Ouch! And what a nice Christmas :)

[paragraphs]

Somehow, crazily, I ended up with THREE Yuletide gifts. WTH!! I am not sure what happened there, but I am not complaining. I've read two already, with the longest one left. All three are Whitechapel, a BBC mini-series with two installments that amand_r hooked me up with. So, so loved that show. If you haven't caught it, please do. It is lots of fun, pulling old crimes into the present (Jack the Ripper first, then the skeevy Kray Twins. Eeww, creepy). Brilliant casting, wonderful dynamics, nail-bitey drama...it has it all.

Yesterday was such a lovely day. It was all me and the kids, no one else--though the psycho SIL and my MIL made a very (VERY) brief appearance. Man oh man, my poor MIL, dealing with Mary is getting really hard. Mary needs help, badly, but refuses (screaming-match, call the police kind) and I fear MIL may be forced to go to court to force help on her. Oh man. But MIL gave me a lovely silver bracelet that I'm wearing now--been awhile since I've had anything on that wrist. Feels cool.

The kids went above and beyond awesome. This Christmas (like last) we all just got one thing. Tiff got the brown boots she wanted (they are 200 dollar boots and I got them for 89! GO ME! yay for timely mark-downs!) and son wanted a nice external hard drive. Got him a 2 terrabyte, massive Seadisc thing--again, a heck of a deal, marked down, and stupendous. Then Santa got them CHRISTMAS PJ'S, BLUE!, and chocolate, and odds and ends.

The kids in turn got me a Kindle. A KINDLE! I HAZ ONE! I am so excited about this! I jumped up and down I was so excited. No, I have not succumbed to the 'I will never buy a real book again!' world, but oh man, this is going to be so fantastic for many reasons. I can put my fanfics I want to read on there! AUDIOBOOKS WTH no one EVER told me that you can listen to audiobooks on this thing!!! I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS! Have the first few of the Harry Dresden books to listen to--whee! I think I'll like listening to James Marsters.

Such a fantastic Christmas. We went to see TRON, the three of us, and oh that was nice and fun and I loved it. 3D! My first since all the new 3D's came out and I like it. Want more. LOL.

Then we went to eat dinner at my friend Leigh Ann's house--her mom likes to cook for lots of people and their family is small so every year (except last year--ice and illness killed it) she's cooked like a madwoman, and invited friends and family over. I love that. Plus, they provide great wines. I approve.

The only thing marring Christmas is my knee. It has gotten progressively worse since last Sunday's post-bowling soreness, and yesterday, I did a little happy jump when my son opened up a present from his grandmother (a gorgeous ring I was frankly scared she wouldn't give him in time--that she would die, and her evil other children would get hold of). I came down funny and twisted my knee, ouch ouch ouch!!!! I couldn't walk on it at first--I could by the time we went to the movie but I was like an ol' gimpy thing. It is a bit scary--I have insurance through the end of the week, so I am going to the doc's tomorrow. I hope he just splints it up fancy (I bought a knee-type Ace bandage with support and that has helped tremendously) and that time and patience will heal things. Hopefully by Thursday I will be much better, when my sister comes with Lexie her daughter for a visit.

I woke up angry at that rat bastard who is ruining my old company, but then started to think of the new lease on life, the new freedom...and new opportunities. It's going to be okay, I am sure of it. I did hear from my editor last week, and that sure put the shiny on the writing stuff, so a going to stay positive that it will all work out, and that leaving B&W will be the best thing that could've happened. It sucks to be forced out, but I'd lost my love for the place already. Time to go forward.

Comments

[lawsontl.livejournal.com]

Your Christmas sounds fab, other than the knee part :)

I will say that getting RIFfed from my last job was the best thing that ever happened to me professionally. I wound up at a new job with less pay, but certainly not a hardship, and doing work that was rewarding with a team of people that I enjoy endlessly. And, funnily enough, one of the reasons I kept putting up with my last job was that I adored the people I worked with. Several of them wound up landing at the same place I did :)

Stay positive, you've got the right idea in finding the good side of this rather than focusing on the downside.

