Resolutions

I am not doing favorites this week, but am instead doing my resolutions for the coming year...in all their bloody gore for the world to see and consequently make fun of when I fail miserably two months from now! Ah, but that is the fun of making resolutions....to see how quickly I fail. Perhaps I should resolve to not make resolutions, kind of like when for Lent I give up giving things up.

1. Eat less - exercise more = stay the same weight. OK, seriously. I got this cool new stepper for Christmas, which I am going to try to use each day and at the very least increase my stamina and fitness level.
2. Drink more wine.
3. Read more - I did not come anywhere close to finishing my list and it just continued to grow
4. Learn to say "What the hell" and "For the love of God" in 10 different languages because English is just not enough
5. Laugh often and Love more

Urgent! Emergency! Urgent, Urgent, Urgent! Emergency!

I need help, serious help. I am updating my daughters iPod (something I meant to have done before Christmas, but didn't). Anyway, it is a used iPod that I got from a friend, I removed all her music so there is plenty of free space (it is a Nano that can hold 1,000 songs basically). I have 799 pieces of music that I want to take from my existing library for my ipod and put on this new one. I checked only the songs I want on there, hook hers up, and everytime I get this message "The iPod "name here" cannot be synced. The required disk cannot be found."

WTF?? Help!

Best, Worst, In My Dreams

This week I had the PSS question and I think it was something along the lines of best Christmas present, worst Christmas present, and something you wanted but never received.

Best - One of my favorites, as I have a few that were great so not one best, was a suede coat my dad bought me on Christmas Eve. My dad has this bad habit of putting shopping off to the last minute. However, he has a great habit of "throwing money at it", so he will spend what he has on something to avoid aggravation. I was working in the salon on Christmas Eve when he came to see me and said "you have 30 minutes to come to Nordstrom and pick out a Christmas present or you won't be getting one". So off we went, he knew I needed a coat so this was his way of having me pick out my own. I found an incredible black suede coat with a hood, fur lined, for $350, which is what I chose. I still have it today and love it, but that was the last time he did that. = )

Worst - Fruitcake.

Wanted - Remote control car. As a kid I always wanted one of these, but I don't think my parents thought I was serious so I never did get one.

The Meaning of Christmas

Christmas....ah, thank God that is over. This year was soo aggravating with the presents and the running around and the way too much on my plate. I felt like I needed about 10 more hours per day and about 3 more weeks to have things finished. As it was, in the end. I just let go and let God...which meant it turned out exactly as I needed it to. Without my knowing that at the time.

To start off, I was told I would be losing my job right around Halloween. Not a happy thought considering that I loved my job and it was perfect for me. So the prospect of finding a new one, on top of everything else that was needed to prepare for the holidays was overwhelming. So I spent a few weeks interviewing, working on my resume, scouring job postings, etc. In addition, I am getting my master's degree so have those classes, still have a job through the end of the year, bell choir and the monthly publication for my church, a husband and 2 children with needs. It was, therefore, with no remorse when I looked at the calendar for the holiday's and said "Holy shit...let's skip the damn thing!"

Usually I have presents bought well before Thanksgiving, this year we were still shopping on the 20th. Normally my Christmas cards and letter would be out the second week of December at the latest. This year they were sent out on the 22nd (some still need to go). Typically I have time to watch every movie in our collection with my daughter....3/15 on that one. We almost always go to look at the lights in the park downtown. This year we passed them briefly on our way to her performance and never made it back. I am so unbelievably disappointed with myself for my failings.

But then I remember. Christmas is not about all the stuff we got, or didn't get. It is not about the things that we did or did not get to do because they are tradition. And it is most definitely not about having the perfect Christmas...as no such thing exists.

Christmas, to me, means remembering that I am saved because of a baby born in a manger who gave his life so that I may live forever. It is about love, the ultimate love and sacrifice of one person for others.

Compared to that gift, everything else pales in comparison.

If You Know What I Mean

So last night I went with my mom, her husband, and my best bud Eggie Baby to see Neil Diamond in concert. It was fucking awesome! He is amazing in person, just an unbelievable showman, plays real well to the crowd, and still sounds great after all these years. Now, you can laugh about Neil Diamond if you want to...I think that there are two kinds of people - those that love him and those that don't. For me, I grew up on Neil Diamond music. Both my parents loved his music and it was played in our house all the time. The happiest moments of my childhood have "Beautiful Noise", "The Grass Won't Pay No Mind", or "If You Know What I Mean" and so on as the background music.

