It's All Good

Where do I begin? I spent a week in Arkansas doting on Emily and Reece and drinking coffee with my mom and had a fabulous time! I took lots of pics and have added some to Flickr, so take a look at how adorable my niece and nephew are. They were so much fun. Reece got an electric guitar from Santa and his Uncle Don gave him a couple of lessons. He's discovered Van Halen and thinks they're the best rockers ever. Emily got a digital camera and went around snapping photos of everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing those pics, Emily. She hobbled around on her broken ankle, but was allowed to remove the boot on Christmas day so she could look, like, totally cute, um totally, 'cause she's a teenager and wants to look cute at all time. (And she does, you know.)

Dave was sick through Christmas. He had a Man Cold. Need I say more? (Really, he's better and I love him. He's the best.) My brother, Don, got me this DVD for Christmas. If you haven't seen it, do!

I got lots of nice presents and I think everyone enjoyed all their gifts. We are blessed. Thanks goes to Dawn for stringing my pearls. Now I can look like a true southern lady, even if I'm not one. Southern, yes; lady, not so much.

Auntie Linda and Mom hosted the Nieces' Party and we had a blast. It was great seeing cousins Luann from Austin, and Lisa. They are hilarious and Emily was initiated into the Clan of Loudmouth Goddesses. I don't think I sat down the entire week; constantly on the go, trying to cram in a lot of visiting and shopping and dining. Oh, the food. I ate cheesecake every day and didn't care! That's what I call a holiday!

My only regret is that I didn't spend enough time with Grandmother Bera. She wasn't feeling well and didn't enjoy Christmas very much, bless her heart. We did manage to have lunch one day and a couple of short visits, but she really didn't feel up to much else. She's on the mend, however, and plans to celebrate her 100th birthday in a few years and I have no doubt she'll make it.

Roxy and Auntie Linda are coming up tomorrow to celebrate New Year's Eve with Abby and me. We're leaving the doggies at home while Auntie and I give the casino our money. I'll have a Doggie Surprise Pic for you later! (Hint: matching dresses.)

Now, I need to clean house, put up my new book shelves, and go grocery shopping. Gotta get a bottle of cheap champagne!

I'm Off!

I'm so excited! As soon as I finish this post, drink another cup of coffee, get dressed, load the car, and put Abby in the front seat, I'm off on my 5.5-hr. drive to Arkansas to see my babies! Reece is spending the night with me tonight at Mom's and my brother, Don, is coming over and we're going to have pizza and watch a movie. Tomorrow night, Auntie Linda and my mom are hosting a "Nieces Party" at Auntie L's. My wonderful girl cousins are coming, and I'm bringing Emily because she'll get a kick out of seeing all of us together. My cousins are all smartmouths, and extremely funny and we are going to have fabulous hors d'ouvres and wine and will giggle for hours.

Last night, my brother, Don, called and texted me about twenty times. He was out doing his Christmas shopping and wanted his older sister's advice, which I'm always happy to provide, even when I'm not asked. Don's one of the best gift-givers I've ever known. He just has that knack of knowing what one likes and he always delivers. Last night he was a bit confused on what to buy Emily, and he kept asking me, "What about a ___?" Or, "do you think she'd like it in _____(color)?" etc. Emily, you don't really think I'd post everything he said, do you? hee hee!

I'm also taking Abby to her former groomer while we're away. I haven't found anyone here who does as good a job on her as Debbie in Arkansas. I, too, am going to get groomed next week by my favorite hair stylist, Marka! I can't wait to see her and get a good haircut. My once-short hair is now down to my shoulders and it looks nasty, so I'm hoping Marka can make me look good.

So, Happy Holidays to you all! I'm taking lots of pics over the week and I'll try to post some next week, if I can stop hugging on Emily and Reece long enough to do so.

Love you all!

Just One More Day and I'm On Holiday!

So. I didn't go to Wal-Mart to return my iron last night. I did go to Weight Watchers and I lost another two pounds, which put me at -40lbs. (Yeah, I'd gained one last week, after bragging about the -39lbs. Serves me right for boasting.) I'm tickled to death that I'm not gaining weight during Christmas. Of course, I haven't made it to Arkansas yet, a.k.a. The Place Where They Live to Eat, Y'all. And, I plan to drink lots of wine and eat pizza and cheese dip, but I'm going to enjoy it all in moderation. I recently learned what "moderation" means, and it's not that bad a word or a concept. I just had to change. Which is so difficult, you know?

