My weekend thus far:

[vanillafluffy]

Yesterday was grey and angsty, with intermittant tears. Not having heard anything to the contrary, I was sure Kat was hospitalized in Oklahoma on her death-bed. Turned out that she'd been treated for dehydration and released, but I didn't find that out until after 9 PM, when I called GK to ask for an update. Meanwhile, I was exhausted from 24 hours of agita and made the mistake of taking a 4-hour "nap".

After being let off the hook, metaphorically speaking, I kicked back with the leftover BBQ from Thursday night and my favorite episode of Criminal Minds---Third Life, the one where Fred Lehne (the YED from SPN) is a former hitman in the Witness Protection program whose daughter's been kidnapped.

Thanks to that so-called nap of mine, I couldn't sleep---I was up til 6 AM working on a yuletide prompt, for which I already have 1200 words. Very familiar fandom---I haven't officially written in it before, but like Dark Angel, I know it well enough not to be intimidated. Plus, the prompt made me go "Oooh!".

Got four hours of sleep, ran up to WalMart/the bank, came back, had pastrami and cheese on an asiago roll. Just enough time for that before J arrived to collect me for dog training at 2.

An aside: The other day, Red emailed me this meme:
The Christmas Edition of Getting to Know You

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags
2. Real tree or Artificial? Ceramic, although if I had $$$ I'd get the little PINK tree WalMart has and decorate it with white lights and gold ornaments
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever
4. When do you take the tree down? Ditto
5. Do you like eggnog? Uh-huh. With a little fresh grated nutmeg on the surface....
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Puppy! A standard poodle subsequently named Lady.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Buy? What's that? This year is mostly a home-grown Christmas
8. Easiest person to buy for? See above.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Hand-deliver
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A keychain, obviously regifted, that broke after two days
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Does "Die Hard 2" count? No? *sigh* Okay, okay, how 'bout that childhood favorite, the Rankin-Bass "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Burl Ives isn't as awesome as nekkid William Sadler, but he's got the nostalgia factor going for him.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Any time throughout the year that I see something I think a particular person would like
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yup
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything. Silly question. Cookies, canapes, chocolate, cheese balls, cookies, fudge, marzipan, cookies....
16. Lights on the tree? Colored
17. Favorite Christmas song? The Nutcracker Ballet
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Go where, for crying out loud?
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yeah, and I can name the Seven Dwarves, too
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning, if I have something to open
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People getting bent out of shape about other people who may not be celebrating the exact same holiday they are
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Favorite theme, Nutcrackers (see #17) and I like a lot of gold. Shiny!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? A big baked ham, fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy and carrots and green beans and buttery crescent rolls and marzipan stollen
25. What do you want to do for Christmas this year? Be pleasantly surprised


Anyway, I filled it out and emailed it to a handful of folks who I thought would have fun with it (because I know not everyone is into memes---I personally am OVER the "4 things" meme, which I've gotten every few weeks in one form or another for the last four years.)

After two training sessions and a late dinner with J, I got home, came in and checked my emails, and there was one from CapeGypsy, replying to the meme and saying that Santa had dropped by and left a pink tree in my car. Which I'd walked right past, obliviously, since it was dark and clammy out.

I ran out there and behold! There was the oblong box AND a square flat box with 18 gold balls. I have a tree, huzzah. The lights are already wired to it---white lights, exactly what I would've picked anyway!---and it took longer to fluff it than it did to set it up. Mind you, it's not decorated, and I'm going to spend as much of tomorrow afternoon as I can clearing a space for it in the office, because it IS where I spend the most time, and I *do* want to enjoy it.

Aside from a wee 8" tree I had on my desk at the billing service, I haven't put up a tree in years. Either I haven't had the space or haven't had the inclination. This is going to be fun, and it definitely qualifies as being pleasantly surprised!

I have a little bendy poodle made out of some plush pipe cleaners or something like that...I am going to see if I can add a little wire and turn her into a tree topper.

And now I am going to take my sleepy self off to bed---and to all a good night!

Comments

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, a pink tree -- how cool! And the idea of a poodle topper is just fabulous. I'm right with you on the favorite Christmas meal, except I like sweet potatoes and ambrosia (it's a Southern thing).

