My alarm went off and I begged it to shut up and reset for at least a half hour later. I did make it to the office to get some work done before heading to the Rotary lunch. I had the managers of the two radio stations, a lovely couple, Natalie and Marvin at my table, as well as Jordan from AMP, who I know though theatre. It was a festive party with Friends of Bud leading in Christmas carol singing. I stopped at a client to pick up some papers and then back to the office to wrap up a painful file. I sold the concrete table for $100 and a bottle of wine. I played elf, dropping off some gift bags to people who bring me joy, including my fave server at Encore, the owners.. and my hairdresser.
Once home I worked on what looked like should be an easy puzzle, but it is not, and I am tired, so off to bed I am.
I got a lot done after dropping my car off at Hyundai for its 1 & 3 service. They drove me back to the office and picked me up a couple hours later when it was ready. Next thing I knew it was time to head to Joseph Creek Village to meet Bill & Deanne, Donna & Hogie for Mom’s Christmas Buffet dinner. It was delicious and the company was great. They really do know how to put on a spread there!
Donna had picked up a picture at Centre 64 that I had bid on thanks to her when we were there a few weeks ago. It was a silent auction and I just doubled the minimum with no expectation. It says unknown artist and sure looks like the work I saw in Peru. I received an email that I had won it for only $20.
Once home, I started a new puzzle and watched The Voice. I feel pretty good about life right now. I even picked up Party Crackers for Christmas dinner today and plan to make brunch for everyone on Christmas morning. I will pick up Mom and bring her for dinner. Jake and Yumi are coming and I was grateful when Ashlée said they could stay there. I am not organized for company and it will be easiest with Emmy to be with her cousins.
Frustrations out of the way first… I don’t like to run down others in my industry but the lack of useable information by the company that prepared my client’s year end is staggering. I reached out several times asking for the same basic info I need every year and was sent.. a tax return. For those in the business, a return is what you can claim to the government, bookkeeping is everything run through the company and it much match Trial Balances at the year end. I can not make the information match and spent 3 hours on it today… sigh.
My advent made me smile as always
I arrived at the office to be blessed all day with gifts!
At 4 I met with first, Steve, Lallah and MaryAnne about Rotary and then just Steve to work on the 2024 budget for FPPAS. It went smooth and we were done by 6. I worked a little more on the files and them headed to see Karissa for a haircut at 7:30. She gave me a tidied up shag cut and we had a great visit. I stopped at Encore and was thrilled to see that Grace was working. I ordered some nachos and a drink, and she joined me to talk about her haunted house. We had a great visit and she made it clear she doesn’t stay after at work usually. That made me feel good.
I came home and watched Reindeer Games and puzzled. It is good to blow off the day.
I knew I would need a pick me up this week and was grateful to get a 9:15 nail appointment with Minh. He did a great job that I love and will work well through New Year’s Eve.
Once at the office, I was surprised by Layla with some gifts she said screamed Marnée. She did good!
I was frustrated today as I spent a good deal of time awaiting information even though payroll cutoff was Friday and Saturday. I went for acupuncture at 4 and had to return to the office until after 7 to get it done. To be fair, I don’t think everyone realizes how much there is to do in the background to ensure T4s including benefits and union dues are correct. I look forward to some true down time next week.
Once home, I made some perogies in the air fryer as I need to get used to using it again. I am disappointed in myself that I let a quarter of my lost weight come back. I will make a good change again next month.
I puzzled and watched 90 day. I seem to go to work and puzzle…. Must be winter!
I puzzled before and after picking up mom to take her to the mall for family and friends Santa photo. I also finished watching The Crown and began Fisk, which is an odd Australian show.
It really was just a lovely day. I relaxed and puzzled until it was time to drop a prezzie off for my friend Diana for her birthday and then pick up Monica to go bottle our Port and Bourbon Barrel Pinot Noir we had put down. Unfortunately there was a communication error and the port was not put down. We will get it to bottle in January now. Jessica and Serena were there as well and we bottled all our batches and theirs before retiring to Monica’s. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying wine and dinner and games. It was a great visit and as always, good for my soul. I was only disappointed to find out that there was a cast and crew Christmas party at Brenda’s and I hadn’t been invited. I think that when Galen got there he mentioned it as I received a message from Brenda that I was invited and should get over there. I was home and in my jams by then, and well, once the bra is off… no going out.I am settled in watching The Crown season 6 and shall get a good sleep tonight.
