A Unique Christmas Commentary

Now THIS is fucking funny!

Retro Moment

Knottyboy was talking about Barbies on his last audio post and it reminded me of this set of dolls I had as a kid called The Sunshine Family. This would have been mid to late 70's. They were the crunchy granola doll set - mom and dad work Birkenstock's! The house was a round open style doll house - a bungalow and everything was very, well, hippie-ish. There was a grandma and grandpa set too, but I don't recall having them.

Does anyone else remember this?

Happy Solstice!

Today is the longest night of the year and marks the Winter Solstice for all us pagan-types out there.

It also marks the birthday of one of my very nearest and dearest friends, Govgirl, whom had the audacity to not be at work today after I sent her an e-card, so she'll just have to wait and see it when she goes back to work in January! Happy Birthday dear girl! You are a remarkable woman and a true friend. I am lucky to have known you for as long as I have and look forward to many more years of friendship (Govgirl was the person who introduced me to Monty Python and Douglas Adams, so she holds a rather special place in my heart!).

Regardless, a Happy Solstice to everyone out there and may the turning of the seasons bring hope, joy and prosperity to all!

Define "Bored"

So my first official rejection from my first desperation to find a new job fast interview. They called (which at least they did that - most times you just get ignored!) and said it was decided that I was too senior and would be bored in three months.

Well gosh, I didn't realize in half an hour you'd managed to totally nail not only my abilities but what I would consider "boring." Wow. I'm impressed. I mean, it's funny I've gotten that response before as to why I wasn't hired and it's the most frustrating thing in the world to hear! I mean, how the fuck do you know what bores me? You didn't ask in the interview so how could you possibly have the vaguest idea?!

Piss me right off.

Help

I want to add my picture when I post, but do I have to sign up for that stoopid Hello thing or is there a way around it? There doesn't seem to be the option just to add a jpeg or anything, you need some url and I really don't want to do that if I don't have to.

Anyone?

Waiting ...

So I've caved and done the damned Christmas cards. I wrote them up last night and sent them out today. I keep waiting for that holiday euphoria to kick in but so far really just still not into it.

The Good Father put some lights up but hasn't connected them yet. I figure at the rate he tends to do things they should be working by New Year's Day.

Haven't decided if we'll bother with a tree or gifts. Kinda have to get for the family, but since we're doing donations at least it can be done sitting right here. But rather than worry about getting it done I'm waiting for my husband to get his ass in gear and sit down to do it. For the one sibling and spouse that didn't want to do donations we decided tough shit, they're getting donations. I suppose at some point next week I'll haul my ass out and get gifts for their kids. Yippee.

I don't know that we'll do gifts for each other either. I just keep worrying that if we do go out and even just spend like $100 each, if I don't get a job fast enough that money would have been food, you know? We'll still do our Christmas Eve tradition of Chinese food and Scrooged but that may be about it.

The mood goes up, the mood goes down. Mostly down. I know I'm lucky beause I have what really counts - friends and family and a home - but still it's hard to deal with all the crap of the season. And if I hear one more blasted carol I'm going to shoot someone. Waited in the doctor's office for an hour today and the radio station played all Christmas music - most of it really sappy too. Ick. I hate sap even when I'm in a good mood!

Okay, Onwards and Upwards

Thanks to everyone for their words and hugs during my last manic depressive post (and I am allowed to be manic depressive because, well, I am manic depressive, though in polite society today we say bipolar - oy.).

While I'm not quite 100% here, I just got a good swift shot in the ass from a member of my dance troupe. Now we have only known each other a few years, and trust me, this woman has been through a lot of shit in her life but always manages to smile. I won't go into full details but she - without realizing it - reminded me what the purpose of the season is. Not stuff, people.

So while I'm still kinda out of sorts, I think it's time I got my collective shit together, pulled up my boot straps as they say, and tried to get into the holiday season.

The operative word being try here. I mean, I already got my Christmas cards, so may as well send them out, huh?

Slowly but surely the old Sister Stacey will make a return ... stay tuned ...

(oh and to Ms. Bees Knees - thanks for that very generous offer! I will let you know if I intend to take you up on it!)

The Many Stages of Pissed

So it appears I've moved on from horribly wounded and weepy to bitchy and bitter. Less crying but more grit. No idea yet what the next phase will bring.

And I am just oh-so-sure that all the blogging community wants nothing more than to hear how grumpy I am. How not into the holidays I am. How I don't give a purple fuck if my husband's family get gifts or not. Actually that will be interesting to see. Normally every year I haul ass and buy gifts for his family and he gives me money once I've done the shopping. This year I could care less so I wonder if he'll finally get out and do shopping for his own family.

And this year technically would be easier than I've dealt with since it's donations for the adults - he can do it all from the house. Except for the kids. I wonder if I make no move to do the shopping if he'll get out there and buy them crap if I don't. Guess we'll see on the 25th won't we?

