Saturday, December 20, 2003

Happy Chanukkah!

Tonight started the festival of lights! And everything went off without a hitch! Well not really... Let me tell you about the day.

I couldn't locate my menorah last night so I knew I would have to go get one for tonight. I had planned to head to a local place this morning with the little people but they were Pure EEEEEVIL today so I gave them time outs, threatened to take down their Christmas tree and made them clean up all the paper they scattered around the living room instead of take the trip to the store. I knew that hubby would be home early today as he has something going on in his sinus and half of his face is swelled up like the elephant man ("I'm not an animal!"), so I figured I would have time to head out to procure the menorah and a few other things for tonight when he got home. I was also expecting a phone call from a friend around 12:30 PM so I put the little people down for naps at noon and sat down to read my e-mail. 12:30 PM came and went with no call from said friend. A guy wanting to be my boyfriend did call though and we chatted for a bit then decided that we would meet for a few minutes before I did my shopping. This is a great way to meet someone without it being a 'date' - see if you meet and this person is a LOSER you can always say "Well I really do need to get going, I have to get 'fill in the blank' done before 6 pm" and leave, and if you do hit it off well then having a time limit will keep you (me really) from being a complete slut and going right to sex - there by making you (me) look less slutty as you can count the first meeting as a 'DATE' and when you skip the movie, skip dinner and head right for 'desert' you can at least say you didn't do it on your FIRST date - at least that's my rationalization. Anyway - I'm glad I didn't actually set up a real 'DATE' because this guy is just NOT for me. I had a feeling he wasn't from a few comments he made about my hubby - just a hint to prospective boyfriends - it's all good to tell me how beautiful you think I am and fawn over me, but when you insult my hubby for being gay your just pissing me off, hubby may not be my lover and we may only be 'husband & wife' in a technical sense but he's my best friend, my room mate and the father of my children and I'll kick so ass before I let someone bash him for being gay. But anyway, this guy made a couple of comments that came off wrong to me - but only a couple, I figured I'd give him the benefit of the doubt since he had put so much effort into this - no chemistry, no sparks, not going to work. Oh well, too bad for him. Luckily that didn't take long, then I headed over to the store to look for a menorah - the store was FREAKING PACKED. I did some shopping for the little people and headed to another store - also packed. I did not find a menorah but I did find some nice candle holders that were pretty damn cheap and would work fine for tonight. I ended up picking up some stuff to make latkes as well - I figured that I would be pressed for time so I got stuff to make them quick. When I get home the little people had been EEEEEEVIL. They had gotten a hold of the India ink AGAIN! AAAAHHHH! I had that hidden! Anyway this time they poured it on the floor in my bedroom. Hubby was very unhappy with the little people. I was down right pissed and started yelling at them right away. They spent quite a while in time outs tonight while I went to clean my carpet. I managed to get almost all of the ink out of my carpet - a miracle on Chanukkah! (and what a coincidence that a woman named Judith was there to help it along... This Judith didn't have to lop off someone's head though!) After some intense carpet scrubbing, I headed to the kitchen to make latkes. I grated some zucchini and managed to cut my thumb knuckle pretty bad in the process. Then I fried the latkes. After all the work to make them, Super Girl didn't try them, she claimed they were to 'spicy' (they were far from spicy) - what a gentile she is, Cabbage Patch ate hers up (of course the one with the good Hebrew name likes Jewish food) and hubby didn't like them (gentile) - so only half of us appreciated the trouble I went to to make the traditional food to celebrate the miracle of the oil. If I had made donuts they would have eaten them... Maybe next year. Because the little people were PURE EEEEVIL today they didn't get any Chanukkah presents today nor did they get any gelt - ah well, they have 7 more days, I'm sure at least one day they will be GOOD. ;o) At least the evening ended well for me, my Sancho called and since I am finally OVER my SARS(cold) I made time for a booty call - mmmm, mmmm, good.

Thursday, December 18, 2003

Slipping By In A Blur

That's how my days feel right now. Tomorrow night starts Chanukkah and I'm not prepared. Next week is Christmas and again I'm not prepared. This damn SARS (cold) which I am finally starting to get rid of has really thrown my schedule off. I haven't gotten my holiday cards done, I haven't done much in the way of shopping (not that I'm doing much shopping) and I haven't done much decorating. I broke down and bought some holiday cards to send out since I would not have enough time to make any. They are on the tacky side, but they were really the only holiday cards and not strictly Christmas Cards I could find. I guess I'll stuff a short note into the cards to make up for me not making them myself. I'm disappointed about that as I really did want to make them myself. I have letters I desperately need to get mailed as well and just haven't printed them yet (that is super lame of me). I still have laundry to do, I need to take holiday pictures of the little people and decide what to get who for the holidays (I'm hoping for a Chia pet for me). I'm frustrated. I'm running out of time to get things done. I've spent so much time and energy being sick that I haven't gotten things done like I needed to. *sigh*

Return Of The King

Last night we went to see that! Woohoo! I liked it a lot. The theater was PACKED and everyone in the group had to sit apart. But, I liked the movie. It was intense. One scene made hubby jump. hehehehe...

