gt, I have two humongous pots of chile ('maters, jalapeno, onion, garlic, stock from the pork that slow-cooked all day) simmering on the stove and the house smells like grandma’s on tamale day, so I think we’re on track so far!
This time tomorrow, I’ll stick a couple in the CD drive, keep an eye out.
pugs - I add my crossed fingers to the gramps wish for a Monday move
Sean - nice house - enjoy it. BTW - I peeked at this. It looks very much like mine 
all this baking, but my CD drive is still empty : pout:
so - we ordered in from Panda House for lunch - the order was called in by coworker with heavy Argentinian accent, and taken down by Pandaworker with thick Chinese accent. But they got it all right, and it arrived in 20 minutes! No one wanted to give me there fortunes but I got
A smile is the most effective
medicine
so, snerk away.
about 1pm, some coworkers started putting up the office tree and other decorations. Here begins an itsy-bitsy rant: I grew up in a predominantly Jewish community, so even non Jewish folk (friends and neighbors) were aware of Hanukkah and its traditions. (which reminds me of a cute story, but first the teeny rant) After college, and once I got this job, I moved out on my own and since then have always lived and worked in predominantly Christian (all varieties) environs. People do know I’m Jewish, because they apologize when handing me a Christmas card, or a Christmas themed gift wrapped in Christian paper, sometimes with religious icons (Mother and Child or Angels with Baby Jesus or some such). I say it’s okay and smile and say thank you and they go away happy. But here’s the thing: If they know enough to “apologize”, why can’t they give me a “season’s greetings” card or wrap the gift in snowflake or penguin paper and make the gift non-seasonal. (One person used the "excuse that he didn’t know where to get hanukkah stuff…:dubious:) ok - end of rant
now - cute story:
I was about 5 or so - my first year in public school making friends of all religions. Teacher read us children’s Christmas stories about being good so Santa would come down the chimney. My friends told me about the coming downstairs and seeing soot on the carpet around the fireplace and so on. So, comes the morning of December 25, and I run to our family room (mind you, Hanukkah had already come and gone and I got toys and things and on each night I got chocolate coins) and :eek: no decorations! no presents! no footprints in the ashes! I run to Mommy, crying. She realized it was time to explain some of the differences between the religions. Then she enrolled me in Sabbath School. 
You know what? I miss youse guys during the day. <sigh>
Don’t blame you for ranting, rosie. Really not hard to get generic holiday stuff. Don’t understand why some people don’t get that. Which reminds me…guess I should work on my cards this weekend.
Meant to comment on Sean’s house earlier; looks nice. Is the new siding going to be the same color as the old?
Stop taunting me, MBG! 
I can almost smell the tamales. Good thing I’m going to Mexico for Christmas. ::Starts to make list of things she has to eat during vacation::
Well, we watched Harry Potter 2 and Napoleon Dynamite in separate rooms. Tomorrow, we decorate.
Happy Friday night!
GT
FCM, I contemplated the roasted chicken, but the salads looked…dubious.
I ended up going with one of Mr. Taters favorite easy dishes; Stouffers Mac and Cheese and Banquet Salisbury steaks.
In about an hour, we’ll have some of the marionberry pie ice cream. The hubby picked this out last weekend and it disappeared quick. He’s very proud of being a good ice cream flavor picker-outer.
Sean, I meant to mention your pictures earlier. Looks like quite a bit of work has been done. Nice deck too! Sometime I’ll post a few pictures of my house.
SCL, congrats on selling the bracelet. I looked at some of the pictures; very nice work. I’m not all artsy-craftsy like that. Although sometime I would like to learn to do pottery. I just don’t have the time right now, though.
rosie, I don’t understand the folks not being able to find Channuka stuff. I see it everywhere in the stores.
Mr. Taters wants me to do some computer gaming with him now, so I guess I’ll have to go for a bit.
A wonderful night tonight! My friend’s son’s birthday was today, so we all went out to dinner before the game - and she bought my dinner for my birthday tomorrow. Wasn’t that nice? Then we went to the game, which my boys were in the process of losing 3-0, until they came back and won in overtime 5-4. There are several people I plan to laugh at when I see them because they left early and missed us tying up the game with .02 left on the clock, then winning in overtime. I’m proud of my boys - not the best game they ever played; I think they slept through the first period, but they pulled it out.
Mr. SCL brought home cheesecake - one of the kinds with all the different flavors. I am going to be a very well-fed SCL tomorrow while he is at work!
Thanks for the compliments on the jewelry, ya’ll. I appreciate it.
so, your team is heading for the finals? they seem to win every game, or are you just not telling us about the losses? 
(spelling mine - sorry I’m fussy :D)
but . . . it wasn’t in the Christmas aisle, where he looked . . . . :dubious: eh, doesn’t matter, really. I’m not too hurt by what my coworkers do or don’t do - and my friends are a little smarter about that stuff. (I have some pretty great friends)
ok - end of day 3 with no contact - but there is that “3 day guy rule” isn’t there? Taking book on what time this weekend he calls
Rosie - he’ll call Sunday afternoon. And we’re 7-5-1 so far on the season. I do report the losses, I just don’t have much to say about them, usually.
Damn, this Bailey’s is good!
I’ve seen it spelled both ways, and I’m never sure which one is correct. I guess I should have looked it up. 
Well, off to do some laundry. We have to drive to Fox Island tomorrow to pick up some beautiful bedroom furniture.
addictive game recommendation:
if you like Fishy!, you’ll love TastyPlanet
So far I have just played the fish one, but I wanted to let you know you are the most super person on the web officially for about 15 minutes. That is a great link.
