We’re Baaaack!!!

I have the thousand miles driven in the last 24 hours kind of hangover. But I still have to go workout this am. Cant give up on my health. Yet. Emily might go to yoga. She has to check the schedule. This is a holiday week so I am always busier. There are clients out there right now wanting to get something done before T Day. I have a few calls and messages. Even I have a few things to get done today too. What fun.

This a vacation week for Emily. Which means I have to listen to the TV all morning, at least while I am here. Emily loves the noise of the TV. I like complete silence. Hard to mix those two. But, on our drive, Emily did not turn on the radio the entire trip. Which was nice of her. I drive in total silence as well. I like it. Emily does not. I tried hard to hold up my side of the conversation, which she may say that I did not handle it that well. But I know, for me, I was an amazing conversationalist. An example, I drive from Glacier Natl Park in Montana to Idaho Falls, with my son, 950 miles, in one day. We passed maybe three worda between us. Just quiet. Served us well. So, yesterday, I would say I never shut up. Its a perspective thing.

This evening, I think, we are going Thanksgiving shopping. We are still not sure how many are coming. At least three of us and up to six. Does not matter how many. We will have a nice holiday meal and no one will complain the TV is off. I know I wont.

My traditional job at the holidays is making pies and mashed potatoes. Not together, mind you. Two different dishes. Will have some ingredients to pick up and I will need to start the crust tonight. Prep and chill the crust, for a Wednesday roll out. I can have the pies done the day before. A laudable goal.

I went to workout. Only takes about an hour. For now, just starting out, I am doing a twenty minute aerobic warm up followed by a couple sets of several weight lifting exercises. Enough to make me sore. I did sweat at least, that must be worth something. I have have not noted it has helped my weight loss program. I have gained 3 lbs in the last two weeks. Will have to discuss it with health coach Kelly and see what she thinks. She seems to know everything, ar least on the topic of weight loss.

After all the gym fun comes work fun. I went to the office for several hours of mental gymnastics. The usual par-tay!! If accounting and party can be used in the same sentence. They should not be. I can’t say the day was different from any other. Usual crap. Except, the mail. Its the holidays, I received about 20 catalogs in the mail. I love catalogs. Obviously old school, and im sure many of the next generation dont get it. But I do like looking through them. Like the Sears Big Book of childhood. Of course, when you get so many there are bound to be duplicates and ones you are not interested in or dont like. I culled the group down to ten. Those others go to recycle. Then I browse, page by page by catalog. On the second tonlast page of the last damn catalog I hit absolute pay dirt. I uave been looking for these for YEARS. I already have one I got at REI thirty years ago. Loved it so much I bought a second one. They disappeared from the market. I have been searching the internet, alot last xmas, some this year to no avail. Now some catalog finds me and there they are. Even have an improved model, which really IS an improvement. I am buying three. I kid you not. I have to make note of the manufacturer for future use. Though they never really wear out. Odd item found. I ahould go home now.

A while later I received a marketing call from my local Paychex (natl payroll service) rep. Wants to drop off a pie. Sounds like he does not care what I get. If he took the time to listen he would realize I go totally OCD on pie. He says he is gonna drop off god knows what. So, with this reminder, I called Blake, my local ADP (natl payroll service) rep. He says funny I called he was on his way over with my pie. Hmmm. He showed up, awhile later with a rhubarb pie, my favorite, and his assistant says it was really hard to find. Guess who gets all my payroll referrals? Not a difficult choice. The rhubarb pie man. As a CPA, I am accosted on a daily basis by salesmen who want to market my clients for whatever. Because my clients place a great deal of trust in me, I can really pre sell whatever they have. So I get gifts and food and etc. Sometimes booze. Its a nice position. At the holidays I get pie. Blake took the time to figure out what I like so he gets the sale. I would assume if he treats me well he will treat my clients well.

Still going through my desk crap and other paper work as I have been since last deadline. Someone even noticed how clean my desk was today. But, usual crap to work on for the balance of the day. I had to do fridays payroll today since I will not be in the rest of the week. Got the holiday things to do.

I left work and went home. Very GD slow drive home. My f god was the traffic screwed. No accidents either. I mean, wtf? Took an hour. Fed dogs when I got home. Then important stuff, made list of pie ingredients I was missing. Can’t be without. Ran out the door and met Emily at Thai Rose Garden, her fave reataurant. We had a nice dinner and then headed to Winco, my fave grocery store. We did the turkey day shopping. A bit crowded and some surly people. Some friendly. The cashier was in a foul mood – Its too crowded, everyones unhappy, my feet hurt, this checkstand is too low so my back hurts, its my break time but I gotta keep working, and on and on. I am not kidding. I probably missed a few. Her last comment, I dont want anyone to think I am a complainer. Right. Why would I think that? Do I look like your psychologist?

Off to home. Put away groceries. Watch a little TV. Have a cocktail. Need to be calm. It is quite late, 10 pm. We went to bed after all that was done.