DONE...finally!

 After the past three weeks of pure, manic, Christmas panic - as of five minutes ago, I am done.

All the presents and stocking stuffers bought and accounted for.  All the gifts wrapped, shipped (and received), and those that weren't shipped are ready to find their place under the tree. All the Christmas baking (well...except for whatever will be served Christmas Eve - but I feel sure that what my son will request can be done in under 20 minutes) is done.  Just in time for Suzanne's Christmas Cookie Swap.

All that's left is to create the cookie plates for the neighbors and friends, which will be done and delivered tomorrow.  And then to clean the house for Christmas Eve chaos.

This year I went with the usuals leaving out anything extra - as usual the cookie dough (minus the spritz) the was prepped and ready hanging out in the freezer since late October/early November - in theory, it saves SO MUCH TIME.  But the reality?  Making that many cookies - even with the prepared, thawed dough takes all afternoon.

Yesterday, I made chocolate chip cookies (around 70, I think) peanut butter (around 60) and the gingersnaps (also around 70).  Yes, I know - that's a LOT of cookies.

Today I made the peanut butter fudge (a double batch! My neighbor two doors down LOVES this fudge), a double batch of the infamous but ridiculously easy almond bark and the spritz cookies (around 80).  And although, I  finally figured out the secret to this dough last year; this particular cookie is still a significant amount of work and MESS to make.  I seriously thought about posting a picture of the state of my kitchen after making said cookies; but determined that my self-esteem could not live with the thought of that mess hanging out on the internet for all of eternity.

As I am unsure of the rule of the said Christmas Cookie Swap; I shall share the recipes for each treat below in the order in which my recipes are appearing before me as I type:

Almond Bark (amended to read "Ridiculously Easy and Incredibly Delicious Almond Bark")

6 squares of semi-sweet chocolate bar (1 bar)

6 squares of white chocolate (1 bar)

1 cup toasted almonds

Toast the almond (watch carefully; do not let them burn).  I usually do this on the stovetop in a skillet stirring constantly.  Microwave chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls on high for 2 minutes or until almost melted.  Again, watch carefully.  I generally let it go for a minute, stop to stir and guesstimate how much more time will be needed.  I stop before it's fully melted to stir the chocolate until fully melted.  FYI, white chocolate seems to melt quicker than the semi-sweet. Stir equal amounts of almonds into each bowl.  On a was paper lined cookie sheet, alternately spoon melted chocolates.  Swirl chocolates together with a knife to marbleize.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  Break into pieces.

Peanut Butter Fudge (also ridiculously easy)

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of salt

4 cups(!) powdered sugar

Line an 8 inch or 9 inch square baking pan with foil; leaving an overlap to lift finished fudge out.

Melt the peanut butter and butter together in a large bowl (I use the microwave - again watching carefully). Stop the microwave every minute or so to stir the mixture until completely melted and smooth.  Once done, stir in the vanilla using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon.   Add the salt and stir.  Add the powdered sugar and stir until completely combined.  The mixture should be very thick and resemble cookie dough.  Press the fudge into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spatula or spoon.  Cover tightly with foil and chill for at least 4 hours or until firm.  Cut into pieces.

Gingersnaps

6 tablespoons shortening

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/3 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar to roll dough balls in

In a large bowl cream sugar, shortening and butter.  Add molasses and egg and beat again until everything is combined.  In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients; add to the butter mixture; mix well.  Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F.  Roll dough in small balls.  Drop and roll in the extra sugar until fully coated.  Place balls 2 inches apart on a greased (or parchment paper lined) cookie sheet.  Bake for about 11 minutes for cookies that are crisp with a soft center or up to 13 minutes for a crispier cookie.

Peanut Butter Cookies

These might be my favorite cookies to make; my dad used this exact recipe to make these for us occasionally when we were kids.  They are also another neighbors absolute favorites.

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of butter (unsalted

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed (and I mean PACKED) brown (preferably dark) sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375.  Stir/whisk flour, soda and salt.  In a mixer bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds.  Add peanut butter and sugars; beat till fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat well.  Add dry ingredients to the beaten mixture; beat till combined.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in granulated sugar, if desired (do it).  Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Crisscross each cookie with the tines of a fork.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Remove and cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/12 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1  package of semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Stir together flour, soda and salt.  In a mixer bowl beat butter and shortening for about 30 seconds.  Add sugars and beat till fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Add dry ingredients; beating until combined.  Stir in chocolate pieces.  Drop from a teaspoon 2 inches apart onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Baked for 8-10 minutes.  Remove and cool.

And this is a representation of what my cookie plates will look like tomorrow.

Book Review: In The Garden of Spite - A Novel of The Black Widow of LaPorte by Camilla Bruce

Had you ever heard of one of the most prolific female serial killers in American history?

Neither had I until I picked up this fictionalized version of her atrocities.

And based on my internet sleuthing after reading this book; it may be the closest thing to the truth that we will ever know about Belle Gunness.

One of the descriptors of this book call it An Audacious Novel of Feminine Rage.  And while I do not condone killing people; after what this poor woman went through (I can't figure out if that part was the fictionalized part or not), I can kind of understand that her mind broke and led her to do what she did.

And what happened at the end?  Oh, well. I think that was the most horrific part and possibly broke her mind (and heart) even more.

After all this time, we will never know the true story of what actually went down; but this book gives as good a theory as we are ever going to get.

I simply could not put this book down.

Were the details of some of the killings a little graphic?  Yes.  But the underlying story was what kept pulling me back to this book.  To the detriment of my household chores, sadly.  I now have a lot of catching up to do.

Christmas Prep

 After sitting on the floor for approximately FOREVER yesterday while wrapping gifts, my panic over Christmas prep has been dialed back exactly ONE notch.

Also, this may be the last year spent on the floor wrapping; my poor back may never recover.

