We had a very good time at the party last weekend. I am talking about the overnight Christmas Party at the resort, the one that got my knickers into a twist. It is my experience, that if I am stressed about having to do something, it is best to do all my emoting well before the event. When the feeling of being overwhelmed is externalized, it is acknowledged and dealt with before the event. This “clears the decks”, keeping the negative feelings from sullying the experience, because they have already been dealt with.
We arrived to a very nice room, with a wood burning fireplace, a refrigerator, coffeemaker, wifi, TV. After settling in, we dressed for dinner, then joined the party. The waitress had been alerted to my situation, and she bent over backwards to make sure I was as comfortable as possible. The food was great, Attila said, and the company was pleasant. We even danced during the evening. Attila and I and a female employee were the last to leave the party room, which was still going strong at 1 a.m. The beds were comfortable. We joined the rest of the staff for breakfast, again I brought my own, and afterwards packed the car and headed home.
Attila’s employer was generous to all, hosting such a fantastic overnight party at a resort. They also had special decorations for the tables, and gifts for every single employee and guest. They know how to do things up right, and their employees are happy to give their all at work, because it works both ways. Attila’s employers are Gold Star employers.
Monday morning, just as morning was dawning, I climbed into Tank and set my sights for the little house in the city. Several hours after I left, Attila and Mist headed out in Four Doors, for the same destination. Our respective journeys were uneventful, we all arrived safely. Attila will be here, gone again, back here, gone again, and so on, over the next few weeks. Tank and Mist and I will be staying on at the little house for the duration of December.
It has been some time since we stocked up on supplies, so part of Monday, and all day Tuesday, Attila and doodled around the city gathering supplies from various sources. Most of our money went to food, but we did buy a few other items.
One thing Attila decided to splurge on this year is a pair of gloves for work. They had to be extremely rugged, as he handles a lot of lumber and construction materials. They had to be warm, as he works long hours out of doors. They had to be waterproof, as he works in the snow and rain. I researched gloves for Attila for quite a while before finding all of these qualities in a glove at a reasonable cost. I did find them, and could order them, at a store near the little house in the city. I ordered two pairs. Today Attila picked them up, and it seems that will do nicely. The real test is when Attila wears them at work. He will know soon enough if they are up to the job.
We hit our usual hotspots, the Thrift Store, and the ReStore.
At the Thrift Store I found a red blouse that will do nicely for next Christmas, for only $1.00. This is a real relief, as the price is certainly right, for an item of clothing to be worn one day a year, possibly only once. I also found a lovely wool scarf.
At the ReStore we found some high quality glue for $2.00, assorted screws for $1.00, and some ceramic cabinet hardware for $1.00 per knob.
On this trip we need to obtain a local cell phone for the little house in the city. Our cell phone is attached to our country house. Since Attila and I drive separate vehicles long distances now, we both need an emergency cell phone. Attila will take the cell phone attached to the country house location, and I will use the “new ” cell phone attached to the little house in the city.
Yesterday I broke down and ventured out in Four Doors to look for a new cell phone. There are only two local stores that sell them, and I visited both of them. In the end I purchased an Alcatel phone with a Telus sim card. It is a cheap flip phone, with no bells, no whistles, just send and receive calls. I called customer support to assist me with setting it up, and then tried to top up the cell phone using my credit card. No can do, the address for the cell phone is the little house in the city, the address for the credit card is for the country house. The addresses have to be the same. My only option was to make a trip this morning to purchase a top up pin number. I went for the $100 that is good for 365 days. This saves me from forgetting more than once a year, to top up the cell phone!
Attila and I are happily puttering about today. I have strung Christmas lights on the front windows, hung a few Christmas ornaments in the windows, put up the tiny artificial Christmas tree, and decorated it. I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce, and invited Terra and Lares for supper. Should be fun!
Attila rerouted the electrical wiring to the kitchen, as it had been installed in a crazy way. While he was at it, he installed a new updated electrical switch box, and a new plate to cover it all. He also got started on installing the new light fixture above the kitchen sink. The light fixture that was there when we purchased the house in 2010 never worked.
Mist meowed weakly twice after being brought into the little house from the car, when we arrived on Monday. She adjusted immediately, and has been as happy as a clam. She seems to love the little house, and had staked out her hiding places, as well as Attila’s chair!
Tired! I am feeling tired, so I fear the proofreading on this entry is not up to snuff. I will do better next time!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
-3°C
Date: 3:00 PM EST Wednesday 10 December 2014
Condition: Light Snow
Pressure: 101.1 kPa
Tendency: falling
Visibility: 2 km
Temperature: -2.7°C
Dewpoint: -4.7°C
Humidity: 86%
Wind: NNW 29 gust 43 km/h
Wind Chill: -10
Quote
“I love life…Yeah, I’m sad, but at the same time, I’m really happy that something could make me feel that sad. It’s like…It makes me feel alive, you know. It makes me feel human. The only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt something really good before. So I have to take the bad with the good. So I guess what I’m feeling is like a beautiful sadness.”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
