Bye, bye, '09; hello, '10!

Another year is coming to an end. That's it. Really. Another year is ending. Say bye-bye to 2009!
We've had our first glass of champagne, a huge and yummy dinner, and a slice of delicious cherry pie. Currently, I'm on the sofa watching my local 10 p.m. newscast. Brian is asleep next to me. Daisy is sacked out on the floor beneath my legs. Oliver is probably sleeping on the bed. Sydney is sleeping in her bed. It's all good. I'll wake up Brian by the time the ball falls, but the rest of them can just sleep through it.
And then the internal conversation, once again, rolls to resolutions. Of course, I've got some, but I just so hate it when I don't stick to them. I was telling Katy though, that I've got a couple little things, more like behavioral shifts, that I'd like to make, and roll them into the resolution game. 1. Take a moment to consider a situation before "bouncing bitchy." 2. Perhaps a bit more patience would be nice. 3. Start steaming some vegetables with our dinners. 4. Just like last year, in a promise that was broken when we moved, no more children's television after 6 p.m. 5. The American Express card goes back in the drawer. 6. Get the dogs to the dog park much more often. 7. Do better by my Netflix, and watch more of the movies that we get ... quicker. 8. Finish my writing course, within the first quarter of the year. 9. Get back on the birthday card-sending schedule. I hate it when I miss someone's big day! 10. Polish my fingernails more often, because naked fingers are boring! Never go weeks without polish again!
And the big-ticket items:
~ Let's try again to lose some weight, shall we? I am inspired to check out the gym's spinning class next week. I'm actually excited to try it!
~ Eat better! Today was the last hurrah for both my peppermint mochas and my bad McD's lunches. More tea, less sugary coffee drinks. Or get back into sipping on lattes. The mocha and whipped cream: while they are angels in my coffee, they are the devil to my ass.
~ Job. That's it. Get a job.
~ Less financial treading water. We have got to get these credit cards paid off! Honestly, if it means eating mac and cheese (and steamed vegetables) for a few months, we'll do it. This is ridiculous.
~ Read one new book each month. Back in the day, this would have been a no-brainer, and not even worth the time I took to type out that sentence. But these days, I'm having a tough time with the reading time. A goal of one book per month is doable, certainly, but disappointing to me in knowing that I'll still struggle with it.

Another year is beginning! Say hello to 2010!

KIMNSYD ... Thoughts?

So let me get this straight: Vanity plates in Kansas are so specific to the county and vehicle that there can be someone holding the plate, "Sully," in each county (there are 105), for each kind of vehicle (motorcycle, car, truck), bringing the most possible number of the same vanity license plate to more than 300. In Kansas, of the 85,000 vanity plates, there are 33,000 duplicates. The state has decided though, that this way of doing things is getting a bit too confusing. So, as of next year, the state will be eliminating the duplicate plates, allowing only the longest-holding plate owner to keep any particular moniker.
What makes this news? The story of the guy with the "Sully" plate, who is making a fuss. Even though he's had this particular license plate since the '70s, he's still the second-longest plate holder, and he's pissy about losing it. I would be, too, I guess, but really, this duplicate plate business is ludicrous. Doing away with it seems like such a no-brainer. And I'm thinking, "Duh, Kansas. This took too long to figure out."
Speaking of vanity license plates, the registration on the Jetta is up next month, and I'm thinking about getting a vanity plate. Brian and I have already vetoed my dearly departed "Such a Rebel," because really, there's not a single rebellious thing about my life right now. (There wasn't 20 years ago either, but let's roll with this.) So now I'm in the midst of a creative brainstorm, trying to come up with a current life-appropriate vanity plate. Arizona is now allowing seven characters on their plates, so that opens up the ideas a bit more than the state's former six-character plate. I'm certainly open to suggestions, if you have any!

Red looked Christmasier

I've spent the last two nights uploading Christmas music into my iTunes for both my, and Mom's, new holiday music iPods. The idea is something I've held close to my heart for a couple years as a fruitless and completely whimmish gift idea. Brian has rebuffed the idea as ridiculous for those couple years I've mentioned it. This year though, Mom happened to call me while I was driving around in the car thinking about two things: I would really like a Michael Buble Christmas CD; and I would really appreciate an iPod dedicated to my own favorite Christmas music so I could listen to it in the car, or through my iPod speakers at home. Mom, of course, came through in a bright lights fashion. I now have my very own red iPod Nano, completely and utterly dedicated to the music of the season. And it is AWESOME!! It'll be perfect for next year, when I can stomach listening to Christmas carols again...

Time away from home = minimal blogging

I have no idea why I always imagine that I'll have time to blog regularly when I'm not in my own home. Honestly, when I'm at Mom's house, we always stay up too late snacking on cheesecake and drinking hot tea, watching the news and Facebooking, or catching a movie. My creativity, or time to foster it, is severely limited. I have decided, here and now, that this is a good thing. Of course, you all already know that when I take a vacation from Arizona, it usually involves some kind of vacation from the blog as well.
Today, we're back home, having spent what seems like about 12 hours in the car. I hate driving back from California this time of year. The time change adds an hour to the time traveling, and with the sun going down earlier, it just feels like an eternity has been spent in the front seat of the car.
As it stands right now, I've got all our Christmas trip accoutrement in the kitchen, perfectly stacked. I think I may take my time unpacking, except perhaps Sydney's stuff, because she's super eager, and more persistent, to get into the boxes. I'm in no rush to dig into that pile of projects.

'Night

I'm too tired to post anything right now, so I'll just put up today's avatar!
I did not make cookies today though. Nor did I make the fudge. I did little to nothing. And now it's late.

She looks much fancier than I feel tonight!

And then they arrived in California ...
Myself and my entourage arrived at Mom's house late this afternoon, after a day full of desert driving, and more random weather patterns then I had ever seen in a single day. I'm so glad I had Daddy as my copilot. Coming over the mountain into Quartzsite, Ariz., I drove through a rain storm that had my hands glued to the steering wheel at 10 and two, and my eyes forever searching for the lane indicators. The rain fell so hard, there were times when the visibility was nil, reminding me of some Massachusetts snow storms. Daddy's weather anomaly, between Blythe and Indio, Calif., was a dust storm and wind that pushed the car hither and yon. In Palm Springs, the wind was such a force that Sydney was worried that she or the dogs would be blown away. And it was kind of cold everywhere!
But the main goal for the day was accomplished: we are now in California!

