Merry Christmas Eve! What's New?

Hello my OFF family:

It's Christmas Eve, just 20 minutes before 1 a.m. I've been home for awhile. Got in a little after 8 p.m., because I was scheduled to work Grand Rapids' pages and they start later. I was told there wasn't much for me to do, just proof the Outdoors pages (they print on Sunday), fix them, print out new proofs and that would be it. Well, that took me maybe a half hour. I felt like that was not much time at all, so I proofed some other pages for the news side, played around online a bit and finally thought, screw this, if no one there wants me, I'm going to go home (and in fact, the person working the sports desk that was in charge had told I should leave early). I left after 2 hours.

I feel quite useless and worthless there. I don't know what I did that they're trying to get rid of me. I went from being told last year at about this time that I was one person they wanted to keep to this year, where I feel I'm one person they're trying to get rid of. What happened in that time? What did I do wrong? Well, in the meantime, I'm doing whatever I'm asked to do, sometimes much more (because the sports desk isn't giving much) and keeping my mouth shut. And if I didn't have you guys to let me blow off steam (and a few other friends, and my psychologist), I don't know how I'd survive. So thanks ... I'm sure you're sick of my whining. I know there are people on the board who don't have jobs.

Well, it's Christmas Eve. I have to go into work at 11:30 a.m. today because we have early deadlines (we have to have our pages out at 5:30 p.m.), so I'll be home early. So I'm going to go to bed and hope I can sleep ... it's too early for me to go to bed. But if I don't, I won't be able to get up early enough to get ready for work.

So what are your plans for Christmas Eve? No big ones here ... after work, I have to pick up a few things at the store, if I feel like going there ... otherwise, it's home, watch "It's a Wonderful LIfe" (a Christmas Eve tradition) and other Christmas movies I haven't seen this year ... in the past, I'd call Margie and talk, either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but she's not here this year, so I'll miss that time. Probably not much else, because I'll already seen my family, my brother Gary is in Texas and I don't get many phone calls ... maybe I'll enjoy a cup of warm spiced wine.

Well, have a good day/night and enjoy the season. I'll check back later.

Good morning Eileen and OFF,

Eileen, sorry you are having difficulty with work.  That's pretty crummy since our job is the majority of our day.  Hope things get better for you.

I couldn't sleep, so I finally got up.  It's 2:44 a.m.  The house is quiet so I thought I may get an early start with work.  Our daughter is in from NY, we heard her come in around 12:30 a.m., and I've been awake ever since.  I see her all bundled up on the sofa -- I LOVE having her home and can't wait to see her beautiful smiling face in the morning when she wakes up.

Here is wishing everyone a Happy Christmas Eve.  Stay warm and be safe.

Blessings,

Debbie

Well, happy Christmas Eve to everyone.  Up early today because we're headed downstate to the kids house.  They're already saying we've gotten freezing rain, so it'll take us extra time again.  We've got to get the truck packed and the dogs loaded up and we'll be on our way, hopefully by 8:00.
Hopefully I'll get to see my friends from Florida that I haven't 'seen' in probably 10 years.  They're up at their daughters house, and it's only about an hour and a half from my son's house.  We're going to try to get over to see them.  Hopefully Sunday we'll be able to go to our old church and visit everyone.  I want to surprise them with the 'new me'.
Take care everyone and have a Blessed Christmas.
Jan

Good morning, ya'll.

Well, I am home for 4 days from the Hope Lodge in Greenville.  So far I have NO side effects from my radiation.  But I have had only 8 treatments.  I am waiting for the 'loss of appetite' to get here.  Everyone (including 3 docs), told me I would experience that and I should put on some weight, so when it hit, I had some weight to spare.  Well, I've been eating, and eating, and eating.  ALL of my band rules have gone right out the window.  This band is a tool I HAVE TO HAVE!!!  I was unfilled in Oct when they had to put in an NG tube.  I really didn't feel like eating much until about a month ago, and man I took to it like a duck to water!! I can still wear my size 12's but it won't be long before I have to dig out the 14's.

