I’m typing this while I am chatting online with Sheena W. from the Toys R Us help desk.  I placed an order with Toys R Us only after multiple error messages about my card not being able to be processed and a frustrated phone call my bank to get the card unblocked.  It’s Christmas so I’m obviously freaking shopping.  My bank is paranoid.   I received the dreaded html code screen after I had finally processed the order which of course in English means you are screwed and your order just went to Internet heaven.

I checked my current orders to see if hopefully it actually did go thru but alas that wasn’t the case.  I clicked on my cart to see if my items remained.  They had vanished.  F@&K.  I pulled up my previously viewed items and only some of the items were in there so I added them all back to my cart, plus the ones that weren’t in previously viewed items and processed the order.  It went through without a hitch.  I escaped to eat a very late lunch.

A few hours later my darling husband (obviously after reviewing my spending for the day) informed me that the Toys R Us order had posted to the bank account twice.  Sigh.

I went back to my F@&K*!G computer and looked up my order history again.  Two freaking identical orders were in there!  Placed about 15 minutes apart.  That is when I contacted my friend Sheena W.  She claims that they are already processing the order so she can put in a request to cancel it but it may go through any ways.  That after it shows up I can send it all back or bring it to a Toys R Us store for a full refund.  Jesus!  I was trying not to go in that dreaded store to begin with.  It is filled with screaming crying kids and tired parents!

Christmas is a Pain In The Ass!  I keep it simple by doing most of my shopping on the internet.  Thank God for Al Gore for inventing it!  Or is Donald Trump claiming he invented it now?  But this year has not gone smoothly so far.

Whatever.

On a positive and festive note I spent $10 on replacement bulbs for 3 lights sets that I have (since god forbid that all the bulbs last through a couple season!).  That is the only money I have spent on decorating this year.  Pretty good.

Now I must go have a glass of wine.

Things removed from my life:  My patience and sanity.

207 Days and counting.

You know how when you put something off, then keep putting it off, then never get back to it?  It’s a terrible thing.  Every day goes by and I think “I really need to post to my blog” then I get distracted and before I know it it’s late and I’m too tired.

Although I haven’t updated the blog I HAVE stuck to my mission of simplifying our lives.  Although this is a hard time of year to stick to it, what with the decorating, cards, parties, gift buying and wrapping.

I have gotten rid of a lot of Christmas decorations and made plans for the ones I’m currently using.  Jeff has had to remind me several times that we have plenty of decorations and I don’t need that new bobble or glittery thing that I’m eyeing.  So I’ve been good.  I still have a whole large trunk of decorations that I haven’t put up yet and am on the about whether I even want to waste my time.

When buying gifts I’m trying not to clutter up other people’s houses.  That would go against the cause!  So I’m sticking to use-able gifts rather than decorative or stupid.  You’d think that would be easier but it’s actually quite hard.

I designed my own Christmas card this year.  I went to about ten stores looking through all their cards and found nothing that called to me.  I usually buy funny Christmas cards.  This year the shelves have nothing funny.  Every one of them seems to carry a serious note or falls just short of funny.  I guess it’s just the aftermath of the horrible election and the fact that we will have an idiot for a president soon.  Regardless that task did not simplify my life in the least.  I should have just grabbed any old box of holiday cards and been done with it.  I’m sure a few of you will not find my self-designed funny Christmas card funny at all, but many of you will.  More on that later.

I’ve made plans for Destinee and myself to participate in the Women’s March on Washington following the idiot being swarn in as president in January.  Finding a hotel is nearly impossible but we did it.  It will promise to be a fun, eventful and historical weekend.  Our first march together!

In addition to the holiday prep I’ve cleaned out a lot of things from the kitchen, the secretary and the game cabinets.

Things removed from my life:  My desk, one office chair, various kitchen items, 25+ games – given to family members.  Lots of craft items and flotsam from my secretary – given to the trash can.  My faith in the American people. – removed to the toilet.

210 Days and counting.