[klgrem.livejournal.com]

I think you leaving is going to be the best thing to happen to you.
Leaves you free for England when the time comes.

Ken and I went to Narnia. It was great.

Have a Happy New Year. Hope your knee heals quickly!

[spiderine.livejournal.com]

1) I didn't know you could do audiobooks on Kindle either!

2) I am going to read ALL THE WHITECHAPEL FIC! \0/ w00t!

3) You must steampunk your kneebrace. Yes.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Here here here, that is how it has been. But before I lost it, two of my favorite guys were offed, and then, then! My dear boss--who is currently working where I will be headed. LOL. Too crazy. And...the place I am going to? I've done projects over there off and on over the years, and am friends with a bunch of them. They are such a fun crew.

Plus this will push me off my buns and get me back to school.

I guess I will carry this deep sadness in me for the good ol' days, but we all still stay in touch, one way or the other. So that is good. :)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Frozen cauliflower works just as well as brussel sprouts, just so you know. LOL!! And yeah--I am free except for the kids' thing. LOL. Your son likes living in the UK doesn't he? They are still there? Or gone now? hard to keep up. LOL.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

LOL I will zoom the links to you for the three I got and yeah, I'll look for more too.

I know! NO ONE TOLD ME! I love audiobooks like crazy.

LOL I thought of Sam's boot too--if the doc gives me a brace, I'll have to ask him for tips. :)

[spiderine.livejournal.com]

Hint: The hot glue gun is your friend.

[klgrem.livejournal.com]

Yes he does. Right now it looks like they'll be coming back next September. England has a budget crisis, too, so they've cut scholarships to foreign students.
He has a job, but they're not sure she will have one so for the moment they are planning on returning.

He is not happy about that. I know they'd rather say.

And I know you have kids. That's why I said when the time comes.
;-)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

LOL!! Man oh man that sucks, I knew about all the mess over there with universities. That's too bad. I want to live there but it may be awhile.

[amproof.livejournal.com]

My dad got a kindle too and had the complete opposite reaction. LOL His girlfriend got it for him, and he's already on the rocks with her for seeing someone else at the same time because he didn't realize he and K were DATING after 10 years. (It's a whole mess of wtf.) So, he was standing in front of her asking me if he thought he should send it back b/c he doesn't understand why he needs it and I was "uhhhh".

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

LOL!! Another friend of mine got one recently and she too is thinking WUH? WHY? NOT ME! This will make my readerly-life so much easier. Oh yeah. Kids did great.

Amber, what did you get this year? (remembering Christmases past). I hope you got something good.

[neifile7.livejournal.com]

Betcha that Kindle will light a few fires under you, writing-wise. :) That and the good cheer from your editor: end of year rescued!

Awfully relieved, though, that the other position is there for you, with people you know, respect and like. SUCH a relief.

Agree with Spider that steampunking might be in your future.

[blue-fjords.livejournal.com]

CHRISTMAS JAMMIES!!!

I HEAR YELLING IN THE LIVING ROOM, SO I MUST GO MEDIATE. BUT YAY FOR JAMMIES AND THE KINDLE AND THE BRACELET. AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES!!!!!! B/C I LOVE MY C!!!

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I am trying to believe that it is getting all better--which it is--but it would be stupid not to go to the doc's, so I guess I will. LOL. And yeah, end of year rescued, whee! I need to get cracking on getting this sucker out of here.

I have put some shiny things on the Kindle to read...after the doc's tomorrow, I may go to starbucks and curl up in a chair and read awhile. That would be so nice...heck if I weren't so lazy I'd go do that right now.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

You are so silly. LOL. Glad you heard my yell at the xmas jammies! :0

[electro-club.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas! A KINDLE, C! A KINDLE! I've been wanting a Kindle since forever! Except I don't think it would be as useful for me as it will be for you. We don't have Amazon's gigantic e-book store around here, so not that many titles. And, of course, it costs three times more. But still, KINDLE! Your kids are great! :)