Where was I? Oh, right, back to Wal-Mart. I psyched myself up to go return that stupid iron tonight and it only took five minutes, and then I bought another one and just as I was walking to the express checkout line, you know, the one with fiftyhundredthousand people waiting in the queue, a new register opened! And I got to check out first. No one even tried to get in front of me. Came home, and I've been burning CDs all night instead of cleaning house, but I don't care. It's Christmas break.

My twin sister (I wish) posted the greatest "Thursday Thirteen" today. Go take a look and you'll probably agree with most, if not all, of her entries.

The One in Which I Get On Your Nerves

I keep hearing people say the holidays are so stressful and they wish they’d just be over so things can get back to normal. What’s so great about normal? I’m getting to take off work for a week and a half, and spend a lot of that time with my family. I’ve already warned Reece that I’m going to kiss his cheeks raw. And poor Emily will be sick of me by the time I leave Arkansas! Mom and I will drink two pots of coffee every morning and Grandmother Bera has promised to tell me more family secrets. I can’t think of a better way to spend the holiday! And then, Auntie Linda’s coming up to spend New Year’s Eve (casino) and New Year’s Day (Cotton Bowl) with me. I love the holidays! One reason people complain about this time of year is because they commit to too much: too many parties, too much baking, too much eating, and TOO MUCH SPENDING. They bring that all on themselves. I started a Cash Christmas Policy for myself several years ago and it works very well. The secret is to start putting away some cash beginning in January. By November I have enough socked away to buy all my Christmas gifts. And, if I don’t have the funds to buy everything I want for Christmas, then I don’t. I think it’s ridiculous to go into debt over gift giving and would feel absolutely terrible if someone did that to buy me a gift. I also don’t let the season’s true meaning escape my mind for too long. Yeah, I’m loud and outspoken and say a curse word now and then (okay, all the time) and rarely go to church, but I’m still a Believer and haven’t forgotten what Christmas is all about. No, it’s not the huge sale at Macy’s on December 26.

I could go on with my piousness, but I'll stop.

I've got to go to Wal-Mart tonight and return an iron I bought over the weekend. A couple of weeks ago, I dropped my old iron and the bottom fell off. I then ordered a new one on target.com and it leaked water all over my clothes. Of course, I'd thrown away the box so I couldn't return it. I bought the next one at Wal-Mart last weekend and it doesn't work. It barely warms up. I plugged it in a couple of different outlets to make sure it wasn't my electrical outlet instead of the iron and it doesn't work. It lights up like it's on, but then doesn't get hot. I hate returning things, but I do have the box and the receipt, unlike the time I had to return three cordless phones before I could get one to actually work. I'd lost the first receipt and by the time I'd returned the third one, they were taking mugshots of me and asking me for my fingerprints. I felt like a criminal and got all bitchy with them and told them that if they'd quit selling inferior products I'd quit returning them. That went over well.

THIS MOVIE is wonderful! Add it to your Must See list if you've not seen it.

Good Morning

I got up early to do my laundry this morning and more of this white powdery stuff greeted me on my nose when I walked outside with Abby. I'm starting to like it. I'd planned to meet my friend, Dawn, at our favorite tea house this afternoon, and Sandy invited me over for dinner, but she lives out in the country and I'm not going to try to drive out there today, so I'm snowed in with all my books and movies and Abby. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

It's Thursday

I've gotten a few e-mails and a couple of comments about those kind of people (see previous post) and I thought I'd comment further. I was stupid to even acknowledge the e-mail from my annoying acquaintance. I've tried to ignore people like this before, and usually I can manage to get rid of them, so I don't know why I replied to her e-mail. I guess she caught me in a weak moment. I'll be sure to post some of the letter or card she sends so we can all make fun of her and be bitches together!

Just one week until I get to go to Arkansas and see my precious babies. That's all I can think about right now. That and making an eggnog cheesecake. Our custodian at work told me about it and his wife sent me the recipe today. I'm salivating already.

Speaking of salivating, this is my new screen saver:



You're welcome!

Just When You Thought I Couldn't Possibly Post Another Entry So Soon...

Since I have almost six weeks off until the beginning of the spring semester, I set a few goals and I started working on one of them last night. It is my absolute resolution to get all my photos in order and placed in labeled photo boxes. I'd love to get them in scrapbooks, but that's hoping for the impossible. While I was sorting through the mountain of pictures last night, I found a few from my wedding reception, in 1990, and some from a time in the mid-80's when I was a bridesmaid in my college roommate's wedding in New Orleans. Then, I found some darling photos of Emily at age four and Reece at about five months. He was so little he couldn't sit up on his own and he was leaning on Emily. Oh! My heart just melted and I become so overcome with emotion I had to stop the sorting. Maybe tonight I can get back to the project and try to be a little objective about the whole thing. Of course, PMS is raging pretty bloody hard, so I'll probably bawl tonight, too.

