13 December 2001
Last year: Another shiver hit me last night when I parceled out the stocking-stuffers.
It's done, it's done, it's done... Pardon me whie I do the snoopy dance of joy for a while...
All the presents are bought and wrapped, and those that need to be shipped are going to the post office today!
Well, that's not quite true - we have one friend left to get something for, and we haven't gotten Matt's mom her present yet.
But there aren't any presents in the house that need to be wrapped, and there aren't any presents in the house that need to be packed and mailed. By the time Matt comes home tonight, everything will be on its way to its final destination!
And now I really need to bust axle on the baking. I made peanut butter fudge last night and am debating following up with butterscotch... Or perhaps peanut butter again but this time with coconut in it?
Nah; I have to save the coconut for the final batch of macaroons, which I should really make soon...
I think this evening I'm going to take a stab at the brandy snaps again. I am dubious but hopeful.
Tomorrow night we're going to go over to my parents' house to make moon cookies with K.T. and Colleen.
Saturday is my office Christmas party, but I'm hoping during the day to try out the shortbread recipe. (I hope it works. I love shortbread.)
So Sunday I will make the macaroons again. I'm currently still debating whether to use the same recipe I used last time, now that I know how to get the macaroons off the paper; or if I should try the recipe that's on the back of the bag of coconut.
And then, depending on how all those go, I may make breakfast cookies sometime next week. I've had a request, but they're somewhat time-consuming.
This would be much easier if I were unemployed again.
(Not that we can afford for me to be unemployed, O Fates. It was not a wish, just a comment...)
Of course, I screwed things up a little.
I had Matt stop and pick up a gift certificate for his sister on the way home last night, so I could include it in the box that's being shipped to Chicago.
Then, while Matt made dinner, I wrapped four jars of homemade salsa, and labelled them: One jar to each set of grandparents, and two jars to Matt's dad and his wife. Then I wrapped Karen's presents. I wasn't quite done with that when Matt called me for dinner.
After dinner, I went back upstairs, finished wrapping Karen's presents, and packed them carefully in a box.
Then I fished out another box and packed it with the presents for my brother and his wife.
Then I got yet another box and put in the four jars of salsa, the second gift for Matt's grandparents, and the two presents for Matt's brother.
I taped all the boxes shut and wrote names on them, very small, so I wouldn't have to remember which was which when I put on the addresses.
About five minutes after I'd lugged the boxes downstairs, I realized - the salsa for my grandparents shouldn't be going to Chicago! Ack!
So I ripped open the box, fished out the one jar labelled for my grandparents, and re-arranged things. I went upstairs and dug out another, smaller box, and packed the salsa in it.
Then I sent Matt off to his basketball league game, and made the peanut butter fudge, which finished just in time for West Wing.
While I watched West Wing, I made up address labels, and when it was over, I taped them to the tops of the boxes with a feeling of satisfaction. All done!
Some time after Matt came home, I noticed... on the table by the door... the envelope with the gift certificate for his sister. Which was not in the box going to Chicago.
Alas. Alack. And alay.
On the bright side, a single envelope is not going to put us over the luggage limit, so it's not a disaster. I just felt kind of stupid after all that.
Ah, well. Keep your fingers crossed for me with the brandy snaps tonight. They really do look very good, if I can ever get them made.
Word of the Day:
nexus - 1: connection, link; also: a causal link; 2: a connected group or series; 3: center, focus
Song of the Day:
Bad Day (Fuel)
Currently Playing:
Diablo II
Current Projects:
- Christmas stuff