Things I know for sure Wednesday

1. I know for sure that there are not enough hours in the day to finish what needs to be finished.

2. I also know for sure that better planning would solve some of this angst and take some of the stress out of the holidays. Next year there will be a plan. A good plan. A really good plan.

3. I know for sure that minor setbacks can be dealt with (i.e., getting a $50 parking ticket) when so many others are truly suffering.

4. I know for sure that I am blessed with the love and support of family and friends. As dysfunctional as we are sometimes, I still find ways to be grateful.

5. I know for sure that there are many, many, many (many) things that I wish I didn't know for sure.

6. I know for sure that commercials for "as seen on tv" products are the cheesiest things ever. They should really consider hiring my cousin for a pr makeover.

7. I know for sure that tomorrow is Christmas Eve and that I sincerely wish one and all a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and peace in your hearts always.

Really?

I mean seriously. You cannot be for real. A $50 parking ticket... for parking in my OWN driveway? You've got to be kidding. 4 days before Christmas? Really? REALLY? Are you serious?

I don't even have a job. This is the most bare-boned Christmas in the history of Christmas. This is the coldest winter we've had in the history of cold winters. I don't know how we are even going to pay the PG&E bill that I'm estimating to be at least double of what it was last month. And you want to give me a ticket for parking my car in my driveway?

Seriously? Really? Are you really serious?

Let me tell you something Officer N. Pezzaniti of the City of San Jose Police Department. In your infinite wisdom as a San Jose Police Officer, what can you possibly be thinking? How can I be violating section 22500F CVC (blocking or parking on sidewalk) if I'm parked in my own drive way? I practically live in a cul-de-sac (more like in the corner of a 90 degree angle). No one even walks by my section of sidewalk/driveway. They cut across the street so the don't have to walk as far.

What could possibly have motivated you to issue this ticket? I mean, seriously. Were you pissed off because the cars on the street are all up to code, you got called out here to take care of them and you couldn't go back to the station empty handed? Was it the neighbors? Did they call and complain about the cars parked in the street? I mean honestly. In all that is good, why would you do this?

And just what exactly constitutes "blocking or parking on sidewalk?" As you can see in the photograph, there is clearly enough room to walk by. In fact I have parked this way for the last 7 years since we bought this house. There is a bush in front of the garage and if I park to close I don't have enought room to walk by and then I have to walk all the way around the back of the car to walk into my house. Which I pay property taxes on, btw. Property taxes that help pay your salary.

And you choose today (practically Christmas day), of all days, to give me (me! can you believe it?) a ticket?For $50? F-I-F-T-Y FRICKIN' DOLLARS! That I don't have! You explain to my kids why they aren't getting Christmas stockings this year, officer Pezzaniti (does that mean Scrooge in Italian?) because I'm done. DONE! But before I go I just have one question:

Really? Seriously? Are you really, seriously for real? *annoyed*

Random Top Ten Lists (my other blog)

Check out my other blog, "Random Top Ten Lists." I just updated it with my top ten favorite Christmas movies... go check it out and let me know your favorite top ten.

You can also follow the blog or become a fan on Facebook. Click here.

Waiting for his letter

LOL!

We just bought "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" on DVD. I know it has been a while since I've bought a new dvd, but it cost $27! Ouch, that hurt. I could have rented if for $1.09 at Redbox. However, we own the others in the series, knew we would eventually own it and all really wanted to watch it tonight. So? I plunked down part of Jacob's Christmas present money the cash and came home with the movie only to find out it wasn't even the one that had a special preview of "Deathly Hallows" that I had seen advertised on t.v. Ugh... fail!

We started watching the movie and began reminiscing about the previous films and how when we went to see the movie in theatres their cousin "jumped out of his seat" during one particular scene. Then Alex says that he used to think that the movie was real and that Hogwarts was a real school. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, "when I was 11 I kept expecting to get a letter."

I looked at Jacob. He looked at me. I looked back at Alex to see if he was being serious (he was) then looked at Jacob again and we both started cracking up.

He must have been so disappointed when he turned 12 and never got his Hogwarts letter.

Most Quotable Friday

"We believe as much as we can. We would believe everything if we could." – William James

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." – Albert Einstein

"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." -Andre Gide

"Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a polluted mind, suffering will follow you, as the wheels of the oxcart follow the footsteps of the ox. Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a pure mind, happiness will follow you, as a shadow clings to a form." – Buddha

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how ot do it, and Virtue is doing it." – David Starr Jordan

"One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything." - Georg C. Lichtenberg

Thursday Blurbs

1. I have a job interview tomorrow. It is the first one on nearly 3 years. And that one wasn’t even a job interview. It was more of a “hey, how have you been? I googled your e-mail address and found your blog. Well, your office is over there… see you in two weeks!”