I also believe that he is one of the most prolific and successful songwriters of all time, particularly if you consider songs he wrote that other people have made famous - Red Red Wine by UB40, I'm a Believer by both the Monkees and Smashmouth, and more. What was so amazing about the concert last night is the age range of people there. You had people who were in there 80's standing next to kids in their 20's. There were groups of kids dressed up in sparkly outfits or shirts, as a tribute of sorts to when he used to do that all the time. (One guy even was a dead ringer for Wirick...he was wearing a red Lame' shirt with sequins all over it...so hysterical. I wish I had gotten a picture!)

Anyway, I had a blast. He opened the concert with my all time favorite, Holly Holy. He then did Beautiful Noise, and a few more old songs. Then he did a set off his new album, then he did his get the crowd going and dancing part where he has the Sweet Caroline number...bahm, bahm, bahm...so good, so good, so good! It is amazing to see a sold out Energy Solutions Arena all standing up and singing to that song together...incredible. Then he did a set off his 12 Songs album, then his personal set "Brooklyn Roads","I am, I Said", closing with "Hell Yeah". For the encore he did "Crackling Rosie", "America" (today!), and finally another favorite of mine as the last song "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show". The concert was about 2 and half hours and worth every minute. This has been the 5th time I have seen him and hopefully is not the last.

For those of you who think he is just some hack or wimpie pop star, here is my evidence to the contrary:

Rock and Roll Neil


































He is a great lyricist as well, here a few of my favorite lines:

Young bird flying
And a soft wind blowing
Cools the sweat inside my palms
Close my eyes and see the flowers growing
As you lay sleeping in my arms
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind


It's a beautiful noise
Made of joy an of strife
Like a symphony played
By a passing parade
It's the music of life


Look at the way I glide
Caught on the wind's lazy tide
Sweetly how it sings
Rally each heart at the sight
Of your silver wings

And each one there
Has one thing shared:
They have sweated beneath the same sun,
Looked up in wonder atthe same moon,
And wept when it was all done
For bein' done too soon

Dry your eyes and take your song out, its a newborn afternoon.
And if you cant recall the singer you can still recall the tune.
Dry your eyes and play it slowly like youre marching off to war;
Sing it like you know he'd want it, like we sang it once before.
And from the center of the circle to the midst of the waiting crowd,
If it ever be forgotten sing it long and sing it loud and come dry your eyes

When the night returns just like a friend
When the evening comes to set me free
When the quiet hours that wait beyond the day make
Peaceful sounds in me
Took a drag from my last cigarette
Took a drink from a glass of old wine
Closed my eyes and I could make it real and
Feel it one more time
Can your hear it babe? Can your hear it babe?
From another time. From another place.Do you remember it babe?
And the radio played like a carnival tune
As we lay in our bed in the other room
When we gave it away for the sake of a dream
In a penny arcade
If you know what I mean

Baby It's Cold Outside

This week Kim D asked us what our favorite thing about snow is, favorite memory, etc.

I like snow, I just do not like being cold. I do love to watch it falling and see the trees and the earth the morning after, when the sky is so blue. I don't mind shoveling it, and would rather do that than mow the lawn. I think it is fun to play in with my husband and daughter, there is nothing like building a snowman with a little kid and a big kid! Last year we did a snow fort with several entrances, that was a ton of fun.

Christmas Movies

This weeks Christmas theme is Christmas movies ~

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. Srooged - Totally hysterical, very quotable - besides the great message.
3. A Christmas Story - I just love this movie, I laugh and laugh at all the funny bits and the whole feeling of it is classic.
4. A Muppets Christmas Carol - Life would be empty without the Muppets...nuff said.
5. Sound of Music

Honorable mentions to Charlie Brown Christmas, the orignial Grinch, and the original Rudolph.

Gigglefest and Sing a Longs

This is from Thanksgiving when Missy G had the baby laughing out loud. It was the first time that family was over to see it, so it was pretty special. I apologize for the screaming girl sounds and also to you sheep lovers.

This is from the performance at the Christmas Village here in town a few weeks ago. My favorite part about this whole video is the end where she realizes that other people are singing the wrong words and is looking around for the guilty culprit. Coming from my perfectionist daughter, I am not surprised one bit. Her dad, even though he is a perfectionist himself but not about things like that, would have deliberately changed the words just for the fun of it.

