Paper

I? Am seriously going nuts waiting to hear about my admission status from grad school. My nerves are litteraly shot to hell just waiting.
Yeah I knew I would have to wait and I have to be patient.  And school starts in just over a month.  But what really sent me over the edge into crazy-wait was when I received an email from financial aid saying I needed to update something.  I had sent in my fafsa the day before in a move to be prudent (though I really didn't want to because I'm terrified I jinxed something by doing so).  I can check my financial status by using my university id which they gave me in the email, and then find out my pin once I logged in with my university id. 

An university id! You shouldn't get one of those if you're not a student, right?  RIGHT???  I log on, get my pin, and then proceed to clink link after link to become even more confused and a babbling mess about my status.  Because while I can be found in the university directory, when I tried to see what classes were available to me, I was told in bold print I am not listed as a student for any terms. Wha? On top of that, a few days before the financial aid email, I received the graduate school newsletter in the mail.  who do they send that to?  The graduate students? Anyone who applied?  Way to tease.  

And as crazy as I'm going, (just ask mike, I'm a bundle of anxiety) I'm too terrified to call the admissions office to find out my status.  I can't handle them telling me no.  I can't handle hearing you aren't good enough. Because I have heard it before, and it traumatized me. I got stuck spinning my wheels for 3 years because I didn't get a piece of paper.  And now another piece of paper seems to be the key in deciding my fate.

I really hope that I'm completely over reacting and that it's my impatience getting the best of me.   That really is the best case senario that I'm working myself into a tizzy for nothing. I'll apply again if I have to, and I'm poking around of another (accredited) program North Carolina.  All I need is that piece of paper.  But I'm still anxious as hell all the same.

Best Acronym Ever

I'm on the knot reading etiquette message boards. And because some brides take all their time debating god knows what, they don't have time to use their words, so they abbreviate or use an acronym for every single fcking thing.

So idk wth ppl r saying.

There is however, one that cracks me up. Someone posted to the message boards asking if her wedding date was a bad date. And the general consensus was check w/the key members of who you want there, and if the date works for them to go for it. Just be sure to send out stds.

Now I don't know which std is more wedding related, or how well something like the clap travels via mail.  But I'm just going to say that if I received a std from someone I probably don't want to go to their wedding!

She Who Uses the Most Butter Wins

I won.
So my first Thanksgiving was a huge success.  Well, my first Thanksgiving hosting, not my first Thanksgiving ever.  But you know what I mean. There were 9 people total in the house, both sets of parents, each of our siblings sans their spouses, and my uncle.  Everyone had a good visit and time, everyone got along (not that I expected a brawl, but still with 9 people in your house sometimes things happen), and the dogs behaved wonderfully. Bailey especially warmed up to Mike's brother and then insisted on snuggling and draping herself all over everyone.

As for the food, with the exception of the gravy, the food turned out really well.  And the gravy wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good.  The turkey was done an hour before I expected and was the teeniest bit dry (despite the 1/2 lb of butter I stuffed under the skin and all the basting), but it looked really pretty and was a rich mahogany color as it came out of the oven.  And the turkey itself wasn't the hardest part of all the cooking .  After I stuffed the bird (sausage cornbread stuffing, yummy and southern) and get it in the oven, you sorta just wait around to do everything else.  It's when the turkey comes out of the oven that all hell breaks loose.  Not only do you need the drippings from the turkey for the gravy, almost everything else needs the oven* too. Right as everything was being put on the table to eat I reached my frazzle point, but everything made it out fine, everyone sat down, the wine was poured and we ate. 

You know what I didn't realize though? How exhausted I would be after cooking! Who would have thanks that putting on a meal for 9 people would be so tiring?  But it was worth it.  I had a really good time meal planning, cooking and hosting everyone. Everyone liked the food (or else lied very emphatically to not hurt my feelings. And if that's the case then I appreciate it!), everyone got along, and looks like Mike and I are the front runners now for the big holiday gatherings. 

Holiday success!  

*Which is why my dream kitchen has a double oven. I know the only time I would use it would be during the holidays so it's by no means practical. But, oh, the thought of having a double oven in my kitchen, be still my heart!

Where My Mind Goes

Did y'all here about that Target worker who started the petition to not open at midnight?  It's gained national attention but it's totally not going to work.  After creating all the hullabaloo, now this guy doesn't have to work black Friday at all. Which, bully for him.  Yes I'm grumbling some about having to do the same thing myself, but I figured out how to make it work for me and whatever.  I didn't care enough to stir the pot.  And on top of that, my hours changed.  The county that my store is in won't let us open until 6am, so now I go in at 5:30 am and work until 2 pm. So I can get a decent amount of sleep the night before, and have the rest of my Friday to spend with my family.  Thank you Union county!

Anyway, I first hear about the guy via the internets, like you do.  The article starts with a brief intro about the guy and why thanksgiving is important him. Last year he popped the question to his girlfriend, so this thanksgiving they were going to start planning the wedding.

My first thought: (incredulously) They got enagaged last year and they haven't planned the wedding?!?!

one mind

me: Last night in my dream I had a dream.  It was so weird.  But at some point in there, I don't know if it was the dream or the dream within the dream, I dreamed that your ex was trying to get you back.
mike: That's actually funny, because last night I dreamed that your ex was trying to get you back.
me: Whoa. We had the same dream?
mike: Guess so.
me: Cool yet very odd. In my dream your ex showed up to my parents house and claimed you had finish something with work with her.  You actually did have to finish this project so you did, but both of us knew what she was doing.  So I just stood there on the landing shooting you glares to finish up the project as fast as you could and get her out of there.
mike: Ha! Well, there's a negative 90% chance that would ever happen. So you have nothing to worry about.
me: That's good. Oh, and you have nothing to worry about from your dream either.
mike: Yeah? Your ex won't ever try to get you back?
me -snorts- No, he's too lazy!
--mike snicker-- 

Black Friday

When you have a job in retail, you accept that you will have to work on black Friday.  It's just the nature of the beast.  You deal with the crazies and crowds of shoppers for a few hours and you just do it.

I requested to work the early shift on black Friday since I have lots of family coming in for the weekend.  At the time I requested this, my store opened at 3 am.  So I figured I could be at work by 2 am, finished by 10 am at the latest, giving me the rest of the day to spend with my family.  Except now, we open at midnight. So I go to work at 11:45pm thanksgiving day, and work until 8:30 the next morning.  Yeah. 

I considered pulling an all nighter like my daap years. Staying up until I start work, then powering through the rest of my Friday along with everyone else in their right mind who slept through the night. But I know better.  Just because I have done many all nighters, doesn't mean I did any of them well.  Plus I'm 29 years old and I'm too old to be pulling that kind of college kid sh*t.  I'll be cranky and snippy if I don't sleep, and I don't want to ruin anyone's time here just because I didn't get some rest.

So now I plan to have dinner a little earlier, and split my sleep time.  I'll rest a few hours before I leave for work, and then again when I get back home.  I'll get breakfast started and then head back up to bed for a few more hours.  Yeah it's my house and I want to be the one hostessing, but in the milieu of family here are 2 moms and 3 domesticated men to take care of things.  It's the best plan for less than ideal time line.

Retail is a business and I understand that they are just trying to be competitive with each other.  And yeah, I'm going to grumble a little bit, but it's one day.  Like I said, black friday is just part of the nature of the beast.  But the beast didn't have to be a meanie either.