I feel so defeated.
I just sent an email to Kelly Services telling them that I am available to be a temp again in January. Before that, I sent an email saying that there is too much sickness in our house for me to go to taiko practice tonight. Is it wrong to feel sulky that I don't get to learn Omiyage back today?
Yesterday, Abbie stayed home with a fever. It threw me off horribly, but at least it was not too serious. Just a low-grade fever to go with the head cold she's getting. It's a doozy. And I'm sure I'm next. My best plan is to drink ridiculous amounts of orange juice, and then when I catch the cold it will be mild, and only last a day or two. Right? Well, I'll have to buy more orange juice, though. I gave most of it to Abbie yesterday. I just don't want to get sick. I really, really don't. Especially since Josh's work party this weekend will be the first date we've had since May.
Anyway, do you want to hear about the awesome first weekend in December?
First of all: Thursday's performance was super fun! It had its share of nit-picky stuff wrong with it, but it was a pretty good show, especially since we had brand new members playing some "real" songs, not just easy beginner stuff. Very cool. I played Tobihi in the yatai style, and I did pretty well, if I do say so myself! Hanabi was not my most brilliant ever. It was the first time I was in a show, but not on Omiyage in probably years, and I yelled as much as I could. Hope it helped. It sure was fun! They gave us leftovers, too, which made me giggle.
Friday, Josh worked late, and I cooked and cleaned.
Saturday morning, we drove to Hermann, and parked in front of the bakery and chocolate store. Double MMMMM! We had doughnuts, and then bought chocolates as presents. We met Mom up by the rectory, and then after Nanny and Gran were done being lost (second year in a row) we met up with them, and all walked through the rectory together. It was pretty fancy, but I think I liked it better last year. My favorite room was a little sun room that overlooks the courtyard. Probably would be my favorite room even if it wasn't decorated. Abbie loved the Wizard of Oz room, of course. She also loved the table full of nutcrackers and German windmills. Grant loved it when a lady came and played Christmas carols on the piano in the hall. Afterward, we drove up to Stone Hill Winery. We walked through the market, but Gran didn't find the vendor she was looking for. Josh put our name down for lunch, but it was over an hour's wait. That was not great. I felt bad about that. A group who did caroling were passing through, and we got to hear them for a few minutes, which was great. When we finally got our table, Josh and I were expecting things to pick up, but we were wrong. We sat for another hour before any kind of food showed up. I felt bad again, but my food was so incredible that I got over it pretty easily. Yum.
I knew Gran had been ready to leave for a while, and I also assumed that my mom would go, too. She had mentioned it. I wanted to make it up to the kids, though, for having to sit still for so long. There were kids' activities downtown, so I wanted to go there, but then my mom decided that she was following me home to my house, so we had to leave right away. Poor kids. At least we sang Christmas carols all the way home...
Sunday we made biscuits with egg, cheese and ham here at the house. Then, we drove to North Handley to hop on the Metro Link. The kids were SO funny!! They loved it. We got to the stadium right before the doors opened, and Josh told Abbie she should use the port-a-potty while we waited. I think that's where the germs came from, but don't know for sure. Anyway, once inside, we decided to get food. Next time I'm going to ask around about what to get. That 7 dollar pizza was gross. The kids wouldn't even finish it. Such a huge waste of money. After my parents showed up, the kids latched onto them and that was that. We were right in front of these two guys who were super funny. It was great. Poor Josh was in front of a little flamboyantly gay and rather cranky black 49ers fan. I stood over there for a while. He did nothing but complain to his date about everyone he'd ever met the whole game. Poor date. Can't have been fun. The game was fun, and the Rams were much better the second half. Our cheerleaders are not so great. I think their main talent involved all wearing the same size of hot pants. Anyway, the last time the Rams played the 49ers, it ended in a legitimate TIE, so the place went crazy when we went into overtime! 5th quarter was intense, and I actually got a picture of the winning kick going through the goal posts. WOOT! Josh's voice might never be the same. Did I mention that we won?
We said our goodbyes in front of the stadium. My family took the metrolink back to our car, and Mom and Dad met the Whitakers at the casino, had dinner, and then went home.
Then, yesterday, Abbie had a fever.
Josh didn't go to work yesterday, he was taking his fancy (not going to try the name in case I get it wrong) test. He passed! YAY! Next are his regular finals, and then he gets a few weeks off. As for me, I paid bills, made lunch, took Grant to music lessons, took care of the dogs and dinner...the usual stuff. Couldn't do any of my sneaky Christmas shopping with Abbie watching, though.
We also got a call about another Christmas "party" this weekend. I have just got to say this: I HATE it when people "invite" me and then tell me what to bring. Either you are the hostess or you're not. If I didn't offer to bring that exact item, maybe you should get it your damned self, if you can't live without it.
I am not doing this soul-less Christmas anymore. Next year I will do things my way. I will invite EVERYONE over for an open house. Between meal times. No getting fat required. I will set out a variety of snacks, from utterly decadent, to fairly harmless. No food required. I will put on carols, make tea and cider, and let the kids play games if they choose. Board games, not computer games. And if you like me enough to travel out to my house - that is all I want from you. No GIFT REQUIRED!! There is not an entry fee to my open house. The point is to be together without stress. At least without adding stress. Want to come?
Enough about that.
Our neighbors got a new dog. We visited Sunday evening. And they also lent us the Robert Downy Jr. Sherlock Holmes movie. We finally watched it last night. I don't think it was that good. It was something to watch, but I don't intend to see it again. You might think that it was because I'd read all the stories and it was so different. Well, that was part of it - I got tired of Watson, who was always so cheerful and helpful and a fond, constant, admirer of his dear friend's genius being so unwilling and cranky. Plus, there is the part where he met his fiance on one of their cases, and that Holmes found her reasonably impressive, with a clear, organized mind - for a girl. Or that Holmes was not so much a talker, and totally incapable of the kid of relationship he supposedly has with Irene, who was not a criminal, just an opportunistic survivor. All that you sort of expect. I just didn't think that the story was extra great, or that the newly refurbished characters were terribly lovable. The whole thing was highly improbable (Hollywood doesn't even care about that part these days, but I do) and the dialog didn't save it, so there wasn't much to like. I prefer the modernized BBC Sherlock by quite a bit, and I don't even call that one great.
Today I am shopping again. I really did go on Thursday, but it was a bad time or something, and many things we needed were nowhere to be found. Today should be better. I told Josh that is all I am doing today, but I've already done more than that. Oh, well.
This warm weather is really messing with my perspective. Hopefully, it can at least get cool again. I'm really in the mood for some snow now, but I don't want to ask for too much....
Hope your week has more Yay than Boo.
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