Mmmm, Viggo.
Okay. Finally finished making all Christmas decorations. Put together four garlands, one with the tiny white lights, the other three with big fake cranberries in clusters and individually. Also made fake swags with fake berrries for sconces in dining room. Still drinking bourbon. Jettisoned coffee long ago, am now on bourbon alone.
I wish I could have real evergreen stuff in my place, but I’m allergic pretty bad. It’s gonna be enough of a challenge to deal with a fresh tree by itself. Good thing I volunteered my boyfriend to put it up for me. If he backs out I’ll beat him up.
I’m about to head off to bed, so this is a quasi-drive by. I just haven’t had the time to keep up with you folks on account o’ my schooling. On the plus side, tomrorow is the last day of classes, and we will be capping it off with a celebratory “School’s Out” luncheon at a nice restaurant. Tomorrow is the big test though. Technically I don’t have to take it, since I’m only taking this course to be better at my job which doesn’t, strictly speaking involve any of the actual things we’re doing (only knowing something about the things we’re doing) but I’m being encouraged to, more out of curiosity to see if I do any better than any of the dealers who are also taking this course to become Master Technicians for this particular manufacturer. I’m kinda curious myself, so I’ll be taking it. The marks don’t really matter in the end, but it’d be kinda funny if I outperformed someone there, considering I’m the one with zero practical experience in their own field. 
I also almost literally fried my iPod Touch yesterday in a spectacular paroxysm of tongue-chewing stupidity (tale of woe here for those that missed it) but the good news is that I get to trek out to an Apple store on Friday to get it replaced. It’s a bit of a jaunt, but I’ll walk out of there with a shiny new unit, and since my case has finally arrived I’ll be able to protect it from day one. Yay for shiny new things! Gooniegoogoo for award-winning dumbassery! Oh, I fried my headphones too, so I’m looking for a new pair. That part I don’t get to replace under warranty.
Alright, nighty-night. Need sleep.
Damn, reading **dogbutler’s ** post about rice makes me want some saffron paella rice. Paella. I want paella. Wish I could have that for Thanksgiving dinner. That actually is something my mom can cook, believe it or not. But would she make it more than once every two years? No. 
Yes, Viggo. <goes dreamily off to bed> 'Night…
Huh. I check in bright and early (8:15. And I’m at work! Am I some kind of a wuss, or what?) – and everybody has gone to bed already. Rigs, if you still happen to be bored rather than abed… let me entertain you 
**Haze **-- where were all those interesting people when I was your age?
Oh, hanging out with other interesting people, and not with me… right. :o
I’m here for half a day, then heading off for an internet-less weekend in Jerusalem… don’t you all miss me already?
~~~Happy Turkey Day~~~ to all the Americans!!
Holy crap…
It’s Thanksgiving.
Well the computer didn’t make it to the doctor, the only thing I accomplished toward Thanksgiving dinner was the baking of three pies, (two pumpkin and one peach/raspberry) and my guests didn’t make it back from the mainland because of the wind. Poo!
However, I was cruising around myspace, and found a little present for you. Here is my town. Enjoy!
Happy Turkey Day, 'murrikans!
Kai - your town is very pretty, I wish I lived somewhere with so much natural beauty. Somehow Wolverhampton just can’t compare.
Today’s my last day at work before my holiday so I’ve got a pile of things that Tin Knickers has insisted are finished before I leave today. She seems to think the world will end if I don’t manage to complete today’s list of pointless tasks. Oh well, at least I can look forward to a long break from her idiocy. In a discussion about office stuff with our newest team member (who has been with us for about 3 months), she commented that TK is most definitely bonkers. She’s also very glad that her contract here is only until next June because any more time having to put up with TK’s obvious lunacy would drive her to drink. Or she’d end up in Winson Green for murder.
I guess it’s going to be quiet in here today too, if you’re all off scoffing turkey…
Not all of us…
Although I’m out of here for the weekend at noon (your time)
But later you’ll have a whole bunch of Cannucks to play with, once they get their lazy asses out of bed… 
I’m not scoffing turkey either, I’ve got beef stew instead!
I’d like to be bunking off early too but I’m sure Tin Knickers will find a last-minute emergency that will land on my desk mid-afternoon and she’ll insist it’s done before I go. Well, she might just be in for a shock there.