I got an e-mail from someone yesterday whom I haven't seen in over three years. She wanted my address to send me another sickening Christmas update on how fabulous her life is and I was stupid enough to give her my address. She's a terribly annoying person and wrote a ten-paragraph e-mail telling me all about her wonderful pregnancy, perfect husband, blah, blah, blah. (And she truly has never cared how many people she's had to plow over to get what she wanted.) And, she never asked me one thing about my life. She didn't even comment on the fact that I was living in another state, or what I was doing or, well, you get the point. She's a tiny bit self-absorbed. I tend to get wrapped up with this type of person quite often, and I always hope that I can get away from them for good, but then they'll pop up out of nowhere and aggravate the piss out of me. So, another project: spam these people whenever they rear their ugly heads.

I need some cheese to go with my whine, now.

Monday Update

Well. I slid all over the place this morning before I got on the main highway to go to work. It's treacherous out there and we're expecting more ice tonight. This southerner is now a Yankee, according to my brother, Dave.

Speaking of Dave, I talked with him this afternoon and I asked him how Reece's basketball team has been doing, and he said, "You mean the Lovable Losers? They haven't won a game." He said it was hilarious trying to coach a bunch of ten-year-old boys who have the attention span of a dead gnat. He said they thought they were actually going to win one game, but one of Reece's teammates made a basket, except it was in the opposing team's basket. Then, Reece caught the rebound and promptly gave the other team another basket. Wish I'd been there to see that.

Emily sprained her ankle last week and it's been hurting a lot, so she went to the doctor today and she actually has a broken ankle. Yeah, bless her heart. The doctor didn't put a cast on, however; she's only wearing a boot, but it's one of those huge, plastic things that a 13-year-old diva thinks will interfere with her serious mall shopping. Plus, it's just plain ugly. Again, bless her heart.

If you want to watch a really good movie try THIS ONE. It's a bit slow-going at first, but it is a wonderful story and has a European feel to it.

Time to put a Boca Burger in the microwave. Evenin'!

ICE

Do you see the ice? We had a couple of inches of snow last week, which is still on the ground, then we had an ice storm yesterday that drizzled on us for about 12 hours, so now everything is frozen solid. So glad I can stay in today.




The walkway is solid ice! But, fortunately, I got a covered parking space last month, so my car is all snug and protected this year.

On a Cold Winter's Day

I finished all my assignments early and now I can relax and enjoy the holidays! It's such a relief. Stopped by the library on the way home last night and got THIS BOOK, and THIS ONE, and also THIS ONE. Don't they look like good, easy, fun reading that have nothing to do with Library Theory? I'm curled up with my favorite blanket and favorite dog, there's two inches of snow on the ground, and I did my grocery shopping last night. That all translates to: I'm staying in all weekend and reading. Also have a few movies to watch, too. And I need to wrap Christmas gifts. I can't think of a better way to spend a cold weekend.

We had our work holiday party yesterday and we ate good food and then played Dirty Santa. I was Santa. I sort of took over as Work Hostess last year for the holiday party and resumed the role this year. It was actually fun and work parties are usually not that fun. We had some good gifts and everyone seemed to have a good time. I have no significant complaints about work. For the first time in my life, I think. If I thought I was stuck doing my job for the rest of my life, I'd be whining, but I know it's temporary, at least until I finish school, so I can deal with anything unpleasant knowing that. And, I like all my coworkers. They're a good bunch of creative, intelligent people.

I think I mentioned, a time or two, that I have been going to Weight Watchers. I joined the week before Labor Day, in September, and have lost 39 lbs. I want to be at sans 40 lbs. by Christmas and I think I'll make it! This is the longest I've stayed with a healthy eating program in forever and I feel great. Still fat, I know, because I'd really let myself go in the last few years, but I think I actually have a handle on it now. Talking about it helps keep me honest, too. I'm not perfect, and I do slip up occasionally, but for some reason I'm able to get back on track whenever I do slip, and in the past I wasn't able to do that. I attribute it ALL to attitude; I'm staying positive and not letting depression or stress get a grip on me. Wow, sounds like I'm somewhat normal. Must be this cold weather.

Enough of the boasting. Didn't really plan to do that, but I am proud of myself for the first time in a long time, and I see nothing wrong with having a little pride in oneself. Now I need to go grease the door frame so that I can get my huge head out the door and take Abby for a walk.

Stay warm!