Toodles, 2006! Bring on 2007

So, it's New Year's Eve. In less than 9 hours, 2006 will be a memory and I'll start the mental soundtrack that will be playing for the next couple of months: "It's 2007, don't write 2006. It's 2007. Don't write 2006."

I guess I could write a little review of 2006, but what is there to review? Aside from some bumps here and there, 2006 was fantastic! I had a great year and can honestly say that my life is better today than it was a year ago and that's all that really matters, eh? No need for the ceremonial debriefing. I'm no slave to tradition.

But I have made some resolutions this year. I'm thinking I can handle them.

1. Working on doing what speaks to me, honoring myself, instead of doing things that I feel I "should" do or "ought" to do (i.e. checking my motivation.)
2. Work more on being my true self.
3. Say YES more often to my kids and husband and myself and NO more often to everyone else.
4. Learn intarsia knitting, although I may never use it.
5. Convert all my cds into MP3s (if I start at midnight, I should have this finished by, oh, November)
6. Do monthly back ups of files, music, photos, docs.

Yeah, I can swing it.

We're letting Duck and Stealth stay up until Midnight so they can watch the ball drop in Times Square. It's laughable to think that they'll make it that late, but you never know. I'd bet money that B and I will be having our New Year's kiss over the heads of two sleeping little boys, but I suppose it could be a party with Duck screaming his Duck-sh Auld Lang Syne and everyone slamming Sparkling Raspberry Grape juice out of my expensive champagne flutes. I'm not sure which I would prefer - a private moment with B to welcome in 2007, OR a wild, balls to the wall, full fledged fiesta with two happen' cats from the under 7 set.

Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, I hope that you have a rockin' New Year's Eve. May you have the bubbliest champagne, the best date, and may you not be stuck in the toilet when the clock strikes twelve. But, if your night is less than festive, just sing along with Duck:

Should old paintings

We've forgot

And never left behind

We'll drink a cup of tea, my dear

And then the last laugh's mine

Public Notice

Headaches hurt like hell and I'm a total raving bitch while having one.  I happen to be having a massive one today and it does not seem to be ending.  Draw your own conclusions as to my state of mind.

As you were.

Back your shizit up

So, I installed the printer that B got me yesterday. My computer required a restart for it to work. The computer wouldn't load Windows. Had to push the power button and tried again and luckily it worked. Today, it automatically updated for the printer and also needed a restart. Again it wouldn't start.
And again it wouldn't start.
4 times and I couldn't get it started.
So I called the tech support where I have my warranty / tech plan** and talked to some guy and we tried to start it in safe mode. No go. We tried to reboot. Nothing. It was not working and he told me I was going to have to do another system recovery and lose everything. FUCK ME - didn't I just do this a few months ago?
I started screaming and crying and just out of frustration I nearly threw the phone. Eventually, we unplugged the printer and discovered that there was something wrong with the USB cable. Switched the cable, restarted in Safe Mode, fixed the problems, and now everything is working just fine but ...
I almost lost 6,000 songs and twice as many photos. Again.
Needless to say, I am currently backing everything up. EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING is going on DVD's right this very second.
For those of you who got new computer goodies, for those of you who like me thought, "eh, I'll back up tomorrow," and for those of you who just need the reminder - BACK UP NOW!!!

And check your freaking cables - good lord, all this bullshit went down because of a faulty USB cable.
Whew. That was too close.

** Tech support stuff -
I cannot say enough about Staples Tech support and protection. Seriously. I think I spent $139 for a 2 year support program when I bought the computer. Since then, I have called them numerous times for help. I always get a live person. I have never had to wait on hold for more than 3 minutes. EVER. The folks are in North Carolina as opposed to India. They answer the phones 24/7. They replaced my hard drive for free, even sent someone to my house TWICE to do it. They are always friendly, are never ever in a rush and will take as long as you need. They are clear and easy to understand and are very, very helpful. If you ever buy anything from Staples and think at some point you might want some tech support, I say DO IT. Sincerely, they have saved my ass so many times and are happy to do it. When my contract runs out in May, you can bet I'm renewing it.

The scoop on the loot and other Christmas la di dah

As planned, we did the annual R Family get together on Saturday night.  This year actually wasn't so bad!  The key Grinch was missing so that took a lot of the pain away.  The food was good, the kids were great, and I actually got a White Elephant that I wanted, so that was just a bonus!

 

Christmas celebrations with my Dad went well.  The birthday fiesta was a huge hit and I felt glad and really not so much stress!  They got us new gorgeous dishes (a great thing since our others were OLD and UGLY and mostly missing since I dropped a huge stack of them on the floor two weeks ago and they shattered into a gazillion pieces) along with a couple of other small things that B and I needed.  The kids, of course, made a haul with new games and toys and artsy stuff.  It was a lovely visit and they'll return tomorrow morning so that we can spend time together before they leave town.  I'm thinking a game of Twister is in order.

 

After they left and we put two excited boys to bed, B and I went to the garage for some adult time and then came in for Wrap Fest 2006.  I grossly under estimated the amount of paper we would need for wrapping everything but fortunately we found some old paper in the basement and the attic.  WHEW!  While I may have goofed that up, I was thrilled to see that everything we got them came in a box already so there wasn't any need for bizarre wrapping and creative uses of tape.  SCORE!  We shoved all the presents under the tree, filled the stockings and ate Santa's cookies (B) and Rudolph's carrot (me,) and sat down to exchange gifts.

 

He opened his first and probably sprained some sort of muscle acting all excited.  I cannot imagine it was very exciting for him - I only got him what he asked for, but whatever.  He's a guy.  An upgrade on the belt sander was a bonus, I guess.  It really seemed to me (and he agreed later on) that he was more excited about giving me my gift than he was to receive anything.

 

So I get ready to open the big heavy box and my affliction struck again - nervous laughter.  I don't know when this started exactly or what sparked it, but for the last couple of years, whenever I get nervous in a good way, I start laughing.  No, I start cackling.  Perhaps Braying would be a better word.  I'm not sure what you want to call it, but I usually laugh so hard I cry and wet myself and end up in outrageous hysterics all in anticipation.  Such was the case Sunday night.  Finally I opened the gift and was so thrilled to see that it's a printer.  Oh wait, it's not just a printer.  It's a scanner.  And a copier.  And a printer.  OH yeah, AND it's not just a document printer - it's a PHOTO printer. Oh and it doesn't even need my computer to edit and print photos.  It's gorgeous and I tested it out this morning and it prints photos better than I have gotten in YEARS and YEARS.  Seriously, I had some prints made to take with me to CA in October from digital photos.  I made a print off of one of them today using the same digital image and the print that I made on my printer is more clear than the one that the professionals did.  YIPPEEEEEEEEE!!!! 

 

Did I mention that it prints those 4x6 photos in, oh, 12 seconds or less?

And it does 33 documents a minute?

I'm a happy woman.

