dareddarko

normal_again @ 06:12 pm: The Nightmare Before Christmas
I say it every year, but how can anyone even think to write joyful Christmas music proclaiming that this is the "most wonderful time of the year, etc. etc.?!" I have been so stressed out, haha. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to get all my Christmas shopping done after work. I make no sense sometimes. I was figuring that since we are getting a blizzard tonight, I should get all my shopping done so I can spend the weekend baking. It took me a half hour to get to each place when normally it would take five minutes because of the traffic. Then the weird cashier girl at Borders wanted to bond with me and it was so weird. She was talking to me about how she doesn't think Tom Brady is that attractive and all this nonsense that I can't even remember now and I DIDN'T CARE AT ALL. Haha, I mean, 'tis the season and all that. I was friendly and found it humorous but I was in such a rush. I finally got everyone's gifts, though. The only person I'm worried about is my mom. I don't know if she'll like my gift. In my family, we tell each other what we want and then we get it, haha. It's easier. Well, my mom wanted isotoner gloves so I went to Kohl's to get them. Well, I guess there are different sizes and I didn't know which one to get so I was stressing out about that, haha. Then, since I got my dad a book and an iTunes gift card, I thought I'd get my mom a bag of some nice chocolates to go along with her gloves. (And by "nice chocolates"...I got them at Kohl's so you can imagine how nice they are, haha). So, I don't know if she'll like the chocolates, but it's the thought that counts! To be honest, I think I only bought them because I hadn't had dinner yet, haha. And I got Daniel "The Hangover" and Steven "Inglorious Basterds" which they probably won't want. I think they'll like the movies (Daniel already saw "The Hangover" I think) but I don't think they care about DVDs. But, they didn't tell me what they wanted when I asked ("I don't care") so that's what they're getting! Haha.

I usually go food shopping on Sundays but since we're getting a blizzard I went today. DISASTER. Of course everyone goes nuts when we get a blizzard because of the highly unlikely scenario that we might be snowed in FOR DAYS. So, with a blizzard coming and it being a week from Christmas, the store was an absolute madhouse. The lines to pay for everything were wrapped all around the store. It was crazy! This woman had her army of kids with her when she was shopping and they were running around like crazy and they kept bumping into my carriage. It was so annoying. I wasn't in the store as long as I thought I would be, but it was long enough.

I got home and started to do some baking. If I wasn't so poor I would buy my co-workers gifts because this baking nonsense is so time consuming. I have a schedule all mapped out and I'll be baking something every day until Christmas Eve, haha. Today I am making my first batches of Cookie Dough Truffles and Chocolate Covered Cherries. Tomorrow is White Chocolate Christmas Fudge and some Biscotti. It really tires me out, haha. I can bake really well but I could never be a chef or work in a pastry shop because it just gets me so tired. Since I'll be snowed in tomorrow, though, it'll be a nice little activity for me.

Seriously, though, between Christmas shopping, getting all the ingredients for my baking, buying my couches, etc., I am going to be broke when this is all over.

Work is kind of annoying me. Kathy is having me put together all this stuff. She wants me to go through every item we ordered and see how many we have ordered this year and then predict what I think we'll order in the next six months because she wants to get supplies for the next six months. That is HARD. We have so many supplies and it took me forever to do and it's almost impossible to predict what we'll use. I mean, I did it and I gave it my best shot, but of course she changed most of my predictions, haha. The end of the year is always so busy. There's so much to do and to update. Ugh. Actually, yesterday was a really weird day, but it's a long story and I've written a ton as it is. But it was weird.

