Christmas wrap-up

The holiday has come and gone in a flurry. Here is a quick recap of our days...

Here I was wrapping gifts with two very lazy helpers! Look at the beard on Bailey! He is going to be five in a few months, but no worries he is still very much a puppy at heart. He has a clean bill of health since his surgery in September. For those of you who don't know he had cancer in his tail.

Once the family arrived we were ready for the festivities. Unfortunately, my mom missed the trip to The Tavern on The Green. The decorations were amazing, but the people eating dinner around us were equally entertaining.

Notice the length of mine and JAW's hair. We are "harvesting" the hair for Lock of Love. I came up with this bright idea a while back and still have a long way to go! Hopefully, by summer I will have a new chic do!

We originally took this photo in front of the wreath, but we had a suggestion that seemed like much more fun!
The kids were so happy on Christmas! They received plenty of gifts, but their favorites they could eat right away! We tried to box Sam and Bailey out of the small living room area, but Sam took it upon herself to leap over furniture to be the center of attention. She laid down, paws crossed, and was on her best behavior - just so she could be in the room. Bailey sat in exile hoping that when treats were given out he would not be forgotten!
Sam - the center of attention. Just the way she likes it!And our dopey little lab...

Seriously, Who Couldn't love this face?

I hope everyone had a nice holiday!

New day new post new theme

I planned to wait until after Christmas to change my color scheme, but I felt a strong desire to change it today. It has been unseasonably warm here for some time and this morning was a surprise when I got in my car and realized it was a brisk 30 and windy. Right now it is apparently warmer, but I would not know since I am stuck in the middle of a building.

I had been thinking about what color scheme will come next and when Chapter 2 will begin. The color scheme has changed, but there is no update on Chapter 2. I guess I am not sure if the chapter is similar to a novel where I will transition through chapters or if I am the 1st Chapter of many different Wanish run blogs. Since no Wanish's have followed suit I am beginning to think that I may need to consider entering chapter 2 sometime in 2007.

2007 is knocking on the door! I have a Christmas letter all ready to post since I failed at the mailing thing. I just haven't decided if I should wait and mail cards after the holiday with the letter. Such decisions.

The family begins arriving in just two days. There is lots of prep. I will try and take the camera along for the ride. I tried to photograph a girl, actually a grown woman, last night with a power rangers jacket on and bright red moon boots. Unfortunately, the camera on the phone only captured a blurry shot. Maybe Santa will bring me a small enough camera to take with me on my travels.

Wishing you all the best- safe travels and a Merry Christmas

Frosty is Down!

Thanks to RDB I have hard news to report about Christmas blow up decorations. Take a minute to read about one families poor Frosty.

http://wcpo.com/news/2006/local/12/18/snowman.html

Dogs for Sale

Two not so innocent furry loving dogs!


For Sale: Two bubbly energetic fun loving dogs with one major flaw! They are thieves! So, the gold dog, aka pretty princess, is probably available for free while the cost of brown dog is negotiable. The gold dog is the ring leader who is able to open doors with one quick jump. Her recent criminal record includes theft of a pumpkin loaf, apple pie, a loaf of bread, and most recently...MY GINGERBREAD HOUSE! This is all in addition to the theft of cake, steak, and cheese (definite sweet tooth). The dog is out of control! She can open doors, unwrap packaging and then manage to look so innocent after.

So we came home one evening recently to the gingerbread house missing a few gumballs and the spree covered walkway was licked so much that there was no color left in the candy never mind that the gingerbread man and tree that were in the front "yard" were missing completely. That was almost humorous to see although I was angered that I no longer felt as though I could eat the house since the dog had clearly licked the front half. Well, on Sunday afternoon the house came crashing down and I know exactly which dog did it!



There was frosting and candy smeared into the floor and two dogs that were trying very hard to get out of the house.

After the dogs were "punished" Sam rebounded quickly, but brown dog appeared to feel some remorse. He did not receive as severe of punishment since we knew that the true culprit was gold dog. Anyway, brown dog hid by the garage door for some time. When we called him he didn't even come (which is unheard of for him). He feared his mistake (or Sams) and its consequences. Later in the day we went out for a while and the dogs were placed safely in the garage, but when we came home Sam greeted us at the door. We must have forgotten to lock them in the garage and Sam opened the door and let herself in- Clearly over any punishment that took place earlier in the day, but Bailey on the other hand was still a little fearful of his pending sale and stayed despite the open door in the garage. He did not come out of the garage until we came and told him it was ok.

I find Bailey's behavior very sweet while miss Sam later in the day found some pretzels and helped herself... Zero control over her cravings...

stories to tell

I do have photos to post and stories to tell, but I don't have the resouces available to do this right now. I will try and get online tonight and do this, but I do have dinner plans with co-workers.