 

Christmas morning was full of the usually hoopla.  The boys actually slept in but when they awoke and found all their goodies (they got some that they had wanted for over 9 months,) they were appropriately thrilled.  Breakfast of home made whole wheat pancakes with pure organic maple syrup filled us up for the trip to the in laws.  It was lovely there, as well.  My SIL looks so lovely at 6.5 months pregnant and my BIL is just proud as can be.  B's folks always do Christmas right, so the boys got a boat load of awesome toys (seriously - amongst tons of other goodies, they got a remote control T-Rex and two amphibious RC trucks that are so freaking cool, I wanna play with them constantly.)  I got some great kitchen things, B and I got movie tickets for a date night, and we both each got a dollar bill that has a 1 and some zeros after it.  Clearly we all did well in the present arena, but it was the company that was wonderful.  I just love my inlaws.  I complain about them, but I adore them.

 

Today I clearly spent all day sorting, organizing, and finding a home for everything, but I'm thrilled to say that it's done!  This is good news because we have another Christmas Friday night with my Mom and siblings and we're gonna need more room.  This is always fun because there are 5 kids, 5 adult kids, and Mom.  I'm looking forward to this year especially.  Whew - just a few more days.

 

I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas and are filled with the love and hope and peace (especially the PEACE) that is part of the season.  Let it fill you up till you bubble over.

Cheers!

 

 

 

Ribbons and Bows

Last post before the big guy comes with his reindeer.

Bill has completed her European "Better Living Through Bombay" tour. Yes, indeed, she has moved out of her Irish headquarters and will spend a few days in the Netherlands remembering why in the heck she drinks Bombay to begin with and to gather up an even better appreciation for her beloved Gin. After the new year, she moves on to Botswana to spread the gospel down south. Check your listings for upcoming workshops. Safe travels, my dear Bill.

I'm jealous of DDFF - her man got her the neatest needle set. That's alright, Mama, you deserve those badass babies!! Merry Christmas, Love. Let's go out next week, eh? Or the week after? I'm dying for some Chai and some good gabbin'.

Stealth FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY has a mohawk. But don't tell him that. B and I have wanted to give him a mohawk for months and months and he completley and totally freaked out screaming and refused. He asked for a haircut the other day and I got my clippers out with the guard and just stopped without doing the middle. Showed him the mirror and asked him if he liked it or if I should keep cutting and he said he liked it, so I stopped. It's a mohawk or sorts, alright, but don't tell him - he thinks he just has "long hair on top in the middle."

B's boss treated him right this holiday season. Big ginormous cash bonus as well as a belly boat and waders and all kinds of wild bass angler paraphernalia. He's in hog heaven. Wonder what a belly boat is? Yeah, me, too. It's basically, well, it' a boat that you wear out into the middle of the lakes to fish. You just gotta see it.

I have a very large, very heavy, very expensive gift sitting under my Christmas tree. It's from B. He wants to give it to me, I wonder what in the heck it is, but we'll find out tomorrow night. I have an idea, but I'm never right when I guess what he got me. He always gets me something amazing, but this year it's certainly not jewelry. Man, the temptation is OVERWHELMING!!!!!!!

Tonight starts the festivities in full force. We have the annual get together for my MIL's side of the family - the yearly blending of the K's & the R's. This is always an exercise in patience because, well, none of us K's can stand any of the R's with the exception of Grandma and Grandpa and, well, Grandma is so sick she doesn't know if she's alone or with people certainly doesn't care and Grandpa just talks to anyone or everyone or no one until he decides he's ready to go home and then he just throws cash at us and leaves with no warning. SO, we K's stand around and roll our eyes and tell fantasy stories about running over some of the R's with random lawn equipment or spiking their puritan cider or just gathering them en masse and giving them all the same present - a gigantic CLUE! Ah, well, it wouldn't be Christmas without it.

Tomorrow is cleaning and cooking all day. Dad and his wife, C, arrive tomorrow night for dinner and desert and gifts. It also happens to be C's birthday tomorrow, so there will also be cake. This is always fun, but stressful, too. The kids are just so wound up by this point, they have abandoned all hope of being polite and gracious. After Dad and C leave, B and I will attempt to put the boys to bed and then spend the next hour or so wrapping a zillion presents (we always buy wayyyyyy too much) and setting things up under the tree. Then we'll exchange our gifts and what happens after that is none of your business.

Monday - Our Christmas in our little house. Lots of presents, lots of coffee, lots of cameras and video. Eventually we'll make our way down to my in-laws again to do Christmas with them. This is where we are grateful for having suffered through the R invasion because the we can appreciate how wonderful it is with just us K's.

Wednesday is Christmas with my Mom and sister and her family. We'll do it again next weekend when my brother comes to town.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it, but I'm also looking very much forward to it. I worked very hard to make something for my folks and inlaws as well as B's grandparents and my grandfather. I'd tell you all about it, but well, my Mom reads this blog (Hey Mom!!!!! Love you!,) and I'm not about to ruin the surprise.

I've decided that I'm not doing one more bit of work than I absolutely have to. That's right. I'm letting the kids play computer games and watch Christmas movies and I'm taking them to the dreaded foul Golden Arches for lunch. Not sure exactly what I'm going to eat, but I think I may have earned myself some sushi. I wonder if it's a sushi dude in that package under the tree????

Happy Holidays, everyone! May you all get everything on your list.

I'm DONE!

It's official - as of about 20 minutes ago, I am officially done shopping (remaining groceries do not count.)   I've been so stressed out about finishing up for B.  Eventually, he broke down and, for the first time ever, told me what he actually wanted!  So, I made the rounds and got all that was on his list and got the best of all.  Everyone likes a little upgrade now and then, eh?

 

So the boys and I will make sugar cookies this afternoon.  I found a wonderful cd of Christmas music that's actually a double album - Diana Ross and the Supremes and Stevie Wonder.  I love me some Motown Christmas.

 

Finally, I feel I can relax and enjoy this amazing time of year.

 

Happy Holidays, everyone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JP!!!!!!

Call me Virginia

Christmas is so soon. The tree is up, the lights are up, the music is playing, there are some wrapped gifts under the tree (after all, Santa doesn't bring presents for Grandparents, etc.) We went to an amazing Christmas party on Sunday and B and I are really both feeling the deep love of long lasting friendships that have bloomed into family. Every time we answer the phone, it's another member of our Kohl Collection (folks who are our family whether related or not,) sending us loving wishes for the holidays. Presents and cards stuff our mailbox every single day. Every morning the kids take off one link of the Christmas chain and Duck sings Frosty and Rudolf all day long. The cleaning has started in preparation from out of town guests and my mind is thinking of menus and dietary restrictions and playlists. It's happening. It's happening now.

And this morning, I was bawling like a baby.

Christmas is hard for me. It's a very hard place to be for me because, well, I'm just like that little girl on 34th street. I believe in Santa, but do I believe in Christmas?

My father was a minister for all the years I lived with him. It doesn't get much bigger than Christmas in a house like that. Every year was a huge production. 4 weeks of Advent, each week lighting purple candles, then pink, and finally, the big white one in the middle marking Christmas. There were Christmas pageants and pot luck dinners and more hurricane lamps made out of tuna cans and candles than anyone should ever have to witness. And, on Christmas Eve, we would go to Candlelight Service at Midnight (much like Midnight Mass for Methodists.) We would hold those candles and listen to (or sing in) the choir and sing Silent Night. Some years we'd leave and it would be snowing. My father would gather us around and read The Christmas story to us from his old, worn, black Bible and we'd go to bed.

Lots of my childhood was total crap, but Christmas was magic.

