Plastic Bag Overload

During my quest for anything entertaining today I found an interesting post on the Readymade blog. We typically use plastic bags as our trash bags in bathrooms and bedrooms but we have more than we need. Since we don't have a dog and the kitty litter tends to fall through the holes in many of the bags we're always looking for other means for use. This is by far the most creative I've seen!

Must Keep Eyes Open

This week is dragging. Like many people I am working this week while most are off enjoying the time with family, relaxing or cleaning up after the holidays. Every year I have the debate with myself - do I waste vacation time to escape the slowness of the last week in the year?

I am lucky to have a couple coworkers with me this week. However, I have nothing, nothing, nothing due. And no motivation to start anything else. My eyes are burning from hitting as many sites as possible (from different types of olive oil to neopets to yahoo games). My radio station isn't coming in very well either so I feel as though I am stuck in the cube of neverending boringness.

I am breaking up the day by reading the book our boss gave the team to read: The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse. Instead of instilling ethical behavior in me it makes me want to run screaming for the non-Corporate life. Depressing that people would take these actions and behave so selfishly (lots of discussion 'bout WorldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, etc).

Urgh. I am anti-work today.

Future Vikings Player?

Jake with his Moore jersey.

Boys and their toys

Couple of photos of my sister's boys from our Christmas gathering on Saturday.

Alex opening his Robin costume from Aunt Holly, Uncle Pete and Cousin Jordan





Ryan with his gift from Grandpa Jim P & Gamma

Holiday Sights

Our Christmas Lights after an icy rain


Our tree in the morning before dawn

It's a rebuilding year, right?

In years past the need to beat Green Bay has been strong. I spent most of my college years surrounded by Packer fans since many of my college roomies were from WI. We turned those games into bets for beer, head shaving and the like. I have since calmed down quite a bit but a loss like the one last night still leaves me dissappointed and frustrated.

I realize we have a new coach, a rookie quarterback and that the weather was hostile in Green Bay (when isn't it??) but really, we looked horrible. Not only did we fail to develop any sort of offense but the 'zone defense' wasn't exactly spot on. Although Antione Winfield once again showed the rest of the team how to actually play football. Granted, without a solid receiving core we have some issues but it's not like we don't have other play makers on the team. I don't expect MN teams to win every year and be fantasic all the time but his season has been really disappointing. I'm hoping next year pans out to be a team that can perform above 500 - and can beat Green Bay at least once.

Full disclosure - After feeling extremely frustrated during the first quarter I fell asleep off and on for the rest of the game.

Little Chef's

Ryan helping mom




Alex making cookies

6 days to go!

Only six more days until the holiday is upon us. At our house it really is an extended holiday, as is the norm I suppose. I headed to my parent's on Sunday to help frost cookies with my family (including the nephews). Pictures of this fun to be posted later tonight! Pete decided to stay home and relax. Too much family makes this boy a wee bit edgy and with what we have in store for this weekend he thought it best to sit and watch the Vikings lose yet another game.

This year we start celebrating on Saturday at my sister's house. Between the cookies we made on Sunday and the batch I am hauling from our house we will be full of butter and sugar! What a way to start the family filled weekend. The next day we will head to my in-laws for some serious noise time, whoops, I mean family time. With all eight grandchildren in attendance it can get a little crazy, especially when there are gifts to unwrap. Christmas Eve mass rounds out that day. The next day we head to the extended Whitcomb family gathering. One thing they don't prepare you for in couplehood is the constant juggling of family gatherings. If we go here, where do we need to go next year? And both Pete & I are pretty tight with our families so it makes it a bit of challenge. Oh well, this is a problem I should complain about????

I'll make sure to take a plethora of photos for posting after the weekend. There's nothing like pictures of kids with huge grins on their faces.

Pews

Pete & I headed to our church this morning to help with some cleaning. An attempt to keep costs in line. After about 3.5 hours and who knows how many pews later we left the church in a mad dash to reach the post office smelling like Murphy Oil Soap. I never realized how dirty our pews were until this morning. Our church is over 125 years old and our parish is about 1200 people. When you think about all the traffic that has gone through that place... I doubt I will look at pews the same again.

Only one more gift to purchase for the Christmas season. Still no snow on the ground. Just over a week way from Christmas and not a touch of white, unless you count the 'ski' hills. I read about Honda's new hydrogen car this morning (coming in 2008) and started to seriously think about buying one when my beloved Corolla finally kicks the bucket. The Honda isn't priced yet though so I fear it would be some serious sticker shock. But the idea of not emitting anything but water is tempting. I am shocked at how easily people I work with toss recycleable items in the trash, mostly soda cans and bottles. I understand some people think I am odd for picking through the trash but seriously, how hard is it to walk 25 yards to the recycling bin??? Yeesh. No one is that busy at his/her desk to get up and take care of it, think of it as an excuse to get away from your desk for a couple of minutes. I would like to leave this world in good condition for my children and extended family. I am saddened when I see trash piles heaped and little in the recycling bins. I know I have ranted about this topic before so I'll step off my soap box and give it a rest.

One thing I love

My job can be tedious from time to time. I have content experts I work with but for the most part I work by myself drafting training materials and synthesizing information. But today, I got to do something I love. Present. There are few things in my life that give the same level of energy as getting up in front of a crowd of people and educating them on a topic. I love, love, love it. It's like a high. And I don't get to do it nearly as much as I would like. Granted, once the session is done, it feels a lot like coming down off a high. I am tired, a little out of it and hoping for the next fix. Which looks like it will come on Monday!

I have been told that public speaking is often a person's biggest fear. This boggles my mind, not that I think people who feel that way are wrong, just that even when I am nervous, once I get going in the session, everything else goes away. Whatever I was worried about disappears. I don't see what is happening behind me, only with the people in front of me and on my presentation.

Oh well, back to my dreary desk with no windows. Can't wait to experience the high again on Monday.

Has it really been that long?

Omigosh. I just realized how long it has been since I logged on... time has flown the last couple of weeks, although nothing really exciting is happening. Just the general business of life. Most of my photo shoots for the holidays wrapped up the first week in December. It was pretty fun to have to lug my gear around for the last few weeks and spend some time with friends. You'll have to check out the whitcombcreative site soon as I hope to add some new material.

Holiday cards were created and sent out. Jordan thinks we're mad to make our cards every year but despite all the work, Pete and I enjoy making them as you can be sure no one else has a card like this one. We just ordered our client cards last night and this year we are using one of my recent photos of a holiday ornament. Hopefully this will drum up a bit of new business for both of us.

My insomnia seems to have returned but my asthma has lessened. According to my doctor, he doesn't know if one leads to the other... Urgh. Last night was a particularly rough night. If I get angry I'm pretty much done for and I was pissed when I woke up at 4am. I know it just makes it worse, it's like I can't shut off the switch in my brain, even when I try to distract myself by thinking of spaces where I feel peace. I just don't know how long I can last with only 5 hours of sleep at night.

I am itching to be done with school. Only one more class left. This time I swear I am not going back. I admit I might take a art class here or there but I am not paying another dime for a 14 week course.

We still don't have any snow in the Twin Cities. Seems so odd to be driving to work in the rain on December 12th. Hopefully this will turn out to be a white Christmas.