Pink Christmas Tree

I finally put the Christmas Tree up for the girls. Hubby had purchased a tiny pink Barbie tree for them last weekend. hehehe... They love it. I got some lights for it today. I'll post some pictures of it a little later when it's all decorated.

Lunch With A Hottie

Yesterday I had lunch with an old friend I used to work with. I had not seen him since before I got pregnant with Cabbage Patch. He still looked as HOT as ever. He's probably the hottest man I know in person and he's partnered to an incredibly hot man as well. Sheesh why are all the hot ones gay? I was his new house - which is FAAAABULOUS! I mean really. I've never met anyone other than well off middle aged gay men who have houses as nice as this. The little people were in awe of the Christmas Trees in his house and all the cute decorations his partner had out. The little people adored my friend and he adored them. We had a nice lunch of pizza and he loved the present of the beaded wine glasses. We talked about Winston and how much of a shock it was that he passed so quickly. It was so nice to see him and it made me realized I really missed working with him.

Dead Fish Swimming

Damn it! Looks like another of my fish is having swim bladder issues. I really like this one, she's one of my fancy goldfish. The other fish I got at that same time has already died. This is pissing me off and has made me swear off buying fish from PetSmart anymore. So far most of the fish I have purchased from PetSmart have gone on to the aquarium in the sky, but my Walmart fish have gone fine. For some reason I can't seem to find a store locally that sells many varieties of fancy goldfish so I end up going to PetSmart because they have a slightly larger selection than Walmart. My only hope is that this issue will work it self out because there's nothing that can be done for this.

Speaking of fish, I did get another fish after Aegir died. I got a red and white common goldfish. I haven't announced him yet as I haven't decided on a name for him. He's kind of fancy being that he's read and white, but he's a common goldfish so I'm torn as to whether to give him a Nordic name as all the other fancy goldfish or give him a common name like the other commons I have. I've narrowed down the names to either Balder (The god of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence, and reconciliation) for a Nordic name - although I'm not keen on the fact that Balder was killed by Lokki - read about it here (hubby had suggested that I call him Aegir II but I don't think it's good to name a fish after the fish he's replacing), and for his common name I've decided on Bubba. It fits with my commons who are Bubbles, Pappa Bear and Mamma Bear. Anyway, Balder-Bubba is the tiniest fish in the tank currently and seems to have figured out that he has to get to the food quick before Thor eats it all. He's not as interesting as some of the others who have odd quirks - like Thor who bangs on the side of the tank with the rocks when he wants food or Bubbles who likes to ride the air pump bubbles like a ride and likes to blow large bubbles at the surface or Valkyrie who likes to sit at the bottom of the tank with her tail fin in the stream of bubbles. Yes I know, I'm a geek, I like my fish... I obsess over my fish. Too bad Spike is gone - he/she was a great psychotic fish.

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Torn

Today is the funeral for a dear friend I worked with. I'm not going to the funeral and for that I am feeling more than a little bit guilty. His wake was last night and I just could not make it to that due to the meeting I had to attend. I feel a bit of resentment for that, but what could I do...I guess it really doesn't matter that much anyway since I really dislike wakes. I never know what to do or anything, funerals are much easier as they all pretty much go the same. You come in, sit and listen to the deceased be eulegized, you pay your respects to the family and go. Wakes are harder, I never know how long to stand around and look somber. Well that is except for things for my own family, I know how to handle that - just follow my sister's lead - and if it's family, well I know them and most everyone there so the awkward feeling is not there. Anyway... I digress... I'm sad I can't go to the funeral, I really would like to pay respects to his family and say goodbye. Part of me is glad I can't go though, I don't want my last memories of Winston to be his funeral or worse his body in a box (he died of cancer so I really do fear how he would look - it took me a couple of years to get the images of my mothers last days out of my head). It would just be sad to have my last memories of someone who was so full of life to be of him dead. So I won't go, I'll feel a bit guilty and I'll send a card to his family expressing my sorrow for his passing, although most likely I'll be at a lost for words to express my feelings and sign it with 'Deepest Sympathies' and be done with it. Sadly it won't express what I want to say or how I'll always smile when I remember him ordering dessert before his entree or how when I see Blue Bell ice cream I'll hear his twangy Texas drawl say how it's the only ice cream he'll eat, how coachly looking men in sans-a-belt pants will make me stifle a giggle as I'm reminded of his usual out fit of golf shirt and those pants. He always had a smile for everyone. It's too bad he's gone now.

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Brain Pain

Uggh... This evening my sinus' are killing me. I fear that this blasted SARS(cold) is setting up a nasty infection in my sinus. Damn! I dread this so very much. I've been nearly religious with taking the prescription strength decongestant in a vain attempt to avoid a sinus infection. Uggh...

