It's time for a HOLIDAY meme!

Because you know I can't resist a meme....

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate....with peppermint, please!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
He almost always wraps unless it's an awkward package.

3. Colored or white lights on the tree?
Just bought a new tree, pre-lit, and the lights are white. The kids were ticked. They prefer colored. I do have colored lights on the wooden tree my dad made me.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I have in the past, but not for several years.

5. When do you put up your decorations?
Usually Thanksgiving weekend sometime. And I usually take them all down the day after Christmas. I'm sick of them by then.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Green bean casserole and stuffing.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Probably spending Christmas Day at my grandparents' house with all my cousins.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was in third grade and Michelle Smith told me.

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
The only presents we open on Christmas morning are from Santa. Everything else on Christmas Eve.

10. How do you decorate your tree?
Very carefully. I thought this year I could actually decorate the bottom third of my tree (finally), but the puppy has discovered if the jumps he can reach those ornaments. So, for the freaking 12th Christmas in a row, I have a tree decorated only on the top 2/3. Lovely. Maybe next year.

11. Snow?
As long as it's gone by December 26th, I'm just fine with it.

12. Can you ice skate?
I used to be able to, but it's been a very, very long time. Don't know if I could even stand on skates anymore.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
How can I pick just one favorite. I do remember, very vividly, getting my Cabbage Patch Kid in 1984 or whatever. I was very surprised and delighted.

14. What's the important thing about the holidays for you?
Making it special for my kids.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I'd give my right arm for one of my Grandma Ruby's Nut Goodies. They were soooo good!!!!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I have two. I love taking my kids out to see all the pretty Christmas lights and I love making homemade pizza on Christmas Eve. We ate pizza on Christmas Eve when I was a kid and Mike thinks it's just blasphemous, but I like it and refuse to give it up.

17. What tops your tree?
A paper Santa that Micah colored in school one year. I've never seen an angel tree-topper that didn't freak me out.

18. Which do you prefer-giving or receiving.
Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Silent Night.

20. Candy canes? In hot chocolate or a mocha, but I don't eat them just to eat them.

21. Do you think Christmas is too commercialized?
Yes. That's a no-brainer.

Gee, what a surprise......

If you scroll down on this page, under my Library Thing books you'll see that I belong in San Diego. At least according to the "Inner Californian" quiz. Obviously, those of you who know me are not surprised. Where else should I be??? Certainly not in Tennessee!! Anyway, the picture, I believe, is one of my favorite spots in the entire world-La Jolla. We used to go walking there pretty regularly and we'd always stop to see the seals at The Children's Pool. Gosh, I miss California like crazy. I'd be happy with just one sunny day on the beach right now.....

Happy Days for Carnivores!

I swore I wasn't going out to do any shopping this morning. Who the hell wants to fight those crowds for a few measly things? Not me. Besides, I managed to get everything I wanted online last night at the early-bird prices.

But I did end up going out. When I woke up this morning I had to go out for cigarettes. I was out. To add insult to injury, I knew I was going to have to venture off-base because the Exchange never, ever has my brand. So, I figured since I was going out anyway I'd swing past Lowe's and see if they had any of the $88 gas grills left. I was pretty sure they wouldn't. After all, it was 8:00-the diehards had to have snatched them all up by 5:30, right? THEY HAD TWO LEFT! Yippie for me!!!

My grill has been dead for well over a year, but we kept thinking it could maybe be fixed. No more. This came fully assembled and they included a free cover. What a deal.

So, the grill is currently warming up and my steaks are marinating. We're having them with green salad and garlic-roasted potato wedges. Bliss, I tell you. I think tomorrow night we'll either have grilled chicken breasts or tri-tip......

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Turkey Day again. Aaron informed me this morning that "it's a holiday!" When I wished him a Happy Thanksgiving he told me: "Now you have to make pies!" That's my boy, worried about the important stuff! ;)

My pumpkin pies are actually already baked (did that last night), so today is reserved for the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing (my personal favorite), the green bean casserole and cranberries.

Interesting thing about cranberries: apparently very few people here in the South use fresh cranberries. All the stores have pallets full of canned cranberry sauce and that nasty jellied stuff, but one tiny little row of fresh cranberries in the produce department. Last year when I bought my fresh cranberries, the cashier asked, totally serious, "What do you do with these?" Most Southerners insist on from-scratch everything, but apparently not cranberries. Weird.

So, enjoy your day. Remember, all calories consumed on a holiday cancel themselves out. Somehow.

What the HECK?!

I was just upstairs getting ready to go to Mike's office for a potluck. He told me about this potluck last night and, of course, he had to bring a dish. He can't ever tell me a few days ahead of time, you know. But that's another post for another day.