Here is a an example, The Steve Miller Band "Jet Airliner". The chorus goes "Oh, Oh big ol' jet airliner/Don't carry me too far away/Oh, Oh big ol' jet airliner/Cause it's here that I've got to stay". And D's version? Change the first line to "Oh, big ol' hairy vagina". Now, you tell me if you will ever view that song the same after that? Another prime example, Huey Lewis and the News "Happy to Be Stuck with You", D's version "happy to be fucking you". It may not be charming or fit for public consumption, but in the car between us...I am in tears from laughing so hard. He keeps my life interesting, no doubt about that.

Live from New York...Weekend Update

OK, so I am not really in New York (thank you Jesus!) I am really here in my hometown, chilling like a villain and kicking it old school.

This weekend so far has been pretty eventful. On Friday I went to Salt Lake for a job interview with a trucking company as a grand pooba know it all admin/director/catch all person. It seems like an awesome position and the pay is fantastic. However, I would have to drive 45mins everyday and it is a pretty patriarchal business from all appearances. We all know how well that would gel with me. The first interview was pretty preliminary stuff with the corporate BS thrown in there. She commented that she would pass me on to the next level..so we will see.

Before the interview I got a call from a local company that I had interviewed with the week before about a position there. It seems like a very cool job also, lots of analysis for them, setting up their HR, pulling together orientations and presentations, managing some accounting functions, etc. He said the President/Owner was in town and wanted to meet with me, so could I come in. I told him sure and we set up a time for 3 pm. I had planned after my interview in Salt Lake, that I would go hang out with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Dr. J. Well, fifteen minutes after the interview, I was on my way. Like I said, it was very preliminary. The thought went through my mind "I drove all the way down here for this?"

When I got to Dr. J's house I was met by the dogs (two big, adorable, and sweet, but big labs), Dr. J and her new son "cracker". Her baby, besides my babies, is the light of my life. There is just something so special about your friends who you have known for 20+ years kids. She is as close as a sister to me as can be, so this whole experience is just amazing. Besides, it was very difficult for him to get here...a long and tough process for them, so he is a blessing beyond blessing. I was, therefore, perfectly content to hold him, smell him, and love on him for a few hours.

After I left Salt Lake I drove straight to this other company for the meeting with the owner and the GM, who I had interviewed with previously. Let me just say this as I do not like to blog about work/business related happenings. That was by far the strangest, but most refreshing business exchange I have ever been involved with. I was there for almost 2 hours, I talked with most of the people who are executives as they kept coming in and out of the office to talk to the owner. The owner is from Switzerland so his way of operating and handling issues is much different than the American way. Personally, I love it! Long story short, my face hurt from laughing and smiling so much and I was offered the job. Which I accepted and I start next week.

I was so thrilled as the job market is super-shitty right now and it was only my second interview. I am so excited about the opportunity with this company, so we will see if, in time, it is all I hope for. Besides, someone that I know applied for and interviewed for the job, but obviously did not get it. Considering how difficult this person made my life sometimes, I feel it was Karma. Man, she can be a bitch sometimes huh?

I had planned to go with my friend Eggiebaby to dinner and movie for her birthday, so I called her to make sure we were still on and apologize for being late. In her usual cool way, she did not give a shit. We decided on Olive Garden for dinner and then the movie Australia. I am always amazed at the patience of people to wait to eat at Olive Garden. Seriously, I think I have only eaten in the main area 2 or 3 times. That is usually because I am only with one other person and we eat at the bar. This night was no different. We had to ask some people to move down for two seats together, which the graciously did. However, and I kid you not here, all the other people who were sitting at the bar waiting for a table, as we were the only ones who had dinner there, were still waiting when we left. And they had all been there when we arrived! I cannot believe it, seriously. I have only been to a few places in my life where the food was that good...and Olive Garden is not it. Afterwards, we went to see Australia, which was outstanding. I am sure there are some people who thought it was too long or whatever. Granted, it felt like 3 hours, but it was sweeping, funny, and overall entertaining. It was not my favorite movie of all time and I would not own it, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

On Saturday morning we went to the preschool where my oldest went for a fundraiser breakfast with Santa. The cool part is that the Santa pictures were cheap, $3, and they are not copyrighted so I can duplicate at will. The bad part was waiting 30 minutes for barely cooked pancakes. Oh well, it was for a good cause. I also ran into Lisa (aka the Cool Chick) there, so that was awesome too. The rest of the day was pretty much spent napping, reading, or watching TV with the kids. The highlight of my day was a candy cane shake that D brought me from the local burger joint....awesome! The other hightlight was my husbands cousin Brian, who had moved to Idaho years ago, stopping by with his kids and hanging out chatting for a while. It really puts your own age in perspective when you are around people who you knew at 6 or 2 years old and they are talking about getting married, drinking, going to college, etc.

