Days the 44th and 45th

And here I am, doing something I won't do often--combining 2 days into one post.

I tell ya, I love the holidays but it has been crazy...

First of all, I am working 40 hours in 4 days (the explanation is too long and cumbersome)

Second, I went to a movie Tuesday Night (Harry Potter with Keith the English Prof) and then Wednesday Night was Choir practice with Jeff the Choirmaster, Scott the Organist, and Kat the Fellow Alto and Virginia the Fellow Alto (and other assorted friends, including Woodstock but not Poodle. You'll get used to the cast of characters...you will...). And Virginia the Alto and I discussed her Annual New Year's Day Party (oh yes, I will be there...) and Kat the Alto and I discussed her kittehs and also the alto part on the Hallelujah Chorus. We've gotten it, we think...

Wednesday--I visited Janis, who said, "Hey, why don't you blog your weight loss?" It's all due to Janis! And of course, talked on the phone (a lot) to Poodle as we planned our Christmas Get-Together and Gift Exchange. Honestly, Eisenhower planning D-Day didn't have this much discussion and coordination going on...two busy people plus one holiday = MADNESS...Madness, I tell you! I ate a LOT of cashew butter, a salad at lunch, and drank water until I thought I should just live in the bathtub...

Thursday (today)--I started to get up mega-early (again) and decided to go back to sleep and go in to work at the regular time of 8 (which I did). And of course, I had told Poodle that I was getting up at 4:30 am...and he couldn't sleep so...that's right...he called me at about 4:50 am...and we talked briefly and I went back to sleep until 7. And got to work just before 8. And talked on the way...and decided that instead of doing a Christmas dealio tonight, we would wait until Saturday (aka Christmas Day--although I have to admit I thought it would be funny to write dba [doing business as] Christmas Day...yes, I am so funny...) evening and do a little gift-exchangement and some movieosity. I know, I know...and I was a language and lit grad student...Woodstock and I have agreed to go to The Circle Cinema on Sunday afternoon to see The King's Speech.

And this morning...I went to the charming and delectable Old School Bagel Cafe where my friend and fellow church-goer Scott the Bagelman is...the Bagel Man, and I had--YES, I DID IT--another pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese and pecans, and got to watch Sharon at the drive-thru window CLIMB THRU the window to retrieve a customer's change on the ground. Wow, great food AND great entertainment--and I was that limber about...never...

By the Way--a major shout-out to whoever it is who is reading me from RUSSIA! How stoked I am when I look at my stats and there is Russia...and of course, France with Karin. Too cool for words...I would love to go viral and have all sorts of people on here with me. Russian woman--stay with me!

So...it's Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, happy end of Ramadan (it's been a while, I know, but still...) and Happy WHATEVER to all of you. Stay with me because we are going to have way much more fun after Christmas, I guarantee it...or your money back...

I won't be posting on Christmas Eve (although that might change), Christmas day or the day after for sure, but I will be back and running my mouth on Monday December 27!

And girl, will I have plenty to tell, I am sure!

Seriously, you all have come to mean so much to me--and there will be opportunities for you to post as soon as we all get back on it together on the 27th.

And although it's not that kind of blog...God bless you and keep you through out this time and fill you with gladness.

Independently,

Weltha

Day the 41st--SUNDAY December 19 (Saturday below)

And in other news...

Let's see...I forgot to tell you, Gentle Readers All, that I received a LOVELY gift box from my friend Sue Ellen the Librarian in Virginia, on Saturday.

Reader, I opened it. It was filled with lovely Avon stuff (I adore Avon...so affordable and so very good) and lovely Christmas sweets (more about this in a minute) and darling fuzzy socks infused with refreshing mint and shea butter (can you say "Spa Experience" anyone?) and finally, the single MOST gorgeous fuschia scarf I have ever seen, and which has spent MUCH time on my neck over basic black since almost that very hour.

Now that's what I call a friend. AND...my friend Martha the College Buddy has sent me a package, to arrive any day now, but I have promised to be A Good Person and not open it until...that's right, the Feast of the Nativity itself (Christmas Day to you non-Anglicans and non-Roman Catholics). Oh yeah, Martha the College Buddy is definitely a friend, too! She is the Queen of Loyalty. And so is Sue Ellen...

As to the sweets--and thank you Sue Ellen!--I shared them with Alyce [aka Pearl] who will be passing them off on her grandchildren. Woo hoo--they have been deeply loved and admired (especially those frosted spice cookies) but they won't be spending January making my posterior...bigger.

Now...on to Sunday.

Once again, not much eating in the morning BECAUSE I GET SO BUSY AND I FORGET! But...I was lector at St. Jerome's [read a passle of Scripture and then CHANTED--yes--CHANTED the Psalm for the day! Woo hoo! And didn't pass out from stage fright...]

And people said I did a nice job, and Francie May at St. Jerome's told me and Poodle that it was obvious I had lost weight AND that I was lookin' good. Francie May is a paragon of style and elegance so I took that as a MAJOR COMPLIMENT, and why not? Thank you, dear Francie May! And thanks to Poodle for passing on the "lookin' good" comment.

And then my friend Virginia the Fellow Alto said that someone I absolutely bow down to in terms of his intellect had referred to me as brilliant and oh, what can I say! And my friend Woodstock agreed that this was so, and he is brilliant beyond imagining...

Talk about gifts--those are some of the best I can imagine.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to hit the $$ movie (because girlfriend here had spent most of her spare $$$ on Christmas stuff and that's fine...the cats and I are not missing meals, the car isn't running out of gas, not about to be evicted for non-payment of rent and the utilities are not going to be cut off. Yes, very good!) and I saw Clint Eastwood's lovely film Hereafter. Now...I am a major Clint Eastwood the director FAN, and this was wonderful. Wonderful. Wonder. Full.

But before the movie, I went to this little Mediterranean place on Memorial and had a lovely chicken sandwich with Mediterranean pickles and garlic sauce in pita bread and enjoyed it. A lot. A whole lot.

Life these days is so much fun.

Now...I will soon post those dadgum pictures! I promise. It's just that I have to fool around with them in order to post them as I want.

After work, I will post for today..and then...I will be caught up!

Thanks for joining me on this Way Too Much Fun and Slightly Wacky Trip. I love having you all along with me...LOVE IT.

Oh, special shout-out to Scott the Organist and he knows why! You GO, brother...(just FYI, he is neither Scott the Bagelman nor Scott the Lector. Yes, 3 separate Scotts in my life...a girl can never have too much Scott in her life...)

LOVE YOU ALL!

Independently,

Weltha