Christmas Prep

Tried three times to get caught up on everyone's blogs this weekend, but Google Reader kept crashing (or actually, the entire screen would go black) after just a few blogs.

I'll keep trying. Maybe I should set up a special email account and follow everyone via email instead.

This weekend was pretty quiet, except DD hadn't finished making gifts for her teachers (something else new we have to remember -- gifts for teachers on holidays). Then, last night she checked the school website portal and found she had Spanish homework. So, there was some drama, but not as much as usual.

I still don't have my Christmas cards out (maybe today?) and I have a couple more things to get for Christmas TODAY (because they're for the kidlet, and she's off school after Tuesday).

We did buy an artificial tree. That's something we've been wanting to do for several years now, but couldn't find one reasonably priced that had the "real" looking spruce needles. Saturday, at a warehouse club store, I actually found one. It was marked down under $100 and pretty darn nice looking.



You see, we have a problem with our trees. The woodstove keeps it SO hot and dry in our house that a real tree dies in a matter of days, no matter what we do. This year, I could sit in the dining room and hear the needles falling off. Worse, the branches all drooped so the lights, tinsel AND ornaments kept sliding off.

So Saturday night, DH and I put the new artificial tree together and then the three of us "undecorated" the old tree and put it outside, then decorated the new one.

It's SUCH a relief to not have to sweep needles every five minutes and the decorations are sliding off.

Yesterday, though, was the true test -- the in-laws stopping by unexpectedly. The front lawn is littered with needles from the old tree, and they commented on it. DH said we'd tossed the old tree, and the in-laws said: "And you went out and got another tree?"

"Yes."

"It looks good."

"It's fake."

"Really?!"

So it passed the test. *G*

Other than that, I've been working on the new LASR website. Haven't figured out WordPress, but might have found someone willing to "consult" for a reasonable fee. For now, we're using the tools we know how to use, but our plan is to have the entire site up on WordPress eventually, since WP is so much more versatile than Blogger and we want the ability for several people to make changes and additions to the site (right now, I'm the only one who can build the site proper -- so panic ensues when I lose power AND I can never take vacation -- haven't had time off in four years).

I can't believe it's only a week until Christmas. Hope you all are more ready for it than I am!!

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You Are a Success

You are ardent and passionate. You have a intensity that burns brightly. You are career-focused. You get a lot of satisfaction from working hard. You are both charming and gracious. People find you to be very desirable. Crafty and creative, you are able to adapt freely to almost any situation.

The Over the Rainbow Test

Um....well.. yeah. Pretty much spot on.

It always freaks me out a little when that happens...

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