it's beginning to look like Christmas

A quick little Holiday helper Blog which won't help you until next year:
I have NOT participated in "Black Friday" for the last 25 years! Shopping among other people on a normal weekday evening makes me crazy. The average stop to any store during the Holiday rush just gives me hives.
Yes, I have missed all the door stopper deals and 4am specials in exchange for relative sanity and a work free day to put up my tree. I am not particularly bothered by missing these "one time only" deals and don't expect to be bothered this year either.
I will share my secret with you:
I shop for Christmas all year long beginning with the day after Christmas clearances. When the store clearances out everything having to do with whatever the latest sale has been called I continue to clearance shop. I do this right up to Black Friday, then I stop. The money I could have saved by standing in line for 3 hours at Ultimate Electronics pre-dawn crowd (which in late November, Colorado means -10 degrees) does NOT make that big of a difference if you already bought this item. Plus, would you have bought this particular item if it weren't such a spectacular deal? There are always large odds that you will NOT get what you came for during the big sale as the stores usually have VERY LIMITED quantities and the crowds are huge. The frostbite coupled with the trauma just can't beat the satisfaction of seeing it all done months and months ahead.
Of course this is not a perfect plan as you can never tell what item will become the MUST HAVE item for someone you love during the Christmas commercials between the Sponge Bob underwater special and the Chairman's Christmas Cook off. In this case I usually go to the store at 5 am before work on a Monday. That way you are sure to be the first one there and alone in the store. The chances you will actually get the item are on par with the chances you will see this item on "Black Friday" and the clerk won't be alert or awake yet and you may get it 1/2 off anyway!
So go out and shop all you bargain hunters. I'll be eating turkey sandwiches in front of my tree with my toes and sanity intact.

Remember the tooth

What a special week! I got 3 new teeth for $1,800.00 (plus the $ 1,700.00 donation my insurance will make). All I had to do is break one and then after the three hour debilitating session with the dentist ... PRESTO.... a bridge and 2 caps! Why do I feel so sullied?
The dentist was nice and everything, but I am bruised for crying out loud and really swollen in my jaw, and in a lot of expensive pain.
Also, no Virginia there will be no eating with this mouth for a lonnnnnnng time to come as that big red spot and the lumps in the picture are NOT my tongue. That is the dentist's damage in there. I have bruises and a great amount of swelling. I look like someone beat me. And I got to take out a loan to pay for it!!! Yay ME
However I did get a loan so I don't have to wait 7 months to get the final bridge and caps. They will be installed December 12th.

Hippo Birdy Ewe Ewe

Time for the birthday blog!
Today I am 54. My sister is 56 today too. Would you believe delayed twins?. Anyway today has been full of great surprises and one of them was a giant German chocolate cake at work. I nearly died from the sugar coma, but YUM.
I started out the day at my mini meca Wally World. They put out the Christmas ornaments just for me I'm sure.
I found one of those hoodies that go up over the head and become a costume for $3.00 (this is not a typo) for one of my Grandson's for Christmas. Woo woo.
I am boycotting work for the most part and typing this blog.
My doggies woke me up early to slobber all over me and bite my nightshirt.
Tobi already called me, and BD hugged me. Talk about a lucky day!
And ... I am giving all of you the day off of school, work, the bank, and mail.
Have a great my birthday!!