2. And the last interview before that was… ? The last interview before the, other, last interview was 12 years ago. 1998? Can that be right? I am sooooo out of practice. They will know it too. Wow. This is certainly a train wreck waiting to happen. Go me!

3. On a positive note, Alex emerged last weekend, after the second week of invitation-only tryouts, with a coveted spot on the 1995 Boys Cal North State ODP soccer team. He has worked so hard and faced so many obstacles since he first started playing this game nearly 8 years ago. Now he is almost at the top level possible for his age group. I am so happy for him.

4. After dropping the kids off at school this morning I went to drop off “G-Force” at Redbox only to discover (much to my delight) that they had “Julie and Julia” in stock. I picked it up and indulged in a morning of movie watching. What a nice film. Perfect companion to snuggling up in a blanket on a cold, foggy, rainy morning. The laundry would just have to wait. And it did. It still is. No worries though, the laundry elves are around. I can sense their presence.

5. Day 18 confessions: I’m almost done with my 21 day cleanse mentioned in this post (blurb #4) last week. I have been eating saltine crackers (high fructose corn syrup). I should be eating the all natural corn chips instead, but the crackers are so good with hummus. Also, I had a glass of wine on Sunday to celebrate Alex making ODP. Oh, and the Nyquil. That one couldn’t be helped and is completely without regret. And I’d do it again.

6. Alex just asked me what “Julie and Julia” was about. I gave him a brief synopsis (blogging her way through Julia Child's cookbook). He looked over my shoulder at the computer screen and asked me if that is why I’m “blurbing.” Hahahahaha. Well, I thought it was funny. Ok, maybe it was funnier out loud.

7. I still don’t know what to get Jacob for Christmas. He is usually the easiest. Maybe that’s because his lists are usually the longest. This year “I don’t know” seems to be at the top of his list. I wonder where I can get one of those or what size he wants. *Sigh*

Things I Know For Sure Wednesday

Sorry Oprah, but I know some things too...

I know for sure that my son is a WARRIOR and that I couldn’t be prouder of him.

I know for sure that dreams really do come true and not only at Disneyland.

I know for sure that Christmas trees smell awesome.

Speaking of Christmas… I know for sure that I only have 9 more days left to shop.

I know for sure that the shadow on my 11 y/o’s upper lip is… not a shadow. I know this (for sure) because I dragged him by the ear into the bathroom to look under the direct light.

I know for sure there is not enough estrogen in this house and that my supply is only getting lower… sigh.

I know for sure that in 6 days the days will finally start to get longer… woo hoo!

I know for sure that cucumber infused gin is not as good as it might sound especially if it's the only ingredient in a cucumber martini (blech!).

I know for sure that when you spew stuff out into the universe… it will come back to you.

Most Quotable Friday

1. "Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory." - Ghandi

2. "A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough." - John Christian Bovee

3. "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." - Vince Lombardi

4. "What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it. " - Alexander Graham Bell

5. "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." - Michael Jordan

6. "It’s a very funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it." - William Somerset Maugham

Thursday Blurbs

1. Snow, hail, official freeze watch in San Jose? Am I in the Twilight Zone? It was 32 degrees this morning on my car’s temperature gage… I haven’t seen it go that low since we drove to Tahoe 4 years ago for New Year’s.

2. I am getting sick. I am not fighting it anymore. In a few hours it will have totally consumed me. Where is the Kleenex?

3. I got into an argument with some of the neighbors on Sunday. They didn’t like that my dog went two feet into their yard and smelled their tree. Um? He was on a leash and I had a poop bag “just in case.” Ugh. If they care so much about their yard they’d do something about all those leaves. Rake much?

4. I am currently on Day 10 of a 21 day cleanse. No sugar, caffeine, alcohol or animal products (meat, poultry, fish, dairy). I did it last summer with great success and felt great.

5. Both kids got in trouble at school last week. One, right after the other. The Sharks are playing their worst hockey of the year. Financial outlook is bleak. I picked a bad week to not drink. Really bad.

6. It is supposed to rain for the next 4 days strait. At least we got the Christmas tree already. It’s not decorated, but it’s inside the house.

