat......but I know I could be so much healthier.
This weekend I am researching this option.

Wickhams and Willoughbys

I am a sucker for all things Jane Austen.

And no matter how many times an adaptation is on PBS, cable or the movies, I will watch it happily....every single time.

Lately, Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice are on all the flippin time.

And like an addict, I can't turn away.

So it got me thinking about the bad boys of Jane.

Those nasty Willoughbys and Wickhams......

Oh how we love them.
Bad boys always get first dibs!

You fall passionately in love with him, even though you met 12 hours ago.

You pledge your never ending devotion to him because he is the finest man you ever met, even though you never really spend time alone.

You want to marry him, even though you never see him without his breeches.

You are willing to forgo the rich, kind man that pines for you and would be your man slave, so you can get dumped by the bad boy with the crazy facial hair.

Poor Jane, she must have had a real axe to grind with her own real life Willoughby/Wickham.
One minute we love him, the next minute the truth is revealed.....this whole time the dude has been a jack ass.

It makes me sad for poor Jane. Clearly, she never got over her Willoughby/Wickham...so she spent the rest of the time writing about the good ones she passed over for the bad one she remained hung up on.

Let that be a lesson to all.

Enjoy your Willoughbys and Wickhams......

But don't let the real gems go by.....Darcy, Darcy, Darcy!