ON top of all that, I had to go to a freaking work meeting tonight. Work meeting = waste of time. I always car-pool with another photographer and we bitch about the meeting all the way there and back. This time we had our cheery little Christmas Party. Bah! I hate these things. We were asked to bring a wrapped $10 gift to exchange. I despise that. I don't purchase holiday gifts for most of my family so I resent purchasing a gift for a complete stranger. I got lucky this time. I found a Mikasa candy dish still in it's box that someone had gifted me several years ago - I remembered this just 15 minutes before I was to leave for afore mentioned meeting. The meeting was a complete waste of time, I think it was just a way for the director to let everyone know she was back from sick leave... I guess that's a good thing, I was betting she was dewing. The actual exchange was not to bad, I got a set of picture frames that got taken from me, then a very nice quad-picture frame that got taken from me, and finally a very nice set of wine glasses with beads around the stems. This lovely gift I will be re-gifting tomorrow when I have lunch with a dear friend. He will love them, he's not married and he has lovely ecletic decor in his home, whereas I have two energetic children and worn out-tore-up-used-up family decor. They just don't match anything I have! That and they are just two more things that I don't have a secure place for (secure as in kids can not reach). These glasses are very very nice, one of the other photographers makes them - I certainly think they were a bit above the $10 gift limit that was set, but hey, I'm not complaining. Now I don't have to show up empty-handed to see my friend. Anyway - the meeting sucked. I didn't learn anything new (which is what these meetings are SUPPOSED to be about) and my boss is still a moronic bitch - apparently that's not what was making her sick.

Off to bed now... I think my medication is kicking in now.
Walk A Mile In My Shoes

Recently my grandmother gave me a lovely gift. She gave me 15 pairs of shoes she no longer wanted. Obviously she and I wear the same size shoe and we share the same taste in many of the shoes. Lucky for me she has a better shoe buying budget than I do, so I now have some fabulous shoes! And best of all - there were 5 pairs of red shoes (my favorite!). Yes I am a shoe hoarder! It's a genetic condition.
Fork It!


I've discovered something that does not go in a washing machine. A fork. One should never throw a fork into the washing machine either with clothing or without. I know, I know, you are probably thinking that this information would be OBVIOUS and I tend to agree, but I did find a FORK in my washer. In the just washed clothing. Apparently this is something I need to explain to The Little People - Forks go in the dish washer, clothes go in the washing machine. Luckily my washer didn't seem to notice the fork thanks to the clothing - but some of the clothes did not fair so well with their fork companion. Ah well, at least it was not anything important.

Monday, December 15, 2003

Flight Of Fancy

Ignore the previous post. This weekend was so incredibly busy! Antonio surprised me Friday night with a spur of the moment trip to Antigua! He wanted to celebrate his newest investment in horses paying off big! Off to Antonio's private jet we went. He's such a romantic, he had roses just everywhere inside the plane. We shared a bottle of wine and snuggled while watching Meet The Parents as we flew. I was a bit tipsy by the time we landed in Antigua. His limo met us at the airport and whisked us away to a little cabin on the beach. We had more to drink in the limo so I was more on the drunk side than tipsy by the time we got to the cabin. The cabin was beautiful! I'll stop writing about Friday evening right here ;o).

Saturday morning I woke to the most beautiful sunrise! Absolutely breath taking! We shared a lovely breakfast on the front porch of the cabin. After a shower we went exploring the area and took some pictures. I'll post them soon! Need to go for now, it's nap time here - more later on the amazing trip to Antigua.
Better Living Through Chemistry

My SARS(cold) is hanging on - I know, I know, you are tired of hearing my whining about this fucking SARS, and believe me I'm tired of it also, if there was anything more interesting to write about in my life currently I wouldn't be whining about this fucking SARS.

I thought I was nearing the end of my bout with SARS but it took a nasty turn on Friday night and got worse. I woke Saturday morning feeling awful. I dosed myself up with prescription strength decongestion and a dose of robotussin. The effect was something akin to washing down crack cookies with a double-shot of esspresso - at least that's what I imagine since I don't do either of those - which was not entirely unwelcome on a busy day. I got through all my appointments fairly quickly and headed home to get some lunch and take a nap. I called a friend before nap and he gave me such crap about taking a nap late in the day I ended up not able to sleep (either that or the linger crack cookie/espresso effect hanging on), I then got the kids ready to head over to my Aunts house to see my other Aunt for a little get together. I would have actually been dreading it had I not been dealing with a headache. The family thing went well, the one family member who can't stand me and refuses to speak to me since my car got hit (after all it WAS just something I did to piss him off ya know) kept his distance and that helped to make the evening go well. My decongestant had worn off shortly after I arrived at my Aunts house and I was miserable. Luckily she had some Sudafed that helped for the duration of the visit. ...

Shit... I was just reading over all this crap I've just written and realized no one wants to read about this horribly boring shit... OK, something much more entertaining to come. It's been a while since I've written about Antonio my hot, super sexy (imaginary) boyfriend.