In which Wednesday fidgets strike

Two and a half days.

By the second Wednesday away from home, I've reached the end of my patience with being on the road. It's as predictable as the sun rising. I'm counting down the workdays until I can hit the road for home. At least I'm not yet counting the hours. At least, not unless I start to wonder.....

John has been counting days since he met me at the airport on Sunday. "Four and a half days", he said. He thinks that it's the time of year. Maybe that's it. I am thankful that the hotel has gone all-out to decorate for the holidays. Other than the guest rooms, the hotel has achieved a level of Christmas cheer that almost equals that of home. Poinsettias seem to be occupying every alcove, and a huge tree dominates the foyer of the hotel, as well as the lower first floor foyer. The large table that usually graces the foyer has been moved to the north entrance, and now holds a huge white and silver arrangement of fresh flowers. The lilies have suffused the large conversational space with fragrance.

Unlike last year in Portland, I have not been motivated by the lack of decor to head to Target for a tiny tree to decorate and a poinsettia. I suppose knowing that home is Christmasy is some comfort, and that probably only makes me more antsy.

39 hours.

In which I begin to feel better

After a week and a half of a cold or flu, and three days of aches and pains from over-exhertion, I am happy to report that I'm finally feeling more like myself. I slept last night without painkillers, and am finding that I'm not limping too badly when I stand up after an hour or two in front of the computer. However, today's menu at the station included cookies, brownies, and coffee cake. So a walk is in order after work tonight.

In which shopping adventures are found in Opelika AL

Unlike most blogs, this one is being published somewhat after the date of creation, since there are some surprises for Chris contained within.

I had planned to finish Christmas shopping on the Sunday afternoon when I arrived in Opelika. It’s a college town; I figured that the usual suspects would be around. I also figured that my co-worker John would be up for a shopping trip. I was correct on both counts.

I had agreed with John that to have him drive up to Atlanta to pick me up from the airport. I wasn’t really surprised when I got of the plane and picked up voice messages; John (who can’t sit still for more than a couple of hours) was obviously horribly bored – bored enough to drive the hour to Atlanta to come get me. So I knew that he’d be bored enough to go shopping.

He really is a Husband. He’s been married for so long that he just seems to fall in stride with me. I think it’s a little weird; I’d never expect a male co-worker to follow me to the fabric store. I feel like he’s always waiting on me, and I feel a little self-conscious about that. But he’s good help.

His first question was where I wanted to go. Target. No problem, Target is in the strip mall where we were having lunch. So is Old Navy. John helped me find sleep pants for Chris and shirts for Evan at Old Navy – and tried to get me to buy a hat for Evan, the really cute one with tassels. Then we went back to the hotel. John hauled in the suitcases, and I hauled in the shopping bags. I checked in, dumped everything in the room, and John handed me the keys.

He has rented a Kia Amanti, very upscale looking. Leather interior, black, loaded. I like driving this car. I headed to the mall.

I’ve been trying to re-style my business look. There’s a Hot Topic there, but I felt totally silly walking in wearing my too-large poinsettia-sprinkled white turtleneck. So I headed to the salon first. Not only did I get a good cut, but I finally got my hair colored red. I love it! I’m so happy.

I went to the mall for several things. Other than a hair cut and color, I’m looking for a black lace shirt, black jeans, red, black or purple tops to layer under a black lace or chiffon shirt or jacket, and a long black jacquard jacket.

I started with what I thought might be easiest – the jeans. I’ve found one brand of jeans that fit, and I’ve only found them at Wal*Mart. Since I’m no longer a Wal*Mart customer, my co-worker Janis suggested that I try Penney’s. She said that she often got pants there, and the proportions fit her unusual shape. I did find just one pair in my size, and they fit. I now have two pairs of jeans, and one of them is black. I looked a bit at Penney’s for some colored tops, but didn’t find anything that I was in love with. Good colors, but they were camisoles, and I’ve got that issue with bra straps that most women of my generation learned in out early teens. I left them behind.

