All over the map, today

We all have those moments, right? Can't remember where we put the car keys, the gloves, the checkbook. I was making myself a little fake cappucino. Digression: as a lover of both coffee-flavored ice cream and cappucino, I find that a scoop or two of ice cream in my morning java makes a nice frothy head of fake foam and tastes lovely, end digression. As I am scooping, the dogs wander up, fresh form their morning walk. This is a big deal, as they are still pretty spooky. So I stop the scooping and kneel down to give them a dose of love and positive reinforcement. I clean up after myself, put the ice cream in the freezer, and realize that I have absolutely no idea where I put my coffee cup. I check the counters. Nope. Make a quick lap around the main floor, even though I don't remember leaving the room. No joy. After I spend about ten minutes searching for that cup, I give up, resigned to the fact that as soon as I fix a new cup of coffee, I'll find the old one. Well, almost this time. I open the container to see my tidy little round scoop of ice cream still in the bottom of the tub. Solved that mystery, with only a few minutes of my life wasted in the process.
***
My brother T and I have an unofficial war in progress. It started when Thing 1 was about two years old. For Christmas, T got her a Jibba Jabba:

This thing was the spawn of Satan. It was a modified squak tube that was posessed. If you shook its wee little head it sounded like it was shrieking "Help me!" It was annoying as heck. T said he heard a lady at the toy store say how annoying it was, and that was exactly why he bought it. I waited five years for T to breed, eagerly anticipating the day when I could wreak vengeance upon him. T's firstborn has gotten computerized beep boxes and drums for Christmas from his loving auntie. This year, T's daughter was old enough to join the fun, and I found this for the opening volley in this year's battle. Little did I know how it would backfire. While opening presents, Thing 4 fell in love with his cousin's new toy. He pitched a screaming fit. iPastor, seeing how much he had enjoyed it, suggested it to his dad for a gift when he had Christmas there. Since Monday, I have endured little bursts of music, five different styles, all too short to be a complete musical thought, but long enough to get stuck in the eternal feedback loop of my brain for hours on end. This on top of the toy Skil saw and the singing Spiderman doll. Surely noisy toy karma is coming back to me in spades.
***
I can just about guess what the Thirteen lists will look like today, but allow me to jump the badwagon anyway and post:



Thirteen New Years resolutions I will most likely break



1. Exercise more (walking the dogs might actually help with this one...)
2. Read the Bible through in one year or less.
3. Set consistent time for prayer and devotions, not just toss it in when I remember.
4. Spend more time with my kids.
5. Establish healthy eating habits.
6. Drink two quarts of water daily.
7. Start juicing.
8. Cut down on the time I waste on the internet (blogging is therapeutic, not wasteful...)
9. Finish the damn degree, already!!!!
10. Be less sarcastic (oh the pain...)
11. Jump in where I am instead of waiting for circumstances to be "just so."
12. Laugh more on purpose.
13. Finish painting the hall.






The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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With that, I leave you to get a head start on #8! Excelsior!

