Christmas Productivity

This last weekend was a blast.

It started Friday night with Girls’ Nite at the Hygenist’s. Mix some iron butterflies with the 2001 Kids in the Hall “Tour of Duty” DVD and I was laughing so hard my face hurt. If you can’t laugh at a crucifixion machine, you’re dead on the inside.

Saturday BF and I went and cut our own Christmas tree. OK, let me be accurate: I picked it out and he did all the manly work of cutting and carrying. It’s my artistic eye, I tell you. After wrangling it into my car and firmly planting it in its stand at my house it was off to the grocery store for cheesy potato fixings.

Combining Rozzer’s and J’s recipes for cheesy potatoes, I think I’ve found a winner, and have now passed the secret on to BF who promises to use his new powers of food seduction for good. While the potatoes were baking we got all cuted up to go to my lab Christmas party.

My boss lives in a very nice historical registry house on a steep hill. It was a quiet, low-key shindig, but I was happy to have BF meet the rest of my coworkers and put faces to the names I’m dropping all of the time. Everyone liked each other, so I think I can keep him. The gift exchange sent me home with a new Starbucks travel mug and a Christmas CD. I was robbed of my bag of assorted Ghirardelli chocolates. Bastards. And the coworker who did take said bag home with her has not brought it in to share with the rest of us. Can’t say I blame her, though.

Sunday was power Christmas shopping day. With BF’s unparalleled shopping team skills, we managed to get all of the Christmas gifts that I needed to go into an actual store to get. The rest I need to order online. We even ventured to the dreaded Mall and it really wasn’t as crowded as I feared. By the grace of God, we emerged unscathed. Tonight is supposed to be our wrapping night – I’m sure the bows, ribbon and paper will be flying. Don’t get too close, or I’ll put your eye out!

This weekend BF and I are headed to Minocqua for the weekend. He’ll get to meet Stepdad, and Saturday is Dad’s Side of the Family Christmas, where he’ll get to meet all kinds of crazy aunts, uncles and cousins (and Stepmom and Stepsister). If he doesn’t run screaming for the hills after this weekend, I’ll know he’s a keeper… or a masochist.

Meh, whatever.

Holy Hell!

I almost forgot!

On my way to Cleveland via Chicago I met a celebrity while walking through O'Hare.

Me, walking and thinking: Wow, that old man looks kinda like Ben Stein.

Me, walking closer: It couldn't... wait... holy fuck! That's Ben Stein!

Me, stopping: Are you Ben Stein?

Ben Stein: Why yes I am. [shakes my hand] And who are you?

Me, star-struck: I'm Kate. It's nice to meet you, sir.

Ben ('cause we're tight like that): Hi Kate. And where are you going?

Me, in TMI mode: To Cleveland, for a surprise birthday party.

Ben: That sounds like fun.

Me: Yes, sir. It should be.

Ben: Are you in the military?

Me: No, sir. Just polite. [Blush] And where are you going?

Ben: Home to LA. Well, Kate, have a safe trip!

Me: Thanks! You, too!

Probably lasted all of 2 minutes, but was totally awesome. ;) I immediately called the BF and then Dr. Who - both equally impressed. I was geeked out for hours.

The Highlights

I promise not to bore you with the blow-by-blow of what you’ve missed in the last month or so. Wow – I had been doing so well there for a while, posting kind of regularly. My apologies to those living vicariously through me. I have let you down. But I’m here to make up for it now.

OK, November.

Let’s start at the Taste of Italy dinner party shindig that the BF and I went to. Totally awesome. I highly recommend having a celebrated Italian chef come to your house to cook for and with you (or one of your friends). The food was amazing, AND we got to wear aprons and get our hands dirty preparing food (e.g., pasta from scratch, salad dressing, & tiramisu). Great time.

The BF and I parted ways for Thanksgiving, he to FL to visit the ‘rents and I to WI with The Dentist in tow. It was a whirlwind trip (though, when going to WI, when isn’t it?). Good food. Catching up with family. Drunken Scrabble. Seeing Stepbro’s new bar (OK, it’s not just his – he went in with 2 friends), it’s called Malarky’s and is about 2 doors up from The Mint in Wausau. I highly recommend it. Go there. Now.

On to December.

Whirlwind weekend in Cleveland for me. I now FINALLY get to blog about going to Scripturient’s surprise birthday party – a fancy pants party no less – hosted by the illustrious Dressage Mom. L & R were gracious enough to put me up and provide me with transportation to and from the airport. Lunch with SquareAJ’s fam, LabTech and L on Saturday was awesome – with SquareAJ clones running around it was hilarious. Bumming around with LabTech looking for novelty T-shirts was a hoot. Then it was on to the party. I can safely say that I have seen more of Scripturient than I ever dreamed I would. Let this be a lesson to those who dare to joke about wearing see-through pants and a tiger-print thong… you just may get what you ask for. I laughed so hard at that party that my abs hurt a little. [Way better than doing crunches if you ask me. I’ll suggest that to The Dentist next time – she’s my exercise task-master.]

Due to bad weather in Chicago I was able to spend an extra day in the Land of Cleves – a nice relaxing Sunday with L & R going out to breakfast at the Inn on Coventry (again, go there, it’s a must), running errands, watching football and doing half of a crossword puzzle before giving up in whiny frustration. L gets the “Friend of the Year” award for getting up well before the crack of dawn to take me to the airport. So nice to me. Thank you again!!!

And now it’s back to the grind.

December is going to fly by – so much to do, so little time.