We were gonna have our Christmas dinner at our son's house this year.  Ham and all the trimmin's.  But my DIL is not feelin' well.  Sinus pressure, etc.  So we may be doing it here and she will have to stay well away from me.  My immune system is compromised, due to the chemo.  We will make the final decision this afternoon.  Meanwhile I will make as much as I can today.

My DH is going to G-ville with me next week.  I still feel like I don't need anyone, and the doc says I don't, but he wants to come and keep me company.  Which is really OK with me, company is always good.  I guess I just have a hard time with anyone thinking I 'need help'. I am WAY too controlling, OCD, independent, anal, all those adjectives!

Better go.  I have potatoes to peel.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.  If you will be with family, cherish the time.  If you are going to be on your own, enjoy your solitude. 

Have a fantabulous day!

Good morning everyone. Eileen, I feel for you. Last May my position was eliminated, and I felt like I was singled out and had done something wrong. I didn't know what I was going to do, but my immediate supervisor found a position for me in another area. It was a pay cut, but was also a job. Unformtunately, that didn't work out very well though it wasn't for lack of trying. Rather than letting me go, with her bosses permission, she created a position for me that is my dream job. So just when it looked very bleak - I am now happier than I've been in a long time. My husband, who is in the construction industry isn't so lucky - he is on indefinate lay-off. If a couple of job bids come through he will go back in January - but it's too soon to know if that will happen. Nobody else is hiring. It's a strange Christmas with worries we haven't had before, but everone in my family is healthy this year and the kids are home, so it will be a good Christmas.

No work today, so I just have to put the finishing touches on dinner and tomorrow's buffet and I'm good to go.

Merry Christmas everyone. I'm glad I found this group. You are all so supportive. The main board has another surgery war going on, and it is really draining to see how negative that can get. This group is so positive - even with all the problems in our lives everyone finds something to be thankful for. I'm thankful for all of you.  Jane

WE are having 3 different Christmass. lol today is Joes nieces and their babies....then tomorrow is some other family members and the day after Christmas is the biggest one ...so i have to fix food that i can combine and make more and add to lol
so just wanted to say Hello and MERRY CHRISTMAS  to all ...hope your holidays are all you want them to be.   

Morning all, and happy Christmas Eve!

Please pray for my kids who are on the slippery roads headed to the Upper Penninsula of Michigan.....they left around 6 a.m. this morning.

It's going to be a strange day for me......I will mix up two batches of cinnamon rolls for my two neighbors.....they are refrigerator rolls and I will bake them and put on the glaze in the morning so they will have hot rolls for breakfast.   Also have to make a carrot jello salad to take to my sister's tomorrow.....I am planning to go to church this afternoon, as they are calling for freezing rain this evening.....my church is having a 2 p.m. service and it won't feel like the candlelight service but at least I'll be there to worship.   Otherwise have a load of towels to do, and just hang around the house.

My brother called me last evening and we talked for almost an hour.  He lives in Elkhart, Ind. and he said if it gets slippery tomorrow he will come and pick me up to take me to our sister's house.....what a great brother.

I may get a visit from my former DIL and two of the step grandkids on Saturday.....she send me a msg on facebook and asked if they could come visit......I haven't seem them in over two years.

Well, better get my oatmeal and then get started on the rolls.  Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas.

pat r.

Greetings All. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2010.

I'm up early watching some TV shows that I DVR'd.

These last couple of weeks have been very trying with my mom. The assisted living facility called me on Tuesday to tell me she had barricaded her door AGAIN (which is a fire hazard) and also that she had cut her telephone cords (both the cord that comes out of the wall and the curly cord that goes to the receiver). I am concerned for her. Her dementia seems to be getting much worse.

We are having a quiet Christmas. We'll be having dinner with our moms (hope my mom can make it). We celebrated Christmas with our son and his family in mid-December.

I hope that whatever you are doing to celebrate the holiday -- that you will have peace and share memory making times with those whom you love the most.

Cindy P.

Good morning, Eileen and my other OFF siblings. I hope your Christmas Eve is wonderful and your Christmas Day even more so.
 
