Last minute Christmas bits and bobs

 Well, we are down to the wire now, aren't we?  As of tomorrow, we only have a week until the big day.

For the most part, I think I'm ready.  I've got one gift left that I would love to track down but, so far am not having any luck.  Yes, Amazon has it.  But for a price that I am not willing to pay.  At this point, I think, I'm willing to let this one go, if I can't chance upon a local store that carries it.

Currently, I'm knee deep in Christmas candy/baking (peanut butter fudge? Done.  Almond bark?  Done. Peppermint Double Chocolate Chip cookies?  Done.).  The spritz cookies still need to be done...probably tomorrow.  Today, I just could not face wrestling with the cookie press.  And I am still deciding whether or not I need to throw another candy/cookie into the mix for the neighbors.

Short aside, the friends two doors down, just sent over a home-made peanut brittle that is out of this world.  No one else in my family cares for it (the ogres) so it's all for me!  And then I wonder why I am not pleased with the scale lately.

I bought generic Christmas cards, since we have ZERO pictures of us this past year, about a week ago with every intention of sending at least a couple.  The cards are sitting on the dining room table, glaring at me.  Hopefully, tomorrow...but I'm beginning to think this may also just go by the wayside.  

I have to say, having The Husband home all day every day (yes, we are wrapping up his first full week of retirement) is putting me off my game.  Okay, FINE!  That is the excuse I am using for why so many things are going by the wayside.

On another note, it's probably too late to order this for a Christmas gift but I ordered this shirt for myself that arrived the other day.  It calls itself a sweatshirt but it doesn't look like a standard sweatshirt.  It has a boat collar, is a nice weight and has a curved hem; I do love a curved hem.  Currently, it appears to be mostly out of stock but if you are on the search for this type of shirt, I highly recommend this one since I fell in love with it as soon as I opened the package.

Yes, I am a person who can fall in love with an article of clothing.  This shirt will be worn on repeat for the majority of this "winter." (Can we call it winter when it is currently 70 degrees Fahrenheit?  Why do I have a feeling that February is going to knock us for a loop regarding winter weather?  That being said, the remainder of those damn pine trees need to figure out how NOT to fall down in my yard; I simply cannot deal with that again any time soon.)

The other last bit of Christmas that I need to deal with is stocking stuffers.  Particularly for The Husband.  For some reason, this year, I am running into a road block with stocking stuffer ideas.

How about you?  Are you all set and ready to go?  Have any stocking stuffer ideas to share?

Back to the regularly scheduled chaos

 As you know from my last post, I had to go to the office this week to "train" the person who has released me from the nightmare I'd been living in for the last three months or so - and so she wouldn't be sitting in an office by herself (her new boss was traveling for company business).  You can't really "train" a person for this particular job so I spent four days trying to show her the ins and outs of the way we do things around here.

She seemed pretty quick and capable but only time will tell whether or not she will stick it out (please God, let her stick it out because I don't think I can go through that again).  

She did come across with an "I've done it all and I know best" attitude but I'm hoping that was just nerves on her part.  Other than that, she seems nice - which is good because we will be working closely (via Internet mostly).

And I am SO happy she came when she did.  As of last Monday, the torrent of emails from her boss just stopped.  Now, I am back to my regularly scheduled chaos, finally!

Just in time to start my Christmas vacation...which...really isn't a "vacation" but it means I'm not tied to the computer all day every day.

So now it's time to start thinking about Christmas baking; Christmas shopping, wrapping, etc.

I did get my mother-in-law's gifts bought, wrapped and mailed on Monday.  Shockingly, she received it this morning; I was so afraid it wouldn't make it time.  She was so pleased; of course I could find a rock in the backyard, paint it and send it to her and she would still be pleased.  As usual, she called to thank me first because "I know you did all the work."  I informed her that The Husband actually mailed it, so he could get a little credit too.

The Husband's last day on the job was today - so next week brings a new chapter to our lives.  I mentioned quite some time ago that we were trying to fix up the guest rooms (which have pretty much been ignored the whole time we've been here) for guests that were supposed to come in October; which they didn't because of - surprise - COVID.  It's actually a good thing they didn't come because the guest rooms, once again, fell off our radar.  So now, we are pivoting and thinking that one of those rooms is going to be turned into an office/guest room after Christmas.

Working at the dining room table has been fine (except for the office clutter that litters the table every day; which makes me itch...but I need it nearby) but with The Husband being home while I'm working...that's just not going to work.  And our company has announced that if/when we ever go back to the office we will be doing a hybrid model where we need to be in the office at least two days a week and can work from home otherwise.  A move I never saw coming but am very happy to embrace.  It only took a pandemic, that's coming up on TWO years (!!) for the powers that be to realize, "Hey...we don't have to micro-manage these people.  Not only are they getting the job done but they are also working more hours and thinking outside of the box to make it work." Duh, powers that be, I could have told you that years and years ago.

At any rate, between the work thing being resolved and quite a few presents landing on my porch in the past few days, I can feel my shoulders relaxing and my panic easing off a bit.  *sigh*  I think it's about time to pour a glass of wine, crawl into my bed, read until my eyes/arms get tired and luxuriate in the fact this short period of insanity is over.

Boosted (after minor triage) and panic and a wonderful Christmas gift...

Friday I went to our local pharmacy to get my COVID booster.  In typical Gigi fashion, when the in-take person handed the forms I needed to complete around the clear, acrylic barrier, I somehow slammed my hand into said barrier.  I remember that it hurt but didn't think much of it.  Until after I filled out the form, handed it to the nurse and realized that my hand was bleeding profusely, because of course it was.

The kind nurse treated and dressed my wound before giving me the booster.

After Suzanne's last post (HI SUZANNE!), my back of the mind, slow burn panic blossomed into a full blown panic (it's not your fault, Suzanne - I promise) as I looked at the calendar and then looked at the list of gifts thought about and/or purchased. 

I have so unbelievably busy/stressed these past months, coupled with the absence of our regular Thanksgiving completely pushed Christmas off my radar.  This weekend has been an epic push to get gifts landing on my front porch.

Man-Child and his girlfriend came to celebrate "Thanksgiving" yesterday...again salmon was on the menu and it was delightful.  The Husband asked about their Christmas plans.  It seems they are planning to be here for both Christmas Eve and Christmas morning - which is a treat...BUT I was assuming it would be the same as last year - both here for Christmas Eve dinner and her going to her parents after.  With Man-Child following later on Christmas afternoon.

Cue the utter panic of  - I still have my usual people to buy gifts/stocking stuffers for and now I have to add in her? (I would have gotten her a gift, of course, but since she will be here for the opening of gifts on Christmas morning there needs to be several more with her name on them, obviously.  Does Man-Child know her sizes or anything helpful?  He does not. *sigh*).  I'll figure it out.

In the meantime, the person who left me high and dry and supporting way too many people has been replaced!  She starts tomorrow! YAY!  The downside?  I'm expected to be in the office to train her next week...for the entire week.  Which, of course, puts me that much further behind in the Christmas department.  And, honestly?  An entire week?  Luckily, I think, for the most part, it should be just the two of us.

Here's where we all pray, "I hope she is a quick study, capable and not prone to jumping ship after she figures out what she signed up for (I WILL hunt her down if she does)."

Are you smug and all set for the holiday (YAY if you are!) or are you, like me, in full on panic mode?