Sounds like an excellent combo to me!
I got rid of all but required meetings today - one employee is going to be out all next week, so I need to know what’ll catch fire (it’s our busiest time of the year), and another has some mental health hurdles that require them to maintain a pretty rigid schedule to stay productive, so I don’t jack with their time unless they specifically ask or it’s totally unavoidable. And I’m pretty sure that, “Tired of people” doesn’t count.
Anyway, it’s an hour well spent. Coffee is being had and I made it damn well this morning if I do say so myself. In addition to the happy news, Mom’s radiation appointment went well yesterday. She was told told to eat everything and anything she wanted so she could avoid weight loss and a feeding tube installation throughout the course of radiation. I’m more than happy to assist with that.
Now just trying to figure out what random things I can find to put in the crockpot today. I’m a little burned out on veggie curries, but they’re so freaking easy to make and I love that I don’t have to touch them for hours after I dump things in. Channa masala it is.
Up, fed, and caffeinated. We should hit the feed store for another 50lb bag of lagomorph chow; trying to think of anything else that can’t wait until Saturday or later. After we get back I will take advantage of having gotten dressed and go for a walk. 
{{{ Butters, Dice and others}}}
It’s that time of year again: The new GKP has been published. I’ve read through it once, and know – or think I know – the answers to nine of the 180 questions (last year I could answer twelve of them), and may get the answers to two or three more after thinking a bit longer,
And since it is in fact That Time of Year:
Believe it or not, I have organized and tidied the garage without bleeding or any injury of any flavor! FCD wandered in just in time to help me with the more challenging shelves, then he helped me load stuff. Minimal crap on the floor now, and all my hoarded (nope - it was just on sale) TP and paper towels are off the pellet pile. Diet Cokes are off the floor and on a shelf, as is the sack o’dog food - out of mousies reach, so yay!
I swept, then FCD used the blower - it’s not pristine, but it’s lots better than it was. And I’ve got a pile of stuff for trash and another pile for donation. I’ve cleared a place for daughter’s crap. My smoker has a new home. Our snow shovels are hung by the garage door, ready for action. GO US!!! 
Got about 45 minutes to kill before I have to leave for my appointment. I will need to change - not gonna go in sweats and a ratty, stretched-out t-shirt. But it’s been a productive morning.
Herald - I LOVE IT! I stole the link for my FB.
It is WINDY out there, y’all. I think I just saw Pooh Bear blowing by on a kite. The Oracle of Teh Googlez informs me that we’re getting 25-30 mph gusts.
Another rat group has had babies. I can tell by the hysterical squeaking, which usually happens whenever the Milk Bar opens, closes, shifts position, or swaps out with the next nursing female. “Week! Weeeek! Week!” and then everyone is quiet again.
That was utterly enjoyable! Thank you for sharing it with us - first Christmas carol I’ve genuinely enjoyed, this year.
Happy(?) Festivus!
I GOT A LOTTA PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE, AND YOU’RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT IT!
Mainly the fool who sorted oversized boxes to the table that I had to wheel around to the North side loading dock.Actually all my work grievances center around the Ray, the 300 loading supervisor.
Well, swampy is the MMP Head of Household. You up for wrestling a burly man in a gold lamé thong?
Anything. 
Just their heads. 
Safe travels, Metal mouse!
Shoe, I love PMJ.
Have read, but not retained, my brain has decided that it’s holidays, and it just… shan’t.
It’s not been helped by getting woken up mid-dream by the postie ringing the excessively loud doorbell two mornings in a row. At least some of it was for me this time, not just the flat downstairs. I think the postie has worked out that the numbers on the parking spaces match the flats, so if there’s a car there, there’s probably someone in.
It’s gloomy and wet again; we’re starting to get flooding issues locally, and it looks like it’ll be carrying on for a while too. Not a problem at the house- if it floods here, start building an ark- but still, not ideal.
Operation Move outta Cornwall is progressing, complicated by things shutting down for Christmas. I’m dedicating the next two days to doing nothing at all productive though, because I think I need to; I have booze, I have lots of cheese, and I don’t need to go anywhere.
Me, too. Also fell down a YouTube rabbit hole, thanks to that link, and am having to restrain myself from linking ALL THE FUNNY here.
Oh! I got a freebie today! 
I “had” to stop by work for something I “needed” to buy (okay, I wanted a fresh vape cartridge) and lo & behold, they were giving away a product - and since I was a regular ol’ customer in the moment and not an employee, I got one, too!
It’s a gummy that’s about to expire & had been marked down, like, 90% off the last couple of days, so it’s not like they were giving away anything valuable.
Still. F - R - E - E stuff is the best stuff. Just like how free food is always the tastiest food.
Okay, that does it. I’ll have to re-watch this one.
Along with quoting every line of dialogue back at the movie, as Billy Bob Thornton shuffles drunkenly through “Bad Santa,” I think I may have a second holiday tradition now.
Okay, one YouTube link. It’s an extended “quarantine” joke, and I found it highly relatable:
Back! I have excellent blood numbers. For the next 90 days, no cholesterol meds - then another blood test. Also, I’m supposed to cut one of my BP meds in half and monitor my BP to see if we can reduce that dosage.
