I'm so sick of work. Okay, so that's every day, but today vacillated between being kind of boring and being unpleasantly surprised several times by extremely complicated special shit being sprung upon me that made no sense, and I had a stress headache for most of the day. Blech. I had to insist on having several meetings tomorrow to deal with the sprung shit, sigh. At one point we just got sent a list of about a thousand people, with no explanation, and I was all "shall we take bets? I bet we have to change something for all of them and then send a bunch of emails." I asked my boss what the heck this was and she said "never mind, I don't have access to it and you don't either." Whew.

For some reason my Holidailies entry from yesterday didn't tag with my name, and I tried to post it under my name multiple times and it would not. Now my daily total is broken for the first time in years. Waaaaaah.

During today's Yarn Club:
(a) Lori Ann wanted to get a Christmas tree but didn't really have room for one, and then found out that someone decorated her tomato cages.... so she did the same with garlands.
(b) Somehow this turned into a discussion of Dalek Christmas trees, so I had to go look some up.
(c) Someone mentioned having a Weeping Angel on their tree, followed by "we can't blink until Christmas."
(d) I said I don't believe in putting angels on the top of the trees because you've basically rammed a tree up their ass, and Yemi suggested, "Maybe they like that." OH MY.
(c) Lori Ann brought out her cat and then mentioned that her old cat figured out how to make phone calls. To her boss at1:30 in the morning. Yemi: "Cat's meowing is almost like spoken Swedish, so sure."

Claire, who ran the Florida group doing online play readings in early pandemic, told me she was going to be in a show yesterday and today. Even though the show started at 4 p.m. my time, I haven't been having too many late meetings (not since everyone else in my group starts earlier/leaves earlier than I do), so I loaded up her show on one of my laptops and watched it during the last hour of work, while chatting with my boss about another weird request. It was Spoon River electronically, which I guess is a play adaptation of poems from dead people. My, my, some of the scandals in this! It was amusing to hear different perspectives on the same things, as it were.

In other news, I was running low on my weird wonky handspun around the house and started looting around for more and found more. I am pondering working on my unfinished object projects during breaktime and actually decided to undo one entirely to get the handspun yarn out of it. It's a shawl that looked lovely color-wise but was kind of a pain in the arse to make, so it's unraveled and reused now.

Last night's Hallmark viewing was really good, y'all!

A Little Christmas Charm:

"You should tell your manager that forcing people to wrap their own gift cards is a terrible business decision." Wrapping....GIFT CARDS?! CARDS?! "Who cancels their gift wrapping business right before Christmas?" a reporter gripes. I'm gonna guess one that's either out of wrapping paper or is totally burned out. This dude also doesn't like having to do Secret Santa at work because buying a gift for a stranger sucks. I HEAR YA, SIR.

This is a 2020 movie and it mentions a "gender reveal" party. Um....shouldn't we be stopping those?

"Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as too much Christmas."

Reporter's feel-good story is bad when a guy's giant tip got....taken back. The reporter then emptied his wallet to the server, went outside, slammed into the girl and she lost her....leftover weird food? He asks her out within 2 minutes of that. No thank you, she says politely.

The girl finds someone's lost Christmas charm bracelet. One charm is signature enough to be able to ID where it was bought. Why not post it on Instagram? The girl cleverly removes one charm so that the rightful owner can ID it. Oh, she's also lost her own back in the day. Her dad figures out the birthstones on the baby charms and the dates and stuff. She brings it to another store and the reporter overhears her. "You know, this is even more of an awkward conversation than when you thought I only spoke German." Turns out some of those charms (or at least one of 'em) is worth $3k and is a collector's item. The girl waxes eloquently about losing a carefully curated bracelet is like losing a piece of her history. He offers to help. She declines. "And that's what makes you a holiday hero," he says.

Greg (for that is his name) plugs this to his boss, even though so far this girl doesn't even want to talk to him. "If you were to lose a bracelet, where is the first place you would look?" "I don't wear bracelets." "Thank you. That was very helpful." He tracks down Holly by her shopping bag. Strictly professional, i.e. "no fun at all," she says. Anyway, she' a jewelry designer, working at her friend's store, and her dad runs "an engagement ring store." Like....a jewelry store?

Poor Greg: spent months investigating a doctor he thought was defrauding his patients. Turns out the guy was framed. Since then, he went to features.