The best pizza in the world

You know when you see something in passing and then want to go back and can't remember where you saw it. That is exactly what happened to me with this pizza place. I usually walk randomly through the blocks to work in the morning eventually passing virtually everything within a mile radius. One night walking home I noticed this pizza place with the most amazing pizza in the window and thought I have to go back. So today I decided was the day. I figured it was between 5th and 6th on either 44th or 45th. I set out on foot at 12:30 which is never a good time to try and get anywhere quick. I rushed down the streets passing all the people i could. I rounded Madison onto 44th and walked, and walked, and then I was at 6th ave and I knew this was not right. I quickly jumped over to 45th in hopes of finding this place that i don't even know the name of and realized - this is not right either. What to do- I had no plan B and a co-worker waiting for pizza when suddenly I looked up and saw: "The worlds best pizza." Who can pass that up? (Remember in Elf the "worlds best cup of coffee?" That is in NYC too! We are so lucky to have the worlds best right here.) I walked in and it was as busy as grand central station. I waited, I was shoved, and then I got my pizza. It was great...maybe even the world's greatest.

Happy FRIDAY!!!!

One more week down! Yes. Congratulations everyone we made it through another week.

My uneventful life has proven no change this week - which I guess is a good thing. We do have company coming to town this weekend. RB and SB are traveling in from Wisconsin to visit the big apple for the first time. We have not seen them since we left Germany. We are going to visit the statue of liberty since (ashamed to admit this) I have never been. We are heading in to Hoboken for a private rooftop bar party this weekend as well. We should have a great view of the city from there. Sam and Bailey will be thrilled to get the extra love from their long lost friends. I can't wait to see their reaction since they seem to have incredible memories for people.

Today is MW's Birthday! and he is not letting me forget. It has been announced many times today and reminder announcements went out all day yesterday. I find it funny that someone turning 31 : ) is so happy to announce their birthday. Hehehe. Although he will tell you he is 26.

We are going to Houston's to celebrate this evening. This place is legendary in MW's book and dates back to his days at Ft. Campbell. There is one about 20 minutes from our house, so we are going to get "the best ribs in the world." Sorry SGT Cortez

Aside from the upcoming plans we had a pretty exciting Thursday evening. I got home from work just before eight to MW carrying a kitchen cabinet up the stairs. He announced he needed my help. So, my famished self helped guide three kitchen cabinets up two flights of stairs to the laundry room. We then proceeded to install them. The best part of it all was that my job was to hold up the 42" cabinets while MW drilled them in. I definitely was not pleased about this. Hungry and tired and holding up cabinets- just what I want to do when I get home from work. Well, after a little bitterness and complaining the cabinets got installed and they look great. Once I find my camera I will photograph the new laundry room and the newly decorated den. We have finally gotten the pictures on the walls and the glass doors fully installed.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Funny house funny people

So MW had his dates confused and the Brazilian BBQ is tonight not last night. So, we ended up making our gingerbread house. Unfortunately, I can’t for the life of me figure out what I did with my camera. That may not be such a bad thing since our house is experiencing roofing issues and by now the interior is most likely flooded with icing. We knew we had a sliding roof last night, but this morning when we woke up we realized we had a huge skylight in the house. Other than that the decorations are fun and we had a great time making a mess. We laughed that the house did not come out better since we are not children decorating a gingerbread house. We obviously need some practice. As soon as I find my camera I will send a photo of the house with a roof slide.

I have not reported recently on the interesting people on the street. I saw a great one two nights ago that I wish I could have photographed. Use your imagination with this one. I saw a guy riding a small BMX kind of bike wrapped in tape. He was riding with a backpack on- not that exciting, but wait! You know when you buy something fragile how it comes with Styrofoam to protect it? Imagine you just purchased a new monitor for your computer. It has a square piece of Styrofoam attached to the front of it to protect the screen from breaking. Now imagine that same piece of Styrofoam placed over someone’s face framing it in and secured with rubber bands around the head. There was a perfect cut out around the face. I literally laughed out loud. What an interesting alternative to a helmet.

My other interesting man is the security guy downstairs who stands by the turn styles as everyone leaves the building. I see him almost every night, but it was not until recently that I realized he is very quietly, nearly whispering to each person who walks by, “goodnight.” Once I realized this I started to say goodnight back, and he always replies with a quiet, “thank you.” It is so funny in a sweet kind of way. I wonder how many people realize that he is whispering good night to them as they walk out. Even more interesting is that he is thankful when someone says goodnight back as if finally someone is paying attention.

The city is filled with interesting people…

I did not like the guy who was playing chicken with his bike as he flew past me trying to cross the street yelling “wake up ahhahahaha” That was frightening. I also did not like the guy who last night was screaming and cursing into his cell phone and flailing around last night. That is a little much to be entertaining.

I am sure I will encounter new people to report soon.

