Ah heck with it - get a manicure

I still have 5000 things to do to get ready for this weekend-o-Bubba.  But Aunt Ing has had a rough week, cakes that went flat, two perfect job offers, and having to make a freaking decision, my office mate officially retiring, writing out what to tell my government boss that I'm outta here too, and oh yeah brunch for 30.

I decided that I needed a manicure more than I needed that hour to get brunch stuff ready.

Vanity thy name is Aunt Ing.

So, my plan today is putz for the required number of hours, get a manicure, shop, cook, change and go to dinner, come home, get ready for invasion number 1, probably more cooking, and go to bed and die.

Saturday and Sunday will be rinse, repeat, Monday I am not getting out of my pj's until I have to take Shelby to the vet.

We are taking Shelby twice a week for laser treatments to help her bone heal better and faster.  The doctor called Bubba and apparently talked him into it.  So now twice a week, so goes and gets laser-ed.  She's bionic and now radioactive - one slip-up away from Marvel comic side kick.

BTW - based upon the stock market I will be working until I'm dead - I will be sleep deprived until then.  Just shoot me.

I must confess I am 1/10 of a snafu away from completely losing my cool with all this.  I just feel like I don't have a rope around it all and its all going to come crashing down around me - Bubba is going to be his usual understanding and wonderful self and I am just going to lose it completely.  I know! I know like I know my name something isn't going to meet his approval and he's going to lose his cool over me and I will snap like a twig in a drought.  Film at 11.  Enjoy.

Sigh. 

I need to remind myself that the month of January is 15 days old, in that time I have completed a complete audit of the Girl's group checkbook, ensured that the parent saw the updated reports and got those printed and organized.  I then updated then 2016 checkbook to ensure I didn't have to do that again next year... I also ran off all my reports, got those done, got the checks written correctly and got all my paperwork in on time - AND walked another adult through their report as well.  I have completed the Ladies group checkbook, that is done monthly, attended the meeting, got that deposit tended and to the bank.  Got the girls group annual ad book stuff put together, emailed and snail mailed to the powers that needed it.  I didn't get our usual boosters but there are only so many hours in a day and days in a weekend.  OH yeah - and I shopped, prepped and kept organized a luncheon for 50 brothers - with two shifts of helpers!

Not to mention, grocery shopping for the day to day stuff, an interview on Tuesday and making sure the dog has what she needs - including a trip to the vet-surgeon, picking up drugs for her, Bubba, calling and nagging my doctor to get my prescription refiled so I can stop having my own personal summers when it's least convenient.

Someone send me a spa day -- well I did get a massage Wednesday night.  I need another one - for about 6 days. 

Up side, job decision was made, told the gov boss today, and things are in motion.  So that's settled.  Now I have to tell the team - next week.  

Now it's just a matter of, coordinating my office mate's retirement party, submitting our checks for the various things we've got on the calendar - including a dinner and wine tasting, a Ladies Group Luncheon where I just found out I am escorting someone and must dress formally... then that whole sprint to the state convention in early March - where I am the adult advisor to the kid who is running the whole show this year.  Oh and to add to the fun -- her father is a flaming a-hole and will be a complete joy to work with... NOT.

I have an hour to kill at work.  I'm going to clean off my desk - and fight the urge not to crawl under it and suck my thumb. 

My life...

As if my life wasn't freaking busy enough - we added and interview and a major job decision, a busted cake and general mayhem to all...

Friday I put in a job application, Monday I got a call requesting an interview, Tuesday I had the interview and hours later the freaking offer!!!  AND before I left for Tuesday's interview, the interview I had last Thursday said they wanted to hire me.

SOOOO major decision -- do I take the job in the building in which I am currently working but a new group, new tool, more technical and management stuff?  OR do I take a job at HQ with a serious cool factor but not terribly technically challenging... toss turn, consult with other co-workers, and I sat down this morning, and .......  made up my freaking mind.  I took the more technical job... while I already regret the loss of cool location and cool people but I can already do meeting minutes. 