Of course, we did all the secular things, too. We routinely watched Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. We made and ate peanut brittle and fudge and, on one bizarre year, we had egg nog. There was lots of traveling, lots of shopping and wrapping, lots of all of that. And it was important and fun and wonderful.

In my house, things are a little different. I'm not a Christian and neither is B and, thus, neither are our kids. This mostly has to do with our understanding that Religion is a man made creation and, once you figure that out, well, it's hard for us to be believers. We're fans of Evolution and Karma and Reincarnation and Nirvana. We're fans of deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and the healing properties of certain plants of varying legality. We commune with our Mother Earth in chapels of forests, lakes, mountains, oceans. We see miracles every single day - our children are breathing and living and learning and growing. Our community is loving each other a little bit more each and every day (seriously, DDFF, Bill, SS, ain't it a grand town?) There always seems to be more money than we thought, enough food to fill our bellies, a cozy little place to call home that is ours (well, and the bank's.) The love I have for B grows more and more by the minute and I know he feels the same way about me. We have the best friends, a wonderful widespread family, roots to our community, and a plan for the future. We're doing amazingly well and we don't owe any of that to going to church every week and pretending to ignore the hypocrisy that runs rampant in these "Houses of God." I spent every Sunday for 17 years of my life going to church and being a "good Christian." 13 years ago, I walked away from it all and haven't looked back.

Except at Christmas.

At Christmas, I struggle. I certainly don't want it to turn into some solely commercial bullshit festival, but without the belief in The Christmas Story, what else is it, really? Yes, it's true, it is a time of love and peace and hope and joy and generosity and selflessness. Frankly, it's incredibly Zen, which, of course, is right up my alley. I'd go all out and call it Buddhist, but well, Buddhism is about releasing attachments -not so much buying each other more things to which to become attached. Whatever. So, we pretty much celebrate Zenmas. Good enough.

Still, I cry at O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World. I remember those candle light services so crisply and clearly, it's like it was yesterday. I bawl and turn into a bubbling pile of Mom Snot when Linus recites the Christmas Story on Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. Seriously, I need a sedative. It's hard for me, this dichotomy of my holiday experience.

So, where is my place in Christmas? Eh, a little of column A, a little from column B, a whole lot from column Whatever-Works. The Christmas story moves me so much that I have to allow myself to buy into it, if for no other reason than it makes everything a bit more special for me, but I don't know that I can believe it. That's okay. I don't know that I have to believe it. After all, I'll bet that Virginia would have gotten some presents that year even if she hadn't been convinced that Santa was real. I'm pretty sure I will, too.

I thought he loved me until he peed on my car

This is an entry on one of my new favorite websites. DDFF & JM Bill, I know you're gonna love it, too.

Intrigued?

Get Mortified

Special thanks to Mark for Mortifying me.

Wednesday

It's Wednesday. This means a lot in our house. It means that B is home, that Stealth has Kindermusik, that I'm going to spend way too much time in the garage (snicker snicker snicker.) It is swap day for the Almighty MP3 Challenge - the last one of the year. Next time will be in January with one participant in the US and another in Botswana. The Irish songs are frantically trying to sell their sweaters and umbrellas in order to buy sunscreen, but that's another story all together.

Back to Wednesday.

I'm having lunch with one of my good friends. She just found out that she's having a boy. We're gonna eat fat at The Squeeze and talk about the upcoming holiday fiesta at W's (her husband owns W's and B has worked there for, oh, a millenia or so.) Duck and Stealth will be making their inaugural appearance at the party - a fact over which I have mixed emotions, but have been assured and reassured that this is a good thing. Ah, how times change. Folks are bringing their kids this year - in years past, they often times forgot to bring their own pants, but whatever.

The season finale of The Biggest Loser is on tonight. I normally do not watch those kinds of reality shows, but Duck is obsessed with it and I have found myself watching along with him. It's amazing how folks can change their bodies and change their lives. Inspiring, really. Makes me love my size 4s that I worked so damned hard to get into - and that I can still get into. DDFF, I know you're feeling that same pride, mama. So, congratulations to you biggest losers on NBC and elsewhere who have lost scads and scads of weight. Amazing. I salute you with Jell-o.

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. I'm done, pretty much. I still need to get something for B, but the goontard keeps changing his freaking mind on what he wants. I have a feeling I'll just take him shopping after the new year. How boring. Sheesh. Perhaps I'll get something lacy from V's S and parade under the tree for him. Worked for my friend - her hubby got her a full length fur coat for Christmas and she wore it for him by the tree. It was all she was wearing and I hear that he felt justly compensated. I've seen the photos - I'm sure he was quite pleased to unwrap that gift. Wicked Wave.....

Speaking of Christmas, B loathes Christmas songs. All of them. Frankly, I just think he hasn't heard the right ones. For example, have you all heard Merry Christmas from the Family by Robert Earl Keen? Oh you MUST hear this song. MUST MUST MUST. If I could find a way to put it on a player and play it here for you, I would. (Anyone know how to do that?) Since I cannot, I will again dive into the tacky muck of bad blogging etiquette to present you with the most brilliant holiday lyrics ever:

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him until he sang
Felis Navidad, Felis Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night, Oh Holy Night

Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Make Bloody Mary's
Cause We All Want One!
Send somebody to the Stop 'N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons, some Salem Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

Now I just don't understand how you can not feel the holiday love when you hear that song.



I would like to take this moment and make an announcement: Apparently, I do not have a big head, contrary to what many of you have assumed for years. I made a head wrap yesterday and I love it, but it's too freaking big. I followed a pattern (miracle #1,) and even checked to make sure the gauge was right (mind blowing miracle #2,) and everything worked like a charm, but it's still too freaking big. I'll just felt it a bit and it'll shrink right up, but let it be known - While Mamakohl's brain is bigger than your average bear's, her head is NOT. Put that tasty nugget in your hookah and fire it up, baby.

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk

B is going to hang the exterior lights today. At least that is what he says. This is always a fun show because he refuses help and the kids always want to watch and the ladder ends up slipping at least once and by the time it's all done, B's screaming about converting to Jehovah's Witness or something because they "don't have any fucking lights!"

Noel, Noel, the first Noel

Duck refuses to write a letter to Santa this year. He keeps asking if he has a phone number. He apparently has a lot to discuss with the man in red this year - things like global warming, organic foods, weather anomalies, and why on earth his parents won't buy him an XBox 360. Apparently these things cannot be worked out via pen and paper. So I think I'm gonna have him call our friend, B.Ray and have him play the man in red. Of course, I'll have to pay him in Camel lights and endless pints of beer, but that's doable.

A box of tampons, some Marlboro lights

Stealth has the warmest hands. They are always warm and toasty. But take my advice, don't go kissing them all the time: he keeps them warm by keeping them in his pants. Around the clock this kid has his hands in his crotch. I don't know if he's trying to make sure what he has doesn't go away or if he's trying to make what he has in there get bigger or if he's just found it to be a terrific hand rest, but something is going on with that kid and he's making a statement loud and clear: He has a penis, he knows where it is, and he's not afraid to use it. SO there.

Merry Christmas from the Family!

Have you ever in your life seen anything this fabulous?!?!?

