See, I think I’d do much better if there were less time between Thanksgiving and Xmas.

I’m a mad shopper and usually only need one or two trips to the store to buy all my gifts (I usually take more trips though just because I like to). And then…it’s sit and wait.

And by now, after two weeks of looking at wrapped presents under the tree, I’m starting to get awfully cranky.

Last night, since we had no food for dinner, I made the hubster go with me to the mall, just for fun. He didn’t have so much fun. And I have to say, judging by the number of dads there with kids, I’m not the only one that starts to get cranky this close to Xmas.

I could just imagine a bunch of moms at home alone soaking in a nice bath, maybe a glass of wine.

Anyway, I’ve hinted at it but I don’t think I’ve actually mentioned my holiday plans. I’ll be heading to the lovely metropolis of Pittsburgh for Xmas. We’ll be visiting my mom, seeing my dad, and finally seeing my friends baby while there.

Then we’ll come home for a few days before heading to the inlaws.

Anyway, I probably won’t have “real” posts over the holiday weekend (though I’ll still be here tomorrow), next week I’ll tell you about all of my cool Xmas presents (if I get any), and beleive it or not, I’m gearing up for *gasp* a series of writing posts for the first of the year!

What’s everyone else doing this weekend?

So, I admit it. I still get giddy when it’s time to go to bed on Xmas eve, and would probably hit the sack at 8:30 and get up at the crack of dawn if people would let me.

And lets just say that the hubster doesn’t like me on Xmas morning when I wake him up.

I bought and wrapped most of my presents myself and I’m still as excited as a five year old.

And now, since I convinced (read: made) the hubster go to the post office for me today I have nothing else on my list for the rest of the week.

10 pounds of fudge is made, 15 dozen cookies are baked. Presents are wrapped and even ready to put in the car to take to various family functions.

We’ll be headed to my Mom’s house for Xmas, home for a few days, and then off to the in-laws for New Years. A lot of driving, but (fingers crossed) hopefully not in yucky weather.

Anyway, surprise, surprise, I’m going to do a little bit (or hopefully a lot) of writing today.

What do you have left to do?

But it doesn’t matter how many times I check it if people keep adding stuff!!!

Note to stores: Please don’t have the surly, STUPID people working during the Xmas holidays. Really, I’d rather wait a little longer in line to have a checker who actually spoke to me rather than grunting at the little screen that shows my total.

And why don’t people understand that working in retail is CUSTOMER SERVICE. It’s not my job to do things for you. I’m not getting paid anything, in fact I’m paying you.

Still, it’s still not quite last minute enough that most of the customers are cranky (or maybe it’s the fact that I’m going during the day, I bet people shopping after work are much more cranky). I’ve had several nice conversations with people in the stores, which always makes for a fun shopping experience.

Ah yes, the crazies are out.

Anyway, it’s back to the store for me again today - I did cross off everything yesterday but then stuff got added. And I started cutting up my fudge.

I’ll have to put it on the scale to see just how much fudge I really made.

How’s everybody else? Is your house ready for Santa?

My to-do list for this week is kind of scaring me.

So, because of that I’ve decided to share it!

Clean out email inbox and actually respond to messages
Finish final edit of anthology story and send out (currently trying to get back one last crit but having some computer problems)
Finish making fudge (butterscotch nut & chooclate nut remaining)
Bake cookies (snickerdoodles, chocolate peanut butter sandwiches, sugar, gingersnaps) - final count 15 dozen chocolate chip, oatmeal cranberry, peanut butter blossoms, snickerdoodles and ginger cookies
Bake more biscotti (cranberry orange to go along with cranberry nut)
Stop eating biscotti so I don’t have to make even more
Make chocolate covered stuff (pretzels & apricots)
Buy more pretzels because I ate all the ones I already had
Finish Xmas shopping (extra presents for - 2 friends, 1 BIL, Mom, Hubster)
Go back to store for “secret santa” presents I just found out about (and I think Santa may be doing a little shopping for herself) And Santa got herself some cute boots (they’re kind of bootie like, with fur)
Finish Xmas wrapping
Pack up goodies for giving (1 left to be mailed, 1 to be mailed after Xmas, 1 for hubster work, 1 for hubster bosses family, divvy up rest of my family and hubsters family)
Go to post office Made hubster go since he works NEXT DOOR.
Get directions to drive home for the holidays
Pack for trip (clothes, presents)

Edited to add: I’m doing “Make Beleive Monday” over at author Debra Parmley’s blog so come on over and learn more about ME!!

What’s on your list this last week before Xmas?

Edited to add: The stuff in red is stuff that’s getting added as the week progresses. It makes it more festive.

is at Word Flirts.

I’m talking about writerly journeys, so come on over.

Kate/Cat tagged me to confess six weird things about myself.

Why not? Who cares if everybody thinks I’m a big weird-o.

Some of them are holiday related, mostly because that’s pretty much where my brain is right now.

1. I’m absolutely terrified of butterflies. (Did you know there’s actually a name for this? And last time I admitted it on my blog I got asked to join some study of the phenomenon?) I discovered this, unfortunatly, when I was already in the butterfly garden at the Pacific Science Center.