I like my erasable ink llama pen and kitty note paper from today’s advent. They amuse me
I took the time to put together some gingerbread port and cards to give to the women who always uplift me at the GroundFloor. Carrie, Chelsea, Kirsten and Lynnette are wonderful women who never bring me down. I wanted to let them know I am grateful. I also gave one to Chance who is the same, a smile on legs.
After getting a lot of random work done, I headed for acupuncture. Afterwards I came home to pick up a stack of old vinyl that has been picked through to give to Key City for New Year’s decor as it is set in the 70’s. I took the time to throw up some Christmas inflatables while I was at it
I dropped off a t-shirt I ha bought for Rae-Anne and then got a text from Lukas that he needed a ride from school where he was score keeping a basketball tournament. Once at the theatre I was hit by a wave of vertigo which I haven’t had for a few weeks. I worked with Julia on the bar for the Pretty For the People Christmas show. It went well and I was especially impressed by my beautiful oldest child and her friends. They were so happy and pretty.
I like the decoration on the GroundFloor Christmas tree that has my business on it.
Once home again, I enjoyed some crown and puzzled as I watched Big Brother Reindeer games. It is silly fun. This puzzle is more challenging, especially since I didn’t sort the pieces ahead
Worked, went to rotary lunch where I learned about event planning from Trevor Thors who does such for the city, returned to work.
Received a delicious gift from a client and fun socks in my advent
The GroundFloor Christmas party was fun, interacted with a few new people. Loved the bag that Carrie had
worked and offered James a ride to Encore. Decided to stay and have a beer, which was the best decision ever. A couple came up to order and somehow the name Ritchie Street was mentioned so I engaged them in conversation to discover that Dennis Olson’s uncle was my first crush in Kimberley. from the time I was 13 or so I was enamored of Bobby Turner. We had a physical relationship in the latter days of my teenhood, but he worked away and there were no cell phones, and I wasn’t sure of our relationship, so I met Bill and told Bobby it was over when he next returned. I always questioned that decision. When I returned to the Kootenays, I searched him on Facebook to no avail. Now, Dennis has my contact info, says he is a good guy and is single, albeit, it Hamilton, Ontario. I can’t explain how much my girly self hopes to reconnect with him…. Time will tell.
I didn’t really want to wake up this morning as early as I did but it was necessary to get to the office to answer all my email before heading to the Chamber lunch at Heidout. I was so happy to be assigned at a table that ended up including across from me, Trevor Crowley from the paper, whom I know, and next to me, Joey and Christine Hoechsmann who own Hush Interiors. I have been at many events at the same time as them but have not had a conversation. It was fun and comfortable for me. I really enjoyed the whole event, including the delicious cocktail I had. It was nice to see Nancy Reid win the door prize as well. Once back at the office, I got more done and then had a session via go to meeting to learn more about Google Workspace for Fisher Peak. Lance did a great job teaching me the highlights. We had to end it as I had an acupuncture appointment and really needed the work on my neck. It was complicated as I am driven to rage when I hear people eating and drinking. He was quiet, but I could hear him and had the worst time relaxing. I did explain that to him for next time. He was apologetic and understanding. I had to run back to the office to run an intermediary payroll and then went to meet Rae-Anne at Encore for Rib night. We had a good visit and then headed home. I sewed brocade on the robes for Jesus Christ Superstar and watched my shows. Oh, and I received a parcel from the Hearndens in the UK. I opened the card and enjoyed the cookie 🙂
Gift from a client!Advent anticipation of Halloween 2024
I was at a clients on the outskirts of town by just after 10 am and worked with her until 2 when I took a break to run to the office and check on a payroll query. I was back at her office just after 3 and we worked until 5:45 as I needed to be at East Side Mario’s for 6. I had signed up for a paint night as soon as I saw it was to be a llama. I sat at a table by myself and the last group to arrive were three Spanish speaking ladies who were lovely to sit with. We had a nice time and I was pleasantly surprised how I understood the drift of a lot of their conversation. One of them is the French assistant at the middle school and knows Lukas and Will. She said they are both good boys. My painting turned out not bad and I added the saying on my own. Afterward, I ordered food and then the holiday train went by which I forgot was coming. I asked for my food to go and left to luck into a parking spot right in the lot as someone was leaving. I wandered and found the girls and most of the kids and we enjoyed the performances. I left to wander to the engine so I could take a video as it left, but it turned out it just pulled forward a bit and was there for the evening. I walked and took a video before leaving. Once home I ate a little of the food, and settled in to try to get tired. It was a good day.
