December doings

Well hello there, my little reindeer! It's been a while, hasn't it? But in my defense: DECEMBER, amiright? As far as I can tell, I attribute the pace of life lately to a combination of being back in the world of  the employed, plus holiday prep, along with...I don't know, some ineffable slippage of the time/space continuum in the final month of the year that makes it just...whoosh...fly by at the speed of, like...sugar cookies disappearing. (Mmmm...)

So what has Team WestEnders' journey involved to this point? First off, I'd say the past few weeks were characterized by  "taking care of business". For Riley, this included his first shot at the SAT test (and perhaps the only one, if he gets the scores he wants. So let's all keep our fingers crossed, 'kay? Thanks...). Meanwhile, Derek had a week or so of reviewing the semester's material in his classes, followed by his final exams. (First semester of Sophomore year: in the books! And then he got to come home for a month of uninterrupted family bonding time....yaaaayyyyy!) As for me, I've been settling in at the office, meeting new people all the time, learning things every day, and helping out where I can in these early stages.

So yeah, it's been kind of a whirlwind--which is not to say there hasn't been time for some good old fashioned FUN, of course. For example, I participated in the Secret Santa exchange in my department. I quickly realized that it's very well done; you fill out a questionnaire with lots of valuable information about topics such as foods you like/dislike, favorite colors/places to shop, what you enjoy doing in your leisure hours, etc. You turn it in, pick up your own cheat-sheet with someone else's deets, then you use that list to select small treats for Monday-Thursday, and a wrap-up gift on Friday. And lemme tell ya...my sneaky elf was the greatest! I honestly don't know how she did it, but the things she chose for me were so perfect it was almost scary. (Seriously, dark chocolate, coffee and tea, organic skin care, and money to spend at the local co-op? Man, she was just...GOALS!)

Oh, and I also had a blast curating surprises for my buddy as well--Hershey's kisses (#1 snack!); a purple, floral scented candle (fave shade and scent!); cookie mix (loves to bake!); mini makeup items from Ulta (one of her top interests!); and for the grand finale, a Barnes & Noble giftcard, since she mentioned that reading is one of her most treasured ways to spend free time. From my perspective as a first-timer, it definitely felt like a terrific way to promote a spirit of  festivity and camaraderie in the workplace!

Next, to counteract all that decadent yumminess, I met up with a group of bootcamp pals to participate in Fleet Feet's inaugural Run Run Rudolph event. It was an untimed route, where the idea was simply to come out, hit the streets with the local fitness community, donate to a couple of worthy causes, and just generally enjoy yourself. Aaannnd...costumes were "encouraged"...so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to indulge in another sparkly running skirt, yeah? (I mean, it's just TWO...so far...so I totally don't have a problem...yet...) And trust me, I fit right in amongst the fancy headbands, yule-themed tights, sweaters, and socks, and Kris Kringle hats. As usual, my gang represented well--in both buoyant enthusiasm and seasonally appropriate, entertaining apparel, as you can clearly see.

Sooooo, that brings us up-to-date, with one week remaining of academics and job-related toil before the whole fam goes on break until the new year...and decade...gulp! On that note, it feels like a lovely opportunity to go sit down and have some tea...or chocolate...and chill for a while. Peace out, peeps!