The big finish

Well, for those of you tired of reading about the 25 day Christmas stocking, this is the moment you've been waiting for... the last one. :-D

Day 22 - 2 kisses and 2 Kisses. You can figure that one out.

Day 23 - 3 coupons for 2 people, 3 projects. She can pick three projects for us to work on together.

Day 24 - 24 hours free.

Day 25 - she got her present, which is all about numbers. 2 Sudoku books, a wooden Sudoku board, and a Sudoku board game. :-D There were a couple other incidental presents along the way, including a very pretty sweater and matching turtlenecks that she wore to church on Christmas eve and Christmas day.

So, how did it go? I think she really enjoyed the 25 day thing. And, even if she doesn't "cash in" all of the coupons, etc., it was still a 25 day reminder about how much I love her. And, after all, that's the point really. The gifts we give are all about love. The greatest gift of all, when God sent His son to this world to redeem fallen creatures like you and me, was all about love.

"God shows His love to us in this: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Merry Christmas, friends!

Day 21

On Day 21, Vicki got a certificate for a road trip - 2 people, 1 car. She mentioned that she needs to lay everything out so she can plan her year. I think Denise has had a bad influence on her...

Not really. I just wanted to find a way to work Denise into this. She'll never know...

Also, the always-helpful Topher showed me how to use Sage in Firefox to check blogs. Sweet!

Day 18-20

Things are moving along now...

For day 18, Vicki got One-Ate, a special lunch for one. BUT, since we had went to the Sundance Grill with Hannah the night before, we ate the leftovers from that. Yummy!

On the 19th, Vicki got 19 backrub coupons. 19 is her favorite number, since her birthday is September 19, and her golden year (19 on the 19th) is when we met, dated, got engaged, and married a month before she turned 20. :-D

For the 20th, she got a $20 gift card for Celebration Cinema. And, if I'm very fortunate, she might take me out to the movies...

Just a few days to go until Christmas - good stuff!

Day 16 & 17

On Day 16, Vicki got 16 mix 'n' match kisses - she can choose from carmel filled ones, peanut butter filled ones, or... um... the other type. We'll see which she chooses - I know Amanda will want to know.

For Day 17, she found 17 Get Out Of Trash Free cards. I know, I know - isn't the trash the husband's job?... Well, yes. But not here. Anyway, there we are.

And, I now have TWO pair of boots. I'm a regular shoe animal. :-D

The windmills of my mind...

This is off of the VickiChristmas theme...

Why is it, when I have the most wonderful job in the world, that so often I find myself just staring at the computer. Not getting a blasted thing done. I don't understand how my whole psyche goes into neutral so easily, and I become a veg. Today has been a pretty good day - not moving the whole earth, but definitely more than a shovel or two.

I'm really wrestling with how a right-brained, visually oriented goober such as myself deals with the left-brained, confusing world of project management. How do I get my job functions into a form that I not only can use, but can continue to use.

My 3x5 cards have been the closest I've come to having a system, but sometimes they too get lost in the fog that is my head. I use my Palm for my calendar, addresses, and (of course) games and music. My phone is mostly contacts and numbers. But none of them really take hold in my mind to help me keep on top of what I'm supposed to be doing.

Do I sound like a whiney 20-something? Shouldn't I have this figured out at 46 years of age? DOH!

I have the greatest job in the world. And, it's not just work - it's my calling. Need to keep my eyes on that, and off of the details that I get buried in. At the end of the day, if just one kiddo has come closer to trusting Jesus or been encouraged to live for Him by His Kids Radio, that's a good day.

And, that's why I have the greatest job in the world. Note to self: Remember that!!!

Day 15

15 Snuggle coupons (for "serious snugglebunnies")...

Let's just leave it at that, shall we? :-D

Day 14

For the 14th, Vicki got the 4th season of Smallville (1 box, 4th season).

Oh - and I got a six shot Nerf gun. The better to blast my boss with. Thinkgeek.com actually has a section for "Cubicle Warfare." Gave me a lot of great ideas, but I think I'll just keep my trusty Nerf gun and keep it simple. And, the micro darts make a sound if you fire them across the room. Way too much fun, although Vicki just rolls her eyes at me.

It also has rubber darts, which are great for hitting the white board at one end of the room, or the metal cabinet on the other. Great stress buster. :-D

Vicki did get excited about one thing - we tested the gun to see what it feels like to get hit by one of these little puppies. I say WE - I mean, SHE fired, and I was the target. She laughed as she unloaded 6 Nerf darts into my back...

Day 13

Well, I've been looking forward to Day 13. I knew it would be one of my wife's favorites...

Coupons for 13 Cereal Suppers.

Vicki LOVES cereal. She'd eat it for most every meal, if she was allowed to. So, she's got 13 times when I won't say, "cereal again?..."

Of course, her comment was "only 13?" Next year, she wants this on the 24th...

Oi! I'm way behind!!

OK - here's the short short version...

Day 9: 9 Nien coupons - trumps all other plans, when she just feels like doing nothing...

Day 10: didn't really have anything in mind, but I found her a tool kit for the house. That'll work.
(and lest you roll your eyes at a husband buying tools for his wife, remember this is Vicki we're talking about. She does all the fixing of stuff around here. You really don't want to see what I do with tools...)

Day 11: 11 hug coupons.

Day 12: Volumes 1 and 2 of one of our favorite DVDs - Animusic. We LOVE Animusic, and she didn't even know that Animusic 2 was out yet. Sweet!

And, if you have NO idea what Animusic is, ask. It's AMAZING...

There. Caught up. I'll try to stay current... I may not succeed, but I'll try. After all, if at first you don't succeed, keep on suckin' 'til you do suck seed. :-D

Hear the Lion ROAR!!!

