walgreens.com

i ordered mom's & phil's & jen's calendars from walgreens.com.  i ordered one for mom last year & it's AWESOME, so i wanted to do the same thing this year.  i love their calendars, i love the process of creating them.  they even let you put pictures into the date squares, which is just so neat!!  unfortunately, walgreens.com doesn't want to let me checkout w/ my purchases!  : (  so, i called customer service & got disconnected from the first gal, who was calling one of the local stores to see if they were having issues.  i called back & got another very helpful gal, but unfortunately she wasn't able to resolve my issue.  double :( :( !  she did escalate it & also gave me some free prints on my next order, so that was VERY good customer service!  : ) 


still, it doesn't help me get my calendars here before christmas!  part of the problem is that apparently walgreens has separate gift cards for use in store, online, and online at their photo dept.  HUH?  that is a big ol' WTH? in my opinion!  i  mean, i use gift cards online all.the.time.  that is how i christmas shopped last year - target, WM, and i thought walgreens.  but i must have used paypal for that last year.  had i realized the gift card wasn't going to work, i would have just put that money into my paypal account!  alas... 


so, hopefully i can go back to walgreens tomorrow & exchange my gift cards for PHOTO giftcards that will work online.  


other that that, and the fact that it's now nearly 12:30 & i really need to get to sleep, today was pretty cool.  : )  work went well, got a LOT accomplished, which was an answer to prayer!  after work, i hit target & came one step closer to being done w/ the christmas shopping.  i forgot to stop at the JD store, so hopefully i'll remember THAT tomorrow as well.  


leyton's program was very cute, even tho phil & i were in the baaaack & couldn't actually SEE leyton.  the singing was very nice, at least!  : )  and after the program, we went upstairs for cookies & punch (of which i did not partake) & leyton was pleasantly surprised that i was there.  *laugh*  he kept saying, "i can't believe you made it, aunt carrie!"  heh.  i told him, "well, duh, i was here last year too, ya know!"  LOL  


he conned shelly out of one of her cookies - she'd brought him 3 cookies.  phil ate one, he ate two, and then he looked across at shelly & said, "what i'd really like is a red cookie..." which she had on her plate.  LOL  so she handed it to tiny & tiny handed it over.  it was hilarious and cute.  oh, and then santa appeared... heh!  

he & phil had quite a good time, and i even got an awesome shot of anthony SMILING!  *bounce*  oh yes, it made it to the calendars.  : )  


after the program, i hit WM because it was only 8 & i needed to get a gas card & some shipping boxes & more christmas cups.  i thought i had all that i needed, but then when i counted i only had half.  d'oh!  so while i was in the checkout line, i read part of Us magazine which had a great article about christmas w/ will & kate & it was so cute!  i just love them.  : )  oh, AND as i was in line, all of a sudden my friend from work rammed her cart into mine & we started mock fighting.  lol  we thought the lady in front of me was gonna lose it.  heehee.  but then we realized that her son, who is 7, had never met me & he was looking a little worried, like "who is this lady yelling at my mom?"  so we had to explain that one!  LOL  


okay, that about does it for today!  :)  tomorrow is our christmas lunch & white elephant gift (oh shoot, i have to remember to bring something!) and then tomorrow night is our big HR party.  wheee!  i'm hoping mom & i can stay for an hour or so & then go see the new mission impossible movie!  


i hope your day was LOVELY and that you have an awesome friday!  : ) 


ttfn!

Beastly

this is the book i bought, and read, today.  bret is currently reading it now.  it's amazing, and quickly earned a place as one of my favorite beauty & the beast adaptations.  most B&B stories are told from Beauty's perspective.  this is a departure, and is told from the beast's POV.  it's amazing, and i recommend it highly!  i can't wait for the movie based on this book - and i don't have to wait long as it's out next month!  : )  


i identify strongly with the "don't judge by the outside appearance" storyline.  