Meme-doing ahead:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags. I hate to wrap anything.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial ever since the year our house was infested by bugs from a real tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? Approximately five days before Christmas.
4. When do you take the tree down? Before January 1. There's a limit to how long I can stand to chase the cat out of it.
5. Do you like eggnog? *shudders* Oh, God, no. The first time I tried it as a child, someone had spiked it and it was AWFUL.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A stuffed cat wearing a striped nightcap when I was four. I still have it.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Anyone who doesn't give me a list. I suck at mind-reading.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My son. He always gives me a list complete with internet links and prices. I have trained him well. :)
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, two of them. One is a palm-sized figurine and dates from my childhood. We hang that on the tree. The other is a ceramic creche from Spain, given to Corgiguy's dad by an exchange student who lived with him, that we put on the hearth.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail and hand-deliver.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A bathrobe that didn't fit.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "The Lion in Winter." I also will weep through "Mr. Magoo's A Christmas Carol," but it's been years since it was broadcast.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? My shopping is almost all done via internet, but I don't start until the end of November, which is when I aim to have reached the savings goal for Christmas spending.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge!
16. Lights on the tree? Colored
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Merry Christmas From the Family" by Robert Earl Keen Jr. I hate sappy music, so this is the perfect antidote.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel. We have no choice: it's the only way to see the other half of the family.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Not without some effort.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel, but it's a cute little tin folk art angel that someone gave my dad years ago.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. My brother is here on Christmas eve, so we do his presents then, and in the morning we do the rest.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Enforced holiday cheer and ugly sweaters.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We have no theme, but red seems to be the prominent color.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Baked ham, sweet potatoes with butter and maple syrup (no nasty marshmallows), crescent rolls, asparagus, ambrosia and pie.
25. What do you want to do for Christmas this year? Have a peaceful, quiet day.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

ugly sweaters

I have obviously watched WAY too much What Not to Wear---Clinton, one of the hosts, has a total Thing about how horrible seasonal sweaters/vests/etc. are. That was the first thing that came to mind when you said that....

Alas, my Yankee origins come out when sweet potato anything is mentioned. Ugh. Do not like. But that's just me.

I had some white pipe cleaners left over from something else, and now the wee white poodle looks as if she's leaping over the tree.

Also, Merry Christmas. In 6-8 weeks, you should start receiving your subscription to "Heart Healthy Living" magazine, which is published seasonally and offers recipes and tips for lowering cholesterol et al. Hopefully, you'll get the 'Winter' issue while there's still some winter left.

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you, sweetie! That's so thoughtful of you, and I will definitely put it to good use.

I spent most of the day painting the laundry room, which I certainly hope qualifies as cholesterol-busting exercise. :D

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

Your pink tree sounds fabulous!!!

And it must be the lifelong Yank in me as well, 'cause sweet potato anything makes me gag....especially if there's marshmallows on it. *urk*

Finally, the dragon on top of my tree approves of the poodle on top of yours. ;-)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

See, I'd never even SEEN a sweet potato until I'd moved down here. The Thansgiving after my mom passed away, some people from the church they went to invited us for dinner. I saw this marshmallow-covered goop in a casserole dish on the table, and going by the color, I thought it was some kind of crustless pumpkin...stuff. So I dished up a hearty helping, and then I tasted it and eew! NOT pumpkin. GAG!

Come on, the dragon on top of your tree probably wants to EAT the poodle on top of mine. With a candy cane in place of mint garnish.

Btw, what magazines do you like? (I'm taking a poll.)

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

1) Right there with ya on the *gag* factor. I'd never seen it either til I married Justin. His mom (raised in W. Virginia) made it for Thanksgiving, but I was fortunate enough to hear someone say it was sweet potatoes, so I avoided the whole 'throwing up in my napkin' thing. ;-)

2) My dragons are vegetarians, thankyouverymuch. No critters eating other critters in MY household. *grin*

3) Hmm.... I love People mag, and Birds & Blooms.

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

Glad you got some good news! And another fic under way! Whoooo-hoooo! I'll get Snoopy out to celebrate.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It looks like I'll have at least this one and the one you beta'ed. (I gave my "White Collar" directly to my recipient, and it went over well.)

I'm also going to be posting stuff that originally went up at the Pit...mostly gen. Hope Omni doesn't get too swamped!

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

Bring it on!

Pink Pink Pink!

[missybrat.livejournal.com]

The tree is PINK!!! (insert a squeel and oooohhh) here! LOL! I would not do a pink tree in my house (My people would surely pass out on Christmas morning if they saw a pink tree in my living room! LOL!) But for you.. it's great! It's not that itty bitty ceramic thing either! (That is a decoration... not a tree..) Do you have enough gold ornaments for it? (Shiny is good! LOL!) I am still working on your gift. (I am still at home with the bronchitis/pneumonia right now, but do not feel like doing poopy squat, except cough, hack, wheeze.) It may not get to you until after Christmas I am afraid. At this point, I only want to feel better for Christmas. (I've had this crud since the day after Thanksgiving. I am told a couple of weeks more, and I should be feeling 100% better. The jerk (doctor) (wink) told me that I would feel better by Monday. Here it is Wed. and I am just as crappy feeling as when I went to see him for the 3rd time in a week. (Sorry... off "I don't feel good damnit soapbox."
So sometime after Christmas I imagine I will be done working on your present. I am reaaaaaalllyy trying to get it done before, but am tired alot. (I.E. All I've done is write this post, and am going back to bed.)
Hugs and Smoochies (from a distance of course!) LOL!
"brat and babies"

Re: Pink Pink Pink!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Oh honeybunny, I'm sorry you are still feeling so rotten. Don't worry about the silly wreath---if we don't get together until New Year's, the world won't stop turning.

I stopped in at Family Dollar and picked up a few more shiny things---shiny is good!