Today is the shortest sunny day of the year

So tomorrow we head off to California. Daddy came out today to be my copilot, and my stories about the day should be good ones. It'll be me, Daddy, Sydney, Oliver and Daisy in the car all day. The drive, I don't think, should be that awful. In fact, I think it'll be just fine. My humor lies in the craziness that will ensue at our stops for peeing and eating. It'll be pretty fantastic!
Now, once I make my way into the hometown tomorrow afternoon, I will still have three more people to buy presents for. I've got ideas for most of them, but come tomorrow or Wednesday, I'll have to come up with something more permanent than "ideas."
It is 9:38 p.m. right now, and I've got most everything packed in the car. Sydney's and Brian's bags are in the trunk, as is Christmas. All that's left is my own bag, which I haven't even started collecting for and organizing, and the dog's stuff, which can't be done until tomorrow anyway.
I also remembered to get gas this afternoon. Don't be too impressed by that though, the light went on sooner than I anticipated.

Countdown to Camarillo: two days

I had thought about packing all the Christmas presents and stuff in the car's trunk tonight, just so I could get it out of the closet in my guest room. I pulled all the unnecessary extras from the trunk itself, and was pleased with the amount of workable space I've got going on in there. I fitted the few bags in their proper place, leaving space for the clothing bags, and any other sundry items. I thought, "Well, that's cool. This might actually work!" Then, I really noticed all the space in the trunk right now. And considered how that back portion, all perfectly packed, would probably go flying around and creating a disarray the first time I either gunned it, or slammed on the brakes. And then I thought, "Ugh, no. This is not going to wok." And then the game began: where do I put the bags, not in the guest room, and be sure no one three-feet-tall or six-feet-tall gets into them? The answer of course, is to put them in the kitchen, with the old queen-sized linens spread across them. No one in this house will get that nosy, if it looks like they might mess up the linens, and therefore have to fold them again.
Also, I need more time and money for Christmas shopping.

No worries, peeps. It's only five days

I'm sitting in my office, which is a bit of a mess. I've got a pile of papers on my desk, slightly off-kilter; pillows on the floor; boxes in the corner; and Christmas presents strewn across the sofa. Also, it's too quiet without the iTunes playing on my computer right now.
I've got a lot to do within the next couple days, and only a couple days in which to do it. I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. ... Sing that sentence to the tune of "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," and you'll get a good look into my head lately: loopy, busy, afraid of missing something, and yet, festive.
I still have some people I have yet to buy for. This is worrying me a bit. I hate "having to come up with something," yet this is the direction I'm heading for these few dears. I always love shopping for the easier ones. Don't we all? But I haven't been hit with the random epiphany for the last people on my list, and it's really beginning to bug me. Argh!! Still, there are five more days to shop until Christmas.

So, yes, I deleted them all

My DVR in the bedroom is a temperamental beast. It obviously got kinda pissy about having so much chick programming on it that it cut off the second half of tonight's Dollhouse due to there being "no more space." You see? Temperamental. I suppose having Gossip Girl and The Good Wife episodes, backed up from October, was a bad thing for the machine. Ack, whatever. There should be a buzzer. Or a big light or something.

Happy Christmas! ... in a few days ...

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas avatars!! I'm loving the fun collection, and discovered that I like the exact amount as to coincide with the amount of days remaining until Christmas itself. Fate? Perhaps! While this isn't the sassiest of the avatars, she is, I think, my favorite. The top and jeans together rock.
The days until the big day are, sadly, dwindling by the day (HA!), and I've still got some shopping to figure out. I need some ideas for some people, and am struggling with a couple of them. But the good in this is the knowledge that, even if I don't have everything I need for California, I'll be able to do some additional shopping once I'm in California. Christmas is kinda stressful. Not tear your hair out stressful, but heart-beat elevating stressful.
When, I wonder, will we all be able to relax? I'd say after the holiday, but then, that's when all the nasty bills converge. March? Is that what St. Patrick's Day is about? Drinking green beer because you finally can relax?

A little lift for your day

Here's a warm and fuzzy for you this Thursday morning.
Via The Washington Post:

Woman abandoned in Fairfax as a baby finds her rescuers
Christopher Astle and Emily Yanich were teenage pals strolling back from a 7-Eleven that afternoon in late summer -- two ordinary kids on an ordinary Wednesday after school -- when they found the abandoned baby.
It was Sept. 6, 1989. They discovered the newborn wrapped in towels at the front door of a townhouse in their Fairfax County complex and took the infant to Emily's, where her stepfather called police.
The whole thing was over pretty quickly. The authorities took the baby girl, who was later adopted. Chris and Emily, both 15, went on with their lives, although Emily often cried when she told people the story, and the two called each other every Sept. 6.
Twenty years passed.
Then, on Dec. 2, a college student named Mia Fleming sent them both a message via Facebook: Might they be the same Chris and Emily who had once found a baby left at a stranger's door?
If so, she just wanted to say thanks.
After all these years, the little girl they had found had found them.
The story of Mia, Chris and Emily, recounted by the three over the past few days, is a nativity narrative for modern times. There were no heavenly hosts that warm afternoon in 1989, just the distant ambulance sirens after the call to 911. But the event seemed blessed all the same.
Chris and Emily, both now 35, stayed close friends as they grew up, moved and married, bound by their rescue of the baby.
Mia, once she learned her story, never forgot them, and after numerous tries over several years managed at last, through the power of the Internet, to track them down. "I didn't know how they would feel," she said.
Emily said: "It's like a miracle. . . . My heart is filled now. There was always a little spot missing."
Chris said, "It's the best Christmas present I have ever gotten."

Background noise = "Hellboy II"

I am so committed to my movie channels that, as I sit here typing, I'm allowing my cable box to be all stop-and-go, pause-and-jump without changing to one of the lower cable channel numbers for smoother reception. I am not bothered by this because the movie playing (sort of) right now is not that important to me, and all I really require from my television right now is background noise.
Let's talk about Tiger Woods. Some things are going on in the news right now, and I have to say that I'm pleased with how this is rolling along. 1.) Tiger was declared the Associated Press's "Athlete of the Decade." I approve of this. After all, you really can't show me another athlete who has done as much for his sport as Tiger. And as an athlete, he deserves the accolades. 2.) Reports say that Elin Nordegren Woods will be filing for divorce soon. I approve of this development as well. No one should stay in a relationship where they feel disrespected, and where their value is so completely underrated. This is how I see Tiger and Elin's situation right now. He could say that he'll change, but the odds are slim. And she could say that she still loves him and is committed to a healthier marriage, but there's no trust anymore, and that's no way to live in a relationship. Her best bet is to remove herself, and her kids, from the unhealthy situation, and begin building a better life for herself, and maybe with someone who appreciates her more. Tiger wants to be the guy who messes around with every piece of ass that walks by? Congrats; do it on your own time, and without messing up your wife and kids. 3.) Tiger has decided to take an indefinite leave from playing golf professionally. This is a good thing to do, if you want to focus on your life and family. And I agree that laying low will give the media time to find something new to obsess over. So, what? See you next year?
I'm intrigued by this Tiger mess. I'm all for Elin's departure from Tiger's vicinity, and I'm certainly for her getting a healthy chunk of his earnings. Also though, it's hard to have appreciated Tiger, and watched him mature, without thinking that, in the end, there must be some kind of misunderstanding, because this just doesn't seem like the Tiger we all think we know.