Know what those are? They're sushi stitch markers for knitting. Yeah, I know, unbelievably adorable, eh? And practical? Oh, and they are something else, too .... they are MINE! DDFF and I had our annual goodie swap last night and along with a gorgeous bracelet that she so creatively made and the yummiest soap on the planet, she gifted me with these good good good goodies! Oh my muscle yaki, I love them! Now I gotta find something to knit ....

Today is the day

Today is my annual SHOP TIL I DROP day.  Every year, I have one big shopping day where I do an insane amount of shopping.  I usually manage to do all of this in a couple of hours and end up forgetting things or buying too much or second guessing, but hell, when you have two or three hours to shop for a zillion folks, well, it just becomes a challenge.  It's not like I don't think about it or anything ahead of time -I'm actually quite prepared before the blitz with a list of specific things to buy for each person - after all, I've been thinking about this for months by this point, so deciding on a thoughtful, meaningful, enjoyable, and affordable gift for each person is usually simple.  But still, it's a mad dash that spins me into some sort of insanity and by the time I get home, I'm usually so cross that I just hollor at the kids to get in their rooms and shut the door because, frankly, I just don't have the damned energy to be all secret agenty about bringing in the loot so the chillen's don't see.  But today, today is gonna be different. 

 

The kids are gone.

 

They left this morning to go and spend the day with my Mother.  About 6 weeks ago, she mentioned that she'd like to kidnap them for a day in early December.  This is awesome because, while my Mom adores my boys as she does all her grandchildren, she doesn't have much time alone with them.  So, when she asked to have them, I was super excited and scheduled my shopping day accordingly.  Of course, I figured I'd still have just a few hours because Mom gets tired easily with two insane boys running around her house.  But hell, a few hours is sooooooooo much better than none, yes?

 

And then my MIL called to ask if the boys could come and stay tonight with them - they would be more than happy to pick the kids up from my Mom's and take them to their house and I could pick the kids up tomorrow morning.  Would that be okay?  Um, that would be a YES!

 

So, here it is 9:27 am.  The house is quiet, all except the sound of my jeans in the dryer. I'm drinking coffee.  The kids are gone and won't be back until tomorrow morning sometime.  In a little while, I'll be leaving to do my shopping with NO schedule at all.  I can shop until I pass out.  I can take little breaks for a chai latte and some light reading.  I can go and have a little tofu salad for lunch or skip lunch all together.  I can do whatever the hell I want whenever the hell I want.  Fa La FREAKING La, ya'll!!!!

 

And if all that weren't enough, JM Bill took the time out of her frantic Irish schedule to make me a killer shopping playlist for the occasion!  2 hours of appropriately titled, themed, and organized music to make my shopping adventure a success.  I'm telling you, that fruitcake sho' is nice!  Money, spending, Angles, Christmas, pump, it's all there! Check it out:

 

Bittersweet Symphony 5:58 The Verve 
Angel of Harlem 3:49 U2 

Holiday 3:52 Green Day 

Christmas Time (Dont Let The B 3:26 The Darkness  

St. Stephen 4:29 Grateful Dead 

My Best Friends Girl 3:41 The Cars 
Someday Baby (w. Lyrics Born) 3:16 R.L. Burnside 

Big Pimpin Ft Ugk 4:42 Jay-Z 

Money Talks (live) 4:19 ACDC 

Bought and Sold [Live] 4:38 Rory Gallagher 

This One's For Me 2:42 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 
Foxy Lady 3:15 Jimi Hendrix 

Gone Going (Feat. Jack Johnson) 3:13 Black Eyed Peas  
Shine A Light 4:17 The Rolling Stones 
My Doorbell 3:58 The White Stripes 

Humidity Built The Snowman 4:27 John Prine
Whiskey In The Jar 5:03 Metallica
Merry Christmas From The Family 4:48 Robert Earl Keen 

Merry Christmas Baby 5:45 Elvis Presley 
 

And to end it all?  A nice cocktail at W's and a quiet night at home with my man.  Or maybe it won't be so quiet after all.  Bwahahahahah.

 

Ooops, the dryer is done.  Time to get going.  Sure as hell hope my bank account took it's vitamins today, it's gonna need it!

 

Duck suddenly felt lighter ...

Last night, Duck was walking around the house right before bed sort of wiggling his front tooth. We all thought we still had several weeks with this wobbly tooth, but suddenly there was a pop and a gasp and extreme laughter and glee coming from my 6 year old. He somehow managed to pull that tooth right out, much to the surprise of everyone in our house!

His response?

"Whew, that's better! My head was feeling so heavy - now it's one tooth lighter!" 

Food for thought

The Tsalagi (Cherokee) believed that within each person was a battle between two wolves. Sitting with his grandson, a grandfather explained that one of the wolves was evil and was driven by anger, envy, regret, ego, and the worship of war. The other wolf was good, and was driven by love, hope, compassion, and the promise of peace.

Thinking about the wolves already growing within him, the boy asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?"

And the old man replied, "The one you feed."

-- The Tao of Willie

Wisdom JM Bill style

People don't give smell enough credit.

 

Well maybe they do but dammit let's raise our coffee cups to SMELL, everybody!

 

(good ones.  Not socks.  Or poo)
 

Lots of fun in the snow!

Wiseman

I get emails from folks who don't know me very well. They are all saying the same thing and they all expect the same response - something along the lines of, "Amen!" or, "I hear you, Sistah," or, "yeah, who needs 'em?" But really, the only response they elicit from me is a swift fondling of the DELETE button. Each and every time I delete these simple minded emails and say a silent prayer to the universe that some day we'll have equality. Until that happens, however, I guess I'm bound to continue to get these men bashing emails.

That's right. I delete the men bashing emails. I'm married to a man. I am friends with many men. I am raising two boys to be men. I love men and boys and I refuse to get caught up in the myopic view that they are all bad because it is simply not true. I know that for a fact.

Yesterday we had a huge amount of snow dumped on us. Quite possibly more than most of the children in this town have ever seen at one time. Nearly everything in town was shut down, including the major interstate that runs right through our little area. One that that wasn't closed, however, was B's place of employment. In his words, "All the managers have 4x4's - this is why." As a result, they were open when nearly no one else was and were outrageously busy because of it. B dug out and go there early in the morning. Along the way, he stopped to help 2 people who were stuck on the side of the road - he got their cars out and made sure they got on their way. He picked up many employees who wanted to work and earn money, but couldn't make it out of their driveways. That's a good man.

When B did leave work, he came straight home and put the boys booster seats into his truck and we all loaded up and drove to one of the legendary sledding hills in Columbia. The boys hadn't been asking to go sledding, they were quite happy to play in our flat yard, but B was insistent that we go sledding. It was so important to him to have a family sledding trip, so important to him that he take his sons sledding while we have the snow. And we went and hung out with about 75 other folks and sled down two hills on a little plastic sled and the kids howled with laughter and joy and glee that only small children still have. In a day and age where so many parents are complaining about their kids bugging them to go and do things, my husband went out of his way to do something with his children because it was important to him to share that experience with them. That same man is already planning a complex system of tunnels and caves and mazes to carve, build, and create in the snow in our large back yard - all for the kids.

