Avoiding the Scale

Well, I achieved my goal of having all our Christmas cards done and out, our gifts purchased and wrapped, and everything feeling calm before the holidays. I did it! Now I can kick back with Charlie Brown's Christmas until we break for the holidays, right?

Actually, the head secretary in Administration has taken to playing the soundtrack to Charlie Brown's Christmas in Admin throughout the day. On repeat. Every time I walk through the office, "Hark the Harold Angels" is on, from the end of the Charlie Brown movie. It's hard not to picture the kids singing by Charlie Brown's little tree as I scurry from meeting to meeting.

We have scads of forbidden Christmas lights adorning our cute little trees and seas of beautiful poinsettias coming out from every angle. Charlie Brown sets the mood. We love that little dude because the whole scene reminds us that it's a special time. That it's okay to slow down a step and take it all in.

Those little things help us keep it together when the Season O'Parties starts.

This week ushered in the formal Christmas season at work, with no fewer than 396 parties between now and the 23rd. I could literally attend a party every night this next week...Monday for Bariatrics, Tuesday's lunch for Administration, dinner with with medical staff, Wednesday for MS, Thursday night with the interns/residents, Friday with Diabetes, Saturday with Occupational Medicine. And I missed the hospital operations/nursing party last Friday. The employee dinners are next week and I was asked to serve dinner (4-6pm) at each campus and midnight shift at one of the campuses (11p-1a). So that'll be fun; everyone's always quite hyper and sugar-laden!

While this is fun because I save on my personal food bill, it is so very difficult to keep the cravings under control when you're surrounded by fantastic food, flowing wine, and Italian Christmas sweets. Did I mention someone brought in Oreo truffles? Are they trying to give us all Diabetes!?

I wouldn't care, but I am *not* buying new pants!