#87

I can't believe it took me 17 days to read this latest novel. It's not that it wasn't good....it just was a very slow read. "The Surrendered" by Chang-Rae Lee started in Korea during the war and ended probably at the turn of the century. Flash backs kept occurring and one minute June was a young orphan in Korea and the next she was a woman in her late 40's dying of cancer but on a quest to find her estranged son in Italy. She enlists her ex-husband to help find the son he didn't know he had. I'm so glad to be finished with it!

Had another short visit from my Colorado friend and her son. They came yesterday early afternoon and left this morning. Her mother passed away last week so she's back in Virginia trying to settle the estate. The tragedy is giving us more chances to visit.

Christmas shopping is pretty much done. Not much under the tree but I did it pretty much in an hour or two. Wrapping took longer than buying. Still wishing I didn't have to bother but it's coming whether I want it or not.

I was scheduled to work 10 days but I didn't make it the 10th. I had stomach distress and knew that if I tried to work and couldn't get someone to cover me in time, there would have been "clean up in aisle one" at the store. I took Friday off and was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Now I work 4 and am off for 6 over Christmas. I'm sure I'll pay the price for those 6 days off.