I was thrilled to arrive at the office and given a Christmas present from Nikki that showed she really listens and knows me. I had mentioned some time previously that I wanted a good soup mug and she hoped I hadn’t gotten one yet. I hadn’t, and I am pretty sure the bottle of Crown that accompanied it would fit nicely in it, lol.
The next strange thing that happened was when Cindy came to tell me that FedEx was here with a very heavy coffee table for me. I had not ordered one so I called Wayfair and they said just to keep it if I wanted or refuse it and it would be returned. I would not be charged so I took it. What a weird and wonderful surprise it turned out to be. A $1600 concrete table…. it weighs 147 lbs so is currently sitting at the office until I figure out what I am going to do with it.
I was blessed when Rae-Anne showed up with Niki and Nesta the previous owners of Arby’s to give me an especially thoughtful gift for my time at Arby’s and help at Encore. Nesta had a special edition Millennium Edition Crown Royal that she gifted to me as well as gift cards to both FireHall and Encore which I am ever so happy to use. It was very thoughtful and I am grateful.
I raced off to Bill and Deanne’s for the annual family photos. It was a bit chaotic but we got some decent ones and, well, this is us.
Next was back to the office to work on payroll before my board meeting at 6. The meeting went well, I previewed the website for the crew and they seem happy with it, phew! We can’t seem to come to a consensus about some things, but we are working on it.
After the meeting, I finished the payroll I was working on as I am going to a client’s tomorrow. And, then I got home around 10. I am having a hard time winding down, but am watching my trash TV and hope to be sleepy soon.
I woke up at 11:45! It turns out the batteries had died in my thermostat so it was only 13 C in the house. That is probably why I slept so well. Got them changed and then got ready to go to meet Donna at Moms as we had a plan to take her to buy some new, better fitting clothes. Turns out she is only a Medium or size 10/12 and all her clothes are XL or bigger, up to size 18! She got 4 new tops, two pairs of pants and new underwear. She also managed to get all her Christmas shopping done as I had a brilliant idea of Disney Gift cards for everyone, as we are going there in January. Ran into Christi in the mall. It was great to have a hug.
Avent earrings
Got home around 5:30 after taking my recycling to the bin and cooked a New Zealand pot pie that I bought at the market yesterday. Along with some rice it was really delicious and now I have lunch for tomorrow. I finished another puzzle (good thing as I bought 3 more on sale in the mall)
I picked up Rae-Anne from work just after 10 and after fueling up at the newly dropped price of 153.9/L, off to Kimberley we went. There was a major Christmas market at the Convention Centre up at the ski hill. There is a terrible lack of snow for this time of year. The making machines were going strong. After the market, where I only bought some of the pecan brittle that I had managed to avoid last weekend. The rest of the time in Kimberley was spent wandering the Platzl, hanging up posters for Encore. We checked out the cool little stores and I restocked my fridge with beverages from Earth’s Own. We tried to go to Whiskey Jack’s for lunch but it was closed for renovations. Our Place, on the Platzl was where we ended up. I had eggs benny, and enjoyed some of Rae’s fries as they are old school fresh cut ones and soooo good.
I dropped her at home just around 2:30 after a good catch up. The market where Ashlée was selling Norwex and her photography was on until 3 at the library so I headed over and ended up buying a very expensive bath mat and some other Norwex from her and a metal Jack Skellington from another vendor there.
I helped her out to her car after with all the stuff and it was nice to have a short but sweet visit.
I headed home and began my new puzzle. It is rather easy compared to the last ones. It felt like it was getting late when Deanne called to ask if I wanted to use Bill’s ticket and go to the Buck’s game with her. I was surprised it wasn’t even 6:30 yet. I met her there and as usual neither of us won any prizes from the program, nor the 50/50. It was fun to hang out with her and I am glad I went. Buck’s won and that was only the second game I have been to.