So, I've got an online profile now on a dating website to test the waters and there's this really cute guy that has taken an interest in me and it occurred to me that I am TERRIFIED to start dating again. The last first date I was on was 3.5 years ago! Plus, the whole online thing freaks me out a bit. Not because I think it's weird or that I'll get killed, but because I'm always worried they're going to finally meet me in person and they'll be like, "Oh, he's way uglier than his pictures." Haha. I get so insecure about it. Meeting in person first and then dating is always better because then they see me as is already. You know? Ugh, I hate dating. Haha. Sometimes I love it, though. So this guy, Brad, wants me to text him and I don't even know what to text him! Haha. I think about it way too much. And then I think, "Well, say I do text Brad and he likes me and wants to go out...is that even what I really want?" A part of me really just wants to go out to bars and live the single life with friends. Not hooking up with people or anything like that, but just going out and meeting new people. I just don't know if I want to be serious with someone right now. It gave me too much of a headache the last time, haha. And also, it's not that I think going on a date with Brad would lead to something serious, but...I don't know! I want to fall into something, basically, because then I'll know I'm ready. If I seek it out, it feels like I'm forcing something.

In any case, it's been a busy day today. I think I'm going to relax with a glass or two (or three...or four...on the floor) of wine.

Tags: baking, christmas, crush, dating, insecure, shopping, snow, stress, thoughts, work

normal_again @ 09:07 pm: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Today was an AWESOME day, but for such boring reasons, haha.

Well, the guy that came to pick up my couch got here SUPER early. I thought 10:30 was early, but he got here earlier than that. Luckily, I was all awake and ready because I was awakened early by a nightmare about a bullfrog that was attached to my back and hurting me. Don't ask about that one. Anyway, he was in and out within five minutes. He brought a friend to help him carry the couch out to his truck, so that was really good because I didn't have to do anything. When he was leaving he shook my hand and said, "Thanks for giving me the couch!" and I said, "Thanks for taking it!", then suddenly realizing that the way I said it made it sound like it's a piece of junk and I just wanted it off my hands, haha. So I quickly followed up by saying how comfortable it is and how it's in good shape. So he told me his current couch smells and this is a vast improvement. Gross.

Right after he left, I booked it to the Christmas tree farm/shop thing down the street from me. There are two right near each other so I went to this one and looked around for a very short period of time. All the trees were ugly and bare. I figured I'd try my luck at the other store because I wasn't spending money on something gross. The other place had a MUCH better selection. I was actually only there for two seconds before I laid eyes on the tree I wanted. I looked around a little bit just to make sure there wasn't something better, but I didn't see anything. I was worried about carrying it up three flights of stairs to my condo, but it was surprisingly light and it was a piece of cake! Oh, speaking of which, I really should check to see if it needs water. It wasn't drinking a TON earlier and my mom said it should have. UH OH.

Jordan's Furniture came to deliver my new couches pretty early, around 1:15. OMG. I love them. It completely changed the layout of my condo. It feels more like a home now. I mean, it's still pretty barren, haha, but we're getting there. The couches themselves are soooo comfortable and I love them. I noticed when the delivery guys were bringing up all of the pillows and cushions that one of the throw pillows was dirty and the stain wouldn't come out. I didn't say anything at first, but I finally pointed it out. Luckily they're going to send me a new one so I'm pretty excited about that, haha. It's the little things that make me smile. I really think my place looks so cute now with the couches and my Christmas tree. <3

I spent tonight decorating my Christmas tree. Ugh. I don't think I have enough lights for the tree so I just did my best to spread them out. The ornaments don't look so great either. I played around with it a bit so it looks a little cuter than it did earlier, but I am slightly disappointed in my decorating skills! It will do for this year! My Auntie Ginger actually called me today to tell me that she is dropping some ornaments off down my grandmother's house so I will go check them out tomorrow to see if I can use them. Oh! I cut myself on the Christmas tree while I was decorating it! So, it has not been a good decorating experience tonight, haha. 'Tis the season, eh?

Tomorrow's going to be another really busy day because I'm going to get a little bit of Christmas shopping done and all that. I'll be running around all day. Then next weekend I am going to do a lot of baking for Christmas. Work will probably be the most relaxing part of my week, haha.

Tags: christmas, decorating, furniture