A little Holiday Capitalism

So, I lucked out and found 3 Guitar Hero III bundles for the Wii console. Yay me! I was going to keep 1 for us, but they seem to be in demand, and I can wait a couple of months if it means I make a little profit. I put them on Craig's list, and sold my first one today. I made $30 for zero work. I like that. They seem to be going up in price the closer we get to Christmas, so here's hoping it's a Merry Christmas to me! :)

Otherwise, I've just been shopping like a fiend. I've gotten a majority of it done, so that's a burden off my shoulders, mostly. Tonight I got our Holiday cards done at Costco. I usually get a pic of Nick, me and all the pets. I didn't have the energy this year to deal with trying to get all the pets to look at the camera at the same time, so I just did one of Nick and I when he played Santa at Petco. He looks a little like a deer in headlights, but oh well. It does the trick, and that's all that matters to me anymore. Does it fill the quota? Yes? Good.

It's almost over. It's almost over. Repeat...take a deep breath. Did that work? No. Have a drink.

Productive day

Well, I was productive last night. I did get some of my Christmas shopping done, so that makes me feel a little less tense. I also found Guitar Hero III for the Wii. The Target near me had a ton of them, and now I regret not buying more to put on ebay.

This morning I was a tiny bit out of breath, but not bad at all, and it went away once my workout was done. I think I've officially survived the "green tea incident!" I do like to drink the Lipton Diet Green Tea with Citrus, but it's not so concentrated like the extract.

Today we have our employee sale at work! I hope there is something cheap and sparkley for me to have! Although I sure don't need to spend any more money right now. That's ok, most things are between $25-$50 at the sale. If it's REALLY EXPENSIVE it might be $100 or so. It's funny how your judgement on what's "expensive" when you're used to wholesale.

Anyway, I better go...I'm being a bad girl at work. :)

Lesson Learned

So on Saturday I bought some Green Tea Extract to sort of jump start a little weight loss before Christmas. I took it Saturday, Sunday and this morning. I read the label and believed it was safe for me to take even though it warned against people with "bleeding disorders" taking it. I have a clotting disorder, not a bleeding disorder so I thought it was okay. Well, when I worked out on Sunday I got a little more out of breath than normal, and it continued for most of the day. I didn't think that much of it because I have bradycardia, and sometimes my heart doesn't beat fast enough for me to get enough oxygen and it makes me short of breath sometimes. (My heart gets down to about 42 beats per minute and I have to wear a heart monitor sometimes to make sure it stays above 40 bpm, if not I will need a pacemaker...I'm an 80 year old in a 36 year old body) Anyway, I attributed the shortness of breath to the bradycardia and really didn't think much of it.

I went to work out today, and only 3 minutes into my workout I was really short of breath and dizzy, but I pushed through it and did my 30 minutes. I was really breathing heavy, and 2 hours later I still was breathing too heavy to breathe through my nose. I started to get a little scared, and googled "green tea extract and shortness of breath." Well, I found all kinds of warnings about it saying that if you have any blood disorders, or are on birth control pills, or blood thinners including aspirin therapy, or taking sudafed, that you should NOT take the green tea extract with it. Well, I took all 3 of those drugs yesterday, I have a blood disorder, and a heart disorder. I got really scared and started debating whether it was better to wait another hour and call my normal doctor who knows all the stuff wrong with me (everything) or go to urgent care. I decided to call a friend who is a doctor and ask her. She assured me I would be fine, and then lectured me about taking an herbal supplement without consulting a doctor especially with all my various health problems. It was stupid of me to do that, but green tea extract seems so harmless I just didn't think it could hurt me. Lesson learned. As Walt would say, I'm a delicate flower. :)

Ignore it, maybe it'll go away.

So, I should have done Christmas shopping today...but in typical procrastinator fashion, I ignored it. Instead, I watched Office Space, Legally Blonde, worked out on the treadmill, and went to see The Mist at the movie theater. Then when we came home I watched Survivor.

I also had some sinus problems today, and had to take some Tylenol Sinus, which is about the only thing that helps me. I need the good kind from behind the counter. The funny thing is, since they started putting it behind the counter, I am always paranoid that they won't sell it to me. I'm not sure why that is...maybe some good old fashioned Catholic guilt. (not Catholic anymore, but raised Catholic, and the guilt thing stays for life) I can't imagine a person less likely to make meth with the pseudoephedrine than a 36 year old woman from the suburbs, who's worst crime is having a lead foot, but I'm always sure their going to deny my drug purchase. In fact, one time when I was buying it, Nick hadn't shaved in a couple of days and had on a stocking hat, and I made him stand far away and pretend not to know me. I thought he looked a little shifty that day, and might stand in between me and my drugs. :) I'm crazy like that.

