If you have ADD and you know it, clap your- MASTADONS!!!!

• There are two gestures that I'm ready to officially outlaw- the fistbump, and the raising of the roof.  In the past 2 weeks (and in a professional setting, no less), I've seen these combined frat-boy actions at least 9 times.  NINE. TIMES.  Surely that makes physical assault at least a little justifiable, yes?
• When one is truly ready to maim in the workplace, it's a sign that it's time to go camping.  Tomorrow is a vacation day so that I might extend my weekend camping trip by a bit, set up my camp in daylight, and help a good friend prepare for our evening's entertainment- a 4-Loko tasting.  Lest that sound declasse, rest assured that we've found the appropriate pairings- I'm bringing 4 varieties of spray cheese, Sabine's got the Bimbo brand snack cakes and Pixie Sticks, and Michelle got the crackers.  There's also a battleship game with shotglasses planned, a wedding, a wake, and shenanigans with glitter, all in the context of a medieval war weekend.
• I'm prepared to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my sister's family and my dad.  I'm sad to say that most of the recipes I'm using (same as last year) are penned by Paula Dean.  There are 4 pounds of butter in my refrigerator... and 5 boxes of cream cheese.  This is probably not the time to mention that in October I set myself a "lose 14 pounds by Christmas" goal, and I'm not quite halfway there.  
• I've been having a TON of fun practicing intimidation techniques in scrimmage practice.  TONS.  Derby in general has been going really well.  The last bout that I was in felt like a turning point in which I started feeling like I was a lot more useful.  Knocking people down is well and good, but I feel like I'm finally able to contribute something real in the "fucking with their program" department, which really is the most important part of being on the track for me.  I've also finally gotten transitions figured out- after only 9 months of Not Getting It.  I'm looking forward to next year's season and being more than just a name on a roster and a place holder because, you know, good players need rest.  
• Dylan and I have begun planning our Christmas Vacation to his ancestral homeland (Virginia).  I'm giddily looking forward to being in a car with him for all that driving, as well as the meeting of the kinfolk (I'm pretty sure I shouldn't address them as such), the meeting Washington, DC for the first time that counts, and apparently, you can get 3 bottles of wine for $10.  However, it's going to be balls cold there, so I'm starting knitting now.  I've already made one hat that is too small and one that is too large, so I'm hoping the next one shall be just right.

Second verse, same as the first...

I was sick. First an ear infection, then bronchitis and the other ear got infected.

Then I got better.  Well, I started getting better.  I had a drastic improvement from "feels like death" into "feeling mostly human with a cough."

Then I went to San Diego for a weekend, and it was amazing.

And now I'm sick again.

I'm just glad that I got to go to California and have a lovely bit of vacation with my guy, even if now I'm right back to probable ear infections, and another week of not working out, not skating, and not getting my stupidly massive to-do list done.

MEH.

A happy moment in a sad Wednesday

I had every intention of participating in a M-F version of NaBloPoMo, but then the first of November wasn't much worth talking about.  I'm getting to the point in my work calendar where life goes from "stressful because there's too much work to do" to "stressful because there's not enough money coming into the office." It's a change of tempo, but not much of a condolence.  

This morning I ducked out of the office for a few minutes when the phones got to be too much.  I'd gathered up loose change last night to take it to the Coinstar machine, and so that's what I did. I don't actually try to "collect" change- but it happens.  I'm a pocket-user, and I keep change receptacles on my dresser, in my bathroom, in my car, and on my washing machine. I didn't weigh the nylon shopping bag full of change (and bobby pins, stick pins, buttons, etc...) but I'm guessing it was a 20 lb bag of change. It's been a year or so since I cashed it out.

Anyhow- the gimmick is, you lose 9.8 cents per dollar if you want cash, but gift certificates have no fee taken out.  Christmas is coming and I'm an Amazon addict.  I don't mind getting the gift card to keep almost a tenth of my money!  I scraped my money through the machine, collected my Chuck E Cheese tokens that fell out of the bottom (haven't been there in at least 2 years, maybe 3), and saw that the total money sorted was $10 less than my plane ticket I bought for my trip to San Deigo this weekend.  BANK!  That was happy.... but then the machine was out of Amazon gift cards, so instead of a card I got the entire amount in cash, with no service fees.

It isn't a major victory in the grand scheme of things, but it makes me happy, so I'll take it.