Nothing else at Penney’s meeting my Goth aesthetic, I went out into the mall. Remember that I was still wearing the white Christmas turtleneck, so I bypassed Hot Topic for Dillard’s. I was surprised at the options available. Luckily, it’s Christmas, and the party clothes are out, so I was able to quickly locate a black lace shirt. Surprisingly, this was not the only likely find. One of the tops was perfect down to the cameo broach at the cleavage, but the cleavage itself was way too low to be considered corporate – let’s just say that to wear that top would require a suitably decorative bra. As much as I liked it, it want back on the rack. But there was the silk/viscose sweater with the lace at the neckline and cuffs – it was perfect, and it came home with me.

I wore the silk sweater and my black travel knit skirt to work on Monday, accessorized with two long necklaces in black faceted crystals and pewter-colored chains. The red hair really completed the look, and I finally felt completely comfortable in business clothing. I’m thinking about more black lace…..

In which work has been too busy to blog

Yeah, I know it's been over a week since I've written. In short, I've been sick all week, and tried to go to bed early. I've spent a week in Florida, and then I traveled back to Opelika yesterday. I'm pretty happy to be back. Florida is nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

I went walking on Saturday. I really enjoy looking at the flora and fauna. So much of the vegitation there is what this midwestern florist has for years associated with houseplants, since the climate in Florida is tropical. Even in December, hibiscus and birds-of-paradise are in full bloom, Ficus benjamina bi-color and crotons are shrubs, creeping fig is a groundcover, and Spanish moss is a living plant, rather than mulch. Large white birds can be seen pecking at the yews bordering parking lots, and tiny lizards scuttle across sidewalks. And yet, the humidity makes the place uninhabitable in my opinion. I was sweating on a 60 degree day. Of course, the humidity was 89%.

Saturday morning started out rainy, but by the time I headed back to the hotel, the sun was peaking out. I even got a little sunburn on my forehead and nose. Being at sea-level, I thought I could do more that I should have, and I've been pretty sore since my walk. It could also be the infection, although I do feel like I'm finally beating it. My feet still hurt, and I'm also pretty stiff and sore after sitting awhile. It takes a little bit for the hips and knees to function fully.

I did some shopping yesterday, and just kept walking - slowly - to keep moving. I feel like some more of the pounds are coming off, which is encouraging. I bought some groceries, mostly meat and veggies and drinks, so I think I can eat pretty healthily this week. They always feed us lunch, so portion control is the key.

I have done a little writing, and will post-date blogs later once I get them finished. So if you're interested, go back a few days to see what I've been up to.

In which a Christmas party invitation comes unexpectedly

I've been to a few company Christmas parties. There was the one in Topeka after which Bret broke my heart, and the NewTech Christmas party. That was the one at which I sort of met Will Wheaton and at which my intense dislike of Penn Jillette was developed. The early Media Center parties are memorable; they were held in the studios at 4100 E. Dry Creek Road (the only thing that stayed the same in my 9 years of tenure was the address). There were open bars, live music and a buffet supper to die for. The later years at what was then the AT&T Digital Media Center were notable for the lack of Christmas cheer. This year's party was at Red Rocks, which is a huge difference; in spite of persistent doomsday prophesies by management, I guess business is getting better at CMC.

In general, the NewTech party far exceeded the others in scope. Chris and I were invited by Candice, a co-worker who was attached to one of the developers at NewTech. Our friend Austen came along. I suppose the guys mostly remember the women in their skin-tight evening gowns. Well, Chris always waxes poetic about the early morning gourmet made-to-order omelet bar. It was pretty much all open bar, so you could drink whatever you wanted; the buffet supper was great. Part of the ballroom had been made into an “ice” cave, and elves offered hors d’ oeuvres. There were techies there, celebrities, and foreigners. After all the Video Toaster was the first consumer video editor, and the possibilities for implementation seemed endless.

