Christmas gifts

We kept Christmas low-key this year in terms of the gifts that my husband and I gave each other, but I loved everything I got!!!!

From my husband:

Charles Wysocki's Americana calendar. Love love love calendars. Love love love Charles Wysocki art.

Bata Shoe Museum's High Style calendar. Again, love love love calendars. Love love love shoes and the Bata Shoe Museum. Yes, there is a real shoe museum and I've been there. Check it out: http://www.batashoemuseum.ca/

A gift certificate to the Vintage Salon & Day Spa. It's an amazingly relaxing little day spa nearby me. Check it out: http://www.vintagesalonanddayspa.com/

From my stepdaughter:

Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits CD. Yes, I'm reliving the 80's.

From my stepson:

Juno Blu-Ray. I could watch over and over.

I also got much appreciate money from my Mom & Dad, Mother-in-Law, and my Aunt.

Thanks everyone!

All dressed up!

This REALLY makes me angry

It takes A LOT to make me angry. However, when people with disabilities are not treated with respect, I get angry. I was just reading a blog that I frequent and the latest post is titled, "The Exclusion of Eliza Schaaf." I actually thought it was a review of a work of fiction. No, it's not. It's about a young woman with Down syndrome who is asked to leave Southern Oregon University after she's audited a Ceramics class for more than half of the semester. A summary of the situation can be found here: Eliza's University Experience: One-Page Summary. The other pages on the blog tell of where things stand with getting Eliza reinstated as a student.

As a stepmother of a young woman with Down syndrome, I'm appalled. However, as a human being, I'm mostly appalled.

This & That

Random ramblings --

• School is OVER for the semester!!! I finished yesterday and I am so relieved. Taking two classes is HARD when working full-time.
• I'm allowing myself to relax tonight and then tomorrow the cleaning/prep for Christmas MUST start!
• I've already done a bunch of Christmas shopping -- most of it online.
• I'm excited to go to my friend Nancy's annual holiday party tomorrow. (And excited to make gingerbread to bring. Yum.)
• For the first time in about 15 years I'll be with my parents on Christmas. That's all I need for a gift.
• I have been trying different flavors of Woodchuck Hard Cider and I'm loving the 802 flavor. (John's loving the Raspberry.)
• I'm also loving a new TV show on the Discovery Channel -- Brew Masters. Why you ask?
• a) It chronicles Dogfish Head Brewery, located in Milton, DE with its brew pub in neighboring Rehoboth Beach, my new fave place and future retirement spot.
• b) I went to elementary school with Sam Calagione, the owner of Dogfish Head. And my mom was his teacher.
• I'm working on a list of things I want to do by the time I turn 40. I better hurry up with that.

My new weapon of choice

It was the late 80s and my weapon of choice then was in a large purple can:

The result was this:

(You're impressed, aren't you?)

My hair isn't quite as vertical these days, but I have reallllllly fine hair (hair washers at salons I've gone to in the past have said, "You have hair just like a doll.") Yeah, well, try styling this doll hair, people.

Recently, I've tried a bunch of different hair sprays and they either are too fragrant, come out of the can like a turbo jet, or are gluey. Until now. My new weapon of choice:

 "Spray & Play Big Sexy Hair." It rocks. It doesn't have an overwhelming smell. It doesn't come out like a turbo jet. It only takes a little to make my doll hair stay in place. I'm sold. Only downfall? Price. Let's hope this large can lasts a while.

Our First Visit to the First State

I wish I was on vacation! I wish it was the summer! Thought I'd relive my summer vacation by finally posting some pics from our trip to Rehoboth Beach (and surrounding towns), Delaware. I can feel the sand in my toes already!

Before & After, Night & Day, Black & White (You catch my drift...)

Fall in New England

It doesn't happen very often!

I hardly cook. Ever. It stresses me out. I worry about it coming out OK and then if I have to time it with sides or accompanying parts of the meal...forget about it! So, obviously we don't eat Stouffer's French Bread Pizza or Hot Pockets every night and that means that John cooks. All of the time. I've wanted to cook more...I've made attempts by subscribing to Cooking Light magazine, buying kitchen gadgets/cooking accoutrements (latest was a food processor), etc...

