Rule #11: Fruity candy canes are way better than mint ones

I had a new idea for the new year. Pictures of stuff we do every week. This will have a two-fold purpose. I will take more pictures and I will blog more often. Sometimes I may throw in old pictures just to mix things up.

So here's the wrap up from last week.

Saturday Dec 1st.

Adam went sailing and played video games with the guys. Laura read and went shopping and then watched this movie with some girlfriends:

Said movie I found throughly entertaining, but probably not in the way the movie makers intended. I will say though, that Jane Seymour's hair in this movie is A-may-zing. Seriously. There were times I worried her neck suffer might severe irreparable damage. I've never seen so much hair in one place.

The problem with this day of entertainment was simply that it didn't end soon enough. Why?

For one simple reason.

8AM CHURCH

We went to sleep far too late (though we did read the Sunday school lesson first) and yawned our way through the three hours.

And then we napped. Oh boy did we ever. I haven't had a proper Sunday nap for eons it seems like - pitfalls of the singles ward, church is always late it seems.

Anyway, I put a new Sunday evening activity into play this last week:

Yes that is me in the longest tube socks I have ever seen. (Those may not actually belong to me - debate rages) And my new chucks from Christmas. Yes I cut my head off from the picture. There's no need for anyone to see my hair post serious Sunday nap. The new activity would be Sunday afternoon walks which is why I am bundled up in all sorts of fabulousness. For now they are short and sweet on account of it being mighty chilly in these parts. Also we saw a cat that evening and I think Adam was afraid that if we stayed out too long I might go back and get it. I was sorely tempted.

Then it was Monday and all of a sudden the new year of work was upon us. Or some of us anyway. I did not have to work. Of which I was glad. I had ruined my sleep schedule over the break and some recovery time was in order. I ended up going to lunch with this handsome rascal however:

(That's Adam on his birthday with a sign we saw that pretty much sums up his approach to life the universe and everything)

And we ate barbecue.
Barbecue I've been craving for months mind you.

Adam tested out a termometer I had bought at Target that afternoon. (I really just put this up as picture evidence of the beard - makes a great contrast)

Tuesday arrived a lot faster than I had planned on (as such things do) and it was back to work. I put in my leave request, prompted by the purchase of certain plane tickets. Said purchase also prompted the check out of these, which I glanced at on Wednesday but did not start to seriously read on account of a gripping book club selection for the month (I have since finished said selection, no longer gripped.)

Wednesday I took a picture of my desk because apparently what I want to remember about this day is that I worked my tail off? I have no idea why I took said picture to be honest. I was probably proud of how tidy my desk was, though I know that to the untrained (realistically any) eye it probably looks like a disaster.

A little narration needed here I feel. The fairy is from my Mum who placed it atop the computer screen while she was here over the break. Prior to that she had rested regally in the wire mesh cup device that I still haven't found a real use for. The window in the background is supremely useful for days when you want to pretend none of it is happening. My office mate and I will often spend time staring out the window. The cup is for my hot drink in the mornings. And those pink post-it notes are almost literally covering the entire other half of my desk you can't see.

Thursday I went to the District of Columbia Superior Court. Many of our clients have to go and report to a Judge every year and Thursday was one of those days. The courthouse has a whole new entrance since the last time I was in it to be a bailiff for mock court. Quite pretty I think - makes for lots of light in the entrance area. I have to thank the security for the picture as I had clean forgotten that I was working on taking pictures until they pulled it out of my bag and held it hostage while I was at the hearing!

As for Friday? I can't for the life of me remember what we did. Not a clue. I will research and if anything is produced by said research include it in the next week's picture post.

Instead I will leave with a picture of the saddest thing that happened this week:

Adam took down the Christmas decorations which included these two Santa Claus'. The stocking was from my Mum and the other guy was from the day after Thanksgiving decoration blow out (we spent the majority of the day shopping for decorations) courtesy of our a wedding gift card for Pier 1. I would probably still have everything out if it were up to me to be honest. I hate to take everything down. Love to put it all up heartily dislike taking it down.