I think that the second on my list would be the party I attended last night. The station I’m working at, WWSB in Sarasota, FL invited us to attend. I didn’t have party clothes, and neither did my co-worker Janis – she’d known about the invitation, but had forgotten not only to tell me about it but to to bring fancy dress for herself. Luckily my current corporate-Gothique wardrobe moves from day to night pretty well. I added a purple scarf to black slacks and a surplice-bodice v-necked sweater, and was ready to go. Still I was underdressed. The ladies at the station had really gone all-out, and most were dressed in formal evening- or cocktail-wear. Janis and I really enjoyed watching the ladies. Heck, we see men in suits and ties every day, but the ladies really looked great.

Held at what is considered Sarasota’s finest restaurant, party-goers were met with an atrium lighted with strings of little white lights under which was situated one of the party’s two open bars. Servers offered egg rolls and crab cake hors d’ oeuvres. The ballroom was set with about 15 tables for eight, and two huge Christmas trees loomed in the corners. The east third of the hall was occupied with the food tables. One held a variety of antipasti – Caesar salad, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts in balsamic vinegar, cantaloupe and honeydew wrapped in prosciutto, and a balsamic vinegar-dressed salad of mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and onions. Another table was all sushi, a third was roast beef and turkey (a real bird, not a processed roll) and a fourth was cheese ravioli in a pesto cream sauce. Finally, on the west side of the ballroom, the desert table languished.

In the middle of it all, a dance floor had been assembled, complete with disco lights and DJ. Manny, the general manager, welcomed everyone to the party, with the offer of free drinks all night and a cab to take people home who had over-indulged. After stuffing ourselves on all of the good food, the presents were presented – one for every employee, ranging from $100 gas cards to flat screen monitors, Play Stations, and time off with lodging at a resort. Again Manny offered cab rides to the over-indulgent. The traditional outtakes and bloopers reel was a complete hoot! My face still hurts from laughing. And then the dancing commenced.

You know, I haven’t done any “modern” dancing for years. No fan of smoky bars, I haven’t had the chance to get out there on the dance floor. I don’t know the moves. I don’t know the music. I feel old. I felt conspicuous. But I did dance a little, and it felt good. There was some Latin music, and some of the younger folks did a little tango-like dance that was sensuous and lovely – I said that I wanted to learn that. Chris seems to be game; maybe we can find lessons.

By 10:00 the evening was over as far as I was concerned. Manny had offered cab fare for the third time, and my cold was getting to me. I knew that I’d regret staying up so late when I was sick. I told my co-worker Janis that it was time for me to go home.

In which being sick fails to stop those intent to keep going

It’s 4:45 in Atlanta. I'm plugged into an unused outlet, which are at a premium in these days of laptop-fixated business travelers. At least I have a seat this afternoon; there have been plenty of times when I haven’t been so lucky.

My flight to Sarasota has been delayed by twenty minutes. This is fine with me; I’m not eager to get back on a plane. When you’re sick, the last thing you want to do is endure the pressure changes of takeoff and landing. I don’t know what I’ve got, but I’m pretty sure where I got it, and they can have it back.

I started feeling unwell on Thursday. By the time guests arrived for stuffing stockings, I was pretty much content to sit next to the fire and drink wine. By the time they left, I had decided to call in sick on Friday. Not a decision I took lightly, since I’ve got many hours of work on my desk. Well, it’s now in my backpack, in the expectation that I’ll actually get to make some headway this week.

In the middle of the night Thursday, I sent Chris downstairs for meds. I was feverish and chilling, and my sore throat had intensified. With a business trip looming, I made the difficult decision to stay home on Saturday. After months of anticipation, some frantic last-minute sewing, and trying to support Savina through her involvement with the event, I decided that I needed to stay home rather than attend Caer Galen Midwinter. Chris of course assented; by Friday he was feeling ill, too.

I did sleep in Friday morning, and I of course did do a little work. I wrapped a few Christmas presents, and helped Mother do some on-line shopping. Although I didn’t actually rest, I did take it somewhat more easy than I usually do. Without the pressure of Midwinter clothing, I did find it easier to relax a little.

