G’nite
Canes beat the Leafs!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Flytrap, our Mrs Patak can help you make very yummy bhajis.
Nothing much excitipating going on here, the office is very quiet because all the students and pretty nearly all the academics have packed up and gone home for the holiday. Thus we are faffing about trying to look busy which is turning out to be very hard work. We have collectively decided that the office shall decamp to the bar in Staff House later this afternoon for pre-hexmas drinkies, as that is the civilised way to end a Friday.
I did grocery shopping last night and then had to rearrange all the stuff in my little freezer to accommodate a 5kg turkey bird. That’s a lot of bird between two adults and two cats. Well, one of those cats can make a serious dent in a turkey by himself, we have yet to find the point where he declares himself full up. That means next week I just need a quick run to the supermarket for bread, milk, fresh veggies and wine. Cocktail makings will be acquired tomorrow on my usual errand run in town, and everything else is already in the house.
Busy weekend coming up, a friend is coming down on Sattiday so we are going out for curry, and on Sunday I’m taking 'im indoors with me to visit my doting parent. She has struck fear into our hearts by mentioning the fact that she wants a tablet…I hope she means for a headache or something, and not a gadgety thing.
Up caffeinated, off to work.
I remember it was a sitcom starring McLean Stevenson after he left MAS*H. I also seem to recall it was the butt of many, many jokes. I do not recall ever watching it. Does any of that count? 
**FCD **has settled on his new schedule - up at 5:15, out of the house 30 minutes later, and off to work. That gets him home before 4, so he gets to see a little daylight. And I heard on the radio this morning that Sunday is the winter solstice, so we’ll start getting a wee bit more daily light afterwards - YAY!!
We’ve figured out our other $10 gift. As I was going thru some of my daughter’s bags of crap in the attic (she wanted her Christmas stuff) I came across a bag full of Beanie Babies that she didn’t want. Among them was Rudey - a red-nosed reindeer that farted when squeezed! 
Juvenile, but hilarious and inspirational. I’m going to buy $10 worth of canned baked beans and pack them with Rudey! I expect, come Christmas morning, he’ll get squeezed a lot, what with my family being all classy and shit.
I’m also going to search out some wines for my mom. I try to get bottles of stuff I know she won’t buy for herself, which is pretty easy because she buys boxes o’ wine most of the time. She likes dry reds - I should be able to round up a nice variety for her.
Plus I think I’ll polish the granite counters today. And that pretty much sums up my plans.
Happy Firday!!
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffienatin’. YAWN 'Tis 45 Amurrkin out with a predicted high of 65 for the day. The next four days are predicted to be rain/tstorms/apocalypse. We shall see.
Today is “graze day” at irk. All kinds of munchies to snack upon. YUM!
Red cheese thangs are called cheese crisps. Kinda like cheese straws but not cheese straws. The recipe is somewhere in the Mumper Recipe Blog.
Ok, that’s all I got. I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, alas and alack, irk purtification must commence. Oh well, at least 'tis Firday!
Happy Firday Y’all!
I got an email from OPM informing me that retirees are getting a 1.7% COLA starting Jan 1. Combine that with my BC/BS premiums going up about $20/mo and our dental insurance premiums starting at the same time, I start the new year with an effective pay cut. Durn good thing my sweetie went back to work!
Actually, I can’t complain much about the dental insurance. **FCD **needs 2 crowns and those alone will be covered by the dental premiums, so our regular cleanings become essentially free. Sorta. I do wish we’d had dental insurance last year - we paid out a LOT for a couple of root canals and the associated stuff, and the first RC was a major ripoff. It’s what led us to a new dentist.
In the grand scheme of things, tho, I have no complaints, other than I wish I’d contributed more to my TSP while I was working. Altho a few times, it was a choice between TSP and groceries… My unsolicited advice to those of you who are younger - PLAN FOR RETIREMENT NOW!!! IT SNEAKS UP ON YOU!!! And it costs more than you figure unless you plan to spend your golden years doing nothing.
