This was to be my last week. The week I have been working toward since the end of June. October 31st. What they called the date of my “separation.” Oddly, my company decided to keep me. I guess they finally realized I was a hard worker and unusally dedicated. And so I stay. It feels weird. I had almost been looking forward to being unemployed. Of course, the real truth is: I am relieved. Now I just have to figure out how the new arrangement is going to work. Obviously I can’t keep flying to Chicago. Everything will work out. Whatever they have to throw at me I can catch. So, now we shall see what happens. 1 week in Chicago. 1 week in Vegas. And then…. who knows! We shall see.

Right now… I pack.

Before we picked up Lanke I sat at my computer and created a Halloween CD from the iTunes Music Store.

Werewolves of London
I Put a Spell on You – Screamin’ Jay
Monster Mash
THe Purple People Eater
The Addams Family
The Munsters Theme
Anything Can Happen On Halloween – Tim Curry

There were a few other songs I wanted to add but they were unavailable from iTunes. I wanted Witch Doctor but the only version iTunes had was by Sha Na Na and not David Seville. They were also missing Dr. Demento’s They’re Coming to Take me Away and In the Year 2525. I am sure there are other songs out there that capture the Halloween spirit but this was all I could come up with. Anyone have any other suggestions?

I am also thinking about downloading a Trogg’s album. I have always loved the song I Want to Spend My Life with a Girl Like You (Ba Bop Bop Bahhh Bah Bah Bah Bop) and if their other songs are only half as good that would be much better than most songs out there. My problem is which album to download? They are all Best of, except the albums that are 9.99 have less songs than the album that is 7.99. Why is there such price discrepancy? Is it the sound quality? Why does’t iTune let you listen to a song sample? Why do I pay the same amount to download the album when I could just go to Best Buy and get the album on CD with its very own carrying case? Grrrrrrrrrr.

What a great night! Lisa and I picked up our cousin Lanke and brought her to our house. The first thing we did was carve Jack o’ Lanterns. This was Lanke’s first time and she did a great job. Then we had dinner. My original plan was to order pizza but instead we made a salad and poured Bush’s Homestyle Chili on top of it. It was delish! At 8:00 we got in the car and drove to Active Acre’s Sleepy Hollow Horrorfest. It took us an hour to get tickets for the Haunted Hayride and then another hour to board the tractor. It was worth it though because we had a blast. The hayride was great! There were tons of ghouls hiding in the cornfield just waiting to jump out and scream “BOOO!” Lanke screamed and laughed. I was happy that we were able to give her such an American experience. They don’t celebrate Halloween in Slovakia so this was all new to her. At the bonfire after the hayride, we roasted marshmallows and sandwiched them in between graham crackers and chocolate. “They’re called S’mores, Lanke, ’cause after you eat one, you always want some more.” Can you believe that this was Lanke’s first time eating marshmallows? My childhood diet consisted mainly of marshmallows: Fluffernutter sandwichs, Rice Crispy Treats, Ambrosia, Peeps, etc… I got an email from Just Born the other day. They are introducing 2 new types of Peeps called Delightfills and Cocoa-flavored, Marshmallow Cats. I guess they got my email address when I wrote them last year to ask if they might send me a pack of their (at the time) new Chocolate Marshmallow Bats because I couldn’t find them at my local grocery store. The jerks wrote me back and said I should ask the store manager to stock them. Considering the amount of Peeps I have eaten in my lifetime and that the coating of fat on my body is mainly due to Peeps, I think they could have sent me a box as a thank you. At any rate, the hayride and bonfire was great. This afternoon Lisa and I are going to my parent’s house for a Polish dinner. Lanke is also going as is our Aunt Helen. I can’t wait. Kapusta, kielbasa, pierogies, Mmmmmmmmmmm!

Lisa and I went to see Team America last night. I really enjoyed it. Next to me sat 2 little kids. This distressed me. Lisa told me we could move if I didn’t feel comfortable watching a movie of this type sitting so close to children but it was too late and the theater was full. Eventually I realized their dad was sitting in the seat behind them. I couldn’t figure out why in the world a man would take his little kids (10-yrs-old, maybe) to see Team America unless he was unaware that it was rated R. After the movie, Lisa and I agreed that the movie went right over the kids’ heads. We, on the other hand, really liked it! Especially the treatment of the celebrities. And the songs: Pearl Harbor Sucked and I Miss You & Montage!

Catch it if you can.

I left yesterday. I wonder what I might have found on my nightstand last night had I not checked out? The world will never know.

It feels good to be home. The house was spick and span. Lisa had a couple friends over for dinner the other night and she really got the house in order for them.

The problem with Fridays is I am so excited to be home that it is hard to get myself into workmode so I can actually work from home.

At the airport last night, I ate dinner. After dinner I started to get the yen for a piece of chocolate. There was a little newspaper kiosk right near me and they had candy. I’ve been so good the last few days. My food intake was really moderate and quite healthy. And when was the last time I actually ate chocolate? Gosh, I can’t even remember! I am going to buy a Chunky bar! Wait! I ate chocolate-covered strawberries and a chocolate-dipped apple just the other two nights! WHAT AM I THINKING!!!!! I stopped myself. Instead of gorging on a Chunky bar that would make me chunky, I went to the gate and waited for boarding.

My name is Donna and I am a chocoholic.

Tonight it was a caramel, chocolate, and almond-dipped apple on a stick! Me like the good life!

On the way to the airport, a Blues Traveler song came on the radio. Lisa started singing along but stopped midway through the song.

“You know, it still ticks me off that I spent so much money on that Blues Traveler concert and it was just so horrible!” Lisa said.
“Yeah, I remember. That was back in college.”I replied.
“The concert was in the Villanova gymnasium”
“And the accoustics were terrible, weren’t they?”
“Yeah, the sound just reverberated. Now thinking of it, I think the tickets only cost $18.00.”
“Didn’t your one friend come with us?”
“Yeah, she was the one who bought the tickets. I don’t think I ever paid her back.”

I got back to my hotel room to find a very lovely surprise waiting for me. No, it wasn’t Fabio. Sitting on my nightstand was a dish of chocolate-dipped strawberries and a small bottle of Grand Marnier! Has this hotelier finally decided to thank Donna for all the business she has given them? No. From the letter that accompanied the treats, I can only surmise that they believe I am an attendee of some Leadership Conference.

Sometimes mix-ups are a good thing.

For some reason, I never fell asleep last night. I just laid in bed, wide awake. At midnight, I got a glass of water. At 1:00, I turned on the heat. At 2:00, I packed my suitcase. At 3:00 I surfed the Internet. At 5:30 my alarm went off. There is a possibility between 4 and 5:30 I may have dozed a bit but I don’t remember. Now I have an entire day to look forward to: airports, plane, trains, office, hotel, etc… All without the benefit of sleep. Isn’t it delovely?

Did I really take a vacation? It doesn’t feel like it.

I want to see Team America.

I just had a Joan Crawford moment. As I was eating lunch, I noticed that the kitchen floor was filthy. I immediately started howling. Lisa got upset. “No Lisa, I am not mad at you, I am mad at the DIRT!” Next thing I know I am on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor. An hour later, the floor sparkled.