SRSLY

So obviously David doesn't take this blog's mandate of reporting the facts of our life all that seriously. SRSLY. However, I am here to report facts!

Firstly, our weekend was awesomely productive. We finished all of our Christmas shopping and I got David some lovely pressies which I am so excited for I want him to open them right now. Also we had a very intense discussion about Santa. I know that Christmas is about Jesus and His birth but I think that Santa is the part that you don't have to be reverent about and get crazy hyper about. However!! DAVID DID NOT HAVE SANTA! I was shocked too. So anyways we finally came to a compromise about how to tone down my version of Santa but still include him in our activities. This will be my first Christmas ever where I fill a stocking (for my husband) and where I don't have to go to bed early so that "Santa" can come. This all may be ridiculous but it was a part of the tradition and lore of my holiday season so I'd like to make the transition as painless as possible. Mostly I think it would be important to act out the Nativity (my niece Isis would be an excellent Mary and Gracie a beautiful angle---in our family the youngests were always Mary and Joseph) while someone reads the story from the scriptures (see I do include Jesus). But then we (likely me and my nieces) would put out cookies and milk for Santa. **Sidenote: one year Santa didn't eat the cookies and milk and so we made my dad eat them before breakfast**. I think that Santa is the fun way to be a bit irreverent and shout Christmas carols and be excited. Then when it comes to Jesus Christ there is time for quiet reflections.

Also I may just be getting worked up because I love the Christmas of my childhood and while adjusting to married life hasn't been all that difficult, I think this part might be the trickiest because I will have to be compromising on traditions I've been a part of for 23 years. Actually my favourite part is getting those younger than me riled up about it too, so that will be hard to tame. I've never had Christmas without my family and so while I'm excited for a Lancaster Christmas I'm a bit sad to not have those same traditions.

Also from the sound of it, it doesn't sound like the Lancasters have a bajillion traditions that they must have so maybe they could be a bit accommodating of some additions. When else do family members get to show off their talents for each other? I don't want to hi-jack Christmas, just remodel.

Also today I got officially uninvited to our All-Staff Year End Planning party; it should be called All-Staff minus Co-Ops/FSWEP/Casual Year End Planning party but I think that is too long. While I understand the importance of making sure that there are no frivolous costs in the organization of the government, I also think that this part of the work environment is integral. Planning is one of the most difficult territories to navigate in any business and without a well laid out plan, a company can put themselves through some very difficult situations. Learning how planning is carried out in the government would be an insightful component to my Co-op experience which could provide me some skills that could be extrapolated to other workplaces. Unlike the casual employees the primary purpose of my employment here is to gain knowledge and experience that could benefit my field of study and future employment. I am not casual and I've also worked here since May which is longer than some of our indeterminate staff. Needless to say, I feel that I am being cut because it is easy rather than the correct choice. Also I resent being grouped with the casual staff because I could be potentially bridged into long term employment (I know that I am not because I want to leave the country but the possibility for others is there).

Anyways, a work rant isn't really that interesting but that's the trouble with blogs---no peer review.

Also David might be downplaying the whole thing because his birthday is on the 24th and he doesn't always get that much of a celebration. But I got him the most fantastical gift so hopefully that will make up for it.