Thursday, January 22, 2009

WooHoo!

My, how time does fly! The post-Christmas letdown has been totally wiped out by the insanity, joy and amazement of inauguration day. Wow. I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until it actually happened, and I could let it out.

There were so many fabulous moments of the day . . . the worldwide "Yes, we did" celebrations . . . the second-littlest Obama taking pictures and getting Joe Biden to take one for her . . . the power and solemnity of his speech . . . the joy on his face as he walked with his wife in a parade . . . it was all just fantastic.

Okay, I'm out of adjectives. But you get the picture.

Wednesday morning, Todd informed me that if I didn't get out of bed, I was really going to be late. I replied, "The country is in good hands and I'm going to sleep late."

And yesterday and today, it's been fun to get in my car after work, listen to the day's executive orders, and know that I agreed with each and every one.

It's a new era, people, if you haven't already, get the hell out there and celebrate!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Showing Off, A Bit

It occurred to me that I never posted any of the pictures Todd took with his fancy new camera of all the Christmas baking and sewing I did. He's been doing some really cool stuff with it.

Does this look like a food magazine, or what?


A montage, if you will, of all the yummy stuff that got sent around to various people:

Christmas sewing, for my nieces, sister, and sister-in-law (they're zippered bags for makeup and other things that need to go in zippered bags):


And while I look just hideous in this photo (I was a wee bit tired), Todd loves it so much I thought I'd post it, anyway. We like to call it, "The Dark Side of Holiday Baking":

Friday, January 9, 2009

Drive-by Blogging

- - - - - -> screeching into blog on the way out the door to work . . .

1. While waiting for my violin lesson, I heard a little boy ask his mom, "Are the years getting shorter?" She wearily replied, "Yes, shorter ever year."

2. Individually wrapped Dove dark chocolate is 1 point per piece. I consider this knowledge crucial to my survival this week.

3. One thing you shouldn't say to a prosecutor if you are hoping to "get out of" your possession of marijuana charge: "Wadn't nuttin' but a couple-a joints."

4. The success of a Sigg water bottle, even a fancy purple and gold one, is totally dependant on said bottle's owner closing the top before puttling it in her purse.

5. You people out there must be really good at thoughts and prayers, because Hank is doing much better and there is some cautious talk of actually going home!

Monday, January 5, 2009

It's That Time Again . . .

I know I said just yesterday that the holidays were over, but I nearly forgot about the one last holiday wrap-up ritual that I celebrate every year: the January Weight Watchers meeting.

I admit, I am a Weight Watchers snob. I have been known to change meetings lickety-split if I don't like the meeting leader, and woe be to the Weight Watchers leader who has lost less than fifty, okay, I'll be honest, one hundred pounds. I can't tell you how many intros I've sat through, only to roll my eyes when ol' Sally Skinny-ass earnestly tells me that she's managed to keep off a whopping twenty pounds for two years.

My favorite leaders have been the ones who deal with the kinds of issues I deal with. There was Debbie, who cut the elastic on all her underwear because they were digging into her legs. And Jean, who ate an entire bag of chocolate covered pretzels while grocery-shopping, and had to stand at the check-out lane while the clerk called a manager to find out how to charge her for something that could no longer be weighed.

And my favorite, Angie, who decided that she was just NOT going to be tempted any longer by the Halloween candy she had bought, so she "pitched" it out of the car as she drove down the road. Then she got pulled over for littering, and the cop made her go pick up all the candy. (This same leader also confessed that she had thrown away candy she had just bought at Kroger when she ran into a WW member in the parking lot.)

These are women I can relate to.

So I was pretty pleased when the leader tonight informed us that she had lost 103 pounds, that sometimes she has to use three days worth of journal pages to fill in all the food she ate in one day, and that she was so cheap with her points that she preferred to buy the "nasty" Kroger plain oatmeal so she could eat more of it (with copious amounts of the aforementioned Sweet 'n Low). Oh, and this Christmas, she ate a whole sweet potato pie -- by herself.

Yeah, I could get to like this woman.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Singin' the End of Holiday Blues

I suppose since I have to go to work tomorrow and work a WHOLE WEEK, as in five days straight without a day off, that Christmas is officially over. Here's some randomness to get me back in the regular blogging spirit . . .

1. I am not making resolutions this year, just sticking to my list of 101 things. There are a couple of things I want to do more of this year, like violin practice, baking, and making fun stuff, but no resolutions.

2. A church member this morning informed me that she was googling our church name and this site is one that comes up. Do you think that means I need to clean things up around here? Naaaah.

3. My lovely, lovely stepfather has been dreadfully sick and in the hospital since just after Christmas. Today, things seem to have taken a turn for the better, but it's been rough for him and my mom. If you are the praying sort, I know they'd appreciate it.

4. I discovered the Negotiator books over the holiday, and LOVED THEM. It's always great to find a book that you really like and then discover that it's the first of a series. I finished those up and have moved on to an earlier series by the same writer, The Walker Papers.

5. Those pecan squares I made for Christmas? The ones by Ina Garten, with nine sticks of butter? Totally not worth it. Next year I think I'll make just five batches of peanut butter kisses and be done with it.