As of today, I'm done with my mother-in-law's gifts and almost ready to mail; I just need to find the perfect size box for mailing - the only ones I have on hand are either too small or too large (a true Goldilocks conundrum).  I feel pretty good about the kid's gifts (just couple more to procure) and stocking stuffers.  Absolutely at DEFCON ONE stage of panic about The Husband's (and, of course, he's not giving me any ideas) and two of the kids two doors down.  I realize parent's don't need the added hassle at this time of year of being asked for gift ideas; but I have no choice but to ask AGAIN.

Most of the cookie dough has been prepared and frozen, ready for baking - leaving only the Spritz Cookies, the peanut butter fudge and the almond bark - none of which can be prepared ahead of time, to my knowledge.

The tree is up, the porch lights are up.  Garland and stockings on the mantle. Battery operated candles in the front windows.  And that's it for Christmas decorations.

In the past few years, I have scaled WAY back on the decorations simply because putting them up and taking them down was exhausting.  Not to mention feeling far too cluttered.  I think I have hit on just the right amount of holiday decorating for us.

And after much waffling, and list culling, I've pulled the trigger and ordered cards which I will pick up tomorrow.

We are in full on holiday mode/panic around here.  How about you?

Thanksgiving/Christmas Countdown

Yes, believe it or not, I'm still here.

Thanksgiving is in TWO days and Christmas is less than a month away.  Am I prepared?  No, I am not.

But I'm trying.  I have procured all the supplies necessary for the pies that I want to make for Thursday.  And I plan on making them tomorrow.

This will be a slightly different Thanksgiving this year as we are not hosting - but instead will head two doors down to celebrate with our dear friends.  A and S will unfortunately not be joining us; heading to her parents instead.

I am being a good sport about this - this first Thanksgiving without my "baby" at the table.

Turns out that our Thanksgiving feast will also be a first.  Apparently, instead of the usual turkey dinner we will be dining on brisket and salmon.  And although, I thought I was ambivalent about turkey - I will miss the gravy, stuffing and turkey.  I have promised my husband that I will harass him about this travesty several times on Thursday; since our child won't be here to do the honors (that child is fanatical about tradition).

Yesterday, I tried to take advantage of the warmer weather to set up our outdoor lighting situation.  My pre-lit garland foiled that plan.  So this morning, I headed out to Michael's to procure new garland.  Only to have to turn around and go back to Michael's as the garland I bought wasn't long enough.  This wouldn't be an issue except for the fact that Michael's is at least 20 minutes away (one way).  But I persevered and got the lighting up before the cold weather hits (tomorrow).  And I hounded The Husband to get it all connected and ready to go.

Then, in a spurt of productivity I was able to get the rest of the decorations (tree, etc.) up.

Now, I just need to sit down and focus on present buying.  This particular chore has been put off even later than usual and now I need to get it done! 

I'm vacillating on whether or not to do cards this year.  Maybe if I can find some decent cards after making pies tomorrow.  No pictures since we haven't seen the kids often enough to find the time for pictures.  I really need to be more proactive about that next year (seems like I say this every year).

So what about you?  Are you set for Thanksgiving?  How about Christmas?

Book Review: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

So far, Riley Sager has yet to let me down when it comes to his novels, and The House Across the Lake was no exception.

Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress, trying to elude a run of bad press, is pushed to her family's lake house in Vermont by her mother against Casey's wishes.  The very lake that made her a widow in the first place.

Once ensconced in the old lake house, armed with plenty of booze and an old pair of binoculars she inadvertently becomes obsessed with spying on her neighbors - a tech whiz and a former model.

A couple which makes it nearly impossible to not spy on.  Particularly after Casey pulls former model, Katherine, from the lake saving her from drowning.

From there you kind of think you know where this story is headed.  You are wrong.  Dead wrong.  I audibly gasped at one plot twist - it came out of nowhere.  

If a psychological suspense stories are your jam; you will love this one.  I promise. 

Book(s) Review - A Twofer - Strange Sally Diamond and Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

 Ok friends, I cannot remember who mentioned Strange Sally Diamond (Nicole, somehow I think it was you) by Liz Nugent but I cannot thank you enough.

After spending months on the waiting list for it at the library, I finally received it a few days ago and I devoured that book.  Here's the synopsis from Amazon -

Reclusive Sally Diamond is thrust into the media spotlight when she tries to incinerate her dead father, causing widespread outrage. Now she’s the center of attention, not only from hungry reporters and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she does not remember. As she begins to discover the repressed memories of her horrific early childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world, and why does he call her Mary? And why does her new neighbor seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged in this “truly incredible reading experience” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

For the first couple of pages I was thinking this might not be one that would grab my attention; but it quickly did and I was hooked.  I'm reluctant to say anything other than that Amazon synopsis because I'm afraid I'd give something away (there is a LOT to digest).

After I quickly finished that book, I went to the library to see what else they might have on the shelves from this author and I discovered Little Cruelties unfortunately, that was the only thing they had to offer.  

I also devoured this book in less than 24 hours.  Again, with the Amazon synopsis (yes, technically cheating when I let Amazon dominate the word count in this post but oh well...)

All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.
But one of them was in the coffin.
William, Brian, and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do…yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games—those little cruelties—grow more sinister, more merciless, and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.
Hailed by New York Times bestselling author Shari Lapena as “brilliant, engrossing,” and perfect for fans of breathtaking suspense, Little Cruelties gazes unflinchingly into the darkness collecting in the corners of childhood homes, hiding beneath marriage beds, clasped in the palms of two brothers shaking hands. And it confirms that Liz Nugent is truly “a force to be reckoned with” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author) in contemporary fiction.

Liz Nugent appears to be a genius when it comes to creating stories about seriously dysfunctional family dynamics.  In comparison to the families she presents in these two books, my family looks positively normal (they are not, at all - but, boy howdy!, they aren't this bad!)

As I mentioned, this was the only title on the shelves at my library; but I will most definitely be requesting more titles from this author.

Puzzling

 I admit it, I'm usually a sucker for a puzzle.  But this particular puzzle?  I've despised from day one.

