I’m back. With ideas.

Once upon a time, I had two months left in my non-renewable work contract (read: a looming unemployment date).  As my energy concentrated on the pending void, it was sucked away into a black hole of extreme stress. Then, like the proverbial straw, Stephen Harper (the real politician, not the vent) was elected with a majority (breaking my proverbial camel’s back.)  My sense of humour and perspective came to a grindingly horrific halt.

Always the first thing to go (because it is yucky), I stopped working out.  I stopped having sparkling dinner conversation, sending witty texts to my friends, conversing awkwardly with social acquaintances and even having intelligent comments on the news of the day.  I lost interest in my fabulously awesome job, despite its superiority over everyotherjobintheentireworld.  My cross-stitch languished on its little table.  It was all I could do to sleep fitfully and occasionally shower.  I’d like to blame Mr. Harper for this entire course of events, but that would probably be overdramatic.  Even for me.

As you may have guessed by this point, my change-coping skills are somewhat underdeveloped.  I curl up into a little ball of stress paralysis, eat chocolate for dinner and complain about everything.

BUT  I AM BACK.  I have a new job!  A great job!  With benefits!  At a great company!  With people I love!  I started working out again, eating non-chocolate things for dinner, and am slowly regaining my ability for charming repartee.  Things are looking up, which means you get to hear all about the stupid projects taking over my life.

I am sorry to admit that I did not spend my five months’ absence making hats.  I thought hatmaking was all lace and garish plastic flowers, ostrich feathers and fanciful beading.  Mistake.  I googled that shit for about two minutes and found out that you have to use TOOLS and EQUIPMENT.  No.  So hatmaking is out.

Now that I have regained sufficient use of my cerebral powers, I have some other plans, so I will be posting these shortly.  I just thought you all deserved a little explanation in the meantime.

 

Monotonous Monday(s) and the Bonus Prime Minister Game

Not only are my crafts mediocre, my blogging skills are even less impressive.  Sorry about missing the last monotonous Monday, three to five blog-reading friends.  I know you were eagerly anticipating a cross-stitching update.  Missing last Monday has one definite advantage, though.  Now you get to see two Monday pics together, so you can really compare the progress!  Unfortunately, I am currently on the “clouds” portion of the pattern, meaning that I fill in empty white space with tiny white x’s.  What a thrill!  I hope you’re sitting down for this.

Feb 14:

Feb 21:

There you go!  Wasn’t that exciting!  I don’t know how you all waited a whole extra week for that.  Whew!  Better go get a glass of water.

I baked these cookies from Joy the Baker this week.  This was the first time I’ve made sugar cookies in my married life, because I just got a rolling pin this year for Christmas. (I know.. rolling pins cost like $10.  Why did I wait to get one for Christmas?  I think I probably had a spare ten dollars sometime in the last 5.5 years.) They were pretty good, but I made them a little too thin, so they were slightly overbaked, I think.  They were a bit too crispy for my liking.  I made my husband take pictures for me while I baked.  I’m pretty bossy, but he doesn’t mind too much.

I am about to write a special MID-WEEK blog post for you to read!  That is what happens when I get a three-day weekend– I get all productive-like.

BONUS: A wintry sunset picture.  (There is a vent in this picture that looks like Stephen Harper’s head.  See it?)