Coincidences

For our wedding anniversary back in December my hubby decided to get me a new wedding band. Mostly because I had been hinting at one for a while. He kept telling me to get one and I kept procrastinating. Nothing new there. So on the eve of the anniversary he dragged me to Macy's so we could choose one. That might sound very easy, but it isn't. Not the dragging me to Macy's part, but the choosing one. If he had is way I would be sporting a big rock, a diamond able to cut glass at several of Macy's storefronts. Me on the other hand would much rather have a simple gold band that is as simple and innocent as possible. Much like the one I use, but like half a size bigger, just to accommodate my not slimming down.
And then the browsing and trying stuff began. Poor sales guy must of been cursing the day he met us, but he was a sweetheart and sucked it up.
We finally narrowed down the search to two options. One that I loved and he tolerated and one that he loved and I was OK with. I caved in and chose the one he loved. Slightly more shiny and bigger, but nothing i can't handle with some getting used to. And surprise surprise... it was too big for me! Must of tried 20 different rings, all that perfectly fit me... and he chose the one that needed to be resized! Fine, i can wait the 3 weeks the guy mentioned...
Fast forward 3 weeks...
And no call to pick up the ring!
A month goes by. And yesterday I actually call to check on it. It is just starting to bug me, since I have to pay the credit card bill and not a fan of paying for stuff I don't have.
Yesterday afternoon the ring "wasn't ready yet". Bummer...
This morning i get a call before 10 saying the ring is ready to be picked up! Don't want to sound paranoid, but isn't that a big weird coincidence? I will try not to think that the ring has been sitting there, all alone and feeling left out because no one called me to pick it up... The poor thing...
And now that i vented about this totally dumb and self absorbed topic, I can get to work and/or read the news, whatever happens first.

Monday bits

• Government is still shut down and the negotiations today might be non-existing due to snow in DC. 4 weeks of people not getting paid. It could be funny if it wasn't so sad and preposterous. 
• Snow didn't reach MN, so no excuse not to come to work. 
• I have the Monday blues and woke up with the "fuck it all" version of Frozen in my mind.
• Mini boss has the Monday blues too and there is dead silence at the office.  

Happy Monday ya'll!

Funny stuff at work 2

Convo held over the phone with a sub:
" Sub: Hey, I was checking for that email you were going to send. I didn't receive it.
   Me [after confirming I had the correct email info]: Have you checked your spam folder?
   Sub: Yeah, i checked my junk before I called
   Me: ...

     Me: I will send you the email from a different source."

Juvenile, I know... But the way he said it was just hilarious! 

Funny stuff at work 1

[Convo held yesterday afternoon]
"Boss: what time will you be in tomorrow? I am to look at these plans with you two. I plan on getting in at 9am.
Mini-boss: I will be in at 8. Want to be up to take calls on another project.
Me: well... I was planning on coming in at 10.... But i can make it in earlier...
Boss: ok, that works."

As planned I got in at 10. And was the first one in.

Just thought it was funny.

Update: mini boss just walked in too, so only a couple hours late on the date he first mentioned.

Internet is a great thing...

(by chocolatefactory)

Government shut down

The title alone says it all. The US government is shut down because the chosen president won't budge on is wish to have funds to build a wall. It is perfectly fine to have 800,000 people not getting paid to do their work. Sounds like a solid plan...

Let's imagine that these people get $7/h. Per week that equals $224,000,000 in savings that can go towards the wall. A couple of months of government shutdown and the wall will pay for itself... Who would of guessed that Mexico wouldn't want to pay for that ridiculous notion? Now everyone needs to make sacrifices and what not...

This is all so ridiculous it's hard to grasp....

New Year, New... ? What?

Let me start off 2019 with the usual: Happy New Year! May this be the year all your wishes come thru. All but one, so you always have something to strive for.

Now that I got that out of the way, regular programming may follow.

Christmas season is come and gone, the spirit never fully made an appearance, but this year, for the first time, hubby and I stayed at home with the cat. It was nice to stay warm and cozy at home, with no pressure or stress. We don't really exchange gifts, so i just made my traditional Xmas dessert and we were both happy about it. And of course the decorated tree was the cat's perfect gift!

And then I blinked and it was 2019! This year there were no New Year's resolutions made, so I don't have to quit them by the end of February! I see that as progress. There were no midnight wishes, because I was half asleep and didn't remember. And it really doesn't make any difference. If I truly want to make anything different of commit to some changes, I can decide to do so anytime. No need to stick with that particular date to do it.

For now I am at work (lunch time), trying my hardest to actually get this job we are aiming at. Been doing my fair share of calls and digging around. So if it doesn't happen I can say I really tried. Of course it also means that my hardest wasn't good enough, but let's go glass half full here.