2. My mom took me (and a group of friends) to Hooters for my 16th birthday because she called places in the area to see who would embarass me the most. As a result, I haven’t been embaressed since and it’s just about impossible to get me to blush.

3. I’m a baking school drop-out. At one point I decided that my dream job would be owning a bakery/candy store on the beach. But it turned out, I didn’t so much like making stuff that I could just as easily make from a box while people yelled at me.

4. I don’t like things that are loud or fast. They scare me. I have the television and radio volume at barely hearable.

5. Every year I have a contest with myself to see how early I can get my Xmas cards out - without starting before Thanksgiving is over. And I get mad if I get any cards before I know people have started getting mine.

6. Generally, I don’t like movies. I can think of tons of things I’d rather do than actually go to a move in the theater, and usually I’m disappointed after watching most big Hollywood movies.

I’m just going to tag anyone else who wants to play.

Is it just me or does Romancelandia seem abnormally empty over the past few weeks?

Is it that the holidays are almost upon so people are running around like chickens with their heads cut off? Is everyone in the holiday spirit so there aren’t as many rants as usual (although personally I would think the holidays are a great time for ranting).

All of my loops, groups, forums, etc, have been sloooooowww. Not cool for those of us wishing to procrastinate.

And I haven’t been able to get into Romance Diva’s for almost a week. I’m starting to get twitchy!!

I was supposed to have lunch with a friend today but she’s got a sick kid at home so instead I’m going to go spend a small fortune at the grocery store buying the rest of my baking supplies.

How gross is this - I bought the biggest bag of sugar they had last week (which was only 5 lbs) and I need ANOTHER one today. But everyone should be proud of me because I haven’t even touched a bite of fudge yet!

Ahyway, I’m off to the post office and then the grocery store - maybe a trip to Target is in order too.

What’s everyone else baking this holiday season (entire recipes welcome)? What are some of your favorite holiday baked goods?

I’ve been writing.

And while that is odd in itself, the even odder (more odd?) thing is that when I’m writing, and when it’s actually *gasp* going well, I have nothing to blog about.

Yesterday I made raspberry chocolate swirl fudge - in the pot it looked like a big pot of blood - and now that it’s hardened it’s got a most definite red tinge too it. I guess red works for Xmas but it seems more Halloween like to me.

I also made some peppermint bark.

That turned out well, but the peppermints made an awful sound when I chopped them in the food processor.

Now there’s nothing left to make except the stuff I need more ingredients for. Tomorrow I’m having lunch with a friend and then I’ll go to the grocery store after that.

But really I feel like I’m in a state of limbo until the holiday’s actually get here.

It’s weird, you know, I work so hard to make sure I’m not stressed out, but then I really don’t function nearly as well when I’m not stressed about something.

So like I said, I’m just the oddest thing.

Any oddities you’d like to share?

Ok, first I think Robin needs a Woo Hoo for finishing the farm books! Woo Hoo!

Now back to the title of the post. Yep, I couldn’t sleep last night.

This happens every so often where I go to bed and just can’t sleep. The oddest things seem to float through my brain keeping me from sleeping.

I let myself “sleep” (more like laying in bed since there was a distinct lack of sleeping involved) in today though. But the worst part is, I have no coffee.

That’s not excactly true. See, I have plenty of coffee, and I made some yesterday morning, but when I went to add the cream, it didn’t seem quite right. It smelled a bit off and tasted even off-er.

Still, I went ahead and drank it.

On the positive side, I did get a fair bit of writing done yesterday between trips to the bathroom after the cream made me ill!

And finally, onto TV - did anyone watch Wedding Wars on A&E last night? I don’t watch much TV at all, but I’ve been anxiously awaiting this one. It was fun!!

Although mostly what I got out of it was that I really wish Firefly would come back (Simon Tan was in Wedding Wars, playing Uncle Jesse’s - John Stamos, though he’ll always be Uncle Jesse to me - boyfriend).

How’s everyone else doing?

Uh-oh.

I do this every Xmas.

My presents are purchased and wrapped. The cards are sent out. I still have a fair amount of baking to do, but it’s mostly stuff I’m either, waiting to make (so I don’t eat it all) or stuff that I have to go to the store for.

And even though I have lots to make, I could very easily do it all in one marathon baking session.

So what has set in - the holiday blahs.

It’s not really that cold here (I’m not complaining about that) so it doesn’t feel like the holidays. People are still putting up their decorations while mine have been done for weeks.

Malls are crazy this time of year, and it’s mostly those annoying people who don’t shop the rest of the year so manage to annoy those of us who are normal shoppers - (Kind of like that Visa check card commercial where they’re in the restaurant and everything is going smoothly until they get to the check out and some guy wants to pay with cash and people start dropping food and stuff).

Anyway, I’m even been perusing my TBR pile and nothing is really screaming to me (luckily I’m expecting books for Xmas).

So, I’m feeling blah.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I think part of my blahness may come from the fact that I didn’t do anything this weekend. Though we did get our heat back early afternoon on Saturday (the guy had no idea why things stopped working - not really a good sign).

But on the plus side I am feeling motivated to write today so things aren’t all bad!

What fun stuff did everybody do this weekend?