Only a little. One of the reasons that I hate to be sick is that I don’t have a lot of patience with sitting still when there are so many pressures and responsibilities that need attention. Having made the decision to re-style our bedroom, I purchased a new bedding ensemble. The die being cast, I’m not content to wait until some time in January to actually use it. Additionally, I’m not willing to use it before I have the bedroom “in shape”. Saturday then was the day.

We started about mid-day. We put away all the junk on the dressers, pulled books of the shelves, and sent a bunch of bedding to the give-away box. The bed got moved to between the windows, the bookshelves are in the north east corner, and the TV has been moved to the top of the dresser, where it can comfortably be seen from the occupants of the bed. A purple and gold brocade throw covers the wing back chair. Everything has been dusted, and swept. At least once.

By bed time, we’d gone as far as we could go, as both energy (I'm sick, and Chris is getting sick) and materiel had given out. I’d removed the peachskin from the windows, and as the sun set I replaced the drapery, and lit several candles we’d moved in from elsewhere in the house. I found tall candle sticks (to sit on the floor) at JoAnn’s at 70% off retail, and bought a set of three. Yankee jars fit perfectly on them, although they’re a little wobbly on the carpet. I’m thinking that a piece of marble or flagstone would make a steady base. My collection of gargoyle cats has been moved to the bedroom, and once we make some decisions on wall decorations, the location of a couple of small Gothic shelves will be determined. After Christmas, I’ll be working on draperies, too.

I think that the thing that struck me the most in this process is that many of the decorative items already in my home will fit perfectly into my Gothique bedroom. My tastes have always run this direction. I’ve just never made a concerted effort to put it all together this way before. Chris and I agree that we really like the changes.

In which dark spaces are cozy spaces

I recall that as a small child I sought out dark spaces. Not necessarily enclosed, but dark. Except that I have to be able to control the darkness - I get a thrill of fear when the lights go out unexpectedly.

I remember napping at my great aunt's house, and how I'd arrange the pillows so the afternoon sunshine was shut out. Ok, I'm claustrauphobic - any time I can't smell fresh air, I feel like I can't breathe. I suppose it's why I don't like hot weather. So, the pillows would always be balanced carefully to shut out the light, but to allow in fresh air. Even now, I tend to sleep with the covers pulled up over my eyes, but with my nose sticking out.

I once asked the delivery guys if I could have the huge box that the refrigerator had just come in, for "thinking". They didn't give it to me of course, but they did torment me by insisting that I explain why I wanted it. I was embarrased; I didn't yet understand why being inside it seemed interesting, and explaining it as a "fort" seemed silly.

I suppose it's a universal kid thing. I not only remember building cozy blanked forts as a child; I've built them for my own kid. Part of the appeal of Evan's Christmas bed (11/30/05 blog) is that he'll have a cozy - dark - space under in which to retreat. To play, to pretend, to think about things, to find himself. Children love to hide.

Last night, the coldest night of the season so far, Chris and I changed the bed, adding another layer. I have been bothered by the Christmas lights shining in through the blinds at night - recall that I do not like light shining on my face when I'm sleeping. I had a plan to insulate the bedroom from both light and the extreme cold.

It so happens that when the house was painted after the previous occupants, the hardware that attached drapery rods to the wall was left up on the window next to my side of the bed. This is remarkable, because I think it's the only place in the house remaining so, other than the living room. We have never gotten around to hanging the hardware that we brought with us when we moved almost two years ago, and so these two little hooks were the only method of hanging, other than the desperate posibility of push pins.

Two lengths of black peachskin languished in the basement, freshly washed after draping the jack-o-lantern stands at Halloween. I fetched those, and had Chris hook them over the little hooks. Suddenly, darkness.