Tomorrow, my oldest is singing in church, D is working in the garage, Survivor ends...go Bob, I have a paper to write, and I am going to attempt Shrimp Fettuccine with a Gorgonzola cream sauce for dinner. If it does not kill us, it will make us stronger!

Year Tag

Lisa tagged me, and I know I did this not too long ago, so I will try to come up with different things.

20 years ago:
1. I was 16 years old
2. Junior at Roy High
3. Dating Andy

10 years ago:
1. I was working at AOL
2. A newlywed
3. My grandfather died on Christmas Eve

5 years ago:
1. My oldest was 3
2. Still at AOL
3. Wondering if I was ever going to finish school

3 years ago:
1. Pregnant with my son
2. D went back to school
3. December 9, 2005 - Dylan at Primary's Hospital - SMA diagnosis on December 12

1 year ago:
1. Pregnant with my baby
2. Great job with my current company
3. Grandmother Fern died

So far this year:
1. I received my bachelors...woohoo!
2. Had a baby girl who is very healthy and happy...woohoo!
3. Lost my job...shit!

Yesterday:
1. Went to work
2. Wrapped Christmas presents
3. Watched a movie with my sweetie

Today:
1. Christmas concert at my daughters school
2. Have to write a paper for school (yes, I went back for my Masters)
3. Bought the wrong damn size boots!

Tomorrow:
1. Lunch with my mom
2. Play bells at church
3. Hopefully find out if I have a new job (waiting on job offer)

Next year:
1. Secure employment
2. Hopefully lost weight and in better shape (not round, more oval)
3. Win the lottery!

Christmas PopRocks

This week the five favorites are the non-traditional or secular Christmas songs. And for your viewing pleasure I even added a video!

1. Last Christmas - It had better be by Wham!...anything else is awful drivel.
2. Do They Know it's Christmas - by BandAid 1984. It is not Christmas for me till I hear this on the radio.




3. Good King Wenceslas
4. Baby it's Cold Outside - again I like the original version best.
5. Blue Christmas by Elvis tied with Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton

Ignore My Behind

So, as usual, I am behind on my updates or the pictures of the girls. So here are a few from October through last week.










Freak snowstorm in early October that pushed the trampoline into the fence, busted the frame and took out our maple tree. Awesome!










Sissy and her kitten










"If I only had a brain".

Cinderella and the magic pumpkin










Forever plaid for Reformation Sunday










You have not lived until a cat has watched you bathe










Doing her Magnum P.I. impression










Totally her sister's idea













Christmas carols at the Christmas Village







The great paper chase....she literally rolled and ripped apart the paper from one side of the room to the other. No, I did not let her eat it...well, not very much anyway.

Traditionally Speaking

What are your family's traditions? To add.. as a child and/or as an adult and not just at Christmas.

I love family traditions, I feel that it brings a sense of continuity and history to my family. I do not really have many traditions that are not involved with Christmas, so I will focus just on the Christmas season. It starts with Christmas shopping. Every November, before Thanksgiving, I take a day off work and my mom and I go shopping in Salt Lake. We do not go anywhere in particular, just to the shops that strike our fancy at the time. Typically we end up at Spoons & Spice buying tea, sometimes we hit the London Market for Wine Gums and Malteasers. We almost always do Trolley Square. Regardless, we have a great time, a nice lunch together, and usually manage to get most of our shopping done. After Thanksgiving my mom, my oldest, and I go see the Nutcracker by Ballet West at Weber State. I never tire of this ballet and for my daughter it is a new experience every time as she always finds out new things that she did not realize about the story or performance. I am very excited to have two girls going next year!

