Happy Holidays to you!

Good grief, it's been a month since I posted in here! Where has that time gone? I've had many days off playing taxi to my Mom and to a friend with no car. I also had a job interview, then a call back to take a very weird and creative administrative test. Apparently I passed that too and was one of four people called for another interview, this time with the department and boss I would be working with/for if hired. I waited all Friday to hear the yea or nay news, not straying from my phone, but nothing. Saturday morning I called into my phone at work for another reason and the bad news was left there. I wasn't hired. But at least I wasn't left hanging all weekend wondering if I was the one, or not. It was a terrible disappointment because I really wanted the job and wanted to be able to give notice on my current job. That would have been so sweet. But I had to go to work on Monday and go to the office party that Friday, bringing a gift and some food.

That same Saturday while Mom and I were out eating, we ran into some cousins who gave us the sad news that their mother had just died the night before. So another day off was spent going to her funeral and then out with my Mom and older brother. It was good to see him and get some talk time. I expressed my concerns about our mother to him privately, she is not acting like herself lately.

It's a shame that I've gotten out of the habit of blogging because I really did enjoy reading all the various blogs and you my virtual friends! But I've replaced my morning (before work) blogging habit with doing the physical therapy exercises, same with in the evening. The PT and the weight loss have helped somewhat but not as much as I had hoped. Of course, with the shoveling season upon us that is racking up my back and leg too, despite the PT exercises two or three times per day. Eventually I hope to move to a warmer place (maybe NM or Florida) where there isn't all this continual snow to shovel!

My son's girlfriend finally did get some medical care and the new due date for me to become a grandma is December 28th, which was yesterday! Of course this is her first and it looks as if baby will be overdue. I'm eagerly waiting for the big event. My neighbors who were due on December 9th finally had their baby. I saw a family member holding a wrapped little bundle through my window (and their window) as I was closing my blinds a couple of nights ago. Don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet though.

It's been a wonderful Christmas to see my two brothers and their families, have seen lots of my mother, and gone to various friend and work holiday parties. I also made lots of holiday food for all those get-togethers and need to get back on my raw food diet again soon! I like the diet, it's satisfying and fruits and vegetables have always been my favorites, so it won't be a difficult thing. I just need to stop cooking (and tasting) and get back on it. My clothes are still falling off me so the weight hasn't come back on despite my indiscretions. In fact I just weighed myself again yesterday morning (first time in a month, just like posting!) and despite my holiday eating binges--it's the same, minus 52 pounds from when I started!!! I'm SO lucky about that.

This has been a wonderful holiday season except I haven't had enough money to go down to see my kids and I really miss them! I did have a couple of long phone conversations with my son, though. I still have their gifts all wrapped up and ready to go. I did manage to hire a guy to sheetrock and tape my basement as I really really need to put the house back on the real estate market and sell it. I got an estimate for carpeting the basement, too but the first one was horribly expensive so I'll keep looking around. The heat/utility bill has gone up to $300 this month and I'm barely making it. The house is kept at a temperature of 55F, which might be a great outdoor temperature but is pretty darn cold for indoors. In fact the sheetrock guy told me that I must turn up the heat to help the mudding on the sheetrock to dry. So I turned it WAY up to 62F! And also put some fans down in the basement. But the nippy indoor weather makes me want to move and to exercise more, so all is not bad!

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones and stay warm!