When my co-worker J’s, mom passed away, I had to coordinate what to get for her. My other coworker said to get flowers but S, another lady said J and family are Jewish. Usually for funerals plant gifts are sent, not flowers. I am glad I waited a day before I started ordering flowers. We don’t want to send something offending albeit we can say we didn’t know but I’m glad S did her homework.

The shopping for my trip is done and I’m all set to go. I do wanted to go to Macy’s but I ran out of time. There is not much to get at Macy’s but it’s more for window shopping, just to join the Black Friday crowd. Although I want to get a new mattress that is good in price like mattresses los angeles sells, it would be nice. Old mattresses are hard to sleep on

I have to admit I never liked conference calls before. During the 3rd and the rest of the 4th quaters i have to be on conference calls twice a week. Now that the company has changed the service to internet conference calls it is so much easier and fast to connect to the other parties. Moreover we employees received now phones which make life way better! All the buttons for making conference calls are right on the phone without looking them up on the phone directory/menu. Breeze!

I am most surprised to receive an invitation via email from my coworker to her baby shower.
We used to work together 11 years ago but she moved on to a different area a year later. We have not talked to each other for quite a while and that is why I said I’m surprise at what i saw in my inbox. I replied her telling her I could not make it this Sunday for the shower. She is getting very tired of the paper baby shower invitations she had to send out for her first shower that her aunty did for her. This shower her mom and sister are organizing it. She is so done with showers and actually want the baby out pronto!

R, my friend who is now in Texas, called me telling me she had breast cancer 5 years ago. Yesterday we caught up again and this time round it is not her but her hubby, G, who is going for a laser treatment for back pain.  They are not young anymore, and by the way, they are in their early sixties now, she said she needs to slow down and reminds herself she is not a spring chicken no more!  It was so nice to hear from her again, catching up with what they are up to in Texas for the winter and their traveling adventures.  I do think of her all the time….she has saved me from “trouble” a lot of times!

The weather is at a decent temperature of 30′s and 40′s fahrenheit.  It is perfect sleeping weather and is saving a lot on the heating bill.  I have the temperature in the house set at 65 and and we go to bed it is set at 63.  DB initially was complaining it was too cold at 63 saying he would require CozyWinters.com heated clothing!!  Mind you, when you go to bed with all the blankets and pillows and an extra human in the bed, it’s very very hot.  That’s me.  I know he, too, at times will say it’s too warm.  We had the temperature set to 63 for 2 weeks now, he is adjusting to it and also to the day temperature setting of 65.  My friend said I’m torturing him!

The holiday mood is buzzing around – in the office and every where I go. A friend from the retreat I went to in August (EL her name) invited me to her cabin in Buffalo, MN. It’s probably around 50 minutes drive or more from where I am. I seriously do not know but I would like to go if only I don’t have to get ready for my own vacation. EL has bugged me since we departed to visit her. She lives in her cabin permanently now equipped with cabin furniture, I was told by her best friend, to-die-for furniture.  EL invited me to come up this Friday for the weekend and we all ladies could go Black Friday shopping at the outlet mall!!!  Argh….I so want to go but….a rain check is in order right now.

I’m definitely done shopping for my upcoming trip. I’m broke!!! I wanted to get a funny t-shirt for my friend, I had to say, “next time”. I’m suppose to go home with very little gifts but looking at the stuff in the corner of the walk-in closet is scary. My trip home will only focus on eating, an eating spree for 3 weeks, no shopping for me!

When I see the town home community center wraps up for the summer where the pools are cover with pool covers, the deck chairs and tables put away, I think of the kid who comes over to chat with me every time I’m outside with the two older dogs….back in spring and summer. I should said she is not a kid anymore, she is 16 going on 17!! She used to work at her grandma’s apartment complex, helping out at the pool area. She longs for adult interaction that’s why she comes over when she see me outside. Don’t blame her, she is the assigned babysitter for her 3 little siblings! I told her she needs to get a part time job but….responsibilities are at home.

It’s funny how my conversations with my co-worker, M, always take place in the bathroom. We were once cube neighbors till she moved to a different area and we don’t see each other very often. It was such fun times when we were next to each other…all the laughs and stories she tells me. I’m still very impressed with how she juggles a few dates in one night and sleepless nights!! I told her I’m too old for these “funs”. She was the one who enlightened me on free online dating sites years ago.