Another tea

A fellow blogger sent me a nice pile of tasty teas a few weeks ago and I've been slowly trying them. The latest is an Earl Grey from The Assam Tea Company. I normally shy away from Assams - just don't care for them. But I think Assam is just a name for the company - this tea seemed more like a Ceylon-style or even Nilgiri. Whatever it was, it was pretty good!I also tried a peach or apricot tea from this company and also liked it. Apparently they're a Canadian company so I'll have to check them out on the web. Thanks again Marlena!

Major Changes

I haven't posted in a while - some major changes came my way that I wasn't expecting. I was laid off at work - and it wasn't expected. So I've been going through some major stress - I'll be OK but I wished I had more warning - maybe I would have rethought a clothing and shopping spree the weekend before. And I can't return anything since I wore it all through the week before I was officially told - I did really like everything though. Everything but the lay-off, of course. One good thing about it - we've had some really bad weather here this week and it's nice not to have the pressure of getting to work on icy snow-covered roads.
So now I need to find another job. And around here, that's going to be tough - jobs are hard to get, especially in my field. Moving's not an option. However, I am willing to try new things and I'm not too hung on what I do - as long as it brings in some money!

Love this stuff!

Slowly, I am getting through a lovely pile of tea that a fellow blogger sent me in December. Today, I decided I needed a darjeeling so I opened the bag that said Tea Spot New Moon Darjeeling and made a small pot. From the first sip, I knew I had found a new best friend. It's light but has a definite floral tea taste - not at all overwhelming but just right for a tired tummy. I could drink pots of this stuff. Thanks Marlena for letting me know about this one!

Good News, bad news

The good news is that despite the holidays and several weeks of eating more than I should, the scale says I have lost another two pounds!
The bad news is that I have some sort of bug - no sniffles but I'm exhausted and achy with gastro symptoms - that's making me take time off work. So I am at home today, reading all the blogs and wondering if I have enough energy to do a load of laundry - yeah, I'm that tired.
All in all, it's a good day for tea and toast. Preferably, a nice darjeeling.

A week later ..

... and it's amazing how different everything looks. Last week at this time, I was swatting mosquitoes since we had no snow and it was still somewhat warm for the time of year. Today, it's a winter wonderland. Snow has been falling since yesterday but we also had some earlier in the week so there's lots out there now. At some point, I'm going to have to waddle out of my nice warm cocoon in here and shovel my driveway. I need the exercise but I'm really not in the mood. Who is ever in the mood to shovel snow?
I'm drinking some Russian Earl Gray from The Tea Table that was sent to me by Marlena, a fellow tea-loving blogster. I've been lazy in my tea explorations lately. I've just been making stuff that I already know I like and not trying anything new. If you like Earl Grey, you'll like this tea. It's a little different from the standard Earl Grey but nothing drastic. A little orange has been added so it ups the citrussy taste - which I like. A pleasant cup, especially for those of us who prefer a more citrus-based Earl Grey flavor. Some Earl Grays are just too perfumey for my taste.

Disciplined ... and wary!

So today, I look at my end of year pay stub and used it as the basis for my first honest-to-goodness budget. Discovered that I really need to make more money (duh - I already knew that) so I will have to look into that further. Decided maybe I should wait a while before getting a new car. And when I had everything planned and figured out, I went to visit a friend in the 11 year old car that has not given me a lick of trouble in an entire year.
Half-way through the 40 minute drive, the engine light comes on.
Hmmm ... maybe that brand spanking new budget is going to need some adjustment.
I got there safe and sound and got home safe and sound. But obviously, it's going to have to be checked. And if the repair is too high, I might be getting a new vehicle quicker than I had originally anticipated.
On the less expensive side, I did try a new tea today - an Arizona mandarin orange hot tea with ginseng. It tasted a bit artificial to me, although I do have to admit that I normally don't like drinks with ginseng in them.