Mystic Needs Some Hot Cocoa!

It's snowing, it's snowing, it's snowing! I'm writing this as the snow falls outside. Yes, folks, it's snowing in the desert. We had 4 inches on the ground on Monday and it's snowing again today. It's beautiful, but a little strange..... I've actually worn a coat and scarf every day this week and Wayne has been wearing his Nanook coat all week as well.

We had our annual pot luck and gift exchange at work today. Lots and lots of great food [yes, Kelly & Wayne, once again I made cobbler for my coworkers and not for you. Sorry :-( ] and I got a fabric steamer in the gift exchange! Yay!!

It's Because of the Economy

Life in the financial industry continues to be a challenge and it doesn't look like it will get much better anytime soon. Planning and budgeting are more than difficult and trying to keep morale up is a constant job. I'm so proud of my staff! They are willing to pitch in and help wherever they can, whether it's "their job" or not. I'm truly fortunate to work with such a great team! The deals are still trickling in and we are still the Number 1 CDC in Nevada based on loan volume. We're hoping that business will pick up after the first of the year when, hopefully, people won't be able to resist some of the great real estate deals out there. In the meantime, we keep plugging along and, thanks to good planning and good reserves are doing just fine.

On a lighter note:
We hosted a Winter Wonderland open house at our office last night to benefit Toys for Tots. We had lots of sweet treats including a chocolate fountain, a popcorn machine and coffee, tea, hot chocolate and a wonderful punch! The punch was Donna Sam's recipe and I must have it! We had about 40 guests and a nice time was had by all. We received a lot of great toys for the kids and we are soooo excited about that!

I have tomorrow off and I'm looking forward to a day of gift wrapping and plant repotting, with some time off for a haircut midday. I'm finally starting to get into the holiday spirit and I'm looking forward to our upcoming trips to California and Florida! I think Wayne is a little jealous of my day off. He's been commenting all week on how many days I have left to work....

YEEHAW! Mystic's goin' Shitkickin'!

Song of the Day: Weelll, it's 40 below and I ain't got a truck and I don't give a f**k and I'm off to the rodeo...

Yes, folks, it's once again time for my annual trip to the NFR with the girls. Tune in again to hear all about our cowboy butt lookin', cow poop smellin', tryin' like heck to keep the dirt out of our beer fun!

Mystic is Grateful

Now that the long Thanksgiving weekend is over, I find myself in a reflective mood. I'm feeling peaceful, happy and grateful. I have the most wonderful and supportive husband imaginable! Our kids are amazing and we are sooooo proud of them! We are all healthy and loved. In my career, I am blessed with work that makes a difference in my community and is fulfilling.

Wayne and I had a quiet holiday weekend, just the two of us. I roasted a turkey breast and we had the usual fixings: gravy, dressing, mashed sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries and pumpkin pie. We did some general housework, played some video games and talked with the kids on the phone. We saw Bolt in 3D at the movies on Friday. It was cute and the 3D aspect was awesome!

Now it's time to get ready for Christmas. Almost all of our shopping is done (I'm not sure how that happened!) and the wrapping will begin this week. We won't do much decorating since we will be gone on Christmas and the week after. I'm not excited at the prospect of returning from a week at Walt Disney World to a houseful of decorations to take down, so we'll put out a few special items and leave it at that.