Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With Strings
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things ...

Here it comes. A random smattering of observations and rantings. The holidays give me even more stuff to complain about! Look out.

1.) All of my Christmas cards have been signed, addressed, and compiled. I need to pick up pictures tonight, as well as stamps at the post office. UGH, I have to go to the post office. Have I mentioned my disdain for that angry little government agency?

2.) Tomorrow is December 1st. I can (officially) begin my quest for an AVP slot tomorrow. TheFirm has strict rules about internal recruiting ... you have to stay in your position for a year prior to "posting out" of it, unless you get your supervisor's written permission first. Umm, yeah ... I'd rather DIE than tell my boss that I'm leaving until it's a slam dunk. Anyhow, my year is up tomorrow. I have a personal goal of being an AVP by the time I'm 30, and it looks like I'll make it about two years (and change) early. I've already "unofficially" submitted my resume for two slots that are open, and there's a good chance (I'd guess 75%) that I'll get one of them.

4.) Today's Tuesday. Wing day. I'll take six mild wings, potatoes with cheese, and celery with ranch, please. Hey, if I have to tolerate the department behind me and their ongoing fetish with fat-laden foods ... might as well partake myself. If you can't ignore them, join em.

5.) I am Princess-less on Christmas this year (it's R's holiday). I just realized that I will be at Mom and Dad's house, celebrating what we are calling "The Faux Christmas" on the anniversary of my divorce being final. It's great that I will be so distracted on a day that will be admittedly quite tough to handle. Last year, I realized on that day that I had a great network of friends, a total support system that is worth its weight in gold. Do you know that some of The Others came down, drank lots of beer and wine with me, dismantled my VCR, stumbled to Meijer's to buy a new one, and then watched pageant tapes until we passed out? As I slept, they literally cleaned my house from top to bottom, and asked for nothing in return but my friendship. Incredible. Anyhow, I'm really lucky to have such a great "safety net" of family and friends.

6.) Back to the department behind me. This one bony-assed girl gets up and goes to the bathroom, literally, every hour on the hour. She lugs her big-ass handbag with her, and is gone for like, ten minutes. Then she stumbles back to her desk, clutching a kleenex and sniffling. Woman, if you want to put your paycheck up your nose, fine. Please don't do it at work, OK?

7.) Today's yet another Jay-Z day. Spinning today: "Me And My Girlfriend". Although I love this lyric: "All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend ...", I share Mombi's love for the "Bounce, bitch ... bounce ..." in "Can I Get A Fuck You".

8.) I'm becoming annoyed with some of the holiday advertisements on TV. If I see one more "Polar Express" commercial, I'm going to have to cut someone. Furthermore, a local jeweler (The Diamond Cellar) has seen fit to run these advertisements that have the underlying message of "if you don't come to our store and buy a $10,000 pear-shaped diamond necklace for your wife, she will leave your bitch ass". First of all: pear shaped? ACK! Second: I HATE HATE HATE commercials around the holidays that send the message that your love for others is quantified by how much you spend. With me, it really is the thought that counts. Any jackoff can walk into Zales and say "Here's $300. Pick out something nice for my wife." As far as jewelry goes, I have a few really nice pieces that I wear every day. I can't imagine actually wearing a massive necklace like that to such pedestrian places as work, or Taco Bell. Then again, if I had a spare $10K lying about, and could spend it on jewelry like that, I suppose I'd have someplace to wear it.

OOOOH lunch is here ... more later!