But I'm sure he's happy in a way I'm not into things this year. He hates shopping so no running around trying to get me shit either. And no tree. He has commented the last couple of years that he could do without a tree. He finds it a pain and since I grew up in a Jewish household found it novel and fun. This year he gets his wish - no tree, no having to balance on the front porch bannister stringing lights up, none of that shit. Should make his life a little easier.

My mother though is on my ass. She insists on getting together for Chanukah though I have said I'd rather skip it this year. And she's asking when I plan on doing my shopping "since you have free time you don't have to fight crowds on the weekends!" Yeah, lucky me. She's already got gifts for us so I will get her something.

I'd already ordered our cards for this year from Glinda's Club (sticking with the not-for-profit theme) but I can't be bothered to send them out. I figure if The Good Father wants his family to get cards he can do it this year. Again, normally a chore that falls to me that he never has to think about. Wonder if he'll bother.

Funny that - you get married and the wife does all the family responsibility shit. I don't know if it's a conscious thing or if women just think about this crap more and about getting it done where men generally don't. I shop for gifts for family birthdays, Christmas, make food for events and get cards sent out. I don't have much family so I guess I never thought much of it before. This year I could care less so let's see if he does.

Funny this wasn't going to be a gihugious Christmas anyway. We'd gotten out of that habit the last few years - just stockings, some books, CDs and movies we've wanted and a few small gifts. But the fact we won't be doing a fucking thing at all now makes it seem more not there if that makes sense. I was actualy going to take a cue from Ice Queen and get The Good Father some guitar lessons since about six years ago he absolutely insisted that he absolutely needed an acoustic guitar. I went out and got him one for his birthday. It's been sitting in the case in the living room ever since. I figured if I got him lessons he might just go and use the thing. If not, fuck it, I was going to drag that sucker out and take the lessons myself. I dropped a good chunk of change on the damned instrument it would be nice if someone used it!

So enough of my beyotch rant. I'm sure everyone has happier things to do than sit and read about how miserable I am right now. But the up side is that I have this blog as an outlet to let out how I'm feeling. I've never been great at keeping a private diary, but give me a shot to share my crud with an unsuspecting world and I salavate like a rabid dog.

Go figure.

Tagged

Courtesy of Radmilla. And though I'm not into "happy" right now, I feel it's my duty as a blogger to reply to said tag, so here it goes:

Name 5 simple pleasures that you like most, then pick 5 people to do the same. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used.

1. Cuddling in bed with my cats. They know when I'm sick or unhappy and come lie with me and purr. It's there way of saying "we're sorry mom and though we can't fix it, we can let you know we're here!"
2. Curling up on the sofa with The Good Father Patrick O'Stacey and watching a really, really bad or dumb comedy after a totally shitty day (week, month, year ...).
3. Good friends who always side with you no matter what has happened.
4. Knowing that I'll never cry alone (thank you Crabby).
5. Knowing that it's not where I work, who I work for or what I do, my friends love me for who I am (thank you to Mr. Crabby for reminding me of this. It's easy to forget.)

Who do I tag?
Ice Queen
Epicurist
Knottyboy
Mikevil
Bees Knees

Uncomfortably Numb

To use a Crabby quote, Helldamnfart.

Yesterday afternoon as I'm sitting in the office happily working away and feeling smug that I will have money for the holidays, my debts are all paid off and I can now start to really enjoy reaping the benefits of working for a living again, the boss comes down to tell me that I'm being let go.

Insert bewildered look and stopping of heart mucscle here.

I am wonderful. I'm a fabulous writer, have a great personality, a positive attitude, am full of energy, get things done quickly and all that great shit, but apparently that's just not enough.

See, in the interview for this job there was a 50/50 split between marketing and communications. I was very blunt and straightforward in the interview saying that while I had years of advertising agency experience as an Art Buyer and five years of copywriting expereience I lacked any real formal marketing training or ability, thought with my background could probably figure it out and learn it given a bit of time.

At the time they told me their top priority was someone who was a strong writer and a good personality fit, so they hired me.

It would seem that after two months, some very positive feedback on the work I'd done and landing two new contacts for sales visits (something I had no idea how to do) I just wasn't what they were looking for and they were letting me go.

The upside is I get paid for December though I won't be there. They decided they owed me that much. They will also say if asked that I was let go due to lack of work and was hired for a short term contract rather than full-time to help me get another job more easily.

I spent most of last night crying on the shoulders of The Good Father and the Crabbies. I ate pizza and drank rather a lot of red wine.

Today I'm kind of feeling numb, tired, unwanted and my ego has taken a battering like I didn't think possible. I feel about a quarter of an inch tall and very, very lost in a world that is happily chirping away about the coming Yule festivities.

I have to say that the absolute last thing I feel right now is festive.


Anyone looking for a good communications person???