He comes home every night, he tucks the boys into bed every night. He shovels the driveway and mows the lawn and folds laundry and makes meals and tells jokes and kisses booboos and brings me flowers and jewelry and untold happiness and laughter. He teaches the kids how to fish, how to hike, how to work a canoe, how to hammer nails and fix door knobs and change oil, how too cook, how to play chess, how to win and how to lose, how to love and how to treat people, how to defend themselves and others when walking away just won't work. He teaches me how to be patient and how to remember that everything always works out, how to take care of myself and how to be Zen. He taught me what it means to be an adult. He always "gets the napkins" and is teaching his children how to do the same thing. He is amazingly wonderful, he is gentle and strong and brave and real.

And he is not alone. There are lots of men just like him - I know, my girlfriends are married to some of them. It makes me so proud of the man I chose as my life partner and so very proud of the young men that are growing up in my house. It gives me hope for the future and it heals the pain of some of the past. It makes me smile and laugh and grow and learn and forgive and dream and wish and wait and see.

So for Christmas this year, I want to get positive emails about the men in our lives - because I'll certainly be writing about my very own Merry Gentleman.

Winter hits

So what you see there is a close up of a snow flake and ice crystals. If you were to somehow cut and paste that photo all over a map of my hometown, you'd have a pretty clear representation of what the hell is coming.

It rained HARD last night. Lightening, thunder, lots of rain. Somewhere in the wee hours of the morning, it turned to ice. I woke this morning to see icicles hanging off of everything. Everything. And it's just getting started. B spent 20 minutes scraping the ice off the truck only to have his door freeze open, yes, OPEN while getting ready for work.

It's supposed to continue to rain and freeze all day, ending in a few inches of solid, clear, slick ice. But when that's done, it's going to start snowing. And snowing. And snowing. We might have 14 inches of snow on top of all that ice (I've also heard that 14 inches is a "conservative estimate.")

It reminds me of January 1995 when 19 inches of snow fell here overnight. I was a freshmen in college and classes were cancelled for the first time since 1973. The city didn't really know what to do with all that snow downtown, so they piled it up in the middle of the street. You could drive down Broadway and not be able to see the cars going in the opposite direction because the snow was piled up between the lanes. It stayed there until the end of March. There were sledding hills in the mall parking lot - just snow piled up because there was nowhere for it to go.

Then in January of 1998, we got hit by an ice storm. It was so bizarre, nothing looked icy at all. AT ALL. But take one step out your front door and you fell on your ass because of the ice. Everything shut down then.

I'm so grateful that we have a warm house, a new roof, a house full of healthy warm foods, untold numbers of wool hats and scarves and mittens to keep us warm (and once again I'm grateful for my ability to knit.) Today will be tv, knitting, soup in the crock pot, home made cinnamon rolls, and fuzzy house slippers. Tomorrow will be snowmen and snow angels and sledding and hot chocolate. The only thing I don't have is some bourbon for hot toddies. Eh, well, there are much worse things.

Bring it on, Mother Nature. I'm ready to be snowed in for awhile.

Christmas came early ...

Oh yes, yes it did. 

Gotta love early presents.

Turkey

10 pounds, 6 and a half ounces. Some folks bought a turkey not too much bigger than that for their feast yesterday. Me? I helped a baby that size come into the world yesterday. We've all started calling that baby Tom or Turkey. He's a big boy!

Gobble Gobble! 

Send your good energy this way!

I'll be leaving in a few hours to go and help usher a new person into this world.  It is not the way my client had planned or hoped for, in fact, it's very close to the opposite of what she had worked so hard to do, but she will see her son soon and she is holding on to that.

 

Keep us all in your thoughts today, eh?

How cool is this?

They play checkers together all the time. It's sooooo cool! 

I've never posted a recipe here before, but it occurs to me that the holidays are coming and cookies and sweets and other things are going to be everywhere. If you're looking for something to add to the dessert table, try these cookies. We all need to cut the empty calories, the hydrogenated oils, the sugar, the junk, and start eating healthier -this is a great way to start! I make them to take to births - they have a lot of protein, some honey for energy, all natural ingredients. Works great for laboring mothers, doulas, they have also been known to bribe a nurse or two. They are so good and good for you that I have even treated Duck and Stealth to a "Cookie Breakfast" with these before.

Labor Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (nothing but smushed peanuts - read your lables)

1/2 cup honey

1 free range egg

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour, sifted

1/2 cup dry milk solids

1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant oatmeal, the old fashioned rolled oats)

1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C)

In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Mix in the honey, egg, and vanilla. Combine the whole wheat flour, dry milk powder, rolled oats, and baking soda ; stir into peanut butter mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire rack.

California Sunshine

Today has been a rough day. Actually, the last week or so has been rough for me. I've been having some health issues, have been waiting (and still am waiting) for a client to labor and birth her child, my kids are getting antsy and B and I have been too damned tired to do anything in the bedroom but sleep. None of it is horrible, just exhausting and frustrating and, well, it has kept me in a bit of a funk for awhile. I was wondering what was going to snap me out of it. I had no idea that it would be something as wonderful as it actually was ...

Today I got a large envelope from a Jewish center in California. This perplexed me seeing as how I am not Jewish nor are any my direct ties to California. I would have thought that perhaps it was some sort of philanthropic group looking for donations, but it was hand addressed to me and it looked like there was a drawing inside. Anxiously I opened it up and burst into tears of love and joy and gratitude. If I had a working scanner, I'd scan it so you could see, but alas I do not.

Inside the envelope was a wonderful drawing of two people and flowers and a rainbow with my name and the name of one of the most amazing souls I've ever met in my whole life, Rafi. This little 5 year old from California and I became fast friends at Velma's wedding in October. She went to visit him and his family a few weeks ago and I asked that she say hello for me. And, in return, I got one of Rafi's gorgeous drawings. I couldn't be happier.

Life is fun!

I couldn't resist posting these photos. This is the kind of stuff that goes on in my house every second of every day. It's always a comedy club here - the only thing that varies is if I'm in the mood to receive it. 

There's a light ...

I've been singing a song from Rocky Horror Picture Show since I opened my eyes this morning.

In the velvet darkness of the blackest night
Burning bright, there's a guiding star
No matter what or who you are.

There's a light over at the Frankenstein Place
There's a light burning in the fireplace
There's a light, light in the darkness of everybody's life.

I can see the flag fly, I can see the rain
Just the same, there has got to be
Something better here for you and me.

There's a light over at the Frankenstein Place
There's a light burning in the fireplace
There's a light, light in the darkness of everybody's life.

The darkness must go down the river of nights dreaming
Flow morphia slow, let the sun and light come streaming
Into my life, into my life.

There's a light over at the Frankenstein Place
There's a light burning in the fireplace
There's a light, light in the darkness of everybody's life.

Bizarre song to wake up with in your head, especially if it's sung in Susan Sarandon's voice, but I got to thinking that there has to be a reason. Indeed, as the day has played out, I've started to see that yeah, man, there is a light.

My client, who was due 2 weeks ago, is finally showing some signs of labor after all sorts of natural methods to bring it on. She's napping now and I hope like heck she gives me a call in the next 5 hours or so. She's already well on her way -her previous measures have made her cervix nice and friendly for birth and baby's head is sitting right on it, so that also lessens the chances that this will be a marathon. Man, that's a pretty light! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Today I've also started to breathe again for the first time in several weeks. Sometimes life gets a little crazy and we lose sight of what we need to do to care for ourselves. I have been neglecting my self care for a few weeks now and it was getting out of hand. Well, to be honest, I thought I was taking care of myself, but in honesty I was not. I had slowly started to let caffeine back into my system as well as more than a little bourbon and white sugars and processed food. BAD BAD BAD. But this morning, I woke up and it was clear as can be - all I have to do is take care of myself. . And, as a reward for getting on top of things early and getting back on track, I treated myself to some yummy tofu salad and detox tea for lunch. Ahhhhhhhhh, that light is so freaking bright! I love it!