Today's post is "What the heck is that all over my mirror?" I was putting on my makeup and realized I couldn't see my face. The mirror is all smudgy and weird looking. It was fine this morning at 5:30, but now it's not.

So, after looking closely for a few seconds and being a little puzzled, I figured it out. It's lip prints. Lip-glossed lip prints, to be precise. Three guesses as to who left them. Anyone?

If you guessed Marissah, you win the prize. Admittedly this could be Aaron's doing, but he's been glued in front of the TV watching Cars all day. Yes, I have taught her to blot her lipstick with tissue. Apparently that, like all my other lessons, went in one ear and out the other.......

Betrayed by the Radio

Ever since we've lived in Memphis I've listened to 94.1 The Buzz. Great music-it's the only radio station I've ever heard Johnny Cash, Britney Spears and Cake all in the same hour. The morning show was nothing special, but their afternoon drive show was da bomb.

When we got home from Minnesota last week one of the first things I did was turn on the kitchen radio. I listen to it when I'm making dinner, doing dishes and all that "fun stuff." I was horrified to hear that The Buzz had become The Snap while I was gone. I knew right away it was all over.

I decided I'd give it a shot. After all, there are NO other decent radio stations in Memphis. They're all hip hop or country and I'm just not into that. So, I kept playing it and I was still disappointed. The final straw came last Thursday night. While I was making dinner they played.......The Hustle. That's it. Enough. I can't listen to that shit. No way.

I've now settled on NPR, even though I'd prefer something I can dance to while cooking. Guess I'm just not going to find that around here......

Heathenville Happenings

We returned home on Monday from a week in Minnesota. Grandma Sandi, Mike's grandma, died last Sunday. It wasn't a good reason to be going home, but it was a nice visit. We got to see the whole fam-damly (Mike's side at least) and the weather wasn't too bad. No snow and this is November we're talking about here so 30 degrees didn't seem too cold.

Doc came with us and Gracie boarded at the vet. She doesn't seem to hold it against us. I think she was secretly pleased to get a break from the puppy. Aaron thinks she enjoyed drinking root beer and eating potato chips with the other dogs. ;)

How about another meme?

Since you all know I've never met a meme I didn't like, here's one I stole from my friend Ume's Myspace page.

1. What is your occupation? Domestic goddess

2.. What do you like to do the least? Clean house. Ugh.

3.. What are you listening to right now? My kids bickering.

4.. What was the last thing you ate? Macaroni and cheese with little smokies.

5.. would you have plastic surgery? Yes-bigger boobs, in a heartbeat.

6.. Favorite color? Red or yellow

7.. How is the weather right now? Cold and crisp

8.. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My mom

9.. Do you like the person who sent this to you? No one sent me this, I stole it from my friend Ume’s Myspace-and I do like her.

10.. How old are you today? 32

11.. Favorite drink? Coffee!

12.. What is your favorite swear word.? That pesky f-word.

13.. favorite restaurant? Chile Peppers in San Diego.

14.. Ideal job? A paid writer

15.. Pets? Gracie the old dog and Doc the puppy.

16.. Favorite month? May

17.. Favorite food? Can’t name just one, so I’ll say authentic Mexican and sushi.

18.. What was the last movie you watched? The Benchwarmers

19.. Favorite day of the year? Christmas

20.. What do you do to vent anger? Scream

21.. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Cabbage Patch Kid.

22.. Fall or Spring? Spring

23.. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

24.. Favorite ice cream? Ben and Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup

25.. When was the last time you cried? A few weeks ago when I spoke to my friend about her grandson who died.

26.. What is on the floor of your closet? Too much crap and, every morning, a fat, lazy dog named Gracie.

27.. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Missy.

28.. What are you afraid of? Way too many things to list.

29.. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? With blue cheese.

30. Favorite car? Ford Mustang-1965, please. And it MUST be red because a Mustang just isn’t a Mustang unless it’s RED!

31.. Favorite dog breed? Feeling pretty partial to Chocolate Labs lately, but I do love beagles.

32.. How many years at your current job? 12 years, 2 months, 20 days, but who’s counting…….

33.. Favorite thing to do? Read.

34.. How many cities have you lived in? Hmm…… I actually had to make a list and count. It’s 10, but I’ve lived in 3 different houses in San Diego.

35. How are you dressed? Jeans and a long sleeved shirt with socks AND slippers. It’s COLD here tonight

36. How many countries have you traveled to? 1. When I was about 10 we walked across the border into Canada after my dad’s truck broke down. And I lived in San Diego for a total of 8 years and never did get over the border into Mexico.

37. When is your birthday? May 17

38. If you could be a celebrity, who'd you be and why? None. That’s not the kind of life I would want.

Confession Update

My leggings are history. Yes, it's a sad day indeed. Marissah wore them on Halloween under her Gothic Chick costume and then wore them again yesterday after school. Somehow-and she has no idea how-they developed a hole in the knee. Obviously I can't wear them now. I wonder if this was a sign from God??????

