Turtles are the things that makes Frankie bark? I'm trying to process what ancestral memory that it harks back to.

Soooooo quiet at work today - all the individuals who live at that house were with their parents. I hemmed pants (for someone there who hates the idea of other people touching their belongings (request from guardian to get the damn pants hemmed when I can in absence of individual - I'm not simply violating the person's preferences for my own fun). And watched tv.

I worked today! It actually wasn't too bad. I mostly got groups of women from Montreal down for a shopping weekend. (I got the fun loving ones, not the bitch ones). We did have one customer falling down drunk - although I did not witness this.

I'm still not sure if I'll get called in tomorrow, but the store is over hours for the week so maybe not.

Instead of Black Friday I'm taking Maddie to the vet in the morning.

In 1943, there was a movie serial for Batman. I had no clue that this existed. Hubby found the DVD in the cheap rack. The villain is Dr. Tito Daka. I'm sure there will be Nazis in there somewhere, or maybe it will just be the Communists. Hubby says it was surprisingly good.

Awake. Not happy about it. Frankie woke up and had an accident, so I took him out. Now I've got tummy cramps from eating too much and an anxiety attack from smoking too many cigarettes. Woe.

Re: Frankie and the turtle, it seemed like "Holy shit! What IS that thing? Is anyone else SEEING this?" and then when we were all like "Whatevs" he was like "Just kidding, it's cool, yo. So, turtles." It was in a big aquarium up above his head.

I just got back from taking Maddie to the vet. she's lost almost 2 lbs (she was just over 10 and now she's roughly 8 1/2) and the vet seems to think it's stress. He couldn't find anything else wrong. He did give her a shot that's supposed to stimulate her appetite and in 3 weeks I take her back just to weigh her.

Well I have to monitor her breathing b/c she was breathing funny but it might have been stress from the vet.

Yumumy cramps (ok, leaving that typo in) = mint or ginger tea.

Anxiety about smoking too many cigs = You've been doing really well. It's a holiday. HBIC sez relaxovate; set a limit today, don't carry a pack with your anywhere (if you have a pack), just maybe 3 or 4. And tell you anxiety to fuck off; you'll get back on track.

I had a GREAT Thanksgiving! My parents and sister were here from about 10 to 1:30 (folks are older and don't like to drive, they live about 1 hour 15 mins away, and my sister drives, and she had to work from 3 pm to midnight) so I wish I'd had more time to spend with them.

But I made the best ham so far this year!!! I've made about 6 so far, and this year's was the best! We have a fridge of delicious leftover, my fam is finally getting to know D and he taught my mom how to get over her fear of the Wii -- she got on from my sister for her bday in October, but it confused her how to get it going - and I taught her how to navigate Netflix on the Wii.

AND they loaned us the $600 we needed desperately to buy plane tix to take M back to PA at the end of Xmas. Which about made me cry -- it's a LOAN, of course; we'll be paying them back every month -- but we didn't have enough money to buy 2 ticks to ABE and 1 back.

I saw D's shoulders lift about 3 inches when they gave us a check. (It was NOT his idea -- it was mine.) Poor noodle.

We talk to M and he's really excited about the Xmanakkah visit! And New Year's Eve -- since we've been married, we host NYE, and kids his age (there's about 3 in his age group) come over -- my friends with two kids stay with us -- and they have a crazy kid party upstairs, watching TV on the Wii, playing games, crashing out on the futon and floor in M's room, and the adults party downstairs. We provide plenty of junky kid food up here, and a parent wanders up every so often, hangs out for a bit, then another parent takes a kid-check break. Kids come down for midnight, and are forbidden the kitchen (where the booze is) and the smoking back porch. They can play Wii downstairs till 9 pm, but after 9 they arebanished upstairs, and can only come downstairs to get snacks from snack table, and to shout Happy New Year.

It works amazingly well.

Erin, I'm so glad y'all got the loan you need to have the holidays you want. Wonderful. Really going to have to make it out there for New Year's some time! That sounds like so much fun.

I couldn't make tea b/c roomie was asleep. And the anxiety thing - when I smoke cigarettes too late at night, I tend to wake up with a pounding heart and not be able to get back to sleep. So, not me beating myself up (which of course happens), but actual physical symptoms of high anxiety.

Speaking of regular anxiety, though... I need to pack. I think I'll start in the front room and work back, maybe? Or start in the kitchen and work forward. But first I think I want to walk over to the new place, make sure it's cleanish, and formulate a plan.

Yep, it's the holiday season. There's drama going on with my family that is making me feel depressed. Yay.

Jilli, if you're around, insent.

Askye, I hope that Maddie starts putting the weight back on.

{{{ND}}} Sorry about the family drama. Much holiday~ma to you.

We're having a nice holiday weekend. We saw all of the stressful people yesterday, and today consisted of shopping, resting, and yummy leftovers! And hopefully there will be Muppets tonight.

We are home from visiting my family. It was a great Thanksgiving and no drama--although the day before I got there, my cousin's 15-year-old came home from a party drunk, decided to take his dad's convertible for a spin at 2am, totaled it and could have died. His explanation was that he was practicing for when he got his license in two months. Not only did he get a DUI and now cannot get a license until he is 18, he got 21 stitches in his head and is grounded forever, basically.

So the lead-up to the holiday was full of drama, but the holiday itself was lovely and relaxed.