Let's back up.  I started this puzzle last year, prior to Christmas.  I never did finish, because Christmas snuck up on me and I had to dismantle the puzzle (I've got to invest in one of those mats that allow you to roll up with unfinished puzzle and put it away) in large sections (to keep from starting from scratch) so that the guest room bed would be accessible to the Newlyweds when they stayed over Christmas Eve.

Earlier this week, I finally pulled the puzzle back out and once again set out to finish the puzzle as I need something to pass the time (and, apparently, house keeping isn't it) now that I'm unemployed.  And guess what?  This time around, I hated this puzzle even more.

After much thought was given (while poring over the damn thing) I came to the conclusion that this puzzle didn't have discernable facial features (other than eyes) and the there was barely a discernable difference between the color variations.

In sum, it was frustrating.

So, I am happy to report that I finally finished the stupid puzzle....

Only to be faced with this...

A leftover piece that doesn't belong (or is a duplicate).  Infuriating.

I guess I now need to find a new, less infuriating puzzle to do.  Or embrace house keeping (which, quite frankly, needs to be done but still isn't ranking high on my list of quality "Passing the Time" list.).

Not a real post but THE Best Chocolate Cake Ever

The kids were coming over today to celebrate S's birthday...his 30th birthday - how did that child get so old??

So I decided to make a chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache.

Friends, that ganache had me worried.  There's something about heating cream (or milk) on the stove that makes me nervous.  I'd never made ganache before and I was seeing all these warnings about how finicky it can be.  Those people are liars.  It was super easy.

The cake itself I wasn't worried about because I've made it before and it has always turned out perfectly and today was no exception.

When I tell you this is the best chocolate cake ever; I am not even kidding.  It is the most moist and delicious cake that I have ever had the pleasure to eat.  In fact, I've seriously given consideration to giving up any other future cake endeavors in favor of this one (not really). 

So today, I figured I'd share the recipe.

Without further ado -

Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salet
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs - room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot freshly brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two round cakes pans with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.  Slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  The slowly beat in the hot fee until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 35 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

I have made this cake with a peanut butter frosting (SO good), a raspberry cream cheese frosting and now with the ganache - and it hasn't failed me yet.  In fact, I'm already planning to use this recipe to make cupcakes for the cul-de-sac Fall block party later this month.  My only conundrum - what type of frosting.

This cake is so darn good - I even posted a
picture to Instagram (who am I?!)

Any suggestions for future frosting?  Do you have a fail safe cake recipe that has never let you down?  If not, you can have this one.

Western North Carolina - a horrific tragedy

 As many of you have surely heard by now; Western North Carolina was practically wiped out by Hurricane Helene.

The damage is mind blowing.  Who would have thought that a hurricane would strike up in the mountains that are at least 4-5 hours inland?

From what I'm hearing all roads in and out of the areas are closed - because they've either been washed away, are covered in mudslides, etc.

My bonus daughter and her partner live in the Asheville area - we've heard they are safe and fine; their house is undamaged but they don't have water.  And were told it may take three weeks to have the water restored.  Cell service is extremely spotty, so we don't always have a way to contact them.  We've told them to come here - if they can find a way out - but they are worried about leaving their house as the unsavory side of human nature has come into play as people are looting.

After several days, they were finally able to get to a grocery store so they have food.  But the one problem they have run into is they need cash.  None of the open stores are accepting payment by card (I assume because of lack electricity, lack of internet connections, etc.)  So that is something to tuck away in the back of your mind - when a natural disaster is looming (apparently now, no matter where you live) make sure you have plenty of cash on hand.  This would have never occurred to me before.

I read in the paper this morning that supplies are being airlifted into the affected areas and that supplies are also being brought in on mules.  Yes, you read that right.  The roads are in such horrific shape that only mules are able to pick their way through.

The thing is the news seems to be focusing on Asheville and other well known cities - but there are countless small towns that are completely cut off from EVERYTHING.  I was reading about one small town where the only way in or out is via a bridge.  A bridge that was swept away during the storm.

My heart hurts for all these people.  We don't even know yet if all the survivors have been rescued.

I saw pictures of the campus where my son went to college - the whole town was under water and there were sink holes all over the place.

Please keep the people in Western North Carolina in your prayers.  And, if you are able, please donate to the Red Cross to help them dig out and start over.

Season of Transition

 Whether we have children in school or not, I think for most of us, the onset of September equals a season where we transition - from summer to fall (and the ensuing holiday madness).

This year, as we are on the cusp of September - this will be a really big season of transition for me.  After twenty-three (TWENTY-THREE) years with the same company, I've been let go.

I won't go into all the details - some of which were totally unfair - but suffice it to say I'm still a bit salty at the whole thing.  Not at my boss, as none of this was his idea.  But at the way it all transpired.

But it did.

And honestly, despite being salty, I'm not really surprised as I knew they have been trying to remove as many "legacy employees" (those of us left over from the previous company) as they could - just last month I watched as a loyal employee of over thirty years (this employee actually made the move when the previous company moved to North Carolina; talk about dedication) was unceremoniously let go.

So after grieving for a few days (and honestly, being sick to my stomach all day every day); I'm ready to move forward and see what the future holds for us.  

Cross your fingers for us as we navigate into uncharted waters for the first time in a LONG time.  

Ode to a Light Fixture

 It's things like this that tell you that you are, in fact, an adult now...

We have a new light fixture in our dining area - and I love it beyond reason.

Our old fixture was ugly and had me giving it the side eye from the day we moved in (what...seven years now?) as it would flicker every time the air conditioning kicked on.

The Husband never noticed it and thought I was crazy for claiming that this light fixture would be the reason this house burned to the ground.

So for the past seven years, whenever I was anywhere where light fixtures were for sale, I'd be looking for a replacement.  Yes, I had an idea of what I wanted but I never found it.

Then, the light fixture issue became more urgent when The Husband informed me that out of nowhere the cursed fixture was just turning itself off randomly.  So there were two possibilities.  The fixture was haunted or there was a real situation (a short).  My bet was on the short.

So about two weeks ago I found myself at my favorite consignment store (which, by the way, isn't actually a consignment store - they just threw that in to the name for some random reason) and stumbled upon a fixture that I instantly fell in love with so I bought it.