(i had a long, heartfelt something to post about that, but that was hours ago and now i just want to share my day and not think too much.  i'm tired and would like to go to sleep!  *laugh*)  


today was a very good day!  got up at 8:30, but then didn't want to be up yet, so went back to bed for an hour.  got back up & dressed & was out the door by 10:15.  went to the bank for some moolah, then kwik shop for diet pepsi & smokes & gas, hardee's for breakfast, and the post office for stamps.  didn't make any friends in line today - everyone was pretty much in a "stare straight ahead" kinda mood.  which was okay, as i wasn't particularly chatty either!  *laugh*  : ) 


i was supposed to do part II of payroll at 11, but the mail hadn't arrived when i called jan, and i'd planned to hang out w/ mom this afternoon.  however, when i called her she said she just wanted to go back to bed!  she's fighting a cold & all.  so we're going to hang out for lunch w/ leyton tomorrow & then maybe go to a movie.  


since i didn't need to head to jan's, i decided to go to borders & find a book i wanted to get for becca for her birthday (some of you may know of it?  Keep Calm and Carry On.  i want a copy for myself, as well!).  they didn't have it in stock, but of course it's a book store, so it wasn't a wasted trip... LOL  i perused the romances (buy 4, get the 5th one free!), but nothing sparked.  or, rather, a couple did but they were hardback, and i don't do those very often.  pricey, you know.  *laugh*  i did find a couple books on the buy 1, get 1 50% off table - Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and Lies My Teacher Told Me.  neither is my usual sort of book, but both looked very good!  i'm especially interested in Lies, because it's about all the misinformation in today's history texts used by our country's schools.  i've thought for years - perhaps even while i was still in school - that our history texts were rather ... uninformative.  


after i found those two books, i continued to wander around the store, still looking for the other book as i hadn't found an associate to ask yet.  i made it over to my favorite section, YA.  favorite!!  i had a rather interesting observation about the changes to the YA section over the years.  when i was in school, that section was full of SVH, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Babysitter's Club, covers of bright colors and pastels.  today, it's vampires everywhere!  Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, etc.  all awesome series, btw!  : )  the covers are all dark, dark, dark, jewel tones and blacks.  vampires aren't the only books, tho - there are fairies, witches, wizards, magic galore!  


and then, of course, Beastly.  ; )  i was so excited when i saw it, little unexpected treasure!  i started it right when i got home, and read thru until it was time to leave for becca's dinner party.  : )  


now, this dinner party is the sort of thing that i know can induce a panic attack.  but i have been preparing for it for a month.  part of my preparation is to not think about the things that make me panic - such as not knowing any of the others who would be there, save becca; not knowing if becca would be there when i arrive... like, i think about the abstract, reminding myself of the party, so i know it's coming, but thinking only in terms of "i'm having dinner w/ my friend becca, which i do all the time, and it's going to be fun."  


this all worked for the most part, and carried me through all the way until i hit about 12 blocks before the restaurant.  then, suddenly, as is the way of these attacks, i got that feeling in my stomach and started to think about all the ppl whose names i'd seen on FB that said they would be attending the dinner, and thinking about walking into the restaurant and having to find the table and ... i texted a prayer request status to my FB.  (thanks to everyone for the prayers, btw!!)  i turned down a road a couple blocks before the restaurant to give myself a few more minutes - and another smoke!  i got some responses to my prayer request, and reading thru them along with constant praying and breathing and "i will be okay, i will be okay" chants... they helped!  thank You, Jesus!!!  


dinner was really nice, everyone was so sweet and hilarious!  most of the women were friends from becca's church, and it was really nice to feel the comradery they had together... and after a few minutes, i didn't feel uncomfortable with them at all.  again, i thank the Lord so much for that!!  i really, truly, enjoyed the evening.  : )  


after dinner, a group was going to a movie, but i was pretty well exhausted, since dinner was about 3 hours!  *laugh*  i came home, finished my book, watched some John Doe & Stardust, and ... here i am!  heh.  


i love stardust!!!  you know that, i tell you every time i watch it.  ; )  


i hope your day was fabulous and panic attack free!  i did just find out that 2 more of my cousins suffer from them, as well.  that knowledge is oddly comforting - tho i wouldn't wish these on anyone, ya know??  but to know i'm not alone - i mean, KNOW it, not just know it.  (that's a lot of knowing, sorry!)  


anyway... i'll leave you w/ a postcrossing from portugal.  : )  sending much love your way!  

ttfn!