Quick Quote to make you smile

"Wine is proof god loves us."
- Benjamin Franklin

I am going through the motions of another day. I made sure I knew where my keys were last night to make sure I did not have another morning like yesterday. I never leave the office during the day, but today I decided I needed an afternoon treat. So, I walked across the street to Starbucks and got my favorite: hot chocolate with skim milk and a marshmallow square. Of course I paid top dollar since I am in Manhattan. I love how all of the commercials around here say: "prices slightly higher in Manhattan" and the coupon books give the prices for NYC separately. What is 99 cents in Jersey is $1.49 in NYC. That is part of the reason I never go out at lunch.

Now that I have finished my snack...I hadn't when I first started writing. The marshmallow square and hot chocolate together are enough to put you in a sugar coma. Not feeling so well. It was glorious for a moment, but now I am rather ill. Lesson Learned.

Tonight MW and I are going to a Brazilian BBQ for dinner. I had never been to one before moving here. They are all you can eat places that have servers come around to your table with all kinds of meet BBQ'd on a stick. For a meat lover it is perfect. I enjoy it, but not like MW. This is like heaven for him. Between this place and Houston's MW is in heaven here. Personally, I miss the Luwenzahn. I am not sure if I spelled that right.

Tomorrow night we are supposed to get take out and make our gingerbread house. This will not be the project KBG described in her blog, but should be a good time. I have this really neat kit that has every candy imaginable in it to decorate with. I will post photos once this finally happens. I never thought it was odd until now that I am making a gingerbread house at twenty something years old. I like crafts...do I need a kid to do this? Hmmm. NO

I think I have babbled enough for one day. Need to get back to the grind. Have a great day everyone.

Corporate Christmas Parties

Corporate Christmas parties. These are what we would refer to in the military as, "mandatory fun." We had MW's last week and as you can see from the photo I did a really good job of playing off my misery (or so I thought until I saw the photo). If that is not a fake face, then what is! MW looks genuine - but that may be because I was the DD, or he just has more experience at these things.
My party is next week, but spouses are not invited. It is just the same people we spend too much time with during the week now overflowing into an evening out. It is at a nice place here in the city, but I really wish I could skip it. Speaking of skipping it, I was invited when I first started in this department a few months ago, to a holiday luncheon for a big client of ours. This was at the request of my boss. So, I am in and my boss has now backed out. I am a little uncomfortable about the idea of this since I don't work with the groups whose client it is etc., but I am certain it would be a good move to be there and network. I have tried the graceful way of backing out, so we will see what happens. (the graceful way being: if you have too tight of a group you can bump me and i will not be offended. you know the "take one for the team attitude.") If I am in, I will have to find my nicest suit and prep for the social to strangers seen. I find the best thing to do in those situation is act very interested in the other person. Just keep asking questions and act like the answer is important to you. (I am so bad)

On a similar, but different note: I wondered today as I walked down the hall back to my desk if I will not like every job I ever have. Something for me to ponder. Maybe the grass is not greener anywhere else, maybe it is slightly brown everywhere.

Have a great day

A Santa Claus Convention

This morning was the typical hectic morning trying to get out the door and completely unprepared. You would think I would learn my lesson, but no matter how organized I think I am when morning arrives I have nothing to wear, my bag is a mess, and I can't find my car keys. Today was no different, so I left the house in a frenzy - angry at the world. I got on the bus and we hit all kinds of traffic, so I new I was going to be late. I was walking as quickly as I could...As I rounded the corner to enter Times Square I saw a sea of red and white. There was no mistaking it, it was hundreds of Santa's! As I got closer they were yelling (and I noticed that Mrs. Claus is lending a hand this year and dressing up as her other half. We must have a shortage of helpers) but I could not make out what it was. Finally, as I was in the sea of red I realized they were yelling many phrases, chanting, but one of them was YAHOO SANTA CLAUS! This went along with the little Yahoo flags they were holding. I have no idea what they were going to do, but I am guessing they will be all over the city today...

Looking back...

I left the blogging world momentarily, but I have returned.
The temperature dropped significantly in NJ / NY so the once pleasant walk to work is slightly painful. We have been below freezing before considering the windchill. I am not sure how the windchill is factored, I even recall a friend saying it does not exist, but regardless it is freezing cold. It is the kind of cold where any skin that is exposed is instantly in pain when outside. My hands look like an eighty year old womans right now.

On a more positive note, I made my second sale on craigslist.com! If you have never visited craigslist you are absoulutely missing out. I sold our desk a few months ago- some of you may remember the large desk and hutch we used to have...Well, this week i got rid of the home gym that was keeping my car out of the garage. We have a small one car garage that when we first moved in was packed to the ceiling with stuff. Our downsizing has been quite extensive and slightly painful, but I think we finally have cleaned out enough...The car is going in the garage! I got rid of so much in Germany before we left - all of the stuff we never use, and then when we got here furniture had to go like crazy nevermind a bunch more "stuff." We definitely had too much for this house. Having no basement is a challenge. Anyway, we are happy to be in our new home and it is really starting to feel like "home." So, it must be time to move again. : ) We have moved four times in under five years together. That is a pretty impressive track record.

