Merry Holidays!

Aaaah. Christmas 2007 is officially over. It's been a very busy month! I still have a few things to complete in terms of gift knitting. The bigger issue is the clean up -- our house is a MESS! There's gift wrapping stuff everywhere!!!

A very thoughtful gift we received was a donation in our honor to the Heifer International (from Mike, Diane and kids). I'd heard of this organization through the knit blogs I read. John and I have thought about doing the same for the past two years (donating to various causes). Maybe next Christmas!

Almost every Christmas for at least 15 years or more, my mom has gifted me with new pajamas. She even uses the same box (the lid is wrapped, enabling her to recycle it year after year). I love the annual jammies. I haven't received my mom's gift yet, but I certainly didn't fall short in the pajama department this year:


Thanks, Mom Baltz, Linda and darling Husband!!! I sense a little theme going on here though. Skiing penguins, penguins in show shoes and swirling pengins. I can't wait to get these washed! They'll keep me warm and cozy all winter.

Many thanks to all our best pals and to our family for their generosity. Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe remainder of 2007 and all the best in 2008!

Company Party 2007

Quick Company Party Highlights:

A good time was had by all, of course. The Bottom Line was decorated for the holidays and they had a DJ playing a good mix of dance tunes.

Here are a few pics:

A FEW LAUGHS



A LITTLE DANCING

LOTS OF MUGGING FOR THE CAMERA

Horridays - Part 2

It’s odd how my co-workers truly come together one day out of every year -- during our office Holiday Luncheon (or “Lunch-in, as the big boss calls it). We do a Secret Santa gift swap, eat lots of yummy food, receive our company gifts (this year: a backpack with the company logo -- in addition to the annual turkey and date book), and play a little game.

The company provides X dollars (like $7.39?) per person for catered food (we got deli and fruit platters from the grocery store) and we each contribute some kind of side dish, appetizer, salad or dessert to complement the meal. I made cocktail meatballs and sausage with good ‘ole grape jelly and chili sauce. So simple. So delish. There were all kinds of dips: Hot Crab, Dill, Tex-Mex. Desserts: Banana pudding, chocolate cake, figgy pudding, pudding cake with chocolate, gigantic decorated chocolate chip cookie. Cream cheese spread & crackers. Hot wings. Pasta salad. Cole Slaw. Potato Salad. Chips galore! I didn’t even fix myself a sandwich. I was full from sampling all the side stuff.

The best part is we have so many leftovers, we’ll have it all again today for lunch. Free lunch, two days in a row. What’s not to like?

The big boss also loves to create a game for all of us to play. He is really generous in that respect. A lot of thought goes into how his made-up game will work and he foots the bill on the prizes, which have included $25 to $75 gift cards in the past. Last year’s game involved wrapped boxes and clues to what was inside. You could keep the one you initially picked or pass it off to another one. This year’s game was a little more interactive with lots of number swapping. The game could have gone much longer, but someone picked a “Game Over” ticket. The number we were holding at the time “Game Over” was picked correlated to a prize. The boss’ young son stuffed and sealed prizes into numbered manila envelopes and the boss didn’t know what prize was in which envelope. Love the randomness! There were a few $5 McD’s gift cards for lunch off the dollar menu, lots of scratch-off lottery tickets (no, I didn’t become a millionaire), a $25 Visa gift card and a $50 Visa gift card.

It was a fun day.

Actually, the last time we had a big group meal like this was over the summer when we threw a Surprise Wedding Shower for young Bill, who got married in August (at age 23!). We had brunch foods and Bill was quite surprised, to say the least.

Gone are the days when companies held big Christmas parties for all their employees at some restaurant or rented hall where people got dressed up to attend with their spouses or dates. Fancy food, lots of free booze. I have a few friends whose workplaces still do that kind of party, but mostly, I think people hold their own little thing at the office. In these times of budget cutbacks and alcohol-related liabilities, I don’t really mind the potluck office party. I prefer the casual to some fancy schmancy deal. Actually, it would be nice to have the food from a fancy party (steak, shrimp, lobster, little puff pastry hors d’oeuvres, etc...) but in our office environment.

Tonight is our “Company Party”, and by that, I mean the annual pilgrimage down to the Bottom Line in DC to celebrate the season with our bestest buds. Before that, however, my work lunch mates are meeting for happy hour. It’s sort of a “happy holidays” and a “congrats” thing -- my current manager is going to become the new Assistant GM at White Marsh starting in January. We’ll definitely miss her!

Have a Very Merry!

The Smell of Rotisserie Chicken

I stopped at the grocery store after work tonight to pick up a few things. The parking lot smelled like roasting chicken. So not fair. Especially at dinnertime, when people are starving. Luckily, I have willpower and can ignore the rotisserie chicken sample lady with her toothpicks of doom.