Less than an hour into the movie, they've stalled out, but then the bracelet owner walks in.... Except she's a scammer and mentions "three thousand dollars," and sure 'nuff, the missing charm thing worked a....well, you know. This does give them the idea to try collectors rather than jewelers, though. Greg is forced to come to the office Christmas party because his boss won't introduce him to a possible contact otherwise. The charm lady at the party is Russian and ID's the "angel" as a Russian uh....character I cannot spell the name of. Maybe she's a Russian ballerina (hence nutcracker)?

"What do most couples do before they have a baby?" (Greg stays....silent....) "They get married!" Sure, in the 80's. Now, not so much. Let's pull marriage listings from 83, maybe birth records, check the ballet.... In other news, Greg had to Secret Santa his editor, he got a necklace from Holly, the editor likes it! There is a cute scene at the train station, which involves 1940's dressup, a fedora, and dancing.

When Greg has to go to the Hamptons for the day, Holly is bummed out to be left alone on the hunt. Awww. Turns out he's doing another story just in case this one doesn't work out (WHICH IS LEGIT, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, ALSO REPORTERS CAN WRITE MORE THAN ONE STORY AT ONE YA KNOW), but she gets offended anyway. Come onnnnnnnnnnnnn, as a third act breakup this is silly. His editor is also annoyed that he has a backup story, and offers to move his deadline. (I will note that the backup story is about someone giving birth/delivering a baby in a snowstorm. No editor's gonna turn that down!!!!)
So the gender reveal party...still happened...and it's one of each. Sigh.

I love that Greg is home alone, listening to his recording of Holly talking. (Reminds me of karaoke, sigh.)

FINALLY Holly gets an idea: her best friend's business gets donations...so presumably someone who donated things lost her charm bracelet. Let's go to an event the Russian lady may be at! At the event, they manage to find "John and Yelena" and the coat the brace was found in in a photo. SCORE!!!

Yelena and John met at the ballet, of course. It's all very cute.

DAMN, GREG JUST GOT CHRISTMAS FIRED FOR "not being a very good feature writer." However, she seems to have lined him for an investigative reporter job at New York Magazine instead. Meanwhile, Holly is going to open a jewelry store. I'm sure you can guess what he got her for Christmas...it's a cake charm since that's what he knocked over in front of the restaurant.

You know what? This is a legit Christmas mystery and I am loving the whole plot of this. This is done really well. (And amusingly "post it on Instagram" did NOTHING.) Good job, writer of this show.

On the 12th Date of Christmas:

"Jennifer, you're so good with people until they're in charge of you." Jennifer is up for being a head game creator. Wait, the boss calls himself an OVERLORD? Seriously? This is on a sign by the door? Meet a hotel lady putting on an event. The lead guy (Aidan) talks about the online scavenger hunt, which has an app. Hotel lady is bored with that. As Aidan's partner Bill runs out because his wife's in labor, hey, Jennifer, you want in on this? She has ideas about Chicago neighborhoods you may not have seen. (I will note this is the second movie to diss on "Winter Wonderland" as a theme.) "The Twelve Dates of Christmas" is the combo idea they come up with, so good job there. Aidan is awkward to be losing his work husband. I like how they're told to come up with 36 ideas because "they can't all be winners." Aidan ducks out on actual interaction with another human.

Aidan is SO EXCITED TO GO TO A CRAFT FAIR....er....well, it's his niece.

"I think my work partner hates me....Look how grumpy I am!" Jennifer grumbles, while beating on some dough.

Aidan's sister--also named Jennifer?! BUT OF COURSE....is living in the Money Pit house and her husband is deployed, again. He also thinks he's going to get the head game creator job. "I got a new partner to micromanage. A talker."

This company is called "Big City Quest." Love it. Hotel lady wants them over for lunch in five hours. I love her office--it's all Christmas party fun. He, of course, has like one decoration from his niece. Anyway, Aidan kinda lords it over her because HE is a native and SHE doesn't know that a restaurant went out of business and the Rockettes are sold out. She's all "I've lived here for a year and a half!" As for hers, his onion rings idea aren't in the right locations and, y'know, onion breath. "Wanda's texting YOU," he says to her when Wanda the hotel lady is running late for lunch. Jennifer deduces, correctly, that Aidan is a loner. Who did like her cookies, at least. Jennifer notes that she comes up with better ideas when someone else is around.
I love how Aidan knows of a turtle mural from the world's first turtle race. THAT'S ADORABLE.