I went for the technical stretch - I may live to regret this decision... hopefully not.

I got home early yesterday and baked... one cake I must do again as the chocolate one fell apart getting it out of the pan.  Ticked off doesn't cover the words I used. 

The kitchen looks like a bomb dropped on it, the dining room table is covered again, the living room is a mess, and I still need to deal with 6000 other things.  The maid was here Monday, so the bathrooms are clean- husband had been banished to one only!

I have a massage tonight, need a manicure desperately and 3 more people to pull this party off and my husband looked at me last night and said "you love this"

50th birthday darn near turned into a wake - a -la Dig dong the witch is dead.

I need a nap, and a staff.  Instead I have a broken dog, and an absent husband.  What the devil was I thinking?!?

Enough whining... off to make another list... sub tab C section J. :-)

Checking off the lists...

Today, Saturday has been a busy one. Capping off a busy week.  I had enough lasanga for lunch today, and then some.  I had more than enough of everything.  I bought half as much bread as I should have but in the end that worked out very well.  Go me.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Oh goodie Bubba is in a snit.  He got a message from work.  There will be muttering and manic rocking of one's lazy boy chair.  I blog.

I basically catered a luncheon for 50 people I had help with people from my ladies group both yesterday afternoon and this morning. Thank the heavens for the help.

We got the lunch complete, cleaned up.  I have left over lasanga, salad and cake.  Life is good there.
I am still amazed it all pulled it all off.

So after all that -- in a fit of I have no freaking idea what possessed me, I cleaned out my closet, my drawers, and two bags of clothing donation and one for consignment.  I seriously don't know what the heck I was thinking.  I was thinking it was on my to-do list but what in my brain decided today was the day?  I have no idea.  But up side it's done, my closet looks wonderful, the shoe rack is clean, and I have more laundry. 

I threw dinner at my husband he's happy.  We are now watching football.  I have mixed emotions - would love to see them win - but I've watched this defense all year... all right off to shout football words at the TV. 

GO STEELERS.

Sprinting to another sprint...

This week has been a series of get-it-done-nows.  And I wondered in the dead of the night/morning/lack of sunshine times of day how the heck I was going to get this all done.  Of course I made a list, I made several in fact, just made another one to get me through Friday and Saturday...

I can say I have several things ticked off my list.  9/10's of Rainbow girl paperwork is done and in the hands of those who will deliver it.  The remaining piece I can deal with an mail this weekend.

I have a luncheon to cook for Friday/Saturday.  In a stroke of dumb luck Carpool buddy didn't make it into work yesterday so I got some running done without him.  Bonus.

I will get the rest of the running done tonight. I have confirmed hands to help with both days and a plan of attack.  I always feel more in control when I have a list, a plan and it's published in written form.

I'm a dork that way.

I have an interview this afternoon.  Starting to feel the rising panic that always brings.  Upside, it's in the same building I now work, so Carpool Buddy and I could keep being Carpool buddies.  Downside is I don't get a shorter commute with the new job.  I'm torn because having that carpool lane and time budget thing to get my fanny out of bed in the AM... very worth it.

I don't have the job yet - and considering my other two interviews I have mixed feelings about this process too... cripes.

Just submitted another application, so we'll see where that goes.

All right, I have to be productive, it was a busy morning and I like that.  Makes the day go faster, but it doesn't allow me to get my other stuff done.  ;-)   Ticking things off List A, sub-tab C, item 1-J.

Later!

Ticking off the lists...

So we're at hump dayyyyy.... (admit it you said it that way!) My girls' group paperwork is 8/10's done.  And that is a good thing.  I have to walk one lady through her report, that took me with address look up 15 minutes.  Yeah.

I should have that portion of the madness all done by the weekend, mailed and shipped off to places it needs to go.

