Thank-full-ness

After scarfing down three different Thanksgiving meals, I am finally home from the familial festivities. Right now, I am preparing myself for working retail hell tomorrow and trying to digest the ridiculous amount of sweet potatoes I have consumed over the last two days. I am baking brownies for the cops on duty tonight and cupcakes for my coworkers tomorrow, trying to make "Black Friday" not seem so black. While the sweet smell of chocolate fills my kitchen, it is easy to reflect on today's blessings. So I give you:

The Top 10 Things to Be Thankful for Today
10. I did not actually explode from over-eating.
9. My cop brought me breakfast this morning as a sweet gesture. (Although I did not eat it from still being full from the previous day's early Thanksgiving celebration, it was a sweet gesture...)
8. I didn't have to spend money on dog food today, because Panther was fed enough ham to last him a week.
7. I got to take enough food home, that I will probably not have to buy groceries for a month.
6. I am so full of good things, like vegetables and lean turkey meat, that dessert could not even wedge itself into my stomach if I tried. So, at least I am a healthy, chubby kid and not just a chubby kid.
5. The cop and I have an agreement that Thanksgiving is when I could finally start decorating for Christmas.
4. The Christmas decorations were already pulled out and waiting for me.
3. I got the majority of the non-tree-related Christmas decorations up this morning.
2. Christmas means Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes. Mmm.
1. I got to see my cutie-pie nephew today. No joke there. I love the little booger.

I hope you took the time out today to really think about what you are thankful for. And not just the whole, "friends, family, health, blah blah blah..." but what you are really blessed with on top of those things.

Note to Self: What are you thankful for?

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

Oh, Christmas tree,
Oh, Christmas tree,
Don't come 'til after turkey.

Oh, Christmas tree
Oh, Christmas tree
And all the can-shaped cranberry.

Each year, it seems, you come more soon,
Next year, maybe, the month of June.

Oh, Christmas tree,
Oh, Christmas tree,
Early December is good for me.

Note to Self: This rendition of the Christmas classic is dedicated to the overachieving, Christmas-loving ladies at the National Police Wives Association. Happy holidays.

Basking in Homeownership

I couldn't remember if I told you that I did, in fact, buy a home back in June. Part of that whole I'm-completely-stressed-out-and-insane phase I was going through when I was failing to write. I had the day from work yesterday, and my day off happened to coincide with the cop's day off.

A normal day off for me means cleaning the house, laundry, and cooking for the cop before he goes on shift and I am left home alone to bask in my alone-ness.

But the abnormal day off, the day when me and the cop are both off... Well that means....

Bumming out in lounge chairs on the back patio. Beer in hand and staring at the lake and fall foliage in the back yard.

hope y'all are having a good weekend.

Note to Self: Just another shitty day in paradise...

Mafia Wars

Ok, so I have a confession.

I'm a little bit obsessed with Mafia Wars on Facebook. I'm pretty sure it is what has been taking up all my extra time and keeping me from blogging. Damn Mafia Wars.

But there is just something so exciting about knowing I have just kicked the poo out of some guy with the mafia title Imgonakickyurazz and there is nothing he can do about it. Plus, I like the idea of waking up each morning to 200 million dollars in income from owning skeevy rent houses and about 50 mega casinos.

The closest thing I get to that kind of morbid excitement in my real life is telling customers that their credit card has been declined and waking up every other Friday to my paycheck actually being in the bank.

So what would it be like if I were head of my own mafia? I guess I would start by doing more practical things than just stealing money and blackmailing state representatives. Maybe I would knock over a Kate Spade store for some wicked awesome shoes and accessories. Or whack whatever celebrity gets on my nerves that week. I would even have a cool calling card, maybe a Yorkie paw print on the forehead of everyone I have iced. And every time you see a picture of me, I'm wearing a black Chanel dress with a black Prada bag carrying my faithful pup who wears a signature custom made Ralph Lauren bow tie.

Ah, the mafia life would be sweet.

Note to Self: Start with finding the Chanel dress.

Proof

Okay, so yeah it's been a month since I posted.

But I seriously do have a photo to prove what I have been doing with my time...

Yeah, I got married, just like my last post said (and you thought I was just using some lame excuse). And so I have been spending my time being a good Mrs. Cop, setting up house, working my life away, and cleaning Kevlar vests... you know, normal wife things.

I've been procrastinating writing again, I think because I am afraid I will disappoint again - going away for another month without writing, while you all sit on the edge of your seats waiting for the next awesome post (that's what you're doing right?). And look at me, I still haven't made my rounds to all my normal blog haunts.

Even so, even without all the Pulitzer worthy writing, I received a nice award in my absence from Peter Parkour over at Hate and Anger.

It's a nice little tribute to me for hounding him for not blogging. Kinda ironic right?

