So here we go, just a random jojo thingie.
Menu of the Day:
Music: Sara Mclaughlin Christmas Wintersong cd ....(Normally she kind of irritates me, but i really like her Christmas cd)
Drinking: OMG, this is a fabulous wine that my favorite wine guy sold me. It's called....oops i forgot...let me go check....it's called The Ball Buster by Tait... Tom told me the guy who makes it calls his wife that. It's a big red and cost about $20....totally worth it.
The Best thing that happened this week: i got all of my shopping done and not only that. As of this evening i have them wrapped!
How I've been a bad girl: I did not do my On Demand exercises as much as i wanted. Only twice. However, i did run 4 days this week.
What i read recently: there was an article (i think in my Group Health magazine) that listed the Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms. I swear to y'all i had every single one of them listed. When i start eating frozen white bread right out of the freezer to get my carbo fix, i know i'm in trouble.
How i'm fixing it: Because i live only 2 miles from work i can run at lunchtime, shower and get back to work within an hour plus 10 minutes. I'm going to run at lunch to get through this instead of what i've been doing lately....running in the pitch dark at night around my condo circle.
What scares me: Newt Gingrich rising to the top of the shit of the Republican candidates. How did THAT happen? He wants to put poor little kids to work because he thinks their parents are such losers who don't teach them work ethics. Let's talk ethics and politics, shall we? OK, let's not.
18 comments:
I'll come back and put up a photo later. Maybe of my Christmas tree. Tonight is only a Menu of the Day.... Brian just walked in with the Marzanos dinner!
Come and tell us what's going on!
1. I thought the death and dying part of this year was over for us, but I just got a call that my favorite aunt is succumbing to the evil that is Alzheimer's. 6 of her 7 kids are with her and the last one is driving from MN to southwest Wi now.
2. My mom is turning 87 on Sunday. I am getting a Costco cake and bought plates and napkins and will take it to church on Sunday.
3. We've got some decorations up and my daughter will buy the tree next week. She and her dad do that every year. Tomorrow, I'll get the creche out and some other things. I think we'll put the new LED lights around our window.
4. I finally figured out how to program numbers into my desk speakerphone. Talk about technologically challenged. Pffft.
5. My mom and I drove up the coast to the outlet mall we like in Camarillo. One is reason is our sales tax is 8.75% and the tax there is 7.25%. Any reason to save some $$. Got some goodies at Harry and Davids, and I got 2 more casseroles from Corning. The weather was gorgeous and the ocean was calm, and you could see the big channel islands in the distance.
6. I'm so far behind with getting gifts, it's just not funny.
Have a great week and enjoy your wine.
Randomness
1. Getting old and grey hair. I color my hair brown cause the back is still the original color; all my grey is in the front. Think it looks pretty natural, BUT I have to get it colored every 5 weeks. It is too much $$. I can’t go lighter though - was never blonde so I figure it would be weird.
2. Have not finished my shopping but do have my last decisions made. Think I will take care of it today. Ron and the kids are getting tickets to Hawaii for spring break so am not doing much shopping for them.
3. Kids working – The FFA folks are all worried about the new farm worker age limit proposals. Rumor has it; it would not allow kids to be in the pens with animals. So how can they raise, groom and gussy up their sheep and pigs for shows (and livestock sales)? What is the world coming to?
4. My tree is still not decorated, can’t seem to find the time or inclination.
5. Ron has been sick for a week now. Actually stayed home yesterday. He coughed all night (thank heavens for Emma’s bed) and now I have a runny nose.
6. Will plan Xmas eve family dinner with my brother tomorrow. Think we’re going Mexican. I need to find a time to do my baking plus there is the Lefse making at my mom’s to schedule. I was going to work through the 22nd but now I’m getting worried for time.
7. The flannel quilt I made my nephew is done and looks great. Too bad I can't take a photo.
Yay love seeing you Amulbunny and louie! Do i need to come over and help you decorate your tree louie? I'll do it!
Ron actually sounded pretty sick to me on the phone when i talked to you. That cold takes about 10 days to get over. I didn't have it so bad i couldn't go to work but i hated the coughing all night and i dragged ass for days. It was more lack of sleep. But then i have that on a regular basis with menopause anyway.
amulbunny, it's horrible that your favorite aunt has Alzheimers but i'm thinking how wonderful her kids are and how lucky she is. And happy bday to your mom!
I had our first Christmas Moment today. I have written about this before. And i've also shared this with friends and family.... I've long figured out that you can't recapture the whole Christmas Spirit of our past when we were little.
So we should look for The Christmas Moment.
Today we went to see my youngest brother Troy's very best friend in the world become installed as a Grand Poobah (not the technical term, but you know what i mean) into the Masons.
Troy's friend Tony has been his friend since they were little kids. And those two are closer to each other than two people can be. More than brothers. Every time our Louvrak family has had a tragedy, when my sister died, when my nephew Josh died, divorces, etc. Tony and his wife were there keeping us together. Tony has always been a rock, (most especially when Josh died.)
