Part IA, Part UP

It was totally dance for warmth.  LOL... and it was very fun.  By the end I was leading dances by myself, but I would have liked to switch up the dances a bit.  And the music was pretty, but 5 hours two days in a row, only listening to 3 songs was a bit much.  I'm going to be hearing the music in my sleep.  But I think the Christmas programme we did is one of the best.  We even had spies from other big houses in the area looking around to see what we were doing.   

I would have loved to have been involved in something like that!  Three tunes over and over again, though is a bit much!  Did you have live musicians?

I would have loved to have been involved in something like that!  Three tunes over and over again, though is a bit much!  Did you have live musicians?

No, my boss was told at the beginning of November we were openning the house and dressing it for Christmas.  This has all been impromptu.  But, if you are interested in doing stuff for them (sorry, it'd probably be a voluntary thing because their budget is tight)send me your details and I'll pass them to my boss.  Or, if you know anyone, I bet my boss would love to get some people if they do it again next year. 

IA:  We didn't end up walking today - I was feeling lazy & it looked so dreary (and cold) outside here for most of the day.

UP:  But we did play Scrabble, except that...

IA:  I lost to DH - as usual.

UP:  And we had cake.

IA:  We didn't end up walking today - I was feeling lazy & it looked so dreary (and cold) outside here for most of the day.

UP:  But we did play Scrabble, except that...

IA:  I lost to DH - as usual.

UP:  And we had cake.

I ALWAYS lose at Scrabble, too! I have more fun seeing what words I can spell rather than trying to ensure I get the most points possible. I'm a bit jealous your game ended with cake, though. Ours hardly ever ends in cake!

I ALWAYS lose at Scrabble, too! I have more fun seeing what words I can spell rather than trying to ensure I get the most points possible. I'm a bit jealous your game ended with cake, though. Ours hardly ever ends in cake!

My husband is such a smarty-pants - everyone loses to him!  Gets a seven letter word down just about every game & some games he gets two seven letter words down.    Only once in awhile, his dad will win one over him & his dad is nearly as a good a player as DH is.  And I get good scores usually too - just not good enough. 

(Okay I may have beaten DH at Scrabble maybe 3 times in the 8 years we have known each other.)

Cake makes everything better though. 

Fingers crossed Equestrianerd.

UP:  Another great day wearing Georgian costumes and doing country dancing in the big saloon at a National Trust property.  We had loads of people interested in participating, both young and old.  They all loved it even if we kept it to the basic steps for little ones.  I LOVED seeing the room taking on it's proper use and so many people enjoying themselves.  It's what life is all about.  

IA:  I am never going to get the three songs that were repeating for people to dance to out of my head, and I love country dancing, but we could only do one over and over and over and over and over again.  My head hurts.  I now feel I need to share my new skill with my friends though.  They have been warned if I see them this week, they are learning this dance!  

Other small IA is that the dresses are 3/4 length sleeves with low necks and the heating in the room wasn't working so it was FREEZING!!!

This sounds like fun!

UP: Giving notice to my boss was far easier than I expected. He was really sweet, and asked if they could entice me to stay, but very gracious when I said no.

IA: They do want me to stay an extra week to help wrap things up before Christmas. I don't know if this is feasible with the new job time-wise, so this isn't yet settled.
There's also still the opportunity for the higher-ups to be uncool (I knew my boss wouldn't, but they're a bit more…persnickety.)

IA: They do want me to stay an extra week to help wrap things up before Christmas. I don't know if this is feasible with the new job time-wise, so this isn't yet settled.
There's also still the opportunity for the higher-ups to be uncool (I knew my boss wouldn't, but they're a bit more…persnickety.)

And…as I suspected might happen, one of the higher-ups called me into a meeting room to chew me out. "Never in his life" has he had someone "do something like this". (I originally thought he was upset about me giving my notice, but apparently he's upset about my not agreeing to stay the extra week they want.)

Let's see….
- At my last job before this, they wanted me to stay on an extra 2 months, and I asked these folks if their start date was flexible at all. They said no, so I came here. (Thus: doing a favour for them in starting immediately.)
- I did ask the new role if they were flexible - and they are, sort of - but it would basically mean delaying my start until January 5, which isn't ideal. It's not like I flat-out didn't try, though.
- Even if I hadn't tried, or was being intentionally difficult/stubborn…do you really think chewing me out is going to make me turn around and say "wow, you've really shown me the light, I'll work an extra week for you"? Yeah, not so much.

With luck, though, that'll be the end of the angst of this. I will be sad to leave my boss and my coworkers, who are all genuinely nice/smart people. I won't be sad to see the backs of the higher-ups, though (who are kind of nice, pretty smart, but also fairly dickish).

IA: Last week in the US. We head back on Saturday. 

UP: Can't wait to see the cat! She's been lonely without us! We've had a wonderful cat sitter checking on her, but it's not the same.

IA: Last week in the US. We head back on Saturday. 

UP: Can't wait to see the cat! She's been lonely without us! We've had a wonderful cat sitter checking on her, but it's not the same.

Enjoy what time you have left!!   

Dh was the same way he was like I hope the cats are alright I said I'm sure they fine they are in good hands with Karen.   what makes me chuckle about that is Dh never had a pet period before the cats came here in Feb 2005      We had a cat sitter as well our cats know her really well she comes over every Friday for a visit so they are well used to her. an love they it when she watches them cause she seriously spoils them big time!! I swear I think both cats have put some weight since we were gone we were only gone 2 weeks. when we got back to our house in the UK the cats for 4 days straight never left either of us for anything even now they still stick pretty close to either of us not as bad as when we first got home though. Both our cats are very social to Adults & older teenagers but when it comes to kids they run & hide lol. 

UP:  I usually send some spritz butter cookies and anything else I may have baked to dh's work.  Last year, he took in our texas sheet cake, because after I made it, I realised that I did not want to eat it.  The guys in his office love the biscuits and the texas sheet cake and I just got a message that they were asking where their baked goods were for this year.  I've never considered myself good at cooking or baking so this ego stroking was really nice.   

IA:  He's off after tomorrow, so I guess I'm baking over Christmas to send some stuff in with him when he goes back in January.  I hate baking in our tiny kitchen.  

IA: ''Father Christmas'' came to my son's junior school and he cried because he got chocolate as a gift from him.

UP: He wanted a book to read instead and dh went out and got him one as a surprise.

IA: ''Father Christmas'' came to my son's junior school and he cried because he got chocolate as a gift from him.

UP: He wanted a book to read instead and dh went out and got him one as a surprise.

Awwww...

UP: There's free wi-fi on my plane!  So, I'm internet searching over the US.

IA: All the movies and TV shows cost like 6 bucks to watch.  It's the principle that annoys me!

UP: There's free wi-fi on my plane!  So, I'm internet searching over the US.

IA: All the movies and TV shows cost like 6 bucks to watch.  It's the principle that annoys me!

what? That sucks!

I guess you can just watch free shows online, but still What airline are you on?