December 31st again

This time last year we had cleaned up from Christmas celebrations with our friends.  Unfortunately we lost one friend to Leukemia.  The other friends that was with us last year is going to be stationed in Japan for a while.

We've gotten asked quite a few times what are plans are tonight.  The answer quite simply was that we have no plans.  No one invited us out.

And that's ok.

We have a new Blu Ray player (thanks to the Spousal Equivalent's mom),  and a new HD TV (Thanks to SE's dad and grandmother and my dad and his lady).  We have the rent for January paid.  We have groceries.

So life is pretty good.

I think we'll spend the next two days getting the living room looking like someone neat lives here, watch the ball drop, and toast with the sparkling blueberry juice that I received as a gift.

Maybe next week we can go and be among people again.

Today ends 2011, which was LOADS better than 2010 (and quite a deal better than 2009).  Tomorrow starts 2012, with new resolutions and goals.

Happy New Year everyone.

The Obligatory Resolutions Post

(written on an iPod)

My resolutions are simple: be mindful of what I eat, move more, and get and keep the apartment in order.

1.) be mindful of what I eat- I need to be better about tracking my food, and eat less junk. This means I need to bring more healthy snacks to work.

2.) move more- use the wii every damn day!

3.) get and keep the apartment in order- I need to get into the habit of doing the FlyLady thing.

In all, not too bad!

Christmas 2011 Redux!

It was all too much to keep up with while I was gone.  So here's the high points!

Friday

We left at 4:45 am, after an unsuccessful attempt to have pancakes.  It was 66 degrees in Newport News, Virginia.  After 10 hours, and $60 in gas we arrived at my mom's house in Syracuse, NY.  It was 34 degrees.  The Spousal Equivalent got the 50 cent tour as I drove to my childhood home.  After claiming that we were starving, we went to Twin Trees Too for pizza, wings and alcoholic drinks.

Saturday

Saturday was rather quiet.  I cleaned out some things in my old room.  We went to Wegmans for a few things.  The highlight of the night was going to my Aunt and Uncle's house.  Christmas eve was traditionally done at my Grandmother's house (dad's side of the family).  After her passing a few years ago it moved to my Aunt's house.  We ate and drank and had one of those White Elephant gift exchanges.  (My grandfather for the William and Mary mug I bought, which made me happy).

Sunday

After a breakfast of cocoa french toast (courtesy of my brother), we opened gifts.  Mom remembered that the SE wanted a fire and water proof safe, and that we desperately needed one of those above the toilet bathroom organizers.  Then we gathered the family up and went out to Cazenovia to my uncle's house.   (On the way we drove passed what used to be my Grandparent's house.)  My uncle and aunt (Mom's side of the family) hosted Christmas day for years, until my Aunt's death last year.  I'm glad that my uncle is continuing on the tradition.  With the exception of one cousin, the entire family was there.

After Christmas dinner, we went back to Syracuse, and back to my Aunt's house (where we were for Christmas Eve).  Now... let me give a brief description of my family.  My mom's side of the family is more... iced tea and saltines.  Dad's side is more beer and pretzels.  Our arrival was celebrated with shots.  We had dessert and my cousin mixed me up some very nice margaritas.  My dad and his partner were there.  We talked and drank for hours.  I actually have a new appreciation for my dad and her lady.  (I even discovered that my dad reminds me of Waldorf.)  It was a great time!

Monday

Monday we went to visit one of my oldest friends, Chelsey.  She has a wonderful house in Oswego, NY.  We chatted for a long while, for a tour of her place and went to Canale's for lunch.  

Tuesday

We realized that the weather up there was about to turn for the worse, so we made preparations to leave the next morning.  We went back to Wegmans so I could stock up on Dinosaur BBQ sauce and Gianelli sausage.  We then went out to Zebbs with one of my oldest friends.  She's had a rough few years, so it was WONDERFUL to see her.  We talked until 10.  I then didn't sleep that night.

Wednesday

Wednesday morning we took showers and packed the car.  I was working on an hour sleep.  I'm always emotional when I pack up to head home, so today I was doubly emotional.  I cried for the first hour of the trip.  I'm even tearing up writing about it.  (Can you tell I miss my family?)  But after 11 hours, $75 in gas and three stops, we made it home.  The dog slept from about 5 that night straight through until morning.