Why don't *you* dust it then?

Brian has decided that we need a bigger television in the living room. Please, do not get me started on the ridiculousness of this, as I can go on for minutes and minutes about the ridiculousness of this. Be that as it may, Brian continues to do his research. I continue to be indifferent to his arguments, reasons and one-sided debates on the necessity of the larger television.
Yesterday, this research included a visit to a store called Starpower in North Scottsdale. My lack of enthusiasm was obvious upon entering the establishment, and I made it more known to Brian, in my best passive-aggressive way, by not chatting much at all, taking a phone call while he was talking with the salesman, and "watching" the Elton John special playing on all the televisions instead of paying attention to the conversation. Our salesman was named Roy. He had a shark tail necklace worn tight like a choker. I wasn't too impressed with him when we met, and during the visit, I became less so. Let me tell you:
Sydney and I returned to the sales floor from the bathroom to find Brian and Roy discussing the pros and cons of these two too-big TVs on the back wall. They had finished one line of conversation, and sensing a break, or an opportunity, Roy turns to me.
"I was just showing your husband something, and I think you should see it, too," he says as he tries to lead me to the televisions. "You see here. On this TV," he says, while indicating the TV on the right, "these ridges here along the screen. What do they do for the television? Nothing. You know what they really do? They collect dust." He runs his finger along the bottom interior ridge of that television, and wipes it, playing up his illusion. "Now this TV here," he says, while pointing to the left TV, "it has a continuous smooth front screen cover that runs from top to bottom. The only place that dust can collect is the top of the television." He kind of nods at me confidently and then adds, "You don't find that on every television."
In person, I nod and smile, and blithely look to the right to pay attention to Elton John again. In my head, I'm kinda stunned. Really, Roy? Really? You think that the best way to sell me on the television is to tell me that it'll be easier to dust? What the hell? Really, Roy? "Here, little lady, this big TV for your rugged manly man is great for him, but for you ... for you ... the best part will be how you can dust it and keep it clean for him."
It's at that moment that, even if I did approve of this television purchase, it's for sure that Roy wasn't going to get the sale. I couldn't get out of that store soon enough. And Brian's thoughts during that in-store conversation when we talked about it?
"Dude. She's in charge, man. You have no idea what you've just done."

Because that's how he sleeps: horizontal

Tonight is our last night in a queen-sized bed. We're getting a king-sized bed for Christmas, and are very, very excited about it. It's become very crowded in our bed lately, and an extra several inches will really come in handy. Because, as Brian and I discussed tonight, for just Brian and I, a queen-sized bed is perfect and comfortable. It's when the dogs and Sydney are added to the sleeping arrangements that the bed gets much smaller. And before you say, "Well, kick the dogs off the bed," be aware that Oliver has never slept off the bed unless by his own choice, and that it's nearly impossible to allow one dog on a bed and not the other. While the Sydney situation in the bed is just a 6:30 a.m. thing, it is still super inconvenient when I want to be comfortable beyond that time. So, in deference to that, we will compromise with our children and get a bigger bed.
Of course, I make this sound like we're doing it for the family, but really, we're doing it entirely for us, and so we can be more comfortable. Also, it means I get to buy new bed linens.

What a great Tuesday!

Pearls of wisdom from today:
~ It's good karma to pick up your neighbor's trash can, even if no one knows you've done it.
~ If it sounds like the dog is barking at something from the front yard, check it out. It might mean that your pseudo-gate fell down in the wind last night, and that the dog actually is, in fact, barking at something from the front yard.
~ It's more entertaining to watch mothers deal with babies crying on Santa's lap when your own child is no longer one of those crying babies.
~ Live animals might be the best gift ever, but perhaps not the most practical. We'll see though!!
~ Christmas shopping while your mother is stuck in traffic and, in effect, a prisoner to your every phone call, is fun.
~ It's more difficult to get two dogs to pose well than dealing with only one.
~ Butt dialing is still possible with the iPhone.
~ No matter how strict and structured the list, and how you think that you couldn't possibly find anything that you'd like to get yourself, buying personal presents on a whim is still so fun.
~ Maybe I do need more Uggs in my closet.
~ The slightly neurotic woman in line who isn't paying any attention to what's happening at the coffee bar will always ... always ... flip out when they think that your whipped cream is being put on their drink.
~ The first trip to the mall for shopping is, what I call, the reconnaissance mission. It's like casing the joint, checking out the goods, and getting a feel for the place. You can't just walk in and start shopping straight off. It's imperative to take some time.
~ Popcorn makes children better shopping companions, though buying toys for other kids makes said companion a bit of a pain in the ass.
~ There should be some kind of voice mail message that can be put on a phone line, prohibiting the phone from even ringing in the home, when the kid is napping. It should say, "Hello. You've reached Sydney's house. She's sleeping right now, and if the phone rings, she'll wake up and make her mom's life miserable for the rest of the afternoon. Call back later."
~ Always look behind the frozen vegetables. There may be a pizza back there.

Rain, rain, stay today!!

What a weirdly wonderful weather day (alliteration intended). When we got up this morning, it was gray outside, and, in the immortal words of Christopher Robin, "Tut, tut. Smells like rain!" On days like this, Brian and I are almost giddy. Days like this remind us how much we enjoyed the weather in Boston for the four years we lived there. Rain, in Boston, is a regular occurrence. Rain in Phoenix is not. So when the rain arrives, it's hard to not celebrate the shake-up in the normal meteorological forecasting. It rained all afternoon straight, and there is enough rain and wind right now to be making something bang around outside my house. I'd like to know what the banging is, but the weather is too frightful to venture outside to investigate. Wow. The rain is really coming down right now. That's fantastic.

Maybe tomorrow it'll be a photo of our tree

Writing the Sunday night blog post is always better when I can look at my weekend and see that I accomplished something. Even if it was only one big thing, still it was something that was undone Saturday morning, and tonight, it is done.
I speak of the Christmas tree, the last remaining bit of Christmas that needed to be installed in the home. Brian likes to give me a hard time about how I "hate real trees" and never let him "buy a real one," but this is where Brian fibs continually just to piss me off. I love a fresh Christmas tree (not at all a "green" philosophy, but some things just are what they are). They smell wonderful, and just look so pretty. This year's tree lot was not quite as convenient as last year's, but still, it was within a mile of the house, making it wicked convenient anyways, and a free delivery, which is good because this is our first year without an SUV at our disposal.
A Christmas tree timeline:
Tree and extra lights were purchased on Saturday morning.
Tree arrived Saturday at lunchtime.
Lights were finished early Saturday night.
Customary debating about whether we had the energy or motivation to hang the ornaments on the tree Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Ornaments hung on the tree Sunday afternoon.
While Sydney was a participant in the lighting, we did all the ornaments while she napped. We did not need that kind of help with all the breakable ornaments and pokey hooks. Right now though, the tree is beautiful. And we're done with everything Christmas decorations-related.
What's next on the agenda is usually something I'm well into at this time of year: shopping. Sydney and I will hit the mall tomorrow to visit Santa, but also to start our canvassing of the preferred holiday shopping stores. She's a bit of an anchor on trips like this, which is why the majority of my shopping will actually be done on Tuesday and Thursday this week while she's at school. This subterfuge, I believe, does not make me a bad mother, instead it makes me a more efficient shopper. And that's what the holidays are about, right?