7. I love playing Farmville on Facebook. It is so addicting. Game developers are always coming up with new things to keep it fresh. Right now there is new Christmas stuff out almost daily. And, I just adopted my first bull, that makes baby calves when you put it inside the dairy farm. Lol! I’m on level 29.

8. My kids won’t stop bickering. I am soooooo over it. If only they could be too.

9. Just read the ingredients in Nyquil... among others it has alcohol and high fructose corn syrup (liquid sugar). It's medicine, I have to take it. No cleanse is worth going without when I feel like this. *sigh*

Things I Know For Sure Wednesday

** NEW FEATURE**

I know for sure that when the school calls to tell me that my child is in trouble and my first thought is “they must have made a mistake…” they didn’t.

I know for sure there will never be another Mr. Monk.

I know for sure that giving up caffeine was the best thing I’ve ever done.

I know for sure that giving up chocolate will be the next best thing I ever do (maybe not).

I know for sure that the second cup of coffee is never as good as the first (even if it’s decaf)

I know for sure that if my dog isn’t happy to see me… he has peed somewhere in the house.

I know for sure that bad things always happen in threes.

I know for sure that luck favors the prepared mind.

I know for sure that if you don’t save your word document every few minutes…at some point or another, you will regret it.

Most Quotable Friday

"There are some days I practice positive thinking, and other days I'm not positive I am thinking." – John Eades

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." ~Ernest Hemingway

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." ~Mahatma Gandhi

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers." ~Edgar W. Howe

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." ~Stacia Tauscher

"My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?" ~Erma Bombeck

"Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it." ~Author Unknown

"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you." ~Rita Mae Brown

New Moon and TMI in the Car

I am so grateful to have two wonderful boys. I know it has been three years since I've last shared any Babaloo tidbits about my boys... but here we go. So, last time I posted, er besides the post from the other day (It's still here), the boys were 11 and 8. Well flip that and add a few years and you now get 11 and 14. Jake is in 6th grade and Alex is a freshmen in high school. Yeah, let that resonate for a minute or two. High-Frickin-School. Gah.
Anyway. So today they accompanied their mom to the movies to see New Moon. Yes, like a lot of moms out there, I'm a fan. Read the books, saw the first movie and couldn't wait to see the current one. I'm sure there is a word or a term out there for me. Probably a twelve-step program and support group too. I will totally own that. I liked the books. I like the movies. I am not ashamed.
They (the boys), on the other hand, are not into the whole Twilight / New Moon saga/series/phenomenon. When I brought home the Twilight DVD home to watch last year they couldn't have cared less. Alex even made the face and complained how all the girls at school were "sooooo" into that movie and that he wasn't going to watch it on principal. However, I pointed out that it might be to his benefit to be in "the know" about the things that the girls were into so he'd have something (besides himself) to talk to them about. Big mistake. He literally pulled out a notebook and pen and took notes. Remember what Bella ate for dinner at the Italian restaurant with Edward? Neither do I, but it is written somewhere in Alex's notes. Jacob was just not interested, even though I kept trying to impress him with the fact that there was a "Jacob" in the movie. Just didn't care. He was "team Jacob," but had no clue as to what that even meant. He went to wathc TV in the other room.
I knew it was going to take some finessing to get them to go with me to see this movie. So? I went strait to guilt. "Guess what?" I said to them a few months ago. "Ann said I could go with her and Emily (her daughter) to see New Moon when it comes out. "You don't have to do that, mom. I'll go with you." Alex said without skipping a beat. "Really?" "Yeah."
Yay! I was so excited. One down, one to go. Bribery is more up Jacob's aisle. So I prepared myself for heavy negotiation.
"Ugh," Jacob said. "I don't want to see that movie. Can't we see Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel?"
Omg. He had to be kidding me. The Squeakquel? They made a part 2? Why would they do that? I barely got out of going to the first one... now I had to get out of going to the second one, and worse, in the middle of a serious negotiation? This boy is getting good. He doesn't know it yet. But he's getting good.
Instead, I talked him down to taking him on Wednesday to see 2012 and a large popcorn. Alex had school and planned to see it with his friends anyway.
So, for those keeping score:
Alex = guilt, and the verbal acknowledgement that he would probably be asking for money to see 2012 at a later date with his friends.
Jacob = seeing 2012, large popcorn and the vague, deluded agreement (that I don't remember agreeing to) that seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks was in his Christmas vacation future (I have a few weeks to wiggle out of that one).
Babaloo = Seeing New Moon with her boys!
I went early to the mall and bought tickets for the 11:00am show. Did you know that movies at AMC theatres before noon are only $6? Score!
We got to the theatre about 15 minutes before the movie started and found seats at the top row, almost in the middle. Another Score!
We pulled out our contraband bottled waters, soda and Walgreen's candy. The previews started and I couldn't have been happier. The first three previews were of upcoming romantic comedies. I was slightly afraid of losing them at this point, but I glanced over and they were still there, though I'm sure I sensed a few inward groans. Alex got up once to go to the bathroom, but was back before the movie started.
The movie just flew by. So good. And? It was great seeing it with my kids. I was so grateful to spend the time with them. And the bribes and guilt? Slightly exaggerated. They probably still would have come. I was still marinating in the afterglow on the 5-minute drive home when it inevitably came to a screeching halt.
"Hey, you know when I went to the bathroom before?" Alex said to no one in particular.
"Yeah." Jacob responded, obviously sensing some good bathroom-conversation-while-mom-is- driving coming on.
"Well, it wouldn't come out."
Me: (hand over my face, shaking my head), "Groan."
The conversation progressed digressed from there. I won't go into details (you're welcome).
Let's just say that this always happens and that it always happens in the car. When I'm driving. And that I try to get mad and control the situation, but I end up laughing despite myself.
I call it TMI in the Car.
But the movie was good. Two Thumbs up. So? There's that. Sigh.

