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Decorating is Hard Work!

Posted on November 29, 2008 by auburnchick

Yeah, I know…three posts in one day!  What can I say?  I’ve been working hard and needed a break.

This year I had planned to do my decorating in small phases so as to avoid being overwhelmed by the messiness of all of it.  I’m sure you can relate.

First of all you bring out the boxes from the closet.  Then, as you start pulling things out and deciding where to put them, you realize just how dusty your house it, so you have to pull out a rag and clean.  Then, you have to take the stuff that’s already around your house and move it somewhere else to make room for the decorations.

Meanwhile, you try to start putting other decorations around the house, but you get stuck because your “regular” house stuff that you just moved is in the precise spot you want to put the other decorations.  So you have to stop, put that stuff away, and then resume.

And the tree…

For the last four or five years, we have had a pre-lit Christmas tree.  The first year we had it was nice.  I hate stringing lights, so this saved a ton of time.  Plus, the new tree was taller and filled the space between the floor and ceiling (10 ft) better than the old tree.  However, all of the pre-strung lights made the tree HEAVY!  What a pain to put away!  We barely fit the box into the Christmas closet each year.  Last year, one of my closet doors broke, so I had to go to Home Depot to buy the parts to fix it.

A couple of years ago, I noticed that the top section of the tree was not lighting properly.  I painstakingly went through the lights trying to figure out which one was burned out.  I am the expert light-fixer, spending hours each year maintaining my sets.  But this one had me stumped.  I changed fuses and bulbs…to no avail.

Finally, this year I decided no more.  Mr. AuburnChick agreed.  We put the tree, in its box, beside the curb.  I hope someone will come along and claim it as their own.

I rummaged around in the attic and pulled down the 7-ft tree we’ve had since the second year of my marriage.  It’s small.  What a difference.  And the lights took forever to put on.  They don’t look great, but they’re on.  I have about half of the ornaments hung.  Soccer Chick invited Guy Friend over, and he helped.  Both of them got tired before the job was done.  So the boxes sit…waiting…

Thank goodness, though, for teenagers.  They have so much energy and creativity!  I let them have at it with the decorations.

Guy Friend and Soccer Chick decorated my fireplace.

I think the rest of the house is going to have to wait until tomorrow.  I’m tired.  Decorating is hard work!  Aubie and Pele agree.

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AuburnChick is Clumsy!

Posted on November 29, 2008 by auburnchick

Sometimes I amaze myself with how clumsy I am.

Last night, while getting out leftovers, the container holding the turkey fell out of the fridge.  Now, do you think I could have put the meat into a container with a regular lid?  Of course I should have, but did I?  Of course not.  I opted for a dish that I had decided to save from the garbage pile…recycling, if you will.  So, I had put Saran Wrap over the top of it.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Before I knew it, the turkey was lying on the floor, upturned, of course.  I couldn’t believe it.  Mr. AuburnChick and I had just been talking about me making turkey salad and how good it was the last time I threw it together.

I hurriedly got it off the floor.  Fortunately, I salvaged a few pieces because they had landed on the wrap.

Great.

And just when you think this is the end of the story, it gets worse.  I am, after all, AuburnChick…whose life is not calm.

While my dinner was warming up, I pulled out the Key Lime Pie that one of my friends had graciously made for me.  In the process, Mr. AuburnChick’s Pecan Pie slipped out of the box and onto the floor…pie side down of course.

Mr. AuburnChick had, to my great luck, missed out on the turkey incident.  Thank goodness.  That was an easy thing to cover up.  However, my good fortune ran out as he happened by the kitchen a few seconds after the pie mishap.

He was not amused.  I can’t say that I blamed him.  He has Crohn’s Disease, which severely limits what he can eat.  He is lactose-intolerant, making the planning of dinners and desserts difficult.  The pie was his, brought in by his mom.

All he could do was walk away.

Rooster, who had witnessed both events eased into the kitchen after Mr. AuburnChick retired to his room.  The Rooster and I started laughing at the ridiculousness (is that a word?) of it.

“Mama, you must be one of the clumsiest people I know,” he said in the middle of laughing.

Boy is that an understatement!

If you are ever trying to get rid of leftovers, give me a call.  I’ll help you get rid of them guilt-free.

😀

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Soccer Chick Still Needs Mama

Posted on November 29, 2008 by auburnchick

Last night (actually early this morning), I was awakened by Soccer Chick.

“Mama, I had a bad dream,” she whispered desperately.

As I opened my eyes, I noticed that she had her pillow and blankie in hand.  She was looking to crawl into bed with me.

I pulled myself up and told her I’d follow her to her room.  She wanted me to stay, so I assured her that I would stick to my side of the bed…not roll over into her space.

Apparently my presence was just what she needed to ease back into sleep.

When she woke up later in the morning, she told me that she had one of those dreams where people are chasing you and then get into your house.

Poor dear.  I think she ate too much Key Lime Pie over the last couple of days.

Still, it’s nice to know that she still comes to me when it counts.

Just call me “Big Bad Monster Chaser.”

😀

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