Monthly Archives: November 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I’m sure I could wax on (and on and on) about how thankful I am (‘cuz let’s face it, I am thankful for so many wonderful things) or about the meaning of Thanksgiving or whatnot. But really, I just don’t want to. Instead, I’d rather spend the next couple of non-family-obligation hours just relaxing.

I tried listening to some Christmas music, but I made it through two songs before it just started to annoy me. I’m choosing quiet and rat-a-tat tapping of my fingers on the keyboard as my background noise. Basically though, I’m ahead of the game: the trifle is made but for the final layer and crumbles; the brownies are sliced and packaged to curb further taste testing; the corn bread casserole is assembled and waiting to go into the pre-heated oven that last hour before leaving; the bags are packed with all my food offerings and bowls (and plastic wear and plates since one year the host inlaw neglected to double check that there were enough – there were none!); the wine is chilling and so am I.

The hubby is getting ready to take the pupster for a walk – but first he must update his iPod :insert rolleyes here: while the pupster goes insane waiting for the walk. I’ll be hopping into the shower in a bit so the curls will have a good chance to dry before we head out and then I’ll either curl up with my book club book or watch a little TV. But yeah, it’s a good day so far.

I wish you all a wonderful day filled with warmth, love, good food and good times. Please be safe while on the road. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

PS – I’m a little behind on catching up on everyone’s blogs and leaving comments (or even replying to my own comments), but rest assured, I’m following along. 

Consider Me Appalled

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We were just now driving back from dinner with a friend (Don Cuco’s in Tolouca Lake – yum!) and you’ll never guess what I heard on the radio. No, not Christmas music – though I am looking forward to that. No, it was Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant! I couldn’t believe my ears.

Why was I appalled you ask? Well, you see, it’s not yet Thanksgiving. It was a mere 11:00pm. Huh, you say. Well, Alice’s Restaurant is said to be based on a true story that occurred on Thanksgiving Day in 1965. It was basically your typical (if 18 minutes would ever be considered “typical”) anti-Vietnam war type of song complete with sing-a-long – the song’s storyline can be found here at Wikipedia. Traditionally, the song is only played (and annually played) at some point on Thanksgiving Day.

Seems the uber* annoying pot-head, Jim Ladd over at KLOS (with the annoying flash website) has his own version of the tradition. He seems to feel that since he doesn’t work on Thanksgiving, that the eve of Thanksgiving is well, good enough and therefore playing by the rules. I’m sorry, but you don’t fuck with tradition like that.

Hell, lay off the pot and at least wait another hour play it at midnight stoner-boy, the show’s on until fucking 2:00AM!!!! So yeah, this might seem silly, but some traditions just don’t need to be fucked with and I’m just a bit both bothered and yeah, appalled by this.

*Hey wordpress folks, where are those damn language symbols in spell check?

It Takes Just a Little Getting Used To

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I’ve been a fan of Firefox for quite a few years now.  Since upgrading to Panther though, it keeps crashing out on me – regardless of how many tabs I have open or how many additional programs I have open.  So today, I complained, yet again, to the hubby and asked him how to delete it so I could re-install it.

Surprisingly, he had me delete Firefox and install Flock.  For the most part, it’s your basic tabbed browser so all is good.   The cool part, it’s not crashing on me and it runs tons faster than my Firefox was running.  It does take some getting used to though – especially the add a new tab button.  Dude, it’s on the far right!!  And of course, I keep looking for the button on the far left.  This is all so reminiscent of our new faucet that somehow change sides for the temps.

I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it though.  It’s new it’ll just take some playing around time to get used to things as well as to just learn how things work.  It’s multi-media intuitive, which I’m sure some may like.  Me, I’m going crazy with the stupid little banner opening up every.single.time I open anything with RSS feed capability – hello, that’s a LOT of blogs and sites.  I also miss my auto-fill button, but since that’s really a Google toolbar thing I’m sure I figure out how to install that again.

Now, if only I could figure out how to get my damn drop-down thingies working again.  It sure makes it challenging to edit the authorship on my group blog or write emails from anything other than my standard gmail addy.  But hey, I’ve got a couple more days to figure it out (before I force my hubby to do it for me out of frustration).

And can you believe it…it’s already Thanksgiving tomorrow!  Yikes!  Where has the year gone?

I’d Like a Passport Please

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Getting the hubby to take a moment out of his three weeks “vacation” to actually get a damn passport is like pulling teeth.  Thing is, we need to get one sooner rather than later.  We’re still considering a cruise in February (though he’s rethinking this since there’s some work changes in the new year and he doesn’t yet know how that will play out – I’ll give him this as a legit reason), we’re constantly invited down to Mexico to spend the weekend at Herbie’s vacation home, we’ve been invited to Japan more times than I can recall to tag along with Herbie’s current tour and more recently, we’ve casually been invited to attend Montreux Jazz Fest in Switzerland with Herbie.  And then there’s visiting my friend, Jo in Madrid where she teaches.