Been meaning to check out gym deals. Not because I have some burning desire to join one, but i am pretty sure there will be deals out there, to take advantage of everyone's resolution of joining a gym. And if there are no joining fees I may give it a try. Or not. But can't hurt to try! In all honesty, I have been downloading fitness apps for the past 2 or 3 months, and so far haven't checked any of them out.

 Maybe I could make a resolution of actually writing here more often. Mostly because I get a kick of reading old stuff and remembering things that otherwise would be long forgotten. I won't call it a resolution, but i certainly will keep it in mind.

And for now that will be a wrap. Time to get back to work, even if it is still lunch time for most people that I am about to call.

And once again: Happy New Year!

Christmas

As I sit at the office listening to Christmas carols, I wonder where my xmas spirit is... Been trying hard to find it, but nothing. Finished most of my Xmas shopping during cyber Monday. Finished all the cards yesterday. I even went a bit extra and decorated them myself. With much help from Youtube videos. Have the last 2 packages wrapped and ready to drop off at the postal services today.

But all of that was done on auto mode, more like an obligation than something else. :(

I miss being a child and looking forward to Christmas. To be eager to spend my little savings on gifts for my loved ones. No one expected anything and they were happy that i actually spent what i had gathered in small tokens for them. And it was all about the food and family.

And, once again, i have neither my family or our food for Christmas. So bah for it...

Update

Since I last wrote a number of things have happened. To be fairly honest, none that would stop me from updating my own diary, but i guess i can make my own rules if I want to.

Biggest thing that happened was the visit from my teenager niece, with her mother. It was their first time visiting the states, so we spent a fair amount of time visiting tourist attractions in Minnesota. Got to see the Science Museum, and it really is great. For sure a place to visit more timely some other time.

It was great having them around, especially my niece, whom I love with all my heart. I love her mother, but i wish i could of had my niece all to myself for that time. Just to spoil her even more than i already do. I was even ready to spend countless hours at shopping malls and beauty stores, since those are her true loves... But it came to an end :( Now to wait for the next visit...

After that visit there a dark period, where there was no work at the office and I got to stay home waiting for a text telling me to come in... Those were boring days. Mixed feelings really, since it is nice to stay home and relax, but stressful at the same time, since income is always a plus.

November rolled in and some work showed up, just enough for me to have what can be considered a part time. And that is where I am right now.

Christmas is just around the corner, most of the gifts were purchased during Cyber Monday. Can't just ignore a good sale, when those gifts have to be purchased any way. Now there are all on their way to the locations designated. Still missing a couple gifts for the american side of the family, but inspiration for those didn't came in quite so naturally... Maybe closer to Xmas, when I actually have to do it and peer pressure will set off my Christmas spirit. 

In the meanwhile, my 7th US anniversary came and went, with no notice from anyone but myself. Guess it makes sense, since I am the one it impacted. My gift to myself was to go to Sephora and buy some foundation so I wouldn't look like a tired raccoon on Thanksgiving dinner. Ended up talking to a nice gal that works there and she gave me the Sephora birthday treat for my US anniversary. That was nice. :) Big fan of Sephora now!

Oh, btw... used foundation for the dinner party. My mistake was to also use a concealer that a friend gave to me and is too light for my skin tone.... My hubbie renamed me Casper for the day, so that should give an idea on how well my make up turned out.

And I think this sums up the past few months.

Will try to update more often, just for shits and giggles on my part.

Chocolate

Because that is all I can think of. Chocolate cake. Chocolate mousse. Chocolate cupcakes.... Anything chocolate, other than chocolate itself.

Red Devil

And that about sums it up! I had this entire post lined up in my mind since yesterday, when I had to stay home because I couldn't stand up straight. And since there wasn't much to do at work I gave myself the day off to stay home, take some Midol and curl up in the couch. And eat Swiss Rolls. And avoid killing the poor hubby.
But Google provided this .gif that sums up so well the feeling that it would be a shame not to use it (thank you to whomever made it available).

Today I came in to work, no Midol intake since the thing makes me drowsy. And then I forgot the office key, so I got to sit in the car waiting for someone to show up and open the door. And since there isn't much to do I sit here, waiting for bids to come in. And hoping the bosses will show up with chocolate donuts... One can hope, right?

Under-19 EURO

Proud of my home team! Good job boys!

TGIF

When the alarm clock rang this morning I lost a bit of my soul. Because I strongly believed it was Saturday and I could have a lazy morning in bed or the couch. But the alarm clock and the confirmation on the phone screen that it was in fact a week day crushed those dreams.

Making it sound a lot worst than it really is. I am in fact having a lazy day, but instead of being home I am at work. No bosses around, work is on track, with nothing much I can do at the moment other than wait. So here I sit, glancing at the usual bidding websites, checking the email and waiting for lunch time!

I think i owe much of my "not-bitchiness" at our new mattress and the good rest I've been getting. Between my new found will of power to do those darn stretches, a nice warm shower and the comfy bed, I have been falling asleep before midnight. And that means that i get to sleep 8h or fairly close to it. Does wonders for my mood!

