Christmas 2007

The annual Christmas picture with the animals.

Gifts from Oregon provided family movie night.

Vikings and Lego. How can you go wrong?

Poor dog needs some attention.

What's on the plate

What do you do on Christmas Eve? I'll bet it doesn't look anything like THIS!!

First things first...Ana is off to the chiropractor. What? I didn't tell you that story? Okay, in a minute.

Secondly...to Joe's to do some karate. Black belt test is fast approaching and my school is closed for 6 weeks. (Big shout out to the City of Henderson for that fine schedule!)

While we're at Joe's, we'll do our little gift exchange.

Off to the store for last minute supplies for Christmas foodery. If it all goes awry, Walgreen's is open Christmas day.

Then we're done. Call it a day. By noon-ish I should be able to lounge about doing nothing if I so choose. I usually don't so choose...but I could.

Ana's story
One of Ana's responsibilities while playing soccer is to throw the ball in when it's gone out of play. At her first game of the season, she was retrieving said ball across the track. Her games are played on the football field (it's lighted - the soccer field isn't) surrounded by the track with a little concrete thrown in for adventure. When wearing soccer cleats, concrete becomes very slippery. Ana's feet went out from under her and she fell HARD right on her buttocks. The net effect of that was that one of her vertebrae moved out of place and now has to be returned. She is in traction 3 days a week and will likely take up to a year to recover fully. It doesn't affect her too much except that she is in pain. Poor dear...

Special Treat

Good friends

Stretch Limo

The Capital Grille

Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin

Merlot

What do these have in common?

I'm glad you asked!

Friday evening, Mike & I spent a wonderful evening with our friends Joe & Janis.

We met at the MGM.

We waited in the taxi line.

A limo!* That's what we needed!

Not just any limo...a S T R E T C H limo.

Take us to the Capital Grille, please.

What? We're early? Our table isn't ready?

Of course we'd love to go to the bar and have a drink while we wait.

Wow, there's a group of lovely blonde ladies with big chests behind us.

I clearly don't belong at THAT table.

Our table is ready? FANTASTIC!

Michael, our waiter, was very attentive.

The menu was great!

We sampled many things!

Shrimp Cocktail

Lobster & Crab Cakes

French Onion Soup

Caesar Salad

Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin

Dry Aged Sirloin

Fresh Asparagus

Seasonal Fresh Vegetables

Parmesan Truffle Fries

Dessert?

The choices were tempting.

The tummies were full.

No thank you.

"Table 43 - Wilma Flintstone!"

This line was overheard being spoken by two employees.

We asked Michael where table 43 was located.

He became suspicious.

And rightly so.

He declined to comment.

Good call on his part.

On our way out, we spotted Wilma.

She was the lady wearing the leopard print halter top.

She had red hair.

* This was a secret shop to check the service of the MGM and the limo service.

That means we didn't PAY for the limo.

Joe actually got paid a wage to do this and report on it.

In which Sam expresses himself...

FOUND!

The Christmas spirit, that is.
Sam was hiding it all along.
He initiated putting up the tree and did all the decorating around the house.
He was also in charge of the camera again.


This is better than Thanksgiving!

He got all artsy on me!

Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper. I'm not buying anymore until mine runs out!
2. Real trees or Artificial? Artificial. We don't live in Oregon anymore and real trees run $40
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually Thanksgiving weekend...but no interest this year. It's still not up!
4. When do you take the tree down? Early January. It's fake...what's the hurry?
5. Do you like eggnog? Not particularly, but Sam and Mike do so I buy the best for them...Anderson's Dairy
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A dolly my mom made in my likeness. I named her Tammy after my best friend.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Purchased with green stamps prior to my birth. It features Mary, Joseph and the TWO wisemen. (Hey! It's more than 40 years old and made of papier mache!)
8. Hardest person to buy for? Men in general. They never seem to want anything.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My teenage daughter. She usually picks out her own gifts.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I emailed the "Elf Yourself" with genuine paper cards to follow.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? There's such a thing as a bad gift?
12. Favorite Christmas movie? A toss up..."A Christmas Story" or "Elf".
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? around September if I see things that make me think of loved ones.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I like to be "green" but that's a bit much!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut butter balls, Special K bars or my Dad's smoked salmon. Come to think of it, he makes really good peanut brittle, too.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? All the colors of the rainbow
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. Family is so far away...sigh...
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes. Do you mean here and now? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and the dork with the red nose. Clarice's boyfriend, Rudolph.
20. Angel on the treetop or a star? Old time Santa in a fancy red robe...Okay! It's a dress!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? They're CHRISTMAS presents...not Christmas EVE presents. Although, Mike's family tradition is to open one gift that arrived in the mail on Christmas eve, so we let the kids do that.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Why are people in such a hurry? Slow down and enjoy the crowds. Getting impatient and annoyed doesn't help a thing.
23. Favorite Christmas ornament? The green bell. We had four colored bells as children and the green one came to me. I cherish it.
24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? Not my day to cook. I don't care what shows up on the table. Although Patty's dinner sounds pretty tasty. I don't remember ever being fed lobster when we lived there!