Tiger gets caught because of the tail

I'm kind of too tired to really weigh in on this, but I'll take a stab at it anyway.
Tiger Woods and his "transgressions." First of all, the media vultures need to get it out of their heads that Tiger is the first celebrity to cheat on his wife. Nor has he ever declared that he's squeaky clean, never would step out, or deserves to be sainted for his moral fortitude. There. So they need to stop acting like this is the most earth-shattering and big-ticket story of the year. Big deal, people, he cheated. Let's focus on something else more important, and let him and his wife figure out this mess.
Having said that, I also will pop off. I'm disappointed in him, as he's one of my favorite sports celebrities. I also thought he was smarter than this. To clarify: not too smart to cheat (because hardly any of these celebrity men are when they've got that much groupie-tail chasing them around), but too smart to get busted for it. And my goodness, why does anyone leave voice mails or send text messages when involved in something clandestine? Ridiculous! Every phone has a caller id function, and everyone can tell when they've got a missed call. Let that be your message, I say to those cheaters who are looking for some easy advice. A technological trail is as damning as a paper trail.
I'm all over Tiger's wife, Elin, redoing the prenuptial agreement, too. While getting paid to continue being someone's wife smells a bit like fancy prostitution, I'm on board with her getting some additional financial settlement to keep herself, and her kids, comfortable in the manner to which they have become accustomed, should Tiger decide to run off with his next "transgression."
And, having said that, it's no one's business but Tiger and Elin's, and no one outside of the two of them has any business talking about the intricacies of this relationship and its current issues.
You know who's bugging me about this "news story" today (and got me fired up enough to blog about it)? Gloria Allred's daughter, who, with no personal knowledge of the mistress or her mother's thought processes, talking up all the news programs, implying that the only reason her mother and the other woman would have canceled their scheduled news conference is because some kind of under-the-table financial settlement must have been promised. Total assumption from this woman, and every news outlet that reports to Yahoo!, CNN and USAToday.com has posted it like it's gospel.
I honestly can't wait for the next tabloid storm to land. I'm so over hearing about Tiger. Today's episode of Extra must have spent two-thirds of its programming on this. I kept switching away until the segment was over, but every time I switched back, something else was on or someone else was talking about it. Argh!

You know I had to find a red one anyway

I remember when Volkswagen released its New Beetle in 1998. I immediately fell in love with it. Howie and I wanted one so bad! Honestly, and Mom can attest to this, the only reason why we didn't get one in 1998 is because there was no place to park it. That, and we couldn't agree on a color. I wanted that yummy pale yellow. He did not. I can't remember what color Howie wanted, come to think about it. I'm sure that's just because I refuse to believe that he probably would have gotten his color since he would have, you know, paid for the car.
Anyway, the news today is that VW is stopping production of the New Beetle. The company is making 3,000 more "Final Edition" versions before halting the model indefinitely. And the company says that they'll have something "Beetle-ish" for the car-buying public in 2011.
Via USAToday.com, "Half of those 3,000 remaining New Beetles will be coupes. The other half will be convertibles. They will go on sale in the U.S. next spring. VW says they will have unique trim and upgrades to mark them as the last of the line."
I still want one.

It's also kind of "Firefly"

This month's avatar is indicative of my current love of the movie, "Star Trek," and its goodness. I haven't had a chance to see it since the first time last weekend, but it's on my radar, and I'm thinking about it a lot. I ended up spending my day putting up the Christmas decorations, and haven't had much of moment to sit, let alone watch a movie. I have spent the last two hours watching old episodes of Gossip Girl though, which has been remarkably relaxing after my day. I need to finish up the kitchen decorations (i.e., Christmas dishes and accessories) tomorrow.
I'm tired, but getting into the spirit!

First of many Santa pics this month!

I gave myself today to get my house, head and affairs in order before the insanity of December descends on my life. This strategy, while valid, did not play out the way I wanted. I'm not sure what I expected, or how I thought this plan would solidify, but here I am, ready as I'll ever be for December.
All the traveling stuff from last weekend is put away. All the random things are put where they should be put. All the little things that are bugging me are re-organized. Jeez, I even figured out the travel mug/plastic cup/extra mugs cabinet and shelves. As I look around, I'm pretty happy with the state of my pre-Christmas home. Tomorrow, bring it on.
I just noticed that there is Christmas decor in the background of my favorite local newscast. I guess I'm really ready for it all if I'm immediately envious of other people that have it done already. Like my mom. Mom has all her Christmas decor up already. She did it in November. This is an egregious wrinkle in Owens Girls Holiday Protocol, but since she's Mom, I'll let it go.
I'm interested to see how long the decorating will take me tomorrow. It has, over the last few years, taken me close to six hours or so to get it done. This year, as we are in a new place and I get to find new spots to put stuff, the decorating, I fear, will take quite a bit more time than six hours. I expect a good day's worth of time to take care of it.

Could I ramble anymore? Ridiculous. I'm preoccupied.

All the yummy you can eat

It's sad to me that there is only a select few people in my life who can appreciate the wonderfulness of my lunch today. Picture it: Pancho's, a delicious, yet kinda sketchy, but family-friendly Mexican buffet restaurant in the suburban Phoenix city of Mesa.
I was a freshman in college the first time I went there. I had been "kidnapped" by my boyfriend, Brian, and our friends/random dorm roommates, Herb and Julian, was thrown into the back seat of my car, and driven to this place to do little more than watch three college boys load up on an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet. Little did I know when we drove up to the restaurant, that I was about to eat some of the best cheap Mexican food in town. And oh my goodness, if you should have seen Mom, Grandma and Auntie Donna's faces the first time I took them there! The restaurant itself does its food no favors by being a bit dark and dinghy.
Anyway, Brian, Sydney and I had an errand in Mesa this morning, and on driving through town, we passed Pancho's' "new" location (I have no idea how long they've been there, but since it's a different location since the last time I'd been there ... who knows how long ago ... it's new to me). Upon finishing our errand, I noticed that the time had struck noon, and that I could therefore make Brian stop for lunch somewhere.
Pancho's looked nice outside and inside, was roomier than the last location, and lighter and cleaner. I am so excited to tell you that the food itself was just as good as it was when we were in college! I ate a lot. So did Brian. Rice, chimichangas, enchiladas, tamales, taquitos, flautas, tacos, and the dessert, sopapillas, gave us big tummies, but also satisfied ones. My Auntie Donna would have loved to have been with us today, and that breaks my heart. And Mom has put Pancho's back on her list of restaurants to visit when next she comes out for a visit.
Best part: still cheap. A hundred years ago, the buffet was five dollars and change. Brian and I had a bet on how much the buffet would be today. I won: $7.50 for all the food you can eat.

