Well, my baking bonanza was a success. I spent the better part of 3 glorious hours in the kitchen, cutting out shapes, drizzling icing and sprinkling coloured sugar. It’s a good thing I had prepared and refrigerated the dough on the weekend when Melissa and Carvill and I had a cookie-baking day of our own. Otherwise, I might have been in that kitchen for at least a couple more hours. I did, after all, make a double batch.
But all of my efforts were worth it. These cookies were gobbled up by my coworkers and at the end of the day when I went to check there were maybe 5 remaining in the tin, which I left for the night crew to enjoy. (Whoever got their hands on one before they were all gone, anyway.)
After my busy day on Wednesday, I was glad to be working from home yesterday and today. I definitely needed the peace and quiet. And Daisy was definitely missing me while I was gone too. She followed me around on Wednesday night from room to room, where ever I went, keeping an eye on me and cuddling me whenever I sat down.
To think that this is the same dog who was so independent and spurned my attentions when she was young, only to grow so attached to me in her old age. I can’t believe she’s gonna be 13 in February. Has it really been 13 years since I was 16, demanding that my parents let me buy her with the first earnings of my first job? Wow. It really is incredible how fast time flies.
 {a little blurry, but I don’t mind.}
Christmas is almost upon us. Ten days to go. And the solstice is on Monday, which is definitely a special day for me, personally. I’ve spoken about my thoughts on the seasons before, and Yuletide is one of the major points on the wheel of the year. That blackest of nights that gives way to the promises of brighter, longer days to come. Though we still have the brunt of winter to get through, we can take comfort in knowing that every day now will be just a little bit longer. Until finally, we reach the promise of spring and a world reborn into new beauty.
But back to the topic at hand: Yule and Christmas. I unfortunately have to work on Monday and Tuesday next week, but after that both Dave and I have the rest of the month off, heading back to work in January. Even though I don’t have Monday off, I do want to do something special with Dave. Maybe something just the two of us. I’m picturing candles, but I haven’t gotten much beyond that yet. Either way, I can tell the solstice is close. As I write this, the sun is already going down and it’s barely 4:00.
I still haven’t finished my holiday shopping either. Dave is stopping at a store after work to pick up another gift, but after that we still have four people left to shop for, plus stocking-stuffers. I used to find Christmas shopping a lot easier and more enjoyable, but we’re on a much tighter budget this year, saving for the wedding and all. We’re trying to make it work but it’s made gift ideas a little harder to come by and the whole shopping experience seems a bit more tense. Once that’s done though I think I’ll be able to start enjoying myself the way I normally do at this time of year. Because usually, I’m that annoying person in every family that loves the holidays SO much, despite the fact that everyone else around them seems to be a giant grinch. As proof, I submit my Christmas Music playlist, currently standing at 100+ songs in length. It has been on heavy rotation in these here parts ever since the Santa Claus Parade.
ANd tomorrow is our office’s Holiday Lunch. My workplace is too poor to afford an actual Christmas party, so they have some catering brought in for us one day instead. That generally translates into not a lot of work getting done, which is fine by me. I’m planning on baking sugar cookies tonight to bring in as my contribution to the “party.” Sugar cookies with a drizzling of royal icing and sprinkles on top. What do you think? And I’ll try to remember to take pictures of my baking bonanza this evening, during which the aforementioned playlist will again be put to very good use.
T-minus 10 days and counting!
* Eating 10 pounds of sugar in the form of smarties, jub-jubs, cookies, etc. makes for quite the sugar-crash headache the next morning.
* Living in the moment seems a lot more fulfilling than freaking out, spending so much time planning for the future. Kyrie seems to do it pretty well. I think I should read her blog more often.
* It might be nice to try knitting a hat, but that might require me teaching myself how to knit in the round. Do I have time for that before Christmas?
* It is miserable outside. I do not like going outside when it is miserable. I have to go outside today.
* My camera is broken! Well, my good camera is broken. All I have now is my point-and-shoot. Sniff. No hand-shake minimization. I wish I could replace it with this but there’s no way on earth I could afford it. Double sniff.
* There must be an inverse relation between how much fun you have spending an evening baking cookies with friends and how much suckage there is cleaning up the kitchen the next morning. Sigh.
* Have I mentioned my good camera is broken? Whimper. Maybe I can look into buying a used DSLR….
Today was the first day back to the office since the holidays, and since I finished university. On New Year’s Day I was all like, “Da da-da da! Welcome to my First Year of Freedom!” So it’s a little weird that this “fresh new start” for my life actually begins with a return to my same old routine of the past three-and-a-half years. I’m not complaining though. I like the people I work with a lot. We’re all around the same age and get along really well.
So we talked about our holidays and all swapped war stories about how sick we’d been or were currently feeling or could feel coming on. Because, yeah, I’ve been sick. Lots of coughing and sneezing and aching and general unwellness. I’m feeling much better today, though I’m still sporting a bit of that sexy movie-star voice. (i.e. – hoarseness.) It’s an annual thing for me. I’m totally serious when I say that by January 2nd of every year I will be flat on my back with my New Years Cold. For reals.
Today was also the 12th day of Christmas. You know, like the song? My mother always told me that if you didn’t have all your holiday decorations down and packed away by 11:59 pm of Twelfth Day that you would have back luck for all twelve months of the coming year. So, deciding not to take any chances with my Year of Freedom, after dinner Dave did the dishes and I took down the tree.
Taking it down really hit home to me how all of December came and went in a mad and disconnected blur of finals and shopping and family, (oh my!) I had a lot of grand plans for 2008′s holiday season and almost none of them happened. I guess that’s just the way it goes when you have to interrupt the holidays right when you start gaining momentum, just so you can study for exams and finish a paper. By the time that was done the mad dash was on and I was playing catch-up for the rest of the month. (Still am a little bit, actually.)
Now, don’t get me wrong. I had a lovely Christmas and got to spend lots of time with family. It’s just… I guess I’m just glad 2008 is over. I don’t remember ever disliking an entire year before, but there’s a first time for everything. It was rough, I’m not gonna lie, but I already feel like my prospects for 2009 are looking good. Looking great, in fact. Looking like freedom and a new beginning. I mean, heck, I got my tree down on time. And I haven’t not been in school since I was THREE YEARS OLD. Three years old, people.
I packed 2008 away in that box with the Christmas tree tonight. 2009, the YEAR OF FREEDOM is here. Let the games begin!
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