Black Friday

Our dinner turned out fabulously, we will be posting pics and some recipes over on Are You Gonna Eat That? - our new food blog.







Buster got to enjoy some Thanksgiving dinner, and he was quite happy about it. Even the cats got a tiny bit of potatoes, stuffing, turkey and gravy - although they didn't really eat much besides the turkey and potatoes (and I'm sure that's because the potatoes were loaded with butter, goat cheese and sour cream).

We spent the evening watching TV, napping, snacking on leftovers and surfing the internet.

When I picked up a shift on Wednesday afternoon, my boss asked me to work today from 11am to 3pm. With that in mind I set the alarm clock for 9:30am and went to sleep around 2am.

At 8am my phone rang and it was my boss. Apparently I was actually scheduled for an 8am to Noon shift and she had given me the wrong schedule. She asked if I could come in right away and I complied.

I raced through my ablutions and managed to get to the store by about 8:40am.

For "Black Friday" it really wasn't bad at all. I helped a few people find some things, cashed several people out and did some unpacking of freight in the stock room - then it was time to go home!

I ate some more mashed potatoes and gravy and then took a several-hour nap.

Scott started on a batch of hot sauce this afternoon and I've been working my way through mass amounts of laundry.

Thanksgiving Dinner?

In honor of one of the cooking-est days of the year, Scott and I have started a cooking blog together!

You can find it HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Big Task

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day (US).

Today is/was Wednesday.

Today I worked a four-hour shift at Pier One mostly putting together furniture. I'm enjoying my job there and hoping to work hard enough that they decide to hire me as a full time employee and put me on salary.

Yesterday Amy, Carrie and I spent the day in Aiken, SC. My first order of business was getting two very important letters mailed; one to our former landlord requesting all of our money back since they did not send us anything in writing within thirty days that they were intending to keep some of it, and the second to a former renter that still owes me $750. I'm hoping it will scare him enough to just come up with the money right away.

After that was taken care of we went into the downtown historic area and spent a little time in some of the galleries and shops. In an art gallery we saw an entire exhibit of paintings of places in Key West! It made me even more Key-West-sick than I have been lately (which is quite).

Once we were done window shopping we continued to Hitchcock Woods to hike and take pictures. Some of the paths were more sand than dirt so our legs got quite a workout. As we were arriving there was a group of fox-hunters coming out of the woods. The horses AND dogs were beautiful, and I admired the outfits of the riders as I am more used to seeing western saddles and dress than the english version.

As it started to get colder and a little darker we made our way back to the car and then on to Moe's, a wonderful mexican grill fast food joint. As I had eaten a sandwich right after my business at the Post Office, I wasn't as hungry, so I contented myself with a big bowl of guacamole, fresh chips and an icy Cherry Coke.

Finally full (and warm!) we were off to the Hobby Lobby, which I had never experienced before. For those in the northwest it's similar to a Craft Warehouse only even BIGGER if you can believe that! The selection is just incredible. We had a great time just browsing through everything and I spent a little of what little cash I had to buy two 8x10 frames for a couple of our wedding pictures.

Carrie took a lot of pictures of ornaments and Amy trying various ones on her head while I marveled at everything around me. Once we pulled ourselves away from Hobby Lobby we went to Lowes, where we acquired ten 50-lb bags of gravel that Amy and Carrie are putting down in the back yard (it WAS all mulch, but the dogs keep digging it up). Our final stop was Kroger where the girls stocked up on groceries and by the time we left the parking lot I was well packed into the back seat!

As we pulled into Amy's driveway Scott called, wondering if I was ever coming back... I assured him that I would be on my way shortly.



Scott and I are planning to cook Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us (and the animals). I had invited several friends and family members from near states but they all had previous plans, so it will just be us.



Our Menu:
Turkey (Scott is making this and he and Buster will eat it. I may try a bite if it smells good.)
Stuffing (We are each making some, winging our own recipes. Mine is sourdough & mushroom.)
Salad (just a plain old green leaf lettuce and whatever veggies are on hand)
Mashed Potatoes (with goat cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, chives and butter)
Gravy (my uncle's recipe in which there is white wine and mushrooms and a few other things)
Pumpkin Cheesecake (it just went in the oven)

We're watching various tv shows thanks to our Comcast dvr and I'm pausing them to cook now and then.

Life Grinds Slowly Back Into Gear

I started orientation at Pier One today.

I was scheduled to have an interview there at 2pm on Friday. Yesterday at about 4pm I realized that it WAS FRIDAY.

I should have deduced that it was Friday because I watched CSI the night before, wished a friend happy birthday only to have him tell me "thanks, but it was yesterday", but it took looking at the TV Guide website telling me it was Friday to figure it out.

Fortunately my interviewer was understanding and when I called to assure her that I am NOT a total flake, she told me to come in for the interview right away.

It's nice to be working again, although it makes me very store-sick for the pet store in Key West.

This afternoon Scott and I planned out our Thanksgiving Day meal and then went to the grocery store to stock up, first having dinner at a Thai restaurant next door to Publix.

During dinner we talked about ideas for a poor-economy Christmas and came up with some rather good ones, I think.

I got started tonight on one of the major projects, I would say I'm about one-fifth of the way done with it and haven't spent a dime. I'm hoping that the recipient thinks it's as kickass as I do... if someone made this present for ME I would LOVE it.

The other highlight of the evening was when Scott discovered that it's a bad idea to feed The Stink from the couch. This results in her constantly wanting up to see if there's more and then wanting down to look for it herself.

A Little bit of Martha...