Stealth finally has reached the age where he can click himself in and out of his booster seat. He's 4.5 years old, but his car booster seat is tall and he is short, so it was rough for him to reach the seat belt completely over himself and make it click, so I've had to click him in and click him out. Today he mastered it. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have reached the stage where all I have to say is, "Get in the car" and I'm done. Sweet Sassy Molassy, that's a nice shiny light there! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I finally found an amazing coat that I love. Well, make that a second amazing coat that I love - I already had a black one, but needed a brown one. It's long and brown and fuzzy and very 1976 and it looks like suede and shearling, but it's all fake (oh, sorry, I mean faux) and get this - ... wait for it ... it's MACHINE WASHABLE!! Sounds horrid, I know, but believe me, they can do amazing things with fibers these days and I am a total asshole about fibers, so if it's good enough for me, it's freaking amazing, folks. Wow, that light's so bright, I gotta wear shades! Everybody now ... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

B & I are doing so amazingly well. Of course we have our little freak out moments, but who doesn't? It's such a wonderful thing to never doubt his feelings for me nor doubt my own feelings for him. I never question my ability to trust him and he knows he can trust me. There's openness and honesty and hysterical laughter and it has been going on consistently for many years now. This will be our 8th Christmas together and I still haven't figured out how that is possible. I still want him under my tree as much as I did that first year. What a beautiful, glowing, warming light. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I've come to see that drinking a cup of tea and reading a book while curled up under a nice chenille blanket IS doing something productive. Ahhhhhhhhhh

I read chapter books aloud to the kids during lunch every day. I remember my Dad reading to us as a family in the evenings after dinner and have taken that tradition into my home. For the first time, I'm reading a book to them that I haven't read previously and I have to say, it's a wonderful gift to us all to discover the magic of Quidditch and Hogwarts together. And my kids will sit there and eat their lunch and listen to every word. That's some wicked light right there, I tell you. Ahhhhhhhhhh

My girl, DDFF, and I have plans to get together soon and talk some MP3 trash. I'm teaching her the ins and outs of downloading music and iPod adoration and she's gonna hook me up with some yummy tea or coffee and muffins in exchange. It's a sad and pitiful state of affairs that we have let ourselves go so long without seeing each other. We used to get together at least once a week and now we can go a month. It's atrocious - but the end is near. I have found 2 perfect holiday gifts for her - now I just have to pick which to give her and which to keep for myself! I know you're reading this - I miss you, Mama. You shine bright as the sun. Ahhhhhhhhhh

JM Bill put in her notice at work! Wahooo! No more top secret African plans. Watch out, Botswana, my girl's gonna rock your world --- again! Check out that smokin' Shiz-light and the Sunshine Shinin'! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh Boyeeeeeeeee!

Duck is growing up into a very cool cool cat. He drives me nuts, but he's his own little man and I've never wanted anything else for my kids. He's gonna shine on the whole world. Ahhhhhhhh

And let us not forget that the whole country is a BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL right now! 12 years of insanity is over. Shine, Dems, shine! Ahhhhhhhhh

It seems only appropriate that I end this with some more lyrics (I know, lyrics on a blog is totally passe and just nearly unforgivable - I'm sure I'll pay for it eventually.)

As Mr. Ritchie once said:

On that rock-n-roll pain train
I had to slow things down
I live out in the woods now
It helps me keep my feet on
The ground
Life's been good to me so far
Hope its been kind to you
Stand strong in the storms of life
The sun will always shine on you

RIGHT FU**ING ON!!

My girl, SS, is coming back from NZ next Summer for a few weeks!!!!  HOLY CRAP!!!!!  I've don't remember the last time I was this excited!!!

 

SS, my doll, drinks at W's, on me, spills included!!!

 

RIGHT, F'in' on!!!

 

Alright, I'll admit it -there is a very definate part of my neck that is red. I denied it for ages, but it comes out every now and then and won't let up. So, needless to say, when I put listened to this cd today, that part of my neck erupted in flames! This is quite possibly the finest album of any genre I've heard in a long long long time. It's raw and bare and very much in tune with Hank Sr.'s work (Daddy would be proud of Bocephus.) There's tons of old guitar blues, some typical Hank Jr. sound, and well, let me just say, Erzulie will be playing the hell out of this for some time.

If you get a chance, give it a shot. Even (maybe especially) if you think you don't like country music, if you swore on your can of Aquanet that you'd never listen to Hank Williams Jr., just try it. Brilliant, I say. Brilliant. 

Foreplay in my house:

"Hey B, whatcha doing up early today?"

 

"Well, I don't know how late I'll be tonight, so I've got to get to the polls and vote before I go to work."

 

 

Sweet sassy molassy!!!  Does it each and every time.....

 

 

GO VOTE!

 

To Grizz69, whoever you are

I love you.  In fact, I may be in love with you.  I don't know your real name, I don't even know what country you call home.  What I do know is that you had Grit Sandwiches and Polyfuze and you are smart enough to put them both into shared files and I just happened to find you amongst the thousands of folks from all over the world and wow, Grizz69, dude, I love you.  I really really love you.

 

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm aware that it's still early on in the day and that things could change in a heartbeat, but can I just say that today has been amazing.  Simply amazing.

I awoke to Duck quietly reading a book in the living room.  Yes, it was 5:45 in the morning (yeah, that was painful,) but he was quietly reading and I just got up and ended up watching him do his thing.  Stealth wandered out around 6:25 or so and they played together quietly while I made pumpkin muffins from scratch (YUMMMM!)

 

Went to the library and met up with my sister.  I made a haul from the cd department - that Greg sure knows what he's doing!  Lots of Dylan, some Clash, another live Little Feat (J.M. Bill, I know I know I know, you're the mecca for this stuff,) and tons of other goodies.

 

Then we all went to get bagels and I have to say, while they are not the most figure friendly thing in the world, Chai lattes are just divine!

 

Managed to make it in and out of Target with only 2 purchases - a much sought after computer game for the boys and a nice $3 t-shirt for myself.  Mark your calendars, ladies and gentlemen, I made it through Target without selling my soul.  Brava to me!

 

Had a little time to kill, so after dropping my sister off, I took the boys to a lovely little bookstore downtown and let them play with trains while I browsed knitting books.  Love that.  I did find a book that I might actually consider buying, but of course, I have since forgotten the name.  What can I say - I'm consistent.

 

Duck did an amazing amazing amazing job at yoga -completely appropriate and enjoyable.  He, again, demonstrated his self-invented asana - "The Statue of Liberty Pose."  Where this kid gets his patriotism is beyond me.

While he was in yoga class, Stealth and I wandered downtown and managed to get a lovely take out lunch from Main Squeeze.  The tofu salad is beyond words - and this is coming from a gal who doesn't like tofu!!!  I could eat buckets of the stuff.