Now this is significant, because I have intended to re-style our bedroom for a few weeks now. Our current bedroon ensemble was purchased for Wal*Mart (gah!) before we were married. I'm guessing it's at least 13 or 14 years old. Boy, is it time for a change! I want to move to purple, silver and black. (More on the re-styling in a later blog.)

Chris has always been somewhat opposed to my desire for a dark bedroom. The current burgundy-over-black fake tapestry he feels is already dark. Of course I'm going for darker. The black peachskin desparation curtain really changes the dynamic of the room, and it's a dynamic that I want to continue in the "new" bedroom. Even in the sunny afternoon today, the bedroom has been dark and inviting - but more important to the pocketbook is that when I reached behind the drape, the cold being kept out of the bedroom was remarkable! I like it. It's a marked contrast to my office which like most of the windows in the house is on the sunny south side of the house, and which tends to warm up in the afternoon. I like the sunshine in our house - it's one of the three huge reasons we moved into it. I suppose it's the contrast that appeals to me. I want to be able to have both the darkness and the light.

It's been a day full of working at the computer. I'm going to go enjoy my cave for awhile.

In which the cold weather requires comfort food

Oyster stew is one of my favorite winter soups. I had picked up some oysters at the store last weekend, since they were unusually in the butcher's case. Tonight seemed like a good night for it. Mother wasn't "in the mood" for oyster stew, and I knew that Chris wouldn't touch it, so I made comfort food just for me. It was perfect. And the best part is that there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Oyster Stew

Over medium heat, melt in stewpot:
1 stick butter

Add and sauté:
1 medium onion, choped

Sauté onion until it begins to carmelize.

Add:
3 8 oz packages fresh oysters, including liquid
5-10 grindings of fresh black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Wostershire sauce

Continue sautéing; the liquid from the oysters will begin to de-glaze the pan.

When the oysters' edges curl, add:
4 cups heavy cream (or 2 cups cream and two cups milk)

Heat to serving temperature. Serve with sourdough bread.

In which it gets very cold

The first really cold days (and nights) have arrived. The Weather Channel is reporting 8° right now, or –6° with the wind chill. It’s been snowing all day. We’ve lit the fire place and many Christmas candles, and I put the storms down in our bedroom and bathroom this morning. I see that there’s been some improvement in the temperature in there; the thermostat has come up a couple of degrees to 54°. Of course our bedroom faces north and so suffers the brunt of the cold wind. I do so want to get curtains hung in the bedroom, but I don’t really see any possibility of that before January.

We keep the furnace at 62° during the day (heating and cooling being one of our major household expenses), which works well in keeping the main floor livable. But the upstairs is just plain cold. My office, which is usually warmed by the sunshine, is plenty cold on these cloudy days. I will sometimes work at the kitchen table rather than the office, but that doesn’t work so well if I have a meeting and need the phone. Sweatshirts are required working-at-home attire on days like today.

There’s been snow on the ground for several days, which is actually pretty unusual for Denver in December. We usually have some snow, punctuated by mild sunny days at this time of year. I’m not complaining though. It’s nice to have snow and cold before traveling to Florida this weekend. And now that the Christmas decorating is done, and the shipments of presents and candles are starting, it’s feeling really festive around the house. The wrapping paper comes out tonight, because my closet is beginning to get too full of unwrapped gifts.

Tonight’s low is expected to be –3°, with one to three inches of snow accumulating and “dangerous” wind chills. With 10 mph winds, one wonders where snow might “accumulate”. Tomorrow night will be even colder, at –6°. Never fear, those mild sunny days are in the forecast; the week will warm rapidly into the mid fourties by the weekend, when the snow will of course disappear. All in all, I’m pretty happy that I’ll be in Florida by then.

In which invitations for a Chez Bays tradition are sent

Posted today to Outlandish:

Holiday Greetings from Chez Bays!

As has become our tradition, stockings will be hung not just for relatives, but our extended family of friends who share the holidays with us. Each friend with a stocking is encouraged to contribute to the stockings of friends; gifting each other in little ways adds up to a *big* stocking by Christmas.