This is the Martha Stewart version:


It is done with weatherproof paper and tape and hung on an outside door.

I liked the look of the idea, and goodness knows I love to be crafty, so I started digging through my Christmas bins to see what I could come up with.

While in Key West, the only store that had reasonably priced Christmas decorations was K-Mart, and so I chose items in the silver and purple vein both years.

Since I can't afford to buy all new Christmas decorations this year, I'm going to go with what I collected in Key West, so I figured a silver and purple wreath would coordinate nicely.

I had plenty of silver stuff, but not as much purple. Carrie and I ended up taking a trip to Dollar General, Target and Michaels looking for purple wrapping paper, which apparently is so Last Year.

I made do with some pieces of purple scrapbooking paper instead and then came home and wrapped a bunch of small boxes - some from Michaels but most were either empty gum display boxes I got at Food Lion or cream cheese boxes from my fridge.

Carrie helped by wrapping the base in silver paper and putting in her two cents about which boxes should be where.

We were very pleased with the final product...

Photo Therapy

It always makes me feel better to have some sort of artistic outlet.

Carrie and I took another photo/walking tour of downtown Augusta today and got some fun shots.

Sketchy and Hopeful

I'm thinking that I may not want to work at WS. I picked up the paperwork on Thursday last week and they had mentioned then that there was no rush because the company that owns the mall is declaring bankruptcy.

You would think that if they are volunteering this information to applicants, that they would also tell the employees. You know, so they can look for other jobs if it turns out that the store is going to close.

When I handed in my paperwork to "June", I mentioned that because of the "situation" with the mall I was still looking for other positions. She asked me "what situation." I filled her in.

I don't know that I want to be employed at a place that keeps their employees in the dark about whether they will have a job next month.

I have also realized that if I actually wish to get a job in retail this holiday season, I will have to suck it up and work evenings. Scott and I were hoping that I could work days so we could have our evenings together, but I have a feeling that if I want any response at all I'm going to have to be available for the prime shopping hours, which makes sense.

I stopped by Pier One this afternoon to let them know that I AM available in the evenings, and I changed it on my application at Bed, Bath and Beyond as well. I discussed being available with the manager at Michaels when I handed in that application.

Since we were nearly out of wet dog food (Buster is a spoiled old man) I stopped at PetsMart and talked with the manager there. I mentioned that I had applied online before we moved but hadn't heard anything, and referenced my year plus experience as the GM at the pet store in Key West. He said he'd check out my info and get back to me if he can scrape any hours together.

Once I got home I realized that it was PetCo I had applied to online and not PetsMart, so I hastily remedied that situation and gave the manager a call to let him know that he will find my info later today.

I really miss the store in Key West. I miss the people and the animals and just WORKING.

Turn Around

Fortunately, my bank did indeed catch the error before I was up on Friday morning. That was a big load off of my mind.

I was also able to pay the mortgage payment online, which was another time and energy saver.

Saturday evening I went application hunting just in case the Williams Sonoma job falls through. I completed a Pier One app there in-store and brought home apps for Michaels and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

I would very much enjoy Pier One or Michaels, and I'm feeling really good about Pier One.

Tonight I joined Carrie and Amy at the theater to see "Quantom of Solace", the latest 007 movie. I have to say I really enjoyed it.

Once I got home I cleaned the entire kitchen, set the counter with two place settings, and made Scott's lunch for tomorrow. I've also been hanging pictures on the walls and getting clothes hung up in the closet, in addition to clearing space in the garage so I can park my car in it.

Right now Scott is trying to fix the kitchen table.

I feel better in general about things.

Tomorrow I'm planning to collect sticks and leaves and lay them out in the garage to dry so I can hot glue them together into wreaths, finish filling out the applications and deliver them and my Williams Sonoma paperwork.

When Life Gets You Down...

Today I deposited a $2000 check into my checking account, in person, at a bank.

When I got home and went online to schedule some online bill pay stuff, it shows that the teller credited me $200.

Today I also went in to Williams Sonoma (I received a voicemail on the 6th that they want to hire me) to do "paperwork."

When I got there they handed me a packed and told me to fill it out and bring it back "whenever" because the company that owns the mall is declaring bankruptcy. SERIOUSLY?

Our Florida landlord legally has fifteen days to refund our deposit and last month's rent. He legally has thirty days to notify us in writing if he intends to claim any of the deposit.

Our Florida landlord is currently in Nicuragua with no phone and no power.

Auntie ReesePie

This is my new nephew. He's our first one. He is the first grandbaby for all of his grandparents.

Scotty is very proud.

The baby's name is Jackson.

He complied with our plans and arrived about 36 hours after we arrived in Seattle to see him.

Travelling

Scott and I are heading to Seattle early tomorrow morning.

Actually, since the plane leaves out of Atlanta at 7:15am we are just staying up and leaving for Atlanta around 3am.

Carrie is house/animal sitting while we're gone.

I had my interview today at Williams Sonoma. It was a group interview, which was odd. I'll either get a phone call or a "thanks but no thanks" card in the mail sometime in the next two weeks.

In the meantime we're heading across the country to welcome a new nephew into the world.

Voting Day

No, I didn't.

I watched a House marathon instead.

And got my Georgia driver's license.

And don't try to get all politicky with me, I won't discuss it.

I said Good Day!

Scarves and Boots!

Moving to Georgia during this time of year has been fabulous. I have been able to immediately start wearing some of my favorite parts of my wardrobe... sweaters, scarves and boots!

Even Buster has a new winter jacket and a new sweater for Christmas.

And yes, we dressed him as a skunk for Halloween. He loved it.