Amazing Race 12/14

I have been watching TAR since the very first episode. I love this show. I love how teams are eliminated based on poor performance, not because they are a threat or they are likeable or non-likeable.

But I am not pleased about the current season at all. Besides the fact that I hate that the show is on Tuesday, bad CBS! From the first episode this season I have been so disappointed in the casting. The first few episodes were so hard to watch, either the teams were so repellent I couldn't stand to watch them or they were piss poor racers I was hoping they would lose.

The reason I love this show is the racing and the dynamics of the couples as they are racing. When the teams are whining the first leg about how hard it is, I blame the casting. When there are more teams to hate rather than cheer for, I blame the casting. When I actually want to turn off the show because I find spousal abuser Jonathan so repellent, I blame the casting.

I just can't believe that this leg of the race started at a former slave port, stopped at the Berlin wall, and actually spelled out how horrible humans can be to each other - and the leg ended with Victoria sobbing hysterically and her husband actually shoving her because they came in second by seconds.

I'm just disappointed.

Economy

When I was at Target on Monday, I was wondering through the Stocking Stuffers aisle and found this candy cane filled with Play-Doh and had to have it. I now have 10 tiny pots of Play-Doh on my desk. I have gotten a few eye rolls and my friend Dennis asked me how old I was but I don't care. That familiar smell of play-doh comes to me as I type on the computer. I have made a few doh people, but they all come out looking like Mr. Bill. I might try to make a Sponge Bob Square Pants next.

I also made some smart buying decisions. Buffy Season 7 came out a couple of weeks ago. As with all the other season releases I had pre-ordered from Amazon. I waited and tracked and it never came. Then over Thanksgiving weekend Target had a super 2 day sale. They were selling some DVD seasons for $17.77. UNBELIEVABLE! Of course by the time I made it to the sale everything was sold out. But smart Target was prepared and had little rain check slips for all the sets. All I had to do was activate them when I was checking out and then wait for them to come back in stock. Meanwhile, I still never received Buffy from Amazon. I reported it lost and tried to cancel the order, but they just sent a new copy. Then Target restocked and I bought 2 copies. For a few days, I was the proud owner of 3 copies. I then returned the Amazon order. Since it was their/USPS fault I should get a full refund of forty-some dollars. I then sold the extra set on e-bay for about $32. I made money on the deal! Yeah me!

This selling things on e-bay is the greatest. I can't wait to find more stuff to sell. Maybe I will make enough to buy a digital camera, then I can sell even more stuff.
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Wednesday's entry on Thursday

I didn't get to writing yesterday, so this is my entry for Wednesday.

I was reminded that there are only 2 weeks before Christmas. Not that I really need reminding, there are 3 decorated trees here at work. Keep in mind that only about 40 people actually work in the office. I'm a bit overloaded by all of the decorations. Not at my house. I forgot, okay I didn't forget I chose not to take, my tree from my mother's basement when I was there at Thanksgiving. Now I realize that was a mistake. Huge mistake. Since I didn't take the tree, I also didn't take any decorations, wrapping paper, lights, and any presents I have stockpiled for this year. Of course I can't actually remember any presents I have stockpiled.

I was thinking I was doing ok on the present gathering. But last night I started my mental list and realized NO I have a ton of gifts still to get. I was given the message that we are "cutting back" this year. I don't know what that means. I'm all for cutting back. I spend too much money on myself and don't have much leftover for others, but what does cutting back mean? Going to the dollar store and finding the thing that no one needs or wants but looks like I am spending more than a dollar?

I would rather just skip the present exchange all together and just celebrate the season. I buy myself the best presents. I would rather just buy things for myself that I love rather than get stuff I don't really want from my well meaning relatives. It's more enjoyable to just buy gifts for the children in the family and let the adults just enjoy each other's company.

I would prefer not to get anything and celebrate by sitting on my couch in my comfy new pajama pants ,I bought myself, watching the second season of Gilmore Girls, ditto, enjoying a freshly baked cookie, and think of all my family and friends and be grateful for all I have.

Tuesday

I made the cutest candy cane cookies last night. I don't particularly like the taste of them (I don't like peppermint) but the red & white striped cookies were beautiful. They were a lot of work but actually worth it.

Tonight I hope to make either iced pumpkin cookies or caramel frosted banana bread.

This is something I am trying to work on:

I called my friend on Saturday to check in and see if she wanted to get together this weekend. I had tried earlier in the week but never reached her. She doesn't believe in voice mail or answering machines so I can't just leave a message and wait to hear back. So she was on her way out on Saturday and said she would call me back.

This is what I need to work on: I, for some reason, assume that she is mad at me or I have done something wrong. I don't know why I do this. I think I do it quite frequently. We really haven't had much time to see each other recently, but for some reason I think I must have done something wrong. I don't assume that she is a bad friend and has forgot to call me back. I don't think that something has happened and she is unable to call me. I put it all on myself. This must be tied into my poor self-esteem. Instead of being mad at her for not calling me back or even calling me, I wonder why she is mad at me.

I need some new friends.

Monday

Welcome to Monday.

I have been at work since 8:00 am. It is now 11:00. Here is a rundown of what I have done in 3 hours:

1. Printed out recipes from the Food TV website. I was watching cookie shows this weekend and I "needed" the recipes.
2. Paid bills. Used my bank website to send some payments. I love the technology that doesn't require me to write out checks and then mail them.
3. Ate french toast. Leftovers are great.
4. Got the weekend updates from my co-workers.
5. Looked at my mail and decided to deal with later.
6. Worked for about 15 minutes.
7. Checked my favorite websites for updates since Friday. Highway girl has really weird dreams.
8. Now write in my blog.

If anyone knew how much work I really don't do here, I would be in so much trouble. I'm just lucky that my computer faces a wall and people have to walk up to me, so no one sees what is on my screen.

I watched The Terminal on Saturday. It was a nice, lovely little movie. Nothing spectacular, but really lovely. It should have done better box office. Tom Hanks is just amazing. It was perfect for a cold quiet Saturday afternoon just before my nap.

I baked 2 loafs of cranberry bread. The banana/cranberry was well loved. The apple/cranberry not so much.

I told my mother that I was baking bread and she actually whined to me to save her some. That was weird. She never whines. I promised her that I would make her cranberry/orange muffins, and I will. But I had to cut the loaves I made last night and put slices of the apple and banana in the freezer for her.

Guilty pleasure - I watched an entire Lifetime movie yesterday. They seem to be having a countdown of the top 100? movies of 2004. I watched a great movie with Gail Grady - a single mother of a 15 year old girl. She has an affair with Grant Show, a separated father of 3. Well it turns out that he really isn't separated and he breaks her heart. Then, dun, duna, dun she turns out to be pregnant. The teenage daughter decides to have sex to punish her mother. It goes on and on. But in the end, everyone is happy. Brilliant!

I resolve

I resolve:

1. to try to write something, even if just a sentence, every work day in my blog.
2. to try to remember that my workplace has improved dramatically. This means that I should not automatically bitch about it. Remember it was much, much worse just last week.
3. not to just lurk at all the blogs I read. No one will ever know that I read their blog if I don't comment every once in a while.
4. to mop my kitchen floor. Yes I realize that it will get dirty again. That's no reason not to clean it now.