Christmas comedown

We eased back into normal life after a day of family and food yesterday. Darling iPastor brought me breakfast in bed, for which I thanked him by yelling to get the garbage out. My helpful daughter moved the can out of the way of parking spots for our family gathering last week, which meant it wasn't in place for pickup then. Monday is our normal pickup day, so it was put off until today and forgotten until I heard the truck in the alley while I was, um, indisposed, in the bathroom. I was yelling in panic and not irritation. Two weeks' worth of family refuse was hard enough to cram into that can.
After that little bump in the road, we settled in for a leisurely day of puttering around the house. The Things remaining at home enjoyed playing with the neighbor kids, and I walked the dogs in relative comfort. This lack of snow is gonna bite us in the butt come spring, but the ability to walk dogs on dry ground, and for Thing 4 to try out his Christmas bike right away, is a fair trade in my book.
While driving to in-laws for Christmas, we caught a snippet of the Midday program on MPR. It was hilarious, and though I came in the middle, I correctly guessed that it was Kevin Kling. I went to the archives today and found not only that story, but David Sedaris as well. I highly recommend going here to listen to those stories. They are both great fun, and I believe a new Christmas tradition at our house, along with the 24 hr. A Christmas Story marathon and Sixties Bouf Angel on the tree.
My brother and SIL came for a visit, and we visited friends up the road to check out the new iMac and PS2. I rock at Guitar Hero, and I fear that iPastor's suggestion to buy a PS2 may well stick with me if I pick that game up again.
Although I made no mention of it here, I did mark the winter solstice on the 21st with great enthusiasm. The days only get longer from here! I thought it must be bedtime at 7:45 tonight, because when its this dark for this long it must be the middle of the freakin' night, right?
Off to rest and another day tomorrow. Let's be careful out there.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas around here is eerily quiet this year. The past few years, I have tried to keep Christmas Eve a quiet evening home with just us and the kids, but things have come up, and not in a bad way. We'll have presents tonight with the two kids left at home, and Santa will fill everyone's stockings tonight. The travelers will just have to wait and see what Santa brought when they get back.
The church where I grew up always held the Christmas program on Christmas Eve. Amazingly, after we came home from church, paper bag full of salted peanuts and fruit in tow, Santa had always come while we were gone. What a sneak. I think I was in third grade before I finally gave up on Santa. I knew beforehand, but it was such a nice thing to believe, and some little jerk in my Sunday School class had a great deal of fun ridiculing me for still believing right before the program. I knew he was right, but I stubbornly and tearfully argued with him just out of spite for being so mean about it. I hope he remembers, and feels like crap.
I had never planned on making Santa a big deal for my kids one way or the other, but the rest of the family intervened, and its been enjoyable for all involved so far, so its all good.
Unfortunately, I've spent most of this morning remembering things I forgot to get, so I will have to make an excursion to the Evil*Empire and pick up some stuff. Not high on my list of things I really wanted to do today.
I should take the dogs for a walk while the sun is still shining. Our weather is forecast to be mild all day, but cloud up later, so I'll enjoy the light while I can.
For those of you celebrating Christmas with your families, I wish you peace and contentment this year.
For those who do not celebrate Christmas, please allow me to share Luke's version of the events we celebrate at this time every year. Although the traditions have morphed into sometimes unrecognizable rituals, and this world has bastardized symbolic giving into a commercial mayhem, the foundation of our faith begins with the birth of a child.
From the NIV:

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A blessed season to you and yours as we reflect on the gift of that Child to the world.

Soggy Doggy...

...is what you get when walking cockers in freezing rain. I've been working hard to set them (and me!) up with some routines and work the housebreaking issue. Progress is slow, but ,um, progressing. Star seems to be socializing a bit quicker than Tiger. They run away when pursued, but once caught, they will both sit and seem to enjoy attention and petting. Star seems to get into it and wag readily. Tiger is pretty wary yet.
I got the elder Things packed off towards Florida with appropriate amounts of underwear and socks. I'm quite sure they never looked back. It will be a bit quieter around here for sure. The parent who invited them along is either a saint or quite possibly insane.
Well, its a Friday night schedule at a small-town bar and the college kids are home for Christmas. I'd better go sneak in a nap. Safe travels if you're on the road, and here's to stiff drinks snuck in the closet if the holidays are coming to you.

Thursday 13

As we talk about all our various and sundry Christmas celebrations, it makes me think about how the face of the "average" family has changed. We have four different family celebrations to plan due to death and divorce. It occurs to me that I have come to view this as completely normal. People sometimes get confused when they hear me talk about my Mom in the present tense after I told them my parents are dead. So here are a few details for you...

Thirteen Things about Gette 1. My sister and brother are 18 and 16 years older than me, respectively. 2. My father died of a massive heart attack when he was 55. 3. In front of me 4. I was 13. 5. My mom was too sick from Huntington's Disease to take care of me, so we lived with my sister. 6. I moved in with my best friend's family the weekend I turned 18; I was still in high school. 7. They became my second family. 8. My mom died when she was 57. 9. In a nursing home 350 miles away. 10. I was 19. 11. I think I felt more helpless that time. 12. I wasn't intending for this to be such a downer. 13. Next time I'll find 13 funny things. Or something. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