For all of these things…yeah, we’ll need a passport.  Mind you, his last day of vacation is Friday.  We need photos, we need birth certificates (I have them, I just need to pull them out), we need to fill out the application and we need to get to the post office before 2:00 today.  Um yeah, I don’t think he’ll be going today considering he’s a major moppet and needs a serious haircut and shave as well.  At least in my defense, I can go any day since I basically work from home.  He kinda can, since he can go into work at whatever time he wishes.  But still.  I’d just like to get the damn passport already.  Please.

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My head feels thousands better!  It usually does by the time I take the second Imitrex.  Only the second Imitrex puts me over the edge and makes me crash in a big way.  Sadly, the need for the Vicodin is fairly new.  My head never used to hurt like it seems to hurt lately.  It seems to feel like my head is in two or more vices just squeezing with all it’s might and it seriously brings me to tears – and I’m not one to succumb to pain-induced tears much (oddly).   I would never have even thought of the Vicodin if my doc hadn’t prescribed it when I called in begging for the Imitrex saying that my head was killing me (in that case for over two days).  I’ve learned though, that it makes a huge difference.  Mind you, I should have gone to the chiro today and that would have made a difference as well.  I’m also considering trying acupuncture for migraines since I know first hand how well it works for lockjaw.  Anyone try this?

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And thanks SO much to all the ladies that have found me today and left such informative and helpful comments regarding Ladies Who Launch.  I will definitely be following up with you guys.  I’m really, really interested in learning all I can about LWL now.

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Busy day today.  The pupster is getting groomed (talk about being a moppet).  I have some more pre-Thanksgiving prep to do – I’ve made the gingerbread for the trifle and will make the pudding today so it’s all set to assemble tomorrow, I made brownies last night before the migraine got too crazy (hey, I think I was in so much pain yesterday that I may have even spelled it incorrectly – yikes!), all I’ll have left to do tomorrow is make the cornbread casserole – woohoo!

I’m also meeting a friend out in Pasadena in a bit for some baby shower gift shopping, lunch and catching up.   Between Bunco and book club we see each other twice a month, but we have November off from both and she wasn’t able to make the last book club,  so I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen her.   Should be a fun lunch.  Hopefully she’ll bring the little one along too.

And now, I’m off to dig up those birth certificates – wish me luck!

Thanksgiving Planning

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It was asked that we (all three remaining siblings) provide the sides for Thanksgiving while the other sibling provides the turkey. That’s it. No other direction, no other organization. So, the hubby and I have taken it upon ourselves to provide dishes that we know we like and that more than likely, others won’t make. So here we go so far…

* mixed greens with cranberries, fresh (really fresh from the farmer’s market) goat cheese, sugared nuts and a champagne vinagrette

* cornbread casserole – the hubby wanted cornbread stuffing, but nothing jumped out at me

* possibly some green beans – easy to transfer and steam in the microwave (and some much needed veggies)

* Paula Deen’s pumpkin gingerbread trifle (in fact, I’ve already baked the gingerbread earlier tonight!!)

* a mishmash of crudites and appetizers (who knows how long we’ll be waiting for the entire family to show up with their sides and we need more than just potato chips, right?)

* a bottle or two of yummy wine (we’re more than willing to share – but really, we’re the only ones that drink wine).

Any other suggestions for easy sides that can travel well?

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I’m thankful that I was able to finally send out our last batch of invoices – so much closer to having all of our bookkeeping up to date for year end. Woohoo!

Ladies Who Launch

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I’ve heard this women’s group mentioned a time or two.  The first time I heard about it, I got the impression that it was just for creative, LA-types.  More recently, someone outside of LA mentioned it and I got a totally different impression.  So now I’m considering joining up.

I’m poking around the website to get to get a feel for things and to learn about the membership process, but I’m not finding it to be as informative as I’d like.  So before I sign up or ask to be contacted by someone, I’d love to hear from anyone that’s either gone through the program or maybe even knows someone that’s gone through it.

Anyone?

I Love Our Landlords

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But (you knew this was coming)…but, they have a habit of doing stuff and never letting us know.  Sometimes this means we wake up to the sound of the world being torn apart at the wall where our heads lay (they were ripping out their old, outdoor stairs and replacing them).  Other times, like today, it means that I’ve got things to do that require water – showering, washing dishes, drinking – and they turn it off without giving any warning.

So here it is, noon, and I’ve got some place to be in a little over an hour and well, I can’t shower.   I don’t mind that they’re doing repairs or upgrading things, but would it hurt to give us a little advanced notice?  The time they ripped out the stairs it scared us so much (at 9:00am or so on a Saturday) that I’m surprised we didn’t have heart attacks.  Had they let us know in advance, we wouldn’t have shaved years off of our lives and we would have prepared for it.

Oh well, it’s the price we pay for renting and well, here in SoCal, there’s not much else to do with the crazy housing market we’ve got going on.

And speaking of SoCal…I found out – when we were up in Sonoma of all places – that neither Glendale or Burbank are considered to be in the Valley.  Why?  Merely because they don’t rely on LA to provide their services – we have our own libraries, fire departments and police.  Therefore, we’re not considered to be in the SFV.  Who knew?