Carpool Buddy begged off today due to lack of sleep and major pain issue, so I looked at the positive and figured I can get the luncheon shopping done tonight, and to the lodge and its one less thing tomorrow night, post interview.

I was frankly looking forward to  not driving into work today, as apparently it was night of crappy sleep.  I fell asleep on the couch before 9 PM, woke at 10:30, and headed to bed.  Only to here the dog cry an hour later after Bubba came to bed.  She made it up one set of stairs but couldn't do the second.  So, we brought her upstairs to sleep in the bedroom like she has done up until the last week.  Getting her back down the stairs is the fun part.  Anyway laid there tossed and turned and wondered why my brain which takes such delight in napping most of my working day decides it's time at midnight to ponder the meaning of life and it's various incantations. 

I finally did drift off, and in what felt like 10 minutes later, the alarm went off... it wasn't until I was getting out of the shower that I got the text of no Carpool Buddy.  Probably a good thing, there was a big temptation not to leave my bed this morning.  That would have been an issue as there are 3 of us that can produce a morning report, due before 7:15 AM every morning, me and carpool Buddy are 2 my office mate is 3 and he's out today getting a root canal.  Ouch.

So I made my way in, got things tended, after a quick email search for the new report instructions - its been a while.  Got the report run, got things updated and got things out and on time... yeah me.

I've gotten emails out, did my report, and got things tended.  Productive morning.

As I mentioned, Shelby has figured out the stairs -- up.  Down not so much.  But her wanting to be where we are, shows me that she's on the mend.  She actually tried to move her blankets around last night. All good things.  She goes back Monday to have the staples removed. Still not happy with that moving of the elbow thing... that will become a fight I fear.  She's eating and drinking standing up, and we're getting back into a regular routine, all good - good things.  What a difference 9 days make. 

And to finish off this bit of random musings today a small rant... cleaning lady comes today, I make sure the dishes are out of the sink the night before... darling butthead makes some crack about her coming and the only time I clean up.  If it weren't for 40 people and a weekend planned and paid for - I gave serious thought to murder - at least grievous injury.  Yes Bubba because those meals, dishes, cut veggies and fruit and lunch supplies just magically appear in the fridge along with the magic laundry fairy and the handle every-freaking-else fairy.

Her name is Aunt Ing. 

I need to put a bug into someone's ear that my husband might acutally listen to - so that eliminates anyone we're related to -- he needs to do something nice for his wife. Especially since he failed at  Christmas... yeah that and I'm the next powerball winner...

Off to stare at my screen for a while.  Productive am I.

Call me in February...

I loaded up my new calendar! Thanks Nana!.  It's full.  Shoot me.

I have begged off two meetings this month out of simple time-space-physics as in I am unable to be in two places at the same time.  Shelby and her issues notwithstanding, the next couple of weeks are going to be a bit insane and per usual Bubba will be no help.

He's called me twice today before 9 AM.  I know.  One was confirming his need to do something, in the form of giving Shelby her happy pills.  We've started moving that bionic elbow of hers, and she's not happy about that at all.  She is eating, drinking and moving around the back yard, we hit the last milestone last night when she went #2. 

Bubba felt it such an occasion to wake me when he came to bed to tell me this information. 

Did I feel bad when he woke at 4:45 AM this morning asking what was going on?  Not so much.  I was sorely tempted to give him a very detailed dissertation on what occurred overnight. Seeing as my brain would have managed - and did manage the words "getting ready for work" to answer said idiot question -- that frankly was a full and complete sentence at that hour of day in my world.  You want lively conversation at o-dark-early look elsewhere.

I have to tell a small story; we were out to breakfast yesterday and I was having one of those moods, oh poor me, tired, bla... in the booth behind us, the waitress is talking to a woman she knows, it sounded familiar, "Radiation?  So they don't have to take your breast... then the waitress says her mother has beaten breast cancer, and lung cancer but now its back and spread; and her son is in remission from Lymphoma. I looked up to the heavens and whispered, "Message received".  Home girl is one lucky chick - and that was a reminder!