This is a quick post - just got home from a pre-release screening of The Chronicles Of Narnia, and wanted to say two things...

1) GO! GO SEE IT!! It's just as amazing as we were all hoping it would be. Vicki and I were thrilled, and yes - I was weeping like a leaky faucet through a lot of it. GO! What are you sitting there reading this for? GO SEE IT!!! :-D

-and-

2) Huge thanks to our family at Cornerstone University who gave us this amazing Christmas gift, for you see, the pre-release screening was for staff, faculty, and families from CU. What an amazing treat - thanks to all who made it possible...

Now, get outta here... Go see it. Now. Drop whatever you have to and go see Narnia. Go. Now.

:-D

And, yes - Vicki and I will be going again sometime this weekend - probably one of the later showings on Sunday. Maybe we'll see you there. :-)







What? Are you still here? Go...

Day 7 & 8

Day 7 brought a certificate for a celebration of the 7th - August 7th that is. Our anniversary. :-D

Day 8 is for 8 Milk Duds - to be enjoyed at the pre-release screening of The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe tonight. And, yes - she can have more than 8 Milk Duds... :-D

Day 9 will be something fun... details tomorrow.

Day 6

Today, Vicki discovered that sometimes things come in forms that don't fit inside the little cubby hole, such as 6 coupons for hugs. (And, that also satisfies her curiosity about where all that cardstock went that I was printing on...)

She has been enjoying her daily gifts... Now, that seems like a "duh" statement. But you have to know Vicki - she lives in the world of data and computer and manipulation of information. The warm, fuzzy world of a 25 day Christmas stocking is not something that generally makes a major foothold in her psyche. It's not that she doesn't appreciate it - it's just that it tends to get put in it's place along with the other 5000 or so other things that she's running through her head at the same time. And, I understand and accept the fact that, most of the time, my wife's attention is divided into so many pieces that you can't even see the pie anymore - and yes, that does include attention for her hubby. ('s ok - I know where her heart lies. :-D ) So, for this (admittedly) small thing to make an impact on her day-to-day thought processes is something indeed. :-D

To quote the ever-profound Hannah, "good times indeed."

I GOT BOOTS!!!

Small background refresher: Most folks know I have lymphedema - causes my legs below the knee to swell, since fluid pools there and doesn't move through the body like it should. Because of that, I can't wear boots - my left leg is deformed enough that anything taller than a shoe doesn't work. Doesn't help that my feet are 11.5, EEEE. Not a lot of choices in that range, other than diving flippers...

But, today at the most awesome shoe store on the planet, Mieras Shoes, I actually found a pair of boots. We can waterproof them, and I'll not have soaked feet all through the winter. YEEHAW!! Mieras is where I usually buy my shoes, since they don't break out in laughter when I mention that I'm a quadruple E.

May not sound like a biggie to you, but when all you can wear in winter is shoes, boots are something to get pumped about. Less snow down the shoes, less wetness in the stockings. (not just socks, but the compression stockings that I wear daily. When my feet get wet, it's wet times two...)

I'm excited. I'm thrilled. And, I'm thankful. :-D

Day 4 & 5

On day 4, Vicki discovered that sometimes there's more than just a slip of paper in the box - as she got 4 Hershey Kisses for day 4. (2 carmel filled, two peanut butter filled - yum!) We also had a lovely Sunday at Church, with the kid's Christmas program in the evening, and rounded out the day by going to the light show at 5/3rd park with our dear friends, the Georges.

As for day 5, today Vicki finds out that sometimes the days include a field trip... Again, not going to reveal too much, but suffice it to say it'll be a fun day. :-D

Tomorrow, for day 6, she'll discover another aspect of this whole thing that she hasn't seen yet. Do I sound like I'm having fun with this, or what?... :-D

Day 3...

Today was a day with an actual "gift" (not that the previous two days were bad... Quite the contrary, actually... :-D ). But, it's not here. Actually, I didn't even order it.

We had been talking a while back and I mentioned that I needed to change my plan a bit - a church hadn't sent a check for a program I did there a couple weeks back, so I couldn't use that money to order the present. Turns out, Vicki had already ordered it. So, she bought her own present, while intending to give it to me.

The longer we're married, the more our minds run alike. A scary thought. But compelling nontheless.

So, what was today's gift? Season three of a television series that we both like. I won't disclose the name, lest I either offend or give away the fact that we're closet liberals in Covenant clothing... For those truly curious, the clue today for December Third, was "The Power of Three."

On to day 4, and Vicki's Advent adventure continues...

Day 2

In door #2, Vicki found 2 hugs. She's interpreting the rules a bit different than I expected, tho... Yesterday, it was 1 kiss. She redeemed that little gift a number of times yesterday. (I'd tell you how many, but Amanda would roll her eyes at me... again.) Today, it's groups of two hugs, again multiple times.

Somehow, I don't mind that she's changed the rules. :-D

Day 1...

Vicki opened the first door of the Calendar today (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look down a couple of posts to the one about Advent...) and smiled a lot. :-D She liked the little piece of paper with the graphic of Christmas lights on it. Her present today? One kiss from the husband of her choice...

Hmmm... Sure hope she picks me.

YeeHaw! She did! :-D

(And yes, Amanda - my wife is T.W.B.K. !!)

Can't wait for day 2. I am certain that I'm more excited about this than she is. But, that's the case in most things with the two of us. I'm the one who gets all cranked up about stuff - she's the one who stays calm and collected in the face of all things. Nice balance, although it frustrates the heck out of me when she doesn't get all worked up about what could possibly be behind those little doors on the calendar. Ah, for such control...

And yes, I would have ripped the doors off their hinges by now. :-D