Five More Days till Christmas

Whoa! It's nearly here and I'm too glad about it. Ugh! The crowds have become stadium worthy at the malls and I haven't gone anywhere besides home, work and the gas station in days. It's snowing again today (and it snowed a bit yesterday), and their predicting four to six inches on the valley floor. Please, let me make it home first before that happens. I'd much rather be watching it come down from my window seat than driving around in it.

The basement is done? Yes and no. All the priming, painting, drilling, grouting, caulking and assembling is done. Decorating? That's next and I'm actually happy about that part. The posters I've ordered over the past few months are nearly all framed and only need to be placed in varying areas of the room. I think that will be my responsibility, but something tells me hubby will step in and want to decorate too. It's fine, but I think this area should be mine. He decorated the sitting room (and rather well, yes) but I should be in charge of the super heroes. No doubt about that!

I ate out for lunch today and it's the first time in weeks. It was so good; beef tamale with refried beans and rice, along with a Mexican soup. Yum! I forgot my own lunch today and so had to find an alternative by going to one of the restaurants in our complex. I'm terribly full now and I don't know if I'll do dinner tonight. It's true what they say about your stomach shrinking when you loose weight. There was once a time when all that would have only dusted the bottom of my stomach.

I have a list of movies to rent tonight for the babe (well, me and the babe mostly). Most are holiday flicks that either she hasn't seen or would like to see. I hope I can find them all at one place, but I have a feeling I'll have to visit both Hollywood and Block.buster tonight:

• Hairspray (2007)
• Babes in Toyland (Disney version)
• A Muppet Christmas Carol
• The Nutcracker ("Misha's" version)
• Little Women (Liz Taylor version)

We'll also watch these over the break. Thankfully, they're titles we own:

• Scrooged
• White Christmas
• A Christmas Story
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Die Hard (takes place at Christmas time)
• Lethal Weapon (also takes place at Christmas time)
• Home Alone
• Total Recall (This was released on video at Christmas time, so I watch it around Christmas time every year. I know. I'm weird.)

First Snow Pics (Saturday, December 1, 2007)

They're a bit late, but they're here!

A Needed, Quiet Day

So far, this has been the better of days this week. Monday and Tuesday were somewhat stressful and I was beginning to think I needed bad-driver-frustration intervention. I'm coming to grips with the fact that the idiots are out there and they're not going anywhere. I should just do my best to get to and from my destinations safely...without directing my energy towards the morons and thus taking my attention away from the road.

I'm listening to a mixture of Christmas tunes and jazz, helping to smooth out my mood. I have to remember the calming effects of music and use them to my advantage. So much good can come out of listening to the right song or lyrics.

My coworker "J" has gone home sick. She was sounding a bit like a frog and there are others around me with similar symptoms. I appreciate her leaving and not spreading the "love" to the rest of us. I hope that she takes my advice and drinks a lovely hot toddy to soothe her throat (too bad I can't have one right now).

More painting and cleaning last night in the basement. The paint started to turn really thick...it looked a lot like glue, so hubby stopped and asked me to pick up some more on my way home. I hope that Wally World isn't as scary as it was Monday night. I may need a sedative...or a hot toddy. (wink, wink)

Still Spending Money

And why am I still spending money? Because I haven't really gotten anything for my hubby. It occurred to me that I spent a small fortune on movies for him, but nothing else (besides the gift certificate at the spa). Well, normally, I'd say, "That's all. He doesn't need anything else." But, the truth of the matter is, he is one of those that gives through out the year. In fact, I get nominal things at Christmas time because he's so good about doing what we should be doing all year long. I always feel like I have to make sure I take care of him at Christmas because I'm so bad about the "giving throughout the year".

So, I found a few things; a couple of great print T-shirts that he can wear to the gym (he's gained a size, so all his larges no longer fit), some great manly smelling stuff from Bath and Body works, a couple of awesome posters (which I need to frame before the big day) and his favorite movie. Oddly, we didn't have it on DVD already. Now, he will. There are three more things coming that I ordered for him and he should be set. Then, by goodness, I'll be done. Seriously. I can't spend anymore money. I really can't. This is the first Christmas I've not used a credit card (Amen to that!) so, I've had to make sure I'm spending within my means. I haven't been, and I don't want to pay the costs (as it were) next month.

The weekend was nice. We got dumped with about four to six inches of snow on Saturday. I shoveled from 7:30 to 8:30, then realized that a thin veneer had fallen again. Thankfully, by late afternoon, that thin veneer had melted and the streets were clear. Our yard was lovely and white, but I didn't take pictures. Ugh! I gotta remember to do that!

We worked on the basement a bit more and have our schedule outlined for the week. My eldest went downstairs and nearly lost it when she saw the couch all put together and arranged with the new t.v. and sound system. She's so excited...and so are we.

A 300 Pound Man on My Back

Well, not really, but it sure feels that way. The Motrin and I are going to be good friends today. I am certainly reaping what I sowed; pounds and pounds of salt will always make TOM completely unbearable! Why do I cave into those cravings? I've been inhaling salt for two weeks and look at where it's gotten me? Laying in bed wishing I knew where the heating pad was. It's typical of me but I certainly know better. Last month, I managed to exert some self-control and boy did it make a difference. I gotta remember to do better next month. Oh, the agony! Boys don't know how good they've got it.