We eat so much turkey here, year round, it isn’t even funny – I think the damn critter should be Israel’s Official Bird (pictured as a bunch of skewers with chunks ‘o’ turkey on them, of course… :eek: )
I think you should shock her… 5 PM, it buh-bye!! If they don’t pay you for being on call, you’re not “on call,” even if you’re still physically in the office.
Have fun!
It’s gonna be a long day - I can feel it already. I woke up at 4 (over 2 hours ago) and couldn’t fall back to sleep. So I decided to let **FCD ** continue snoozing, and here I sit, caffeinating by the glow of the computer screen.
**kai ** - the pics are gorgeous! I hope I can get to the PNW and Alaska before they wheel me off to The Home.
**rosie ** - that link was a hoot! <snerk> How true it is…
**BooFae ** - is this your trek to Vegas that you’re about to take? (I seem to have misplaced my social calendar of which mumpers are doing what, when, and where.) I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful adventure - heck, any time away from the insanity of the office has to be a great alternative, right?
We found out yesterday that **FCD ** will have sufficient leave that we can go to FL for Christmas, so yay! I just need to figure out what to do about the critters. The neighbors we talked to last week offered to check in on the cat if we would like that, but I can’t recall if they’re going to be in town over the holidays, so we may have to hire the woman we had last year to come in once while we’re gone. Which means the idiot dogs go with us, because I won’t have time to drive them all the way to Mom’s.
We also found out that our kid’s future MIL offered to buy her wedding dress. That’s very sweet of her, but dang - especially when I heard how much the one she likes costs. :eek: That much $$$ for a dress to wear one time - I’m sorry, but that’s insane! Especially when this summer, the plans were for a fairly simple dress that I was going to make for her. Oh well, not my call to make.
I was pleased to hear that one of the venues I suggested looks like it might be acceptable to the couple. From the website, it looks like a very pretty place, and we can rent the banquet room and a Bride’s room for a not-too-obscene amount, leaving more of our funds for the heavy appetizers that they want (not a sit-down meal.) The country club they picked out at first was lovely, but when I saw $150 for a platter of 100 meatballs (there’s only going to be 50 or so in attendance, but we’d be looking at close to a thousand for munchies, plus $200 for the bartender, plus whatever ridiculous amount for the champagne… gah!) Anyway, at this other place, the room rental will be maybe a third of what the club wanted, and we can bring in our own food, so we can order a bunch of nice deli trays instead of only a couple. They’ve got a friend who volunteered to DJ as a gift, another who’ll do their pictures as a gift, and I think another friend who offered flowers.
Sheesh, it sounds like we’re trying to cheap out on this wedding, but there is a bit more to it. Aside from FCD’s recent hospitalization with its accompanying bills and loss of income, and the more recent multi-thousand car repair, we’re looking at getting down to FL in May, the kid’s graduation (with whatever expenses it requires), packing all of their stuff to bring back up here (including making a covering for the trailer to protect their stuff), the wedding (crap, I need to buy a mother-of-the-bride outfit), driving our truck or van, plus one of their cars (they’ll follow in a few days after their honeymoon in St. Augustine) then once they get here, we’ve got to build their “apartment” - a sitting room, bedroom, and kitchenette area. Plus I wanted to give them a new mattress set, since our kid is using an old one of ours and it should have been tossed years ago.
So with all of that on the horizon and our desire to retire in 2 years so **FCD ** can go back to school, then teach, the fiscal issues are not insignificant. And I refuse to take out a loan or load my credit cards - *especially * with the impending retirement. Sheesh, why don’t they just elope like I did…? OK, I don’t really mean that. But still, it’s a whole lot hitting us at once, and we still need to replace the roof and the windows in this house before I can become a bum on a pension. I need a long-lost wealthy relative to send me a surprise inheritance. Surely there’s a secret family fortune about to be revealed??
Sorry - didn’t mean to spill all that out on the floor, but the MMP is so theraputic sometimes. And I’m not going to force my kid to get married in a thrift store dress and serve Ritz crackers and Velveeta. It’s just a bit overwhelming right now, and having dumped it, I’m now ready to get on with it. Even tho I wish she’d wait a year or so to get married…
OK, no more. It’s the day of thankfulness, and I am thankful for all I have. I’m thankful for a daughter who has proven to be a good kid with drive and discipline. I’m thankful her intended treats her well and is looking to their future with all due seriousness. I’m thankful my husband is recovering well from this latest surgery and as our 24th anniversary approaches, I’m especially thankful to have him in my life.