I have started a tradition of having my daughter help me with the Christmas decorations, putting up the tree, the advent calendars, etc. This year we strung lights from floor to ceiling in our bay window and put up a small tree since we have the baby rolling around and the kitten. Typically a week before Christmas my daughter and my mom make sugar cookies together, which we put out for Santa. Around this time D and I try to find a day to do Christmas shopping together. I love it when we do this, as we hardly ever shop together. Sometime during this time frame we go look at the lights at Christmas Village. On Christmas Eve I we go to church in the evening, now that we have kids it is the early service where the minister reads a Christian themed Christmas story for the kids instead of doing a sermon. We always close the services with the lights off and lit candles singing Silent Night to just the guitar. It brings me to tears every year. After we get home from church, we open one present (pajamas), we put out cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and the reindeer. I read "The Night Before Christmas" and "The Three Trees" to my daughter. After she is in bed D and I light a fire, make some popcorn, cuddle up and watch "It's a Wonderful Life"...no matter how late we have to stay up!

In the morning, we take turns opening presents, then have breakfast of a German pancake, bacon or sausage, and oranges. For dinner we typically go to my moms, then on to D's family side later since they are all night owls.

Wee Bit O' Funny

Don't ask me why, but lately I am in an all things Irish mood. I know, you are saying "know how is that different than any other time lassie"? Well 'tis, I think I must be homesick...'cept it's not me home. But I wish it was. So, I am going for a pint and then going to enjoy this hysterical videos from my favorite Irish band Gaelic Storm. (The were in the movie Titanic by the way, as the group at that dancing scene...only good thing about that wreck of a movie if you ask me)

A Caroling We Go

For the month of December I am going to do all Christmas themed favorites for my five favorite lists.

To start things off right I am going to list my all time favorite religious Christmas hymns.

1. Silent Night
2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
3. Away in a Manger
4. O Holy Night
5. What Child is This/We Three Kings

Holly Jolly Christmas

This week Shane asked "Tell us about your most-memorable childhood Christmas."

My most memorable Christmas as a child took place when I was about 7 or 8 I think. I was still playing with Barbies at the time (this amazes me to this day, granted I usually cut all their hair off and had their car crash or something like that) and my dad built me a doll house. The floor and walls were covered with different kinds of wall paper, it was painted white with a red roof, had a carport for my little corvette, and their was a deck on it. My mom made little pillows and quilts to go on my furniture, along with some of my doll clothes. It was awesome! I was so excited when I woke up Christmas morning and saw that, I bet I played with it everyday for the next few years.

The other childhood memory is just really a collection of how great Christmas was at our house. The festivities really started on Christmas Eve when we would go to church every year. We always got to open one present on Christmas Eve also, which was either the dress for church or pajamas usually. My brother and I would spend the night in his room in our sleeping bags, than in the morning it was a mad dash to get the stockings...of course sometimes the stockings were on the end of our sleeping bag...which was really cool. I know realize this was done to force us to stay in the room longer, but it does negate how great it was. We always had an orange in the toe of our stocking, some mixed nuts in the shell still (??), the lifesaver book, and then 1 or 2 very cool toys or games. Almost always these were similar to avoid fights. Then there was the one special unique thing that was always in there too. After we were worn out with that and whatever present was under the tree not wrapped, we would wake our parents up. My parents had this tradition of taking turns when opening presents, so the whole event lasted longer and we could fully appreciate what everyone received. Next came breakfast of my moms famous coffee cake or waffles.

2 other Christmas's stick out in my mind. One when I was about 15 my brother received a box of money that was all crinkled up so when he opened the box it sprang out. The other was 2 years later, the last Christmas I spent with my brother. On Christmas Eve we went to see Imagine by John Lennon in the afternoon, then went shopping in Nordstroms where he bought me a shirt with a self-portrait of John Lennon on it. (I still have that shirt even though it is way too small for me now, I will never get rid of it) Then we went to chuch together, just the two of us to a different church where our previous Associate Pastor was now the Pastor. Back home we shared some eggnog with rum and talked in my room for hours. The last thing he did that night was play John Lennon's "Woman" for me and told me that this song always made him think of me and the person I was becoming. In the morning we had our usual deal, but the present he gave me was a framed sketch of the Beatles. It was one of the coolest gifts I have ever received. I just remember being so amazed at the man he had become at 19. He was thoughtful, he was generous, he was funny, and he was so thankful for all the people and gifts in his life. It was eye-opening for me and still gives me pause when I think of it. That was by far one of the best Christmas's I ever had.

Limmerick

There was a man named Shane,
Who sometimes could be a pain,
He fell behind on his posts,
But what bothered me the most,
Were the cobwebs growing in his brain.