"New Moon" and "Star Trek" were good

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving!
My weekend, so far, has been lovely. We had a perfectly yummy Thanksgiving feast, and even better left-overs last night for dinner. I make no secret that I prefer a turkey sandwich to the slices of turkey usually offered on the big night, so the left-over nights are usually my favorite meals. Thankfully, we were offered plenty of turkey to bring home from Brian's parents' house. Now, I just need to get some more mayonnaise for my house.
I imagine you're wondering about Movie Mission: Thanksgiving '09. I declare it, so far, rather successful. I did get to see both Star Trek and New Moon, on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Happily, I can report that I thoroughly enjoyed both films. In fact, I can't wait to watch them both again. I can watch Star Trek tomorrow if I want, but New Moon will have to wait a few months until the DVD comes out.
All in all, a successful holiday. Tomorrow, I'll take down the turkeys and return my home to normal for a few days before the Christmas settles in.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
All my love to my followers.
Your support, love, encouragement and inspiration is what I am thankful for.
You rock!!



p.s. I am not cooking today, but the avatar sure looks good in a kitchen, right?

Full of hope, I tell you!

I've got a plan for the weekend. We'll call it Movie Mission: Thanksgiving '09. I'm looking at four days, and three movies I'd like to see. One is in the theater (The Twilight Saga: New Moon), and two are DVDs (Star Trek and The Proposal). I'm full of hope that I'll catch all of them.
We're bringing the DVDs with us to Brian's parents' house for the weekend, and also, Sydney's grandma and grandpa don't know it yet, but they'll be babysitting her for a couple hours while I drag Brian to the Twilight movie. (He's already seen it, but I'm short on movie partners, so he's going to have to sit through it again.) So really, it's a valid plan. I think it's got some real potential to be an actual goal. And maybe even an accomplishment!

Turkeys can be heroes, too

I think that, as this is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I'll wear the turkey outfit today. I wouldn't want to be mistaken for a turkey tomorrow!!

I'm watching last week's Heroes on the DVR right now. That show is a weird little thing for me. It's definitely gone downhill since the first season, though I can't help but watch it. The story lines this season are either ridiculous or overwhelming. (And I honestly can't believe that Hiro has a brain tumor. He used to be such a fun character! Now, he's all sad, and hurting, and incapable of using his power, and not having a good time. It's disappointing.) We record every episode, and they hang out on the DVR for a while. I'll say that Brian is the more faithful watcher. I watch them when I get to them. They sometimes sit for weeks before I get to them. So, I'm keeping up with the show. And again, I'm sad that it's going in weird places. But I'm inexplicably drawn to see how this hot mess of a show is going to end.

No songs for Thanksgiving?

She's gone for a week, and all of a sudden, there are a ton of posts in one night.
Appreciate the Thanksgiving avatars.
There will be three: tonight, tomorrow and Thursday.
Look! She's holding a turkey leg!!

Donny's got the crazy, and the trophy

Donny Osmond takes home the mirrorball trophy!
What a great finish to this season's Dancing with the Stars!
I missed quite a bit of the first half of the show, but ... ... ... Wait. What? Why, you ask? ... Because apparently, when the DVR is full up of Gossip Girl and The Good Wife and runs out of space, it just stops recording entirely. What the hell??!! (Thus, no recording of last night's competition show. And, it just dawned on me that the DVR also didn't record Castle last night! Argh!! Now, I'm even more pissy!!) ...
Anyway ...
I'll admit to this being the first time I've watched the DWTS finale and preferred the more popular contestant over the more competent contestant. Yes, Mya had the chops and talent to walk away with this show, but she lacked the accessibility to the audience, and humility, to get the votes she needed to win tonight. Donny had the fan base (like me), that's for certain, and they voted for their favorite, rather than the better dancer. I voted thrice for Donny myself, because I wanted to see him win, yes, but also, because I wanted to see Kym Johnson (his pro partner) win, too. She's been on the show since the first season, and only made it into the finals once before. She deserved the win as much as anyone.
This evening's finale also opens up quite a bit of time on my Monday and Tuesday nights. I always get this weird feeling of emptiness the night and day and week after DWTS ends. What do I do now?

A quick recap of the last few days

Okay, it's been a long week. I wonder if I can go through it, day by day, in random bullet points (so it isn't too crazy on you reading through it).
Thursday, November 19: Sydney and I drove out to Anaheim to meet Mom at Disneyland for a two-day adventure in Mickey Mouse awesomeness. The drive was cool, as going to Anaheim takes about two hours less than the drive to Mom's house. At the park, we rode the Finding Nemo submarines; met, hugged and had our picture taken with Tinkerbell; watched the holiday parade; and saw some fireworks. Sydney and I slept in bunk beds. She was far more comfortable than I.
Friday, November 20: Perhaps the best day at Disneyland ever, if not, it was certainly the best in a very long time. Lines were minimal, people were minimal, and we loved every minute of it. We were there at 8 a.m., and left the park at about 3 p.m. We got on the road about 4 p.m. Long day! Plenty of traffic on the way home, too. Yummy pizza for dinner!
Saturday, November 21: Lunch with Daddy! (My first experiment with Facebook used as a peer pressure tool.) Chillin' in the afternoon. Some shopping. Tasty Mexican food for dinner.
Sunday, November 22: Doughnuts for breakfast and a visit to Build-a-Bear with Lizzy to get a Christmas doll for Sydney. Having invited myself and my entourage to Lydia's birthday party, we all made our way down to the "Un-Birthday-est" party for Lydia (Alice) who turned six. And it was wonderful! I love the best how Andrea (Cheshire Cat), Ryan (Mad Hatter), Chris (Queen of Hearts), Ody (White Rabbit), and Ryan's parents (Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum) dressed up in the proper attire to fit in the theme. I had a lovely visit with Jeannine, too, and got to cuddle a bit with Eli. Dinner with Lisa, a requirement for every trip back to Cali, was delicious, as was the conversation.
Monday, November 23: The drive home yesterday felt so much longer than it has in a while. The time change does me no favors, as no matter how early (or late) I leave Mom's house, it'll be one hour later than it should be when I get back home. I was tired last night!!

Next week, big Finals show!

