Merry Christmas!

Here it is, the day every kid under 90 waits for.  I truly hope that you are able to be with friends or family and have a wonderful holiday.  Everyone here is still dreaming, so I have been able to get my pumpkin pies in the oven, and decided to spend a minute with my VR friends and family.  I have a warm, contented feeling in my heart.  My family is together and healthy.  The three people that mean the world to me are under this roof.  That is more than many have, and I’m grateful.  We may be short on presents this year but we’re long on love and affection.  I’ll take that trade any day.    For my dad and the kids, I’m going to cook a turkey, that alone will make Christmas uncancelled.  How can Christmas be cancelled when I’m baking pumpkin pies and making turkey with cornbread dressing.  I make a mean home made cranberry sauce too.  Bear and I didn’t buy presents, but the kids know why and they also know that we love them endlessly.  At 19 and 21 they can handle not getting the latest gadget or piece of clothing.  So life is good.  It may not always be what we want or expect, but that’s what makes it interesting.  From our house to yours.  Merry Christmas and many blessing in the new year.  indie

Christmas is canceled!

Okay, maybe not everywhere, just here in this house.  I’ve tried, I really have, but it just ain’t happening!  The combination of low enthusiasm, virtually no money, an m.i.a. hubby and no time left to get it together has won out over the usual Christmas festivities.  I kept waiting day after day for something.  A spark, a glimmer, an iota of of cheer, NOTHING!  I have bought exactly one thing, some yu-gi-oh cards for my god-daughters older bro.  (She’s prob. going to get the only other thing I buy.)  After Christmas, Bear and I are paying off the last of Allies‘ <(this tells some of the story)  $300.00 doc bill, so that is her present as crappy as it is, and the platypus gets zip, nada, nothing.  I’m blank, absolutely blank.  I still haven’t got the tree or decorations up and my house is usually covered in lights that I put up myself.  The inside is trimmed with yards and yards of garland and beautiful bows.  I have the requisite nativity that I bought when the girls were babies.  Christmas candy dishes, candle holders, stockings, you name it we’ve got it.  Most of it is still in the attic.  My dad and the platypus were in Wal-Mart (evil) and saw a 3 foot fiber optic tree for $9.50 and bought it for me.  So we do have that.  She also wrapped the presents that she brought home from school for everyone.  Shoot, if it weren’t for Allie and the platypus there wouldn’t be anything out at all, but they did good by me and drug down some stuff.  So now what? 

Tonight we all go to Little Rock for the company Christmas party.  Will that put me in the mood?  I doubt it too, I think it may be to late.  To me Christmas excitement comes not from the gifts that you get, but from all the attendant ceremonies that happen the month before.  The decorating, music, general good cheer.  The parties, cards being sent and recieved, the special cooking and baking.  I love to buy for my friends and family, finding that special something that says this is for her. (or him)  My one shopping trip this month and I didn’t even buy anything.  I had a better time watching all the people and just looking around.  Spending all day with the kids and their friends was all the good time I needed or wanted.  So here we are.  I don’t know why the usual just isn’t cutting it this year.  The only thing I can think of doing is to keep going through the motions,  maybe if I smile big and bright enough it will start to feel real.  I guess the next few days will tell.  I’ll keep you posted, and I sure hope I’m the last grinch you read today. 

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Yes, it’s 3:20 AM.  I’ve had my shower and first cup of coffee.  Pretty soon Zetta, Em and I will be on our way to Childrens Hospitol in Little Rock.  Time for my God-daughters surgery.  She turned 7 months old yesterday.  She is having her kidney reflux procedure today, and I have faith that everything will be okay.  Time to pray, for the doctors and the baby.  We check in at 5:30 and the surgery starts at 7:00.  So  keep us in your thoughts today and when we get back I will let you know how things went.

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Update   Everything went smooth as silk and satin.  She’s sleeping the kind of sleep only the very innocent can seem to manage.  Thank you for sending all the good vibes.  We sure appreciate it. 