 

Picked up Duck from class and went to visit B, letting the kids go hog wild under the disco lights on the dance floor.  It's such a blissful experience watching kids do their own thing without rhyme or reason.  Makes me know the purpose of life - have fun!!  If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right.

 

Got home to find that two lovely cookbooks had arrived for me in the mail.  DDFF, tell Garoo that I'm with her all the way - it was a Rachael Ray cookbook and a Paula Deen cookbook.  Tell her to get her fanny over here and we'll cook up a bash!

 

Sat down to write this entry and my dear friend from Chicago called.  I've known this guy (and I do mean known in every form of the word at one time or another) since I was 18 years old.  We chatted for over an hour.  How wonderful to have maintained such a long lasting relationship with a great guy!  It's evolved into many different forms over the years, but we still recognize each other's voices on the phone, we still wish each other the very best, and we still laugh at each other loud and long enough to wet our pants.  I love that he is such a huge supporter of my marriage and my family.  He loves that I always root him on to take big risks and make huge changes.  It was lovely, just lovely to spend some time with him today.

 

While I was on the phone with him, B came home with a beer and a smile for me.  I love that about him.  He doesn't drink, but knows that sometimes Mama could use a beer.  One beer.  After all, I am on call.

 

It's not yet 5pm.  It's gonna be a great night.

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

YAY!

My SIL is having a boy!!!!  Not surprising - there hasn't been a girl born into the family in over 90 years, but time for celebration none the less.

 

Congratulations, B & D!  Sons are amazing things.

My Spooktacular Skeletons!

This was by far the best Trick or Treating experience of my entire life - SUPER FUN!!! We had a blast!

Happy Halloween!

I finished the kids' costumes yesterday and am stunned by how well the turned out!  Glow-in-the-Dark paint is amazing!

 

I had microwaved popcorn and mini-Oreos for breakfast.  My kids had gummy Life Savers, popcorn, DumDum suckers, and fruit snacks (don't be fooled by the fruit snacks -they're still nothing but total crap.) 

 

Lunch will be whatever I can scare up (get it, scare up!?!?!? ) followed by cupcakes I'm sure.

 

We're making pumpkin muffins this afternoon - delish, but there's a whole freaking cup of sugar in there!

B will come home tonight and we'll paint up their little faces and go raid a few neighborhoods.  The kids are going as skeletons, B and I are going as "Involved Parents."

 

Dinner will be late and will consist of candy and more candy while carving the jack o' lantern.  Perhaps I'll be smart and make some white chili to cook in the crock pot during the day.  Hmmmmmm.

 

After the kids pass out cold, B and I will hit the stash and immediately remove all the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Snicker's Bars because they clearly are unsafe for anyone under the age of 30 to eat - must save the children.  ;-)

 

Oh sweet Elvis on velvet, I love love love Halloween! 

 

Look for photos tomorrow.

 

 

In other news ...

Happy Anniversary DDFF & CF!!  Do it up right, loves.  Congratulations!

 

Garoo, Happy Birthday chicka!  SK loves you, doll.  And, p.s. welcome to the club.  I'm giving you a new nickname - I'm gonna call you Rookie.  Glad to have you on the team, little mama.

 

If you have not experienced the loveliness of Good Earth tea, go out right now and get yourself some.  This stuff is sooooooooo good.  Of course, I got the caffeine free kind and it's amazing.  It's called Spicy and Sweet and they mean it.  Clearly no honey is needed - it's sweet and tasty and just yum-a-rific.  And at 3 cals per serving, feel free to knock yourself out.

 

Duck is cracking me up.  He's been saying the most random things.  This morning he was cleaning up some toys and said, "Wow, this sure would go a heck of a lot faster with that Clean Up Droid I have planned!"  And yesterday, while naming states, he said, "OH yeah, that's Kentucky - where Stealth comes from!!"  I'm pretty sure I was there when Stealth was born and I'm pretty sure I wasn't in Kentucky, but one can never be too sure.  DDFF, you were there -did we morph to the Bluegrass state?

 

Had a great time last night looking at books and pumpkins with you, DDFF.  Everyone needs a girlfriend who will match you rip for rip.

 

Tonight may be the last game of the World Series.  How freaking cool would that be?  The kids are gonna be gone tonight so you can bet my butt will be on a couch eating pizza and drinking beer and watching the game.  Although, I have yet to see Mr. Ritchie at any of the games -maybe if they go back to Detroit?  I hear his so called wife is back in her motherland, Canada.  Why did you have to go Canadian, Bob?  WHY?  Thought you were the American Badass ..... 

 

So, just for what it's worth, I'm married to the best guy.  Maybe he's not the best guy for everyone, but he's certainly the only soul on the planet who was destined for me.  Man, he's my best friend and he thinks I hung the moon.  I love that.  And I love that my girlfriends have men who feel the same about them.  Anyway, some big big big things are coming B's way - some much earned praise and recognition and possibly some large cashola.  I'm so proud of him - he's done some great things  - he deserves all the goodies he can get.

 

I want a 2/3 knitting book -a book where I'm guaranteed to like and make at least 2/3 of the stuff in it.  Have any suggestions?  If not, I'm gonna have to write one.  Damn.

 

Halloween is coming up.  I love Halloween.  The boys are going as skeletons this year. I've lost my mind and am making their costumes. I have glow in the dark paint everywhere.  Heh.

 

Okay, folks, have a great weekend.  Make it the best you possibly can. 

 

Holy Croc!

Look at these cutie patootie mittens I made for Duck!
 

We got another one, JM Bill

Shout out to the newest member of the iPod revolution  - DDFF just got gifted with her very own key to musical bliss!  Happy anniversary, DDFF and tell the Mr. he did good!

 

Lord almighty, iPod love is only rivaled by the love one feels for ones children and perhaps ones mate.  Get ready - it's gonna bite you big time.

 

And then come the accessories.  Sweet sassy molassy, the accessories. I love the little pink jacket I got for Erzulie and the portable speakers and the car jack and and and and and and .........

 

DDFF, welcome to the club, baby.  Jump on in - the tunes are fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnne.

GO Cardinals!

Were you able to see the game last night?  WHEW - that was an awesome awesome game. 

 

Off to the World Series against Detroit.

 

The bonus?  I'm sure Mr. Ritchie will attend at least ONE game.  Heh heh heh.