Lately John's commute has been excrutiatingly long and my lack of cooking has become an issue. So, we decided this weekend that I would cook something on Sundays and we'd freeze it for the rest of the week. Sounds pretty simple, right? It is -- it just needed to be put into practice and now it is!

Tonight's recipe: Alysia's Basic Meat Lasagna from AllRecipes.com. And might I say -- not too bad! The reviews state that you should add extra sauce, which I did (a whole extra jar). It was a bit saucy, but not too bad. John's the carnivore in this family (I eat meat, too, just not as much as he does), so I agreed to do meat lasagna first and then hopefully branch out into veggie lasagna and others.

Here's my handiwork. Mangia!

I went to Rehoboth Beach, DE and all I got were these Crocs

OK...that's not entirely true. I got a fairly decent tan, had some great meals and drinks, and most of all?

R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N

Pics from the great vacation to come. (Oh, and who knew the Delaware coast was so beautiful? Huh. Not me!)

A tired dog (or three tired dogs) is a happy dog!

My stepdaughter G. holding court with (from left to right): Max, Ty & Fae:

Do you prefer Bordeaux or Apple Brown Betty with your Prairie Dust?

We're (well, I should say I'm) finally getting around to determine what color to do the shutters on our house. John has painted the front and done one coat on the back, so I'm determined to have the shutters painted and hung up before I start back to school in September. Our first pick for color was Olympic's Bordeaux. A very deep magenta/wine color, hence the name. However, the Olympic brochure had paired Apple Brown Betty with the color we chose for the body of the house -- Prairie Dust. So, I figured that the Olympic people must know something and we bought a quart of Apple Brown Betty.

I primed two shutters yesterday (with gray primer, as Lowe's said that when trying to cover a bright color -- hideous pink, gray works better) and today painted one in each color.  I realize that normally one paints two coats and lets them dry before making a decision, however, I knew right away. Bordeaux is the clear winner over Apple Brown Betty. (Although, I'm thinking it maybe should be renamed to Apple "Orange" Betty.)

Mustard weed

So, this is growing in our front yard. Directly opposite to our neighbor's house. I'm dying to cut it down, but John thinks we should let it grow.

New fave pic

Even at book #16, Stephanie Plum still makes me laugh

As you can see, I'm reading the newest book in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, "Sizzling Sixteen." I wonder how much longer Stephanie has before she's done, but even at the ripe old age of book #16 in the series, I STILL laugh out loud while reading. (Which is a problem when reading in bed and your spouse is sleeping.)

I must say that I'm over 1/2 way through and there have been a few fleeting moments when I've thought, "Let me guess what's going to happen here." And it does. BUT, there were some things that I was totally wrong about and was nicely surprised.

So far, 1 1/2 thumbs up. (Is that humanly possible?)

If it can happen...it will happen

WARNING: This has the potential to be a long rambling post.

So, since early Sunday morning, I've been sick. Stomach sick. (No further details needed.) I was sick throughout the day and still felt pretty weak yesterday, so I stayed home from work.

This morning, I felt OK, so I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and went to work. I was only there for a half hour or so and then started feeling weird. Hot flash/color draining from my face weird. I decided I'd had enough, so I called the doctor. I got patched through to the triage nurse and he asked how quickly I could get there, as there was some open time with the nurse practitioner.

Problem #1: Time Warp
I tell the triage nurse that I can be there in 15 minutes. Um, hello? I've been going to that doctor's office for 10ish years. It takes half hour from work. (But, in my weird state, this realization hasn't come to me yet.)

So, I pack up my stuff and go to the car.

Problem #2: Bridge Over Troubled Waters
I had parked in what's called the "jungle" at work (basically, in the bushes). I also parked right on the edge of a small bridge with a concrete abutment. In my weird state, I go forwards instead of backwards and "bump" into the abutment. I then realize that I've hooked something on the car to something on the bridge. I back up, go forward and I hear scraping. LOUD scraping. A HUGE plastic "thing" is protruding out of the wheel well.

