December 27, 2007
Holly Daze
I've been back at work for two days now, but I try not to think about how nearly everyone else is still on vacation. I enjoyed my time off. All four consecutive days of it. Now it's time to pull up my big girl panties and get back to work. Except that most of the working world seems to be out of the office and standing in the way of progress.
And there I go, thinking about it again. A few people have mentioned that they're having trouble shifting gears, getting out of the holiday spirit and back into work-a-holic mode. I have to agree because I seem to be having more trouble than usual with my focus. It's spotty at the best of times, so just imagine what kind of mental gymnastics are going on in my head on a day like today. It could bring home an Olympic medal, if there were one for sheer diversity and quantity of unrelated thought. I guess there's a part of me that doesn't want the holidays to be over! I mean, I haven't had a chance to play with my toys yet! Isn't that required?
Posted by criminal at 4:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2007
To You and Yours
Oh by gosh, by golly,
It's time for mistletoe and holly,
Fancy ties and Grandma's pies
And folks stealing a kiss or two,
As they whisper Merry Christmas to you.
Wishing you the happiest of holidays!
(p.s.: Silly wanted me to mention that she's been especially good this year and has only knocked the tree over once, in case a jolly old man in a red suit wants to stop by and fill her tiny stocking.)
Posted by criminal at 4:10 PM | Comments (2)
December 20, 2007
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Nothing. I hear absolutely nothing because I have yet to find my stash of holiday CDs. There's a random Harry Connick, Jr. CD in my car and a new one from the Boston Pops concert, but that's it. Everything else is AWOL.
The collection isn't in the entertainment center or bookcases. Nor is it in the giant boxes of holiday decorations. I'm quickly running out of places to look. Maybe it got added to the rest of the CD collection. Or there's a box of holiday things I'm forgetting about. Either way, I'm going to go stir crazy without my favorite Christmas carols.
Posted by criminal at 3:26 PM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2007
Holiday Pops
- We had Saturday brunch at Steve's new house, which gave him his first opportunity to entertain. He has furniture now, including a sofa and dining room chairs, so it was much more comfortable than my last visit. He has offered to host for Christmas too, so we'll be staying really local next week.
- The limo dropped us at Symphony hall a little early, which let us get to our seats and order drinks before the big rush. Definitely worth trying to go early again next year.
- The Pops were great as usual, but my favorite piece was a new arrangement of the Twelve Days of Christmas which incorporated motifs and imagery from famous pieces and carols. I can't wait to get my hands on an actual recording of it.
- Dinner at Hamersley's Bistro in the South End. I tried their signature roasted chicken, which was tender, fragrant, and wonderfully moist. Probably the best I've had. I also indulged in a carrot cake that set new standards in carroty goodness. There was more marscapone filling than cake, keeping it from being sweet. I also have to mention that I liked the louder, more casual atmosphere for our post-pops meal. It was just easier to talk and laugh about the things we'd seen.
- And because fashion can't be ignored, I wore the following:
- Houndstooth Jacket
- Black tank
- Chelea Wide-leg trousers
- black pointy shoes
- pearls
Posted by criminal at 1:49 PM | Comments (0)
Only Six Shopping Days
The holiday panic is over. My gifts have either been ordered, mailed, or wrapped. Now I just have to decide whether I should order the winter boots I want before or after Christmas. [look Ma: grown-up boots!] Do I risk another snowstorm or break the "no buying stuff for yourself before Christmas" rule?
Posted by criminal at 1:38 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2007
Let it Snow
Just woke up to about 8" of fresh snow. And it doesn't show signs of stopping.