My new Christmas wine glass

This is my new Christmas wine glass.

I also own the original Ottimista/Pessimsta version.

I'm very fond of both sets.

On the Menu

In no particular order this week, here is the menu:


Turkey Chili
Cape Breton Chicken
Turkey Burgers
Spaghetti with marinara
Big Easy Shrimp

Sam requested the turkey burgers and Ana likes spaghetti. Now that she's made the soccer team she thinks she needs to carb load. The Big Easy Shrimp will probably just end up as my lunch. It's in no order this week because I will likely end up cooking in the morning when I have time. This week's evening schedule holds three soccer games, two karate classes and Sam has no school on Friday.

Looks like family dinners are going by the wayside this week.

The Unexpected

If you expect the unexpected, does it then become expected?

What was for lunch this month?

Nov 1....Potato Leek Soup

Nov 2....Tacos

Nov 3....Potato Leek Soup (again)

Nov 4....Tacos (again)
Nov 5....Applebee's with Ana. Grilled Cheese BLT and French Onion Soup
Nov 6....Shrimp with cocktail sauce

Nov 7....BLT at Raffles Cafe inside Mandalay Bay

Nov 8....Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad (Tuscany Grill with Mike who had the day off)

Nov 9....Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Hot Fish, and Sichuan from the Sea (PF Chang's China Bisto with Mike)
Nov 10...Organic Minestrone Soup

Nov 11...Grazing: hard boiled egg, low fat cheese sticks, Sun Chips, clementines
Nov 12...Smart Ones Lasagna Florentine

Nov 13...Hebrew National hot dogs

Nov 14...Smart Ones Salisbury Steak

Nov 15...Baked sweet potato, V8

Nov 16...Smart Ones Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein

Nov 17...Macaroni Grill

Nov 18...Lean Pockets Turkey, Cheddar, Broccoli sandwich thingy....not so good.

Nov 19...Wendy's small Chili and side salad

Nov 20...Wendy's small Chili and side salad (This time with Ana)

Nov 21...Albacore Tuna salad on Triscuits

Nov 22...THANKSGIVING!!!

Nov 23...Thanksgiving revisited

Nov 24...Still Thanksgiving

Nov 25...Enough with the carbs already. Just turkey and cranberry sauce today.

Nov 26...Italian Chopped Salad, smoked salmon

Nov 27...Chopped Salad - BUT - I chopped it myself this time.
Nov 28...Southwest salad, 100 calorie pack baked Cheetos
Nov 29...turkey pepperoni, pepperjack cheese, wheat thins
Nov 30...I'll be out running errands so I'll try to get something at least a little healthy

A Day in the Life...HEY! WAKE UP!