Thursday

Today we took down the tree, set up the bathroom organizer.  (It was REALLY needed).  My stomach is unhappy after all the crap I put in it, so I'm munching on toast.  We don't go back to work until Tuesday, so we can take our time getting unpacked and getting the house back in order.  I also failed to replace my netbook cord, and failed to find Starbucks Christmas ornaments (It was a long shot, I know!)

It was a wonderful holiday.  I desperately miss my family... but next time I want to fly.  That drive is killer.

Post Holiday Hangover

I have 3 things:

1.) Holiday recap is coming.  I have it on paper and haven't had a chance to type it up yet.

2.) I've had NO sleep, and even though I just left my friends and family, I miss them desperately.  (I've said for years, if I could find work up there, I'd seriously consider moving back.)  I've been all weepy and crying all day.  It's given me a headache.

3.) After talking to some friends, I want to formally apologize to everyone that I frustrated by not listening to them and marrying my ex.  Apparently I needed to learn that lesson for myself, but I still need to apologize for making y'all watch the train wreck.

As I sit here in my jeans

I think about the shows I love (many of them cancelled) and the fashion choices that I'd make for myself if I had money and weighed 30 pounds less and it leaves me wondering.  When did I get to be so frumpy?

We all know that if I had the waistline and money, I'd dress like Emma Pillsbury.  I'm very much like her, except not that OCD.

I find it funny that two of my favorite (and cancelled) shows are Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle.  These shows are about powers, strong well dressed women with great handbags!  That is so far from me that it's silly.  I'm not strong and powerful.  I'm a secretary for crying out load.

*sigh*  I'm going to enter some data.  Let the shows play in the background.  The Governor is closing the offices at 3.

I don't know how many times this needs to be addressed!

This nation isn't a Christian nation.  We weren't founded on Christian principles.

You know who else knows this?  Most 5th and 6th graders in the state of Virginia.

US History I.  Standard 5.  Part A.

The colonies were formed for 2 reasons: economic and religious.

That's right, the country was founded to a.) make money and b.) give people an opportunity to practice their religion without government interfering in it.

So, again I say:  Get your religion out of my government!!!!

I'm on a Tolkein kick today!!

So, after watching The Hobbit trailer a few times, and buying The Hobbit NookBook, I was inspired to do some research.  I have a year to create a good Lembas recipe.

I've found DOZENS of them online.

• Example one.
• Example two.
• Example three.  This one seems promising.
• Example Four. Another one that looks interesting
• Example five. This is the most well researched!

Now, according to example five:

"What Tolkien says about Lembas

• They contain  honey
• they are light-colored on the inside and light brown crust
• they are thin and regular-shaped. This implies they were made on some kind of griddle iron. The closest modern equivalent is a Krumkake iron. I used a pizzelle iron

Some other things we can guess.

• They contain the fruit and maybe the flower-water of the Mallorn tree. I substituted oranges, although kumquats or a hand of Buddha fruit might be better.
• They probably had some kind of finely ground light-colored nut in them. I used almonds.
• They contained some kind of nourishing flour. I used semolina flour, which is a more primitive flour, and also more nourishing.
• Galadriel probably used some kind of grinder to refine the ingredients. I used a blender."

Part of me wants to combine the sensabilities of the above recipes.. with the granola goodness of this recipe.  Hey, when I think nourishing, I think granola!   Or oatmeal!

I need it to be next December now!!!

The Hobbit trailer was released yesterday.  Now, I adored the other three Lord of the Rings movies.  Like, saw them multiple times in the theater, adored.  I really hadn't read the LotR books before the movie.  I couldn't keep any of the characters separate in my brain.  Let's face it, LotR isn't an easy read.  After I saw Fellowship of the Ring I did sit down and read all three books.  They were slow and dense, but good.

Now, long before Peter Jackson made those first movies, my 11th grade English teacher placed a copy of The Hobbit on my desk.  (My friend and I were in an English class with idiots so the teacher tried to challenge us).  I read that book.  I even saw the cartoon.  Multiple times!