Wanda gives Jennifer a pep talk on how she's reluctant to speak up. That's very sweet, and the actress does a great job of "I have great ideas, yet I feel awkward and stuff." So she tells Alastair that she wants the head game designer job. "I already have four candidates, why should I put you in the mix?" Alastair says, but agrees to add her to the list. Then she gives a great speech about fun, referencing the titles he makes up for everyone like "wizard." To which Alastair is all "Good night, Jennifer." Whaaa?

"Everyone remain calm, I'm gonna fix...everything..." -Aidan in the Money Pit.

OH LOOK, THERE'S PEAR CIDER AND IT'S GOT A BIRD ON IT. And their last name is even "bird" in German. And they do painting with alcohol!

Wait, his sister is named Shannon?!

They walk by a restaurant with French hens/cooking lessons. This is all so cute! "Listen to your girlfriend, she knows what she's talking about."

I'm amused that Aidan is trying to figure out selfie and then is all, "Can we just have her take the picture?" YES, THAT'S THE OLD SCHOOL WAY, BACK WHEN YOU COULD BE AROUND PEOPLE.

So Jennifer and her bestie are going to A MIDDLE SCHOOL FUNDRAISER FOR KIDS THEY DON'T KNOW to scope a dude out. Aidan is very reasonably "What are you doing here?" Carla the bestie is all "I am here as a supporter of music and no other reason whatsoever." The art teacher walks up and mentions someone they used to know who now does home remodeling. (I'll note that Jennifer bought one of the niece's wreaths and left it for her neighbor, who has his hearing aid off at home and thus hasn't heard her saying hi.)

How on earth does this guy continue to pronounce "Shan" as "Jen?!"

"Wait, you don't have a tree? Your office is the North Pole." Legit question. She says she's been busy. "Where I come from, if you don't cut down your own tree you get an Illinois shaming," he says. Oy vey. Turns out he also knows the neighbor. "You're different than who I thought. You actually like people." To which I say, some people.

Aidan comes over to deck the tree, Carla tactfully vamooses. He asks her to go skating with the family. "You realize you detrhoned me as the funcle," he says after she teaches the niece some skating stuff. It's all very cute. After they talk about the Money Pit, he confesses that he also applied for head game designer, but she deserves it more.

"Will you let the lady play the game?" I cracked up when Aidan said that to Alastair during the presentation when he gets all excited. Honestly, this thing looks AWESOME. It's a shame pandemic means we can't watch them play it, right? Anyway, Alastair makes it fairly clear he wants Aidan and Aidan has to break the news to her. They both do well/take it really well, under the circumstances. Then he goes into the meeting and talks Jennifer up. Awwwww. "Good. Then I made the right choice." "What?" "I've decided to give the position to Jennifer." But would you like "Wizard of Operations?" Same amount of money, "better suited for you," but less...game....? Anyway, yes, he's cool with that! Alastair wants to wait until tomorrow to tell Jennifer and Aidan is all "Yeah, why don't you tell her like RIGHT NOW, her office is down the hall? I really like how sensible this movie is. (Even though I don't see this actually happening since Jennifer went home.) Aidan gets a call from the contractor and bugs out himself.

GRANDMA SUE "just happened to be in the neighborhood!" (I should mention she's been on video call from Iowa off and on.) And brought this year's ornament in person. It's a rainbow puzzle piece, awww. Then the neighbor comes over....
Aidan meets with the contractor, who starts recruiting assistance.

Oh, cool, we are getting to see scavenger stuff! Aidan takes his niece, Jennifer takes everyone in her house. Okay, not much of it, but still cute.

There's a bit of confusion when Jennifer is all "Aidan already told me," but she gets the job! Huzzah! He also passes a clue from Aidan...in rhyme. Awwwww. 13th date.... "I know I got a reputation for being a bit of a people person..." Anyway, he straight up says, "I like you, a lot." HOW NICE IS THAT TO HEAR A GUY JUST SAY?!? "Will you please just stop talking?" "Okay." Then she tackles him with her mouth and it's glorious.

This might be my favorite one all year so far. VERY good! :) It's been a good night for Hallmark! I confess the dude reminds me very much of Wil Wheaton when depressed, but SCAVENGER HUNT!!!!

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