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?"