I’m also thankful for the MMP, because I can sit here and imagine you listening intently to my blatherings instead of rolling your eyes and sniggering and my silliness. I lurves you guys!!!
<Hugs and kisses all around>
Not much to say, **FCM **- just that, well, yes, we’re listening. And sympathetic Blather away…
Now go eat a turkey or something Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ll be heading out for dinner at Mom’s in a couple of hours, so turkey will be consumed. Among other things. Including the 3 pies I’m taking.
Alas, my brother won’t be there (boo - he’ll be in CT with his GF) but neither will annoying BIL (yay - I think he’s working) so there’s that. Actually, I’m not exactly sure who will be present among my sibs and their friends/families. But there will be much food and conversation. And probably football, but I can ignore that.
Hey, is that you kai-yakking in the video? :rolleyes:
FCM, putting on my catering hat for a moment let me just offer this tidbit. Did you know that often appetizers cost more than a full buffet style meal? There’s alot more labor involved in all those little thingys.
Noone, how nice of you to be our support system again.
Ok, off to make breakfast for a bunch of turkeys. Just kidding.
Pie-babe - I expect if we were to hire a caterer and all, that would be an issue, but we’re talking deli trays from Publix - they do very attractive trays of fruits, veggies, meat, cheese, even little sammiches. If it wasn’t for the distance involved, I’d be working with my mom to cater it ourselves. But hauling food from Baltimore to Orlando would be nuts, and trying to do everything in the couple of days before the wedding would be nuttier.
Still, I’m going to work on the elopement angle. So much easier…
Happy Thanksgiving, Americans! There’s snow on the ground!
Well, a little bit.
FCM, weddings are a bloody pain, aren’t they? Especially on the wallet.
rigs, we’re trying to get the cats to slim down a little. They’re getting porky. We’re not feeding them much less than usual, but the shock of being hungry for three hours a day is unpleasant for them. Normally they free-feed, which Bailey seems fine with, but Aerin- she’s getting round. And making fun of her relentlessly doesn’t make her want to diet.
Okay. Eat breakfast, clean kitchen, make fudge and chocolate covered popcorn, re-clean kitchen, mop hallway, go to midwife’s, go to work and buy Christmas present for Nephew, [DEL]have fifteen drinks in order to cope with being with my SiL all weekend[/DEL]. Pack. Present wrapping will happen tomorrow.
GOBBLEGOBBLEGOBBLEGOBBLE!!!
That’s the sound I expect to hear around my dining room table and wherever else people eatin’ are sittin’ this afternoon.
The turkey’s cookin’ away. Know what I like? I like when my four functioning brain cells rub together and form a coherent thought! Last night at work it hit me… use that bigass roaster oven thingy to bake the turkey! So when I got home last night I got it out and wiped it down. Thus, Mr. turkey is roasting away in bigass roaster oven on my back porch.
Soon, some guests will be arriving with munchies and stuff for chowin’ down at dinner. Ok, it’s around one when we eat but it’s a big meal, thus, down south, it’s dinner. OOH… and a friend is bringing vodka and his world famous bloody mary mix. YUM! I also have some wine chillin’ for those who prefer cause I’m a good host.
There will be fourteen people here. Obviously we cannot all eat in the dining room. It’s kinda nice out and back porch is clean, so there may be some folks (moi included!) eating out there. I do have two nice tables out there with clean tablecloths upon them. Plus, since I am a class act and well, today is special, we will be using the nice plates, glasses, flatware, cloth napkins and such. Dinner will be served buffet style, meaning grab a plate and load up in the kitchen then go sit down and eat.
BioRosie that video will be shared widely. I bookmarked it so I can show it to everybody today. HEE!
Happy T-Day everyone!
I meant to get up at 5:00 am, but I didn’t manage to get up until close to 6:30. I was (and am) so tired. I was going to prep my sweet potatoe casserole last night, but didn’t get to it. I’ve got the sweet taters in the oven now. Soon, I need to make the cranberries and start on the stuffing.
I’m thankful that my gathering will be small and low key.
Hugs all around!