It's still here?

Wow. I can't believe it's still here. I thought Blogger would have deleted it for "non-use." So, I guess this is an appropriate time and place for a confession:

Forgive me blog for I have not updated. It has been almost 3 years since my last blog post.

Alright. Here is the short version. I changed jobs. My new boss mentioned (in the interview) that he (somehow, never got the full explanation) saw my blog. I was mortified at the time. Not sure why. That's not true. There are certain lines that I believe shouldn't be crossed. The boss shouldn't be reading about personal stories, excessive cussing in some cases or all out female/wifely/motherly venting as in other cases. However, that is the risk you take when you post stuff on the internet. It is perfectly reasonable that any employer (potential or otherwise) would have done some magical search and stumbled upon the Babalooooooooooooooooooo! blog. **sigh**

Anyway... (insert dramatic transitional theme music) skip ahead three years. I'm bored at home on the computer and (just as the boss did three years ago) stumbled across my blog! LOL! I had a blast reading through all the old posts. OMG! Did all that stuff really happen? I cracked myself up. Especially all the stories about my boys. Aaaaaah. Good times. Good times.

So, maybe I'll start writing posts again. I started another blog about a year ago that I update sporadically. It is called "Random Top Ten Lists." The link is here: http://randomtoptenlists.blogspot.com/. It is just a top ten list about whatever I feel like making a top ten list about. Mostly quotes (I love those quotes!), but there are other things mixed in there as well. I'm also on Facebook (who isn't?). You can friend request me here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1347470622&ref=name
I miss all the blog friends I used to follow. I seriously need to go through the old blogroll and see who is still out there posting.

How many Hail Bloggers do you think I need to absolve three years of absence?

More pictures and Christmas Meme

More pictures of Little P. This time with her uncles! Buzz (right) wasn't able to see her the first day. The nurses wouldn't let him back because he was too young. We snuck him through on day two! He asked me to print out pictures, THAT NIGHT, so he could bring them to school to show his class. The baby went home yesterday, is doing fine and as of today now has a name! However, her blogger name will remain Little P(rincess).

Christmas Song Meme:

I got tagged by Valerie (Adventures in Parenting) to blog my top 5 favorite Christmas songs. Here they are:

1. White Christmas (sung by Bing Crosby)

2. I'll Be Home For Christmas

3. All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth

4. Grandma got run over by a reindeer

5. Silent Night

I'm supposed to tag 5 of you. Since it's easy I won't feel guilty about it... so just do it (please?) Just for fun I'll tag: Jen, Bonnie, Jodi (cuz, she loves memes the most!!), Crazy MomCat and Jennifer.

If I don't check in before Christmas... MERRY CHRISTMAS! And many happy returns (hee hee :-) )!

Introducing... Little P(rincess)

Here are some photos of Drama's little girl. I'd like to say they are the first photos taken, but she was already 12 hours old by the time I got to see her and I think this was about her 10-15th photo shoot. Not even a day old and already a professional!