Yep, nothing quite as unnerving as a dubious salad - which is why I refuse to purchase from the grocery store salad bar.
Temps here plunged almost 40 degrees from yesterday’s high to today’s low. But the wind has died and it’s gonna be sunny. I just brewed some tea for FCD’s iced tea, and the critters have been tended to. Time to head to Annapolis for second-to-last class with Tina (sniff sniff) - I’ll do some trimming and glazing today, finish glazing next week, and that will be that. Meanwhile, on Monday, I can register for the class I want to take at the junior college - yay!
Plans for the day - working around the house, especially the basement. And laundry. And I really should tidy the guest room for my baby’s impending visit. Gonna be a fun-filled weekend. But for now, I’m outta here.
Oh yeah, and I gotta put together the next MMP. Busy weekend ahead.
MWAH!
<AHEM> CLEARING THROAT <AHEM>
**
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR SSSNNNAAAKKKEEESSS!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
**
Good morning, all. Our temp is about 35° lower than yesterday. In fact, when I went to bed last night, it was still over 70°. The dogs are much happier it’s cold; they love cold weather. Silly animals.
I finally feel semi-human this morning. Which is a good thing, since I have a big pile of work to get done before we head out Thursday to see The Mothers. I’m looking to get away from the computer for a week, although not to seeing one of my SILs, who’s a nasty self-obsessed witch at best. Oh well, hopefully it’ll only be for one evening since most of the trip is to see my mom and sister, and really check up on how both of them are doing.
Papa Tigs is an excellent ice cream picker-outer. A couple of weeks ago he found a swirl of my two favorite flavors, mango and green tea. Yum! Yum yum yum! Now we need to find it again. He finds me all kinds of yummy flavors, though. And what’s really nice about it is that he can’t even eat most of them himself since he’s diabetic, but he knows how much I love yummy ice cream so he still indulges me.
Plan for today? Get caught up on work; do some work around the house, especially while Papa Tigs and the pups go out for a nice long walk somewhere. There’s a trail out on Kent Island they’re going to go explore. They should all come home tired and happy.
And yay! daughter palebunny is coming to visit again for Christmas. It’s always good to see her. Now if her silly brother would come to visit. Oh, speaking of SrA Tiger, he called me the other night – he managed to do that one thing I’ve managed to avoid all these years of driving and hit a deer. :eek: Fortunately, there was minimal damage to his car and none to the occupants. No report on the deer.
Okay, back to work. Or drink more coffee. Or something.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCL!!
Mindfield, it’s snowing! It’s not sticking, but it’s snowing! I’m so happy.
We did RCIA (and found out from our priest that he wants us to join at Easter. Sigh) and Holy Hour, and then came home. Mr. Lissar went to bed, and I went out for dinner with Driving Husband and Quasi-Daughter. Got a phone call on DH’s cell, and it was Attacks Husband, calling from our house. He’d talked to Mr. Lissar on the phone, who was incoherent, and decided to come over and wait.
We came home, and QD inisisted on baking a chocolate cake, so we did, from Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking. It was good- a one-bowl buttermilk chocolate cake with no eggs. It would make fantastic cupcakes.
So we hung out and I told AT that a few different women want him packed up and shipped. He is flattered.
My fridge is tidy.
Today I must make a huge batch of stew, pick up library books, and run around tidying things. I think there will be cider or hot chocolate drinking, and lying around with books, too.
Thanks for the rice suggestion, Pugs!
I’ll admit I didn’t actually read anything because I haven’t had coffee yet, but …
Happy Birthday, SCL!!
HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCL!!!
Mmmf…I’m up, coffee is brewing, and I’ve got a load of clothes in the dryer. I washed them last night, but fell asleep before they were done washing, I guess.
Today we’ll drive out to Fox Island and pick up that bedroom furniture. We’re supposed to head out sometime this morning to do that, actually. I’m very surprised Mr. Taters isn’t already up and about.
Mama Tigs, don’t forget to wave at me on your trip up I-5 from Portland to Seattle. Wave in an easterly direction. Weather should be typical PNW weather upon your arrival. So, no fear of ice, snow, or wind.
I need to get myself a cup of coffee now.
I’m sorry we don’t have time to stop by and have a mini-Dopefest, Taters. Maybe another trip, when we’re not quite so rushed. Like that will ever happen. :rolleyes:
And lest I forget:
Happy Happy Day, SCL!
Hey Mama Tigs, no worries! Family comes first, I understand that.
I am very slightly more awake as I am more than halfway through my first cup of coffee. I made it rich and strong, the way I like it.
…………*
Happy Birthday SCL!!!
……*…
Coffee time! It’s 50 degrees Amurikin this morning, but still no snow. I need to run out and buy new burner pans, mine have started rusting thriugh after 10 years. Maybe I’ll buy a nice pole to put up for Festivus.
LiLi, the Easter Vigil Mass is a perfect time to join. Last year we managed to squeeze in four of the seven Sacraments.
Yeah, I know it’s a lovely time, we were just hoping to have joined before Lent. Oh, well. We’re nearly all the way through the book- I’m not sure what we’ll be talking about after Christmas.
I have cut up five pounds of stewing beef and am simmering them, made shepherd’s pie, and washed the dishes. Now I’m tidying the livingroom and wondering where my supposedly really sick husband (Husband #1) has gotten up to, since he’s not home. “Oh, I’ll just go to Tai Chi, darling.” Tai Chi ended at nine.
I think it’s time for lunch.
