It's Like a Big Joke on Me

Mini update.

What Christmas was for me:

I got sick on December 22nd, just as I was leaving the office. I have been in and out of the clinics since then with a final two hour trip on December 27th to have another dose of meds doled out in the form of a penicillin and something acid mix. Nice.

The plan was to make wedding invitations and get that out of the way, amongst other wedding planny things. All scrapped.

So, my vacation that I was SO looking forward to having..............spent sleeping on the couch (sort of) every night for almost a week.

I should be 100% oh......about the time I get back to work next week.

Brightside..........being couch-bound has provided enough time to watch half of season 1 of Buffy, all of season 4 and we're 1 disk in to season 6.

You have had your way with me germs.........your time here is finished. Never.Come.Back.

2 More Sleeps!

Until this handsome boy turns the big 3-0.

He's super cute, though.

First Annual and Most controversial Work Bake Day

So I get a do-over because I made Chinese chews and bought "raw" chow mein noodles. Who knew?

Anyway, it's like having peanut butter flavoured spaghetti and it hurts your teeth. Hence the do-over.

Kiz, Kris and Sandi made me the yummiest, bestest, super-delicious treats. They are so good, my vocabulary drops to that of a junior high school girl.

I have eaten 5 of Kris' Kristmas Kookies (spelled so wrong, I feel a komment koming).

I am holding steady at 5, I am sure they will be wolfed down by the boys as soon as I get home.

I love sharing holiday baking.

And off to the store with me to buy DEEP FRIED CHOW MIEN NOODLES.

Christmas Lunches

So two of the girls just came back from their "Practice Group Christmas Lunch"

They are now referred to by me as:

IntoxiKizzy; and her friend
IntoxiKrissy

Sigh......

I say it because I am jealous.

I Should Mention

By the way..........

I am not unlike Santa Claus now.

We can call me Santa Blog. I can see you.

I have jumped on board with the blog counter seen in both Ontario and BC blogs (those are the only bloggers I know).

The counter can be found on the bottom part of my blog sidebar (the part with old postings listed, etc.).

Part of the fun of this is not only can I see how many of you visit me, I also know who you are.

That means if you got my email that you were tagged and didn't do it, I know you read my weird things and did not share yours.

Also, if you are posting stupid comments using some cryptic acronym for you name, I see you.

6 Weird Things

I got tagged with this today. Thanks to Kristin.

Gay rules:

1. Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”.

2. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly.

3. At the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

* Note that since I don't know 6 blogging people outside of the world that Kris has pulled me into, I will ask that the people I "tag" do their thing in the comments section.

1. When I was little, I picked my nose and I put it on the wall. I collected a seriously large amount of boogers on the wall. I think I had trouble parting with them.

2. I am positively terrified of thunder storms.

3. I have irrational thoughts and visions that I am going to give birth to a "little person" and it totally freaks me out.

4. I think I might have a slight case of OCD - sometimes, things must be exactlyactly a certain way or things could go very, very wrong.

5. I REALLY like going the Dentist (and not because he's family)

6. My Mom reads this, my Dad doesn't know it exists.

Ok......I tag:

Julie F
Tracy
Jennifer
Jelli
Sarah
Mom

I know those people read regularly.

Where Are You?

I know you read my blog, some of you daily. I realize that my blog may not be the bestest blog in the world to read but really, do you think I update it so that I can read it over and over. Not likely.

If Heather (BC) can comment and Daniel (FRANCE people). Then surely people I have actually met in person can comment.

You suck (not you Kris, you're lovely and comment mostly always and make me Kristmas CD's and it's your birthday soon so I will be nicer to you)!

Comment or you get coal in your stockings.

Jerk-heads.

Yeah you Sarah.

Things I Need to Do!

There are, as of this morning, seven and one half working days until Christmas Weekend.

Things that need to get done:

1. Tracy, you're pretty.
2. Purchase, set up and decorate Christmas Tree
3. Finish shopping
4. Mark's birthday
5. Prepare two batches of Chinese chews for itty bitty cookie exchange at work

Get as much work done as possible, all while praying nothing new comes up, and taking the week between Christmas and New Years off as holidays (pray for me people).

So, stress level: 9; temperature outside: 6.

Pointless post: finished.

P.S. The dark cloud that hovers over my office is getting bigger and more out of control. It is amazing how one person's attitude can ruin the morale of several people.

YOU SUCK DARK CLOUD, QUIT!

Auntie Emily

This is not a picture of the new baby but is esentially what the baby looks like right now.

"The baby" as I am refering to it, is my new niece or nephew that will be born on June 15, 2007.