But, you didn't come here for that, did you? You want 12:12 news and stuff. I've written lots of posts, just hadn't gotten around to putting them up. Tonight, you get them all at once. Go grab a cuppa coffee 'cuz this could take a while...

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WORKING BACKWARDS
I meant to post highlights and pictures from 12:12 on my day off (the 13th) but never got around to it due to all the shopping and general exhaustion. That word (exhaustion) looks weird. Is it spelled right? Spell check hasn’t come up to tell me it’s wrong. I really need more sleep!!!

Anyway, John had a really sucky weekend on call again. He missed the festivities at Mary and Mark’s on Saturday night. Mark’s chili has medicinal purposes (cleared my sinuses!) as well as being yummy. We didn’t stay long as William and Freddy had another party to attend.

So, here’s the post I wrote for 12:12 but didn’t upload. Enjoy!

Twel Twel
Another year, another fabulous 12:12! We celebrated this year at Freddy’s and there were lots of old friends and new who joined our revelry.

I had my camera but it was hijacked during a portion of the party. Unfortunately, there were memory card issues while the camera was out of my possession (must delete stuff dating back to Labor Day weekend!) and some funky stuff with the settings, so some pics came out fuzzy and dark.

Highlights:

Little Owen
LL stopped by to introduce us to Baby Owen, 11 weeks old. Too cute! I don’t think I’ve seen LL since her New Year’s Eve Eve party of 2005. She didn’t stay very long, but long enough for Nate to take a few spins around the house with the baby and for Gabrielle to proclaim she wanted a baby brother.

Negrodamas
At almost every 12:12 party I’ve attended (6 so far), Nate and Freddy do a skit. This year, Negrodamas (or “Negrodumbass, as Kevin dubbed him) showed up to amaze us with his fortune telling skillz.



Door Prizes
I think the 12:12 door prize tradition started when John and I hosted in 2004. We made up 12:12 iron-on transfers and put them on t-shirts and boxers to give away at our party. William had a raffle when he hosted at Uncle Jed’s the following year. There were a variety of things, from a disposable Spongebob camera to a power strip. I won a 12-pack of Natural Light, the official beer of 12:12 founding father, Henry.

Last year, Freddy gave away a George Foreman grill, amongst other toys and things. This year, there was a mini chopper, lots of silly string, some Play-Doh, and a funny book with a hole in it. For your hot dog, if you know what I mean. Sadly, this prize was distributed while my camera was hijacked, so I don’t have a picture of it.

John ordered special "Happy 12:12" M&M's and Freddy handed them out. Somehow, Freddy got credit for the big salad, even though we were the ones who bought them. Newman! That'll teach us to hand out our own 12:12 gifts!

12:12 Song
Those of us who didn’t have to work the next day (or under age 30 when partying during the week and going to work isn’t a problem) were treated to a round of the 12:12 song. Pretty much just the word “twelve” sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. I think this was the start of a new tradition.

Here are some more pics from the festivities:









I had already eaten a skewer, pizza and chips by the time Linda arrived with artichoke dip. When I realized what had been in the empty dish, I scraped a sample out of the bottom. Yummy. Oh! Whoever brought the Rum Cake... Delicious! Just thought I’d tell ya.

Next year. 12/12/08. On a Friday. The 12:12 Committee is taking volunteers for hosting duties. Oh, the debauchery!


HAPPY HORRIDAYS
As I was mixing chocolate chip cookie dough the other night and wishing I had remembered to borrow my mom’s heavy duty stand mixer, I thought about how much holiday stuff I cut out this year:

[1] We didn’t put up the big tree (two small ones are on display)
[2] I’m only making 3 kinds of cookies (haystacks, choc chip and Mex wedding cookies)
[3] No handmade holiday cards or tags were crafted
[4] Gift cards -- love the gift card rack at the grocery store!

How did I do it before? Were there more hours in the day? Actually, there were, in a sense... my work commute eats two hours daily, and there isn’t a mall close to work where I can shop during lunch hour. I was so geared up for 12:12 that I have no energy left for Christmas.

Many people I’ve talked to said they didn’t send cards this year. I was thinking about how easy it must be to have photo cards printed up (for those with kids, usually). Just shove them in an envelope, slap on an address label, stamp it and you’re done! I try to write a little something personal in each card, even if what I come up with is sort of trite. John writes funny stuff to our best pals.

I like getting photo cards, especially from friends we don’t see very often. It’s amazing how quickly the kids grow and change! And I know a lot of people hate getting those “year in review” family newsletters, but I like reading them. Doesn’t matter if I don’t know the family either!

