Yesterday was our company holiday party, and we each got a free lunch (Mexican buffet) plus a bag of candy and a $100 Amex card. It can only be used at certain stores, and at first I was really bummed I couldn't use it for something practical at Target, but then I got to thinking that it's nice we're forced to spend it on a want rather than a need. So we're taking it to Old Navy after Xmas. If you use it before Dec. 31, apparently you can earn a few rewards bucks, so we're going to try and go the 26th or 27th.

I sat with some of my co-workers to eat. I hardly socialize with them since proofreading is a quiet, solitary job and I don't usually go to the happy hours. We were talking about fave cereals and I mentioned that Honey Nut Cheerios with soymilk was my No. 1 choice. I didn't know one of the ladies was in charge of Friday breakfast treats for today, but lo and behold, Cheerios and soymilk was one of the choices! Yay!

Also today, one of the project managers came to my desk with a big basket of groceries. One of our clients sent it to us, which is weird because I think they're not renewing our contract. Anyway, I'm one of only 3 people who work on the account, and the project manager said she and the writer weren't interested, so I got the whole thing. Best of all, it was all organic or whole-foodsy stuff, and it all happened to be vegetarian! Except for one item I put on the free table, it's all stuff we'd buy for ourselves anyway: tortilla chips, salsa, crackers, cookies, peanut butter, strawberry jam, Vermont cheddar and bread.

We took a few quick holiday photos with our photographer friend last night--one in front of the tree with NT and AS kneeling down, ears to my belly as if they were listening to the baby; and one on the couch with our cat (who with typical cat perverseness decided he didn't want to sit on our laps, even though normally that's all he wants in the world--we finally got him to "sit" there by holding a pen and letting him attack it--that's one of his other favorite things).

The spreadsheet hasn't really simplified yet, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. Once all the pending transactions come through and I get paid for the freelance work, it should start to look more normal.

I'm impatiently waiting for AS's first paycheck, and for info on her health care and retirement plans, so I can start more accurately planning our 2010 budget. I did start a spreadsheet where I listed the financial goals I hope to achieve in 2010--it looks ambitious, but doable if we can manage to keep bringing in extra income, and if my calculations of what I think AS's paycheck is going to be are correct. I'm hoping my two recent proofing jobs will lead to a nice side income.

Reminds me, though--I should go update a Craiglist post and slash the price of the item. We listed a $200 office chair and asked for $100, but I'm going to reduce it to $75 and see if anyone bites. If not I'll keep reducing it until someone takes it, because we're not going to have an office once baby gets here.