Top Five Reasons I Hate Football....

It's no secret I'm not a football fan, but many of you may not know why I hate it. I thought I'd share my feelings with you, since I know you all really care. ;)

1. The stupid games take forever. I mean, really!! You look in the TV Guide and it says the game will be on from 1 pm until 4 pm. Yeah, right. I can guarantee it's going to last until 5:30 because it's slow. I'll come into the room and see five minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter. 30 minutes later I come back and there's still 1:45 left on the clock. For God's sake-pick up the freaking ball and run already!

2. It's pansy-ass. Sure, it's a bunch of guys running around hitting each other, but you rarely see any real damage. Where's the blood? Give me a good hockey fight-er, I mean game-any day.

3. The players are morons. Have you ever listened to those post-game interviews? I bet if you took any team and added up the IQs of all the players you still wouldn't get 200.

4. The cheerleaders. Okay, do I have to elaborate? No one looks that good without some major plastic surgery. (Yes, this is an envy thing).

5. The announcers drive me batty. Now, this is true with baseball, too. I prefer to watch a game with the sound off so I don't have to listen to stupid statistics. I mean, do I look like I care that this is the first time a guy named Steve ran more than 25 yards before getting tackled by a guy named Doug? No, I do not care. And no one else should either. Who the hell keeps track of this shit????? If it's a big deal I want to hear it. You know, the longest field goal by any player ever or something else along those lines. But I really don't care about how many Steves have been tackled by how many Dougs.

So, there you have my top five reasons for hating football. I could probably give you 10 more, but I'd have to actually watch a game to remind me and I'm not a masochist. Thank God Mike doesn't care much about college ball......

Our new addition

I finally caved in to the family's demands for a puppy. On Thursday, Doc joined our family. He's seven weeks old and just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. The kids love him to pieces and Gracie is tolerating him very well. She's not as motherly as I thought she would be, but she lets him play with her tail and tells him when it's time to back off. :)

Everyone tells me having a puppy is worse than having a baby in the house, but I don't find that to be true. For one thing, there is no breastfeeding involved. (phew) For another, my kids think he's great fun so they are doing most of the work. On my agenda is teaching Doc to fetch my newspaper every morning and take out the trash. Well, I know he won't take out the trash, but I like to aim high. ;)

A Confession

It's been a long time since I've blogged. I'll start this off right by making a confession.

A few weeks ago I bought a pair of leggings.

I hope you heard me whispering because I'm not going to repeat it. In my own defense, though, I'll tell you that Glamour promises I won't be a fashion don't as long as I keep my ass covered with a tunic-style shirt. Good plan. Now if I could just find one I would be caught dead wearing. They're all striped. Now, I have nothing against stripes. In fact, I like the illusion stripes create with my bustline. But these tops are all weird in some way, shape or form. They either have 3/4-length sleeves (which I loathe) or they have strange gathers or darts. Or, horror of horrors, they balloon out like I'm wearing a maternity shirt (*that* will never happen again!). So, I'm currently stuck with a great little pair of black leggings and nothing to wear them with.


Before you ask (again) what possessed me to buy them, I'll tell you they are so comfortable. C'mon, you know it's true, I'll bet even you wore leggings back in the day. Yes, seeing those leggings in the store was utterly nostalgic. I was immediately whisked back to 1989. I was 15. I weighed 90 pounds. Life was good. Maybe I was hoping that buying the leggings would make everything the same as the last time I wore them. It didn't. Hence, the necessity of covering my ass with a tunic.

So, hopefully I'll be able to find that elusive shirt. In just the right color with just the right cut. If I do, I'll happily wear my leggings. You have my solemn vow, though, that I will never, ever wear them with leg warmers. My life is not Flashdance.

Marissah's New 'Do

Marissah got her hair cut today! Doesn't she look great?! The stylist cut about 6 inches off all over, layered it and gave her pretty caramel-colored lowlights. She looks so much older!!!!

9/11 Remembered

I'm sure everyone is remembering where they were and what they were doing five years ago today. We were living in San Diego and I was in the midst of a week-long pity party for myself. I had just learned I was pregnant and I was depressed. I couldn't imagine how I was going to take care of another baby (by myself, as Mike was already scheduled to deploy in January) with the full plate I already had. I cried for a week. And then I got up on that Tuesday morning and saw the news on CNN.com and suddenly my problems didn't seem so all-consuming any more.

I kept my kids home with me that day. Mike called and told me to not send them to school. My next-door neighbor came over and we sat together, glued to the television, all day long. Mike didn't come home that night or the next. The ship was locked down and no one went anywhere. I slept on the couch with the TV on, waking several times during those two nights to watch the latest news and assure myself I hadn't missed another attack.