Drama had a name picked out for her, but decided after she was born the name didn't fit her.

The hospital staff told her she had 10 days to name her, so she is going to take a few of those to come up with the "perfect" name. Since I probably won't post her real name anyway... I have dubbed her Little P, for Little Princess.

I never once saw her little arm come down. We kept trying to move it, but she would make it stick strait back up like that. And so begins a new life... *sigh*

She's Here!

Drama had her baby this morning! Six pounds, three ounce baby girl! Her water broke last night around 11pm. Labor was about 5 hours and she delivered her this morning around 7:00 am. We are going to go see her this evening after I leave work. More details and pictures (!) to follow... (yikes! I'm a grandma)

It's The Small Things That Count

I have a cd that I made with a collection of songs that make me cry. They remind me of times or people in my life or are just about really sad things. I “creatively” titled the cd “Sad Songs” and even made a nice label for it and keep it in my cd case in the car.

My husband is a big believer in the small things in life. While he is as appreciative as the next guy when he receives a birthday or Christmas gift, what really touches him are the small things. The things that let him know I’m thinking about him or that I love him. Through him, I have learned to appreciate the small things in life and to sometimes stand back and drink in the moment when someone is thinking about me.

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my mom’s passing. I wasn’t intending to write a post about it, but rather reflect privately and mourn the day in my own way. I did write a post about her some time ago here if you would like to read more.

As the kids and I were leaving yesterday, Woody opened up my cd case and pulled out a cd to play. He did his usual routine where he teased Buzz about playing the “Bad Day” song (Daniel Powter) and waited for Buzz to cover his ears and scream “nooooooooooooooooo...” Which he did. Only? Woody really put in another cd that they both really like and they both laughed thinking this was still funny even after the 36th time it's been done. After a song or two, Woody took out the cd and put in another one. It was my “sad songs” cd.

After listening to Frank Sinatra sing “My Way.” I turned to him and asked why he chose that cd to play. He turned to me and said, “Daddy said that you were feeling sad today.”

“So, you put in the ‘sad songs’ cd because I’m feeling sad?”

“Uh, huh.”

It was a small thing on his part, but it ran deep and touched my heart nonetheless. Isn't that what really counts?

S.N.O.W.

I got one of these yesterday from a friend of mine. I could not stop laughing. You can type in a message and the snowman will voice simulate your words. The one I got was full of "inside" jokes that no one else would even understand or think were funny. I was in tears! Do you have someone in your life that you share that inside humor with? You have to create one of these S.N.O.W. (simulated niceness of winter) cards and send it to them. Even if you don't send one, it is fun just playing around with it. Enjoy!

Dusting off the old blog...

I am so sorry for all the dust that has collected around here over the last month-and-a-half 2 months! It isn't that I haven't had anything to say... just no time to say it. There, now I am officially a blogging cliche! Wait, hold on. Let me get that cobweb over there... Omg! Is that mold? Ugh, disgusting. Sorry about that. Let me just pull out the bleach and a sponge and we'll be all set. You might want to wear a surgeon's mask if you are going to stay more than a few minutes. Do you mind if I scrub and write at the same time?

Where to start? Well... how about where I last left off.

Hawaii: The trip went well. My aunt and I spent most of our time there with my grandfather. The first day there was his 90th birthday. We took him out to lunch and then to the
cemetary where my grandmother's remains are kept. He seemed in really good spirits which was exemplified the second day when we came in the morning and he was dressed and ready to go with the day planned out for the three of us. The whole trip was like that. We stayed in a hotel in Waikiki and left each morning for Kaneohe where we would visit with grandpa and take him out for the afternoon. Then each evening returned to Waikiki where we would indulge in tropical adult beverages with umbrellas and solve the world's problems.

Trip to the Emergency Room: Well, what can I say? Our family was due for a visit sooner or later. We managed to make it through the summer but were only living on borrowed time. The very next weekend after I returned from Hawaii, Woody was playing in (what else?) a soccer tournament. On Sunday as he and his teammates were gathering around one of the unused goals just before taking the field for warmups he decided to jump up on and hang from the crossbar. He jumped down and as he did the muscle in his neck spasmed and he couldn't move. Of course nobody knew at that moment what had happened, how he was hurt or what to do, so the paramedics were called and I very nearly (Okay I totally panicked) panicked that he had some kind of spinal chord injury. The paramedics determined that he had a severe muscle spasm of the neck and helped me get him into the car and off we went to the emergency room. There he was given a muscle relaxant, anti-inflamatory medicine and something to manage the pain, all through an IV. He was released to my custody care and was excused for the week from PE.