Here are some photos of past Christmas' around the world...We have never spent Christmas at the same place twice!

2001 - Disney World and our Engagement!

December 2002 - In the Attic of Askren Manor and then travels onward to Edar Oberstein.

2003 - Massbach, Germany - Experienced Weinacht Marks shoppers- MW is nuts for those nuts!

2004 - Tikrit, Iraq
2005 Altamont, TN

Please don't leave me this Christmas!!! Our puppy, actually in 2002, did not trust us to take him with us on Christmas- Just days after that dreadful airplane ride.
Sorry No photos available at the moment from Altamont

2006 - NJ

The tasteful decrations in the area are so festive.

Photos to appear in 18 days! Merry Christmas all.

Amazing and Who are these people?

How often do we find things amazing? Here are some of my amazing moments in the past 24 hours:

I was amazed when my boss seriously asked me to fix his stapler...that just had a minor problem...the staples were not in properly.

I was amazed last night when Sam managed to take an entire loaf of bread off of the counter, open it and eat it in less than 30 minutes. I was even more amazed when she later begged for my dinner.

I was amazed to find that Bailey acted out yesterday as well by chewing my eyeliner pencil into many pieces while I was at work. ( I also began to think they really hate us)

This morning the amazement continued when the man behind me on the bus with the cough did not find it necessary to cover his mouth. (I managed to sit in the coughing section this morning)

And most recently, a floor of 250 people has a copier without toner, why? Because there was no back up for when the only one we had ran out.

Other mysteries that have occurred that may very well be amazing is the disappearance of the lid to our trash barrel on a not windy day. Or the development who put out trash cans for "picking up after your dog," but do not empty them, and the list goes on...

Who are these people with all of these genius thoughts? Do you ever notice that in a public restroom it is never clean, but it is never any one's fault? At work, everyone complains, but someone has to be contributing to the mess. We can't all be innocent here!

One more thing that truly amazes me: How much trash the people next door accumulate. What the heck are they doing? And why don't they recycle! Ughhh. I seriously considered picking up their bucket of "recyclables" that were out on regular trash day yesterday and saving them to recycle on the right day. It is so easy. Why can't they do it?

Humans...an interesting breed.

Our Saturday

Saturday, we had just left our house and were heading south to the Army v Navy game when we drove by the house of blow up things. I had my camera in the car, so we pulled over and went back just to share this amazing site! The yard had so many blow up items that I could not even fit them all in the photograph. And the kicker...this is much more tasteful than the original house I had referred to when I started this discussion of distasteful Christmas displays! Within a mile radius of our house there are multiple photo worthy homes. Is this a Jersey thing? or is it everywhere? See for yourself the horror.
I bet the owners of the house are proud! Especially since we like this display so much we photographed it. Little do they know....

Just in case you can't make out the items I want you to be aware that there is a Santa on a motorcycle...a reindeer dancing with Santa as he goes down the chimney, a Grinch, and a Santa hanging from the house on a latter with Mickey looking out the window as all of this goes on...

We did make it down to the game. It was great seeing friends who live so far away. We had a good time tailgating, watching the game and dinner after.

TK I know will thank me for this shot...

Love you guys!!!

The perfect gift

How many people are left on your Christmas list? How many of them are left because you don't know what to get them? A few years ago I was given a gift that I still think about. A goat. The goat was not given to me, but to a family in need in my name. You may remember the corny AFN commercial that said, "give me a fish and I have a meal, but teach me to fish..." Anyway, that is the concept. The link to one of the sites that sponsors this initiative is here: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/k.9430/Gift_Catalog.htm?msource=kw821&gclid=CPnsjNPE-YgCFRgfUAoduwUBvQ I don't know how to disguise the link to this site to make it not so long, but basically if you click here you can give a gift of bees or chicks for a mere $20.00, or you can give a pig or a sheep for $120.00. Check it out. I think it is a great thing to give a child to teach them about giving. I have not decided who is getting a farm animal this year yet, but I had to share this great concept. Even better is you can do this from online! No mall required.

The silver fox strikes back

So if you really want to get someone fired up just accuse someone who has salt and pepper hair of being a white head! Wow, silver fox you sure are feisty! I have to admit I was a bit nervous as I read the response thinking who is this - the silver fox or his protective den mate? I didn't think the den mate had it in her to be so defensive, and sure enough I was right. The silver fox is the true culprit. (Read comments in previous post if confused)

The weekend seems to have been busy for most. I do have photos to post of our eventful weekend. They should show up this evening. Congrats to the littlest bro who had his first hunting trip with a prize winning buck to take home!

Devastating announcement...with a silver lining

I am very upset. This morning I found a sparkling silver hair on my head. I spotted it from a distance while getting ready this morning. I leaned in closer for a better look and it was true- a bright white, sparkling silver hair. It was a new spiky hair that stood out in my ponytail. I immediately pulled it out and inspected it further. Oh the agony. I know I am doomed. My dad and both of his parents have full heads of white hair. This year I am not dreaming of a white Christmas! Chestnut brown suits me just fine.

