Merry Christmas!

Wow, guess it's been quite awhile since I decided to post something on here. I wish I could say that I'd been busy, but that's just not really the case. I've really REALLY been enjoying myself, now that school is out for the semester. I ended up with 2 A's and 2 B's...which is good considering I worked full time as well! I really need to get cracking on my reading for next semester, but I just don't want to. I'll probably start after the year...gotta get my books, but right now, I don't have any money to get them. Hopefully, I'll have some money set aside after the new year! :) It's all good! :)

My parents are coming into town tonight, which is always good. It's nice to see at least some family over the holiday. Our holiday schedule here at work absolutely disgusts me, and hopefully it's about to change. Right now, I have to work one day of every major holiday...so I can never really go anywhere. I'm working today...then new year's eve. I'd love to be sitting at my grandma's house, stuffing myself full of turkey and dressing, but I also had to work the 23rd...which doesn't leave me any time to go anywhere. Oh well...

Right now, since Becca's on vacation in South Carolina, I have all the puppies. Sadie, Liberty, and Oliver are absolutely driving me up the wall with their zaniness! :) Yesterday, while I was in the middle of massive bedroom cleaning, Oliver decided to mark everything in the house. He NEVER does this at my house, which is how I know he's stressed. He marked the floor by the tree, the couch, my bedroom floor, and my BED. Beast. At least my house is clean now...after all the scrubbing. Crazy pups.

The biggest thing going on this week, besides the lovely holiday, is my newest bout of steroids for my hand. Since the nerve test didn't show any nerve damage, the doctor wanted to try and see if steroids would help reduce some of the pain. The bad thing is that steroids make me CRAZY. I'm hot, hungry, and tired. I'm not sleeping well...and that doesn't help me have good holiday spirit...but I am trying! :)

Well, I suppose I should get back to work. I just saw Santa walking around, distributing presents...so maybe he has one for me!

Stupid nerve test.

Ow OW OWIE! Stupid nerve test has scarred me for life. Okay, so that may be a slight exaggeration...but it was not the most fun thing I've ever done in my life! :) Right at the end, after the doctor had been putting needles into my arm for 10 minutes all the while I am tearing, she says "Don't worry, this one is the last one..but oh, it does hurt." And the others weren't supposed to hurt? YIKES! Guess I had tears rolling down my face for no reason! :) The good news is there's nothing wrong with my nerves. They are still just angry from the initial agitation and it will get better with time and some occupational therapy that I'm supposed to start after Christmas/New Years. Lovely. :)

Today, I got most of my presents wrapped, and I have to tell you, it wasn't fun. Normally, I just get the biggest kick of picking the perfect paper, bows, and tags...but not so much this year. Who knows. Maybe I'm just going a little crazy...or it could have been all the volts they shocked my sad hand with today! Maybe some escaped and went to my brain. :)

Both dogs are completely passed out right now. They spent the day at the vet for their annual check up, and it always wears them out. Oliver apparently spent a lot of time howling, so much in fact that they put him all the way in the back because he was bothering others! Oh well, he has to learn that his shrieking is bothersome to many!

I have to work tomorrow. I don't really love just working one day, but at least if I have a bad day, it's over quick! The weekend wasn't too bad, and it was made better by dinner with an old friend! That's always entertaining!

I think that's all that's going on right now. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know! :)

75 degrees in December

That's right. That's the temperature, here in the great state of Texas. For crying out loud, will the weather just make up its mind? I really love the cold, and wish it would come back. It's much more comfortable to snuggle up in blankets! There's a slight breeze, but in the sun, it's downright uncomfy! It's just so ironic...staring at the blazing hot sun through my patio door, right next to my Christmas tree...it just doesn't fit!

Beyond that, things here are just trouncing along. It's been really nice not having school, although I really need to get working on my next semester's school stuff. Apparently, it's a wretched one, and not really something I'm looking forward to. I am REALLY looking forward to my grades all being in so I can get my money back from Childrens...only to turn around and give it back to UTA for next semester! I really wish they would cover books too! Perhaps I need to ask for those for Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas, I have NO idea why I'm not more excited about it this year. Maybe I need to sit down and watch a bunch of Christmas movies...or listen to Christmas music...or something. I usually have already bought all my presents by this point...and I've only bought 5. This is not good. I need to get cracking, but don't really have any desire to do it! It could stem from not having any money...but I don't really know. This is odd because I LOVE to buy people presents. I really get a kick out of buying someone the perfect present...and this year I haven't really wanted to. I might need therapy! I did get my Christmas cards out today, though! That's impressive! :)

Oliver's back at the house now, and making Liberty's life fun again. Last night, he ran around with the carcass of a skunk toy for at least 10 minutes...and Liberty wasn't even playing. She was just sitting there watching him, no doubt thinking he was crazy. He's really going nuts anytime I leave him, so I am looking into one of those dog pheromone things. My friend Lorin says that you just plug it in and it really helps to calm the puppies...and I think Oliver would benefit from that. So, I'll be attempting to get my hands on one of those!

Well, I guess that's all that's going on here. Lots of working. Lots of puppies. That's it! :)

Laying low....

SO, I have three days off...and I will not be doing much. I really REALLY need to go Christmas shopping, but that requires money, and I have none! Oh well, I have things I need to do around here, like folding and hanging the most amazing pile of laundry that's been accumulating for about a week! :( I also need to send my Christmas cards...and the list goes on. Right now, Liberty and I are hanging out, waiting for the cable guy to come and switch out my cable box.

This morning, I went to the doctor about my hand. I knew she wasn't going to really be able to give me any answers, but I did need her to direct me to the next step...which she gladly did because she's wonderful! She's going to schedule me an appointment with a neurologist for an EMG, which will test the nerve function in the hand and arm. I don't know when I'll go in, but hopefully, it won't be too long. The guy she's sending me to supposedly gets people in pretty fast...and that would be most appreciated. She called it "Left hand parasthesia"...which is just a fancy word for funky numbness and weakness. She did say I waited the appropriate amount of time to come in. If I had come in any earlier, she would have just advised me to wait longer and see if it resolved on its own.

Other than that, I'd say my life is pretty unremarkable. I wish there was something more interesting to say...but not so much! :) I'm sure my day tomorrow will be alot of sitting around the house...mostly so I can't be out spending money! I think I have to go into work Friday for a skills check off...but that's it. So, thrilling times are ahead for me! :)

After the chopping....




A motley crew....




Mid decorating...still got more decorations to go!

Christmas tree hunt!

Well, the search for the perfect Christmas tree is over! Michael, Jennifer, and I drove up almost to Oklahoma to the same Christmas tree farm I went to last year. Last year, I came away with a tree and a new puppy (Oh, Oliver!). This year, just a cute little 6 foot pine tree that smells amazing!

I was in the Neiman Marcus Adolphus parade yesterday. This year, I actually got to be in the parade...not just helping out behind the scenes. I walked with "Jack the Rabbit" who is the new mascot for Children's. I was actually televised, per my mother, who called me screeching today that she saw me on TV in Houston. It's actually supposed to be telecast throughout the US...so check out www.childrensparade.com and see if it's going to be on your stations!

Anyways...that's all that's going on. I've got to work Monday and Tuesday this week...then off until Saturday. Hopefully, I'm going to get my Christmas shopping done, especially since I have to send presents to Virginia.

I'll attach some pictures from the day....wish I had some from the parade, but I couldn't take any!