I fix it and drive away. 500 yards later? LOUD scraping. I pull over and fix it. And AGAIN in 500 yards. I then decide I'll just have to drive with it and ignore it. The time warp then hits me and I call the doctor's to tell them I'll be late. They're less than friendly and tears start a-flowin.

I make my way to the doctor's (ignoring the dirty looks I'm getting from fellow drivers and pedestrian gawkers). I end up having to wait and then get escorted into an exam room.

Problem #3: Mistaken Identity
Nurse Practitioner comes in and says, "You're too young to have back pain." In my weird clueless state, I think she's referring to my bad posture and say so. She's silent for a few minutes and then she says, "You're Jane Doe, right?" Um, NO..."I'm Jane Smith." Good thing we cleared that up early on. That could've turned VERY ugly.

She tells me to go the nearby hospital and get bloodwork to make sure I'm not dehydrated, etc... Due to the car issue, I decide to walk to the hospital (which is practically next door) and get the bloodwork. I check in and take my turn in the waiting area. I then get called in.

Problem #4: Bloody Embarrassing
In my weird clueless state I tell the phlebotomist to draw the blood from my right arm. Um, hello? Again? I ALWAYS get blood drawn from the left arm. But, again, in the clueless state I'm in, I put forth the right arm. Of course, she has trouble getting blood from the vein. Because, you know, I never get blood drawn from that vein or arm. She finally fills the first vial and then has to move the needle around to fill the second vial. I feel the blood draining from my face, tears filling my eyes, and a general feeling of weakness. The phlebotomist also notices this and sounds the warning. "Bring me a cold facecloth ASAP!" I hear, "Put your head down!" Yes, I almost passed out. I was transferred to a recliner and was totally embarrassed to have cold towels all over me.

I finally convince them I'm fine and walk back to my car. I have to head to the grocery store to get Gatorade & Saltines. I also decide that I will buy a pair of scissors there and cut off (or attempt to cut off) the huge plastic "thing" dragging from my car. I go into the store, pick up the Gatorade & Saltines and head to the office supplies aisle.

Problem #5: Don't Run with Scissors
So, apparently this grocery store isn't allowed to sell adult scissors. All they have? Two pair of kids' scissors. One a "safety" pair and the other a purple Crayola pair. I'm thinking neither are going to do the job. Luckily, there is a pharmacy nearby and I do find an "adult" pair of scissors. I cut the "thing" off and am able to drive away.

I think that covers it. Murphy's Law? You betcha.

Movies that I could watch over and over and over again...

In no particular order (and yes, some are silly mindless guilty pleasure movies):

1. Miracle
2. Juno
3. Sweet Home Alabama
4. Napolean Dynamite
5. Legally Blonde
6. All the Right Moves
7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
8. Walk the Line
9. Toy Story (can't wait to see the new one)
10. Grease
11. Footloose
12. The Outsiders
13. Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi
14. E.T.
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark (minus the snake scenes thank you)

What movies could you watch over and over and over?

Back to Basics

You may have noticed (or not...) that I've gone from gray to red to white background. The colors were a little too much for me and I wanted to go simple & clean. Maybe the fact that it's more visually pleasing to me will prompt me to write more often. Maybe. Just maybe. I'm also going to be fiddling around with the list of blogs, my "What I'm Reading Now" and other "stuff" on the page.

For you mom...

Heather posted some family pics on Facebook and is going to email me some. Here's one I copied from her Facebook page. Great "goggy"! :)

A day late and several thousand dollars short

First let me start by saying that the whole "long weekend gives me plenty of opportunity to blog" thing didn't exactly pan out.

Anywho, let's get to the point of this post.

Background info: I have an almost 14 year old Honda Civic. It's the only car I've ever owned. It's the color of the new background on my blog (FYI: design not final). It's been a really good car for most of its life.

Fast forward: For the past 10 or so months, this --



Yes, the dreaded Check Engine light. As we all know, you can't get an inspection sticker with this baby lit up.

