It's a good time for a Guinness

The best laid plans, eh? Got hit with the cold from hell yesterday. Took a warm bath, had a hot pot of tea, and more Vitamin C than I can tally, and then slept. Felt 100% better today, so I'm hoping that I nipped it in the bud. Considering that the tickle in my throat is mostly gone, I'm taking it as a good sign.

The beastiette decided that she wanted to come home today. She rang yesterday and I was teasing her that she missed her animals more than she missed us. Of course, today was windier than a wind tunnel on testing day, and when mum rang to let me know that they left her house, I told her to check-in with me when they got to Annapolis so I could leave. I didn't want her to drive all the way down here on New Year's Eve and she equally didn't want me to drive up to Towson, so we agreed to meet in Dunkirk, which is more or less the halfway point. Normally, it takes me 45 to get there if I go over the Solomon's Island Bridge, but with the wind today, there was no way I wanted to try that route and was going to up and cut over to Prince Frederick. It adds an extra thirty minutes, but that was fine with me. Well, they didn't call me until they were in Upper Marlborough, which is about 20-30 minutes away from Dunkirk. So, I got to go over the damned bridge.

That was not fun. It's not the height of the bridge that gets me, it's the lack of barriers that bothers me. Jersey barriers only on a bridge built for Navy ships to be able to pass under do not, in any way, inspire confidence or security. Throw in cross-winds and on-coming traffic, and it is enough to make my heart rate go up into the 100's. I made it over with now panic attacks, thanks to deep breaths and the constant stream of soothing talk that I was doing. I kept telling myself that the funny shakes and shudders were the bumps and ridges in the road surface... Proud of myself for doing that, not happy that I had to. Thankfully, many others feel that same and their was light on-coming traffic, mostly commercial vehicles now that I think about it.

Realised, that like Rincewind, it's not heights that bother me, but the sudden and unexpected bouts of extra-gravity that might occur. Especially when there are capricious winds added into the mix.

Still and all, made it and was 10 minutes later arriving than mum and beastiette who were happily noshing on chips from a pizza and sub shop. Didn't tell them that I came over the hell-bridge, after all, why worry them as I got there in one piece. We didtake the longer route back and went over the draw-bridge instead. It's much lower and has better barriers.

As for tonight, have some champagne laid in for midnight, and will have a low key night with the beasties. They are already starting in on their Simpsons marathon, although threats of LEGO Star Wars on the X-box have been bandied about. Either's wonderful as long as they aren't bickering *wink*

Happy New Year's Eve everyone.

From the holly and ivy bedecked barge of Kharon...

A belated holiday report from the River Styx.

The car was packed and loaded on Tuesday night, giving me some free time to relax, which was needed; as we went up the road to my mother's house early Wednesday morning. It was enough time to relax before getting ready to go out to my cousin's house for Christmas Eve dinner. Cousin Fabio has decided to add a beard tot he goldilocks he's sporting, so the highlight of the night was hearing his brother ask if his girlfriend was coming over for supper and then making the smart remark of 'but she'll miss singing Happy Birthday to you at midnight," when told she would be with her mother that night. Cracked us all up and Fabio is now JC.

Christmas morning, my aunt, uncle, and cousin came over for breakfast after the beasties opened their presents. Then my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece came over, more for brunch, but with a 5 and soon-to-be 3 year old, enough said about trying to get them out the door early. Then it was back out to my other cousin's house for Christmas dinner. We are fairly relaxed and low-key during the holidays. I think we're all at the age where we'd rather sit at home and enjoy each other's company along with good food and good drink instead of rushing all around trying to cram as much into the season as possible. It gets you nothing but tired and cranky.

Did nothing for Boxing/St. Stephen's Day. Slept through all the Premier League matches and will have to watch MOTD in a bit to catch the highlights.

Got back today, and am listening to the beasties play Dawn of War 4... joy. The beastiette is staying with my mother until the 3rd [lucky thing] and looking very forward to having her quiet time with her Nana. Going to pop a ham in the oven and then begin to think about relaxing tonight. If they play DoW4 all night, I just might go hide in the beastiette's room and enjoy the quiet there with the dog and the cat.

Enter Henrietta

I have been relieved of dish duty. The reason being the decision I made regarding the hamster that was found on our doorstep. Yes, I know, stretches my credulity, too, and I was there when the beasties were taking the garbage out, ran back in, grabbed a near empty coffee jar and then rushed back out to scoop up the shivering creature.

She's a cute little thing, dark grey and white, and as friendly as can be. She's currently in the empty coffee pot, it's all I could find, and the cat is feeling very put out at the intrusion. The dog is gloating that the cat is put out and probably thinking 'now you know how it feels.' Tomorrow it will be off to PetSmart to buy a habitat for her and an early Yule present for the beasties. The eldest has named her Henrietta, and the name seems to be sticking.

Which just leaves me curious... just what exactly does it mean when the universe delivers a hamster, literally, to your doorstep?

Questions~

They are coming and so are the answers for Mysteries of the Dark Moon. This week just threw a curve ball my way, and I am taking my time to rebound from it and not getting myself all stressed out over the rebound period. My copy of the book looks rather festive right now with the little coloured post-it flags decorating the pages that have the questions on them. It's fairly cheerful sitting here on my desk.

Instead of looking at myself as falling behind in so many areas, I am looking at this as myself on a treadmill. What I miss this round will come back by and be addressed then... or not, and will be let go until the next cycling.

Also, to the absolute jackass who initiated the festive season beginning with a parade leading to his store front the day after Thanksgiving... you, sir, need to roast slowly in hell in your own juices. The Yule season should be 21 Dec - 8 Jan, thank you very much.

Slightly more productive weekend

I got some blocks dissolved and some more resolution with issues that are nagging at me, which overall makes me a very happy camper. I've made it up to the portion on Hekate in Mysteries of the Dark Moon but have just been riding more on the energies of other areas so that I haven't posted my answers. I hope to get that done tomorrow whilst the beasties are at the orthodontist.

Once more there is a strange time warp where it goes from 6 pm to near on 9 pm in the span of thirty-forty minutes, so whomever is responsible for that, please to be stopping it. Thank you.

My mother was funny tonight on the phone. She said that if Bowe's [the game shop where the beasties play their WarHammer40k stuff] was open on Saturday that she wouldn't be upset if we came home early from the Christmas visit. I think they may have overwhelmed her with their boyish beastie outbursts over Thanksgiving. I might do that, and let beastiette stay up a few days before going up and collecting her. She adores the one-on-one time with her Nana, and at 11 is about all the boisterousness my mother can take for prolonged times.

Going to run the dog out for the last time, it is winter out! and then make some tea and settle in for my relaxation time.

Notes to self~

1] This evening, sit at the dining room table and not on the sofa. The chance to fall over asleep is less likely.

2] Find winning lottery ticket or Sugar Daddy [or Momma] ASAP.

3] Drink more water and less caffeine today at Hell work.

Settling back in~

I am so very far behind in everything that I wanted to get accomplished this week.

The only thing I did manage to get done was the BPAL order for mum and final verification of NaNoWriMo 2008. I've got many ideas floating about in my head and I am aching to get to them, but as usual, the holiday break ate all my time. I always vow that I will take time off after I return to get everything I wanted to get done completed, and once more managed not to do so and go to work. More fool me, I say.

In any event, I am slowly getting back into the swing of things after this break and just won't even delude myself into thinking I will ever catch-up. Things will get done when they get done.