Christmas "Vacation" Ha

Well if you have read Cafra's blog you can pretty much just use it as a Mad Gab and replace airplane with car and her cities with Mobile and New Albany. Oh and add two dogs to the equasion and I was back to work on Wednesday. Whew that made me tired just typing it.


Here is how it went:
Left Nashville at 10pm Friday night to arrive in Mobile at about 5:30. We would have been there sooner but we had to stop for a nap because we were both falling asleep and I havent taught Sparx to drive. So Saturday we sleep until 12 noon then get up and get a shower and have a late lunch/early dinner with Matt's parents and sister. We had the tradition turkey and dressing then opened gifts. That night we played Dance Dance until I was hot and sweaty. The next morning we awoke to face the mall and Best Buy to return something already. That night we had the tradition German dish Sour Bratten. (Probably not spelled correctly). After dinner we played a game of Cranium with mom and dad, watched some football and packed our things to leave.
So we were on the road at 9pm to arrive in New Albany at 2:30 we were hauling ass and no nap needed. We got up Monday morning to go to my grandma's house for appitizers and fun with family. Then we drove my mom to my aunt's house since my dad had to work and there we played another game of Cranium which just so happend to make us a bit late for Karen and David's get-together.
So we arrive a bit late to there apartment in Tupelo, MS to see that Karen has prepared a full feast complete with ham and some Italian custard dessert that she will have to send me the recipe for. We had some wine and a lot of laughs and began planning our trip to Italy. We headed back home late and woke early to my mom cooking and asking when we were going to get up. I made holly treats for my sister and my mom made yeast rolls for me. The family arrived and we ate the traditional turkey except for my mom's new baked potato casserole which is my new favorite. We let the kids open gifts and decided not to exchange gifts with the adults.
Then it was outside with the 12 gauge shotgun to shoot a little skeet. Yea I said it. Just imagine 5 rednecks lined up in our yard each with a shotgun blasting away. That is what I call a Redneck Christmas. After that mom called us in to open gifts with them. Then we were on our way back up to Nashville to unpack, rest and work hard again until our next holiday.

BUSY BLOG

FOR YOU CAFRA.
I AM VERY BUSY BUT CAFRA WANTS TO READ
SO I WILL TYPE A LIST OF ALL THE GIFTS
WE PURCHASED FOR EVERYONE IN OUR FAMILY BUT HER BECAUSE SHE HAS TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

MATT-
IPHONE
OTHER THINGS I WONT SAY IN CASE HE READS THIS


MOM-
QUEEN SIZE GOLD STRIPED SHEETS SET
CHIPPED IN WITH MY SIS TO GET HER A SET OF POTS AND PANS
ATHLETIC SOCKS

DAD-
UNDER ARMOR LONG SLEEVE SHIRT
CHEESE BOARD SINCE HE WAS EYING OURS
RALPH LAUREN SILVER COLOGNE
BURT'S BEES HAND SALVE

SISTER-
FUZZY HOUSE ROBE
ATHLETIC SOCKS
CANDIED PECANS SHE LOVES

BROTHER IN LAW-
BLUE JEANS
LONG SLEEVE GREEN CARHARGHT SHIRT

NEPHEW-
CLOTHES, CLOTHES, CLOTHES IN 4T
AN ADULT LIKE BLACK AND DECKER DRILL, MEASURING TAPE, SCREW DRIVER THAT LOOKS REAL BUT IS FOR 3+

PAW-
LARGE COPPER ROOSTER WEATHER VAIN
LEATHER WALLET
FARMER'S ALMANAC

MAW-
SILK PAJAMAS
ANTIQUE CLIP ON EARRINGS

MARTY-
APPLE BUTTER
COLORED SOCKS IN RED, PINK, BLUE, AND GREEN
YANKEE CANDLE HOME SPRAY
VICTORIA'S SECRET BRA

RANDY-
REALLY EXPENSIVE HEAD PHONES THAT BLOCK OUT SOUND
CARRYING CASE FOR IPOD NANO
BUDWISER BBQ SAUCE

LIZ-
T-SHIRT THAT SAYS, "I WILL NOT STEAL YOUR BOYFRIEND 100 TIMES
YANKEE CANDLE CAR FRAGRANCE
YANKEE CANDLE CANDLES AND HOLDER
GLOVE/MITTEN THINGS

LACIE-
CAT BOOK
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT
SUPRISE



KAREN-
SUPRISE
(JUST IN CASE SHE READS THIS TOO)

Fun weekend

This past Thursday night we had our yearly TMP Christmas party. The food was pretty bad but the drinks were good mainly because they were free. We all had a merry good time meeting new spouses/guests. Matt and I got a chance to meet one of the new guy’s girlfriends. Shelly is very spunky and is perfect for Ryan since they are opposites, he is very quite and she is a firecracker.