The Baby Shower: Drama's baby shower was an outstanding success. We had it in her apartment complex's club house which turned out to be very luxurious and boasted a huge kitchen and seperate TV area where most of the kids hung out. True to form, my kids took early control of the remote and kept it on the Sharks game most of the evening (and kept their mom continually updated on the scoring). She got a lot of really nice gifts and everyone had a nice time.

Soccer end of season: For one child at least. Buzz's season ended with a perfect 10-0 record. They had their end-of-season party at Roundtable and won't start up again until late March. Yay! A break. Not really. Woody's team still had one final district-wide tournament to play in and then he would be done for the season. Not. He was invited to play with another team (whose goalie broke his ankle playing basketball) through the winter in two different tournaments. This team is much better then Woody's team and play against much tougher competition. Woody seems to be really into it and hubby says it will be good for him to play up against better skilled opponents.

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving started out early with me stuffing the bird and getting that sucker in the oven. Only not in my oven, because my oven is broken. *Sigh* Hubby was able to ask a friend who owns a restaurnant nearby if we could cook our turkey there in his restaurant, and he agreed! So, I stuffed and he hand delivered the bird to the restaurant to be cooked. Then we took Woody to a soccer scrimmage. Because doesn't everyone play soccer on Thanksgiving? It was fine and probably for the best for Woody to be able to play with his new teammates before the played in a real match. When we got home I prepared all the sides while hubby went to pick up the cooked guest of honor, our turkey. #91 came over and we had a really nice Thanksgiving feast together. Then? He took the kids with him to spend the night at his apartment! Happy Thanksgiving to us! Hubby and I got some much deserved alone time and all was well on our Thanksgiving holiday.

Black Friday: I had never gone out shopping before on Black Friday. That's not exactly true. I've been out, but never at the crack of dawn. So, wanting to truly experience "the hunt" I convinced hubby to venture out for a 6:00 am opening at Target. Ha! It was hilarious! I didn't end up really buying any gifts for anyone (I mostly bought gift wrap, boxes, etc.), because we were having too much fun watching the half-crazed people shopping. People, I saw a woman in Target with 3 shopping carts. No lie. Flat panel televisions seemed to be the most popular item. Every other person had one in their cart. There must not have been a limit because the woman with 3 carts had four of them. Again. No lie. Maybe one of you or someone you know is on her shopping list? We eventually transitioned over to the mall where, the wine from the night before and lack of sleep got the best of me and I begged to be taken out of there. We went out to breakfast and then went back home to bed.

The Sharks: The Shark's are off to a great start and we finally went to our first regular season game! It wasn't one the more exciting games but it gave us the bug again and we have tickets for two more games at the end of the month when the kids are on break from school.

Hawaii, epilogue: Since the trip grandpa took a nasty fall and was hospitalized over Thanksgiving. He has a severely bruised hip and the doctors say his heart is getting weak as well.

The Wedding: The weekend after Thanksgiving (12/2) in Mesa, AZ. My cousin Jeffrey (son of my aunt that I went to Hawaii with). Buzz and I made the flight out to Arizona on Friday (Woody stayed home with Hubby so he could play in his soccer game). Buzz was great company and very well behaved. Buzz (and Woody too) was in my other cousin's wedding two years ago and a lot of people at this wedding remembered him and gave him lots of attention. The outside ceremony was beautiful despite the chill in the air and the reception was snazzy and fit my cousin and his wife's great style and taste perfectly. The best part? There were cakes at every table. And they were goooooood! Buzz danced the night away with some of the bridesmaids (much to the chagrin of the single guys) and had a great time.

Well... this pretty much brings us all up to date. Thank you everyone for your comments and I promise to be around to visit soon. Be careful as you leave, the floor may still be slippery...

I Never Meant To Make You Worry...

Hello All! Yes, those of you who clicked over from your bloglines, you are not imagining things... I am writing a post.
After my Hawaii trip back in October I have to admit I've been caught up in a bit of a whirlwind. I hope to share some of my stories with you and get back into visiting my favorite blogs (you know who you are!). But, in the meantime I just wanted to pop in briefly and say thank you for your nice comments and to say that I never meant to worry anyone!
Oh and a special "Thank You" to Zephra for her very sweet e-mail. You are the best!