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Much to my stunned, surprise, the plan went off without a hitch.  We got clear to Fayetteville before the first snowflake fell.  Then it came down with a vengeance.  So we went to the store before it got too bad and bought massive amounts of junk food and some games.  We got Phase Ten, Yahtzee, Uno, and Blurt.  Then, even though the platypus  had a final in Geology we stayed up until 1:30 am playing.   You can never go wrong playing a game with Timah.  The platypus has a winner there and I’m not kidding.  He’s not just a sweet guy, he funnier than anyone I know. (usually unintentionally.)  Of course like most guys he over-thinks things but since I’m the future MIL in this relationship I’ll keep that little nugget to myself.  Let them figure it out.

The platupi took her test at 8 am.  So we achieved freedom rather quickly.   (Her professor gave 3 tests and the final.  If you were happy with your grade you didn’t have to take the final, if you took it, he threw out the lowest of the four tests.  That’s what I call a win/win situation.   She figures she got a B.)   When she got back we went out for breakfast.  It was wunderbar! I love breakfast, it is by far my favorite meal of the day, maybe because I don’t have conventional breakfasts.  I figure, if it’s food, you can eat it for any meal, breakfast included.  (This time it really was breakfast food.)  Mexican breakfast, but breakfast all the same.  A chorizo omelet with jalapeno’s, tortillas,with refried beans and a really good tomatillo sauce, all of it topped off with sliced fresh fruit.  Not bad eh?

TIME TO HIT THE MALL!   

Unfortunately Tim didn’t get to go to the mall with us.  Which is to bad, he has some pretty astute observations on human behavior, not to mention  Zetta, Steph, Emmie, Allie and I went, so he would have been totally surrounded by females.  And that friends, is a recipe for hilarity. The mall at Christmas is a sight to behold isn’t it?  Everything is so beautiful.  None of us had a whole lot of money so we hit a lot of stores looking for bargains.   My two favorite bargains were free.  When our arms got to full to be comfortable I suggested we take the stuff and put it in the trunk of the car, the snowball fight happened on the way back into the mall.  I think Allie started it, (she’s always been an instigator) but the platypus finished it.  (she takes no prisoners)  Watching them go at it, hearing the laughter, reminds me of when they were tiny and would fight.  I told them, you will always and forever be sisters.  And sisters stick by each other no matter what or who tries to come between you, because it’s a bond that should never be betrayed or broken.  Then there will be one person in the world you can ALWAYS count on.  The snowball fight was a draw,  panting, covered in snow, red cheeked with cold, we laughingly made our way back into the mall.  The sisters, arm in arm.

 My second bargain of the day came as we were leaving.  There was a grand piano set up in the food court, an old, old man was playing Christmas music.  I stopped to listen.  Just then a little girl dressed in her Christmas clothes came up with her mother.  The mom explained that she knew how to play ’O Come All Ye Faithful  and could she play it.  He said yes, and she started to play, then oh so softly he started to accompany her playing, by the time they were done she was beaming!  We all clapped for her and grinning from ear to ear they went back to their table and the old man played solo again.   

What a day!  While there was frantic shopping going on all around me, I ended up leaving the mall without buying one single thing, and two bargains that no amount of money could buy.  Isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

I missed everyone while I was gone, I’ll try to catch up!  But please forgive me if I don’t get to you, or missed a post you were particularly proud of, believe me it wasn’t  intentional.  Hope you had a good day. 

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  We have a plan!

Tomorrow we are expecting snow.  Allie and I are going to drive through the storm to pick up our favorite Platypus.  We could wait I suppose, but we aren’t going to.  If it was my first day of Christmas vacation I wouldn’t want to spend it sitting in an empty dorm.   We are planning it similarly to the Normandy invasion.  Minus the Germans with guns.  When bad weather strikes it’s best to be prepared, so there will be an entire houseful of stuff in the car.  Food, blankets, water, phone, flashlights, umbrella.  (suggestions anyone?)  Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing, lots of music.   Anyway, we’re going to spend the night and come home Saturday.  Friday night we get to meet some of her friends, eat at her choice of restuarant and then maybe a movie or bowling.  Something fun, whatever the kids want this time.  (I rarely say that.)   Now that’s what I call a plan. 

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Written Wed. just never posted it or finished it.  Stuff like this happens all the time.