Once I got home, I presented the fixture to The Husband and requested that he hang it immediately.

And, of course, we ran into a snag.  Because, of course.  We could not for the life of us figure out how to dismantle this fixture enough to even begin to figure out how to hang it.  The Husband asked me to return it.  And this is where this store begins to irritate me just a bit - they are only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday - WHY????.  And this, of course, happened late in the day on Saturday. *sigh*

Eventually, I was able to return the stupid fixture and the hunt began in earnest.  I knew this was the kind of fixture I wanted.  I uploaded a picture of the fixture and ran a Google search - only to discover that this particular light had been discontinued BUT I found a very similar fixture that I immediately ordered.

When it arrived, I presented it to The Husband requesting that he hang it immediately.  Which he attempted to do - but when it came to removing the old fixture, he discovered that he old light was very, very heavy and he didn't want to attempt at removing it himself while on a ladder.  So he called in reinforcements.  Between the two of them they were successful at removing the fixture.  But when they went to hang the new one; discovered that the wrong bolt(?) was included in the box.  Because, of course.

The friend said that he would source the right size bolt(?) and come by the next day to help get this fixture up.  Which he did.

And I was pleased.  Until I started looking around the dining area and realized when we moved in that's exactly what we did.  We never "finished" the dining area.  So that led me to buying curtains - which, of course, I had to then hem.  Keep in mind I am NOT a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination so that was an undertaking in and of itself.  But once that was done - and I was pleased; The Husband piped up with "All we need now is "art" for the walls."  Which caused me to groan because in the entire history of our marriage we have never - not once - agreed on what we like in the area of "art."

So we found ourselves at a store that sells "art" (it should be noted the term art here is used very loosely) and we found a piece that we could both agree on at a reasonable price.  We snatched it up and returned home where The Husband found himself in charge of hanging it with my supervision.

All that to say, our dining area is finally finished and we now have a fixture that doesn't terrify me.  Seven years later.

Hurricane Debby

 Apparently, Hurricane Debby has reached North Carolina.

Thankfully, we are inland enough that we don't have to worry too much about devastation (sending prayers to those that do though).  It has rained non-stop all day and, at times, the wind was wicked.

Which leads me to look at those damn trees.  And praying that they all stay standing because between you and me - I have spent more money on removing downed trees than any one person should have to spend on trees in a life time.

Who knew that at this stage of my life, I'd be worried about the state of some pine trees?  And yet, here we are.

The weather forecast is predicting rain, more rain and even more rain.  Which will hopefully break on Saturday (God willing).

And we all know how I feel about rain (it's fine as long as it happens while I am asleep; when I'm awake I want it to be all sunshine and rainbows); so I expect I will not be the happiest camper until it lets up (say a prayer for The Husband; he's a saint for putting up with me).

Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately - isn't it a curse when you receive a fortune cookie that says May you love in interesting times?) that's all I have to talk about today is the weather.

And that's the weather report from Somewhere in North Carolina; hopefully it's sunny wherever you are.

Random Topics Friday

As you will shortly see - none of these topics have any correlation at all other than the fact that they've been swirling around in my head on a regular enough basis that I needed to get them out; this also proves that life in the Gigi household has been very, very quiet lately.

I have found new eyeshadow sticks and I am in love.  I present to you the L'Oreal Le Shadow Stick.  So far, I've only spotted them at Walgreens (on an endcap; not with the regular L'Oreal products...yet).  I think there are about seven different colors; I currently own four....Magnetic Bronze, Magnetic Mauve, Alluring Rose and Brown Abyss.

The color sticks make it easy to swipe on a quick bit of color...or if you are feeling fancy, you can mix and match (I've found that the colors I own all mix and match wonderfully).  They can easily be blended with a finger or a brush.  They don't seem to crease or fade much.  Since discovering these I've been wearing eyeshadow much more frequently lately as it just seems to fussy to be messing about with regular shadow.

As a side note; if you should happen to trip over a rocker (that has been in place for at least seven years, by the way) in the dark on your back porch; mangle your glasses and give yourself a colorful bruise on your eyelid...Magnetic Mauve will definitely hide said bruise easily.  *sigh* Apparently, I am never going to be a graceful gazelle.  Luckily, the glasses have been fixed and the bruises have healed.  Although, where these other bruises came from is anyone's guess.

We are having an issue at work with a certain Bossy Boots lately.  Said Bossy Boots seems to think that she is in charge of several of us because of the position her boss holds.  Keep in mind Miss BB has only been with the company for about two years (and in that time has turned off quite a few people from what I hear) while those of us that she seems intent on bossing about probably has a total of 60 (or more) years between us  And she is too foolish to realize that she is stepping on some toes that she probably shouldn't be stepping on (and burning bridges that could be very useful to her at some point).  A few of us have been talking and we all agree, we have to approach this topic very carefully.  Because in addition to being a Bossy Boots; we have all concluded that she is a whiner in the first degree and if we aren't diplomatic enough, we can see her running to her boss crying that we aren't letting her play with us.

*Sigh*  I despise these kinds of games in the work place.  We are here to work; mind your own damn business, stay out of mine and let me do my job.  I do not have the time nor patience to deal with her nonsense.  So far, for the most part, she leaves me alone (maybe she senses my "vibe") but I keep hearing how she insists on inserting herself into other people's business as if she knows best and trying to force a relationship (i.e., "If we do this the way I suggested; we could go to lunch first!" kind of thing) where one is not wanted or needed.  Needless to say, most of us avoid her at all costs, because who needs that drama in their work life?  Work is stressful enough, thank you very much.

The Husband, the dear.  Has been showing his needy side lately.  The other day, he came home and eventually came to find me saying, "I expected that you would come out an greet me at least."  After this happened for the second time, I now find myself flying out of my office when I hear him come through the door, shouting something nonsensical like "GREETINGS, MY FELLOW HUMAN! (Loverboy, etc. *drop whatever nonsense you want here*)"  After about three days of this, he made a comment about how I'm a little frightening.  I informed him that he requested this nonsense.  And so I expect that will continue for the foreseeable future; until I forget and he makes the request again (and he will; oh, I know he will).

