Thursday, December 27, 2012

Week 51 of 52


            Christmas morning found Adam, Aaron and I running the Joyful 5K around Como Lake in St Paul Minnesota...it was only 4 degrees when we left the house and I think it had warmed up to a whopping 6 degrees by the time we started to run...we had to run almost two times around the lake...

                                                                our souvenir bib...
                                   and we are off and running...Aaron...Angela...Adam...
                                                           Aaron first time around...
                                                            Angela first time around...
                                                            Adam first time around...
                                                           Aaron finishing in 27.39...
                                                           phew...finished in 33.51...
Adam finishing...

Friday, December 21, 2012

Week 50 of 52...part two...


Wednesday 19th December...

            Have you ever been so sure that a decision is the right thing to do...then as soon as you have done it you wasn't so sure any more...I had a few emotional days this week...after eleven years at Hallmark and quitting a few years ago only to be talked into staying...yesterday I gave my two weeks notice...I felt so sick and nervous all day...our district manager spent the day with us and I didn't want a confrontation with him and my manager so I left my notice in our communication book at the registers as I was leaving for the day...yeah I chickened out from talking to my manager...and I still haven't talked to her...she was off today...I work with her tomorrow...

            I didn't sleep last night...but nothing new there...all night I tossed and turned...did I do the right thing...is it the Christmas season that's making me feel like this again...for the last two or three years around this time I swear I am not going to work work another holiday season...I am going to be 60 years old in just a few weeks...and to be honest I just don't want to keep climbing ladders...I am getting to be afraid of falling off onto the cement floor...and I don't want to keep hauling heavy boxes around...and the customers...did I mention the customers at this time of the year...some of them can be brutal...

            I worked today and was still nervous about my decision...but as the day went on I knew I had done the right thing...I am very comfortable with my decision...

            What I am going to miss is my coworkers...I have made some good friendships over the years...from my little high school girls that graduated and went off to college and came back on breaks...to young moms and to more mature ladies like me...I am going to miss some of the regular customers that have been shopping at the store since we opened eleven years ago...

            I know it is going to be an adjustment being home everyday...but I think I can do it...I know I can do it...it's very emotional right now and I don't know what it is going to be like leaving on that last day...but I will be okay...

Thursday 20th December...

            I worked with my manager today...long story short...I am now unsure what to do...I am considering just stepping down from my position and working a couple of days a week...

Friday 21st December...

            ...after another conversation with my manager...step down...less money...same work...THE DECISION STANDS...my last day at Hallmark will be December 31st...I will be okay...

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Week 50 of 52


          ...a busy week this week trying to get Christmas together for the family...a very emotional couple of days of decision making...more of that in my next post...

                                                    working on it...but not too far yet...

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Week 49 of 52

 
 
                  A little bit behind with this post...but that is the story of my life at this time of the year...we got the house decorated for Christmas...inside and outside...the Christmas tree only fell over once so that was good...only broke one ornament...don't know which one until we pack them all away after Christmas...I found a little lantern on the floor...that's the clue that one broke...
 
                Got my work schedule for the next week or so...looks like I only have four days off between now and Christmas...that's right four days to get my act together and get Christmas organised for everyone...it's no wonder I get so stressed and cranky at this time of the year...I always feel that I do everything at the last minute...this working retail at this time of the year depresses me...we see the greed and the crankiness of our customers...and the closer it gets to Christmas the worse it gets...what happened to Peace and Goodwill to all men...
 
I know that I will get everything done...I always do...
 
A few photos of Christmas at our house...






This is my next project...going to refinish this wooden rocking chair...

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Week 48 of 52



            Just a little project for this week...I have taken the kitchen stools and re-finished them...I used Zinssers Cover Spain Primer again...the same product I used on the coffee table I re-finished a few weeks ago...I still need to give the stools another couple of coats of paint...
                                                                    original stain...
                                                    Used Zinssers Cover Stain Primer...
                                                                  second coat on...
first coat of black paint on...