Also, Joanna Krupa was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars last night. I missed the actual show, but caught up on the coverage this morning. Apparently, Krupa and Derek Hough didn't seem too surprised by their elimination, which leads me to believe that no one is ever really surprised to go home (excepting the Sabrina Bryan incident). Again though, I'll say that either Krupa or Mya leaving last night would have been okay with me. So long as Kelly Osbourne makes it into the finals ... which she has. Dare I dream that she wins, too? Go Kelly!

p.s. This is the first Finals in five seasons in which neither a Hough (Julianne or Derek), nor Mark Ballas, is competing. How exciting to have new blood in the BIG show!

The elusive Eggo

Via CNN ~
Leggo Your Eggo: There's a Waffle Shortage
Kellogg is rationing its Eggo products due to flooding and equipment problems at two bakeries. The shortfall could last through mid-2010
Better hoard your Eggos!
Grocery stores will be experiencing a shortage of the waffles until mid-2010 due to problems at two bakeries, a Kellogg's spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Flooding at an Atlanta bakery during heavy rains in October forced Kellogg, which makes Eggo products, to shut down production temporarily, said company spokesman Kris Charles. Plus, equipment at Kellogg's largest waffle facility, based in Rossville, Tenn., needs extensive repairs.
"We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories to normal levels as quickly as possible," Charles said in an e-mail. Remaining inventory will be rationed to stores across the country "based on historical percentage of business."
Production figures are confidential, Charles said, but Charles added that all lines are operational except for several lines at the Rossville plant.
Chad, a grocery manager at King Soopers in Denver who declined to give his last name, said his store is "seeing some shortage, but not much." A Kroger in Jackson, Miss., was also experiencing shortages, according to a manager in the frozen foods sections.
At Fairway in New York City, Eggos were in full supply, however, according to a manager at the Red Hook location.
The production problems will also affect other Eggo products, including pancakes, syrup and other breakfast food. To alert customers, Kellogg has placed a warning to customers on top of its Eggo Web site and placed notices in some grocery stores.

My Albertson's is one of those stores that has no Eggo products right now, and hasn't for several weeks. There was a time in my life when this wouldn't affect me at all, and I couldn't care less. But right now, I have a baby who likes only the Eggo blueberry waffles. Only the Eggo blueberry waffles. Regular Eggo waffles? No. Blueberry Albertson's waffles? No. Eggo blueberry pancakes? No.
ONLY Eggo blueberry waffles.
Mom just bought two boxes of Eggo blueberry waffles for us, because her store had plenty. (Of course, in California! They have everything there!) So beginning next week, we'll have the elusive waffles in our freezer again. And then we'll be able to get back to life as usual.

Seacrest snubbed again!

I'm going to roll this entire post based on, 1.) a single sentence on the Yahoo! homepage, and 2.) my general dislike for personality Ryan Seacrest. I did not watch the footage of this, not did I do any more research other than read this single sentence.
Yahoo! homepage sentence: Robert Pattinson awkwardly leaves an interview when Ryan Seacrest asks him about costar Kristen Stewart.
Kimmie's random tangent: I am completely and utterly bugged by Ryan Seacrest. I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed the moment I learned about Angelina Jolie snubbing him on some award show's red carpet entry. So, the fact that he got dissed by Robert Pattinson, an actor with some talent but a huge following, for asking a tabloid question is awesome. The fervor around these Twilight actors is huge, and the interest in any off-screen relationships between Pattinson and Stewart is, apparently, news. So, I can see why Seacrest would ask about this. He's only one of the thousands of reporters, if he can be called that, to ask about it. Why Pattinson chose to turn on him on this night is intriguing, since he and Stewart have played coy with everyone else.
But the circumstances behind this are not as interesting to me. It's the act itself. I derive irrational enjoyment from Seacrest being left hanging by a celebrity that he probably thought would be a "buddy" to him, and would give him some kind of scoop because he's "Ryan Seacrest," and because he's on American Idol.

Autumn can be so pretty

I remember back when one's television life was dealt with via VCR (that's Video Cassette Recorder, for all you whippersnappers). Whenever we would go on vacation, I would spend a good 30 minutes or so setting up my VCR to record all my favorite shows. I'd have to scroll through the days, the dates, the times and the length of the shows, ensuring that each show was recorded properly. And back then, I certainly had to be sure to have the days right, because there was no show menu to refer to when setting it up. And then, of course, sometimes I'd have to choose between a show or two because each video tape could only record six or eight hours of television. And definitely, the VCR could only record one show at a time: no double recordings for that little machine. You know that it wouldn't always work exactly how I wanted all the time, too. Inevitably, something would get timed wrong, or I'd have the day wrong, or something equally irritating and my fault.
You won't believe what brought this into my brain.
I saw a commercial with Megan Mullally, the actress who played Karen in Will & Grace, on TV tonight. I thought about the first time I saw her, in the first episode of Will & Grace, and how I loved that show. And then I thought about how I watched that episode on a video tape because I was gone the night it premiered. And then I thought about what a production is was to tape a television show all those years ago ... before the wonderfulness that is DVR.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kelly Osbourne ~ 2 votes. I'd love to see her in the finals next week, and I think she deserves to be there. She's just so cute!
Mya ~ 1 vote. She's a fantastic dancer, and I think she will end up taking this competition, but still, I just don't love her. She's not pulling the devotion from me like Kelly Osbourne does. I'm bothered, because I like her story, but I'm not attached. Still, I think she'll be one of the final two.
Joanna Krupa ~ 1 vote. She's beautiful, and kind of blank. I hate it when I feel apathetic towards a competitor on this show, but it's not unprecedented.
Donny Osmond ~ 1 vote. He did so great on all of his dances, regardless of the first disaster. I can see his crazy, little fan base giving him the trophy at the end of next week.
Honestly, any one of these people could win it next week. I'm intrigued, but not obsessed with how this ends. My gut instinct tells me that Kelly gets booted tomorrow, or early next week. We'll see tomorrow night!!

Also, new blinds for the living room

~ Happily, I'm feeling a bit better today, though any day is always a better one when Brian brings home a hot chocolate from Dunkin' for me in the morning. Yummy!
~ Also, it's kinda cold in my house. I feel silly saying that, since it's not even close to being as cold as my weather has been in the last several years. Still, I'm wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, and am covered up in an afghan. It would be perfect if there was a hot chocolate for me to sip on the table next to me.
~ Sydney and I made popcorn this afternoon, and per usual, the adventure ended up being the bane of my dental existence since then. Thankfully, I have a fully functioning dentist in my home, and was able to make him get that one crazy, difficult-to-get corn bit in my back tooth. He told me he'd charge me $112. I told him I'd write him a check. But, I think I just found another one. However, he's sleeping now.
~ Can you believe how the Patriots just choked that game? Dude. Belichick has got some explaining to do. Thank goodness I wasn't watching it, otherwise I'd be really irritated.
~ It's 10:15 p.m., and my goal was to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. I'm out-ee.

