December 19, 2016

Monday Musings

BRRR! It's cold. I don't expect any pity, it's likely far colder wherever you are than here in Sin City, but still my hands and feet are icy. I'm bundled in two coats as I sit here in front of the PC. This winter stuff is for the birds. Wait! Even they don't do winter. I should make like a bird and migrate south because the desert isn't cutting it.

Anyhow, can you believe this time next week Christmas will be over? And we'll be waiting to welcome 2017. Pure craziness.

I thought I'd keep a more regular schedule after my last update, but it wasn't in the cards. The past month has been a complete whirlwind. It began with a team meeting called at work. The owners gathered us around and shared that they had been in negotiations to sell the business. It wasn't a huge surprise, but I didn't know how close we came to laying off 95% of the office staff, myself included. They couldn't seem to agree on a number so they've decided to go the distance, not sell and instead invest in us and the company's future. Changes are underway, but it appears we won't be losing our jobs. As a result, I find myself with little down time. At home, our pc is toast - Frank started shopping for the pieces to build a new one, but his time has been monopolized by other things so that's the cause for the crickets around here.

I hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving. My dad and aunt arrived Nov 15, it was nice to catch up a bit before the holiday and the rest of the visitors arrived. My mother in law arrived next, and then Bob & Hugh flew in just in time for the gluttony to begin. Sixteen of us gathered around the table noshing on a spread that consisted of mixed greens & apple salad, yeast rolls, cranberries, sausage stuffing, corn casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and very moist turkey. And later, apple and pumpkin pies. Let's not forget the several bottles of wine that kept things merry. With full bellies, we battled each other with hilarious rounds of Fibbage, Cards Against Humanity and other games. You simply cannot beat a house that's full of loved ones and laughter.

There was no Black Friday shopping for me. Instead, Frank and I took Bob & Hugh to see Lucky Dragon and we also checked out Desert Wind Coffee Roasters beforehand. What a great coffee shop, and they share my love of Breaking Bad. Very cool. Then, on their last night, we all had dinner at Joe's. It never disappoints! The stone crab and steaks are always stellar. Afterwards, the six of us went over the Rio for a tour and tasting at the Wine Cellar. It's such a gem, if you've never been, it's definitely worth a visit. Next, we saw Rock of Ages. Too bad the show ends it's run in January. It was a hoot.

December 1st we celebrated Frank's birthday. His gift was rather bittersweet for me - Amy, Jeff and the kids moved out. I'm thrilled they found a townhouse to rent. It's in a great area, it's very nice and it provides them with some much needed space, three bedrooms and a two car garage. It's only a few minutes from us so Nick is able to stay in the same school and we'll be nearby so I won't have to miss them too much. Sharing a home for almost a 1.5 years has its challenges, but also its rewards. Watching the kids learn and grow day to day was something I'll always cherish - even if it meant I was sick - A LOT. Our house was busting at the seams with the seven of us, eight if you count my dad or nine when Mike would stay (Pahrump is far, after all) and now it's rather bare. We have big plans for some home improvements, but first we must narrow down some options. We also took advantage of low interest rates by refinancing the house - so long PMI and we're reducing our loan to 15 years - If all goes well, we'll be debt free by 51!

Even with the kids out of the house, we still managed to have one last bug make the rounds. I think Nick picked up this one from school. It ran through everyone. Frank and I weren't even safe - babysitting for a few hours was all it took to become infected. The downtime gave us an opportunity to binge watch some Netflix shows. Goliath and The Crown were both very good. It had been far too long since I was excited about a show. Well, besides my guilty pleasure This is Us.

And now, we're just days from Christmas. My shopping was pretty quick and painless - Thank you, Amazon Prime and Etsy. I'll be hosting Christmas day. This year will be a little different than last year, since we all won't be under one roof. We'll lose the magic of Santa paying us a visit, but Addison is filled with wonder and it should make for a pretty special holiday. Lex will likely enjoy the wrapping paper more than the gifts themselves, and Nick will tear through them in record time I'm sure - but that's all part of the fun. Wherever you are, wherever you go I hope your Christmas is merry and bright.

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