In other news, my daughter announced to me and the neighbor yesterday that she doesn't like to read. My heart sank. I loved reading (still do, when there's time) and I told her how it kind of hurt my feelings. Well, my extra-super-sensitive kid didn't want to hurt mommy's feelings, so she went to her room in tears. Oh, geeze. So, I explained that books are wonderful and creative. They allow us to use our imagination. She said that she only meant she doesn't like to read hard books. I told her that most things are a bit difficult, at first. Then, you learn how to do them and it's no problem. I reminded her about her Dick and Jane books.

She said, "But those are easy, mom."

"Yes, but they weren't always. There was a time when you couldn't read a single word in one of those books. Remember Kindergarten? Now, you could read those in under a couple of minutes. You're reading chapter books, for heaven's sake!"

She smiled. I hope she understood. She said she didn't mean to hurt my feelings and I told her that sometimes, mommy's get they're feelings hurt; however, I was more concerned about her enjoying to read than my feelings. I really want her to enjoy reading and get the most of out it. I guess I would feel worse if she weren't a very good reader. The fact is, she does a pretty bang-up job (nearly at a fourth-grade level). I plan to do a lot of it with her over the Christmas break. I hope I can change her mind.

Indy has become a clean house's nightmare! This little girl gets into so much stuff, I can barely keep up with her! When the babe was a toddler, she was content to play with her toys in pretty much one place. Oh, she'd spread out a bit but was mainly happy to stay put in one room. Indy will drag stuff everywhere. She also loves shoes, so sometimes we'll find her sister's shoes, my shoes, her daddy's shoes or her own, scattered about the house. This kid loves oven mitts, too. (oven mitts?!) I have to wash them every week. On top of that, she climbs onto everything and we've seen her take more than one fall where our hearts have stopped for a second. We clean and tidy, but it's really no use. We push chairs and stools in for safety and she pulls them out again. I guess I'll have a danger-ridden, pig-sty for a little while.

"Paint da Fence, Sand da Floor"

With all the work we're putting into the basement, I keep hoping that it's going to manifest itself with me becoming a master, Kung-Fu artist! Remember those lines above from Karate Kid? Remember how surprised you were to find that he was, indeed, learning the necessary skills to kick some serious bully butt? Well, my shoulders, back, wrists, knees all should be the ultimate weapons by now. The trim has been completely painted and now awaits minimal clean-up. We have some wood treating to do, doors to paint and rooms to organize, but we're nearly there!

Monday, of course, I assembled the t.v. stand; however Tuesday evening, I put together our new sound system (seen here). I need to get the technical writer for the Sauder furniture and the technical writer for our Sony system together because the Sony guy is an idiot!

At the beginning of the instructions, you're told to connect the wires to the speakers. There are six total: two front speakers, two surround sound speakers, the bass speaker and the center speaker. I intuitively figured that the color coded tape used to enclose the speakers (and by this, I mean the speakers were wrapped in plastic and the plastic was held together by this tape) was the indicator for which wire to use in which speaker. Good thing I figured it out because two pages and many steps later, the writer decided to enlighten the frustrated reader to this ingenious fact. Moron! There were other special moments from the writer, but I won't go into all those.

Hubby later told me that he checked the Internet to see if people who'd purchased the same system had any gripes. Every time I'd say, "What the hell?" He was like, "Yep! The reviewers all said assembly was a joke...but other then that, the system was great." I have to agree. It took about two hours to get everything together with the goofy instructions I had, but I finally got it. We gave it a test run and all I can say is...whoa. Our basement is essentially going to be an in-home movie theater. The new t.v. and system together? They rock!!

I was a little disconcerted when hubby said, "We should have everything done by New Year." New Year? What?! I can't watch White Christmas, Scrooged and A Christmas Story on the kick-ass t.v.? What gives? Then, I said, "You don't think we'll be done by Christmas?" Then he was like, "Well, we could. We'll just have to make sure we do something every night." And that is how it has been. Tonight, we begin clean-up of the paint that magically dripped on the floor. I will also spend time breaking down all the cardboard boxes and getting them out of the house so that we'll have more room to work. Those dang boxes take up too much space! It's going to be a busy next few days but maybe, just maybe, we'll get to enjoy the fruits of our labor and win the Karate championship (so to speak).

An Evening for a Wife

Sometimes my hubby leaves me absolutely speechless. Many moons ago (Mother's Day), hubby purchased a gift certificate for me to use at my favorite spa. That was a very difficult period of the year so, I wasn't inclined to use it right then. I guess I was feeling so bad about things I didn't feel that I deserved to feel better. So, it sat in my night-stand drawer.

Recently, I came upon it again and discovered that it had an expiration date (December 12th of this year, to be exact). I talked with hubby about when to use it and when he could watch the kiddlings without loosing his mind completely. Yesterday was the chosen day and boy was I thrilled. The afternoon began with me arriving to a newly, sparkling clean household. The smell of fresh pine wafted around the garage as I gathered my belongings to take into the house. My eldest and her friend were quietly watching a movie and I was greeted by my hubby with a smile. I changed Indy's diaper and had a quick snack before heading over to the spa.

The first of my treatments consisted of a foot soak and a shoulder pack, while I read the latest ad-filled magazine (I noticed very few articles but loads of fabulous clothes and jewelry that I'll probably never get to wear). My attendant presented me with hot cocoa and a chocolate covered candy-cane stirrer as a treat while I waited. Thirty minutes later, I was led back to the massage room where I was presented a choice of body butters. Yum! What a wonderful invention! My choice? Gingerbread. And, after 80 minutes of mind-blowing bliss, I walked out of that room smelling like a fresh-baked cookie.