Feel better soon, PLEASE!! *sigh*

I can't remember the last time one of my colds manifested into such an awful, awful mood. Almost every single thing that happened today managed to irritate me in a huge way. And between my sick irritability, and Sydney's sick whining, it's a wonder that Brian didn't run screaming from the house at least three times today. Syd and I played off each other's issues, and Brian was just kind of a spectator, who neither wanted to play the mediator, nor become the object of our "affection." In that, he just stayed out of our way, gently condescending whenever we talked to him, whined at him, bitched at him, or cried to him. Really, he was a bit of a saint, now that I really look at how his day rolled. Add to that the knowledge that he'll probably catch this cold, too, and today, as a Saturday, must have sucked right out loud for him. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a better day for everyone.
We did manage to watch a movie tonight though. It was Up. We missed it in the theaters, so when we saw it at Best Buy this morning, we decided to pick it up for an afternoon flight of fancy. The movie itself was wonderful, and the story was as heart-wrenching and -warming as you'd heard. Very good movie, and once again, Pixar amazes us all.
The best part of the film though, was that the dogs in it had collars on that translated their thoughts into words that were heard via the collars' speakers. Um, fantastic! There isn't a dog lover/owner/parent out there who wouldn't give practically anything to have such a great little gadget! It was fascinating mainly because the dogs' thoughts rolled in such a stream of consciousness, exactly how you would expect a dog to be thinking. ... SQUIRREL! ... Like, right now, I imagine Oliver's collar would be saying, "I lie next to you because you let me, and you're warm, and I love you." *Yawn* "Rub my tummy."

The sickness invades

The sickness has entered my house. And it'll be an unwelcome guest for at least a week.
Sydney came home from school yesterday with a very definite runny nose. I felt a little something in my nose as well, and Brian had a scratchy throat. This morning, while Brian and I were somewhat able to fake healthiness, Sydney had a snotty nose that wouldn't stop running, and the distinct sound of a plugged nose in her speech. She's a real trooper though, and didn't let it slow her down much. I did need some additional cold-relief fire power for the home though, so, armed with a list and one very cool suggestion from Josh, Sydney and I traveled over to Target for some medicines.
Our sickroom purchases:
1.) Any kind of medication that she can take now that she's three. However, there is no cold medication that she can consume at her age. The Pedia Care that I thought said "three" in Target, said "four" at home, so it sits unopened on the bathroom counter. Funny side note: I was ID'd at the register for buying the stuff. Apparently, "these ASU students are drinking the stuff," so the store is scanning every ID that buys any cold medication. Honestly, she couldn't look at the toddler-sized snot monster in the cart and just let me buy the medicine with no hassle?
2.) Children's Tylenol in "Very Berry Strawberry." If I can't drug her into feeling better by tackling her cold symptoms themselves, I'll give her some pain reliever medicine that'll just make everything feel a bit better. She chose the flavor herself, and seemed to enjoy it when she drank down her 1 tsp. tonight. Please, let it be a bit of a sleep inducer.
3.) Kleenex with super soft aloe and lotion. The Puffs just weren't doing it for us. We'd only been dealing with this runny nose for 24 hours, and already she was telling me that her nose hurt. Bad sign for the current tissues, I say. Two boxes of softer Kleenex strategically placed in obvious spots so they'll be available for any evidence of snot? Check!
4.) Vick's nighttime, waterless menthol- and eucalyptus-spewing air diffuser and nightlight. This was Josh's suggestion, and oh my, is it a good one! I got the machine all heated up for about an hour before Sydney's nap, and by the time she crashed, the room was a pleasant Vick's-ish heaven. And when I got her up about two and-a-half hours later, the room cleared my nose the second I opened the door. She slept well with it. That's my goal!
Hopefully, with the Vick's, Tylenol and tired body, she'll get a decent night's sleep!

This one seems a bit ... much

In my quest to make this home absolutely perfect ... just in time for us to move out ... I tackled another one of my peeves about the house. There's no way of prettily setting this one up for you, so I'll just throw the facts out there, and you can put them together: The house has a side access to the backyard that is ungated and unsecured.
Hmm... I guess it didn't require a lot to set it up. What good is a backyard that just anybody can wander into? Mine is cleverly blocked with an old baby gate, which does absolutely nothing but keep my dogs in the yard. True, a very important task, but again, it doesn't do much for security. In wandering through the neighborhood, I've noticed that a majority of the houses have, conveniently, gates blocking access to the backyard. So! They DO exist!!
My quandary: I've asked the owner and property manager for a couple things since we moved in, and all I've gotten permission for is the grass. Honestly, I didn't think that they would allow me to have the gate installed, so had planned on having it put in without telling them. However, the $626 bid for the gate this morning made me nervous. I knew I'd be able to handle half that, but the whole amount was a bit much. After listening to some whining on my part, my "Better Advice Fairy" suggested I go ahead and ask the owners to split the cost with us, as the fence was a permanent improvement to the home.
Happily, the owner and property manager got back to me quickly with some good news! They're splitting the cost of the gate! Exciting!
Tomorrow, I'll call and tell the gate company to move forward with my job, and commence the waiting game. They tell me it'll be three to four weeks, but I'll hope for sooner.

I miss Buffy ... I really do

My television-viewing schedule is getting a little lighter. Sadly, two of the shows I'm liking this season are going away: Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku, and Eastwick, starring Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Paul Gross. Dollhouse was my Friday night on Fox, and Eastwick perfectly topped off my Wednesdays on ABC.
But did you notice that up there? Both these shows are centered around strong female characters. I tend to gravitate towards those kinds of shows, as evidenced by my incredible love of Buffy. And it breaks my heart when enough people don't appreciate them, or watch them, or thoroughly enjoy them as they should be enjoyed. There simply are not enough strong female characters on television, and it's so wrong when the shows get canceled.
But, on the flip side, now I can get to bed a bit earlier on Wednesday.

Happy 18-year anniversary, my dear!

Here's something for you:
Today is the 18-year anniversary of Brian and I becoming "Brian and I." I don't profess to hold this anniversary in as high a category as our wedding anniversary, but it is a date that I certainly remember every year. When I tell Brian, he always says to me, "Do I really have to remember this one anymore? I remember the wedding one." I agree with him, because like I said, this day isn't as big a deal as the coolest wedding ever. But still, I think this day should continue to be an important one. I mean, damn! We've been together as old as a voter! Or a legal adult! That's a LONG time!
Jeez, 1991 was a long time ago. Sure, a lot should happen in 18 years, but when you look at it as far as time spent together, and progress that's been made, it's amazing what we've managed to accomplish, tackle, create and learn in that time.
And hey, we can still make each other laugh!