A week or so ago? Light went OFF!!!!! Month my inspection sticker is due? JUNE!!!! I said I would get the sticker this coming Saturday.

Procrastination will get you nowhere my friends. Yesterday? Light is back on. :(

As I type, I'm multi-tasking and checking out certified used cars on cars.com.

Posts a-brewin'

Not brewin' as in beer, but brewin' as in formulating in my mind. Now, I just need to take the time to actually flesh them out:

- Snoring saga
- Spring cleaning / organizing
- Weight struggle
- Vacation daydreams

It's a long weekend this weekend (even longer because I'm taking tomorrow off -- woo hoo!!!) I'll *try* to at least work on one of these topics this weekend. Ciao!

Boston's Newest Hero

He's the one smack dab in the middle being mobbed by teamates. Welcome back Marc Savard.



Photo credit: Boston Globe.

How embarrassing!!!!

It's been over THREE months since I've blogged. I'd say nothing has happened over the past three months, but that would be a blatant lie!

I only took one class this semester, but it was a toughy. I gave my final presentation on Thursday night and next Thursday is the last class, which I can just be part of the audience for. Wahoo.

Max has been sick. :( The vet thought he had a UTI, but then another vet at the practice called the UTI symptoms a "red herring" for stomach problems. He had to have a scope to look for foreign bodies. Nothing found except for a very inflamed tummy. He's all drugged up now and out of it.

G, my stepdaughter had surgery a month or so ago and my mom had surgery a few months ago.

Meanwhile, I've neglected communication with friends, others & this blog. Time to get back on the blogwagon!

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

Let it be known right up front that I am not skeptical about marriage. When I met my now husband, I knew that I had found THE person that I wanted to share marriage with. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the well-known Eat, Pray, Love is (or more appropriately, was) the skeptic. I have to say that the topic of Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, Gilbert's latest book wasn't what enticed me to read it. Plain and simple -- I wanted to know what happened to Gilbert AFTER Eat, Pray, Love. Little did I know that I would find the historical and cultural story of marriage as interesting as I did. What I really found interesting, however, was in Chapter Five -- "Marriage & Women."

On page 185, after reading Gilbert's statement, "...nearly forty year old, feeling no desire whatsoever for a baby of my own" I liked the book even more. For the most part, this is me in a nutshell. (I say "for the most part" because I do have occasional random fleeting desires.) Gilbert goes on to say that this is relevant in her story because marriage and child rearing are so enmeshed in our society.

A few paragraphs later, Gilbert writes the following and when I read it, I realize that I could've written that EXACT same statement, "Moreover, while the vague idea of motherhood had always seemed natural to me, the reality -- as it approached -- only filled me with dread and sorrow." I can't put my feelings into words any better. The thought of having a human life to care for 24 hours per day and guide through life for the next 18 years = walls closing in on me.

When I first got married (6 1/2 years ago), I constantly fielded questions about WHEN I would be having children. (It was a given with those that questioned me that I WOULD have children.) I would then delicately try to explain the concept of that never happening. Most people didn't understand and would just push further. One co-worker said to me during a holiday work party, "C'mon -- you have to try at least one." My reaction? A child is not a piece of candy that I can buy, taste, spit out and throw away if I don't like it.

These questions led to lots of feelings of guilt for me. What is WRONG with me for not wanting children? I felt like the only one I knew that felt this way. Gilbert addresses this on page 190, "All too often, those of us who choose to remain childless are accused of being somehow unwomanly or unnatural or selfish..."

Gilbert then goes on to say that often childless women join the ranks of the "Auntie Brigade" and what a wonderful group they are.

I finished this chapter in the book feeling happy, validated, not so alone. I have two amazing stepchildren who I've been able to watch grow up and develop a relationship with. When I married my husband, I gained eight amazing nieces & nephews (and now even one great-nephew!) My best friends have the cutest kids and even though I don't see them often, I love playing with them and hanging out with them. And when the playing is done and the crying starts, I can get in my car and drive away...