So, I saw the trailer!  Now, I'm going to re-read The Hobbit (I last read it in the 11th grade, you know), but here's my first impressions:

• It looks like all the players are back from the first movies.  I wouldn't want it any other way!  Can you imagine anyone else playing Gandalf but Ian McKellen?
• The visuals are identical to the earlier movies.  I bet the sets were like in storage.
• I don't remember Galadriel..... but I'm willing to go with it.
• I tell you this now: I'll probably forever mix up those damn dwarves!  There's 12 of them.  All with short, similar names!!  Though thankfully they all look different.  (which may help me in the end.)

A Glee Christmas: Redux

They are replaying last year's episode.  10 minutes in you can tell that it's vastly superior to this year's.

The episode reminds me why I loved Christmas so much as a kid.  It was a time of hope and possibility.  You'd write letters and wish for Santa to give you the toys you'd been wanting all year.

What would you ask Santa for?

Mine's easy.  Financial stability.  Or a 40 inch LCD tv.

Or one of those Pandora bracelets.

I hope that everyone gets what they want (or need) from Santa this year.

Three more days!

Christmas is right around the corner.  As is our 10ish hour drive.

Of course, I'm sick.  Because that makes everything that much more fun.

*eyeroll*

I'm at work, becuase I don't know if I'm contagious, or if it's more like food poisoning (but a mildmild case).

What I do know?  No Christmas Cookies today!!  And definitely no wine.

Which really sucks.

I love everything about Christmas... but....

Well, 2 things really.

1.) We don't have a lot of money.  It's a struggle most months to get everything paid.  We really didn't need to get the dog flea medication and myself the high blood pressure medication this week.  Well, we needed it, but it'll make things a tad tight.

And here I have friends saying that they got things for us.  Really, you shouldn't have.  Because I didn't.  Hell, my mom and brother are getting gifts after the holidays (when things go on sale and we have some money).  Now it gets awkward.  You giving us stuff.  Us keeping the dog from licking up your nose.  Yeah....

I know that someday I'll be able to buy everyone something.  I know that someday we won't have to chose between rent and my medication.

Though it won't be soon.  No raises again.  Thanks Governor.

2.) Eating.  My father gave me a basket of sweet things.  It was WONDERFUL.  Emphasis on the word was....

I've lost weight the last few weeks.  I firmly attribute this to not being able to afford snacks.  Did I need all of those truffles this weekend?  No.  Did I enjoy them?  Hell yes!!

We're off to visit the land of my birth this weekend.  I will over eat.  I will gain weight.  What am I doing after I get back?  Exercise.  Lots and Lots of exercise.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The weekend... it came and went...

I spent most of it getting ready for our holidays in the snowy north!  The car is clean, my toiletries are mostly packed.  Now to work on clothes.

We spent a rather low key weekend, the highlight was which was hooking the brand new Blu Ray player into our crappy TV.  I'm hoping that our tax return can get us a nice new TV this year.

The only down side of the entire weekend seem to be the itchiness I'm having.  I have red, itchy spots between the fingers of my right hand.  I don't know if it's Eczema or Ringworm.... but I'm leaning toward eczema, since the ringworm meds seem to not be working.  It's painful and itchy and completely unfun.

And now, back to work.  It's the end of the year paperwork.  Fun....

Christmas Specials

You know them.  You love them!  They've been on TV (and now DVD and Blu Ray) since before you were born.  Unless, like me, you're old.

Here are my favorites:

• Mikey's Christmas Carol: It's one of my favorite Christmas Carol adaptations.  And that's saying something, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol was pretty good!
• A Muppet Family Christmas: They don't play it anymore.  I suspect it has something to do with the sale of the Muppets to Disney.  But between this and the Muppets tribute to Jim Henson.. It satisfies all my Muppet needs!
• Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas: This is the first special I remember.  HBO played it every year in the 80's.  When I got older we got rid of HBO, and I didn't see the special again until I got the DVD.  
• A Garfield Christmas: Another one of my favorites.  It's not Christmas unless I've seen it.  I found the DVD in Wal Mart last year and screamed for joy.  There were a lot of strange looks.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas: What else do I need to say?
• 'Twas the Night Before Christmas: This was released the year I was born.  It's kitchy.  iI's Rakin/Bass, and hence has crappy animation.  But it's wonderful!
• A Charlie Brown Christmas: The original.  It's one of my favorites.