The latest headlines

I read the news online everday and today my question is will today be as exciting of a news day as yesterday? Some of yesterday's headlines:

Shammoo could not play nice in the tank and attacked a trainer
Sea Lions attacked humans
60 Buildings in Amsterdam's red light district will close their "windows" by order of the gov't (this is in efforts to cut down on crime, however the concern is that this will put women on the streets where STD's cannot be as easily controlled.)
A VP of Citigroup in NYC was caught making meth in his NYC apartment
Britney Spears does not wear underwear nor does she care if everyone sees her
Cab fairs in NYC went up!!!

Anyone else have interesting "news?"

Our naked tree

Here is the start of the decorating... And my Christmas cactus is blooming...

Our children

AKA - the beloved pups!

Whenever the dogs look right at the camera they look like deer in headlights.

This is pretty princess' drunken stuper...who couldn't love this face?

Sam has zero interest in playing ball. The only reason she takes the ball is when she is feisty and wants to play! Here she is in full feisty force.

Anyone who has ever witnessed a lab wag its tale knows it is like a baseball bat.

Apparently pretty princess has figured this out as well.

Go Army Beat Navy!

This weekend I will experience my first Army vs. Navy football game! I can't wait. Of course the husband and friends have done this many times before, but I am a newby. We will be meeting up with friends from all over for a tailgating party to remember! I will be certain to bring my camera.

I took photos of the tree last night, but of course did not download them. I also found a new way to motivate the husband. After we had taken the photos of the tree, we were sitting watching television when I looked over and saw a lazy mess on the couch. It was a bag and some paper just tossed there in an obviously carefree way. I grabbed the camera and said, "this is a perfect example of you for the blog!" He got up so fast for fear of the photo being posted and the mess was instantly gone. I am going to try this technique more often. : )

While I was sleeping...

While I was catching up on some much needed sleep my husband rearranged the living room furniture and assembled our Christmas tree. It now proudly stands in our bay window. Luckily, a few years ago we purchased a tree with lights already on it, so it is not completely naked. I am getting excited for the holidays and am really looking forward to decorating.

On a different note - I have been feeling badly leaving the dogs alone for such long days so I located a dog walker (http://www.petwatchersnj.com/services.html ) our area. When I told the husband he said he thought it was a waste of money since we take them out in the morning and evening and play with them then. The cost is 18 dollars a walking for the two of them. I am not sure how long of a walk it is. I am thinking 30 minutes or so. The other thing is that if we go away they do house visits and will take care of the pets while we are gone, so we would have a back up option so i don't always have to put out the sister or neighbors. I was thinking it was justifiable to have them walked two days a week to break up the week. Mind you they go out around 6am and then our home alone from 6:45 - at least 7pm on most days. That is a super long day of loneliness for a dog. What do you guys think I should do? 36 dollars a week? or no?

clarification

Since I was not quite coherent last night, actually I am still not very alert, but anyway the building in the photo below is where I work. I could not express that at 3:30 in the morning, so I wanted to let everyone know it is not a random building, but where I spend my days.

I am exhausted today. I am really hoping to leave early, but I am not sure that will happen. I have always known I don't function well without a lot of sleep, so this is a true test for me. I ended up getting about 2 hours of sleep last night. Not nearly enough!

I have nothing else to really talk about since my life is revolving around year end at the firm. I hope I have something exciting to post soon. Until then...

Sti

I am still here! The only difference is that it is dark now and I don't sit anywhere near a window to see the outside world.

Great news! I am leaving!

Stay awake

I will not fall asleep in my office chair. I will stay awake until I get home, and I will make it back to work in a few hours. It is currently 1:30am and I have been in the same building for over 17 hours without going outside. I have only left the 5th floor once for lunch. The kicker- I have a near hour ride home since they closed the Lincoln Tunnel until 5am for construction (unless I am going home after 5am which is not completely out of the question). My alarm for morning goes off at 5:50am. I am wondering if I will still be here, and if so what I will do. Do I wash my face? I doubt I have any make up left on at this point anyway. Do I pretend that I am wearing a new outfit? What about my teeth? I really want to go crawl in my bed. I have spurts of being very busy, and then the waiting time when I start to feel as though I am falling asleep only to realize where I am. And it is only MONDAY!

The NJ Family

There has been a lot of discussion on this blog about my sister and many of you do not have the priviledge of knowing her. The history is that we shared a room for 15 years and then lived distant from each other for ten plus more. We were reunited last spring when my sister purchased a home in NJ to be near us. She stayed with us for much of the summer and when we are together it is like we were never separated. She is my partner in crime. Here we are one summer night out on a rooftop bar.

