Santa whould have fired me long ago....

Those who fail to plan, should plan to fail.



So I officially logged off this Christmas vacation… it was fairly nice, it being my last day of vacation before returning home and being thrown back into real life, I'm still not really in any mood to post…. I did start a post last week, so I think I will share this one with you.


It is 10:28 am on Dec 23rd.

I have officially lost the Christmas card battle this year....which is too bad, because I thought I was fairly well prepared.

Starting way back around Dec 7th a client (who had brought her cards with her to sign during her pedicure) informed me that the proper date to have all your cards in the mail with Dec 13th....

She has clients she deals with all across Canada and was diligently preparing hers, as I watched her sign some 50 cards I thought to myself "jeeezzz.. you lazy grinch, it's not that hard, go get some cards"

So I did. Cards purchased, Dec 7th. List started on who to send them to, stars by people who I needed to get addresses from, "A"s beside the people who would rather a religious card that a generic "happy holidays". I was organized.

A week goes by, and in between clients I continue to add to the list, stuff envelopes and generally get them done. yea!!!

I'm so far ahead of the game I should get a special elf pin or something!!

Then, it all fell apart.

Our house was finished ( yea!), which meant moving (boo) which means total chaos…. Christmas cards start piling in from other more organized people in my life, and I start planning on how I will send mine out.

Finally, my sister stops by to drop hers off… I throw mine in with hers to make my life a little more sane, she is willing to hand mine out as well.

As I match up my cards with hers, I start realizing I have forgotten half of our family…. it is a huge family, I can't help it.

Once you go through two packs of cards you should be done anyway, there has to be some sort of limit.

So I accept defeat and just tell her to hand out the ones I do have, no one will ever know the difference ( until I post the whole story on the internet that is).

Then I have three simple cards left to mail. And no clue where any stamps are in either houses ( the moving process has been less organized than the card process… someday I'll post about it.. but since I'm still stuck in the middle of it, it's not funny yet… it's just frustrating)

No stamps….

That's okay we go to town on Mon the 20th… and head to the post office….

I've forgotten the cards… but I buy the stamps anyway.

Get home, stick them on the cards and put them where I won't miss them tomorrow morning.

Tues comes and goes without the cards getting in my car.

Wed morning, I remember them, and I haul them out to lick them closed before I hit the mailbox.

Cheap-assed dollar discount envelopes don't close.

I slobber like a bernese mountain dog with rabies all over them… still no luck.

I get to work and tape the bastards shut. The post office is a hop skip and a wink away from where I work, and I have an actual lunch break when I can do it!!!

It's the 22nd, I will make it!!

Thurs the 23rd, I find the stupid things in my laundry basket. And I officially surrender.

Friday the 24th, I find a stack of envelopes in my Christmas decorations.

They are unsent Christmas cards from last year.

And funny enough they are the side of the family that I remembered this year (which means I'm averaging hitting everyone at least every two years… that's not bad… that's actually 50% and I consider that a pass!!!)

Finally on the 26th, on our way to the city, I slip the last remaining cards in the mail… because dammit, I already stuck the stupid stamps on there, I'm more cheap than I am embarrassed about the fact that I'm sending cards after the holiday is over.

As we wandered the shops this year during boxing week sales I couldn't help but notice all of the cards 50% off… and I thought… hey, If I only ever get 50% out, then maybe I should only pay 50% for them…

Plus if I buy them now, and fill them out by Easter, maybe next year I'll actually have them delivered by Dec 25th.