I am so glad that I am here early. I got up over an hour ago...couldn't sleep and just sitting and watching the Today show. A nice way to start the holiday if you ask me. Bill is up now...highly unusual but he couldn't sleep either. Misty is being a little devil...she probably knows that Santa will come to her even if she is.

We had a terrible ice storm last night and more this morning. I guess there was about 2" of ice on the windshield of DS's car last night. He was going to come over here last night but he went home since it was closer. The ice started fairly early last night and the warning ends about noon today. I hate ice most of all. I won't drive in it. But then again since I have gotten older there is a lot more times that I won't drive. I use to just get in the car and go to wherever I wanted to go...not a thought to where but since I have gotten older I just have no desire to drive to different places anymore. I guess I have become more cautious. Or maybe it is more chicken....

I got everything done yesterday. Bill just kept at me to do the gifts and get them under the tree and I kept telling him that it wouldn't take so long since I wasn't wrapping them and just putting them in tissue paper and then into bags. I love doing that. I use to love wrapping and making them all really pretty but now I hate wrapping them at all. So to me the bags are wonderful inventions! ha ha  I wish that I had done the inventing...

I have to do the cooking for tomorrow. We are going to spend the day at me niece's house with her daughter and my sister. I am going to bring the corn casserole, green bean casserole and a cake. My niece and her daughter love the way I make the green bean casserole and my great niece loves my corn casserole. She just begs me to make both of them. So that is what I am in charge of. My sister does the ham and my niece makes the mashed potatoes and gets the Hawaiian bread and spinach dip. Bill complains that I bring the most but it doesn't bother me. My niece's friend is joining us for dinner too. He is a nice guy. So I have to say his time is limited. Autumn seems to have problems with nice men. She seems to pick the jerks for some reason. She is just a beautiful girl and her self esteem is just in the bottom part of the barrel for some reason. I keep working on helping her with that and she seems to know what the trouble is but she is stuck in the rut...and we all know what that feels like.

I better get going..I have been babbling on and on for what seems like forever. I am wishing you all a wonderful Christmas Eve and know that I am sending love and hugs to all. I am keeping you all in my prayers and know that spreading the Christmas love is what is going to keep the love here. Have a great day....

Good Morning Eileen and all,

I am able to post today because I am starting my 11 DAYS OFF in a row today and rather than just lurking I have some time to actually say hi!
I read every day but get up at 4-4:30 and have just enough time to read so don't post much.
I still have gifts to wrap and I am making a "traditional" Christmas dinner tonight for my husband, daughter and her boyfriend, and my son. Collin flew in from Seattle last night and Beth and her boyfriend will be here. Tomorrow is dinner at my sis's with lots of other family and she is having Lasagna. My son was very disappointed not to be having my mashed potatoes and turkey so I will make it tonight for us.
This is the first year I have felt like celebrating in many years. I decorated the house all up, my husband loves that, and made 6 different kinds of cookies and some fudge.
Tom still does not have a "job" but is only about 18 months away from his Doctorate and has some graduate assistant jobs at Gonzaga that have opened some doors and have given him experience and opportunities that if he had still been working his old job he would not have been able to experience. So, I think that things have worked out so far for the best.
He has grown a beard and let his hair go a little longer and looks very much the "professor." Not intentionally, but not "having" to shave for work and me telling him how handsome he looks with his beard, he has suffered through the itchy stage and may keep it for a while. I love it! My clean cut Navel Academy guy really looks "hot" with his new look.
I have been able to get most of the weight gain off and have been maintaining nicely so HAPPY that for once in my life I have been able to gain a few lbs and instead of steadily climbing up, up, and up, have lost them and stayed at a pretty stable weight for over a year and a half. Amazing I say, simply amazing.
I am so sorry to hear of all the sadness and sorrow many of you are dealing with and glad to see the hurdles and accomplishments many of you have experienced.
During my vacation, I will try to pop in and visit with you all. I am so glad I have had the pleasure of hanging out with you all these past 2 + years and hope to hang out some more.
Well, I have blabbed on long enough.
Merry Christmas to all!
Cheryl