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unresolved
January 02, 2008
I don't do the whole New Year's resolutions thing; generally, if I decide to do something, I do it and don't wait for an arbitrary date. But I have decided on a couple of things that I want to do, and it just happens to be going on now.
I'm switching to compact fluorescents in my house. I switched over a table lamp, the front porch light, and the lights over the stove this weekend--these are the four lights that are on the most in our house. As bulbs go in the remaining fixtures, I'll replace accordingly. Should be all fluorescent by summer, the way things burn out around here. Except for the three-way 50/100/150 in my worklight, since you can't get one of those in CF yet.
The other thing?
I'm being forced to give up cigarettes.
As of 01/01/08, I can't afford them in Wisconsin--and I can't smoke them in Illinois. WI upped the taxes per pack BY A WHOLE FUCKING DOLLAR, and Illinois passed a statewide public smoking ban. (Not that it impedes my work smoking any more than the company already does, making us walk the equivalent of one and a half city blocks to the designated smoking area.)
So the social NAZIs and the puritanical sin taxers have gotten their fucking way and I will be quitting on Sunday, January 6th. I'm not going cold turkey--I've signed up for a state-sponsored quitting program that includes counseling and 2 weeks free meds. I don't smoke enough to use the patch, so I'm going with the Nicorette gum.
Sunday was a busy day for me. I spent the entire morning in the kitchen, making lasagna and mostaccioli with sausage. Then I spent the entire evening at JF and ENSIL's. That was a treat. I can deal with JF. I can even deal with ENSIL. But their kids are the spawn of Satan (not, of course, Niece and Nephew. The other two.) and it's hard on old Auntie Whyme and Uncle Spouse.
And guess what? P&E ended up with the garlic bread duty. Did I call that, or what?
Not that JF & ENSIL didn't contribute--they had a cheese tray, shrimp, wine, beer, and other bevvies, and a cake. But it's still friggin' funny.
Monday, I spent the day washing up all the bedding, deodorizing and flipping mattresses, and making up the beds totally fresh and new to see in the new year. Of course, nothing ever works out for me, so care to lay a bet on my "first-footer" of the new year? Since I had pristine white sheets on my bed? Hmmm?
Yep. Break out the black-eyed peas-- Miss Scarlett's Come Home to Tara ! Fortunately, we had no plans for the 31st/1st, and at least I was able to curl up with snuggle-blankie and watch some new DVDs. My viewing had a Walken theme, as I watched both "Balls of Fury" and "Hairspray!". (If I'd put in my new copy of Chicago, I could have worked a Queen Latifah theme as well. But I wasn't really in the mood for that one.)
Bottom line, I think I liked BOF better. I just wasn't that crazy about Hairspray!, despite the fact that the original is one of my all-time faves. I just didn't feel any energy there. I dunno. Maybe it's me.
As for today, well good news and bad news. The bad news is, I had to go back to work, and had to deal with the huge pile of terminations and department changes that the new year brings.
The good news is, I went back at a higher rate of pay! 4% higher, which ain't the greatest raise ever, but it's a pretty fair annual upping for that place.
Further good news is that I survived the entire 11 days of Spouse-time, and I still have my sanity, and I haven't killed anyone. YAY! He's back on schedule as of tonight, and that's a big relief.
I'm sorry, but we just do sooooo much better when we don't have to live in each other's pockets. It's our secret to a long and relatively sound marriage.
Reading: "Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Short Stories"
Listening: The "Hairspray!" soundtrack. Got it for Christmas. Meh.
At Random: clickhere
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