I met the attendant at the counter to arrange for tip, then purchased a gift certificate for my hubby at the same time. I hope he enjoys his treat as much as I did. (I thought I was done with Christmas shopping? Why am I still buying stuff?)

A Busy, Busy Weekend

Friday evening, I thought I might rest and hang out with the family for a few hours. Dinner would be served and I would enjoy conversation with my hubby and children about the day's events. Oh, not to be! Instead, we ate dinner at the speed of light and then I rushed my oldest to a birthday party. I was hoping that pounds of snow they were predicting wouldn't arrive until after and I was fortunate. I picked the babe up (who was happy, but exhausted after the evening's event - skate party) and scoured the city for Honey Buns for my hubby. He was craving them and, truth be told, they're his passion. Everywhere we went, we couldn't find any. Oh, we found Starcrunch, Pecan Spinwheels, Triple Fudge Brownies, Nutty Bars, Zebra cakes, Devil Squares and a host of other Little Debbie treats, but no Honey Buns. I knew I would surely be able to find them at Wal-Mart but I just can't bring myself to shop there on weekends during the holidays. That place becomes more than a zoo. It's a dang jungle!

I came home empty handed, but he wasn't disappointed. He was just glad we arrived home safely, as the snow was just beginning to fall upon our arrival. It would have been nice to drift off to sleep and wake up leisurely the next morning, but no way. This family had plans.

So we awakened around 5:30 (an entire hour later than I usually get up) and got the kids up and ready for the day. It was time for both cars to have a tune-up and oil change. When I went to let the dog out back for his morning walk, I was greeted with several inches of white fluff on the deck. It was beautiful and a perfect entrance for the month of December; however, I was not prepared for how cold it was nor was I prepared for the mess the roads were in. We pretty-well crawled to the Goodyear location at 25 mph and what normally takes ten minutes, took nearly a half hour. Hubby's car was first. Three hours later, the work was done and we were heavy with purchases from various stores. My car was next and three additional hours later, we were back at Goodyear, even heavier with packages. I think we've gone above and beyond with our Christmas shopping (I thought we were done?).

Sunday, we went to church then ended up at the Ashley Furniture store making a purchase on a new couch, love seat and recliner. They will be beautiful in our home! I'm excited because we haven't purchased new seating furniture in years. It was desperately needed since our couch literally has white, fluffy stuffing being birthed from the cushions. Not good. The kids watched movies as we tidied up the house, then downstairs we went; hubby to paint and me to assemble the new t.v. stand for our projection t.v.

Two and a half hours later, the stand was completed (and not too shabby, if I do say so myself). We ate dinner and hurried to bed. I'm hoping that this weekend I'll actually have some down time. I'm not a fan of the rushing around to do everything under the sun on my only two days off. Sometimes, though, that's exactly what you have to do in order to get anything done. I hate to say it but I wasn't at my nicest this weekend. TOM is on the way and I was more than a bit short-tempered with hubby and the kiddlings. I had to apologize more than once to everybody for being a total witch at times. Hubby was very patient. I think he's learning to read the signs.

Can I Go Back to Bed, Please?

Tuesday evening, our happy little state got dumped with several inches of snow. Various amounts across the valley, but snow nonetheless. I drove home in wicked traffic, but still managed to get to my house within 20 minutes of my normal time. I was truly amazed! The moisture is just what we need and the snow helped to put a lot of people in the Christmas mood. Unfortunately, our temps have been unusually low in the evenings so the snow on the roads became black ice. Nice. Doughnuts anyone? The commute Wednesday morning had me creeping along perhaps twenty yards in fifteen minutes. I turned around and high-tailed it home. No way was I going to drive two hours into work, only to work two or three hours and turn right back around. I figure I got more done at home anyway.

Last night, I made Lasagna which I've never done before! I turned out really good and I didn't even follow the recipe completely. It called for about six layers, but I could only get two good ones in my casserole dish. I used ground turkey instead of beef and half the Parmesan it called for. I will definitely do it again. The girls loved it! Indy did not have any Dairy Ease all day, so had a fit-full sleep of probably the world's gaseous tummy. It didn't occur to me that this was the issue until almost 11:00 last night. She woke up again around 2:30 this morning. I feel like a zombie! No specialty coffee for me this morning, though. I have a lunch date with a friend and want to my indulging there. Thai food is worth the indulgence. I can't wait!

Hubby in I are somewhat in the thick of it, too. We've been doing well, then when the babe came home last night from dance, she was very upset. She enjoyed class but felt bad about not having enough time with her daddy. I can appreciate that. It's the same battle I fight all the time. Her argument to me, though was that I can stay up latter and talk to daddy. I tried to tell her that we go to bed and I don't have as much time as she thinks, but she wasn't hearing it. She and her dad talked about ways to get more time in.

Now, here's my thing, it took one discussion between those two to figure out a "more time" schedule but when I tried this, we ended up in therapy. Does one have to be related to the man by blood to get that kind of attention? Am I just jealous of my seven-year old? Hubby knew I was mulling over something this morning and I didn't want to talk to him because I kept thinking, "He's going to think I'm insane! Jealous of or daughter?" I don't feel like I'm jealous, but I think that's how it will appear. Or, maybe I am? Who, knows. I just know it has me all in a tizzy and that's not good for someone who's working on around 5 hours of sleep. You'd think I would have gotten some rest yesterday, being at home. It's a total misconception. You work much harder at home than you do in an office. I'm convinced. Because of this, I needed additional sleep last night. Oh, well. Maybe I'll get to nap this weekend. One can hope!

Thanksgiving Post Mortum 2007

Thanksgiving was lovely and my friends seemed to enjoy themselves at my mother's. She later said to me that she was happy to have them over, but thought them a bit dull. Well, they are, but they're sweet. You can be dull and sweet, right? I guess that's what you have to expect from a computer-geek and a former librarian. My daughters were happy to get all their favorite foods and the dogs got all sorts of scraps. Going back to work was a challenge and I've just gotten to a point where I'm not loosing my mind over the amount of work there was. I've caught up for the most part and am wondering if the same will be true after the Christmas vacation I plan to take.

The tree is up and it's stunning. The new tree makes our old one look so frail. It's very full and life-like (not pre-lit). We've been watching the holiday movies in full force. Hubby is even getting into the spirit. He hasn't climbed up on the roof, yet but he may set up a "winter wonderland" in our yard. We'll see.

We spent a lot of the time off working on our Martha Stewart project for the neighbor's gifts this year; homemade snowflakes. They're really pretty, but they take a lot of time. We also had to time it during Indy's nap time or risk her choking on the thousands of beads laying on the coffee table. They have kits at the craft stores (I didn't know this) and hubby picked one up for the babe to work on by herself. Everything was included and the wires were soldered together for her. When I attempted to solder, it smoked a bit but then the iron just conked out. We ended up wrapping thinner wire around the middle portion of the snowflakes we created outside of the kit she had. (I guess it's back to Home Depot...you get what you pay for. Don't spend $12.00 on a soldering iron and expect it to work.)

Finally, I've been ravenous as of late and so has hubby. I sort of lost control on the Halloween candy yesterday, but made up for it by working out fifteen additional minutes this morning. Hubby thinks we're subconsciously trying to pad for the winter. Um, there will be no padding this year. I'm in my skinny jeans...can't loose that. I've worked too hard.

Are There Fairies? Pixies? Mythical Creatures?

This is the question The Spiderwick Chronicles answers in it's four-book series. My eldest and I have been reading these for the past few weeks and were delighted to discover that a movie has been made! It is due to release in theaters February of 2008. In the meantime, I think the babe will probably peruse these books over and over again until the movie is released. She seems utterly enchanted...even more so than with the Harry Potter series.

So, the question above; do you believe in things unseen...perhaps even magical things? I'm not sure I even know the answer to the second part. The first part is a resounding yes. I believe in faith, hope and love...those are things I know exist but I cannot see them. Only their results. I am also Christian, so I believe in a higher power that I cannot see. Mythical creatures and such? Who knows. I don't rule anything out because I think the world has yet to be truly discovered. We know a lot, but we're still learning. It's always crazy to me when my hubby or I read about some animal discovered that they thought was made extinct thousands of years ago. Who's to say they won't someday discover something that no scientist could have ever predicted?

There must be many of us who are either intrigued by the world of myth or believe it may actually exist. Our culture is bursting with it and it seems to be making its way into our mainstream. I can't tell you how many fairy/pixie/dwarf tattoos I've seen in the last few years. Fairies litter the department stores in clothing and jewelry. There was many a fairy to be seen this Halloween, too. Even Tinkerbell has made a resurgence...and her role wasn't even that big in Peter Pan.

Finally, I'm more excited by the fact that my daughter finally sees the wonderment of books. Oh, she's always enjoyed reading but, yesterday I saw her too eager to finish where we'd left off. Most times, she's more interested in finishing up the movie she started. Perhaps her imagination has "turned on" with books and she's seeing the scenes and images in her mind. I hope that's what has happened. I'd much rather have her bury her nose in a book where she's being creative then attempt to blind herself in front of the television, where the creating is done for her.

You Gotta See it to Believe it!

My first blog was created to chronicle my quest to a better body. I began that quest and did quite well, then I got pregnant and decided to do my chronicling here. I didn't pick up my posts on my previous blog until January of this year, in my attempts to lose said baby weight. It was a rough start. Illness after illness, problem after problem. I just couldn't get a handle on it. For the last couple of months, I've really put my focus in. I even signed up on the Daily Plate and began tracking my food and exercise there, just so I wouldn't have to do it on one my dumb spreadsheets. Well, the proof is in the pudding (or lack thereof in my case). I'm down 25 pounds and have nearly hit the ultimate goal I set for myself: to return to my pre-pregnancy weight and size.

I will be changing that goal very soon and it has me a little anxious. Where will this new goal lead? Will I get there? Will my hubby kill me in the process? (he's designing a plan for me and I haven't seen it yet. I have a feeling that there will be lots of yelling and tears on my end). My visual goal is to get down as far as I can, in order to compete for a figure competition. That means my weight training program is about to kick into overdrive and I'm sort of excited by the idea. My arms and legs are already looking better than they did before the baby, and I was training then. I don't know what's different. My attitude is good, but it was good then too. I'm older, so that's definitely not a benefit. My eating is a little different, so perhaps that's it. Oh, and that part of it will change when I start preparing for the competition itself. The menu isn't the most appetizing in the world, but it serves it's purpose. I'll probably feel like all I do is eat once it begins.

