Christmas!

It has been an interesting Christmas season. Everybody got their cookies, and said they liked them, which is good. The Christmas party at work was very boring, but the food was good. Some people said they didn't recognize me at first. Guess I clean up pretty good.

We decorated the house, which turned out nice. We got these ornaments from Scott's parents, and they are so cute! One is a for a motorcyclist, and one is for a knitter:

Sorry my picture sucks. One snowman says, "To knit or not to knit- Is this a trick question?" And the other says, "If I'm riding a motorcycle, I'm happy!" And there is a little charm hanging from one arm.

Last week was sort of quiet at work for a change. On Thursday, my coworker and I went to Target- she wanted to get a couple gifts for our bosses, and I was charged with getting a card for my laid off boss's boss. While there, she kept asking what I'd like for Christmas, and I kept telling her "Nothing!" Afterwards we popped into TJ Max where she continued her inquisition. Eventually I pointed at a box of chocolate-covered cranberries, and said "How about those?" She grudgingly purchased them (apparently it was too cheap...) and I assumed she'd wrap them up and give them to me the next day with others' gifts. Fast forward to Friday. She comes in that morning and hands me a small Victoria's Secret bag, with the candy poking out the top. I figured she just used whatever bags she had around, and pulled out the cranberries and thanked her. Later that afternoon, I looked in the bag and saw these:

My first thought was that she accidentally left them in the bag, so I looked around, noted that she and I were the only ones around, then pulled them out and give her an inquisitive look. She says, "Oh you didn't see them before?" (meaning when I pulled out the candy). The look on her face told me that the gift was, in fact, very intentional. "No... (surprised) Are they for me?" "Yeah! Do you like them? I couldn't find the matching bra..." "Um... yes, they're really cute! Thanks!" Omg. I should add that my coworker is from very rural Asia, and often has a different perspective on things like giving your coworker lacy underthings. So I smiled and told her how nice the undies were (they are cute). And now I have a funny story.

I spent the weekend knitting, and learned to make white bread (it's easy and tasty!). My hands and right arm/shoulder feel like they're going to fall off due to the knitting and kneading, but it was worth it. On Monday I roasted a whole chicken, and made soup from the bones on Tuesday. This is funny in that I seem to have lost all meat-related squeamishness- I was a vegetarian for about 8 or 9 months, and never did well with the reality of meat (the closer it looked to it's original source, the less I wanted to eat it). But now, apparently, I don't care. While rinsing the raw bird, I even saw little bits of what I assumed to be organs stuck to the inside and it didn't bother me at all. After straining the broth, I picked through the bones/meat/everything else and again, was not phased. Weird, but whatever... it's just meat.

This morning, Santa brought me this bad boy:

Ensuring that next week will be filled with copious amounts of bread, cookies, and meringue. I'd like to knit it a cover, but I don't want to hide it. Now I have visions (or perhaps delusions) of making a cover out of clear vinyl. Maybe somebody already makes one! I'm off to go look... Merry Christmas everyone!