Christmas Meme 2008

It's never too late for a survey, right? :) I'm using it to gear up for my 'What I did on my Christmas Vacation, by Amy Dunn' post.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I prefer wrapping paper, just because we never used many gift bags when I was growing up. It's more satisfying to rip open that paper to get your present!! Of course, now I have enough wrapping paper for about 10 years so I use it on everything. :)

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial - I am allergic to pine. I'd say it's my worst allergy. I do love being around real trees though, with the proper dosage of Claritin. As long as I don't touch it. My goal was to get a new artificial tree this year, but after paying my personal property tax and the rest of the bills I don't know if it's going to happen. I'll probably spend that extra money on toys for my Wii instead!!

3. Why are you willing to answer these questions?
Christmas is my FAVORITE holiday and anything associated with it is worth my time.

4. When do you take the tree down?
We haven't had one up much the last few years, but usually sometime in January or by Valentine's day at least. I love having it up to look at!!

5. Do you like eggnog?
I love it. Eggnog shakes, eggnog ice cream, eggnog flavored coffee creamer... love it!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Gotta be my kitty cats. I wasn't really a 'child', but my mom got my cats Shorty & Nippy at Christmas time when I was in high school. Before that I remember my two Barbie cars (a red Ferrari and a '57 Chevy Bel Air) were probably my favorites.


7. Hardest person to buy for?
My mom. She just gets what she wants so I usually have to try to come up with something I've made. It will be easier now that I am knitting as long as I can plan ahead!

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Justin - I try to pay attention throughout the year at the little things he says he wants so I can surprise him with them after he's forgotten about it. :)

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Part of one - I have the first 'Bearitivity' set of my Bearfoots which has Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and two little angels all as cute black bears. I'd love to get the rest of the sets and maybe another more traditional one someday.

10. Do you send your card by mail or e-mail?
Usually mail, but this year I think I'm going to get photo cards made up and e-mail them to who I can and send a 'hard copy' to the rest. (We JUST got our wedding photos back the day before Christmas so I am not late because I'm lazy!!) In the future I'm hoping to send them all electronically since postage is getting so expensive.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Probably clothes when I was younger - but I've never really hated anything enough to remember, I just exchange it or give it to Goodwill or re-gift it.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Love Actually, but for the kid in me it will always be Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I will usually get a few things for Justin throughout the year but generally about December 20th. :D

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
TONS. Especially for the gift exchanges (like 'white elephant') where you don't know who will be getting it. Thankfully I have a great memory so I am very careful about it.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Peanut Butter Balls (only because the jellied cranberries is my most favorite at Thanksgiving).

16. Lights on the tree?
Always. I like colored ones but the all white ones look better with all of my crazy ornaments.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
I have a ton! Silver Bells and Carol of the Bells are tied for my #1 but almost every Christmas song I hear I say 'Oh! That's one of my favorites!' because I'm just gaga over Christmas.

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Always end up traveling but I can't wait until we have kids for an excuse to stay home!!

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s?
Of course! I know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen... and I even recall the most famous reindeer of all - Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Either - I am hoping that my mom will give me an angel she has that is white and very pretty. It was always my favorite topper.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
ONE on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. That's how I grew up doing it, but with all the family we go see now we usually end up opening one families on Christmas Eve and the other on Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
People being jerks at the store and on the road. It makes me sad.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Oh, probably anything with penguins or snowmen. My favorites are my Bearfoot ornaments that my mom & step-dad have gotten me. As for 'color'... is 'sparkly' a color? :) I love things that are flashy and loud and play music - that won't surprise any of my friends!! :D

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Same as Thanksgiving - Turkey with stuffing, rolls and jellied cranberries. Pass the gravy, please! (Of course, I wouldn't say 'no' to starting a tradition of filet mignon for Christmas dinner!!)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
The same thing I want every year, Pinky... a Wii! (Justin finally gave in!!). I also really do need clothes so I hope I get some more. Justin really wanted a big TV and he got it! (And then was sad that I keep playing my Wii on it so he can't watch it. Haha!)

I'm adding a bonus question since it's after Christmas!

26. What is your favorite memory from Christmas this year?
Playing 'Da Yoopers' Christmas songs for Justin while we drove from his mom's to his dad's.

Hand Drama

I figured I'd post something for the people who have been curious about my Facebook status or comments I've made about my hand.

