Cold Monday Pizza Night in December

It was a confusing sort of day.  I woke up, checked e-mails, intending that I was just going to delete overnight SPAM that escaped the filter, and learned there was a change in what I thought was DD#2's practice schedule.  Apparently wrong dates were sent out, but the text did say Monday and Wednesdays'.  I am a date kind of person-dates trump days to me, so I put December 3rd and 5th on the calendar, not Monday and Wednesday. Even with the wrong date, it was more my error, as the context was clear. This caused me to open my calendar, and seeing that my afternoon was flexible, solved the problem by intending to leave work early, and finish up my day once home.  I did this, without care, until I got a "bing" e-mail alert on the drive home, checking once I arrived home to an alert that the 4:00 meeting was in the Harry Potter Room (a makeshift meeting room located under a staircase-clever hah?). I had completely zoned out a conversation held before my extended Thanksgiving holiday abut joining in on a conference call.  The party who set up the meeting had not set up an actual meeting in Outlook, so nothing was on my calendar.  Apparently I didn't miss anything much, and it will be an easy catch-up, but I am bothered by this.  I hate not being on my game at work. 

On the plus side,  we are back home, cozy in the house by 6:30, and Friday night I have one less thing to juggle and can better enjoy the weekend.  DH works late on Monday so it is just the girls tonight.  I was intending to actually cook a meal, but something got overly stuck on the cook top last night, and I don't want to use the stove top until we can keep working the char out of the glass. You can't scrub with anything but soft cloth and cook top cleaner, for risk of ruining the glass.  I take good care of it and it looks and works like it did brand new 12 years ago.  Frozen pizza became the dish du jour. It was a whopping high of 8 degrees today-I won't complain about  little internal warmth and comfort from the pizza. I have a twinge of guilt for not having a few batch made meals ready to be pulled out for just such a night.  We do probably eat more frozen pizza than we should.

For Advent in Reverse, I gave away the last of my loose change, the change kept for girls poker night.  I usually put whatever change I have  or a dollar bill or two whenever I see a red kettle, but intentionally bringing the poker money meant I was actually giving away something from me.  I've read many posts of others doing the same thing to lead up to Christmas, and others choosing not to do this, because they regularly donate throughout the year.  I say anyway a person gives to others in need is a great idea.  I donate throughout the year, but like the concept of a reverse Advent specifically to celebrate the Christmas season. 

How has your first day of December gone?  For those in the US who may have had extended time off, did you find getting back into the norm a little tough this morning as I did?  Other than soup, what is your winter weeknight no fuss ,comfort, go to food?  As for that cook top, does anyone have any tried and true suggestions other than good old elbow grease and patience?