0130..wake up because Mike is out of bed working, let the dog out, take meds I forgot
0213..check the clock - still awake
0302..check the clock - still awake
0358..Mike back from work, cold, provide body heat to warm him[i'm so sweet :)]
0613..first wake up call from Ana - yes, she wakes ME up, not the other way around
0631..out of bed, get dressed, contact lenses in
0640..drive Ana to school
0704..arrive back home, make sure Sam is getting ready
0734..drive Sam to school
0800.."shop" breakfast, pretend to be a spy and do top-secret stuff
0919..go to walmart in search of winter coat for Sam (soccer season is COLD!)
0938..done at walmart - no coat, only a hat ($1.42)
0952..arrive at mall prior to opening - starbucks is open, thank goodness
1022..mission accomplished at victoria's secret
1035..short notice appointment at chiropractor to put hip back in place
1122..finally get to sneak in a shower
1150..check email
1210..receive phone call from friend
1221..eat lunch while reading blogs
1239..post on my own blog
1247..phone call from Ana, trainer says no practice due to slight elbow injury
1320..pick up Ana from school and go to walgreens(no luck) and smith's for elbow tape
1401..arrive home to ups package on porch - Ana's fur lined hoodie
1525..get Sam from school - lego club cancelled, he didn't tell me
1547..arrive home, get mail, three netflix movies arrived
1620..make dinner - killer turkey hash (the cookbook's name, not my opinion of hash)
1700..eat dinner, pretty good, but not "killer"
1720..lay down on the bed and rest for a few minutes, it's been a long day
1730..greet Mike who is home from his even longer day
1753..leave for karate with Ana
2104..arrive home, eat snack
2135..type up blog post so it's ready for tomorrow (another busy day ahead)
2140..check calendar for tomorrow's appointments (doctor and Ana's away soccer game)
2142..take meds(remembered this time) and go to bed

There's a reason my byline is "The minutiae of the life of a housewife." This stuff is boring!

Are You Ready for a ZOMBIE Attack?

Are you ready for a ZOMBIE attack? Your Result: Badass In the event of a zombie attack, you will single handedly defeat the zombie hoards at the cost of family, friends, and anyone who gets in your way. Way to go, a--hole.
Dead From the Start
A Hindrance
HERO
Are you ready for a ZOMBIE attack? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I think the boys would be proud. Not because I'm a Bad@$$, but because I actually bothered to TAKE A QUIZ about Zombies.

Opening Day

Ana is on the far right of the photo.

Women's Soccer is a winter sport.
I can hardly wait for next year when it is a fall sport.

It is currently 54 degrees.

That makes for very cold tushies on metal bleachers.

She was very happy after the game.

She played very well.

It was her first game of 11 on 11 on a full size field.

We were rewarded with a happy teenager...

and a beautiful sunset.

Never mind the pole in the middle.

I don't own PhotoShop.

Stay Tuned

Ana's first high school soccer game is this afternoon.

The post will be late...but it will arrive prior to midnight.

So I can keep my NaBloPoMo word.

Bah Humbug

I've been trying for hours to find pictures of Christmas tree from different parts of the world.

It's been like the rest of my "holiday season" experience.

Not going well.

At this point, I give up and share the only photos I was able to find.

Let's start close to home at the Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.

I found a photo of a tree in Red Square.

And this cute little Christmas tree from Sweden.

I LOVE that there are real candles amongst the branches.

After my tirade above, I must have been inspired.
This tree is in Queensland, Australia.

Found one in Singapore, too.Should have guessed I could find one at the Vatican!

And my personal favorite...Raffles City Shopping Center in Singapore.

Vacation

I've taken some really nice vacations in my life.

I've cruised the Caribbean (more than once) and the Mexican Riviera.

I've spent time in Bermuda.

Travelled to France. Strasbourg was lovely.

I've been as far as Russia to see St. Basil's Cathedral.

I've been to Maui twice.

I'm ready for the next trip.

Call me crazy, but I'd like to go jet boating in New Zealand.

I've long wanted to go on Safari in Botswana, but only if I get to stay in a lodge like this.

Even something as simple and lovely at the Smoky Mountains looks pleasant.

I've wanted to see Angkor Wat since Matt Lauer went there on The Today Show.

Mike applied for a job in Bar Harbor, Maine. Beautiful...but cold.

Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. I'd expect to see nuns singing in the hills (even though she was in Austria.)

It's cloudy today. Maybe that explains my sudden wanderlust.

I'm finding posting every day to be tedious. I'm just not that interesting. I'm looking forward to December when I can post whenever something strikes me as "post-worthy."

Through the eyes of Sam

I asked Sam to be in charge of the camera on Thanksgiving. Whenever I ask to see something through the "eyes of Sam", I am NEVER disappointed. He has the most unique perspective on life I've ever encountered.

At some point during the day, I asked him to take the garbage out to the garage.

This is what he saw.

The following two pictures are what I consider to be his best work of the day.