Yay for me (oh and for the new parents, blah blah blah)

Just FYI

Your Stripper Song Is

Dirrty by Christina Aguelera "Too dirrty to clean my act upIf you ain't dirrtyYou ain't here to party" You're so dirty, you make Christina look clean.

What Song Should You Strip To?

Emily's Name - A Public Debate

So I am getting married.

Tradition says that once I marry, I take my husband's name.

I have a few issues with this.

For starters, I have had my name for 30 years. Back in the day of marrying at 14, girls had not yet carved out an identity of their own, so being Mrs. Jones was fine for them.

I have an identity, I like being Emily Howe. It's a good name. This is how people know me. A lot of people, both personally and professionally. I am a very important Howe (to my Dad anyway).

Now, not to knock my new name, Evans is a great last name. But there's a problem. My middle name is Evelyn. In 4 months, I will be Emily Evelyn Evans. E cubed, E to the power of 3. Seriously, the jokes are endless.

Another issue is that many people feel it important that they have the same last name as they're children. Well, I already have one and he doesn't have my last name, he has his father's. So, should I take my hubby's name, there will be a bunch of Evans' and one child with a different name. Will that make him feel like an outsider in his own family? Would it be better to have all of us have different names?

But I digress. The following is a list of options I have considered. A key option being adding Evans to the end of my name and going my Howe or Evans, as I see fit. Because it's my name and I can have it be whatever I want.

Emily Evelyn Howe (stays the same)
Emily Evelyn Evans
Emily Evelyn Howe Evans

or stupid hyphen option

Emily Evelyn Howe-Evans

Or:

E3.

Vote now.

10 Things I Would Rather be Doing

The following is a list of things I would rather be doing instead of work:

1. Sleeping
2. Watching episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Season Seven (shut up)
3. Christmas Shopping - still have wee brother and little things to get
4. Getting my hair cut (desperate for this!)
5. Getting a massage
6. Hanging out with Mark (who is at home sickish today)
7. Naming my new niece or nephew, even though I am not really allowed to do that
8. Decorating for Christmas - I have one nutcracker and one snowglobe out
9. Reading a really great book - which I haven't done since Kris' Red Tent lend.
10. Sleeping (yes, repeat but I am tired enough to say it twice)

On a happier note, today is tree trimming day at work. This is fun, not so much for the decorating part, but for the food and liquor part of the event. December is fat month at work for sure.

Howe - out.

You're Pretty

Tracy dear, my friend, my love
You are as sweet as a little turtle dove

Your patience and kindness
and lovable pout
How you put up with Colin
we'll never figure out

Girl weekends and golfing
and sisterly advice
You're a friend forever
No need to think twice

Quiet you seem
but it's really not true
I don't want to be the girl
to cross crazy you

You don't dance
You don't wiggle
You don't often sing

This is the part where I say

ENGAGEMENT RING!

No really, it's time
Colin, get off your ass
Or Mark will move in
and put you out on the grass

Happy Birthday Tracy!

Christmas Panic

Two pay days left until Christmas. That's how I count down anyway.

Mark and Joe are both still throwing ideas out at me and I am trying to hold on to them in my very full head instead of running away and writing them down (a little obvious).

I still have fairly major gifts to pick up for both Mark, Joe and my brother (who smells, is never home, never calls his cute sister and should get only a lump of coal).

I still have things to knit for under the tree (this takes time, of which I have little).

I still need to pick up picture frames for the Grandma's so they can have new pictures of Joe.

Stocking stuffers............

Two hens and a rooster for Dad (*KQP*)

Needless to say, I do not feel like I am on top of things this year.

Why I Hate My Job Today

I would like to take as holidays the three days off between Christmas and New Years.

As some may know, I work at the LNULF with Kristin.

Today, LNULF has totally pissed me off.

At LNULF, I am granted four weeks of vacation. In 2006 I had 147 hours of vacation (4 weeks and one day). We are not to carry over or be paid out on any remaining vacation days left at the end of the year.

Ok, fair enough. So, I booked off the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between Christmas and New Years. Last year, I did not book it off and we were not busy.

This year, I book it off and the unnamed people that I work directly with are now having bucking aneurysm about me not being here over the holiday time and "of course you can take the time off, just make sure you have the back up in case we need work done"

Who is going to do that? The other offices comprising LNULF don't care about my office unless they want something from me and they certainly think that they are far, far too busy to take the time to assist us.

I am the only person that does my job in this branch of the LNULF, whilst all other offices have permanent back up.

So needless to say, I am pissy as hell about this today and if I cannot manage to take this time off, then LNULF had better be well prepared to carry my remaining 4 days over into 2007.