And on this note I finish this post, since the non bitchy ones are so few and far in between!

Time to get ready to enjoy the weekend!

"The Game" - final chapter

Last weekend marked the end of a year and a half on addiction.

Hubbie and I talked and decided the game was no longer fun and had become a pain instead of a fun activity.

Constant PC crashes, several bugs, messed up queuing system, ridiculous drop rates, plain rude and entitled people... Just a short list of the things we realized were bugging us and ruining the experience for us.

So on Friday, July 20th we shut down Neverwinter. We both plan on going back one last time, to strip our account of goodies and give them to a guildy. But he is out in is vacation, so no point in logging in for now.

Part of me feels sad for all the time (and money) we invested in that game to just give up, but the biggest part of me is happy to have weekends, nights and mornings back. To be able to spend a leisurely Sunday, just reading on the couch, watching TV or just plain resting.

On to find a new game we enjoy. Or to dig up one of our board games and give it a go!

15 + 15 + 15 (!!)

The saga continues! 3 days on a row, this may be a new record. Both for the continuing "exercise" and for writing about it. But since this is the equivalent of an online diary, i guess i can brag to myself and leave for posterity that i actually kept on trying, if only for a short period of time.

So yesterday i did the usual stuff and decided to add an extra set. Ventured in the painful world of leg lifts. Why did I do it? Not really sure, but somehow it felt right. Or the right thing to do, since physically it didn't feel right at all. Ended up being a broken down 15, since every 5 I had to lower my heels back to the floor. Call it being naive, but i thought those would focus on leg muscles. My bad, since the first 3 proved me it engages abdomen muscles instead. And I have none of those.

Planning on making these a regular thing, since I just saw on a YouTube video (not a very reliable source of information, but i'll take it!) where the guy said the more we try, the better we get at it. And that seems to be a lesson to work in many aspects of day to day life.

Hubbie yesterday called my "routine" a "circus act". Said it in a playful tone. Or I hope that was the meaning. It hasn't been long enough for it, but i feel mildly proud of keeping up with it. For lack of better incentive I have to keep telling that to myself.

15 + 15 (day 2)

Somehow I mustered the courage to repeat the feat yesterday!

Not without some good old fashioned procrastination i must add.

Got home and hubbie was cleaning the garage. I helped him out a bit. Then being a bit sore and tired got the best of me and ended up taking a cat nap before dinner. Then I had the excuse of a full belly not to move. But before bed time I convinced myself to actually do the stretches and the push ups and sit ups. Only 15 of each. I know that doesn't do much, and it's not a proper exercise plan. But they are baby steps. If i demand too much of myself in the first days, the motivation and self control will go out the window a lot faster. So I will keep this up. Or try to.

Luckily I got a nice rest tonight, so my muscles had the chance to rest and relax. Today I only feel a slight discomfort when moving my arms.

Per a quick google search, the modified push up (the one I currently do for lack of strength to do the standard one) works the chest muscles. So I must do something well, because those are the ones that are sore.

The website also says that I should be doing around 200 push ups a day to be considered a work out... That ship will take a while to sail!

15 + 15

In a moment of insanity, I decided it would be a good idea to do some daily stretches and burn like half a calorie. That moment happened late Sunday, so yesterday after getting home from work I oddly followed through. And I did the above referred stretches. And went crazy and did 15 sit ups and 15 push ups. Figured that would be a low enough number to get me going and not make much of a dent. Mostly because during my last... exercising phase (?) , I was up to 3 series of 15. I should add that that happened what seems like a lifetime ago.

As soon as I did the first 2 push ups I knew I couldn't go past the 15 and even those would be stretching it. My arms simply refused to continue. It was more of a mind over matter kind of deal. Pure stubbornness. That being said, I did finish the 15. And I do feel it today. Arm muscles are sore. Not in a debilitating way, more like a "what the fuck have you done to me bitch" kind of way.

And I think I am OK with that for now. I actually plan on repeating the activity later today. Maybe go for 15 + 15  sit ups, since those weren't nearly as hard.

The joys of having more free time! (explanation on that later)

#%%$^

Should I be worried - the update

Everything is OK. Company still going. On the 4th day someone showed up!

In the meantime I have been actually working and trying to find proposals for projects. To be totally honest I think we won't be getting any of these projects, but we carry on trying...

Today is Tuesday. Not Monday. Doesn't mean that the Monday blues aren't in. Wishing i was home lounging in the couch. So sleepy it's not even funny... YAWN

Should i be worried?

Two days since I've had zero contact to anyone else at the office. No phone calls, emails, text messages, smoke signal, carrier pigeons... nothing!

I wonder if they decided to close out and forgot to tell me, like some old piece of furniture left to rot?

In the meanwhile I will continue doing my job, but it is still a bit odd...