Bwhaha, I missed The simple Life.  Maybe there’s hope for me yet.  Actually, I rented movies.  So my sister, bro in law and I watched, Holes, How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days and Santa Claus 2  We had a marathon.  I loved Holes I think I should buy that one and The Emperors New Groove.   It would save me so much money on rentals.  Am I the only person who rents the same movie over and over? 

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Bear had a marathon week,  54 hours in four days.  22 hours the first two days then two 16 hour days, which is bullshit.  I guess what ticks me off most is that they know that on Wednesday he has to drive an hour and a half to get home.  So he had about an 18 hour day today.  Needless to say it takes three days to recover from the four.  I remember a time when we were younger and had more energy either one of us could do this standing on our head, but not anymore.  I really don’t understand how people can do 60 or 80 hour weeks.  It would kill me.

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Happy day, my dad and sister brought me a huge bunch of flowers.  How sweet is that?  I absolutely love getting flowers, and since I don’t get them often I split them up into 4 different vases and put them all around the room.  It made a gray, cold, icky day so much brighter. 

I feel like I’m really slacking off on getting my decorations up.  Just about all of the Xangans I read have not only got their tree and decorations up, most of you have either started buying presents or are already done.  Man, talk about pressure.  This year I will be frantically buying on Christmas eve.  That ought to make it interesting.  The only person who has specifically asked for anything is Bear.  So he is going to get the play station 2 he wants.  Just goes to show little boys grow into to big boys.  I’ll probably have just as much fun with it, so I’m going to try and get some good games.  Any suggestions.  Usually we prefer the role playing type so if you know of some good ones I’ll keep them in mind.

The Simple Life is on again tomorrow night so I thought I should in all fairness warn everyone.  RANT! (coming your way soon.)  See how well I know myself.  I’m sure I’m some kind of masochist to put myself and you through this again.  But, like an addict that hasn’t hit bottom, here we go again.  So you’ve been warned.

This is coming from left field but I really want to know.  So if you only leave one comment answer this one.  If you could have any of the superpowers that comic book characters have what would it be?  Just one though and if you want you can make one up.  Of course this includes all the powers from the x-men, superman, Spiderman, blah, blah, blah!  So use your imagination.    

Later gators.  Have a good evening!

old news; Still waiting on my damn computer and still sick.  I’m not really sure which pisses me off more.  pah! enough of this and that.

Once more and with feeling,                       (links to sites are in color)

If you don’t read fauquet  that’s okay.  Reading a French guy who is old enough to be your grandfather isn’t for everyone.  However I would ask that you keep him and his wife Janine in your thoughts and prayers.(if that’s not to politically un-correct of me)  He is having some pretty serious stuff with his health right now and if you have a spare second please use it sending good energy his way.  

Some people flounder around a lot when they first start this thing we call Xanga.  I might be off the mark but I don’t think Heike or Stowry will flounder near as long as I did.  Normal people writing about semi-normal things.  After all Heike is married to History Pig so she can’t be completely normal. (just kidding)  Yeah, that’s my job uniting Xangans in peace, prosperity and weirdness.

Reasons I should ALWAYS eat at the table.  (believe it or not there are several)

10. Supposedly (is there scientific evidence of this?) you eat slower so you don’t add pounds or get as much indigestion.

9. When you eat alone (like I do 4 days a week) you don’t eat as much. (I repeat, is there any scientific evidence?)

8. It provides a routine that encourages other productive behavior. (sure it does, I’m just gonna jump up and do those dishes right now.)

7. (now we get to the truth)  You drop less spaghetti on your favorite sweatshirt.

Look familiar to anyone?

6. If you do drop your spaghetti, it doesn’t land in your favorite chair.

5. If someone knocks at the door you look less like a slob if you don’t have spaghetti on your sweatshirt.

4.  Even if it’s just TV dinner spaghetti you feel less like Homer Simpson and more like Julia Child.

3. If your drinking a glass of wine with your TV dinner spaghetti at the table, your having a fine Italian dining experience, if your not at the table your just a lush, not really interested in the spaghetti as much as the wine. (I prefer a good ILLINI red with my sweatshirt)

2. When your kids call, you can impress them with your class and maturity.  (yeah, right, 22  hours of labor wasn’t impressive, why should this be?) 

and the number one reason I should eat at the kitchen table. (ala David Letterman ,drum roll please)

1. No one will ever have to suffer through a spaghetti entry again.

Unless of course I snort a spaghetti noodle through my nose, that would be to classy to pass up. 

