Last night, for the first time in WAY too long I got to see Casey, Vanessa, and Dylan for dinner.  I am feeling a bit rushed around lately to get things done and squeezed in, but that's to be expected with the holidays and all.  I also ran last night to do a little cologne shopping.  I've said it a million times, but a good cologne is highly critical and helps reinforce memories for me.  I'm glad the 'new guy' is willing to play along and humor me ;)
 
Spoke with mum while I was out and about and learned that my Uncle Carmen (my dad's brother) passed away.  I've not been in close contact with that side of the family, well basically since my father passed, but... it does make me a little sad.  With the photos mom recently gave me it was on my mind to write to Uncle Carm just to say hello, that I was thinking of him, etc etc... but I guess I missed my window of opportunity.
 
The icing on my evening's cake was someone rearing their head yet again.  Bored?  Lonely?  Needy?  Whatever your problem is - it's not mine, stop trying to torture me.

Headed to see Twilight Friday night.  I still hate the story as it unfolded with regard to Jacob, but that's just me.  Now I have to wait til when to see the other half?

Saturday and Sunday both have allowed me to sleep in a bit and to get some cleaning done.  I even hauled the Christmas stuff down to get it in order during the week!  That is, if I can find the plug for the Christmas tree, or I'll be reverting to adding lights to get it kicking.  I made a few more gift purchases too, so I'm almost done.  One box packed to go to my sister and another needs done as soon as I can find one that is long/high enough for the one item.

Decided to officially change the FB status today after getting nixed on my choice of shirts.  I like the one that says Single though, it's a regular cruise companion. :)

Was suppose to have an apartment showing this evening.  I'm kind of bumming, cause it's past the time they said they'd show and nothing.  I have never had this much of a challenge getting people in to see it, much less filling it back up.  Meh.  I'll survive, but it sure is nice having that income.

Another week down, stayed pretty busy at work, so the days went fast.  I was actually pretty productive too, so yay for all that.  Tonight, some flick-age indeed.

 I covered my hankering for wings last night at the Orchard.  Mmm, delightful sweet garlic, nom!  After that - home to wrap additional gifts.  The night before was preparing most of the Christmas cards.  At least I'm on target this year and not running behind on those things.  Too bad I still have a few more gifts to purchase.  I so should be done at this point, but mom is always a challenge, and I need something else for my sister.  Anyone with ideas?

I just finished cleaning the fridge at work.  That was my good deed for the holiday season.  If anyone's kid has a science experiment due, feel free to come get one out of the garbage can.  I feel dirty.

For a second week in a row I'm compelled to call it a good week.  It's amazing the difference in overall perspective when spending time with someone who treats me well.  It's been an incredibly stark departure from how I was treated by the more recent jackass-a-lope that I almost don't know how to take it and am having an interesting time trusting it, but I'm trying to at least let my mind wrap around it.  In the mean time I'll just be working to make sure mistakes of the past don't creep in.  I still say, this one could have spared me from the aforementioned a-lope, too bad he wasn't ready then.

The rest of my weekend went quickly, first heading to Altoona on Saturday for a purse party and then heading back down there on Sunday and off to Baltimore to return my sister to the airport.  The added perk in BWI is that I got to see my Kirkus for an early dinner and we feasted at LeeLynn's, which was yummy.  Some calamari, some crab dip, and part of a chicken panini later and my full tummy was on the way back to PA.  I was treated to beautiful pinks and purples in the skies on the first hour of the drive back.

Yay for long weekends!  I did a little cleaning here and there earlier in the week to get things in order prior to mom and my sis coming up to the Jingle today.  We just chilled out in the living room with the fireplace going for a little while, bs'ed while mom napped on the loveseat, ant did the routine mom-inspection.  I passed with a "you did good", so fear that.  From there we did a little running looking for a replacement chair for the apartment living room with no luck and grabbed some fajitas at Reys.

It's been a busy week between the cleaning spurts and hanging out, getting to know someone a bit (again).  I think I'm going to just chill the rest of the evening.  It's going to be a busy enough rest of the long weekend.

