catch up

There’s a line in The Simpsons where Homer is telling someone not to quit. He said “You don’t quit. You just do your job half-assed. THAT'S the american way.” I wouldn’t say I’m a quitter but I would rather just not do something than do it half-assed. Lately my posts have been about food and I’ve been putting off writing. When I do write, it’s out of obligation and I’m not really inspired. And there are only so many interesting ways to photograph your supper.

So, from now on, my posts won’t be daily. I still plan on doing one new thing every day but it won’t always be something I write about. On days I didn’t post, just assume that I had something new for a meal.

the day

It's the holiday that never ends. More new faces today. I think that the best part about the holidays is realizing how nice normal days are.

the eve

Today, I met new friends of friends as I latched onto my friends' family for holiday fullfillment. My misanthropy and anti-social behavioral patterns tend to keep me away from parties, especially when I’m the odd man out. However, it was comforting today being around people who feel like family.

dancing queen

Today, I led 30-35 of my participants in doing the macarena. And I got paid for it! Just when I thought I couldn't love my job any more...

three meetings and a little crazy

My day was supposed to be easy but at the last minute, it got difficult. A county case manager who is difficult to deal with called a meeting at a group home which is also my most difficult home. Also, my co-worker injured her wrist so I had to sit through my client's meeting there and then I had to sit through her client's meeting. Then she ended up giving another co-worker the wrong time for his meeting so I had to sit through the first half of his meeting too. After three meetings with an obnoxious case manager and two annoying home providers, I was ready to go a little nuts myself. I've never even sat through two of these meetings in a row so three was asking a lot out of me. Still, it was way better than most days at any other job I've had.

suit up

I can get snazzy when I want to. Today, one of my participants was being recognized as Worker of the Quarter so I had to bring him to a board meeting. I had heard we had a board room at work but I didn't even know where it was. Damn, it is NICE! Walking in, I started to question how we can call ourselves a non-profit but then they showed a compilation of news stories about the company and we came off very charitable. But for a 501 C3 charitable organization, they can get pretty snazzy too when they want.

wrapping it up

I've always thought that most guys are 'fronting' when they say they hate shopping. It's like when they say 'I don't dance,' or 'Steel Magnolias sucks.' Deep down, they're just afraid of denting their masculine armor.

I used to enjoy shopping a lot. I never liked spending money but I always enjoyed looking. I hate capitalism and all but I will window-shop til my feet can't take it anymore. I hate big box stores and big chains which carry the same crap in the same display in strip malls across the country. Give me a unique shop, preferably thrift, anyday.

Today, I finished up my Christmas shopping. I decided to go car-free and walk Dean to Hawthorne and hit four or five shops there. He's never done that with me before and I think it took a lot out of him. I had to buy him a slice of pizza afterwards. Lazy males.

200

It's my 200th post so I'm taking day off.

top shelf

One of my fondest memories from Europe was sitting upstairs in Lenin’s kitchen with him, a good book and a bottle of Amaretto. Amaretto is my favorite. Therefore, I try not to drink it too much so I won’t get sick of it. Yet, that memory is so calming to me that I needed to buy a bottle today.

I bought it while Dean and I were on a walk today up Woodstock doing our Christmas shopping. I almost always go for the cheapest liquor whenever I buy it which isn’t too often. But today felt special. Maybe I was just in the spirit(s) but I wanted something nicer. I brought it home and shared it with the house. It soothed me like I knew it would. I think those things are important to realize and remember. We all need to know how to spell r-e-l-i-e-f.

a few of my favorite things

Today, I went to a co-worker’s wine, cheese and chocolate party. I haven’t been to Jennifer’s house before but my spidey senses don’t go off around her so I was willing to get a shot. Plus there hardly a quicker way to get me to a place than tempting me with wine, chocolate and cheese. Throw some bumbling puppies in there and I would never leave!

appreciation dinner

We had our second holiday dinner today for work. It's technically an "appreciation dinner" and it's just a coincidence that we have it before Christmas and exchange gifts.

Anyway, it was my first dinner with Long Term Services department at work (which is my department's name). We are grouped with the Job Connection department a lot because we have the same director. Today, I got to meet a lot of the Job Connections people because my boss insisted on assigned seating so we would mingle.

It sucked slightly because I had to sit by some rather annoying people instead of my friends. I did enjoy getting to meet a few of them and getting to know others better but there were other people I would have never sat by and I will never sit by again hopefully. One lady wouldn't stop talking about how annoyed she is when people don't eat with the right fork. Sigh. She also made some slightly sexist/homophobic remark because another guy remarked on how he liked a vase. She's one of those acquaintances that will be forgot come New Year.

it's beginning to look a lot like...

It's late fall. The weather doesn't feel like it's a few short weeks until Christmas but at work it is starting to.

We had our Christmas dinner at my job site today. We'll have three big work Christmas dinners before the end of the year. This was our first one where everyone that works in the administrative offices attends, not just the disabled and their job coaches.

It was very similar to the Thanksgiving dinner but it was a little dressier. There was a harp player and a baby grand in the cafeteria.

I like this time of year because everything is so festive. Work is kind of secondary to being in the holiday spirit.

the Y.W.C.A.

Today I took a client to tour the YWCA for the first time. If it's the YWCA, can you still do whatever you feel? We didn't see a place to get yourself clean or have a good meal and the receptionist wouldn't let us do whatever we feel (including take a picture).

santa secrecy

At work, we are doing the Secret Santa thing. I don't know how this became a tradition in workplaces. Maybe it's not. Maybe it's just the jobs that I've held that do it. Anyway, usually I think it sucks. You end up getting someone you don't know very well something relatively lame and get something lame in exchange from someone who doesn't know a thing about you. However, this year it's working for me.

We made lists of what things we would like or what are interests are and we picked up those after we drew names. It makes it a lot easier. We are supposed to give a little something each week until the big reveal shortly before Christmas. It will end up being six weekly gift and then one "bigger" one. But the person who's my Santa has gone above and beyond. So far, I've gotten a nice coffee mug, two non-cheap dog toys, a pair of gloves, $5 gift certificate for the work cafeteria, too much candy, a santa hat (pictured above), a flashlight, multiple spices (oregano, basil, bay leaves, all-spice, cinnamon, red pepper, paprika, etc), six high end kitchen utensils that were probably bought at Linens and things, a santa ornament, a peppermint stick and a fudge mix kit. I think it's my boss because she loves Christmas and would be the person to go above and beyond. I'm pretending like I don't know though because I'm pretty sure she would like to keep it a mystery for now.

Anyway, for my new thing today, I made fudge. I ground up the peppermint stick and threw it in there too. It ended up being really really good even though I wasn't supposed to (it used marshmellows) but hey, it was free and tis the season and all.