Today didn’t start off so productively, I must admit. I lolled around in bed until about 4:30pm. It felt so nice, just relaxing, reading, and drifting in and out of naps. And that yummy electric blanket. Mmm. What a great way to spend a winter Saturday.

I messed around on the computer for a couple hours, and then I decided that it was FINALLY time to take down the Christmas tree and decorations. To be honest, I feel kind of cheated regarding this last Christmas. It was wonderful, it truly was, but it just SPED by! Maybe because I put my tree up so late. Maybe because a lot of the holiday was spent in kind of a pain-filled haze. At any rate, it just doesn’t seem like I should have to wait another eleven months to hear holiday music and enjoy the pretty lights and decorations. It’s not fair. Time crawls all the time, but my favorite time of year comes by and it’s over in a blink. *sniffle*

Oh well. I’ll get over it. I mean, I do have a lot to look forward to this year. There’s the big move to Chicago (which makes me have more panic attacks than it should–simply because the whole thought of packing this place up, loading it into a truck, moving, unloading, unpacking, setting up is sooo overwhelming). I hate the moving process. If I could afford it, I’d have movers do the whole thing. The packing, loading, driving, etc. As it is, I MIGHT be able to swing the U-Haul and all its pieces and parts. So, that’s the part that scares me. And the job search that will take place once I’m there. That scares the hot banana out of me. I hate the job search process. I just changed my careerbuilder profile to start showing me Chicago-land jobs, but my line of work–I don’t think it’s worth trying until I’m there. I know how cheap publishing companies are. They’re not going to fly me out to interview me for a copy editing position, not where there are 49084594 copy editors already living there. Anyway, I’ll probably end up someone’s administrative assistant when I do get a permanent job.

I’m going to have to do some MAJOR de-cluttering. That means going through all my clothes again and getting rid of stuff I don’t wear now and never will again. That means getting those space bags and condensing a great deal of “fluffy” things. And I should really, really try to use up all the shower gels and things I have, because I do not want to move that stuff!

I’d like to snap my fingers and have all that stuff taken care of, so I can just enjoy setting up house with Adam.

So, the tree is down, the decorations are put away. I did a little bit of rearranging. I put the side table on the right side of my futon instead of the left. The lighting seems to work a lot better that way. I also cleaned Aidan’s room, and finally put up the Disney posters his soon-to-be Aunt Melissa gave him. I also set up a little radio in there and plan to get him storybooks on tape so he can listen to them before bed. Maybe those things will make him more inclined to sleep in his own bed without much fuss. It would be really nice.

The top of my entertainment center which used to house a clusterfuck of a mess, now has my degree, my “Ronica” name thingy, and the bananas dancing picture Jen painted for me years ago. Much nicer looking. I packed away a lot of things I’d had out as decorations before, but one giraffe is still out, and my little white elephant with its trunk up.

I had a goal of condensing my Christmas decorations into two boxes, and I did it! I was so excited. And you know how everyone amasses billions of those plastic bags from the grocery store, etc.? I finally found a use for some of mine. I wrapped ornaments in them, and my village pieces, too. When I start seriously packing for moving, I will use the rest for that. No need to get newspaper or foam things! Whee!

I got on my other computer and cleaned out my gmail accounts. I had Inbox Dollars paid emails from before Christmas to process, and a few surveys to take. I’m going to be cashing out my Inbox Dollars balance soon and put it in the Chicago account. I have a few other things to cash out too, that’ll help the move a little bit.

I need to clean out my refrigerator. This is sad. There are loads of Christmas leftovers in there, but I was in so much pain that I didn’t bother to eat them. Now that I can enjoy them, I suspect they will wreck havoc on my digestive system. So I have to throw them out. Well, I am procrastinating because throwing out leftovers means there will be dishes to wash. Ew. It’s not even *that* many, but still. Ew.

I need to get groceries, but I refuse to do it until my fridge is clean. I have half a mind to do it now and then make a late-night run to Meijer. I just printed off some coupons, and I am desperately craving bacon, which I am out of! I will need to get cat food for little Lucy soon, and I also want some ice cream. I need to make a list and get more coupons printed out, though, before I hit the store. A late-night run to Meijer sounds really good, though. I’ll be done and can relax all day tomorrow, and I will have a clean fridge. And I’ll take out the trash before I go to the store, so no stinky apartment to worry about.

This not being in pain stuff is so strange to me. The other night, my ear started to bug me so I was scared it was coming back, but by the time morning rolled around, I was okay. YAY. It’s nice, though, feeling normal. My appetite still is not full force, which I don’t mind. I do keep eating too much candy, though.

I’ve been listening to The Andrews Sisters lately. I love that kind of music, it reminds me of cartoons such as Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker. It helped me get through the whole “decorations coming down” ordeal.

Aidan comes back to town tomorrow. I’ll see him on Wednesday. I have all this stuff planned for when we have a weekend together. My mom gave him two $25 gift cards to Toys R Us, and I have a $3 off birthday coupon for him! I also have a coupon for a free meal for him from Bob Evans, so we’re going to make a day of it. Plus, he has all his Christmas stuff to play with. YAY Aidan. 🙂

My computer is mad at me because I turned off the automatic update install. Well, when I have stuff on it overnight, I don’t like for my computer to randomly reboot and take it away. So POOP on you, Norton and HP Healthcheck!

I was playing a bit with my integrated webcam last night, and came up with a couple cute ones.

O hai!!

Lovin’ on Little Lucy
(yes, I know, I need to get reaquainted with a comb or a brush….)

And finally, my typing test results:

75 words

Touch Typing

I need to dust, but I can’t find my Swiffer dust thingy. Oh well. Some other time.

Off I go to clean the fridge, do the dishes, and hit the store, I think. Good night, I mean, good morning.