Christmas Presents & A Rant

I finally braved the crowds yesterday with one of my really good friends to go Christmas shopping.  All in all, it wasn't TOTALLY bad .. I mean, I did have to throw a stick into the path of an old lady with a wheelie-walker (I can promise you, that did not happen.)  My friend Kay and I were both still in our scrubs from work and were walking around the mall trying to figure out what in the heck we could get our significant others and we were looking at the Christmas ornament kiosk and I was drooling over a few really adorable ones that I'm planning on buying when I start popping out kidlets (but who am I kidding, I probably wouldn't pay the $15 then either).  Anywho, we were beginning to walk away, and this woman said in a rather loud, not-so-subtle voice, "I have a question for somebody who may or may not be a nurse that is currently walking away." and my subconscious heard it and my feet stopped walking and I spun around and was like, "Was that directed at me?" and she just smiled and nodded.  So, her question was what was the term that described the process of cutting somebody to bleed them back in the early 1800s or whenever.  And I thought it was leeching off the top of my head, but she said that wasn't it.  My mind was kind of boggled and a small part of me was wondering why in the heck was somebody who was supposed to be cheery, working at an ornament kiosk a week before Christmas was doing thinking about bleeding somebody.  So, me, not being able to let anything go that I think I may know the answer to, I racked my brain until I got a headache.  So, I called my all-knowing dad, who really should go on Jeopardy and asked him.  He said he had no idea what the term could be other than bloodletting (which wasn't the term she was looking for), but he did have this interesting morsel of information: that type of thing occurred at the barber shop and that's why they have the red & white striped barber pole.  The ornament lady was happy (but apparently not happy enough to offer me a discount on her lovely product.) so Kay and I wondered away.  Then, my fingers got itchy so I googled it and searched while we walked and came up with the term "disambiguation" which I was happy with so the next time we walked back by her I just let that little word slip out and she was happy because that was the word she was trying to think of, but alas, no discount then either.  I have no idea why my blogger audience (again, I'm pretty sure there's nobody...) would like to know this, but I found it to be kinda fun.

Then, a little while later Kay and I spotted one of our clients walking down the mall towards us and neither one of us really felt the urge to say hi, so we averted our eyes and pretended to think this really hideous children's outfit was adorable, then she bypassed us so we kept walking.  I started to mutter under my breath that I really wasn't interested in that outfit, I was just trying to make it not as obvious that I was trying to avoid her eyesight, but apparently the woman spun around and started speed walking behind us and was practically riding my butt, which Kay saw and tried to stop me from talking.  She succeeded and we ducked into the Gap and hid from her for a few minutes.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind running into clients outside of work, but I think she may be slightly ... socially... inept, and I knew she would rope me into this huge discussion about fleas or something when all I really wanted to do was Christmas shop and not think about my job.  And I feel like I'm pretty recognizeable since I greet people and help them with their dogs, and throw in the fact that I was still in my scrubs AND I was with Kay .. whooo... three strikes and you're out! 

Believe it or not, this blog post was not to detail my shopping outing, but it was to post more pictures of finished products.  I did make three scarves, all of which are already wrapped, so I'll take a picture of them when the recipients unwrap them, but I did finish this really cool baby blanket to make up for the garbage one I made for my nephew before.

The colors are an off-white, lighter blue (which was called seafoam... but I think green when I hear that) and a darker blue.  I'm really happy with the result.  I also made a giraffe for one of my best friend's daughter, Ally.

His head is so daggone big, his neck doesn't support it.  And I need to give him eyes and a mouth, but you get the point.  I think if I were to remake it, I would crochet around toilet paper rolls when I make his neck so it's sturdier.

I'm pretty proud of the scarves I made, they are pretty nice.  I made my mom, Suzy, & Holly one (because you totally wanted to know that and because you know who I'm talking about.)