What are your favorite Holiday Specials?

Is it Friday?

It's got to be Friday by now!

Well, I've had an interesting two days.

Yesterday I got to go back to the Chiropractor for the first time in months. I'd been having problems turning my head to the left (which is problematic for driving.).

So thanks to my generous father (Seriously, Dad, I can't thank you enough!) I went to get my head put back on straight.  Got a wonderful night's sleep after too!

Unfortunately the rest of Dad's birthday money went into my gas tank.

Today, I woke up with itchy, swollen eyes.  It's simply torture.  The only relief I ever get from this comes from massive doses of Benedryl and a cold eye mask.  I can't do that here at work though.

Here's to hoping that whatever is bothering me won't bother me at work!

GleeCap: Glee Christmas

Now, Christmas specials give shows a chance to really push the suspension of disbelief.  Wow.... this one REALLY pushed it.

So we start with a tree trimming.  Rachel is pushy and greedy.  I can get that.  Then Artie gets a chance to direct their local PBS Christmas special.  What does he do?  Well... picture a classic 50's Christmas special, with Star Wars, cheerleaders, Bruce Springsteen and The Charlie Brown Christmas thrown in.

I was totally going with the kitchy black and white special.  But then Puck and Finn dressed as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.  For no reason...  Then the Cheeriors, Tina and Mike bust in.  And to top it all off, Rory (in an awful elf outfit) reads the same Christmas story bible verses that Linus reads in the iconic special.  He even starts with the "lights please..."  (Personally, the "lights please" totally made it for me.)

In the end, they brought it back to this planet, and they kids gave to charity for Christmas.  But man, did we have to go through a lot to get there.

And for the record:  Artie, did you really have to bring up the Star Wars Christmas Special?  There's a reason it was only shown once....

I love Christmas movies... but...

I started watching Four Christmases the other day.  I didn't get very into it before I was compelled to turn the channel.  Within the first twenty minutes some cynical couples grilled Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn's charters about why they weren't married and why they didn't want kids.  Like it was an unthinkable thing that a couple would want to remain unmarried and that they *gasp* don't want children.

I don't know if the movie is good.  At that moment I became frustrated with it and turned the channel.

And as we all know, I love me some Christmas!  I especially love Christmas Movies and Christmas Specials!

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

Mine are:  Love Actually, The Holiday, and The Family Stone.

Next post:  Christmas Specials!

Some Weekends are like this.

Life can get busy.  It happens to the best of us.

since life had gotten busy, we decided to take this weekend to catch up.  6 loads of laundry and 3 loads of dishes later, we're pretty much caught up.

Some may say, how hard is it to do laundry?

I'll tell you!

We have an Apartment sized washing machine.  It plugs into the wall, and is connected to the kitchen sink.  When the machine is in the kitchen, there's approximately four inches of clearance on the side.  It's hardly enough to open the refrigerator with!

But we make due.  The rental of this unit is cheaper than the laundromat.

On tap for tonight?  Putting Mt. Laundry away!

The Golden Rule

It seems like such a simple concept.  We all know it.  We're all taught it as children.  Unitarian Universalism has their own version, and it's a concept that I try to live by.  The first UU principle is that we all try to see the "The inherent worth and dignity of every person."

It's something that I try to live every day.  Shouldn't we all?

I need to share this.  This is the narrated portion of the third movement of "All Lifted Hearts."  Words by Kendyl Gibbons and music by Jason Shelton.

• "In the Talmud of the Jewish tradition, the sage Hillel said: What is hateful to you, do not do to others. This is the whole of the Law; all the rest is commentary."
• "In the Hindu legend of the Mahabharata, the divine Krishna declared: This is the sum of duty: Do nothing unto others which would cause you pain if done to you."
• "In the Gospel of Matthew in the Christian scriptures, the messiah Jesus says:  Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.:
• "In the Buddhist text of the Udanavarga, the student is urged: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
• "In the Muslim Hadith of al Nawawi, the prophet Mohammed teaches: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself."
• "In the T'ai Shang treatise of Taoism, the seeker is instructed: Regard your neighbor's gain as your gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss."
• "In the ancient wisdom of Shinto there is a saying: The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form."
• "The Oglala Lakota spiritual leader Black Elk wrote: All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves."