The transformation of the dogs from farm to house has begun. They are slowly becoming more comfortable. Star is more of a barker than she let on at first, though it's generally a short burst toward unseen noises that stops as soon as she can see what it was she heard. The Cosmic Junkie pointed out that we now have Star Jones living in our house. *shudder*
Star took to the leash a little better than Tiger, but he will follow her without fail, so all we have to do is get her going. Curiosity conquered the stairs, but they have to be really worked up to get that curious. They shy away when approached, but once you catch them and sit with them for some petting time, they settle right in and don't try to get away at all. Weird. The cat is always greeted with wagging tails. CJ asserts that this is because you can always count on a cat to know where the food is, and the dogs may be new, but they're not dumb. If we can count on this much progress every day, it won't be long before they've settled in.
I forgot to mention yesterday that the Santa post now has a picture.
I subbed for bowling this afternoon. Funny how "sucked" is only two letters different than "subbed" but just as accurate a description of my bowling talent today. Oy. I think I may have dragged my average below 100. Ouch.
I am feeling a bit melancholy. Thing 1 & 2 have had a last minute, all-expense paid offer of a trip to Florida with friends over Christmas break, and I haven't the heart to tell them no. I thought they would be off in college before I had to worry about them skipping Christmas at home. I told them I'd sell their presents on eBay, though, so its all good.
Now I'd better go search for doggy remnants on the lower floor.

The five most dreaded words in the English language...

..."Free to a good home." Oh dear. The conversation went something like this:

iPastor: "This lady on Freecycle has Cocker Spaniels to give away."

Me: "Why would you even tell me that?"

iPastor: "I really don't know."

Me: "Mumble" *frantically calling up said Freecycle group on my Mac*

iPastor: "They're 4 years old..."

Me: "Months?"

iPastor: "Years."

Me: "Mumble" *Typing email to the offerer*

I hate training puppies. I love Cocker Spaniels; grew up with them, have had two pretty good ones since we were married. First was a bit of a spazz, but a love, second had some ongoing health issues but was mellow and laid back, great disposition. The long and the short of it? Meet the newest Joneses:


They have sweet dispositions so far. Not barkers when together, although there was a bit of anxiety from Star (brown female) when I separated them for bath time. They came from a puppy farm where they were hoped to breed but did not. Tiger is the black and brown male. Our challenge is to integrate them from outside kennel dogs to inside house dogs. So far they are too baffled by the contents of a house to imagine jumping on furniture or anything of that sort. Cool.


In other happenings about here, we celebrated Christmas with iPastor's mom and brother's family on Sunday. That's two family celebrations down and two to go.

Thing 4 got two toys that make noise:
















And one that makes a mess:

So he's happy as a clam.

After presents, we went to the church Christmas program. Every one of our kids' grandparents made it for the program, and they were tickled.

Now its time to tuck everyone in, so I'm off.

Domestic Diva

I've been cleaning and rearranging furniture to get ready for company. I am amazed at how much junk accumulates under furniture. I moved the couch Monday, and moved it again Tuesday, and it had already created a new pile of junk underneath. So I present you with...

Thirteen Things I Found under the couch this week 1…. Socks 2. Bread 3. Mummified baby carrots 4. prune pits 5. playing cards 6. Polly Pocket clothes 7. Modeling clay 8. toy cars 9. A clip-on earring 10. Pennies 11. Crayons 12. 2 remote controls 13. Yarn Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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With that, I'm off to bed with my achy knees and dishpan hands. Poor me, poor me.

Winter? I wonder...

I am not complaining at all, but I am pretty weirded-out at our sunny, 50 degree weekend! As usual, we had way too many things to pack into the two days between Friday and Monday. Saturday was the local "Santa Day." Our little town may have let its summer festival die of apathy, but they can still put it together for Santa. They started by showing movies in the town hall, then Santa was chauffeured in by a fire truck. I missed an awesome picture fiddling with my stinkin' camera, but got to see my little boy break from the crowd at a dead run, yelling for Santa, who obligingly scooped him right up for a big hug. Not scared of santa, this kid. There were goodies and candy bags and toys. Got a couple good pics, but they have to wait for hubby to use the card reader, because aforementioned stinkin' camera is no longer recognized by my computer as anything. (Edit: Here!)

Thing 4 is getting to be quite a handful. He kept trying to run back up onstage to raid the table full of toys (they got to pick one after talking to Santa), or bust the line to go talk to Santa again. He even gave Santa his candy bag. Cute as heck, but kinda a pain.
I worked the bar as usual. Better making money than not.
Sunday morning after church, we packed up the Sunday School kids and took them to former Job #1 to sing some of their Christmas program songs for the residents. After lunch, I went to a baby shower, came home, made supper, sent the elder Things off to round 2 at church, then headed over to G'pa's for his birthday party. On the way home, we drove around a little to check out Christmas lights, then came home and crashed. Now I need to get busy making the house presentable for Christmas with iPastor's mom this weekend.