The competition is a goal and certainly not something that I'm cornering myself into doing. If I get there, I get there and that's great! If I don't, then what have I lost? Absolutely nothing...but I would have gained a super hot body on the way. I feel really good and the prospect of feeling better astounds me. I'm also loving the bonuses like tight arms and very little jiggle in the thighs. Nice.

If you decided to peruse the other site, my weight may surprise you. The number seems quite high for someone of my height, and it is; however, I carry a huge amount of muscle mass. I have since I was a child and my own children do as well (my seven year-old is skinny at forty pounds, but ripped...she should be competing!). I've carried my weight well but I haven't made that an excuse. I am quick to get it off when it begins to cause me problems with my health or, heaven forbid, prevent me from wearing my favorite clothes.

I'm looking forward to wherever this new road leads me. So far, it's been a good ride.

Return to the Land of the Living

So it was Thursday afternoon that I felt my throat begin to close up a bit. I just thought it might be one of the three off-kilter things I'd had to eat that day. Perhaps my body wasn't ready for those peanuts. The day continued into evening and after some bad news between neighbors, I really started to feel kinda crummy. Into the night...up and down then down and up. Finally, I went for the Braun thermometer and within a few seconds was displayed a whopping 102. What in the world is going on? I was achy and felt like crap on a stick. I called my coworker and told him that I wasn't coming in, but that I wasn't abandoning him either. I would be online as much as I could, through drug-induced naps. My message left? Somewhere in the 1 am hour or so. I was delirious.

I worked, I slept. I worked, I slept. The following day? My hubby moved a new entertainment center in with a neighbor and friend. Then, he moved in some very large workout equipment. I drank apple juice, nibbled on crackers. Food was not a friend to my horribly sore throat. My tummy got crampy and I figured it was made about not getting the food it normally gets. Nope. TOM decided to make an appearance. Doesn't get much better than that.

Sunday, I went into the extended hour care center and discovered that doctor's still go on instinct. My gut was telling me strep. So was the doctor's, despite the negative strip test. "I'm going to get it cultured to be absolutely certain. In the meantime, I'm putting you on amoxicillin." Can we say horse pills boys and girls? Holy moly! My throat ran away in retreat when I put that pill to my lips. One half hour later, I started to feel more like me. I decided right then and there that I had strep.

That's twice in one year, folks. What the heck? Not cool. Not cool at all. I'm getting so healthy. What's the deal? Germs don't care if you're in super-duper health, apparently. They only want to invade a body...any body. Well, that's alright. I got my super, mongo antibiotics. I got my water in the 2.3 liter jug. I got my soup and I got my sanity. I'll get through this!

Pre-Lit or Bust!

I'm not sure when it happened, but we no longer have a choice with artificial Christmas trees. Last year, hubby and I decided to "retire" our 10 year-old tree and invest in a new one. We've been on the hunt for a couple of weeks, now and it seems that you can get pre-lit with clear lights or pre-lit with colored lights. Those are your choices...well, aside from buying a live tree. Believe me, I love live trees. I would get one every year if I could; however, because of the animals and children in my house, it's much more practical to have an artificial. I also am a firm believer that the holidays officially begin on Black Friday. Even though I'm not driving around in that madness, I believe it is the day the tree should be erected along with any and all decorations for the home. Call me sentimental and pushy.

There are a few (very few) places that still carry "unlit" trees and they are branded as such. I say branded because they are categorized as if they are the "Spawn of Satan" trees that nobody wants. They're not marketed well on the sites and they're usually frail and skimpy looking (Think of A Charlie Brown Christmas. These trees will need love and then some to look decent enough to display in your home). I really don't want to give in the fad. I didn't give in when all those god-awful fiber optic trees were everywhere, either (do they still make those?). Nothing against fiber optics. I just think a tree should look like a tree in as much as an artificial tree can look real, without looking like it belongs on the Vegas strip.

I did find one site, Balsam Hill, that sells the most beautiful, artificial trees I've ever seen! They even have my coveted unlit trees and they don't make them out to be the red-headed step children of the site. Unfortunately, I think I'd have to live on the "East" side to afford a tree like the ones displayed here. Even the sale trees are mortgage worthy!

I'll keep scouring the city for an unlit tree that doesn't resemble a twig and doesn't have a million lights already soldered on, but I'm beginning to loose hope. If we cave, we'll cave for a tree with clear lights...then maybe retire that one when unlit trees become fashionable again.

It's November Already?

I just checked the date of my last post. Where have I been?! Oh, yeah. Working like a dog, that's it. I'm starting to feel the pinch of my coworker being on leave. People tend to gear up for school just before the holidays, then they disappear almost entirely until the new year. Let the gear up begin! Phew! They're making me nuts over here. My coworker can't get back fast enough. Although, it's been pleasantly "happy" around here, since she left. Don't get me wrong, I totally empathize with the stress that she's dealing with (medicaid is backwards, nursing home snafus and a mother who barely knows she's there) but her negativity could sometimes bring down the entire floor. I hope that this time away has given her a better perspective and has allowed her to make peace with her mother and herself.

Halloween was a blast! We had such fun at work and I got so many compliments. One lady was like, "I can't believe how much weight you've lost!" For real? I'm still not in the bracket I'm aiming for, yet. I guess the weight training is doing more glamorizing than I thought. I'm kind of getting addicted to it, again. Hurts so good!