Take no prisoners people,  they just take up space and eat all your spaghetti.

My brain is still not functioning at its best but what the heck, here goes. 

I woke up this morning with my mouth wide open because both sinuses were swollen shut.  I couldn’t swallow my throat was so dry.  Thank God for auto reflexes or I would have suffocated.  As soon as I got some water down, my first thought was, wow I feel a lot better.  cough, ack, gag.  Which is worse drooling on your pillow or being so dried out there’s no drool at all?   Dumb ass me thought, oh good Bear will be home and he can wait on me hand and foot.  With the bonus thrown in that my dead body won’t lay around and putrify.  HAH!  He slept the first 14 hours he’s been home and he’s not reading my mind well at all.  For instance why doesn’t he automatically know that the vaporizer needs more water and I need more Vicks rubbed on my chest.  Some mind reader.  Isn’t there some kind of rule that if your married more than 20 years they should know how you like to be babied?  There’s not!  Well there should be.  whine, bitch, moan.  My level of whininess always increases as I start feeling better, that’s how I know survival is probably in my future.

Did anyone catch The Simple Life  It stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie.  The premise as far as I can figure out, is to take these two ultra rich, spoiled beyond belief girls, and put them in Altus, Arkansas so they can make fun of all the locals, while looking down their surgically enhanced noses at people who actually work for a living.  Lets make fun of the farmers!!   I’ve been to Altus and like most small towns in Arkansas it has gone through some rough economic times, you can see it in lack of growth and a general run down appearance of some of the older buildings.  However, it is filled with people who are friendly and care about their neighbors.  They live in the 21st century like all of us do, they just do it at a slower pace and with less money.  I think what ticked me off most about this show is when the girls private jet landed at the airport, the soundtrack immediately started playing the theme song from Deliverance.  HELLO!!!!  You have nothing to fear driving the back roads of  the South.  You can camp, hike, and wander around without fear of crazed hillbillies.  The producers of this show should have done a little more homework before deciding on this one, they have not only made Paris and Nicole look like spoiled rotten rich girls, they have tried to make rural life a cliched Hollywood joke.  To bad, what could have been done with dignity is just highlighting what the rich don’t get about the rest of America.   

Okay, I’ll climb off my soapbox and go back to bed.  See you tomorrow!

Oh  lord have I been sick.  I caught whatever has been going around and by Sunday night all I wanted to do was crawl in bed and sleep.  Since I’m here alone I had lots of time to wander around the house trying to remember what I got up for.  Ie: the vicks vaporub or more kleenex for my ever drippy nose.  I also had plenty of time to figure out how long my dead body would lay here before somebody came to check on me, 24 hours!  However, she made up for it by bringing my chicken souped out stomach McDonalds and my atrophied brain her laptop.  So I’m not feeling near as sorry for myself as I was, boohoo.  I guess I’ll probably survive.  Whine, bitch, moan. 

We had a terrific Thanksgiving and I’m thankful I didn’t get sick in the middle of that.  We ended with no turkey leftovers at all.  Even though I cooked a 20 pound turkey. Where were you Doc?  Aw well maybe for Christmas.  I’ll make that one a twenty-five pounder if you come. 

Hopefully we’ll be getting our computer back from the doctor soon.  We will have a new motherboard and two new ram chips.  All with lifetime warranty, we are also getting a battery backup power source.  Our electricity has the annoying habit of clicking off for a second, just enough to wreak havoc with the computer and all the clocks.  The clocks can be reset but it plays hell with the computer.

Before I completely run out of energy i’ll close, I have alot of catch up reading.  Hope everyone has had a good week.  DON’T GET WHAT I GOT!! 

EDIT update:  Notagoose reminded me of a promise I made my best friend make.  When I die and before all the relatives descend on the house she has to come and clean it so I won’t be embarassed wherever I am.  And believe me I’ll know if she doesn’t keep her promise and I’ll haunt her for years.  YEARS, people.