When my sister came to town she did not want me to set her up with anyone. Anyone I ever tried to set her up with was of no interest to her. So, when I met a couple in the development who happened to have a twin brother who was single I was a little hesitant to make the match. I strategically planned "the set up" and after a little resistance she agreed to meet him. The rest is history. Here we are enjoying the summer across the Hudson from NYC. I really love this photo with the cloudy sky and the beautiful skyline. We had just feasted on Mexican food. This was prior to our summer vacation to Mexico. We have still not eaten Mexican since that trip, but when you visit this place is worth going to for fajitas!We were fortunate to move into a new community of young people and have made some great friends as a result. It is not nearly as easy to make friends outside of the military community, but we are making our way.

Unfortunately / Fortunately : )

The computer was not working with me the last few days, so unfortunately I have not been able to update. Fortunately, not much excitement has occurred to report.

Saturday morning I ran around shopping. I really enjoyed the mall at 7am. There was nobody there. It was relaxing and enjoyable. By 10:30 that had all ended. I was home by noon with a lot of Christmas shopping accomplished. I managed to pull off all of the shopping for the husband, so that is a relief. I got home and took a nice long nap.

I did pull out my sewing things with a bit of a crash in the closet.It has been a long while since I have looked in this box. As I was going through the bin of "stuff" I found a bottle of wine. It was funny because this has been happening to us since we moved. The movers in Germany did not want to ship our wine so we hid a great deal of it. Every so often a bottle pops up. So, to my surprise I found a bottle of wine in my sewing box. - I have material I purchased a while ago and would like to start a new quilt. So, my question is to the mama as to how I make "her style" quilt with the inside out look. If you could provide instructions I would like to try your technique. Thanks~
I did do a little sewing this weekend and it felt good to look in the craft box.

On a separate note, a very bad thing happened in my neighborhood this weekend. Someone bought and placed outside of their home a giant gift with Santa Claus popping out of it! Yes, it is true, I now have a blow up thing in my neighborhood. I am not sure what to do about this...

Yesterday, I spent the day with my sister helping her move some clothing from my house to hers. It was a pretty uneventful day, which in my book is a good day. I quickly wrapped the husbands gifts last night before I picked him up at the airport, so he would not "accidentally" see what I bought him. I did not feel like wrapping gifts, but I don't have the hiding spaces I once did, so it seemed like the best option.

So, the husband is home and we are back to the grind. Hopefully, we will be heading to the army navy football game this weekend in Philadelphia. Otherwise, it will be operation decorate for Christmas.

Here he is

One thing this blog lacks is family photos. I am aware of the problem, and working to solve it. Since the husband and I are apart for the week I received a few photos of what is going on in the south. I was happy to see that the husband is relaxing since he works too hard on most days. So, here he is at his best - relaxing on a swing with dad.

It appears that they had better weather for the holiday then I did - It poured extremely cold rain all day yesterday. The Mini was challenged by a few floods on the ride to my sisters house. I even checked for water in the car after one of the lakes I went through, but cooper did me proud! She was a champ, didn't even sputter or kick.

Christmas is going to be at our house this year. I plan to decorate the house next weekend. I am really looking forward to it. We have not decorated for Christmas since 2003. In '04 we were apart and in '05 we were living out of suitcases, so this year is certain to be festive around the house. I can't wait to see all of the things I have collected from the Weinachts Markts again! I really miss the markets. I actually saw a couple of markets in NYC set up in parks that remind me a little of them. I am going to check them out. I am sure there will not be Gluwein, but luckily I still have a little stashed from Germany.

Black Friday

While most of the world battles the malls today fighting for a sale I am stuck in the office. I new that I would be working today for a while, but the bitterness did not come until early this week. On my short ride to the bus stop this morning I saw a flurry of shoppers carrying their bargains out of Kohl's and Bed Bath and Beyond. I looked on with envy wishing I were going somewhere fun. I waited for the bus an unreasonable amount of time and when I did finally get on it there was not the usual crowd of business dressed people. There was me and them. The others were wearing jeans riding happily into the city to frolic in the holiday season. I walked to the office passing shoppers carrying large toys r us bags and all sorts of other bargain filled bags. I ont he other hand was rushing through the streets as usual because I thought I was running late. I arrived apparently early because I was the first arrival in the office. For a split second I thought nobody told me...I shouldn't be here. After about ten minutes or so another co-worker arrived. I have been here an hour now, and the remaining five members of the team are nowhere to be found. The boss emailed he is going to be late- I wish I could do that and the rest- who knows. I am here, feeling like a hostage, hoping for freedom before sundown. Wish me luck.

I am thankful!

What are you thankful for this holiday? Other than the obvious – family, friends, and health, I am thankful for: The husband walking the dogs in the morning before work! What a rude awakening this morning – 2 pups jumping around me as I try to hit snooze and then crawling out of bed to go out into the brisk 30 degree air. I am very thankful that the morning walk is not part of my regular routine. This leads me to my next thought. I am super thankful for a warm home filled with pillows and blankets to snuggle under after coming in from the brisk air.

