Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Still Here...Sort Of

Boy, has it been a strange week.
    It wasn't just the Hamster Wheel of Thanksgiving. (You know...figure out where the stuff is [on sale], buy the stuff, defrost the stuff, cook the stuff and serve it, then clean up the stuff, after packaging up leftover stuff...)
    Not long after I posted last week's posts, my laptop decided it wouldn't boot back up. 
    It just hesitated -- for hours on end. 
   The Brick (my wonderful IT man) tried everything. He's been looking up info and trying solutions for the past week now. NOTHING has helped. Finally, he copied everything on a backup...and when he has time, he'll wipe my laptop's hard drive clean, and start over.
    Talk about scary. 
    Any time I would normally be working on 'my' laptop has been taken up with copying, trying various approaches, etc on 'his' laptop. Day after day. That's why you've heard nothing from me all week.
 Add to that a sink that would insist on backing up into the OTHER sink, plus some other assorted emergencies, and it's been a little scary around here. 
    I am so grateful for a partner who stays calm, is brilliant in all sorts of DIY solutions (computers included), and reminds me that:
    This too will pass.
    Meanwhile, we are getting ready for a long trip. The Brickworks offices will be open while we're gone; December is pretty quiet around here, anyways. 
    So...if you don't see many posts for the coming weeks, don't despair. I'll be baaaccck...

Some ways to deal with Thanksgiving leftovers  We're having turkey and fresh salsa burritos tonight, so I can relate. (From the Simple Dollar)

 White trash Christmas mix. Hey, I didn't name it! (From Who Needs A Cape)

A Christmas branch...instead of a tree? This lovely piece from H20Bungalow.

Four apartments under 100 feet -- that work. Including one amazing entry at 78 FEET. Yow. (From Apartment Therapy)

A glass block shower? We've been trying to find an easy way to visually expand our teeny-tiny master bath. Hmmm... (From Interior Design Served -- and a flat in Barcelona, Spain. They use a lot of glass block in this place.)

Gluten-free Christmas sugar cookies? Yup, thanks to Betty Crocker.

Why radical frugality isn't the point -- it's something else. (From Mr. Money Mustache.)

Seven reasons why I love my tiny kitchen. (From Red and Honey)

Seven essentials for a winter wardrobe. And it's not just cold weather wearing, either -- these apply to warm-weather climates, too. (From yours truly via Midlife Finance)


Have a great week.  Christmas is coming!