And while we are on the subject of The Husband...*sigh* I love him but he makes me crazy.  Somehow, he jacked up our printer - do not ask me how, I do not know; all I know is I was unable to fix it.  And he was insistent we needed a new one RIGHT then because he wanted to print (I kid you not) a receipt for something he ordered ship to store because he REFUSES to put his email on his phone and he was afraid they wouldn't release said item to him without a physical copy of the receipt.  This is a man that is never going to accept a paperless society, that I can tell you.  So now we are the proud owners of a brand new printer - if that doesn't tell you just how exciting life is over here; nothing will.

Book Review: The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes

I really enjoyed this book.  Although, I admit I am a sucker for a story about strong women and friendship.

This is a fictional account about the true story of America's traveling library in a small Kentucky town during the Depression.

These women are brought together to help create a library in their small town and outlaying areas.  They are tasked with bringing the books to their patrons via horseback and in doing so, create a strong bond between very different women with various backgrounds.

These heroic women refuse to be cowed by the overbearing men and the stifling conventions of their small town life.

The fact that there were once traveling libraries - delivered on horseback is fascinating to me.  And this story also shows the importance that libraries still have in our lives today - keepers of information, facts and, of course, fiction.  Our libraries have so very much to offer our communities today and, even more so back then.

This book is filled with drama, loyalty, justice, humanity and passion.

I would definitely recommend it.

Thoughts While Making the Bed

I don't know about you, but I find the most random thoughts pop into my brain as I'm doing the most mundane of chores.

It's Sunday and this is the day that I usually change the sheets.  And let me tell you changing the sheets in this house is a workout!

Like I literally have to sit for a minute afterward and drink some water to revive myself.

Today, as I was stretching the top sheet over the bed I remembered an article I read years and years ago that advised putting your top sheet print (or facing side) down.  Instead of right side up.  The reasoning behind this advice was so that if you turn your sheets/blankets down at the top when you make your bed, the "pretty" side would be showing.

Now, we don't turn our sheets/blankets down when making the bed so this advice was useless to me; so I have the pretty side face up (which, to be honest, doesn't really matter since our sheets are plain white).

Then as I was putting the pillowcases on, I remembered another article I read years ago (apparently, I'm drawn to articles about bed making for some reason) that had a "hack" (we just called them "tips" back in the day) for putting on pillowcases.  Now this "hack" has become a staple when I'm making the bed these days.

When my mother taught me how to make a bed, she would just slide and shake the pillows into the pillowcases.  And this works fine for those flatter, less fluffy pillows.  But for fluffier pillows like my down pillow it doesn't work.  So this "hack" has you turn the pillow case inside out, put your arms inside the pillowcase and grab the end of the pillow and work your way up turning the pillowcase right side out as you cover the pillow.

I have now written the word "pillow" so many times it looks misspelled.

As I recall, both articles (and my mother) insisted that the bed should be made every day.  And this is a practice we utilize here - although, honestly, my husband usually makes the bed (unless it's sheet changing day).  Does he do it exactly the way I would do it? No.  Do I care?  No.  I'm just glad he learned that the seam of the decorative pillow sham shouldn't be facing out.

So that's my random thoughts of the day that I thought I'd share.

What about you?  Do you put the top sheet on right side down?  Do you turn back the top sheet when making the bed?  And more importantly, do you make your bed every day?

Living Life on Repeat

 This seems to be the running theme through my life for the past few days.

Example:  The last two books I've read?  Turns out I've already read both of them.  But didn't quite realize it until I hit key passages in both books - and then there was that AHA moment.  Throughout the majority of both books I felt something familiar but it didn't click until I hit those passages.

Apparently, I have a "type" when it comes to book and it shows when I check out what I assume are "new to me" books.

I just don't have it in me to track what I read and then consult the list before I procure something new.  I've tried and it's just not in me to do that.

So, I guess what I'm saying is I am doomed to re-read the same random books over and over again.

If you are curious I've just back to back re-read:

The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Sturdivant Rouda and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.

They were both excellent...both times around.

I also realized last night that the current show I am watching on Netflix is...you guessed it - something I've already seen before.

*smacks forehead*

So, it's obviously apparent.  I need suggestions that will get me out of this life being lived on repeat.

Any book/show/movie recommendations that I need to know about?

Book Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

 Looking for a good Gothic-type thriller?  One that will have you glued to the story as you rip through the pages?

Then this is a book for you.

Someone, some where on the internet mentioned it (sorry, no clue - if it was you, yell out) and I immediately put it on hold with the library.  And, I kid you not, less than a day later my daughter-in-law texted a recommendation that I might like what Riley Sager had to offer.  I knew I liked her - this book was right up my ally!

The Only One Left is about a young caregiver assigned to care for a woman who was accused of killing her family decades ago.

The school yard chant that haunted her memories as she pulled up to the house to take up her new duties:

At seventeen Lenora Hope

Hung her sister with a rope

Stabbed her father with a knife

Took her mother's happy life

It wasn't me, Lenora said

But she's the only one not dead.

God, children can be morbid; can't they?  Despite the fact that her patient can't walk, talk or use more than her left hand; the caregiver is wary about her new patient.  Wouldn't you be after growing up with that chant?

I will say there were several twists in this one that I didn't see coming (and one, I kind of did) - and all in all was an enjoyable read.

Lemon Layer Cake w/Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream and Lemon Curd

 I hope all who celebrate had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.  I spent the majority of my weekend channeling my inner Suzanne (as we all know of her love of lemony desserts) as I set about making homemade lemon curd and a lemon layer cake for the festivities.

As the very bad blogger that I am, I neglected to take a picture of the finished cake; but from all accounts it was a resounding success despite the fact that I think I overdid it on the lemon curd; or as my husband tells me, I am my own worst critic.  I put the curd between the layers - which I think, after the fact, would have been more than enough.  But no, I had to be EXTRA and put some on top of the cake as well.  To me, that was overkill.  But the icing was SPOT ON.

