vacation day
December 9, 2010

Yesterday was sunny and clear,but still bitchass cold. I was allowed to sleep till six, before the B decided he couldn't wait anymore and really needed to go out. And once up, I stayed up, foolishly thinking I could get a little quiet time to go with my coffee. No such luck; Spouse got up about ten minutes after I did, and the TV got turned on about 15 seconds after that. Sigh. I will never understand the need to have the TV blaring just because you are in the same room with it.

Anyway, we were lazy till about 8, when he decided we needed to get cleaned up and going. Thus letting me know that this year was going to be just like every other year: he had no intention of letting me out of his sight for the entire month of December. Another eternal mystery--what is he so afraid of? That I might surprise him by going behind his back and buying the exact thing he'd already specified in great detail that I was to buy him for Christmas?

So I was to have his company forced on me while I was out and about. Which meant that I could fight about it with him, leave him home, and set off a five-day sulk, or I could fight about it with him while we were together all day, or just decide he wasn't going to ruin my day, and roll with it. I had to much to do to burn badly needed energy on fighting, so I rolled with it.

Our first stop was the cafe for breakfast, then we ran over to the hardware store with the postal station so I could mail my cards that were going overseas, and pick up stamps for the rest. After that, I went to exchange the ill-fitting top I bought last week, but we were much too efficient, and Catherine's wasn't due to open for another 20 minutes. So we ran over to Target just to kill time, and I found a Christmas CD that I thought Auntie would like, so I got that and a padded mailer to send it, then ran back over to change out blouses.

Since the tags were still on it, and I still had the receipt, and, by a small miracle, they still had one in the correct size, that was a totally painless exchange.

After that, we went to the Meximart--Tis the season, per Spouse, for fresh-squeezed ornage juice, so I needed some juice oranges. And I picked up everything for dinner, since we were there.

Came home, stamped the cards I had already completed, then mixed and baked a batch of peanut butter cookies. Hey, if you sprinkle them with red & green sugars, they count as Christmas cookies.

Got to mention--the more times I use it, the more I love my overpowered hand mixer. First time I've ever owned a hand-held that could handle cookie dough. Beats the hell out of stirring the flour in with a wooden spoon, I must say.

Once the cookies were all cooling on the rack and the mess was cleaned up, I took a minute to just go ahead and order his Christmas present. Since it was the student version of Office Suite, with the state student discount, he actually had to order it, because he's the registered student. Me--I just provided the credit card.

Once that was done, I sat down and powered through the rest of the Christmas Cards, taking a "break" only to go in the kitchen and put dinner together. Result: completion of cards, and a lovely pot roast, with potatoes and carrots, for dinner.

And in between all these activities? I actually got buttloads of "farming" done.

And as I sat back in my recliner, quietly kvelling over the day's accomplishments, my phone rang. It was MyNiece calling, so I figured she had been delegated to coerce me into heading to Iowa for Christmas.

Nope. Wish it had been that.

I'm going to be a great-aunt.

Not. Thrilled.