Do you know people who do “winter cleaning”? It’s like “spring cleaning”, but you do it before New Year’s. Maybe it’s a Thai thing. My mom and aunt clean the house at the end of the year so they start the New Year fresh (and clean!). I think that will be a little difficult for us, as John and I picked up all my boxes from William’s a few weeks ago and they’re cluttering up the lower level. Opening up all those boxes and dealing with my “stuff” will be my New Year’s Resolution. Either use it, give it away or trash it.

I already know there are things I can easily trash. I have CPA exam prep books that can go, considering I don’t see myself taking the exam again (ever!) and the info is outdated. Maybe Freddy will take them for the fire pit. And I’m hoping the in-laws will have a yard sale again this year. I have lots of kitchen stuff that can be donated or taken down to Breton Bay.

John and I went out to pick up some restaurant gift cards last night. One place we’ve dined in before was fairly busy. It was Ladies’ Night ($5 martinis) and it looked like they were either serving free snacks in the lounge or there was a small company party going on. Across the street is a steak place we’ve been meaning to try. We got some gift cards there, but it wasn’t as busy, which was actually a big surprise. I hope the steak place stays in business long enough for our recipients to use the gift cards!!! That’s what we said last year about Red Sky and it seems to be doing OK, despite it’s location (across from the Tragic Laurel Mall, next to Hooters).

Speaking of the TLM, did you know they have a Post Office in there? It stays open a little later than the one on Main Street and you don’t have to deal with long lines. And being that it resides in the TLM, parking is a breeze!!!

Five shopping days left for those still searching for the perfect gift! Happy Holidays!

The Pressure is Too Much

The title of this post is something my manager blurted out the other day -- sort of in fun, but also true. For her, the pressure is work-related. For me, it’s trying to finish up all my holiday knitting.

I started this year’s holiday gift-knitting when I was recuperating from surgery over the summer. Most of what I completed so far consists of small, easy projects to be given to my office co-workers. The rest of the projects I have in mind are simple in terms of pattern, but a little more time intensive. And I’m not talking about adult size sweaters or anything big here. Just a few pairs of mittens, a couple hats, maybe a few more cotton warshcloths.

Speaking of pressure, my head is so stuffed up right now. I’m sure 75% of it is the air quality at work; the rest of it is residual sinus cold from Thanksgiving weekend. I just sneezed 7 times in under a minute and now my nose is dripping. Time for some Sudafed!

So, how’s your holiday shopping going? For the past couple years, I’ve tried to make gifts for people or put together recipe “kits” (a basket of canned or dry goods with accompanying recipe so recipient can make the dish themselves by adding a few fresh ingredients. Kits I’ve made in the past include a Beef Curry Kit and a Chicken-Grape Salad Kit. Not sure if the recipients ever made the dishes.) It’s becoming more difficult to come up with original, creative ideas.

At work, we do a Secret Santa thing where you fill out a little slip of paper with your name and 5 items you might want to receive. The slip is folded and dropped into a bag. Each person participating in the game picks a slip out of the bag (we picked Friday) and buys their Secret Giftee something off the list ($20 or under). During our office party in two weeks, we’ll exchange the gifts. The big boss VP wasn’t able to join us when we picked names, so I told him he’d get the one left over, which happened to be mine. I know this because of the way the slip was folded. Not origami-like, but in half and then in thirds with one end tucked into the other. One of the Santas didn’t like his pick so he swapped it for my list. Kinda defeats the purpose of the game a little, knowing who got mine.

The person I picked had 3 different gift cards listed. Granted, it guarantees you get something you know you’ll use. I just wish the game was more creative than that. But it is what it is.

One year in junior high, my friends and I each bought and wrapped a “generic” gift to throw into a grab bag. Being 9th graders on a very limited budget, I think I bought cute socks. Even then, I was a practical gift giver. Everyone needs socks, right? I can’t tell you what I picked out of the bag, but the fun part was the complete randomness of the game.

It’s funny how I find it so difficult to buy gifts for my parents -- family in general. For my nieces, the challenge these days (if I’m thinking of clothing) is to get the right size. I think I’m OK on style, as I pretty much dress like a 13-year-old most of the time. Stuffing a bunch of cash in their stockings is probably the way to go these days!

Twelve Twelve
Well, it’s coming up VERY soon. There were a number of places the 12/12 Committee considered having this year’s gathering. The first was Shad and Jen’s place. There’s a party room type thing at their apartment complex and we’ve reserved it. But there might be an issue with getting in, parking, etc... So, Freddy offered to host and provide pizza. John and I suggested having it at Corner Pub. Good pizza, Nikki’s waitressing that night and no clean-up afterwards! Call Freddy or William for details... and if you find out what the plan is, let me know!