This was a big deal to Tony to be installed and while i don't see him in this serious role because i know him as the fun party guy , i knew it was important that we be present, especially since we got REAL invitations.
And so i picked up my brother Scott and Troy's son Brian and we drove out and met my parents there. And we sat through what seemed to us like a really cult like ritual that goes back to traditions from the 19th century and we kept our faces straight and were reverent.
And when it was over (one hour an 15 minutes later!) we got to go in to eat. And Tony's daughter (love her) was working on serving everyone and she came over and said, "OMG, that's the weirdest thing to ever sit through i was so glad i had to be in the kitchen".... which made it okay for us to feel the same way.
And Tony, being Tony as he always is, was as irreverent as he could be without being disrespectful to the whole thing, because in truth he is very serious about this fraternity, because that is what it really is. i could tell was very pleased that we were there.
And to be honest, i didn't want to go. I had other things i could be doing. But i know how much Tony has done for us. And i knew i would go. And i was SOOOO glad that i did.
He introduced us as his family. And he had Troy stand up beside us and told everyone that Troy was his greatest friend in the world and he said to Troy, 'how long have we been friends?' and Troy replied "since we were 12 years old". And the exchange between them almost brought tears come to my eyes.
And i wasn't home very long when my brother Troy called to tell me how much it meant to HIM that i was there along with Scott and his son and mom and dad because he knew it meant that much to Tony.
What was funny was on the way home i was telling Scott and Troy that i thought it meant as much to Troy that we showed up as it did to his best friend. And how cool was that.
And i told Troy that was the the first Christmas Moment.
Oops i meant in my last sentence, that i was telling Scott and Brian (Troy's son) that it meant as much to Troy that we were there
Woke up this morning (after spending the night in the guest (nick’s) room, snorting and coughing and blowing out green stuff. I am so mad, I do not want, cannot have this cold. I know I won’t be as sick as Ron has been, but I do not have time. I am supposed to go for Allergy tests on the 22nd and can’t take any decongestants up to 10 days before. I think maybe I’ll reschedule.
Need to decide in the next 10 minutes if I’m going to do my exercises and get ready for church. I know I’ll be glad later if I do, but. . .
Finally got my mom figured out. My sister and I are putting together a Gene Juarez spa package (pedis and facials) for my mom and sister in law. Will include some special gin and olives for an after spa beverage. My mom will think it's great; I think my sister in law will like it too. I do have a secret side gift for her, just in case and just because.
My brother John called yesterday about how to mail a box to my son in Guam for Xmas, just to let him know we’re thinking of him. I hadn’t made any plans to send a box!!! I was so focused on; well don’t know what I was focused on, it didn’t think of it. He still hasn’t received the Lego Advent Calendar I ordered from Amazon.
So in any case, bought some little things and I started on some cookies last night. Will finish a few of Nick's favorite for him. Think it’s too early to bake the cookies for Xmas Eve, but can get the mixing part taken care of in advance. Then maybe I can do Lefse on the 23rd…. Maybe I’ll have a Christmas moment after Nick’s box is together.
I have had NO Xmas music at our house. The sound system set up is a mess here. Our CD player is really the dvd/tv set up and I hate it. I may start palying CDs through my laptop.
Well, Jillian is a calling my name; going to give it a go
louie, you can buy a cd player for pretty cheap. But an iHome would probably be the way to go. Don't you have an iPod now?
It's been so freezing cold around here these past days that i wonder who come we have rain this morning instead of snow! It was 28 degrees yesterday morning.
We watched The Help on Friday. I really liked it, but was slightly disappointed. They breezed through some scenes that i though needed more attention. And i realize you can't condense a book into two hours and make it perfect but i can't help but feel that it could have been stronger. The acting was good, but the really awful white women were near parodies.
When we lived in Morgan City, La and in 1965 my yaya aunt Judy and my grandmother had help. Her name was Dorothy. She always smelled like clean steam from all of her ironing. I liked that smell.
And since my grandmother and grandfather lived in a very small two bedroom house it seems weird to me now. Especially since my grandmother never even worked outside the home and didn't really have money. My Aunt Judy had a maid too (her name was Barbara and she was young and pretty) because my aunt worked. I was living with them then and Barbara worked for Judy 5 days a week, making $5 a day. My one cousin, the one we were all afraid of even though she was younger abused poor Barbara, calling her terrible names. And we never stopped her or tattled on her. I felt so bad for Barbara who just kept her head down and worked through.
Anyway, i liked the movie, but it didn't blow me away like the book did. The next movie to watch is Water for Elephants. I keep wanting to call it "Like Water for Elephants" cause i keep getting the title mixed up with "Like Water for Chocolate".
I've been buying music today. Got Pink Martini's Christmas album. I love their music.
