Procrastinatory Miscellany

I don't even know if that first one is a real word. I don't care. I'm groggy today and though I have work to do, I can't wrap my brain around it at the moment. Bad, bad employee.

Last night, I decided a fun activity for Bob and I to partake of while Ben was at work would be Putting Away Xmas. I've been staring at all my Xmas decor for the past week and wishing it would just disappear, but I kept my promise to Bob and left it all out until his return to the domicile. I figured two days was enough, and he didn't protest when I hauled the Rubbermaid containers up from the basement. In fact, he eagerly joined me in removing ornaments from the tree and putting them away. Of course, his interest in this lasted about as long as it takes Blue to skiddoo, and it wasn't long before I was on my own. Not that I minded. The hardest part was keeping him from stepping on ornaments before they could be safely packed away.

Once the ornaments were packaged, the lights coiled and tied in a bag, the tree disassembled and placed in the new Tree Storage Bag (God bless Rubbermaid), and the various holiday accoutrement tightly packed away, I dragged the whole mess to the basement for another year and gazed at the gaping hole where holiday cheer had been for about a month and a half. Wow.

I also noticed the floor was completely filthy. And the mantle looks like it was just constructed.

Unless it's been a particularly horrible holiday season, I usually get a little sad when the holiday stuff goes away. But this was a very good holiday year, all things considered, and I didn't feel too bad about packing it up for another 300 or so days. We have pictures and video footage. And I got 10-pack of picture frames I ordered from Target yesterday, so that's my next project.

The only thing I regret about this holiday is not having an abundance of friends to share it with. My friend in Florida called me the day after Xmas to say she was in the area, but of course, I was puking that day, so I resolved to call her back once I was feeling more human. That didn't happen until damn near the weekend, and though I could have called her, my main reason for not calling was pure stubborness. Our communication has grown sketchy over the last couple of years. I last heard from her this past spring, and then had several emails go unanswered until about two months ago. There were promises of other emails, but they never materialized. So I've started to question the value of a friendship that is fleeting at best. I just don't have the time or the energy to expend on people who don't offer me the same. Maybe I'm being petty, but I've let a couple of friendships go for this reason over the last year. Adult friendships are hard, because there's really no social mandate forcing you to maintain them, like marriage. Maybe there should be. Maybe if you were required to legally divorce your friends, and pay them alimony, we'd all be more inclined to keep our friends close to us.

But I digress.

Ben got home shortly after I hauled the last of the stuff to the basement, and told me to take my ass to the gym. So I did. Unless the scale is lying (which it is known to do), I've lost 2 and a half pounds already. I don't plan to weigh myself again for a while, just so I can savor this small victory.

And I'm still not smoking. It's been almost three weeks now, and it's getting easier. There are certainly advantages--I don't have to constantly be aware of how many cigarettes I have left and when I'll have to get more, I don't have to freeze my ass off in the winter just to feed my habit, I don't have to sit in the smoking section, and I don't smell like an ashtray. I went a few days without the nicotine patch (most of last week because I was already nauseous and they tend to make me a little twitchy), but I slapped one on today because I've noticed I get a little cranky in the afternoon. But it is getting easier.

And Bob was a delight last night. Sometimes the things that come out of his mouth just slay me. Since he didn't get sent home, and since Ben was working, and I'd eaten a big lunch and didn't want much for dinner, we hit McD's on our way home. He made his usual request of a cheeseburger and nuggets. He never eats both, but I figured since we hadn't been there for quite a while, I'd give in. And he cleaned his plate. I can only imagine what kind of garbage disposal he'll be in about ten years. (For the record, I had a Happy Meal, myself--560 calories.)

Cross your fingers that he has a good day today, because I promised to take him swimming if he does, and I'm just dying to put my fat ass in a swimsuit and show those teenage lifeguards at the community center what they have to look forward to...