Indeed, our tradition is followed so enthusiastically that each year annexes are required to accomodate all the loot. The traditional (but not at all picturesque) solution has been plastic grocery bags incompletely concealed behind each stocking. This year however, Fortune has provided! Arwen and Rivka found extra-large stockings at the dollar store; the scuttlebutt is that they bought 10. :-)

So, here's the plan - Thursday night Arwen and companions will be joining us at Chez Bays after supper for the official stocking hanging. If you can join, by all means do so. I'll provide tea and cookies, but we'll be kicking folks out by 9:00, as it's a school night.

Everyone reading this is invited to "hang" with us, and endeavor to top last year's prosperity in the socks. If you have a stocking to provide, put your name on it and bring it by - if you're stocking-challenged, never fear - there are spares. Just let me know. I'll post the names of the "hang-ees" so we'll know for whom we're buying. So far, it's the usual gang, Arwen (Sheila), Guillaume (Keith), Rivka (Michelle), Robert (Chris), Eirene (Melanie), Evan, and Evan's Gramma Angie. New this year is Savina (Rebecca), William (Bill), Rachel, and Ben. Rivka, shall I add one for Jeff?

Who else?

In which a cookie frenzy occurs

Mother's been wanting to do more cookies ever since we finished up all the Thanksgiving cookies. Sunday seemed like a good day since she was home, and I thought that it's easier to make several batches at once rather than to do them at seperate times.

We started out with Toll House cookies, and proceeded with Ranger cookies. Ranger cookies are an old family favorite, but since no one has heard of them, here's my mom's recipe:

Ranger Cookies - Angie Unruh

1 cup shortening (Melanie uses butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup shredded coconut

Cream together the shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and mix into the sugar mixture. Combine the oats, Rice Krispies and coconut; fold by hand into the wet ingredients – the mixer seems to crush the Rice Krispies. The dough will be crumbly. Spoon onto parchment- or non-stick foil-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes.

We then made two batches of Spritz cookies, adapted from Joy of Cooking. One was tinted green; the other was red.

Spritz Cookies

Sift together:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

Cream together:

¾ cup sugar

1 cup butter

Add:

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon almond extract

Food coloring

Stir in the flour.

Beat well. Put a cookie press onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 7 minutes at 350°, or until barely brown around bottom edge.

Finally, I mixed up a batch of my Tres Riche Holiday Cookies, also adapted from Joy of Cooking. They're not cut out yet; I used the Chrismoose variation.

Tres Riche Holiday Cookies (Foundation for Great Pumpkin Cookies and Fall Leaf Cookies)

Cream together:

1 cup butter

⅔ cup sugar

Beat in:

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

Combine and add:

2 ½ cups high altitude flour

½ scant teaspoon salt

Roll and cut out; bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom edges just barely brown. Decorate with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat until fluffy:

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

Add gradually:

1 pound confectioner’s sugar

Add sugar until the mixture is thick and spreadable. Add more sugar to thicken; add a few drops of milk to soften.

Divide and color with:

Several drops of food coloring

Chrismoose Cookies variation:

Replace the almond with vanilla, and:

Stir into the dry ingredients:

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

I use a huge moose cookie cutter. Decorate with piped holly leaves and berries.

In which Melanie whines a little

It's cleaning day. The cleaning girls are supposed to be here this afternoon. It's a great service to have, and we really need it today. However, they can't clean around clutter. They'll clean the bathrooms and the kitchen, sweep and mop the floors, and dust, but I have to make room for the cleaning to happen. So every other Thursday, I spend the day picking up, putting away, doing dishes and laundry.

We started last night. I've been doing it all day. I'm still working on the house. I must be really out of shape. I'm tired. I want a nap. My back hurts; my feet hurt. The cleaning girls aren't here yet. They usually come at about noon. I could lay down, but I know that as soon as I do they'll show up.
I just needed to whine a little. Pathetic, isn't it? - whining because I have cleaning girls coming today. Yeah, I thought so too.