The babe went trick-or-treating with her dad and the neighbors and brought back way too much candy. With only a piece or two every couple of days, I'm predicting the bag will be empty by June of next year. Her sister is demolishing it, too, but I promise that bag ways eight pounds! Who needs that much candy? (How about me just before my TOM/rag. Haha!)

We've been diligently finishing up the small touches on the basement. Can I say that I'm sick of talking/looking/thinking about the basement? Ugh! Can't we just move down there already? I've begun my "decorating" for it, while we finish up by purchasing prints. From the beginning, we've said it would be our movie/work-out area. These are just a few of the prints I've purchased that you see pasted here and there are still many more to buy. It's going to be so cool when it's all done (um, if it ever gets done). I'm tired of basement talk even now. Moving on.

Christmas shopping has begun. Our goal was to start early (which we did), stick to fewer toys (which we have) and try to have it finished before Thanksgiving. Hmm. We'll see about that. Unfortunately, I think we're skewing off the road a bit. We've already bought the oldest a treasure trove of DVDs. How in the world has this happened so quickly? I had a list and I shared the list with hubby. I also said that we didn't have to buy everything on the list. Somehow, we've managed to buy nearly 3/4 of the list. Yeesh! We haven't even done the winter/Christmas clothes shopping, parent shopping or neighbor shopping yet. As for Indy, there is many an Elmo to buy that we haven't even started purchasing (luckily, Big Lots has them for El Cheapo prices). I'm unsure of what to do for my coworkers. Last year, I was the Martha-Stewart-of-Color and made the gifts. I'd like to do something similarly, but by the time my vacation starts, I won't want to be bothered. Christmas usually isn't a very hectic time for me. I've got to get this under control before it becomes so. This is a time for great happiness and creating new memories, not stressing about gifts.

Finally, on the hair front, I found a red that works. My "ravishing" blend from the Clairol Professional line never really was what I thought it would be. So, I broke down over the weekend and went for a box kit. It's still Clairol, since I trust that it won't set my head on fire and make my hair fall out. Burgundy is who I am for the time being. I think hubby is seriously missing the blond, but he won't say that out loud (men). That's alright. I think I'll surprise him by being blond at Christmas dinner. This is the first year he's had to work on Christmas morning in years. I'm really bummed about that but, I'll make sure that we all have a wonderful Christmas eve to make up for it.

Happy Halloween!

I tried on my costume last night. Um, it's tight. Seriously. Painted-on-tight. Well, not tight like X-rated tight, but still tighter than I thought it would be...and it's velvet. I guess I didn't think it would be from the picture. It's going to keep me roasted warm today and this girl has a tendency to sweat buckets, when nervous. So, the tight velvet costume, coupled with wearing it to work in the presence of all my coworkers and a bit of nerves at that? I better bring a few empty buckets.

Here's the odd thing, though. I'm really kind of stoked! It fits better than I thought it would. A small ponch in the front, but I did have a baby less than two years ago (and by C-section). The arms look good, the legs look pretty good, and the butt looks much better than expected. These are reasons to celebrate, yes? As I work on this body it appears that it is starting to pay me back by looking better. Who knew?

So, along with this skin-tight outfit comes my long "come hither" black haired wig and silver/black eyelashes. I'm wearing a huge, rhinestone bracelet, ghetto bling rhinestone studs in my ears, glitter dust eyeshadow, my poppin' lip gloss, I painted my nails N.Y.C. White Lights Glitter last night and finally a few short sprays of glitter all over (cat's like shiny things).

I hope I'm a hot kitty (um, not the sweating buckets hot) that doesn't embarrass herself too much. I feel badly that the babe can't wear her costume to school this year. They opted not to do the Halloween parade and hosted the literary night instead, which was fun, don't get me wrong. My youngest and I will be sporting ours momentarily and I'm hoping that it doesn't make the eldest feel bad. She still seems to be really excited about the Halloween party they're having today and the trick or treating she'll be doing tonight. I'm personally glad her dad will be home at a decent hour and is off tomorrow. By the way? I didn't even have to talk to him about my ordeal (read yesterday's post). He attacked me, once we got to bed last night. I just love it when he reads my mind. It's so much easier than hashing things out.

Happy Halloween!

Do I Break Out the Toys?

To begin, this is a TMI post so, if you're not ready for lots of random information about me not getting any, than move on.

Normally, hubby and I are usually pretty frisky for an old, married couple. I'd say three to four times a week on average (that could be a veritable drought for others, but I consider myself pretty fortunate). Earlier this week, I sent my hubby to the heights of heaven (or thereabouts) but I was left hanging. This happens more when he's working those crazy 12 to 14 hour days of his. He just doesn't have the energy to give it back. I understand and usually suck it up like a trooper; however, this past time I was really irritated. We had a mild argument, which ended with him snoring loudly enough to wake the dog (no small feat).

Last night, we finished watching Grindhouse: Planet Terror (you gotta check it out, if you like exploitation films). We were in bed earlier than the night before but hubby was exhausted. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Frustration ensues. I've been creaming beneath for two days with no satisfaction.

There are alternatives, do I break out the toys? I usually like to save them for use with him but, seeing as it's going on three days and I'm feeling like a corked-up geyser, drastic measures may need to be taken. I'm sure I'll talk with him about it but I also understand that kind of stress all this work puts on him. Most of the time, he has no problem and can find it within him to deliver anytime. My issue is that the frustration is coming out in other ways (I've been a bit bitchy to everyone, even the kiddlings. Not good).

