giving thanks

It seems my life of leisure has kept me off the blog for a bit! And not much has changed! I dragged myself back to the gym today for the first time in two weeks and felt, ironically, just as sapped of energy as I did on the day of my most recent blog nearly three weeks ago!  I attribute today's lack of motivation to the extra five pounds I seem to be hauling around as well as the general post-excitement letdown that follows a period of flurrying activity.

Thanksgiving was lovely - M and her roommate arrived on time and they spent a pretty low-key few days here. We had eight for Thanksgiving dinner and everything came out just wonderfully despite the fact that the pop-up timer popped an hour sooner than expected. I had bought a three crock-pot unit for the side dishes so they would stay warm while we waited for the bird, but they were not even prepared when the popper popped! But it all worked out, and everything was great. Well, except for B, who cut off the tip of one of his fingers chopping carrots for the meal. All was good, though, because the injury allowed him to exempt himself from any further service, and to sit for an hour with the hand elevated and watch a movie on his laptop.  As of today, we are down to a bandaid for a cover, and I can see new skin beginning to form.

Otherwise, my professional life remains mundane. I was selected for participation in a workshop through the state, so I and about 50 or so other misfortunate souls gathered at the reemployment office to listen to our fate for the next month. We are to report back three times within this period, and we must document our work search efforts as well as bring resumes along for critique. A motley crowd we were, too, although I will say that the average age was perhaps even a few years greater than my own, which was interesting.  I did somehow manage to secure a telephone interview for another job I had applied for online, but I have the feeling I just didn't quite answer half the questions correctly (that would be one of the two) so I may be among the group not granted the in-person follow-up. I'm to hear on this by the end of the week. If I do not, I am just to surmise that my rejection is complete.

And so there it is. I have passed some time by enlisting as an SPCA volunteer. I am a certified cat entertainer now. I completed my training on Saturday. So I go in and sit with the cats and pet them and play with them, and they sneeze all over me. Tonight I went out to the dollar store for a bag of tricks that I can bring the next time I go. My own neglected feline friends ripped everything out of the bag within two minutes of my having placed it on the table! After that we had a great time with all the feather toys, mousies and laser pointers. I hope my SPCA friends don't mind slightly used offerings.  Even the dogs got in on the festivities. One of the toys I got for the resident kitties was a puff on a spring, attached to a carpeted square. I put that down by the front door, and five minutes later found it soaking wet on the opposite side of the house.

But in other news, today is Kevin's original birthday, but he prefers to acknowledge the event tomorrow; which he will do in Scandinavia.  At the time of this writing he is en route to Finland, to return on Thursday afternoon. B had the day off from school today, so he will have a hard time shifting himself back into gear tomorrow. And as for me, I'm just thankful to have had a nice holiday, and a relatively presentable house!