I used this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction; and you will note; there isn't one mention of lemon curd anywhere in that recipe.  That is where I channeled my inner Nicole by playing it easy and breezy in the kitchen - something I rarely, if ever, do.  I can also confirm that my cake did not look nearly as pretty as the one on Sally's website.  For the life of me, I cannot decorate a cake; even after taking a cake decorating class one hundred years ago.  

Then there was the question of what to do with all the leftover lemon curd?  I wanted something fairly simple that didn't involve rolling out dough and spending a lot of time.

Sally to the rescue again (honestly, I think everything I've ever made from that website has always turned out so well; if not as pretty as hers).  Although, the majority of time spent on this recipe was waiting for the dough to chill.  Today I made these Lemon Thumbprints Cookies.  Folks, I think I may have found a cookie that will knock S's favorite spritz cookies from the top of the list; right after I think I've  FINALLY mastered the wicked cookie press. Personally, I think I prefer these cookies without the icing but I will let him be the judge.

And, as you can see...I'm not lying - my drizzling skills are so very amateur.

Despite the poor drizzling technique;
these  are VERY tasty.

Let's Talk About My Closet

This topic has been whirring around in the back of my brain for a while; so today we are going to tackle it.

I don't know about you; but my closet has been divided into two main sections since elementary school.  There was "school/work" clothes and "play/weekend" clothes. And it has continued in this pattern up until a few years ago.

A couple of years before the pandemic, our company went "casual."  Up until then I had always worked in a "business" environment; so when we switched, I was at a loss.  I couldn't wear my "business" attire because, I was told, it made me look like I wasn't a "team" player.  But clearly my "play" clothes weren't office appropriate, in my mind.

Now, according to some other co-workers clearly they were.  Enter leggings, sneakers, baseball caps and hoodies.  Not on my watch; or more accurately; not for me; not in the office

So I struggled along trying to figure out what I needed to be wearing - and not being very happy with my wardrobe.

And then the pandemic hit - and all of a sudden, the only thing I was wearing were my "play" clothes and still not feeling very happy about it.

I had way more fun in my closet when I knew the "rules" about dressing for corporate life.  I knew what was acceptable and appropriate and had fun putting together outfits.

But now?  I was in a gray area and didn't know the rules and wasn't having any fun with my clothes.

Then I stumbled across @stylethieffashion on Instagram. And she kept telling me/us to dress in a way that we wanted to; that made us happy.  To be the MOST dressed up woman in Target on any given Saturday if that's what we wanted.

And I slowly started to curate my closet to not be divided; but to be filled with things that I like and want to wear - be it school/work and/or play clothes any day of the week.

Which may be why most of you who follow me on Instagram must have been shocked when I posted a rare photo yesterday - truth be told, I won't even tell you how long it took me to figure out how to actually post a photo; with the hashtag #ilikemyoutfit.

I DO like this outfit - not my hair so much; for some reason it
is being obstinate in this photo

Erin started that hashtag with the caveat that you dress for you and you don't need to explain your choices.

That outfit is something that past me would have deemed far to dressy for play clothes but far too casual for work clothes.  But today me is asking WHY can't I wear that for both?  I can and I will.

And I am slowly beginning to have fun playing with the clothes in my closet again.  And I like it.

What about you?  Is your closet as divided as mine was? Do you have fun playing with your clothes?  Why not?

A Peek Around the Yard

Considering that today is COLD and rainy, it's a good thing I decided to tackle that one lone spot of juniper at the corner of the house yesterday while it was sunny, warm and perfect for playing in the dirt.  I had determined that it shall be gone before fall so that I can plant the tulip bulbs that I neglected to plant last year and transplant some languishing irises in it's place.  With maybe some beautiful phlox to brighten up that corner after the irises and tulips wane.

I'd been slowly chipping away at this corner for some time; a little bit here and there, but yesterday, I was able to rid the corner of the last of the juniper!

Yay!  One less patch of an eyesore/juniper.
Two more to go.

Evidence - or what made The Husband think upon returning home, "She said it had to go and here is the evidence that it is!"

And then I took a quick tour of the yard to see what was what.

The Knockout Roses were working their magic.

The pink irises were shining.  I imagine the yellow aren't too far behind.  Why the pink ones bloom first is beyond my comprehension, since I have seen them flourishing in other yards already, but in our yard they have to wait their turn apparently.

The hostas are spreading their leaves.

And the stargazer lilies are looking to be spectacular this year; look how tall already!

The hydrangeas have me perplexed.  The youngest already has blooms preparing to sprout while the older one does not.

Baby Hydrangea

Mature Hydrangea - minus the blooms it should have

My faves, the peonies, are chock full of buds ready to burst into beauty.  It's official; Peony Watch 2024 is ON!

Ssh - this one's my favorite!

Not as spectacular as the other but still pretty
outstanding in her own right.

I'm still pondering ripping out the daylilies and think I have finally decided to replace them with Encore Azaleas, to give me color throughout the entire summer season.

"Peanut Grigio"

 We held our Spring cul-de-sac party last night.  And, although, no moonshine mysteriously appeared on my kitchen counter this time; I heard a good time was had by all.

I say "heard" because I had to sit this one out because I had some kind of bug and didn't want to contaminate anyone.

The third one since January.  Considering I haven't been sick since December 2019, you can imagine this makes me a little salty...or more truthfully, a LOT salty - since people seem to think that it is perfectly okay to come to work sick on the "required" in office days (gives certain co-workers the side eye).  Hmmmph, have we learned nothing over the past few years?!  Some of us have apparently not.

When The Husband departed for said party, I told him he had ONE mission - to find out just who the Mominski's were (they popped up in the pre-party group texts and none of us knew who they were; so there was much speculation).

At any rate, at one point during the festivities, The Husband hauled himself up our very steep driveway to use the facilities.  Right around that time I wandered into the kitchen looking for the Nyquil and found him pouring some wine into a freshly washed peanut butter jar waiting to be recycled.