A Very Tired, Happy Child

The babe went to dance in her costume last night and had a blast! They played games, mostly. Then, handed out candy to all the other girls in class at the end of the hour. She got into the car and announced,"Mom, I'm so tired." You know they're tired when they tell you themselves and you don't talk them into that decision. She came home and pretty much decided that story time would have to wait, less we have her fall asleep in the middle of the reading. Funny kid.

Tonight, she'll be going to school for an event where she can wear her cute costume again. I have to say, I'm really glad she's getting so much wear out of it. She's gotten more wear out of this one than any of her others. I wonder if Indy, once she inherits it, will do the same? Indy was not happy to see us leave last night, so I think she'll be quite happy to tag along with us this evening. The trick will be getting there early enough. There parking situation at the elementary school ain't great and I don't want to park on the street.

I found an old friend, a few days ago. We'd lost touch and, in some ways, I thought it was because of her situation. She kept having employment troubles and I thought I was a constant reminder of what she didn't have. Then, I thought it was because I messed up on a lunch date time once, where she was ready to leave due to waiting around past time for me. And yet part of me also thought she'd finally decided to turn tail and get the hell out of Utah, which she threatened to do many times. Turns out I was overly sensitive, forgetful and a complete emotional wreck because I was pregnant at the time and didn't know it. Well, we've reconnected and we'll be having lunch again soon. It's a good thing. She's a person I would have wanted to remain friends with, regardless of time or place.

That's how I feel about my best friends. No matter where I live, what I'm doing and where I end up in life, they are the people I want as constants. We keep up through email mostly, but phone calls and the occasional visits are awesome! They're who I lean on when things around here get a bit lonely. Now, I'm off on a tangent. Back to the Halloween festivities!

I want to take the girls to the corn maze this weekend, but every weekend we've had this month has been either freezing cold, rainy, snowy or all of the above. I haven't checked the weather for this weekend (but will do so momentarily).

So, it looks like it's going to be a red-letter weekend for corn mazes and hayrides. I'll be talking to hubby about this in the next few hours. Something tells me, though, others will be thinking like me and taking advantage of this calm weather. Bring on the masses!

Movies, Jack-o-Lanterns, Colds and Parties

My last post was mainly my gripe on a non-functioning hair color. I got that all straightened out, thankfully and moved on to other matters...mainly, my failing health. Ugh! Just when I get into my routine, I get the cold being passed around like a joint in my office. Thankfully, I'm on the tail-end of it and am feeling a lot better, but I haven't worked out all week. Bummer. Instead, I've spent time with the family (the nicest distraction from working out, I'd say).

Sunday, we went to church then took the girls to Target for pictures. They are so cute! I never seem to remember how photogenic my oldest is until she's in front of the camera with someone other than her dad and me. She's always hamming it up for me the non-professional. Hamming it up for the pro is a whole different ballgame. She's absolutely stunning, that girl! My little kitties had a ball. After pictures, she and her dad carved one of the three pumpkins we purchased last week. It was an alien carving (we think...it was hard to tell from the template transfer). Dad decided to go the traditional route for the others. They'll be carving those this evening.

Tonight, the babe will sport her costume yet again for dance class. The kids have been asked to come dressed in costume and bring candy to share, since they'll miss class next week. Tomorrow evening, a spook alley literacy event will have her in costume again. This girl is going to have so much candy in the next few days. I'm glad we're there to help her offload some of it.

Finally, the nice side effect with all my working out (aside from getting over my cold quickly) is the increase in my libido. I don't normally want anything to do with sex or anything related to it when I'm sick, but I was ready and willing last night (even in my NyQuil drug-induced haze). I'm sure hubby is happy about the side effects, too.

Hair Color Snafu

The blond is gone and in it's place? Easter-egg pink. Yes. I have pink hair and it's not cute. It didn't begin this way. As some of you know, I started off as a pale blond. My roots were coming in, so I was a pale, dirty blond. I mixed my concoction of colors together, along with my Clarioxide formula. The color added to my hair started off a very bright plum, then intensified to a fiery wine, then darkened, darkened, darkened. I left it on too long...my hair looked like dirt. It was awful! Not to be defeated, I quickly devised a plan to redo the color last night, but first, I would have to strip out all the color and start fresh.

So I did. Back to a bright blond (with sort of pinkish highlights) I mixed my beautiful concoction again and added it to my newly lifted hair. The color hit that intense wine color I was looking for and I jumped the gun; I rinsed. When I came up for air, it was pink. Ugh! I finished the process and decided that I would just re buy everything (because now all the color is gone) and try it again on Saturday. My hair needs a rest. It's been through a lot this week! I think that I've figured it out. Somewhere within the fifteen to twenty minute mark, is the magic number. Thirty minutes was just too long. The color I'm going for is called (you'll love this); Ravishing.

Yesterday, the babe had her hair done professionally for the very first time. Hubby said she twitched and moved a little bit when the hairdresser was combing her hair, but other than that, did very well. She has crochet braids, but with the professional job, they should last until just before my birthday. She's seven, so I don't know how likely this is. They look too cute! She's loving them and got up extra early today to beautify herself (it's picture day at school). Hubby was not loving the price of the beautification...seven packs of hair, four more packs than her non-professional mother uses.