That's a weird pose, isn't it?

Well, I did it. I finally got through that stack of magazines and catalogs. And now, I've got a substantially thinner stack of magazine and catalog pages, upon which are Christmas gift ideas. I'm starting to feel kind of good about the ideas, though the actual shopping has yet to commence. But it's all about creating the gift shopping list, right? Once that's done, it's nothing but hitting the mall and other stores. So really, a lot of the hard part is over. ... Er, who am I kidding, all of it is a bitch and a half to get through.
Randoms: 1.) I had to re-pot one of my spider plants this evening, as it had gotten all root-bound and unhappy. The only bag of potting soil around the house was an older bag that was in the backyard when we moved in. It wasn't the best, but neither was the soil the plant was in originally, so it should move along just fine now. 2.) After reading last night's tangent, the judge dealing with the Jennifer Lopez case obviously took my advice and barred Ojani Noa from selling the tape ... for now. 3.) Let's all say goodbye to Aaron Carter, who left the dance floor tonight, fifth in line for the mirrorball trophy. The kid was likable enough, I guess. He kinda creeped me out through, and there's no room for creepiness on a ballroom dance floor. I will be heartbroken if Kelly Osbourne doesn't win this competition. In all honesty, I don't think she will, but it'll really upset me when she's asked to leave. 4.) Is it 11 p.m. yet? I'm tired and ready to go to bed.

Why can't he be arrested for this?

I feel for Jennifer Lopez. Her ex-husband is trying to sell a video about their lives together, featuring home videos of many social situations, but also some footage of her in sexual situations, notably from their own honeymoon. Lopez has been fighting against this guy, Ojani Noa, over the last several years, trying to keep him from cashing in on their history together. His first attempt was a ghost-written tell-all book a couple years ago, that he tried to get her to pay $5 million to keep from being published. Today, Lopez won a court order to keep the video from being sold. Until tomorrow anyway, when a hearing will decide whether the video will stay under wraps, or Noa will be allowed to sell it.
I come down firmly on the side of this being a totally trashy thing for this dickhead guy to do to her. Dude, you messed up, and you're not married to the girl anymore. Get over it. And leave her alone.
And on what planet is it, in any way, okay to sell personal and private video of anyone without their specific and written permission? I mean, these are intimate and personal pieces of her life, and she (or anyone, for that matter) should never, ever have to worry about such a thing making its way into the commercial marketplace. I absolutely hate these aspects of our celebrity culture. That there is a market for this is ridiculous. If no one cared, or would buy it, then no one would try to sell it. Cheers to Lopez and her attorneys; give him hell!

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kelly Osbourne ~ 2 votes. Osbourne's personality is going a long way with me with this season's competition. I am loving her! And the fact that her dancing is improving, makes it all the better. I hope she makes it into the finals. And wouldn't it be lovely if she won? She'll be getting all my votes.
Donny Osmond ~ 1 vote. I'm not a huge fan, but I love that he has very little modesty. And Kym is rocking his world with her choreography. I'd love to see her win!
Mya ~ 1 vote. Mya's personality is a bit off-putting, and she doesn't seem to connect with the audience (or me) much. But she's, technically, a very good dancer.
Aaron Carter ~ 1 vote. I'm not sure what it is about Carter that I'm not liking, but to his credit, I like him better than I do Joanna Krupa.
Joanna Krupa ~ 0 votes. I'm sorry, but this girl does absolutely nothing for me. And if she wins, I'll declare shenanigans on what is obviously some kind of conspiracy in favor of anyone who doesn't have the last name "Hough."

That's how much I move when she's sleeping

I have a stack of catalogs about eight inches tall sitting on my reading shelf right now. And yet, while this collection is a preemptive strike on my Christmas shopping, I sit here staring at the pile, having not made a move to look at any of the catalogs in it. I've got my list of people, my tentative budget, and some basic ideas for which catalogs for whom as well as actual gift ideas. What I don't have is the patience and motivation to dig into the, let's face it, monumental task of Christmas shopping right now.
I'm actually a huge fan of avoidance lately. Not so much a fan, more like a practicing avoider. You may think I'm sounding kinda proud about that. On the contrary, I'm pretty embarrassed. My Facebook status today, at one point, was, "Kimberly would like to be less lazy, please. Will someone take care of that?" The question, of course, made the status more of a joke, but the general feeling behind it is truth. I am lazy lately, in every way possible: mentally, emotionally, physically, motivationally. Again, not at all proud. Not even sarcastically. Instead, I'm struggling with finding my, let's call it a "Fourth-Quarter Catalyst," for getting through the next couple months, and building the strength to attack the beginning of next year. I am getting excited about our plans as they develop, but in day-to-day getting up and doing, my head just doesn't seem to be in the game.
Is it that I haven't been getting enough sleep? I think I'm just too easily distracted. I also think I enjoy sitting on my ass in front of the television with this devil computer on my lap more than anything else ... while Sydney's asleep, of course.
When she's awake, I enjoy playing Memory. I'm getting better at it.

p.s. Let's play a different game! I invented two (2) words in tonight's post! What are they?

Shampoo and underwear in the same post?

I don't like it when I try something new and it ends up being inferior to something I know I already like. It's why I eat a lot of the same things in restaurants. I fear the disappointment of the unknown, and how bad it might taste. When I go out, I want to know that it'll taste good and that I will want to eat it all. But that's restaurants. I've been struggling with two new changes in my life, and neither is working out as well as I'd like.
1. Since I'm officially coloring my hair more than ever before, it's been suggested that I use a color-friendly shampoo. Mom gave me her Enjoy stuff, and while it worked well, it wasn't my Paul Mitchell, so I went about finding the color-friendly Paul Mitchell. In using it, I discovered something off-putting. In my head, it smells very distinctly like something I dislike immensely. Yes, my shampoo stinks of tanning salon and its after effects.
Do I deal with this and use up the shampoo until it's done? Do I go out and buy some more of Mom's Enjoy shampoo and just pitch the Paul Mitchell? Do I not bother with the color-friendly stuff and go back to my normal stuff? How important can specific color-friendly stuff be anyway?
"Yes" to the second one, maybe.
2. I need some new underwear -- the plain, boring, cotton variety. In my search for some panties that are a bit less expensive than my Jockeys, I found my way into the underwear section of Target. In my research, I bought a package of Fruit of the Loom and a package of Hanes. Judgment of the Fruit of the Loom: cotton is too thin; elastic waistband is too thin, too, and is scratchy. Judgment of Hanes: sure, like the commercial says, there are no wedgies, but the lack of staying up ability is a huge negative; the waistband is comfortable, but would be more so if the panties would STAY UP; cotton thickness is perfect.
Do I live with these uncomfortable panties? Do I trash them and go buy the brand I prefer?
"Yes" to the second one. As now I am, apparently, a proponent for Jockey.