Whenever I see a homeless person (which unfortunately is quite often) I wish I had my closet handy, because I would certainly be able to walk in there and find a sweater or sweatshirt that I could spare. It is getting colder and the homeless remain homeless. The other night when I was leaving work late I saw a man across the street bundled up lying down asleep on a cardboard box to protect him from the cement. I thought that was a good idea to help keep warm, but then I also thought of how lucky I was taking a car service home. They say if you can make it here you can make it anywhere, but the truth is a lot of people can’t make it here. I am thankful I am making it.

With that very thought in mind we decided to donate to the local food pantries through online virtual kitchens. It was neat because you could select the actual meal you wanted to donate and it was like shopping at Sam’s club. For instance, if I selected gravy I got a case of gravy. Hopefully, as a result a few more people will find their bellies full tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Fasting

Next week I am planning to begin a cleansing diet. I am going to fast for a week. I will drink a mixture that you can read about here: http://www.neerasupercleanse.com/programdetails.htm . I will be allowed to drink tea and water, but that is it. I have a friend who does it seasonally and she claims it makes her feel so much healthier. The first day apparently is the hardest and then you start feeling better so you don't mind not eating (?). I have to admit I am a skeptic and am not sure I can pull it off, but I am going to try. Food is such a mental thing for me that I don't know how I will react. How often do we eat when we are not hungry? I am going to let myself chew gum for sure. I will let you know how this goes.

Is it a cog or a dat?

Has anyone seen this? I can't believe this... apparently in Argentina a cat mated with a dog and had a litter of six. Three resembled cats and died, while the other three with dog traits are alive. They plan to do tests to see if this is true, but see for yourself. There are dog noses on those kittens!

One more quick thing about this photo- Do you see the background? That ladies boobs are being viewed around the world!


The actual text of from the story: Brazilian student Cassia Aparecida de Souza, 18, holds her cat Mimi together with what Cassia claims are Mimi's own offspring, born with dog traits last Friday, three months after mating with a neighbour's dog, in the southern Brazilian city of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul state, November 15, 2006. REUTERS/Edison Vara

Mondays...

I haven't gotten this whole blogging thing down just yet. I had a post last night with photos that I somehow managed to delete and I was too frustrated to start over again. This is a learning process.

So, the temperature finally dropped here on Saturday making it feel a little more like the holiday season. It has been very warm here making it seem silly to see holiday decorations. I think it is still a little too early for Christmas decorations personally, but there are some people that live across from our development that feel differently. I have to photograph it to share with you. There is more junk in this person's yard then house. They have Santa, carolers, reindeer, a nativity, snowman, and other non holiday related lawn ornaments. It is rather amusing (as long is it is not in my neighborhood). I actually have a huge problem with lawn ornaments. I don't like them. If anyone in our development tries to put up an inflatable Santa this year... A photo of this neighbors house will follow.

No excitement here. My sister is supposed to close on her new place tomorrow. I am hoping for her it happens. In the mean time we have little Romeo back on freedom lane. He loves playing with the big dogs! I don't think any of them realize the size difference. It is pretty entertaining watching them run around together, but it often gets to be a little too much in the house.

My daily commute

If your anything like me you have not ridden a bus daily to and from a school or work since at least high school. For me it was junior high, but now daily I go to the bus stop and wait – rain or shine for the bus. I say I like my commute because each day is an adventure. It starts with the bus and a mile walk and ends in the reverse order.

During the commute I encounter the most interesting things. I love seeing the man with the boom box walking down the street. That is always a pleasure regardless of what is booming out of the box! My favorite boom box incident was the man with the boom box tied to his bicycle. I thought that was super creative.

When it rains I feel like I am playing a video game – dodging umbrellas. It is a dangerous sport. People whip around with those pointy spikes like nothing. It is almost impossible to pass slow walkers with umbrellas. You are so much wider with an umbrella. I think large golf umbrellas should be banned in the city. They take up the entire sidewalk. It makes the sidewalk an instant no passing zone.

When I first started commuting I had a real problem. Mary Poppins is opening on broadway and every day I passed the signs that read: Chim-Chim-er-ee Chim-chim-er-ee and just a spoonful of sugar…you can imagine how catchy that is- you are probably cursing me right now. So daily I would walk singing. In the morning it was just a spoonful of sugar and on the way home it was chim-chim-er-ee. It was painful. I now walk a different route.

There was the day when the lady brought her cat into time square to have an artist draw it. The cat was sitting on her lap petrified and she was covered in fur. Meanwhile, the man sat drawing the cat perfectly.

The stories are endless. I invite any one of you to commute with me one day and observe your surroundings. You are sure to get a laugh…

Freedom Lane, USA

Yes, it is true. We live on Freedom Lane. It fits us pretty well. This is the first time we have sent out photos of the house. Here is its debut!