The weekend is nearly here and I can't wait! My coworker has gone on leave and the work has tripled since she left. I've been hoping around like a jumping bean. I'm typing this during my lunch, just to make sure I'm keeping up on my posts. The nerve! To type during my non-working hours? What's that about?

My kids may actually get a bit more use out of their costumes this year. We're having pictures done on Sunday (at least, for now) and there are some activities that they'll be a part of next week. Usually, it's a one shot deal with the costume. Then, I pack up the babe's in anticipation of Indy wearing it in the future. I'm glad and I'm sure they'll be happy to be cute kitties more than just once.

Married Woman Goes on Date

It's true! I really did...and it was wonderful. Hubby took me out to dinner to a lovely Thai restaurant. I had the Pra Ram and he had the very spicy meal with Thai Chilies and noodles, that I can't pronounce. Both were wonderful and we had adult dinner conversation! Actual conversation! Then, we went to an event (which I will not mention here). I will only say that it served to pump me up!


****We interrupt this program to bring you this breaking news!****

I've been thinking about Figure competitions and have toyed with the idea in the past, but now I think I might actually try to reach for this goal. It's sort of the rabbit in my dog race. It's okay if I don't actually catch the rabbit, but if I can get close to it...

The difference between this and regular bodybuilding is that the women are training for symmetry and definition, not bulk. It's also about looking toned, yet feminine. What a novel idea! Why some women want to look like a big, bulky dude is beyond me but hey, it's live and let live. I'm not here to judge or crash any body's party. There are also Fitness competitions, but they are really focused on athleticism (which I have none and wouldn't admit to it just to save face). I can dance and do well with choreography, but integrating back flips and splits into my dance routine would have me face first on the stage. No thank you.

So, with my new found enthusiasm, incorporated to my already bustling workout agenda, I think I may do well. Hubby is all geared up to train me (of course he is!). I just don't know if I'm ready to start sucking down egg whites, tuna, brown rice and oatmeal all day again. I felt more than full all the time and the eating all day was nutty to me. I remember how good I looked, so I'll just have to keep reminding myself that it's all for the greater good.

***Now, back to our regularly scheduled program****

The date finished with hubby and I returning home at around 9:30, paying the babysitter, and settling in for a nightcap. I ate my leftover dinner and he warmed up some of the hamburgers I grilled, earlier in the week. You would have thought I'd created a masterpiece, as much as he raved about them. I'm glad they were good because those suckers took me two full hours to cook. My hubby buys in bulk, so "yours truly" grilled twelve burgers that night. Twelve!

We pulled a movie out of our archives to watch; Devil's Advocate. It was better than I remembered and only reaffirmed my belief that Al Pacino's an amazing actor. He totally absorbs his character and that's not easy for people to do. (I'm a big fan of Christan Bale's for that very reason.) As much as Jack Nicholson rocks, Jack is always Jack to me.

The night ended and I wished hubby didn't have to get up and go to work the next morning, but he did and I survived. I look forward to the holidays when, hopefully, I'll have a little more time with him. I loved date night and I'm already feening for another one.

And Good Evening To You

I got home under a bit of stress; school called and said the babe was still there and, "is anyone coming to pick her up?" Hubby was supposed to, so I called my mother to see where she was. She wouldn't have gotten there any faster...just getting on the interstate in town like me. Called hubby once, twice, three times...nothing. Decided that it would be best to call a neighbor and beg him/her to pick up the (probably freaking out) girl. I reached our stand-by who told me that hubby had just come over (hubby calling while I'm talking to her). Wires were crossed and he thought she was picking up the babe. He tried to call, but couldn't get a signal either. Stupid cell phones! So, neighbor lady will be picking up the babe everyday from now on, since she's already there to pick up her son anyway. Hubby can just scoop her up from neighbor lady's house with no worry. The babe was stressed out, but safe when hubby raced over to get her.

When I got home, they were decorating the front stoop with Halloween goodies. It looks pretty adorable (I'll take pictures with my nifty new camera and post). Halloween streamers hanging from the roof, lights and garland adorning the railing, pumpkins in the planters, and fiber-optic pumpkins in the window seat. The girls absolutely love it. We never did Halloween like this when I was a kid!

After hubby left for the gym, I put on Elmo for the youngest and headed downstairs to the elliptical trainer. Thirty-five minutes later, I was upstairs and exhausted! I showered and got the kids dinner ready. They ate and then prepared for father's return. Dad home, I could leave with the babe and take her to dance class. It was a pleasant drive, even with her incessant talking. I dropped her off and headed to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants to pick up dinner; steamed pot stickers and sticky white rice. I drove back to the dance parking lot, turned on my overhead light and began to eat. Why did the rice taste burnt? It wasn't burned, but it sure tasted like someone had put some fire under it...that under taste of burned like when you've overcooked the popcorn, but not enough to turn it black. Then, there was the pot sticker dip. It was flat. What the hell? That's part of why I buy those things! Salty tangy goodness for those who are pmsing like hell. I needed that sauce to be potent! Oh, well.

When I got home, I put the oldest to bed and walked into a bedroom with a bed covered in laundry.

"Why are you folding laundry now," I asked. "It's nearly 9:00...not what I wanted to do the last thing in the evening."

"Well, if we do it now, it's done and I don't have to do it tomorrow." (his day off)

Can't argue with that. We whipped through the clothes pretty quickly, then settled in for a night-cap of red Shiraz (for him) and peach wine (for me) as we watched Delirious on DVD. Haven't seen it in years! It was funnier than I remember.