The movie we saw was good, but this trashy man sitting in our row a couple of seats away kept burping really loud all through the movie. (I leaned over and said, "Your mother must be so proud." He ignored me.) I hate people. Why don't 95% of people have any clue how to behave in a movie theater. Listen up people: It's NOT your living room. Behave like you are in a public place. Don't talk loud, don't burp loud, and for crying out loud DON'T answer your cell phone!!! Seriously! I'm also the bitchy lady who will say something to them. If you want to talk loud, wait until it's on DVD (which only takes a couple of months) and watch it at home!

Christmas=Stressmas! Holly needs to vent.

Ok, first off let me apologize for complaining about how stressful I find Christmas. That being said...I'm still gonna complain.

I always enjoyed Christmas until I met Nick and his family. In my family, you just buy for your immediate family, and something for the little kids. It's fun, you pretty much buy what you want for whomever you want. In Nick's family, you buy for everyone. His parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins...everyone including everone's freakin' pets!! Jesus, where does it stop!?!? It makes me crazy, and I literally start feeling tight in the chest towards the end of October in anticipation of it. The stupid thing is when I'm dreading something like this, I ignore it. I could have shopped 2 months ago, but I didn't and here I am 10 miserable days from D-Day, with no presents. I get overwhelmed and go to the mall, where I just wander around in a daze, accomplish nothing, and go home frustrated. Then while at the mall, I see stuff I like, and buy it...making the holiday that much more expensive! I completely understand why suicide rates are up this time of year. (Don't go calling any hotlines, I'm not suicidal.) It's just such a money grubbing, stress inducing holiday with his family. There are over 20 of them, and we are expected to spend $30 per person. I asked if we could just draw names the first year we were married, and his grandmother said, " FINE, maybe we should just cancel Christmas!" I should have said yes to that once in a lifetime offer. ;) Also on Christmas Eve, we all are on our very best behavior and completely walking on eggshells because his bitchy grandma is just looking for a reason to scream at someone. The best part of it is you never know what might set her off. It's always something minor and unexpected. (I always expect her to come out and start beating us and screaming, "No WIRE hangers!!") It's honestly the closest thing to a hostage situation that I've personally experienced.

Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy some aspect of the holiday. I like to make holiday treats. I enjoy the music. (Especially this year--thanks to Walt!) I like to donate to different charities. I just bought a bunch of Karen Neuburger slipper socks (Love those!!) and donated them to Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly for holiday presents for the elders. (There are over 10,000 elders in the Minneapolis/St Paul area who have 1 or fewer social visits per month, and they provide social interaction for the elders, and holiday meals, presents, cookies, flowers etc.) I volunteered to be the photographer and Nick was the Santa at the Fridley, MN Petco for their Pose your Pet with Santa event this year. Our store took the most pics of any store in the COUNTRY, with the money we raised going to Greyhound Pets of America to help more greyhounds be placed in permanent homes. So I like some aspects, I just hate all the pressure and expectations.

To me Christmas should be about doing something nice for someone unexpectedly. I would far rather go out to lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a while, or have a spa day with a girlfriend. Instead it's about filling a quota. Must. Buy.

Anyway...peace, love, goodwill to all...and all that other crap.

For Michael and Walt

Did you guys know that they now make Batman Crocs??? They must stop this madness!!

Kathy Griffin

Hey kids tonight is the night they air the Kathy Griffin show that I was at on Bravo. I believe the time is 8 Central time...so 9 for you East coasters. I believe the show is called Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell. :) I think there might be a very good chance that my friend Clayton and I may be on tv. We were seated on an aisle and Clayton has a really great boisterous laugh. The cameraman kept coming up next to me and crouching in the aisle and filming Clayton and I laughing. I shouldn't have worn my glasses...who knew I needed to look all cute to sit in an audience? Oh well, I guess it was slightly more important to be able to see than to look cute. (we all know that's not true--it's always more important to look cute!)

Anyway, I'll let you know if I made it on tv...and I'll be signing autographs later. ;)