If the major world religions follow this, why can't the people that are very vocal about following the major religions (fundamentalist Christians and Muslims) also follow this principle?

Maybe I'm just naive.

Comfort Movies

We all have them, admit it.  Those movies that you can watch whenever they come on cable and never get tired of.  Children have them.  Most parents I've talked to tell stories of Disney movies they can't stand anymore because their child practically wore out the DVD watching it so much.

Why do I have comfort movies?  Sometimes with the social anxiety watching a movie that I haven't seen gives me a panic attack.  Why?  Because I can see the character getting into trouble, or about to get into an awkward (but ultimately hilarious) situation.

I decided that I need to break down and buy some of my favorite movies: Julie & Julia, Under the Tuscan Sun, The American President, and Eat Prey Love.

I watch them when I catch them on cable, or when they are playing on Netflix Instant Play!

I know, I'm weird.  But I have Julie & Julia on the TV, brownies in the oven (I need to find the Hungry Girl brownie cheats) and Laundry drying.  Life is good.

The end of my birthday week!

With birthdays come gifts and coupons and other free things!

To recap:  My birthday started on Tuesday of this week, when the Spousal Equivalent and the BFF presented me with a 1st Generation Nook!  I squeed.  I nearly cried!  My birthday proper hit on Thursday.  The department got me a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card, and ordered me a cover for my Nook!  I've spend nearly all of the gift card already.

That evening I made Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese, and cake.  Seriously, it was the best birthday ever!

(Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese:  I cut up some chicken tenders to go inside the grilled cheese, swapped out Mozzarella cheese for American, and slathered tomato sauce on the inside of the sammie.  Best ever!!)

This morning we struck out to go shopping.  My mom send me $25.  $25 of it when into my gas tank.  A necessity.  After the gas station, our first stop of Bath and Body Works.  I had a 20% off coupon, plus I found a gift card.  That netted me a $2 thing of lip gloss.  Then off to World Market.  If you haven't signed up for their rewards, do so.  On your birthday they give you a $10 gift certificate.  Between that and the last $10 from my mom, I got myself a very cute new work bag.

Now, to have some cake and curl up with a new book!

The same thing happens every couple of months.

We get a notice on the door that we owe money to the Apartment Complex.  Nine times out of ten it's an error on their part.  That tenth time was money that got lost, and we scrambled to make it up.

On December 2nd, I went into the Apartment office, sat down and asked the man that worked there to total up everything we owed, and I'd write him a check.  He got out my lease so he could write down how much my rent was.  He checked with the water/trash/sewer people's invoice to see how much we were charged.  He looked to see if we were renting a washer/dryer.  His total matched mine, which was what I expected.

So cue my frustration to the note on my door yesterday.  We seemed to owe $65.  I kicked things for a few minutes before marching over there.  I calmly explained that on the 2nd I sat down with someone on the staff and he looked everything up before giving me a total.  How could I owe more?

As I thought, it was a computer error.  Again.  We get a $40 discount on our rent.  It was a holdover from when we originally signed the lease.  The computer forgot that, then added on late fees.

We've had this issue ever since moving in.  It's so incredibly frustrating!

You say it's your birthday!!!

Well, today is my birthday!!

So far it's been a great day.  The department got me a $50 Barnes and Noble card to go with the 1st Generation nook that the Spousal Equivalent and the BFF got me!  (I love them!!!!!)

Work has been slow, which gave me plenty of time to get books on the new Nook.

And soon I'll head home, and see if I can buy eggs to make myself a cake.

It's my birthday.  I'm giving myself permission not to feel bad if I don't lose this week's pound.

In other news: I know, I'm trying to lose weight.  I know that losing a pound a week doesn't seem like much, especially since the Biggest Loser folks are going down 20 a week.  But for me, it's enough.  If I'm acting like I'm on a diet, I'll start looking for ice cream.  Instead I'm going to eat sensibly, exercise and strive to drop one pound a week.