I looked at him and asked what he was doing. I mean, who WOULDN'T be curious at this sight?

Apparently, he'd forgotten his cup when he came up the driveway and needed a refill and didn't want to go back down to get it and come back up (I don't blame him - but I think I would have just found another cup/glass - I guess he gets points for ingenuity?).  I laughed and told him to enjoy his "peanut grigio" and the party.

We were still laughing about it this morning as he recounted the goings on from last night.  Oh, and it turns out the Mominski's are an across the cul-de-sac neighbor - we'd just never known their last name.  Seems like we learn a little more about each other at every party...whether one attends or not.

Sunday Meanderings

Well, it's been a minute hasn't it?  Which means a long, meandering ramble...

As I type this, The Husband started what he called an "easy" task; installing an updated outlet with USB ports (because, oh my God!  EVERYTHING has a USB cord these days).  As you might surmise, it's not going as easily as he thought it would.

As an example, I literally heard him just say "And THAT's why I'm not a fucking electrician!"

But what really made me laugh earlier is what he said to himself as I walked by while he was Googling something to confirm he was on the right track.

"Wow, that's a nice stripper!  I need to get me one of those."

When I pointed out that wasn't something a wife wanted to hear, he re-played what he said in his head and laughed out loud, clarified, and agreed that wasn't something a wife would want to hear.

He, of course, was talking about a wire stripper - not a stripper stripper.  Or so he says... ;-)

Other than this little domestic vignette; not much else is going on around here.

***

I have been window shopping a lot lately; as I cleaned out my closet last month and I now have more empty hangers than I do actual clothes.

Does it still count as "window shopping" if you are browsing online?  I suppose it does as your computer screen can be considered a "window" of sorts.

Are any of you following @stylethieffashion on Instagram?  She did a deep dive last week on jeans.  Sizing, silhouettes, styling, etc.  It led me on a hunt for jeans with a 25 inch inseam.  In all my years of walking this earth, the shortest inseam I've ever found is a 28 inch.  And at this point in my life figured that was the best I was ever going to get without having them tailored.  And as I generally wear super skinny jeans, at least the hem would bunch up around my ankles and not drag the floor.

But, I sourced a pair of "skinny" jeans from Loft that has a 25 inch inseam and they are winging their way to me as I type.  We shall see how this pans out.

Other than Loft, I have yet to find a brand that actually has clothing with 25 inch inseams.  You wouldn't think those three inches are such a big deal; but they kind of are.

So if you have any intel on brands that have shorter inseams - feel free to share!

***

In other news, we have moved into our new office.  I don't hate it but I don't love it either.  If given my druthers, I'd rather have my old space back.

This new space is clean and modern - but despite the space, it has the majority of us piled on top of each other resulting in a lot of wasted space.  And it's LOUD.  In my old space, I had plenty of room, quiet and anonymity.  But now?  Not so much.

And, from what I gather from other departments, it lacks storage.  Somehow, by some miracle, in our small department, we have a tiny bit of storage.  I think that is because whenever I was asked what our department NEEDED in the new space, I insisted that we needed room for our files (most of which are gone now), so we ended up with many more cabinets than other departments.  In fact, I heard that we ended up having to lease extra space on another floor specifically for storage for other departments.

Seems to me, that some of these decisions were not thought through and/or the point person in our department really advocated for what I said we needed.

***

And this is where the conversation devolves into chatting about the weather.

I think we have skated through the winter season for good now (thank God!).  Yes, some days it's still chilly but the daffodils are blooming and the tulips aren't far behind (which reminds me I forgot to plant the tulips I bought last fall...oh well...maybe this year?)! And that means Peony Watch 2024 will begin soon.  Well, I should say, I hope so.  Our yard guy cut the peonies back last year; which shocked me because he didn't cut them back the year before.  And I've never cut them back, so I will begin monitoring them for signs of renewal *fingers crossed* shortly.  In the meantime, we are just going to assume he knew what he was doing...right?

OH!  And one of my many (never re-blooming) orchids is blooming AND another has four buds on it!!!! Apparently, it takes many years of patience for any orchids to re-bloom in this house; hence the multiple exclamation points in the previous sentence.

Although, I recently saw a post somewhere about taking them out of the pot and putting them into a vase/jar of water.   I may try that with the puniest of the bunch to see what happens.  I'll report back if it is a success.

***

That's all the news that is fit to post from here.  Anything exciting on your end?

A Day of Nonsense and Nuisances

 I had three things on the agenda today that I wanted to accomplish - and every single one was met with some kind of nonsense or nuisance.  

Well, technically, there were five or six on the list; but since our morning started a little later and slower than I would have liked, I slashed the list and moved a few things to tomorrow's list.

First up was to change the sheets on our bed.  I stripped the bed and went to get a fresh set of sheets only to discover that the fitted sheet was missing.  I searched the entire closet looking for that damned sheet; it was nowhere to be found.

What is so odd about this is the fact that I store my sheets together - as a set - like a normal human.  It's not like I just throw the fitted sheet on some random shelf by itself.

I usually keep two sets of sheets per bed so while one set is in the wash the other can be used to make the bed.  So now, I had a naked, un-made bed to look at all morning while the sheets were in the wash.

The only thing I can think of is that I accidently threw the sheet into the donation box during my recent decluttering/cleaning session.  Even though I don't see how that could have happened since I took great care in keeping the old (white) sheets separate from the new (white) sheets.  

Considering this morning was 1) cold, gray, rainy and 2) a random sheet had just gone rogue I was a little irritated.

At any rate, I've ordered another fitted sheet - how much do you want to bet the other fitted sheet shows up after the new one arrives?  

The next thing on my agenda was to get a bunch of pictures off my One Drive and onto an external hard drive because every time I logged on to my email, I received a very ominous message telling me that I was perilously close to my limit and that if I went over, I wouldn't be able to send or receive emails.

After a very similar situation with my work "cloud" (which I still haven't bothered to call IT about), I knew I needed to take action.