I have one more person left that I need to buy for, and I'm fairly certain I'm going to make him a scarf too.  One of my brother's wants me to make him a bear, wearing a hat with a big G on it so he can "give it to his first born." .... I think I have time ... because he doesn't currently have a girlfriend.  I was thinking about making my dad a scarf or something, but he wouldn't wear it ... I even asked him.  I thought it would hurt his feelings since I've made almost every other person something, but he's weird ... a good ole country boy who'd rather freeze than wear a super cool scarf his only daughter made him... hmph. 

I did make my fiance a beanie with earflaps and tassels:

He insisted on getting the earflaps and tassels.  I was content leaving them off, but what can I do? I love him.

I feel like I've accomplished more ... ooh, well, I did kinda sorta get trapped in another book series (curse you, Amazon!)  At least the other four books are only $2.99 a piece, (at least I hope so, I've only gotten two of the four I need to buy). 

I couldn't say I'm totally looking forward to Christmas and New Years, because I have to work both eves from 8-1.  I hate that.  And one of my bridesmaids is throwing my fiance and I an engagement party at my parent's house on New Year's Eve, so I get to get off work, then hurry up and drive for four hours, make myself pretty, and stay up past midnight and celebrate with my friends and family, all without a nap.  Sheesh.  I wish I could nap on the way down there, but, ya know, I kinda like being the one who drives...  Then, I have to wake up, hungover probably, the next morning and drive allll the way back up here because my boss didn't deem it necessary to give us Monday off.  Nah ... that'd mean he'd have to pay me for not working and why on Earth would he do that?! 

Sorry about that rant. 

My fiance and I decided to share one present with each other tonight, because he and I are both the most impatient people in the world.  I let him open the phone case I got him, (simply because I know he really needs it and with our luck, he'd drop his brand new phone on Christmas Eve and shatter it or something awful.) and he gave me the soundtrack to Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 (because, as I've previously stated, I'm a Twi-Hard :) and I'm not ashamed to admit it.) which I am currently listening to. 

On a side note, I was on Amazon and noticed that there is a book called, "The Trouble with Twilight."  Curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on it to read a description and it proceeds to say that Twilight and other similar books are an attempt to brainwash our young adults about occultism and mysticism and whatnot.  GIVE. ME. A. BREAK.  It's a B-O-O-K.  It's amazing how something as simple and harmless as a book can elicit this response from some, dare I say, fanatics?  I mean, ignoring Twilight, look at Harry Potter.  I, personally, was affected by some nut-ball (sorry if I offend anybody) that convinced my 12 year old nephew that Harry Potter was the evil workings of the devil, and my brother, his father, was actually the devil that was trying to use his evil (Harry Potter) to lure him to hell.  This little kid was a Harry Potter FANATIC!  He had all of the toys, board games, movies, video games, bed sheets, everything, because HE asked for them.  So, of course, my little impressionable nephew was scared out of his wits and promptly decided that he was going to never see his father again so he could be sure he gets into heaven.  I haven't seen that boy since.  He is now 20 years old, and still refuses to even speak to his father or any of his family other than his mother and her fellow...(how can I put this delicately...) like-minded individuals?  (Whoo.. that seriously took some major brain power & censorship to come up with.)  Why can't people just let books be books, games be games, and to each his own?  If you don't like it, don't read/watch/listen to it! There are some people that I've heard on the radio that are actually protesting a radio show.... is that really all you have to do with your time?  ... sit outside of a radio station and picket them?  If you don't like what they are talking about... TURN YOUR RADIO TO A DIFFERENT STATION FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY! 

One thing I've learned in dealing with animals and listening and observing people, is that a lot, probably close to the majority of people, suck a lot of dirty toes.  Some people can't be happy unless they are making somebody else's life miserable, or trying to ruin somebody's living, or trying to break up a family, or making a big stink out of something that isn't hurting a single living soul. 

Wow.. sorry this blog kinda ended in a rant... definitely didn't have that intention when I started, but one thing leads to another.. and well... this is the way my mind works.  If I am close enough friends with somebody and we hang out enough, they learn to follow the breadcrumbs my mind leaves and can follow what I'm thinking.  They are the select and chosen few.  I can literally count them on one hand. And three of them... no .. two of them have known me my whole life.

Season's Greeting all! ... and to all a good night!