I should've taken Th & Fri too

Solid end to an interesting year.  Found out we're having a girl (yikes), having a great holiday with the wife and boy enjoying not being at work,  lining up an interview for the new year,  and putting this beast on the wall. 

Ugh that took some doing.  Panicked for a minute when the power cord got stuck and I couldn't get it back out, but putting some muscle into it got that solved.  I don't think I'll ever want to get off the couch again, even though I was right, I could barely watch the Bears blow it on a tv that size.

But there's snow on the way and I wish I had decided to take Thursday and Friday off too, so I'm looking for some liquid comfort to ease the end of this great vacation.  So here's to a good 2013 and an even better 2014. 

Current beer-scale: 8.3 and about to enjoy some more holiday whiskey.

Merry Christmas to me

My math ended up being right, but I wasn't quite sure for a while.

The wife was feeling a little guilty about getting a new ipad for christmas and me getting a few sweaters (for the record I didn't feel bad at all, I love the sweaters she got me) and we ended up talking about getting a new tv again.  The mount we already have is good up to 60", so that's what we checked out while we were killing time between some downtown appointments yesterday.

That time-killing ended up costing me 5" of diagonal space as she convinced me 60" was just too big for our current space, and that a 55" that costs significantly less would be a better choice.  So doing some research I found a solid price on the LG above, and ended up picking it up today.  It had to be a solo trip for obvious reasons, but things fit just about perfectly and now the box is in our bedroom ready to be put on the wall.  I have a feeling I'll put it on the wall tonite just in time to see the Bears get killed tomorrow.  Totally worth it.

Current beer-scale: a very happy 7.1 

Jbeam maple

Why am I still up and drinking? Because I found a bottle of Jim Beam Maple out shopping today and even though I have to cut it with rye to make it drinkable I'm finding it quite tolerable.  I guess there's no harm in an extra glass or two, even if the Bears are getting absolutely curb stomped right now.

Not a Dr. Who reference, but it should be.

Current beer-scale: 9.89999

More baking

Okay, this is pretty neat.

I only bake these once a year, and it's totally worth it b/c it's not christmas until I've had one of these.  But the google+ gif adding sparkles to the tree just makes it that much better this year.  Here's to watching Die Hard and drinking while baking.

The picture alone is enough to make me drool.

 Current beer-scale: 7.1

Still baking

Trust me, it'll all be worth it when they're done.

Plus, I totally went foodie-blogger and used some tricks to speed things up this year.  Got the dental floss out to save myself some time chopping everything up and it actually worked.  How about that.  

 

Current beer-scale: 6.9 and "Welcome to the party pal!"

technically not a disaster

but pretty damn close.

With Dominicks all over Chicago closing or about to be purchased by other chains, there's been a few news stories about stores getting cleared out.  We were out for some errands yesterday and needed to get a handful of groceries to get through a party and meeting-heavy week and thought we'd try our normal store.  Turned out to be a surreal experience.

We usually go to the Dominicks on McCormick.  It's a little further away than other options but a little quieter too and there's easier parking.  The closer Dominicks was actually one of the ones on the news since it hasn't been purchased by anyone else and it's pretty cleared out.  The same can be said of the McCormick location; it felt like a disaster was about to hit, or already had.  The only things left on the shelf was alcohol, and only b/c that's not 50% off yet.  Bummer.

Thankfully we found the one item I wanted to get, the last can of cream cheese frosting for some christmas tree rolls this week.  I honestly can't believe it was still there.  B/c that's about all we found, other than a bunch of junk we only got b/c it was severely on sale.  Still, a crazy experience. 

I did have to laugh while I was in line, the wife was keeping an eye on the kid who was running around using two rolls of saran wrap as drumsticks or swords.  This doesn't really give it justice but it was a pretty fair cap to a strange and weirdly fun trip.

Current beer-scale: 9.1

the trouble with beards

I had a signature petitioner try to stop me this afternoon by telling me he was hypnotized by my majestic beard.  I thanked him and kept walking, but I'm not sure whether that was a compliment or not.  In either case, it might be time to lose the scruff even if I don't get an interview call over the holidays.

Current beer-scale: 8.1 & still taking the narco

*fart noises*

That's more a Thomas blue than xmas, but fuck it, I've got a kid. 

These felt more like a "had to" vs a "want to" for tomorrow's office cookie day but I'll be damned if those aren't the nicest blue and green that I've put together.

Ribs are feeling better but with a few inches of fresh snow down and about 80 cookies plus bourbon balls to carry I think I'll still be on the train tomorrow. Ugh. Man I wish I dip into that bourbon right about now. Oh we'll hopefully in a couple more days I can put away the pills and pick up a tumbler.

Current beer-scale: a post-great weekend 3.5

See? There's always a bright side

One benefit so far to being on pain medication and having to take the train?  Having an extra 90 minutes a day to get some studying in.  B/c I sure as shit didn't do any over Thanksgiving, and tonite's mid-term really snuck up on me.

And that is the only benefit.  B/c not being able to drink and barely being able to sleep is starting to wear pretty fucking thin.

Current beer-scale: 8.9 but who cares, b/c I'm still taking vicodin.