Anywho, I have so many daily things where I still think, oh I should blog about that, and yet I don't. I should. And I should make it around to reading you guys and commenting again.

I just finished up a small project for the National Police Wives Association. When it gets printed, you guys will be the first to know. For now, I hope to make it back very soon (at least this week), if for no other reason than to bring you some good Note to Idiots. I mean, retail during the Christmas season makes for plenty of writing material, so I know I really have no excuse anymore.

Hang in there.

Note to Self: Add this award to the award page...

AND...

Today is my wedding day!

Note to Self: Don't trip!

Weddings (and other such wackiness)...

Yep, I'm getting married in less than two weeks (11 days to be exact), and the stress is kicking in double-time. I have to make sure the whos-its are on time and the whats-its are where they are supposed to be and the why-nows are paid on time.

Juggling it all has been a bit of a challenge (especially since I was never good at juggling), but I am making it through as long as nothing else gets piled on...

Like the promotion... THAT I GOT. Heck yes. Oh dang.

So my schedule is totally thrown for a loop these days, mandating that I spend more time at work (y'know, making more money) and spend the rest of my time either sleeping or coordinating the whos-its, whats-its, and why-nows.

I miss my writing. I miss my bloggy friends. But I also very much miss the cop, and I can't wait to spend all my extra time with him soon. So hang in there, dear commenters. I hope to be back to some better semblance of my former self in the near, not-so-busy future.

Note to Self: Write down new ideas for Note to Idiot posts... retail is practically a gold mine for them...

All About the Job

So these past few months have been super-hectic working out the whole lay-off thing and emotionally swinging my Louisville Slugger in a new career direction: retail.

This past week, I went and interviewed with the district manager for our stores to try and get a promotion into an entry management position that just came open in my store. The interview went well, and I'm hoping to hear something about it early this coming week. Cross your fingers for a promotion (and a pay raise, woohoo!).

Speaking of jobs, the cop is finding himself more and more beat down these days with crazy calls, rude people, and desperate criminals. I even saw a bumper sticker in town today that summed it all up: "Crime Doesn't Pay. And Neither Does Our Police Department."

He recently visited the site of the killing of a fellow officer and was overcome with emotion - mostly rage. I hated to hear him so angry about something, but I understood where it was coming from. He said he could see where the officer had been shot through the door. He could see that the drug dealer who shot him had obviously been crouching down, hiding, like a coward, because of the way the bullet came through the door. It also showed great restraint, I think, that the officers standing behind their fallen comrade did not shoot the bastard.

I think sometimes even I don't give these guys enough credit for the restraint they often show in their line of work. Because seriously, I couldn't do it. The first woman whose infant child I found out of a car seat in a moving vehicle would become the object of a serious bitch-slapping. I'm pretty sure I would be in jail, especially since car seat violations are the least of their worries as officers.

In closing, I give you a little bit of Paul Harvey:



Note to Self: Kiss the cop regularly. Remind him he does a good job that no one else is willing to do.

Bridezilla

So, I consider myself a rather picky person when it comes to my wedding planning. All of my vendors, however, have delightfully told me how wonderful and easy I have been compared to other brides.

I just have to wonder what the other brides are like? What exactly is it that they demand that I'm missing out on? I have to wonder.
When it comes to wedding planning, I don't think I have ever done anything more stressful, yet fulfilling, in my life thus far. Sad, I know, but it has a been a lot of fun. I have enjoyed shopping with my bridesmaids, picking out their gifts, and ordering all the little things like my cake topper and garters. And I am super-excited about the shower my Maid-of-Honor is throwing me.

I couldn't imagine being a total bitch about my big day. Although I am quite opinionated about what I want, none of it is worth making people frustrated or angry with me.

Like I couldn't imagine being THESE women:

Sheesh!

Note to Self: I mean, is demanding that every bridesmaid have matching hair color so much to ask! Gah!... Just kidding.

Actually, what's funny about that - I have a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead for bridemaids... Sounds like the beginning to a bad joke.

Priorities

In the cop's line of work, it's easy to become very cynical about the world and humanity in general. Me, I like to make fun of the majority of mankind and its generally high level of stupidity.

With that, I am going to start a new series called "Pryorateez" to show you just how screwed up and backwards some people can be.

Since this is my first one, I actually have a photo for you for illustration purposes. I don't think I'll even really need to explain it much.

Yes. That is a custom painted truck on rims... parked in front of a government project house. There are many more like these, and I will make sure to bring them to your attention.

I sleep easily knowing that someone who is getting my tax money can live well enough to afford that, even though they can't pay their own damn rent or mortgage. It just makes me feel great about life.

Note to Self: I personally would have gone with bass boat blue, but that's just me.