Happy Veteran's Day and thank you to those who have served.

I'm a little disappointed this afternoon.  I'm in a frenzy mood this week anyhow, and stressed w/ everything on the work to do list.  Then I finally heard about the position I tried for.  It's not that I didn't get it, I didn't expect to... it's that the one person I feel confident shouldn't have been a competitor did.  It makes my funk ask me why I try and work hard when it seems it doesn't matter much.

Stopped to vote on the way to work.  It really should take but a minute, but no, never.  First, I want to thank the people who annoyed me outside as I went in.  You're as obnoxious as telemarketers in my world... thanks for making sure I don't vote for someone who is comfortable invading my privacy.  Got inside and they still have me listed as C-.  They had to call the courthouse who told them I needed to change my name with them.  Seriously?  You mean, like I did, legally, last October at the COURTHOUSE?  You know, that paperwork that allowed me to update my drivers license, and even get a new one this July where I clicked "register to vote"?  Eesh.

Bummed in bed until noonish today, after my previous post.  Eventually got moving to get my butternut squash and pumpkin cooking.  This time I opted for a soup made of both.  It turned out okay, but not as good as the butternut squash soup I made last round a month or so ago.  Made some yummy pumpkin spice cookies too!  I swear I didn't overeat today, despite it all.

Got an hour and a half in on work-work too, but didn't get through the materials for my goal review.  Meh.  I'll try to catch it tomorrow night or something.  Not really motivated to spend time on something that I can't even charge the time on.

I was kind of expecting to have my evening claimed, but that didn't pan out, so instead  I went through some of the materials mom gave me yesterday.  Scanned in pics for upload to facebook and shutterfly of mom, dad, BOTH sets of grandparents (it's very odd to see photos of grandpa Maucieri for the first time) and some of my aunts and uncles on dad's side.  Also went through the box of cards and prayer dedications my mother kept from my father's funeral.  I'm very grateful to have these things, but at the same time, I hate that she's going through everything and sorting things for Jackie, Joe, and I.

I cleaned my little heart out on Friday after work to make it at least respectable to have company over to watch a movie.  So that at least made my weekend productive.  Even headed outside Saturday morning to remove all of the plants that were (finally) killed off with last weekend's cold weather, before I headed out to get my sister at the airport.  Well, actually, not the airport, but rather Primanti's in Monroeville.  Her neighbors from TX are in the burgh and brought her from the airport to me.  It was a bit of a shorter drive and it was nice to have lunch w/ Chuck and Karen.

Down the mountain to deliver my sister and eat at mom's.  She also had dug through things and had a pile of stuff for me to bring home.  So we went through a ton of photos.  I've got a good number more of dad and a ton of mom when she was younger to scan in and get copies for J and I both.  By the time I got home I was pretty wiped, so I went to bed a bit early, which was compounded by the changing of the clocks.

So here we are this morning, I have some goals to review for work and a squash and pumpkin that REALLY need cooked with today.  As soon as I find a smidge of motivation, I'll be on it.

Yay for freshly neon pink painted toes... all the better to curl in caribbean sand, my dear.  I can't wait, but it's too far away at this point.  For now I just need to take down the orange flickering lights and the bat flag.  But by the grace of God it was up to 60 again today.  This place, no wonder everyone is sick in time for the holidays.

I've got to say, even if I risk the people involved seeing this, that I had a third (kind of) ex reappear recently.  I would say fourth, but the one won't go away enough for it to be a reappearing *rolls eyes*.  I say kind of on this one as there was but one real date and some hanging out before they decided to run the other direction due to someone close to them not being cool with the situation. I get it, but, rest assured, I have no desire to dive towards something that could turn the same direction at any point.  It's times like this when I just want to say "what exactly do you expect of me?"  It also leaves me wondering how to not keep people at an arm's length as a result of the idiocy of a few that have left their scars.

He ate my heart then he ate my brain. ... That boy is a monster. -LG