Right now I'm listening to Eva Cassidy. I just love her voice.
The author for the Help lives in Atlanta and came to the little corner bookstore when the book first came out. I missed it.
I loved the book Water for Elephants. The Twilight dude just can't act. So he drove me nuts during the movie. And the animal abuse while not shown directly is hard.
Hey susie! I am listening to a new cd i just bought by Jason Isbell who does that song "Codeine" that i put up on Facebook recently.
I had heard from a friend that Reese Witherspoon didn't seem right for the part in the Elephants movie. I just hope the elephant can act. I remember how much the elephant came alive as a character in the book when i read it.
I just put up a photo today that i took yesterday. Our tree does look the same in the photo when i look at it. But it is skinnier than our usual ones.
OK, i put up this same photo on Facebook and it got over 20 responses, including LIKES and Comments. From work folk even. I never expected that. Just goes to show how Facebook took over blogging.
And dammit, here i thought people were more interested in my opinions.
I am interested in your opinions
I have resisted Facebook so far, but now there are too many things I can't seem to find out about without it.
finally have my tree decorated and go the box sent to Guam. Couldn't do the do-it-yourself method, and had to stand in line. Can't believe I had to fill out a customs report and list the contents. cookies, crackers, smoked clams, little bottles of Maker's Mark and boxer shorts. Just hope it gets there before Christmas.
OMG, that's too much trouble to send a package to Guam. Can i just send him a card with money and tell him to go buy his own Maker's Mark?
How much does Maker's Mark cost? I bought a bottle earlier this year for my union president after the contract was ratified but i forgot what i paid.
just got home from happy hour with some co-workers. I am so happy to have 3 folks from work I want to go out with. 6 months ago, I would have said there was no one from my office I would want to meet with outside of the office or could trust; nice to have connected. These are good people.
It was hard for me though to reach out, so I'm pretty proud of myself to have taken the risk. The trick now is to develop something more than an a disgust for the establishment to keep us together.
I liked The Help movie too, but was so glad I read the book first; of course it was so much better. That's why I want to read the Descendants before the movie even though I can't wait to see it.
Am wrapping the last few Xmas gifts tonight. The only thing left is to buy Nick a pre-paid phone to use when he's here in Washington, he has an international one for Guam.
This weekend I hope to do the most of my baking. Am trying to decide if I should take the 22nd off or not; I have the vacation time coming so may stay home and get ready for Xmas eve. I'll wait until Wednesday to decide.
Meanwhile, a lot of work and a few more days to get through.
You should DEFINITELY take the 22nd off. Even if it's just to stay home and read the Descendants which i will get to you. OR to watch a Christmas movie. Just do it. really.
We have our Christmas lunch tomorrow with one of the co-workers cooking. She has been obsessing happily over this lunch to a degree that she is almost making us nuts. But it makes sense to me. She loves to cook and her husband was diagnosed and in the hospital for weeks with pancreatitus last summer and can no longer eat all the good meals she used to make. It's all bland food. And no alcohol ever, wine or beer or anything.
It got me to thinking about how much i often talk about how i hate cooking for vegans. Even when Brian goes hard-core Weight Watchers (he never does it for very long) i don't much like cooking those meals. I do not like brown rice for one thing.
I think i would have liked The Help better - the movie, i mean - if had seen the movie first.
I'm going to try and change this post tomorrow. I have three more and my mother in law will be here soon! So i got to get on it.
EoDE here (I signed in before commenting, but it won't let me post as me. Aargh.)
Just wanted to say I'm not on Facebook, so I'm really glad you blog, because then I get to see your pictures and read about your opinions. Love your tree, and your living room is lovely.
I've still got to put our tree up. I always look forward to decorating it. We have ornaments going back to when we were both single, plus ornaments different family members have given us and some we've gotten together over the years. Some of our favorites are some vintage German ornaments we discovered at a thrift shop a few years ago.
I'm reading The Help right now. We always rent movies on New Year's Eve, and the movie version is on my list. I'm anxious to see how it compares with the book.
EoDE...you are soooo late with your tree. But when did that start happening that after Dec. 16 it was so late to put up a tree. When we were little the 15th was always the date we did the tree. Now we do it on the 1st.
I do find that in the last few years i like taking it down BEFORE new years and i never used to do that. Like a Halloween Pumpkin around Thanksgiving, something i hate, a Christmas tree past Christmas isn't my thing anymore.
Let me know how you feel about the movie after reading The Help. I am still watching Water for Elephants. (We couldn't finish last night because we started it too late) And i already like the movie version of Water for Elephants more than i liked the movie version of The Help. And both of those were on my top 10 list of books the year i read them.
I really think seeing the movie BEFORE the book makes you less disappointed.
I hope i like the Decendants. It's getting a lot of hype lately i think Golden Globes picked it as a Best Picture candidate. We're planning to see it Christmas Day.
Post a Comment