Rule #10:

There's this popping in my ear today.
Sort of reminiscent of the popping you do to your ears when you change elevation or pressure except it's happening every couple of seconds.
And it's making me crazy. Did I metnion that?
I am seriously craving hot chocolate. From Starbucks. With salted caramel and cream.
It's not even 1 yet and I am dreming about leaving work, but nothing hilarious has happened yet, so obviously I will have to stay.

Rule #9: Dancing like a maniac is totally worth the sore knees

I love my job. A lot. I get to do something for other people all day.
I do not enjoy reviews though. I have to do employee reviews in the next two months. As in I have to review them. Every bone in my body is pretty much terrified of that. I hate being a supervisor quite a bit. And then we have one of our funding agencies coming to review us. I'm not a huge fan of being at work on the weekends, and late at night to make sure everything is perfect. Especially when I'm pretty sure I'll forget something and that will be what they look at..... sigh.
Where's that line though? Between wanting to do a really good job and making yourself crazy? I'm getting to the point where I am ready to call it quits for my own sanity!
Anyway, on to the story for the day.

On Wednesday I got to work at 8 and I couldn't see the computer screen properly. It felt like I was wearing the wrong prescription - that fuzzy out of focus feeling. By 8:15 I had flashing lights all around the outer ring of the vision in my right eye. A sure fire sign the dreaded migraine is on its way. 8 in the morning is a a record for early onset though. Just for the record.

So. My boss came in and saw me holding my head and asked what was wrong. I told her I had a migraine starting. She proceeded to do some research with a fellow migraine sufferer in the building. She came back with this advice: salt, sugar, caffeine, peppermint, Excedrin and sleep. Considering I had already downed 2000mg (yes 2000 I wasn't messing around) of acetaminophen I figured I should probably skip the Excedrin (plus it was out of reach considering I had left it at home - despite looking at it on the couch that morning and wondering if I should bring it..... personal fail) but my coworker passed me some crackers and my boss rustled up some cheesy cracker things (who knew they made those in pepper jack? I had no idea but I think that is most excellent) and I ate some of the chocolate that was sitting on my desk (Bliss chocolate naturally).
By 9:30 I was nauseated and in huge amounts of pain. This of course produced the usual teasing a nauseated newlywed is subject to. And a hilarious conversation wherein my roughly 40-year old coworker who is 5 months pregnant said "This is a gift of God (referring to her cute belly) and it took me a lot of bible study to learn that. I told them (at bible study) God already done gave me gifts - I got three of them." So then I was laughing and nauseated.
At least by this point the flashing had stopped - that part always makes me feel dizzy too. Truly horrendous. One of my coworkers said, and I quote "You need to not be around us." I assured her I wasn't contagious and she kindly told me she meant I needed to go somewhere quiet. That's quite the challenge when you think about where I work.
Within a coupe of minutes I had thought of somewhere to go. We have a multipurpose room on the 3rd floor that has large walk in closets. When I got migraines on the mission I used to lock myself in the closet - dark and quiet. I decided this would be the perfect hideout for a little nap so I didn't have to toss the towel in and go home.
So, I headed up to the gym, unlocked the closet and used the yoga mats, blankets and blocks to good use. Two hours later at noon I stumbled out of the closet with the edge of my migraine definitely gone, but still pretty fuzzy and sort of useless.
By 3 o'clock I still wasn't back on form. And here's where it gets good. (I've just realised this is a really long post for a relatively short punch line) We're in staff meeting and my two co-workers are talking about what they are about to present to their employees in smaller 'breakout groups' and I start to question them on what they are presenting and when they decided this? They proceed to tell me that we had just discussed this.
"What? Where was I?" To which they assure me I was there and had discussed it.
Then I said the best line of the day: "I feel like I just came out of the closet."
Just like that.