Yeah, it'll take me a year to hit my goal.  It'll be next year's birthday present.

That, and new pants.

GleeCap: Hold Onto Sixteen

It's finally sectionals at Glee!

My thoughts, in bullets

• I'm glad that there were 12 members per team.
• The Unitards.... great solo, but that's all it was.
• I agree with New Directions win, based on ABC alone.  It was awesome!!
• I'm unsure about Quinn's change of heart, but since multiple people have verbally given her a smack with the "clue-by-four," it's been a long time coming.
• I'm glad that they only have 1 glee club now, but does that mean Shelby's out of a job?

Christmas next week!

You'd think I'd learn this by now...

... or, Another Case of the Mondays

This morning started with me oversleeping.  There's a mold problem in the bedroom (we're thinking that's leftover from last year's mold problem), and I'm highly allergic to mold.  So every night I drug myself up with Benedryl.  But if I wake up and have to take my inhaler, I'll be up for another hour or so.  That's why I was up from two to almost four this morning.

So on top of being late, I experimented with breakfast.  It failed, and left me without oatmeal.  No problem, I said to myself, I'll just have coffee and take my pills.

You'd think that after the five other times I tried this I would have learned.  If I take the fistful of morning pills (Omega-3, vitamin, allergy pill, birth control and a blood pressure pill) with just coffee it makes be nauseous.  This morning I was nauseous times 10 and actually was sick.  Making me late for work.

I need to learn from my mistakes!!

Sieves catch more than my memory at times!

Yesterday I had a heart to heart with my Spousal Equivalent.  My amazingly bad memory is at the heart of some small issues that keep cropping up.  Seriously.. I wish I had a better memory, but it's rather scary how bad it is.  The SE says I'm all RAM and no hard drive.  It's so true!  How is it that I know all the words to all the songs from every musical  was in.... but I can't remember what day of the week it is?

But in the good news department:  We went grocery shopping and kept it under $50.  Shopping lists are wonderful things!  I have dinners for a week, makings for Birthday cake and a new tree skirt.

Next up, decking our halls!

We all knew it was going to happen sometime..

The sun rose and a new day started.  Yes, I know that it happens every day, but after crying yourself to sleep it still seems like a great feat.

I broke the news to my family that I can't afford Christmas presents, and had to ask for my Christmas money in advance.  That hurt so very much.  I'll be seeing them for the holiday, so that will have to be my gift.  (Though, it hurts.. because I had JUST figured out what to get everyone too!)

I'm not going to be able to afford at $25 small tree, so we're going to dig the big tree out of storage.  It's true, I didn't need a new Christmas tree, because I have a mostly working one already.  It would have been nice.  And it would have saved us from having to re-arrange the living room.  It's ok.  We needed to clean anyways.

We'll make it through.  This weekend we'll make a shopping list, and take an inventory of what we already have.

I think all of this hit me so hard because it plays into my fear of losing my apartment and becoming homeless.

But now I move on.  Tomorrow is another day, and there is enough in my account to pay the rent now.

The cool new Christmas shirts I wanted will have to wait.

I have this love/hate relationship with December

So, my birthday is in a week.  Christmas is a few weeks after that.  What does that mean?  Money.  This time of year always is a huge money suck.

Things happen, and money gets tight.  What happens?  Well in order to make rent this month we had to cancel my birthday celebration, scrap plans to get the $25 Christmas tree and I'm unable to buy Christmas presents this year.

We're hoping to have enough money to get a cake.  I think we can swing it.

But for now, I'm going to go to bed.

51 Weeks Older

In exactly 1 week I'll be 37 years old.

This still seems very strange.  I did the college thing, got married, got a career.

Then in 2009 I lost the marriage and the career.  In essence I'm 25 again, just starting out in life.  I have a new career, and a new relationship.

I may not like the magnitude of the number, but I love my birthday.  It means Christmas is closer!  Unfortunately, with the exception of drinks out with a few friends, I have nothing planned.

Maybe I'll get myself a Christmas tree in honor of my birthday.....