Life slowly returned to normal for all of us, but it was a new normal. Where I used to switch to CNN for a few quick minutes to see what was happening in the world, I now watched it all day long, every day. It's a habit I still haven't really given up. Mike's deployments, while never routine, took on a new meaning and a new fear. We hugged our kids a little bit tighter each morning and each night at bedtime.

Five years later, I found myself telling Micah what happened on September 11, 2001. To my utter surprise, he hadn't a clue. Most likely it's just Micah's natural obliviousness, but I can't help but feel we haven't done enough remembering here.

But how can that be? I have not forgotten. My husband has not forgotten. I guess we've shielded our kids from the unpleasantness and fear, but maybe that wasn't the right thing to do. We'll spend some more time remembering tonight, talking about the heroes of September 11-from firefighters to pilots to airline passengers to bystanders. And we'll never forget.

Heathenville Has New Furniture

Out with the old, in with the new. I was so glad to get rid of my old, nasty furniture. You just can't imagine my pure joy on Friday when the delivery men brought my new sofa and chair. It's beautiful and so comfortable. This picture came out quite dark, the color is more of a true rust color. The kids love it as well. Maybe in five years I'll even allow them to sit on it.....

Shrimp

Today a co-worker of Mike's drove down to Gulfport, MS (where he is from originally) and picked up shrimp! He took orders at work and drove there and back today with shrimp that was caught at 10 o'clock this morning. I just came home from picking up our ten pounds (for a measly $4.50 per pound). These suckers are HUGE! They worked out to about 21 per pound and they are just gorgeous. Micah said they smelled bad and were disgusting. Marissah looked at them longingly (she's allergic). Aaron said he loves shrimp and he'll eat them all (he's never had them). I bagged 'em and stuck 'em in the freezer. I saved out 30 for dinner tomorrow night. We're just going to boil and then peel and eat. I've got Old Bay, lemons and peppercorns and plenty of butter. Mmmmmm........

Parboiled in Tennessee

Yes, it's hot here in the backwoods. Our heat index for today was 114. I don't care what the actual temperature was-it was just HOT. We got a nice rain shower this evening that cooled things off a bit, but I know we have another month of this oppressive heat before cooler temperatures move in. UGH!

Marissah and Micah are back in school and both are enjoying themselves. Marissah is planning to be on yearbook staff and Micah will be bowling in a league with Mike again this fall. Aaron is still at home driving me insane-what else is new?

You may have noticed the new feature on my blog--"Books from my Library." Thanks to Library Thing I can now keep track of the books I own AND I can share them with all of you! :)

Getting Back to Normal

We're all getting back to normal after 10 days in Minnesota. We had a lovely vacation, but it's nice to be home again, too. Mike left for Japan on Monday morning and will return on Saturday, so he's getting an extended vacation, even though he has to work while he's there.

My kids start school on Monday. YES! It's time already! They're sick of each other and I'm sick of them being sick of each other. We bought school supplies on Monday and my total rivaled the national debt. Okay, so that's an exaggeration, but it was still expensive. And I haven't even bought clothes for them yet. YIKES! Marissah will be wearing uniforms this year, so I won't have to listen to her whining about not knowing what to wear, thank God.

It's still hotter than Hades here in the backwoods. We hit at least 104 yesterday and, of course, I was in my van with the non-working A/C to enjoy it. Ugh.

If you want to see vacation pictures, click here.

Off to Camp

Marissah left for camp this morning. This is her first time being away from home except for sleepovers. She wasn't a bit scared, though. She kissed me on the cheek and told me good bye before the bus even came to a complete stop. Other parents walked their kids to the bus door and probably waved good bye as the bus pulled out of the parking lot. I wouldn't know though. My daughter told me to go home. (sniff)

She's going to have a wonderful time with her friends and I bet she'll be going again next summer!

Happy Independence Day!

We took the kids to see the fireworks tonight. It was a great show this year and, for once, we sat very close. The kids were duly impressed. Aaron was so awestruck he couldn't even talk and it's quite a feat to render Aaron speechless.

On the way home Micah commented that the moon was still following him. Over the years he's complained about this many times. The moon just won't leave him alone. Same goes for the sun. We've explained over and over (and over) and he just keeps coming back to "the moon is still following me." Mike told him tonight that the only time the moon wouldn't be following him is if Micah was on the moon. I asked him if he'd like to go to the moon, but he said no. He's like me-very practical. He doesn't want to go to the moon because he's afraid he'd run out of air. Also, he's not sure he'd be strong enough to wear a spacesuit. He thinks they're probably heavier than the pink bowling ball at the bowling alley (which weighs 7 pounds) and he can't lift that either. ;)