A hazy shade of winter

I talked to Queenie today briefly and she said that the last person that she had hoped would join me on the fire team said no today. We are at the bottom of our barrel. We are merging with our office in Longview in a few weeks, and she's going to ask one or two people from that office, but I asked her what we were going to do, as I have many times over the last month, and her response this time was, "I don't know." Talk about chilling. I foresee this winter being really long and filled with a lot of days of long hours, but right now it's hazy because it could change. Surely my managers aren't going to leave me as the sole fire adjuster in the office...are they? *sigh* She also asked me if I thought that the reason why we couldn't find anyone else was because no one wanted to work for her. I couldn't tell her the truth, so I lied and told her that I was sure that wasn't the reason.

I wish that I could just not worry about it, but I have such a hard time saying no...and knowing me, I'll let them pile work on me until I can't see the gray winter sky anymore. I just foresee a lot of ugly coming up...working my fingers to the bone the week before Thanksgiving vacation, working until 8 pm on Christmas eve, working on New Year's Day...etcetera.

So tonight I just feel kind of pensive...I'm worried about the next few months, although I'm trying not to be, and I just feel kind of brain dead tonight...like I just thought way too much today about too many different things. Serious brain drain. And I have to work tomorrow afternoon to get some more done so I have a fairly pleasant week next week.

I had a great week on eating this week...I managed to stay clean all week until tonight when P took me to Saltgrass for a steak dinner. And this is how I know it was a super clean week...because I feel disgusting now after eating that meal. It wasn't even that bad either...I shared spinach artichoke dip with P, and then ate a salad with low-fat Ranch, 10 oz sirloin, four coconut shrimp, about a third of a baked potato, some bread, and then he took me to Paciugo for gelato...one of my favorite sweet treat places that doesn't strike me down with guilt for being so bad. Look at that, 4.5 g of fat in a half cup. I think the same quantity of ice cream has about 15 g or so! Not bad. And I feel satisfied.

If only I had done better this week at the gym. Granted, it's not like I was just sitting around all week on my butt doing nothing, but still. I miss the gym. I'm going tomorrow morning for sure before my afternoon of work starts. P told me tonight at dinner that he is going to go spend the day and night with friends, so I'll have the whole day at home by myself to work quietly with the dogs for company.

Great memes today...so interesting!

This is the first time I've done the Friday Q...I love today's questions.

FQ1: What is your favorite possession made mostly from wood? Metal? Plastic?
Wood: My dining room hutch. It is a blond pine, lighted, with mirrors, and we bought it several years ago at Wickes after we got married...when we lived in our first apartment that actually had a formal dining room. I filled it with all the glass things that I got from our wedding, specifically the matching candlesticks and salt/pepper shakers that I love, and it is just beautiful. I love to turn the light on at night when we have company over and the light just shines off all the glass and in the mirror and it just looks beautiful. I love it.
Metal: My engagement ring and wedding ring that I wear as a set. My engagement ring is a classic round-cut solitaire set in white gold and my wedding band is a gold channel-cut band with round diamonds set in it. I love it.
Plastic: My Disney princesses clock that hangs on my office wall.
FQ2: What is your favorite possession colored mostly red? Blue? Green?
Red: My iRiver MP3 player. It's just fantastic! The casing is red.
Blue: My Dooney and Bourke barrel satchel. It is periwinkle, and it cheers me up just to look at it, and the turquoise blue lining is the best part about it. And I have the coin purse to match it.
Green: One of my favorite navel rings is a silver frog with a green stone in it. It is just adorable.
FQ3: What is your favorite possession looking mostly soft? Sharp? Fragile?
Soft: Moira. She is so fluffy and cuddly.
Sharp: My Fat Max tape measure. This is the best tape measure I've ever worked with, and I've used a lot of them, but you have to be super careful when you are closing it or you'll slice your hands, as I've learned from experience.
Fragile: My framed Camelot Sampler. The framing is very delicate and my framer cautioned me when I picked it up to be VERY careful with it and not throw it around. Not that I would, but you get my meaning.
FQ Net Worth: If your nine prized possessions listed above were stolen, what do you estimate the total cost would be to replace them?
Hutch: $500
Rings: $2,500
Disney clock: $10
iRiver: $150
Dooney satchel/coin purse: $215
frog navel ring: $15
Moira: $60 (that's just the adoption fees I paid)
Fat Max: $30
Camelot Sampler: $400 (framing, material, floss, pattern)
Total: $3,780

Friday Feast! (Oh, I am SO not hungry at the moment!)

Appetizer How are you today? Stressed, stuffed and sleepy. In that order.
Soup Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis. I never miss Nip Tuck, Six Feet Under or Survivor. I love those shows.
Salad What's the scariest weather situation you've experienced? The tornado that I talked about in my blog entry from September 12, 2004.
Main Course If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be? Italy. That place just seems so magical to me.
Dessert What do you usually wear to sleep? Tank top and panties or boxers.

And lastly, the Friday Forum! (This meme is growing on me!)

1. Starting with your head down to your toes, what health/beauty products have you used/applied to your body so far today? [Forexample, shampoo, toothpaste, makeup, cologne/perfume, nail polish, etc.] Crest toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, coconut lime verbena bath gel, Biore face wash, coconut lime verbena body spray, deodorant, Halston perfume, eyeliner, mascara, powder foundation, bronzer, and lip gloss.
2. Do you have a ritual when you take a shower, such as washing your hair first or maybe even brushing your teeth in the shower? If so, what? Do you prefer baths or showers, usually? I wash my hair and put the conditioner in before I soap up. Washing my face is the last thing that I do. And I much prefer showers. Baths are okay at night, but showers are the only way that I feel like I've gotten completely clean.
3. How do you get yourself up and going in the mornings? Coffee? A hot shower? Breakfast? Would you consider yourself a morning person at all? When do you usually get up? I normally wake up and get going with a cup of caffeinated tea (my only one of the day...otherwise it's herbal) and breakfast before I walk my dogs...and unless I have a few hours to slowly wake up, I'm in the shower immediately after I get back from the walk. I do not consider myself a morning person at all....much more of a night owl. I usually get up between 8 and 9 every morning except on the weekends...and on the weekends it's somewhere around 11.
4. Do you normally eat breakfast? What do you usually have? Do you usually make it at home or go out for breakfast, or do you prefer not to eat breakfast? Breakfast is totally the most important meal of the day. I never leave without eating it now. I usually have high fiber cereal with a banana sliced into it and skim milk poured on top...sometimes on the weekend I'll have egg whites and whole wheat toast.
5. What does your alarm clock sound like? A buzzer, music, or something else? Do you ever set your clock fast so that you push yourself to get ready sooner? Are you usually on time, late, or somewhere in-between? My alarm is cathedral bells. I usually set my alarm to go off about an hour before the time that I actually want to get up so I have plenty of time to hit the snooze. I have tried the setting the clock fast trick before as an attempt to get me out the door sooner, but it doesn't work...my brain knows it's fast and automatically adjusts. I'm usually late EVERYWHERE I go. I'm trying valiantly to break that habit...I'm starting to set ranges for appointments now and trying to leave thirty minutes before I actually need to leave so I have enough time, but it's a struggle every day.

I need some quiet stitching time. More tomorrow from the winter of our discontent.