 

What I know

• I love leg warmers.  Yep, I do.  NOT the slouchy acrylic bullshit that ran as rampant as STDs at Studio 54.  NO, I'm talking about the 100% wool, hand knit, fitted leg warmers that actually, gasp, keep your legs warm while wearing skirts in the winter.  Yep, I love 'em.
• I know that B does not like these leg warmers.
• I also know that I don't care.
• If you're going on a road trip, it is imperative that you have good tunes.
• If you have the chance, get Velma to hook you up with said tunes 'cause she's mind bogglingly brilliant at this.
• Tide To Go will get Shiraz out of white cotton shirts.
• The best sleep you'll get is the 20 minutes before your kid wakes you up and asks for an ice cream cone for breakfast.
• That same kid will eat black beans and rice all day long, so occasionally ice cream for breakfast is okay.
• Kids really can survive without screen time.  Easy peasy.  A SAHM surviving without her kids' screen time is another topic all together.
• I am the Candyland champion of my house.  This season, I'm 6 - 0.
• My children have reached the age where toots are no longer toots, they are farts, and they are worthy competition upon which they both laugh so hard they wet themselves.
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Just ask Dan Brown.  Loved The Da Vinci Code so much that I went back and read his previous novel, Angels and Demons.  Loved it too.  No surprise, however - they are the same damned book just with different references.
• I've knitted so much and discussed my knitting so much with B that he thinks he can look at a pattern and tell me if it's hard or not.  He's always wrong, but I love him for trying.
• My husband will dig through the trash to get something for me that I accidentally threw away 3 days ago.  If that ain't love, I don't know what is.
• My son has prettier hair than me.
• Everything old can be new again.
• Sometimes I'm amazed at how little I know, others I'm stunned at how much I do.
• Kashi kicks ass.
• Sometimes you just gotta chuck it in the Fuck-It Bucket.
• Mud boots are the greatest thing ever invented for children.
• They're not bad for adults, either.
• Kids need to play in creeks and catch tadpoles and climb trees and fall down a little bit here and there. 
• Adults need the same.
• When Mehndi wears off your body, it goes through a stage where, from a distance, you look as though you've been horribly burned.  Lovely.
• I know just enough about computers to be dangerous, but not really enough to be useful.
• Spinning yarn makes your boogers technicolored.
• Real men do eat quiche - it happens at my house all the time.

 

 

The Streets of San Francisco

I don't have any idea how I'm going to condense the whole trip into a blog entry - I have, no kidding, 300 photos that tell the story better than words could, but I'm not going to put them all here. So, highlights (and lowlights) along with photos where Blogger will let me!

Thurs afternoon, VJ gathered her women and took us all to the Henna Lounge to have Mehndi done on our hands (and her hands, arms, feet, and legs.) Darcy was amazing, such a brilliant artist. We were all there for about 5 hours drinking wine and having a blast. My mehndi is still on - probably will stay on for close to another week (longer if I really take care of it.)


When we made it back to the loft, we all climbed up onto the roof - it's amazing up there. Living in The Mission, Velma and Mark have such an great view from up on the rooftop.

Friday started with a morning walk with Velma and a stroll through the Mission where she surprised me by sneaking up on the Women's Building. I am still blown away by the gorgeous murals on the walls.



Friday was also a day of travel to the beach and through the mountains while listening to some stellar tunes (thanks, VJ, the cd's made the trip.)

We stopped in a great little town called Half Moon Bay and had lunch at the Main Street Grill. The owner of the place is this amazing man who just randomly starts singing, loudly, along with the music in the jukebox. He talks to everyone, sings great songs, and when the music stops, he opens out the jukebox, takes out his own dollar, and then puts the same dollar back in and picks more music! I fell in love with this guy, so Velma took a picture of us.

Down the street was Fengari, a precious little yarn shop that sells Ozark Handspun. While I was there, Ann, the owner of Fengari and wife of the owner of the Main Street Grill, noticed my bag and realized that I'm the owner of Kohleidoscope. She was so complimentary of my work, saying that they have printed out nearly every picture to use as inspiration. She even gave me quite a nice discount on some yarns that I bought in her shop.

I'm telling you, I love Half Moon Bay.

And then we went to the coast. As we arrived, I got a text message from my friend, Jason reading, "If you go to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your hair. Of course, the flower could never possibly be as beautiful as you!" Man, I love that guy. So Velma found a flower for me and we hit the beach.

I'm telling you, that water was COLD, but of course I had to get my feet wet and write a few sand messages.

The 2 hour drive back to the city was filled with gorgeous scenery, a fantastic little trading post, and nice 40 oz of Pacifico (Thanks, Mark C.)

That night was the rehearsal dinner, although there was no rehearsal! We all walked through Chinatown into North Beach and had dinner at Tommaso's, a family owned business that doesn't take reservations and is packed every single day of the week (with good reason - the food is outstanding!!!) Much laughter took place there and, to no one's surprise, we were that rowdy table that takes forever! What can you expect -they sell their wine by the liter pitcher.

The rather interesting thing about Tommaso's, however, is that it's directly across the street from Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, Home of the Hustler Honey's where, apparently, you can get a lovely lusty lady for a quarter.

Choosing not to spend our quarter on what we already had, the girls all walked back to the hotel and decided that what drunk ladies need when they are out of wine is a cable car ride. Makes perfect sense. And, since one of us was getting married the next day, we got our return ride for free!

Saturday was the most amazing day - my VJ got married to her perfect man, someone whom I lovingly call my friend, my new brother. A day like this needs a great start, so J&J and I hit a lovely French cafe for breakfast. I had such fun just sitting there bullshitting with those girls and eating a great meal. I cannot help but smile ear to ear right now just thinking of it.

Following stuffing ourselves, we went back to the hotel to get the bride ready for her big day. I've seen countless brides, been one myself a time or two, and I can honestly say I've never seen a bride more beautiful than Velma.


Chinatown had a parade which ran right in front of the hotel! Pretty cool, except it prevented our rides from getting to us, so we all had to grab bags and run up a very steep hill to make it to the cars, which then totally illegally backed up another huge hill to get out of the neighborhood. FUN! This is CA J doing some crafty driving.

The Hitchin' Party was so much fun. Lots of kind, like minded folks eating yummy organic foods and hanging out in the redwood forest - how could that possibly be wrong? Everything was perfect, perfect, perfect. There's just not too many words to describe it other than if you managed to somehow blend Velma and Mark up into some sort of mystic sauce and then poured that sauce onto everyone and everything in the area, well, you'd get pretty close.

I hit Chinatown on my own that night for a little shopping. Nothing spectacular to report other than I got the cutest red satin shoes and some lovely earrings and had a bizarre conversation with the folks at the 7-11, but hell, what can I say?

Sunday, J&J and I went down to Market Street to have breakfast and cure the hangovers. Found a great little place called The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. We had a great view of some guy's ass, heard a few crazies screaming on the sidewalk, and I walked in on a 200 pound man in the bathroom pulling up his pants (folks, you have to LOCK the door!) More shopping in Chinatown. Then we took BART to the Mission. Much fun - my first ever public transit experience. Must be documented, of course, so here are the pictures -

From San Francisco

Once we got to The Mission, we needed more food, so we ate some serious burritos. Honestly? The BEST burritos I've ever had. Ever. Period. The end.

More shopping : a store for Open Enterprises, ImagiKnit where I nearly had to be dragged out by my toes, and 826 Valencia where I loaded up on pirate supplies for myself and the kids.

We then hit Bombay Ice cream for some funky flavored ice cream. YUM!!!!!!!

That night, we were all too pooped to pop, so we skipped the Decompression and just hung out at the loft instead.


After everyone left, Mark and Velma took me to Twin Peaks. We tried to do a Streets of San Fancisco thing, but the stoopid people in front of us were obeying traffic laws, dammit. Regardless, I cannot tell you how much fun it was hanging out up there, just the three of us. MUST be done again.



And then they drove me through The Haight so I could see Haight Ashbury.

Monday morning was my last for this trip. Velma and I got up and walked to Katz Bagels to get some eats.

We took it back to the loft and ate ours on the roof. It was a lovely way to end my trip.


I feel so alive after doing this trip. I had sooooooooo much fun.
xoxoxo