So Friday after work someone told me that Ryan and Shelly were going to see I am legend and Matt and I also wanted to see it. So I called Ryan and we talked about getting tickets and them being sold out so I better get some quick for the IMAX Theater. I called the Fandango line and it wasn’t giving me the same time as Ryan and Shelly’s show time. So we decide to just go to the theater early and buy them. Well we got them but not at the same time and not in the IMAX. We ate dinner and went to the movie. It was really intense in some parts and sad in others so a really good movie. Now I am defiantly reading the book. Afterwards we waited around Dave and Buster’s for Ryan and Shelly’s movie to get out. They came over and played some games and had drinks until we got kicked out because they were closing. I am finally glad to have a couple to hang out with that lives close by and doesn't have kids.
Everyone at the Christmas party was invited out Saturday night to a local Tequila bar for Jennifer’s birthday. I was excited and really planning on going but I should know better than to plan something with my hubby and his work schedule. He didn’t get home until around 9:30 so we just stayed in. We had a good time Friday night so I guess I can be thankful and know that I am not really good for two nights of going out in one weekend. I like to stay home and wrap presents and watch movies and do regular stuff. After reading Cafra’s blog I am really glad I didn’t end up out at a crowded bar getting my boob elbowed by drunken 22 year olds.

I also went into work Saturday to catch up on some notes and work and will probably be working late all week to catch up some more. After work I purchased a few Christmas presents and got my Christmas card pictures printed. When I got home I began wrapping presents and filling out Christmas cards and didn’t stop until a few movies later when my neighbor’s boys knocked on the door. They asked to borrow our phone. I was on the phone at the time with Matt so I hung up with him and let them use my cell. They were calling their mom to get them a memory card for their play station so they could save their game. I asked why their phone wasn’t working and they said it had gotten cut off. Then they began to tell me that their dad gave them $250 each for Christmas, this didn’t make sense to me. So I talked to them about Christmas presents and about how they helped fix up our house before we bought it. Then one of the boys wanted to see Matt’s car in the garage. So I took him down there and he saw my large collection of yard sale crap which is quickly turning into good will crap. I ended up giving him a lava lamp belonging to Matt’s ex-wife and a Coca-Cola clock given to me by my ex-boyfriend.

Sunday I was trying to do a little tidying up so I was washing clothes. I had on my favorite warm, fuzzy socks that my dog always confuses for her favorite stuffed animal. I don’t know if she just hates the socks as much as Matt and just doesn’t think I should wear them or if she wants them for herself. So I had an arm load of laundry heading down the steps to our basement with my fuzzy socks on. I hit the fourth step down and down I went. The first thing to hit was my ass bone then I butt bumped the rest of the way down and went splat into the wall at the end of the stairs. This is the moment I began to crawl away from the scene like a wounded animal kicking my feet to take my attention away from the pain in my ass. Matt ran down stairs and was lying in the floor with me asking if I was ok. I was halfway laughing and crying at the same time. So today I am hobbling a little like an old lady.

Weird Dreams are back

I guess I will start keeping a little blog journal of my weird dreams.

I had this dream last night after a fun time at the Christmas party and a discussion with my husband about how our kids will be swayed to join the military for at least one tour of duty. I will have to blog about this later.
I don't remember much about the dream but something really stuck out. I was shaking hands with some man but I don't remember his face and when I shook his hand it was really limp and puny and I hate soft handshakes. I much prefer a really tight grip and firm shake. Well when I looked down at the hand I was shaking it was missing the thumb. Weird. So I looked up the meaning of this on some website for dreams and this is what I determined.

To dream that you are shaking hands with someone, symbolizes either a new beginning or an ending to a situation. You have have reached an agreement or a decision to a problem. The dream may also mean that you are welcoming something new into your life. In particular, if you are shaking hands with someone famous or someone important, then it suggests that you are well regarded by others.

To dream that you have no thumb, denotes poverty and loneliness.

So if I dream that I am shaking hands with someone with no thumb does that mean that I shook hands with loneliness? So I put an end to my loneliness?

Another dream that I have had twice is a dream that my teeth fall out of my mouth and I am ashamed. They fall out like Lego's or something not human, like ceramic or glass with no blood or anything. So I looked up the meaning to this dream too:

One theory is that dreams about your teeth reflect your anxiety about your appearance and how others perceive you. Sadly, we live in a world where good looks are valued highly and your teeth play an important role in conveying that image. Teeth are used in the game of flirtations, whether it be a dazzling and gleaming smile or affectionate necking. These dreams may stem from a fear of your sexual impotence or the consequences of getting old. Teeth are an important feature of our attractiveness and presentation to others. Everybody worries about how they appear to others. Caring about our appearance is natural and healthy.?

Another rationalization for these falling teeth dream may be rooted in your fear of being embarrassed or making a fool of yourself in some specific situation. These dreams are an over-exaggeration of your worries and anxiety.?

Teeth are used to bite, tear, chew and gnaw. In this regard, teeth represent power. And the loss of teeth in your dream may be from a sense of powerlessness. Are you lacking power in some current situation? Perhaps you are having difficulties expressing yourself or getting your point across. You feel frustrated when your voice is not being heard. You may be experiencing feelings of inferiority and a lack of self-confidence in some situation or relationship in your life. This dream is an indication that you need to be more assertive and believe in the value of your own opinion.

I don't know exactly which one of these feelings are making me dream this but my husband will tell you that I sat up in the bed the night I had this dream and I never forget it like other random dreams.

