LAE

Well, it has just been one of those weeks. I have not been in the mood to do anything. Everything at work annoyed me and there really was no rhyme or reason why. Now I realize I can probably blame most of it on PMS but probably not all of it.
Due to cutbacks at work, instead of each department having individual holiday lunches it has been decided that we are going to have a potluck on the 19th. I got volunteered to be on the comittee to help set it up and so forth. We were told during the meeting that the exec's are going to let us go home early after the lunch. Which is great because I am driving down to my parents place in Ocotillo and I am going to knock all of my holiday baking out in one weekend. The comittee wants to play games and try and keep people to stay longer and socialize, but really, if we get to leave afterwards I just want to leave as soon as possible.

I had a funeral on Thursday that I was late to because of work. My dad's cousin passed away, He was only 48 but he suffered a massive heart attack. I did not know him very well but it was hard to see family members upset. Then again, it was nice to visit with some family afterwards when some of us went out to eat. My dad's side of the family is not very close with a few exceptions, so most of the time you only see some of them in these circimstances, which is unfortunate, but it is what it is.
I went out and finished all Christmas shopping today, I managed to get home right before the rain started. Now I am messing around on the computer before I meet Holly and Trevor at Fuddruckers, hopefully this rain will calm down.
Oh and did I mention that my car smells a tad like a skunk. There was a dead one in the road yesterday AM on my way to work and apparently I drove too close to it. I just bought some febreeze and a car air freshenor so hopefully this will do the trick.
All right, enough of my negativity. I just know that this will be a better week :)

SO I have been reading about everyone putting up their Christmas decorations so I decided to put my tree up this weekend and I even put a tree in my office. The one I use at home is a ceramic tree that my grandma Cathy made about 20 plus years ago, it even lights up. The one I use at work is a purple tree that I ordered for $7 out of an ABC catalog a few years ago. See photos below........

So on Friday morning, David, Sierra and I volunteer to go into El Centro to get groceries (we had 5 extra people staying with us at the last minute) so after leaving the crazy Super Walmart an officer decides to pull me over. Now I have never been pulled over or had received a ticket until this year. In February I got a speeding ticket on the freeway while driving to Pheonix, that one I can understand, I knew the risks. This one took me by surprise. he got me for merging left when I should have turned right or gone straight - huh - that is what I said. Apparently I could not merge left. he told me I should have went into Starbucks, I did not want Starbucks. the lines were clearly worn off on the road. But whatever, i do not want to go back to El Centro to fight it. It took 5 minutes to write the ticket and he did not have much to say excpet that "people do it all the time and it causes accidents". really, well I do not live there and obviously I did not cause an accident.

the rest of the weekend went smoothly. There was a lot of mud from the storm earlier in the week so all off road vehicles received a mud paint job. We had a camp fire each night which was fun.










David and his first shot of tequila.




Sierra "kissing" Edward. ok, this one showed up 2x and i cannot delete it 0 oh well

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
AS soon as I can leave work this afternoon I will be driving out to the dry dusty flat area in Imperial Valley known as Ocotillo. My parents decided that this is where they want to retire someday. It is literly in the middle of no where. The closest town is about 25 miles east and that is El Centro so it is not really much of a town. Ocotillo does not have a gas station or grocery store but it does have The Lazy Lizard which is a small bar with 2 dart machines and a pool table - so what does that tell you about the area. Actually it is not that bad but you have to like the dry desert. My parents bought a house there about 4 years ago and they go down there practicly every weekend. This will be the 2nd year that we have had Thanksgiving there. My grandparents from my moms side will be there, adn some aunts uncle and cousins from my dads family. Plus several of my parents friends either have a place or will camp out there. It will be nice to be out of town for a few days. I will also be able to ride my quad which will be nice, it has been awhile since I have been riding. Ok, well the sooner I get some work done the sooner I can get on the road. It is not a bad drive but I do have to go through a mountain grade and it has been raining here all night so it is probably raining in the mountains as well.
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!