The kitchen is finally finished. When we moved in we were without a kitchen sink, had no tiles on the back splash, and a whole where the whine fridge would eventually be (not photographed). It took a while. We figure the housewarming will be at the one year. I chose to photograph the parts of the house that look good - our work is not done.















This is my favorite part...

Finally, I have a photograph of our upstairs foyer which includes a built in desk. You will notice that their are paint swatches all over the wall. We can't decide what color to paint the hall so we now have an interesting design techinique...See for yourself.

Come and visit us soon!

Riveting Existence

There is not much exciting going on in my life today. There isn't much time for news when you work most of your waking hours. Yesterday I spent about 13 hours at work and when you add in the two hour commute it becomes apparent why the man on the bus gets the quote of the day. I live in the office Monday through Friday. I have a box of cereal and a stash of tea - it is a home away from home. The only difference is there is no relaxing or nap time. Two of my favorite things. Today will be a day of no less than 12 hours of work. It is year end at the firm and I am learning what that means: No Sleep! Lucky for me I have made friends with the girl next to me. We have many things in common that sometimes seem almost scary. For instance, today we are wearing the EXACT same outfit. That would be a black blouse from Express and tan pants with black shoes with our brown hair pulled back. Seeing how we sit right next to each other we have gotten a good laugh out of this many times today.
I know, you are all jealous of this exciting life I lead. I am sure you are finding my blog riveting. Stay tuned. It will get better - it has to. Maybe next time I will talk about paint samples.

Quote of the day...

Said in a southern accent by the man from Winston-Salem, North Carolina when getting off the bus this morning:

"This aint like anything we got from where I'm from. This is like us herding some cattle or something."

Reading List

I have placed a book list on the side of the page. I have said for years that I want to read more and my new job is affording me the opportunity. Every evening on my bus ride home I get about 30 minutes of reading time in. This has helped me get through a few books. I tend to like the lighter reads and have never been into murder mysteries or science fiction. I am more of an US Weekly kind of girl. I have been a faithful reader of US Weekly for a while now, but it does not take the place of a good book.

I picked up Marley and Me for the pup. Having a chocolate lab I could not resist a book about owning a lab. The book was laugh out loud funny at points, but may only have been since I could relate so closely with the experiences I have had with my lab. The theme is the most obedient disobedient dog. It fits perfectly. A great dog lover’s book.

The next book I picked up was given to me by my sister – Four Blonds which was written by one of the writers from Sex and The City. It started out pretty good, but was more of a fizzle. She had not read it yet, so I told her it was not necessary to place on the top of her list.

I am now reading another light read, Everyone Worth Knowing, which is written by the author of the Devil Wears Prada. So far so good. I just started reading it, but it is about a girl who works in NYC for a major financial firm…Hmm sound familiar? That is why I picked it up. The difference is she leaves for a PR job and then (I am guessing because I have not read this far) her social life and private life merge into a mess.

Finally, Living the Seven Habits I purchased over the weekend. It looks like a good read, but I have not started it yet. It is based on the best seller, The Seven Habits of highly effective people, and the Eighth Habit. I have not read either of the others, but it does not appear that it makes a difference. We will see. The book is full of motivational short stories about how people changed their lives to be more effective.

Thanksgiving Plans

This year the other half and I will be spending Thanksgiving separately. This is not the first holiday apart, but it is the first where we have had control over the situation and opted to be in separate locations. We had been planning since July to go to NC to visit the in-laws and in early October my plans were disrupted. I happily accepted a new position within my firm, but the stipulation was that November is the busiest month of the year. In other words- don’t even think about taking time off. Although I was disappointed I could not travel there was nothing prohibiting the other half from going. So he is leaving Tuesday evening and returning Sunday. I will work Wednesday and Friday and possibly some of the weekend. It has not yet been determined. The up side is that my sister is a new resident in the area as of November 22nd! She will close on her loft the day before Thanksgiving and we will most likely spend Turkey day shifting furniture and looking through boxes. Plan B is to spend the day at my place with the beloved pups. I probably will make an apple pie at the least. I haven’t given much thought to the meal…I am not cooking it…hmmm…or maybe I am? Is it a sin to not eat Turkey on Thanksgiving? I guess it depends who you ask. It looks like I have some grocery shopping to do.

Photo

Ok...Here we are relaxing in TN before heading
back to our chaotic lives.

The beginning

With so many friends using blogs these days it only seemed natural to start my own. So, I started with a basic google search on how to create a blog and here I am, but it was not that simple. I had to name the blog. I had never though about naming a blog only starting one and posting emails and photos from time to time. So, I was briefly haulted while I tried to decide what to label my life. I decided not to think too hard and move on. So, here I am attempting to communicate to many people without emailing everyone the same stories individually. We will see how this works as the days go on, but this is where it begins.

My goal is to post photos for our friends and family that are far away and post updates of the happenings in our life. Of course, right now I have no photos to post, but the inspiration has struck and I am seizing the moment to begin this blog.