A new type of giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving was the first time in my life that I have not had the traditional go to mom's family for dinner then off to dad's family for another smorgasbord of food in one day. This year was Matt and my Thanksgiving as a small family, inviting family and friends to share this with us.
We invited family parents and sisters from both sides and friends such as
Cathryn, the Boutot's and even the Buena family. My dad had to work and Matt's mom had to work so the family that showed was my mom, sister, and nephew; Cathryn was the only friend to show but she brought one of her friends. So we had a hodgepodge of family and friends to share Thanksgiving with.
We had looked through our subscription of Bon'Appatite Magazine and picked out what we thought would be the best Thanksgiving meal ever. We shopped at the Whole Food's Market to find the finest most fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables. Then we got up early Thursday morning to start the preparation of this wonderful meal. Matt was head chef and I was his sidekick. I spent most of the day chopping and dicing while he read recipes and pulled things in and out of the oven.
So our guests arrive at 6 pm right on schedule and the turkey is still not done. It is very hard to time the cook times of so many items with only one oven but Matt did a splendid job. We had some very nice cheese the we had also purchased at the Whole Foods store. If I were well off I would spend lots of money at this place. The wine was flowing between Cathryn and myself. In total for dinner we had a bottle of Champagne, one and a half bottles of wine, 2 wine coolers, and multiple beer between the 5 of us, Dan had H2O.
Between comments about Julie's oven rack, Matt's cake having a nice crumb, and the poor construction of our mix-matched dining chairs we worked off our meal by laughing. So this Thanksgiving I gave thanks to good food, good friends and laughter.

MAID SERVICE

THIS WEEK MY HUBBY HAD A MAID COME AND TIDY OUR HOUSE. SHE VACCUMED EVERY ROOM AND DUSTED ALMOST EVERYTHING, CLEANED THE MICROWAVE, TOILETS, SINKS, AND SHOWER. SHE EVEN VACCUMED THE STAIRS WHICH I HATE. AS THANKFUL AS I WAS AND AS MUCH STRESS AND ANXIETY AS IT TAKES OFF MY SHOULDERS I KNEW I COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB. I MEAN YOU CAN STILL SEE SPARX HAIR IN CRACK NEXT TO THE COUCH, AND THE BASEBOARDS AND ON THE TOP STAIR B/C SHE DIDNT USE THE LITTLE TOOL. AND I THOUGHT SHE WOULD VACCUM THE COUCH AND SHE FORGOT TO DUST THE SIDE TABLE NEXT TO THE BED. WOW I SHOULD HAVE GOT OUT MY WHITE GLOVES. THE WHOLE SITUATION MADE ME NERVOUS B/C A STRANGER WAS IN OUR HOUSE AND THE DOGS WERE IN THERE WITH HER AND SHE WAS GOING IN AND OUT GETTING SUPPLIES AND I JUST KNEW MY LITTLE ESCAPE ARTIST OF A DOG WAS GOING TO TRICK HER AND RUN FREE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MY INTUITION IS NOT ALWAY RIGHT I GUESS.
THIS WEEK I HAVE BEEN CRACKING THE WHIP ON MY FELLOW TMPers. THIS WEEK I HAVE SENT OUT MANY E-MAILS ABOUT EVERYONE CLEANING OUT THE MOLD TRAP IN THE KITCHEN AKA THE REFRIGERATOR. SO TODAY AT 5:01 THE UNCLAIMED FOOD WILL BE TOSSED. I ALSO PLAN TO DOWN SIZE OUR GLAD WARE COLLECTION AND BETTER ORGANIZE OR CABINETS TO MAKE MORE ROOM. SO THIS WEEK MY HOUSE IS GETTING CLEANED BY A STRANGER AND MY OFFICE IS GETTING ORGANIZED BY ME. BY THE WAY IF ANYONE KNOWS ME I LOVE TO ORGANIZE THINGS.

My own little cat factory

You mix a roaming orange male cat with an un spaid gray female cat and guess what you get.
Idiot inconsiderate trashy neighbors who dont know how to control the ferrile cat population.
I have a grayish yellow (heinz 57 as my neighbor would call it) half grown kitten on my porch that wont leave. I made the mistake of feeling sorry for it one morning and giving it some warm milk and dog food;I know cats eat cat food but that is all I had and as hungry as he looked he didnt mind. In fact that little bowl of food attactracted even more cats, of which I think are from the same litter. I found this out after I unlocked my garage yesterday and discovered a kitten inside my fully sealed garage. I assumed it was the same kitten for whom I had given the warm milk and dog food to that morning but only to my surprise as I walked around to the front door with the little gray meow following did I find a little grayish orange meow still in the same spot on the front steps. They are multiplying! As I am talking to my husband on the phone and he is giving me grief about attracting the neighborhood's cat population to our house here comes the sperm donor of these two teenager cats Dexter. So now I have to figure out what to do with this grayish orange teenager cat that is too tramatized to leave the steps. Do I take it to the neighbors and tell them it is there problem, do I call the SPCA, or do I keep it and take it to the vet to get neutered?