Posted by criminal at 9:43 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2007
Long Road Home
I was dismissed from work around 1:30 today due to the snowstorm, but didn't leave until after 8. By 2pm, the drive for the office park was backed up all the way to my building at the end and well into each of the parking lots. Several people who left right away called to let everyone else know that after an hour they weren't even half-way to end of the park. I opted to wait it out for at least a couple hours, which turned into a few more hours when I heard that it was still taking people two hours to get to the highway where things were at a standstill as snow piled up and cars ran out of gas in the middle of the road. Jon suggested I head to the mall and wait until the snow let up and everyone else had gone home, which worked pretty well. Despite the mess on local roads, Route 3 had just a 2" coat of slush and snow and was moving at 35-45mph. As I bypassed 128 to get to 3, I saw that it was really more of a parking lot than an expressway, with cars and trucks abandoned in places and 6" of snow in most of the lanes. Thankfully, I made it home in just under an hour with only a couple scares: barely making it up the hill on Middlesex Turnpike and having to gun it through a low snow bank to take my exit off Route 3.
Posted by criminal at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)
A Tall Order
My package from Eddie Bauer came yesterday and I can't say enough good things about them. Aside from their stubborn refusal to offer women's outwear in an XXL tall, they are doing so many things right. I ordered two shirts and a sweater for Jon and a shirt for myself. I'm ecstatic about the length of the XXL tall shirt, especially the sleeves. When I bend my arms, my wrist bones are revealed, but not my forearm. The shaping starts *below* my bust and the shirt actually stays tucked in low-rise pants. Such novel concepts in clothing. I might stop balking at the price of their clothes if I know they're going to fit like this. I just wish other manufacturers would jump on the bandwagon because I would really love a blazer that fits next.
Posted by criminal at 10:50 AM | Comments (1)
December 12, 2007
Dance of the Hours
Now that I'm in a different position, I don't have to cover the 11-7 shift. Instead of coming in at 10:30, I'm coming in at 9 or 9:30. Still, I find it hard to get out of the habit of leaving at 7. Even when I try to leave before 6, it just doesn't feel right. How do you know when it's time to go home?
Posted by criminal at 10:38 AM | Comments (1)
Workable
I haven't posted a lot about work lately, and for good reason. I accepted a new position a couple months ago and have finally started doing it. Unfortunately, the position has changed significantly since I signed on, involving less support and more sales. Staffing levels have also changed, and not for the better.
While I understand that great support is often the best sales tool, and regularly talk to people about how to sign up for our services, I absolutely hate selling things. Like, sick-to-my-stomach hate it. And even more than that, I hate contacting people. I'll answer the phone until I'm blue in the face, but ask me to call or email someone, especially someone new, and I come unglued. It's probably the closest I come to panic.
I understood that I would be doing some business development in my new role, supporting our publishers through their entire life cycle, but so far it looks like I'll be doing all of our pitches for the foreseeable future. The prospect of doing so much of this stuff kind of kills the excitement I had been able to work up about kicking off these new relationships.
Posted by criminal at 9:44 AM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2007
...And the Christmas Countdown Begins
Just two weeks until the big holiday and I have loads to do:
- make 50 holiday cards
- make more cards for orders from co-workers
- sign and address said holiday cards
- package nut rolls for gift-giving
- finish shopping for far-flung family
- mail said cards, nut-rolls, and gifts (do not understimate the mailing step, it thwarts me every time)
- finish shopping for Jon, Steve, and the in-laws
- find comfortable brown shoes for work
- find wintery boots
- finish Yankee Swap gifts
- decorate the tree
- find more wireless, light sensitive candles for our windows
- and dozens of other things I've already forgotten about...
- wrap presents
Posted by criminal at 4:02 PM | Comments (0)
December 6, 2007
Nog It to Me
The coffee fairy left a couple K-cups of spicy eggnog coffee on my desk yesterday morning and I've just brewed one up. Although it's technically coffee, the aroma wafting from the hot mug is every bit egg nog. And for an egg nog fanatic, it's heaven. It smells sweet, creamy, just vaguely eggy, and of course spicy, with strong nutmeg and cinnamon notes. The flavor is not quite as wonderful as the scent, but I'll take it. Personally, I think it's better than adding the egg nog flavored creamers to my coffee.
Posted by criminal at 9:43 AM | Comments (0)