Home again to finish watching the series Squid Game and begin watching the game show version. I have enjoyed one of my special beverages and a lovely mellow evening since I got home.
I slept in a bit, puzzled a bit, surprised a friend a bit, worked quite a bit, got acupunctured a bit, visited a bit, volunteered a bit, Squid Gamed a lot.
I got some chores done this morning and then headed to Talaria Footware as they made a post last night that the boots I saw in the window were going to be 25% off today only. I chose between quite a few and settled back on the black shiny ones. They are lined, high enough to be over the average snow line, waterproof, zip up and, the really big and, is that they have flip down cleats!
From there I went to the Post Office and found only one person in line! Mailed off a wee package to my friends in Bella Bella who had put in a small shopping request.
Next stop was the Rotary lunch. I really enjoyed the talk given by the two guests, Chance Litke on behalf of JCI and Russ Klinghorn about HELP Honduras, a child sponsorship program.
I did get a lot done back at the office until it was time to head to a client who I had promised to be at after 5. I got everything I could done on his file and was out of there just after 8:30. I like getting his stuff done and just have to block out his whining about Quickbooks.
I should now be sleeping I suppose but I am watching another episode of Squid Games
Or easily entranced? I did work today, both for myself and for a mystery shop. I also bought CBD Tea bags to send to a friend in Bella Bella. There is no source there. Once home, I settled in watching my recorded Voice episodes and finished a puzzle. Then I started watching Squid Games which had been recommended to me as I worked on a new puzzle. And then suddenly I realized it was nearing midnight!
I need to not worry about what time I get into the office as long as I get the work done. That is why I am self-employed, right? I did work my butt off last month with long hours. I am being a little more relaxed this month. Although December comes with a lot of payroll reconciling and there is a new code I have to use on T4s this year so that will add to the job, it is a month that I can actually take time for me as well. Jan & Feb will be very busy with all the slips and December year-ends.
I worked a good part of the day and then ran out of steam. I had been up early to take a Dr call to renew my prescriptions. Nancy and Leanne from Rotary came to my office to meet and explain the process to become a member. They were both lovely and I look forward to volunteering with them. Just before 5 I picked up Lukas. We parked at the arena, hoping to eat at the Blue Sky Diner but it was closed, so we walked to Fenwick and Baker. I loved my chicken wings, but unfortunately there was something in the sauce on Lukas’s burger, the Samsquatch burger of the month, that he did not like. It was a shame, but we had a nice visit and walked back to find our seats. It was Christmas Rock Story, a Holiday Family Circus. There was an aerial/roller skate act that I have seen on AGT and the male singer was especially good. It was entertaining and I was glad to see a good turnout. Lukas seemed to really like it. We are lucky with the shows that go through here.
I was wakened too early by James II cleaning under my bed. Not sure why as he is scheduled for tomorrow. I can’t complain as he does a good job. I got to the office and worked on some annoying things before getting to take off and get my acupuncture done. Sebastian had me be facedown today so that he could concentrate on my back. I was skeptical but it does seem to be making a difference in my chronic pain issues as they slowly disappear. Stopped at Shoppers to mail my parcel to my cousin and noted that there was a popcorn popper that I wanted. I had purchased expensive make-up piñatas for the two girls for Christmas and discovered that I was rewarded with a big lump of PC points that paid for my new popper. Of course I came home, made some diner and then tried it out. Mmmmm mmm good. I am watching my junk TV and getting an early night as tomorrow is much more full and its the Christmas Rock Concert tomorrow night at the arena. There was a good bunch more snow last night and I wonder if it will stick around this time.
It was a stay at home, snow day. I did laundry, wrapped Christmas presents, watched Netflix and puzzled. It was wonderfully relaxing and I am now ready to full steam ahead into the season. I finished watch the sci fi series I was into, and can’t even recommend it. Just had to see it to the end. The next was “All The Light We Cannot See” which was fabulous, a must watch. Now I am watching the oddest mockumentary, Cunk on Earth. I loved today’s advent earrings
I am happy to say that my broken part of my elbow seems to be well mended. I can lean on my elbow again, woot! I am still going for acupuncture to deal with the circulation and muscle/tendon issues.
triumphgal 