During a lull....

[vanillafluffy]

The internet keeps cutting out, but since it's borrowed, I can't kvetch too much. While it was down this afternoon, I spent an hour cleaning off my desk. Might not meet everyone's standards of "clean"---I didn't get the whole thing down to bare wood and scrub it---but I got rid of lots of little scribbled on post-its and index cards, crumpled reciepts,empty envelopes and the like.

The shoebox that gets odds and ends dumped into it has been emptied and organized. (Albeit loosely.) There's a pretty gift bag that tends to collect jewelery (I have a habit of coming in from wherever, turning on the computer to check my email, and shedding whatever ornaments I'm wearing) that I still need to go through. I know if I do, there will be moments of "Found!" squee and I will have "new" pretties to wear during the sparkly season.

I've been trying to find some stamps I *know* I have so I can get the fracking holiday greetings sent out. I manage to do cards about once every five years or so, and this, dammit, is going to be The Year. I already have them addressed---and my industry was rewarded when I found an envelope with a relevant address on it. That's one's addressed too. And I found most of a sheet of stamps, but alas! They're only 41/45ths of what I need. Hmm, I think it's time for a trip to the post office, oh yay.

Did a round-up of trashcans and got a full sack (30 gallons) from the office, bed and bath. AND took it outside. My sink is empty. Now I should probably clean out my fridge. My food stamps reload tomorrow, so I know I'll be out and about restocking. GooI'll be going right past the post office...I can get stamps and mail the cards so people will actually get them in a timely manner. Less than two weeks, y'all!

Next Sunday, we're having a potluck at church. Publix is having a BOGO on Ghirardelli brownines, so that's what I'll be taking. It's also what I'm probably going to be giving the few people who are getting anything from me this year. Everybody likes brownies, right? There's a recipe for banana bundt cake in this months BHG that sounds yummy, but I'd rather not risk an unknown quantity that calls for butter, cream cheese and four eggs---it's probably delish, but it's pricey if I goof up.

I have plans for Christmas Eve---the C's are hosting their usual get-together. Haven't heard anything from Mb in a week, save for Facebook dross, and the only thing I've heard from J is a request for money for the phone. She's SOL, that's a very distant priority; (and again I repeat, since when is a Christmas gift supposed to cost the recipient money?!) as it is, I'm taking deep breaths and hoping Santa stuffs money into my g-string stocking to cover the real bills.

Meh. I need to go do some laundry.

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Comments

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Well, then I will also hope that Santa stuff money into my stocking to pay my bills!
We can all have Christmas fantasies, right??

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

We can all have Christmas fantasies, right??


And I'm sure we all do!

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[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Not so much~ I gave up on those long ago!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

How bleak.

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[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Nah~ just live in the real world and my dreams have already come true with wonderful husband, children and grandchildren. That's all I need !

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Everybody does indeed like brownies. :) I've been making them lately instead of buying store-bought cookies. The Kid is going through what I hope to God is his last growth spurt and is eating us out of house and home. A pan of brownies lasts a lot longer than a bag of faux-Oreos.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

erybody does indeed like brownies.

Good, because I just bought a half-dozen boxes of mix. I have some foil pans shaped like Christmas trees (that I got on markdown during more prosperous times), so that'll take care of gifting and potluck and all that.

faux-Oreos

I said that out loud in my head and giggled, becauses it made me think of the guards in "The Wizard of Oz" singing.

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[thru-the-blinds.livejournal.com]

If someone doesn't love brownies, can I have theirs?

;-)

One of my favorite ways to make them is - buy a cheapo brownie mix and make it according to directions. Then take a can of cherry pie filling and 'plop' in a cherry every inch or so. I also use some of the gooey filling and swirl it around in the batter. Then bake. Yummy "black forest" brownies. They're even more sinful with a drizzling of powder sugar/milk icing on top!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

If someone doesn't love brownies, can I have theirs?

Sure---if you'll come and pick 'em up. :-)

I've got some frosting, I want to see if the dollar store has poping bags or something that'll serve that function. A squeeze bottle, maybe? Just to make it a little more festive.

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Paying for your own gift

[kukkurkurat.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree with that one so much! You see, you have this odd situation with J, but I have had to pay customs´tax for my Christmas present at least twice. And it has not been cheap.
This happened AFTER I had informed the person in question how much the package could weigh and how low one should mark it by its worth. But... Y-chromosome makes people unable to learn, it seems.

Re: Paying for your own gift

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Let me guess, the cousin from Texas? Hope it was something awesome enough to make up for the inconvenience! (This is something he's sending to you, right, or have I misunderstood?)

Here and now, it's technically Christmas Eve. In a few hours, Mb will pick me up and we'll go to the food bank. Then I'll catch a nap and do some baking---not necessarily in that order---then drop off J's brownies on my way to the C's party.

Tomorrow, I have no plans other than seeing Django Unchained. I have no invitations, although I have post-Christmas plans with a few folks, and that's okay. (Do you ever feel like sometimes being around other people just makes you feel lonelier?)

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas---stay warm!

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Re: Paying for your own gift

[kukkurkurat.livejournal.com]

Yes, he sent it to me. One of those times will be forever remembered - the time when I opened the box and on the avalanche of candy there sailed out a book titled "Ways to avoid diabetes".

I hope your Christmas was good: that what you planned worked out.

Re: Paying for your own gift

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

More or less...gorged at the party on Christmas Eve, then spent the next day quietly at home napping or on the toilet. I did get to my movie though, yesterday---Tarrantino, man, he's crazier than Rodriguez, but he tells a helluva good story. For a movie that was nearly 3 hours long, it didn't feel like a 3 hour movie.

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