Mood improved.

So my week, like I said, begged off one meeting, I have a luncheon to shop, cook and organize; I have a meeting Monday night, I have 30 pounds of paperwork to get ready for Saturday which I must then ship off with another adult as I managed to double book myself Saturday.  Sunday starts the big push to Bubba's birthday weekend... heaven help me.  And cross your fingers for no snow.  A lot of travelers from Western PA.

My lists will have sub-lists and tabs and attachments.  Starting now.  Plus that whole get home on time to help Shelby girl.  What a life.

Pray for the moron who can't say no... she'll nap when she's dead.

Happy New Year!

So coming back as Bubba in my next life...

Let's think about the last couple of days, yeah, we rang in a new year... but I don't think I've stopped since I left work at 12 Noon on Thursday, New Year's Eve...

I had to popped in to the grocery store for 2 things for dinner, it was already half nuts at 1 PM on Thursday.  Got in, got out, and raced home to Shelby.  She was right where we left her... not terribly surprising considering her latest issues...

Got her outside, she did her thing, she came in and was still pretty loopy.  Now its Saturday, she's eaten well, taken her meds, and has gone outside, she's moving around outside, we did a little moving around in terms of therapy today, she doesn't like that much.  But we'll need to keep doing it.  It's one thing I've learned, listen to the doctors.

I have also learned that my darling husband does not have an ounce of compassion or patience for anyone. Shelby needs time and patience, my husband, has none of these.  And I wonder why I do it all.  Frankly it's easier.

So, Thursday, I get home, make dip and stuff mushrooms, I have a guy coming for a carpet cleaning estimate.  I desperately needed nap, I slept downstairs with the dog her first night home just in case something happened.  It did, I overslept. I hate when I do that, never starts a day well.
Any way... After the carpet estimate guy came and went, I got a half a nap, because my idiot husband decided that while I was napping on the couch was the perfect time to try and talk to me...

I made it past midnight, and had a nice ringing in the new year, with friends and neighbors.

Friday, New Year's  Day; I spent the entire day cooking, cleaning and generally getting things ready to host dinner with more friends.  What a blessing it is to have such abundances. I love hosting.  I hate cleanup.

Nice dinner, good friends, went to bed and died.

Bubba got up to go play all day with friends, woke me out of a dead sleep.  Been up ever since,even though it was my plan to go back to sleep.  Instead I laid around for about 90 minutes, then got showered, finished cleaning up then in a fit of I-don't-know-what I cleaned off my kitchen table, I cleaned the top of my fridge! unloaded the dishwasher put all the dishes away and got things washed. 

Then carpet cleaning guy number 2 showed up, offered me a great deal, I took it and got the carpets cleaned today.  Which also means that I had to bust my hump and get things all picked up off the floor, including the dog.  For the first time in her 14 years in this house she's on couch.  Things are covered, couch-wise so we're good.  I can just imagine what my darling husband is going to say when he gets home. 

Surprisingly he's said nothing.  He's home from the gun show and seems to be in a pretty good mood. Let's not tempt the fates shall we?   The neighbors are coming over for another rousing game of Power Grid.  Should be fun.

 On another side, I put up a GoFundMe site, Bubba had an absolute meltdown.  I took it down, refunded the two donations we got.  In my defense he complained about the cost when he left with Shelby Tuesday morning; I thought maybe that might work. All it has got me is yelled at.

We have the money for Shelby - he's just bitching about it.

In another fun note, I thought a burner was out on my stove - before I started cooking New Year's dinner... its not.  Something came loose - Bubba fixed it.  I have mixed emotions about that.  I really want a new stove, but I want the new kitchen to go with it.  That is a few years away. The savings account has definitely had a few hits.

Signing off to get ready for leftover dinner and power grid!