Meanwhile, FCD wants more help in his shop, so time to change back into grubbies and get to work again. Dammit.
I needed to run an Aaron today. My ‘needs maintenance’ annunciator was illuminated, and the oil change place was right next door. May as well get it done while I’m out. They discovered my left brake light was out and attempted to replace the bulb. Apparently they changed the wrong bulb, because the brake light still didn’t work. The guy spent quite a lot of time trying to find where to change the brake light bulb. He went so far as to remove the light cluster. There’s just no socket. I have a feeling the brake light is an integral LED unit, but what do I know? I have an appointment at the dealership for 0850 tomorrow morning.
Hey, today was my annual physical, too! I was dreading it because of the cholesterol numbers, but he said they actually weren’t that bad, and when he plugged all my factors into some magical calculator, I have only a 5% chance of a heart attack in the next 10 years. Except for my low Vitamin D, which I’m fixing, everything else looked great!
Oh, because I promised Boo, I asked him about my very low (91.9) temps, and he said the forehead thermometers only measure skin temperature, and since I have circulation issues (Thanks, lupus, and Merry Christmas to YOU!), they’ll read low.
Congrats on your great numbers, Moooom. You should celebrate. Maybe go to a delicatessen!
Honey, everything goes with garlic. Think of it as Tinder vampire insurance.
Dice, hurray for good news on Dad!
{{{{{Butters}}}}}
I opened a drawer this morning and there was a nice selection of socks to choose from. It’s a Festivus miracle!
This NE Ohio mayor has caught the Festivus holiday spirit: Michael Dylan Brennan
After being ignored in so-called “live chat” and spending 20 minutes listening to gawd-awful hold music, I gave up and emailed Atlantic Broadband. They suggested I use FB Messenger and I finally got a response. My DTA box died, and they’re sending another. Then I have to pack up the dead one and they’ll provide a UPS label to send it back. All because they closed our local office. They pretty much suck, but with luck, next week we’ll have TV in the bedroom again.
I hate that there’s a cable monopoly here. I don’t want satellite TV. I’m going to do more research on cut-the-cord.
Roxy is spending the night here so her parents can build her presents that have “some assembly required.” She’ll be here in an hour of so. Glad I made her bed yesterday. But that means I probably won’t get much done tomorrow morning. Oh well…
Off to forage for supper since FCD doesn’t want to eat.
Oops.
Community Coffee is having a 33% off sale through Christmas. Now would be the time to get another 16 pounds… Only I still have the 16 pounds from the LAST sale!
Howdy Y’all! We made ambrosia and a pound cake today. Go Us! Yes we made them for Christmas. Yes, we have gotten into both. So what! Both are for us and only us and we’ll eat 'em when we want to eat 'em. Plus we swiped The General’s chikin for N.O.L. Then we napped. Fun day! I also decided how to cook the Cornish game hens. Gonna roast them birdies with carrots, parsnips, and N.O.T. for our Christmas feast. YUM! Tomorrow we shall make a cheese ring and attend Christmas Eve service. I get to do both services because I volunteered to be the non-cannibal kind of Lector at two o’clock and usher at four o’clock. Then we shall feast on cheese ring, crackers, and cocktails. Merry and festive are we!
PWAISDN sent me a text earlier asking if I could make crab sauce. 
What the heck is crab sauce, I responded. Silly autocorrect…he wanted cranberry sauce. At least it wasn’t crap sauce. <eww!>
Cranberries have been sauced, and a batch of fudge is setting up in the fridge. At least I hope the fudge is working - the first round seized up and was nasty. It’s been remelted and so far, looking better.
So the verdict is in for Sunflower’s car. The motor that responds to the electric commands while steering is dead. Sadly for the dealer, this motor is not replaceable by itself. They have to replace the whole steering rack. It is all warranty work so we are not concerned.
^ It’s a Festivus miracle!
Here’s another Festivus miracle. 
I think I mentioned that my friend who lives at the retirement home is going to bring me and another Jewish friend each a dinner on Christmas Day. It will be turkey. The irony of her delivering Christmas dinners to Jewish widows struck me later… I haven’t been Jewish my whole life, so Christmas still pings my heart.
Then today I was walking Sweetie up the block and stopped to chat with a neighbor (appropriately distanced from each other-- at least 15 feet), and she asked if she could bring me a plate on Christmas Day. To compound the irony, it will be ham. 
I said that would be lovely.
Then a little while ago my next door neighbor texted me and asked if she could bring me dinner on Christmas Day-- this one will be prime rib. I said, “Oh yes, sounds wonderful.” 
For someone who has been feeling forgotten, I was very touched by these thoughtful offers. Tomorrow, Jewish Senior Services is bringing me the monthly challah (probably with something extra like kugel or banana bread and a couple of tea lights to use for Shabbat). My cup and my dinner table runneth over.
Question: I haven’t told any of the three about the other dinners that are coming…is that bad? What do y’all think? These meals will take care of all my dining for the whole weekend. I only hope they don’t all arrive at the same time.