Bring on the Thanks

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I also realized that while writing my posts day to day I’m always thankful for the activities or topics that I’m posting about (the positive ones anyway), but I often don’t state this gratitude outright. So to make up for what some may view as some lacking thankfulness or gratitude posts, here goes…

* I’m thankful for our home – I may complain about it from time to time, but we’ve got a good thing going here and the neighborhood is awesome (she says having just returned from a lovely evening walk).

* I’m thankful for the boys – it’s not always easy blending a four-legged family, but our guys have taken to it quite well. They’re also always looking out for each other (when the pupster wasn’t feeling well, the kitkat was right there snuggling close and giving him hugs). They’re also great napping mates (see yesterday’s post regarding my love for napping).

* I’m thankful for my darling, non-sports loving, geeky, mellow, moppet-haired hubby – he’s my dream come true and all I could ever hope for in a partner (even if does desperately need a haircut right now). I aspire to be as calm as he can be in stressful situations – I’m sure I’ve said it before, but he’s so go with the flow and mellow its enviable.

* I’m thankful for my car. It’s a very simple, very inexpensive, bargain-priced Hyundai Elantra, but I love it. It’s the perfect size and it has and does pretty much anything I’d ever want or need a car to do or have. Mind you, I’d love a little sporty 5-speed so I could whiz through those Hollywood Hills, but considering this car cost less than my old sporty car that I bought over 15 years ago, I’m just fine. But once we make it rich, a sporty weekend car will be mine! Bwahahaha!

* I’m thankful for modern medicine and awesome doctors – both for me and for the pupster. I’ll sing it to the world, our doctor is awesome – along with our vet! We get special appointments if we need them, we get follow up phone calls after treatment, but more importantly, we get heard. Our doctor heard my casual chatter about little thing that seemed off and immediately suggested that we check my thyroid and even though my numbers were relatively low, she got me on the meds and it’s made a world of difference. She totally rocks!

* I’m thankful for chocolate – okay, I might be PMSing here, but really, nothing beats good chocolate. My friend recently visited Japan and brought me back some KitKat bars (at my request since that’s a common search keyword here for the blog – blog post to follow in the near future) and man, they’re good! Even cooler still, she’s in London this week and will hopefully be able to bring me back some Cadbury Dairy Milks or Fruit & Nuts. How exactly does US chocolate manage to taste so crappy compared to European chocolate?

* I’m thankful for my Mac and the lacking blue screen of death. Ah, so nice and so simple to use. I’m thrilled that I made the switch without argument or dragging my feet. Now I just need to learn to use half of the fun programs.

* I’m thankful for my friends. I seem to have had some slight bumps in the road of friendship these past couple of months, but I’m moving on. I know that I’ve got a great batch of friends that have been in my life for years and seeing them again, or talking to them from time to time feels like slipping into the most comfortable pajamas…just right.

* I’m thankful for NaBloPoMo – it’s brought so many blogs and bloggers that I’d otherwise never have known about into my life. And that’s not counting the cool things you can learn – like yummy Mexican restaurant recommendations while visiting Tucson! So handy and helpful. Fussy totally rocks for starting this up.

* I’m thankful for the time I’ve been able to spend working from home. I know that I sometimes vent about my job – who doesn’t, right – but it’s nice to know that I can work from home, have fun, and be able to take off on a moment’s notice. I honestly believe that working a 9-5 sort of job would kill our relationship (the hubby being a workaholic that doesn’t go to bed before 2:00am), so I’m thankful to have the opportunity to work with something that’s so flexible and creative.

I could go on and on, but I feel comfortable leaving this at an even ten. Well, that plus the pupster is begging for his dinner (and his medicine) and I still have Thanksgiving stuff to research.  So I leave you with a pretty picture from my birthday getaway two years ago (San Juan Capistrano), just because pretty things to look at are just one more thing to be thankful for…

Capistrano_wagon.jpg

I love to Nap

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No, really.  If you were to call my house, anytime between 2:00 and 5:00 you’d likely wake me up.  Mind you, I don’t not sleep for three hours!!  It’s more like 30-45 minutes.  But it’s pretty much a daily occurrence.  A somewhat daily occurrence that the boys love.

My favorite part of the weekend, aside from finally having time to just hang out with the hubby, is what we refer to as snuggle time.   Snuggle time is when we all get back into bed, read a little, and love on the boys.  It’s also one of the few times that the boys will willingly snuggle together (or closer together than they’d normally be).

Sometimes, like today, snuggle time quickly escalates into sleepy time where everyone falls asleep – some for longer than others.  Today, ahhhh…today was a wonderful snuggle time turned sleepy time.  That makes this a perfect Saturday in my book.

And of course, it helps the healing energy to get to the right boy at the right time…Griffin is nearly all better – the ears are no longer swollen and he spends more time not flapping than flapping his ears.  See, there really is something to napping.