Three or four days ago I noticed that my left hand was a little swollen and hurt when I gripped anything or pushed it on a surface. I felt around and there was a weird little bump in the palm of my hand when I wiggled my middle finger back and forth. After consulting a few co-workers and Justin, they all convinced me to just go in to the doc and I obliged since I hadn't when I slammed my wrist with my trunk/hatch door and was still hearing about it. Well, the resident didn't know what it was so she called in her attending and even he said that I needed to go to an orthopedist. She had worked with a hand specialist at the Bone & Joint center here so she referred me to him and thankfully he had an open appt yesterday morning where he had just had a cancellation.

He came in to see me before they could take me for X-rays and confirmed that it was just a ganglion cyst on the flexor tendon sheath, and that I had three options: 1 - wait and see if it goes away, 2 - aspirate it (try to pop it), or 3 - surgery to remove it. I decided that since I was already there we might as well see if he could aspirate it to relieve the pain & pressure. He sprayed my hand with cold (kind of like spraying yourself with an air duster), put some local anesthetic in, and then used a bigger needle to feel around to pop the cyst. It didn't hurt too bad, but it felt WEIRD, because I could feel the needle in the middle of my hand. INSIDE my hand. After a few minutes he thought he got it and pushed around to drain it.

I asked how long the local would take to wear off and he said 'about 5 hours, give or take 3 hours'. Now, I've never had that much local in one place before, so I didn't know how I would burn it off. That's why my middle finger was numb all day. I still had some numbness when I went to bed at 9:45, so I figure it would have taken about 14 hours to completely metabolize the anesthetic he gave me. Geez!! It's one of the most aggravating feelings for me when something is numb, so it was a hard day! I couldn't type worth poo, so I didn't go back in to work where I wouldn't be able to do anything productive. I also ended up feverish and a little nauseous, I think from the worry about when feeling would return to my finger.

This morning there is no numbness, but the spot in my palm where the needles were is bruised and sore. The swelling has gone down a little, probably with my massive doses of Ibuprofen, so in a few days I should be able to tell if it worked or not, and if the cyst is coming back. I'd take this pain any day over not knowing what a weird bump in my body was!

Thanks to everyone who showed concern and wished for me to feel better soon. :) I'm glad I can type again!!!

Question of the Week 2 (SP13)

Part A: Are you doing any holiday knitting?

Not really - I have had a few projects all year that I planned to give as Christmas presents but I kept getting sidetracked by other things.

Part B: Have you finished?

Nope. I have a few that I haven't even started!! The only things I'll be working on this year are my mom's birthday present and my December secret pal gift. I'm planning on making some kind of 'plan of attack' so that I can actually get some presents done for next Christmas.

It's been a wild ride

Well, it's been a pretty crazy few weeks! After the wedding things calmed down for a bit but then there was the endless cleaning & organizing the aftermath of presents and stuff that had accumulated in the dining room. To add to that -

Right before the wedding I had started to train over in our Membership department (which is fun, because I get to play with smart phones) and have been bouncing back and forth between there and my regular job every week.

Our CEO challanged us at our last review to complete a Management Self-Study Course before year-end. Tracy and I teamed up and were able to finish it yesterday but I am looking forward to not have to dig through 400 pages of bylaws any time soon.

I was finally able to finish the 4th book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn last night around 7:30. (It's due back at the library today.)

I've had so many requests for knitted things, from family & co-workers that I am so scattered when it comes to working on a pal gift for this month to get to her by Christmas! My mom also asked for a hand knit item for her birthday (yesterday) which I have started but have had to rip out the first pattern repeat about 5 times because I need to only work on it when I am alone and not distracted. I really hope I can get it done by Christmas now that the self-study course is done and I have read all of the addictive Twilight books.

Blargh.

And to top it all off, my hand might be hurt. Again. So I have to make a Dr appt for that today as well. If only there were 2 or 3 of me!

Emmett???

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Grr! I scary!

Which Twilight Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

December Secret Pal 13 Gift

Yay!!! :D

This morning my first secret pal package arrived, so I ran to get the camera before opening it up.

Here is what was inside!

There was a cute Christmas card from my pal, some very pretty Ladybug Creations pink stitch markers

Pretty Christmas potholders (someday I will have a sewing room and be able to make these!!)

A very cute painted wooden kitten that opens up to hold a ring or necklace (or my new pink stitch markers). This was Tigger's favorite - you can see his feet in the picture as he had to jump on the table to sniff around at all the new stuff.

And a 10 bean soup mix. Easy cooking, who doesn't love that?!


Thank you secret pal!!! :D