Thus endeth my public service announcement.
I’ve never planned for retirement. I don’t think that far ahead. I don’t even know what I’ll be doing next year. I wish I just had a steady job I could live off of.
It is indeed difficult to plan without steady employment.
Forgot to put on earrings this morning and now I feel vaguely naked.
WOOHOO! TPTB have informed us we will have next Wednesday, Thursday, and Firday off! The original dates were next Thursday and Firday. Yay for extra day!
shoe I had to go back out to twuck this mornin’ to retrieve my irk ID. I had bopped around all over the orifice for half an hour before it occurred to me I was not wearin’ said ID. When I realized it, I felt nekkid.
MOOOOOOM good advice. The way I figure it right now, my own eventual retirement will not allow me a life of luxury, but I will be able to afford the luxuries of livin’ indoors and eatin’.
Happy Firday!
It’s cold outside, but it looks like the sun is trying to come out.
After irk this am I will be packing up for my mothers to spend the night. The family xmas party is tomorrow at 11am. Kind of early for a party I think.
While I’m at my mothers I’ll wrap all the gifts and get that chore done. We’ll stop at the dump on the way, the last trip to get rid of the last of the boxes.
I need to buy a bottle of wine for my niece.
Going to be a busy day.
WOOT!!!
Not that I actually care that much - I’m just happy for you. And any hockey news that doesn’t include the word “mumps”.
On a gloomy day like today, I’ll take it.
It was no Best of the West with main characters bathing with raccoons but it was a pretty good show.
We’re going to get Christmas and the Eve off work which we weren’t supposed to when I signed on. So I am a very happy person this morning. Give it time - it may fade.
Back in the olden days when I was still working, I couldn’t get into work without my ID, literally. We had to swipe our cards to open the door. Come to think of it, I couldn’t even get on the base without my ID, and outside of work, my ID lived in my car, so I was good.
Back from erranding. I got some stuff from Food Lion and 3 bottles of wine for my mom. **FCD **just called and asked me to find an old halyard from our last boat - dunno if we still have it, but when I’m done with lunch, I’ll go into the garage and look. We gave away most of our boat stuff, so I’m not sure what’s left.
So, back to my sammich.
Da bear is bein’ all hardassed and mean re timesheets again. Most folks will not be trainin’ next Thursday and Firday, so I sent out the word to get the dang things in on Wednesday next week at the latest in order to get paid on time. Payroll will run early that next week as there’s also a holiday in that week. Thus, if the timesheet is not in, no pay will happen. This has caused much consternation on the part of several people. :rolleyes: Thus I have been givin’ the standard you are an adult, it’s your responsibility, if you don’t then you won’t get paid and no I cannot do anything about that speech.
Sigh
Now it’s time to go grazin’. Da bear is hongry!
swampy, you need to record the speech and just hit “play” when whineage begins!
MOOOOOOM the problem is I have sooooooooo many standard speeches I’d have to create a playlist. Hmmmmm… to whine about payroll, press 1; to whine about you forgot your password or user name, press 2; to whine about bein’ on leave without pay because you didn’t follow through on things you were told you needed to do, press 3 then choose the sub-option; etc. That could work!
Grazin’ has been accomplished. 'Twas good. Pee-kahn pie was ingested. Double plus good!
shoe, I know exactly what you mean about the earrings. Unlike swampy, though, the only way for me to even enter my irkplace sans badge is to go to Miss Annie, the front desk security person, and get a visitor’s badge. And they hold your driver’s license or keys hostage until it is returned. :eek:
I’ve been listening to Christmas music all morning, so I’m beginning to get a little holiday spirit. After irk, I may get into the holiday spirits, as I received a nice bottle of bourbon as a Xmas gift last evening. 
Got any paper clips?
Fishing hook swivels?