So, I logged on - and my work laptop was like "Nope - unless you encrypt this drive you can't save anything to it."  Which necessitated me using the old house laptop.  Which is when I discovered, I couldn't just copy and paste what I wanted moved.  No, instead I had to download each and every single file; which downloaded in a zip file; which then needed to be extracted onto the laptop and then, and only then, could I move the files over to the hard drive.  It was insane and took me far longer than the few minutes I had allotted to this task.

Then I had an appointment to get the shingles vaccine; thanks to Engie's very scary post about her colleague's bout with shingles.

When I arrived at CVS, the tech asked me if I had checked in online - I hadn't.  Mainly because I'd never received the check in text that I normally get.  She began to go through her computer looking for my appointment.  She found it and frowned.  Then she asked if my insurance had changed; it hadn't.  She tapped a few more keys and asked another tech a question.  Frowned some more and then asked if I had my insurance card handy.  I handed it over and she tapped some more.  Frowned and went to talk to the pharmacist.

Then they both came over and told me that my insurance doesn't cover vaccines in the pharmacy and that I had to go to either my doctor's office or the Minute Clinic.  To say I was confused was a major understatement because 1) I've received ALL my COVID vaccines at the pharmacy without any issue and 2) isn't CVS the Minute Clinic?

When I questioned her about it, she pointed to my left and told me she thought the Minute Clinic was open and to just touch the screen.

WHAT?!  

But I walked the six steps to the left - finally found the right screen to touch (there were many - I couldn't even begin to fathom out what the purpose of most of them were - much less how to open them) and tried to log in for my appointment.  And couldn't because I had made the appointment with the pharmacy, apparently.

I tried to create a new appointment for right then and couldn't because "nothing was available today." Which didn't make any sense as I was the only person in the "Minute Clinic" - which apparently, should NOT be confused with the "pharmacy."

By this time I was so frustrated I just left the store - forgetting that I had intended on picking up a prescription while I was there - which just increased my frustration to another level once I'd realized it.

What is the difference if the pharmacist gives me the shot or if I walk six steps to the left and have a nurse practitioner (I guess) or whoever give me the shot?  It was utterly ridiculous.

I stopped at one store, on my way home, and when the friendly, bubbly clerk asked me how my day was going - I grumbled.  And then felt immediately bad about it and told her that I had just had an interaction that was frustrating.  She flashed a beautiful smile and told me to not let it get me down and I assured her she had single handedly uplifted my mood - because her beautiful, cheerful, bubbly self actually did.

And she reminded me that despite the cold, the rain and all the nonsense and nuisances; things in my little world aren't so bad after all.

Oh, and when I got home and went to make an appointment at the Minute Clinic for tomorrow?  I had to laugh - it was the EXACT same process as making an appointment with the pharmacist.  So will I actually receive the shot tomorrow?  Who knows?  

January - Clean Slate Month

 Has it been nearly a month since I've made an appearance?!  

Well, I'm still alive.  Even if I haven't been around in a bit.

Things have been very busy, both at home and at work.

That work project, I told you about here continues - and, as I expected, the number of emails that need to be sent out, continues to ratchet up, up, up.  Two weeks ago, I was hit with 244!  

As you can imagine, that spun me out.  So, I've been on the hunt for a way to make this task more manageable.  Luckily, I have found a work around, last week - but it was still onerous.  But now that I know it works, I can make a few tweaks and it should be fairly less onerous when I get hit later this week.

And I'll just leave it at that - because, despite the fact that I am over the moon to have found a way to make my life a bit easier; I also know that no one wants the details.  As evidenced by my husband's eyes glazing over every time I broached the topic with him as I was trying to figure out how to make it work for me.

But I will say, if you ever find yourself in a spot where you need to do a specific email merge to different individuals, different carbon copies, blind copies and specific-to-each-person attachments - hit me up...I now know the secret.

The home front has been equally busy.  

As in the entire month of January's mantra has been clean and declutter.  Which all commenced when I rearranged our bedroom in order to determine once and for all if we could fit a bigger bed into that room.  We can and did.

The dust bunnies the size of dinosaurs hiding behind the bed is what kicked off the whole cleaning and decluttering spree.  I was horrified.  I mean, rationally, I knew there would be dust - but you never really picture it until you see it.

Currently, my "dressing room" (aka the extra bedroom) has actually become a room and not a catchall - because I finally forced myself to look at all the stuff that had been dropped in there when we moved in (however many years ago now) to be dealt with later.  Even if I still liked the whatever (and I liked most of it) - I figured if it wasn't being used, didn't have a specific home, or I didn't want to dust it anymore, it needed to go.  Now, it's an absolute delight to walk into the room and actually "see" what I have; since it's not crowded with things.

Same for the spare room/office.  All that's left to do in there is get S to come and get a few things OUT.  I don't mind storing some of his things (that are all tucked away in the upper reaches of the closet); but all the Giant paraphernalia needs to go and now he has a garage where he can keep it; as I'm sure his wife (I can't even believe I just typed that) won't want it hanging in their house.

The only room that hasn't been given a thorough going over yet is the kitchen - but it's in my sights.  Hopefully, soon.

For the sake of my own sanity, I am ignoring the fact that we have a bonus room upstairs.  It needs attention to be sure.  But it also needs a plan, a lot of sweat equity and money.  So, for now, it doesn't exist as I don't have a plan or time.

Because, going back to the office, in addition to all the cleaning and decluttering at home; the same has been going on at the office as we prepare to move next month.

An edict came down about two weeks ago that we needed to start clearing up our workspace.  And we were informed that we would receive ONE box (a very small box it turns out) to pack up what is to go.  And tucked away in that little memo was a glimpse of what was to come. The words "clean desk policy."  *shudder*

It's been whispered that we will only be allowed one personal photo.  Somehow, I don't think that will be the case; I think it will be more likely there will be no room for "extras."  I've seen a prototype of what our work areas are going to look like and they look tiny.  I guess I will see for myself when I head over to the new space for "technology training" for the conference rooms on Wednesday.

So even though I didn't plan for the month of January to be a clean slate; it does feel good knowing that we are starting off a clean and decluttered year.