Thursday Thirteen: Concerts

Thirteen Concerts I've Seen In rough chronological order. Starting at age 14. 1. Rick Springfield (I did say I was 14...) 2. Michael W. Smith 3. Quiet Riot 4. R.E.M. 5. (twice) 6. Alice Cooper. What a showman. What a show. 7. REO Speedwagon 8. (twice) 9. ZZ Topp 10. Kansas and Lynrd Skynrd. Kansas kicked it. Skynrd was a letdown, but it made for a great story 11. B.B.King Oh, mais oui! 12. Ronnie Milsap 13. The Gaithers homecoming concert Bonus! 14. Blues Traveler. 9 months pregnant with a 9yo daughter. Great fun! If you ever want to get right up front at a concert, just look like you might give birth on someone's foot and they'll get out of your way in a hurry. 15. Lifelight Festival 2006 Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. John 2. Elementaryhistoryteacher (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Trifecta Complete!

My voice is shot. I may lose it by the end of the day. All you smarties out there eady to comment that it might be an improvement, just can it.
I'm actually feeling a bit better than yesterday. The weight and ache has lifted slightly. I still think I'll need some quality couch time. Maybe I'll find a movie and sort socks. Hope I can find someone to work for me tonight. Don't think I'm quite up to running the floor.
I'm still counting my blessings that I'm not sicker. I wound up in the hospital once with dehydration and idiomatic colitis, and let me tell ya if ya try it, you won't dig it. Wish I'd been to the library for a new book or something to spend my down time. Any suggestions?

I take that back

Since I wrote the last post, this cold has settled in over my back and shoulders like a 50 pound sack of crap. I ache, I'm hot, stuffy, and crabby. Ever helpful, when I told iPastor that I feel like crap, he said "You look like crap, too." Maybe if I sound like crap I'll complete the trifecta. I'm going back to bed. All that ambition? Gone.

I lost a weekend in here somewhere

Wow. Between a touch of a headcold and a booked up weekend at the bar, it seems we've come around to the next week and I've barely even noticed. Thankfully, I haven't gotten really sick, just enough to make me feel kind of draggy and fuzzy around the edges, and give me an excuse to nap.
I worked late Friday, rose late Saturday, made a speed run to Marshall to meet up with G'ma and pick up stuff we left at her house, ran back home, worked late again, dragged out of bed in time for church, ate potluck, came home and power-napped, then piddled away the evening. Monday I got to go to "birthday of the month" breakfast with the ladies from church, unheard of in my working-two-jobs days. I was rather proud of myself for collecting my wits enough to get some errands run while I was in town. I dropped off 4 bags and some odds and ends at the thrift store, and managed to come out with only three items in a bag. It doesn't pay to donate my excess if I bring more out with me. I got Thing 4 some jammies, some more black slacks for me, which I may need for prospective temp job 2, and a digital bathroom scale.
You'd best all lock up our daughters, because Thing 4 is working on his Lothario act. He came up to me first thing this morning and exclaimed, "Mommy, you bootiful!" As if that wasn't enough to melt any girl's heart, he looked up and quite deliberately batted his lashes at me. He's smooth, I tell you. Here iPastor has been worried about what color to paint the shotguns for all these daughters, and it's the Boy we're gonna have to keep an eye on.
I made some real housekeeping headway in preparation for the party last week, and I should pry my fanny from this chair and try to keep it up. We will have one of the three remaining Christmas gatherings here, at least, so hopefully I can keep the place presentable, and maybe even get a little bit ahead. Off I go with great ambition! Excelsior!

Thursday 13--late

Thirteen Things about Our Saint Andrew's celebration 1. I really suck at rolling pastry lately. 2. My neighbor brought me some store-bought, so the Bridies were saved! Yum! 3. We also had clapshot 4. Scotch Eggs 5. Shortbread 6. Clootie Dumpling (a la microwave--it rocks!) 7. Drambuie and Glenfidditch are nice, but... 8. I discovered that hot butterscotch is wayyyyyy better than hot chocolate. 9. We had 20 guests. 10. You can slap a "Mc" onto anyone's name for a day. I learned this trick from someone adding "O'" to names for St. Pat's one year. 11. Clans Buchanan, McWhirter, MacDonald and MacDougall, and Stewart were all represented by someone. 12. We had jokes and stories. 13. And we remembered Saint Andrew, the first-called disciple of Christ, patron Saint of Scotland. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Amy

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants