A Blast From My Past

I've had a pretty good weekend and I hope you all are as well. I had Friday off and pretty much ran errands all day, paid some bills and did a little laundry. Friday evening I had dinner with someone I used to hang out with in high school. It had been well over 22 years since we'd seen each other and he called me out of the blue last weekend. We talked for a long time on the phone and decided we had better just get together since we had a lot more catching up to do. So Friday evening we met at a restaurant in Concord and had a few drinks and a nice dinner while we got up to speed.
We used to hang out with the same group of friends in high school and went to the same parties. We even worked at the same electronics company for several years during and after high school and attended each other's weddings. He's now separated and starting over and I can certainly relate to how hard that can be after being with someone for over 20 years.
He hasn't changed much, just a pair of glasses now and a little gray in his hair. He said I haven't changed a bit. I hope that's a good thing. It was a riot to reminisce and I found that there was a lot I had forgotten. I really hope we can get together again before another 20 years goes by.

Saturday was housework day. I am still trying to clean out and rearrange my bedroom. I didn't realize how much junk I actually have been hanging on to. I have filled several garbage bags to be taken to Goodwill and also have a couple to go out with the rubbish on Tuesday. I want to be all ready for when my new mattress and box spring arrives next weekend.

I spent the afternoon and part of the evening at my brother's house. My niece is moving to California on Tuesday so my brother had a nice dinner for her. Who knows how long she will stay there. She's a bit of a gypsy, I don't think she quite knows what to do with herself but maybe she will find something that makes her happy there. She has an aunt that lives a bit north of Los Angeles so she will be staying with her for awhile.

I have tomorrow off and I guess I will spend part of the day putting my room back in order. I have a couple of movies to watch and several books to read so I won't be bored. Most everyone I know is working tomorrow so I might just kick back and watch the soaps in the afternoon. Haven't done that in ages!

I hope you all had a nice weekend and the upcoming work week isn't too stressful.

What's This Do?

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Busy Saturday

I was lucky enough to have this whole weekend off since we are pretty much caught up with work so I slept in a little bit this morning and got up around 7:30. I jumped in the shower because I wanted to be the first one at the hair salon this morning so I wouldn't have to wait. It's mostly a walk in place and although they do make appointments, I am one of those people who has to get my hair cut when I decide to otherwise I will change my mind and never get it done. I've been putting it off for several months now and when I make up my mind to do it...it's best if I just go, like NOW! So I walked into the place 15 minutes after they opened and sure enough I was the first one there. I had her cut off about 4 inches from the length and then add layers to give my hair more body. I have a lot of natural wave to my hair but it was so long and heavy that you couldn't tell. Just shearing off those 4 inches really made a difference and the layers took off some of the bulk. It's still long but I have very thick hair and it feels so much better now without all that weight.

I got some coffee and ran a few more errands, then went into Manchester to do a little shopping and meet my friend Elaine for lunch. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and ended up not buying anything because I couldn't justify using my gift card on something I really didn't need. I did buy a new wallet at WalMart because mine was ripped and a bit of a pain in the ass (must be from lugging around all that money I make).

I met Elaine at Panera Bread and we got something to eat and sat and talked for about 2 hours. It was really crowded when we got there and the only table available was dirty but have no fear...Elaine has grandkids and always carries a package of WetWipes, so she cleaned off the table and we were all set. I got a Chicken Chipotle Sandwich and a water, and she got a Harvest something or other salad. I like salad but that didn't look appetizing to me and it has walnuts on it which I am allergic to, so I am glad I stuck with the sandwich. We always have a lot to talk about. I have known her for about 35 years.

That pretty much was my day. I am doing laundry now because with the approaching snowstorm, you never know if the power will go out. I am full so I will skip dinner. If I get hungry later, I can have a bowl of cereal or something.

It looks a bit ominous outside, clouding up and getting colder. The last I heard was they were predicting 6-8 inches of snow. We've had an entire week of storms, and I know we aren't alone. It's been stormy everywhere this week, just not everyone seems to be getting snow. Although I did talk to someone from the Dallas, Texas area mid week and he said it was 70 there and sunny. Well goody goody, aren't you special?? LOL

It's been a really good week work wise. We've been busy every day but it's a nice steady pace. Not crazy or anything like it was last month. I only have to work Monday thru Thursday next week and then I will have a 4 day weekend because Friday is my "off" Friday and Monday the 18th is President's Day. Looking forward to that.

I just looked outside and it is snowing. Oh happy day. Either it will get over earlier or drop a few more inches of snow. I may be able to see my grass by June if I am lucky. It's pretty scary pulling out of my driveway because the snowbank is piled up high on both sides and I can barely see over it. I've been exiting my driveway by turning right and going down to the end of the road and turning around because it is less dangerous than going left and crossing into approaching traffic.

I am heading for the sofa to read. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that the power holds. Enjoy your weekend.

Is It Spring Yet?

I'm ready for some baseball. Needless to say I am soooo disappointed with the New England Patriots. What a huge letdown. The best team playing yesterday definitely won and congrats to the New York Giants for doing what very few people thought could be done. I didn't win any money on the Super Bowl pool but on the bright side, I guess I will be saving some money on Championship tee shirts and gear.
On that note...spring training is only a few weeks away so I say bring on the boys of summer!

We are expecting snow after midnight tonight and that means a messy drive to work in the morning. The word is a couple of inches down here in southern New Hampshire and several inches north of here, but everything will be turning to rain around the morning commute. Lovely.

Dinner time. Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

I Wish I Was Here...

Will this winter ever end??? Not looking like it, but I guess since it is just February 1st, I shouldn't expect much. It just seems like it's been winter here since Thanksgiving.

I was at the Hyundai dealership having my car serviced this afternoon when the sleet started. The weatherman had been saying all morning that it was going to start somewhere around noon and he was just a bit off the mark there. I suppose it could have started around noon in the western part of the state, and since I live in the eastern part, it was just after 1PM when the wind picked up and I could hear the tiny balls of ice hitting the side of the building and the windows. I kept looking at the clock on the wall because I had been there about an hour already and I was anxious to get the hell out of there and go home. I had to work this morning and purposely made my appointment at 11:30 so I could get the work done on my car and be securely tucked away in my house and off the roads before it got nasty outside. Of course, my best laid plans usually go awry and today was no exception. While servicing my car the technician noticed my tires were wearing and since I always take my car there, he knew that my tires were not very old. He investigated and noticed my front tie rods were quite worn and that was throwing my front end out of alignment, causing the additional wear on my tires. Sooooooo he recommended they be replaced and since I was already there and the car was up on the lift...yadda yadda...you know the drill. Add a few more bucks to my bill. I really am not complaining since they always treat me well there and usually can do whatever needs to be done without making me wait very long. I've even walked in once in awhile to ask a question and they look at my car and fixed my problem right on the spot. The service manager also added a nice discount on my oil change (free) since I had some unexpected expenses today so I'm happy.
Anyway, I had a perfect view of the weather from the window and saw it change from sleet to snow to freezing rain and back to sleet all in about 20 minutes. By the time I got out of there and on the road, the pavement was covered with sleet which made it a little slippery especially when taking corners. I really had to take my time going home and decided as soon as I hit the highway that the remainder of my errands were going to wait until tomorrow. I was only able to travel about 45 MPH on the highway but made it home in one piece. And home is where I plan to stay.

It is sleeting right now and the last report on the news said it will change over to all rain in a few hours which is going to be bad because it is already below freezing now and all of the roads will turn into a skating rink. I just hope we don't lose power later on. I have some water set aside in case we do and have the candles ready.

Work has been really busy lately and I think I put 55 hours in this week. I am not working tomorrow so it will be nice to have 2 full days off. We are a month into our new contract and things are going pretty smoothly. We've not had any issues with parts which is good because a few departments have been waiting on some things now for a couple of weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed. Parts related issues are usually our worst enemy.

Personally, nothing much has been going on. Last week I took my parents out for dinner to celebrate my dad's 78th birthday. We went to his favorite seafood restaurant and I had to fight him for the bill but I won...this round. He is one stubborn man, I'll tell you what!
Last weekend I met a couple of girl friends for lunch. We went to Chicago Uno's and I ordered the bacon cheddar burger (well done) and some onion rings. My burger was quite rare and I hate sending food back because you never know if the cook is going to sabotage your food out of spite. I was reluctant to say anything but my friends burger was also not cooked to her liking so she said something and the waitress was more than happy to have our food redone. The manager also came out and was so apologetic, she ended up taking both burgers off the bill. I did end up eating most of my new burger which was pretty good and we got some gift cards for a return visit. Usually I enjoy the food and the atmosphere there so I guess I'll give it another chance and see how my next experience goes.

I guess I had better transfer my laundry to the dryer in case we lose power later on.
I have a movie to watch too so now seems like a good time to do that.

Have a great weekend!!

Patience

AFC Champions!

WOOHOOO The Patriots are going to the Superbowl!! Now that isn't too big of a surprise to the football world this year since they are 18-0 this season. The team as a whole is having a record year and several of the key players are as well, including MVP Tom Brady who has broken just about every record an NFL Quarterback can break. On February 3, they will play the New York Giants in Arizona in Superbowl XLII. GO PATS!!!

It has been frigid cold here this past weekend and although it will warm up some tomorrow and Wednesday, it will be back to the cold by next weekend. I guess it could be worse but I don't really want to think about it. I can't believe we are only now at the tail end of the month of January. It seems like this winter has gone on forever.

I had the whole weekend off and I was pretty tired so I didn't do a whole lot. I fell asleep really early on Saturday night and consequently woke up way before dawn Sunday morning. I got up early and got laundry done, floors washed and spent some time online chatting with my buds. I finally was able to catch AliceKay's Inspirational stream (thanks AK was great to be there) and catch up with some good friends that I certainly don't talk with enough.
Later in the morning I watched a movie (Deja Vu with Denzel Washington) and baked some chocolate chip cookies. The movie was ok...the cookies fabulous. LOL I watched both football games and went to bed fairly early. Big exciting weekend...I know.

Back to work this morning and we are pretty busy so the day went by really fast. Looks like we are going to be quite busy for several months. I worked over 55 hours last week so I am anxious to see my paycheck on Friday.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow right after work. Annual check up so no big deal there. I'll just be happy when it's over.
The rest of the week looks pretty quiet, except for Saturday when I am having lunch with a couple of school friends.

I am heading for the shower and then I will curl up under a blanket with the pooch and catch some television before I go to bed.
I hope everyone has a great week!

I'm Still Breathing

I wish I had a real exciting reason why I haven't posted anything in awhile but I don't. Plain and simple, I've been working a lot, reading a lot and that's not all that interesting. I recently finished a very captivating book by Scott Smith called The Ruins which was recommended by my younger brother. He and I like the same authors and often trade books once we've read them. He read this one a few weeks ago and passed it along and I was hooked from page 1. It is a fictional account of some friends who are vacationing in Mexico and meet some people from Germany and Greece. They form a friendship and begin partying and sight seeing as a group when the German's brother decides to go with a beautiful girl into the jungle on an archaeological dig at the Mayan ruins. After several days, the German guy becomes worried when his brother doesn't return and they all decide to search for him. They realize much too late that going into places unknown was a BIG mistake but there's no turning back. I won't give it away but it is a thriller and quite suspenseful. Scott Smith also wrote A Simple Plan which was a movie several years ago starring Billy Bob Thornton. I enjoyed the book much better than the movie.
I just did a little research and the theatrical release date for the movie The Ruins is April 11. It is being produced by Ben Stiller. I will wait and catch it on DVD when it comes out. (I like scary movies and yes I will watch them alone and in the dark.)

I just started reading a book I got for Christmas called The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore. I have read a few of his books and I love them. He writes with such absurd humor, you just can't help but chuckle and often times laugh right out loud. From what I have read so far, the town psychiatrist has been handing out anti-depressants quite freely instead of dealing with her patients real mental problems and when one of her patients commits suicide, she feels so guilty that she decides replace all of her patients pills with placebos. There are quite a few crazy characters in this goofy California town including a former B-movie star and the town constable who is always high on marijuana and whose boss is running a crystal meth business in town. I haven't quite got to the part about the Lust Lizard yet LOL so I can't comment on that. But I can tell you I've cracked up a few times already.

We went 13 days without snow but I knew that lovely stroke of luck was going to come to an end, and it did. We got about 10 inches of snow here and some spots got up to 14 inches. I really would like to think that winter is almost over but we actually are only about mid way through so there's a long way to go yet. We did have a lot of melting last week when we had several days of 45-50 degree weather and enjoyed a couple of days when it reached 60. But that's all in the past now. We're back to reality. UGH.

I went shopping over the weekend and spent some of the gift cards I got for Christmas. I bought some new towels and shampoo and conditioner (big surprise there), socks, 2 pairs of jeans, a couple of tops, and a book. I only had to spend $20 in cash so I felt like I got such a deal. LOL I still have the gift card from Staples and one from Bed Bath and Beyond to spend. I'll save those for a rainy day.

I guess I should cut this short and get myself into the shower. I am looking forward to watching the auditions for American Idol this evening. Always good for a laugh.

I need a haircut too.

Later :-)

Why Does Vacation Always Go By So Fast?

Short post tonight. I went back to work yesterday after having 17 days off and it was rough. I am still trying to get back into a routine. I think I am almost there though.

I really enjoyed my vacation from work. I stayed up late, slept in, read, watched tv and movies, took naps, shopped, hung out with friends and family, all my favorite things.

I had a real hard time falling asleep Sunday night but managed to get a couple of hours in. I got up way before my alarm clock was set to go off and decided to just get up and start the day. When I got to work, I had a full page note on my desk updating me on what I missed. It took me awhile to get caught up but I was quite happy to see that all the parts we were waiting for before Christmas had finally arrived and we were able to get right to work. It made the day go by fairly quickly. I did end up working an hour and a half later than planned because I discovered that some of the serial numbers that were stamped onto about 10 units were incorrect and I wasn't going to leave until I sorted it out.
I was very tired when I got home and was in bed by 8PM. I slept through the night and felt much better this morning when I got up.

It was a really nice day today and actually reached 60 degrees this afternoon. Amazing! I wish it would stay this warm for the rest of the week but I think we will be lucky to see one more day like this before we go back into the deep freeze. At least there was some serious melting going on outside. I left work a little earlier than I did yesterday and went right to the polls and voted. The place was pretty busy and there was a bit of a line outside the middle school gymnasium but it moved quickly and really didn't take more than 10 minutes. After that I got gas, picked up a prescription and came home. It will be bedtime soon. YAY! LOL

Last Friday I went with my parents to visit an aunt and uncle who live in an assisted living home. I haven't seen them in many years and even though my uncle kept asking who I was (he has Altzheimers) it was a really pleasant afternoon and a very nice visit. I am ashamed to say I had been avoiding going to visit them for a lot of different reasons, but I am now glad I went. They are both in their 80's and will probably not be with us for much longer so I am also going to make a point of going to visit them at least once a month.

Sunday I had dinner with Eric and Jessie and Eric informed me he has applied for a job with the Police Department in the town where he lives. This is something he has always wanted to do and he's decided it's now or never, he's not getting any younger. I am a little nervous about this but he's smart and methodical and I know he will take it very seriously. Of course he still has to interview and go through the police academy, and whatever other screening process, but I am sure he can handle whatever they throw at him.

OK bedtime for me. Hope you are all having a good week so far.

Last Day of 2007

Good Morning! I woke up this morning to the lovely sound of the snowplow shoving snow into my driveway. Will it ever end??? We've already beaten the record of the most snow in December (somewhere around 35 inches, I lost count) and Christmas is over. So, I think we can all start thinking SPRING, right? And if the 5 inches of snow that fell last night isn't enough, we are getting another 6 inches tomorrow night. What a wonderful start to the new year that will be.

It is still snowing lightly out there and the weather dude said it will be stopping shortly so I will get my boots on in a bit and get out there to clean the snow off of my car. Then I will be ready to move it at a moments notice so Billy can plow my driveway. It's already above freezing so maybe the sun will come out and melt some of this. This is the view outside my picture window right beside me this morning.



I also took a couple of shots while standing on my front porch. I will readily admit, it sure is pretty. One is of my front yard and another is looking across the road to my neighbors house. You can just barely see the antenna from my car in the first shot.





I don't have any big New Year's Eve plans for tonight. I really don't like to be out on the roads especially when people have been out drinking and I can't remember the last time I actually went out to a club or to a dress up New Year's Eve party, but it had to be quite awhile ago when my kids were young. I may just stay home and watch a movie tonight. I remember one year I wallpapered my bathroom. LOL How's that for an exciting evening? I can assure you, I won't be doing that tonight.
Tomorrow I will be going to my parents house for dinner. My parents always get a huge spread of Chinese food and have the whole family over. I know my kids won't be there because they will probably be hungover, but that just means more crab rangoon for me. :-)

I may as well lace up my boots and get outside. It's getting pretty bright out there. Maybe the sun will poke through the clouds well before noon.

I want to wish everyone a very Happy and Prosperous 2008.

After Christmas Sales

Just a quick post today. Not much going on but my first week of vacation is over. Wow how the time flew by. One more week to go and I am sure it too will be over before I know it.

I woke up to a little snow on the ground this morning. We only got about an inch or so and it was heavy wet snow. The snow was stuck to the trees and it looked really pretty outside. I should have taken some pics but I was in a bit of a rush so I never thought to grab my camera.

I met Cyndie for coffee and then we hit the after Christmas sales. I managed to get 20 new ornaments for my tree for next year for $5.00 Everything at one store was 70% off and I got wrapping paper and cards at another store for 50% off. I also found some really pretty gold and red ribbon for under a dollar a roll. Now I just hope I remember where I put it when the time comes to wrap and decorate next year.

I wanted to hit the Mall but when we got close to it, the traffic was horrible and it looked like everyone and their brother was going to the same place. We decided to pass and went to Wal-Mart instead. Sara really liked the pajama pants I got her for Christmas so I wanted to pick up another pair for her. It was slim pickings but I managed to find one more pair in her size. I also got a great deal on 12 packs of coke and diet coke, 3 12 packs of 12 oz cans for $8.00. Since I got 3 bottles of Rum for Christmas, I definitely need the coke to go with it.

We also took a ride around Manchester because Cyndie and her husband are looking into buying a house and I wanted to show her a few really nice areas to look at. She hasn't lived in Manchester for long and didn't know these spots even existed and she was really pleased. After an hour or so of riding, I dropped her off at her apartment and stopped at the grocery store for a few things before coming home. It was pretty nice outside today, definitely over 40 degrees, and there was a lot of melting going on. We've got a couple of nuisance storms coming in the next few days so we should be able to pass the snowfall record for December. I think we are only an inch or so shy of doing just that.

I got a gift card for a 6 month subscription for Netflix for Christmas and I was wondering if anyone has ever used this movie service. I've heard all good things about it and it seems pretty easy to use. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with it. I'm going to register in a bit and check it out. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a great Friday evening.

Post Christmas Eggnog

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I certainly did. Christmas Eve was spent with the entire family at my mom and dad's home. It was a fun and crazy evening that lasted longer than usual because everyone had someplace else to go either before or after. We all made our little Christmas Eve side trips around the neighborhood and most of us ended up back at mom and dad's. I grew up in that neighborhood so many years ago and still have friends there. I always make sure I visit a select few that I don't get to see very often.
Back at mom's we play cards, we eat, we laugh and catch up we have to allow my brother to be a "Japanese tourist" and play with his digital camera, we eat some more, and we pick on my other brother, (because we can and it is expected). Eventually we open gifts and someone usually gets a new board or card game that we have to play. The Secret Santa gift exchange was a success so we will do that again next year. By the time we all head home, it is usually midnight. My younger brother takes his kids to Midnight Mass and sometimes I go along with him. This year I passed since I wanted to go Christmas Morning to the church near my home. By the time Sara and I got home, we were about ready for our jammies and bed.

I got up early Christmas Morning and made some coffee, took a shower and started preparations for Christmas dinner. I picked up my friend Theresa and her grand- daughter and we went to Mass. When I got home, Sara was up and had started breakfast. Eric and Jessie arrived, we all ate french toast, bacon, fruit, and opened presents. Eric was extremely happy with the Bruins tickets I got him and I think I shocked Sara with the concert tickets. She was very surprised and thanked me again yesterday. Eric and Jessie had to leave around 4 to have dinner with her family and Sara and I watched a movie until her boyfriend Brad arrived from Massachusetts. We sat down for dinner shortly after that and I then gave Brad his gifts. I don't think he was expecting anything, so he was surprised. I didn't spend much, just a few little things I thought he would like. He was especially happy with the slippers. After I bought them, Sara told me that he asked his mother for some slippers so she had to go on the sly and tell her not to get him any because I already had. He apparently was all bummed out Christmas morning because he didn't get any. LOL

Yesterday I went up North to visit my friend Rose. She looks fantastic, although her hair has grown in all curly and unruly, which normally would bug the hell out of her because she likes everything in it's place. However, since recovering from cancer, those things no longer bother her and she is just happy to be alive and to have hair again. I talk to her every week on the phone, but I don't get to see her as often as I would like so it is such a treat to be able to spend an entire afternoon with her. Her husband, Steve, made sure there was a nice fire in the fireplace since he knows how much I enjoy that, and we talked and talked and talked some more. (That's what we always did best anyway) LOL

I did get some bad news right before Christmas. My little Chihuahua has lost his vision. I had been noticing he wasn't as fast on his feet lately and had started bumping into the table legs and misjudged jumping on the sofa. I took him in to the Vet's office on Monday and she did several tests to see if he had detached retina's, which seem to be in tact. It could be degenerative, or caused by some other health problem. She took a blood sample and tested him for all sorts of things. Last night she called to say she didn't find anything directly related to the vision loss, but he does have a low thyroid level. He was also borderline on the cholesterol. His blood pressure was a little high but she didn't feel that was an accurate reading because he normally is a bundle of energy when he is in the office so she would want to be able to check that again when he is calmer. His blood sugar was fine so no diabetes. I have a couple of options, although I am not sure what I will do at this time. I could go to see an opthamologist and perhaps she could find out the exact cause of his blindness. I say perhaps, because there's a possibility that she won't be able to tell me anything more than what I already know. My Vet feels that his vision is gone...that there isn't anything that can be done to get it back or improve it so surgery isn't really an option. However, this happened pretty fast so I am curious as to why. It is possible she will find something regarding his overall health that we can't see with just bloodwork. He's only 8 years old and would be considered middle aged. So he's got a lot of life yet to live. He gets around pretty well, although I won't be moving any of the furniture any time soon.
I will be taking him back in to see Dr Lesley next week to have some more bloodwork done regarding the thyroid issue. He might need to be on meds to keep that corrected but we will know more about that later.
As for now, I will baby him a bit and maybe put some padding on the table legs. My mom had a cat who was partially blind and she managed quite well for several years. Maybe I should get Hunter a seeing eye cat?? :-)

I have the rest of the week off and all of next week too. Today will be the first day I have nothing planned so I plan on doing nothing. I got some books and movies for Christmas so I will have plenty to keep me entertained.

Oh it is snowing again by the way. Nothing much right now but if we get at least 1 inch of snow, we will pass our record for snowfall in December. How freeking exciting! I was just starting to see the doghouse and the picnic table out back.

I think I will make some coffee and kick back on the sofa with the pooch in my lap. I have several books to choose from and today seems like a good day to get some reading done.

Welcome To My Winter Wonderland

Just a few photos of my back and front yard after the last snowstorm.


The Backyard


There's a picnic table and dog house under all that snow.


The back porch. Good thing I have a dryer to dry my clothes.


Looking out the front window.


Looking out the side window.

More Snow

Ok whoever is paying Mother Nature to play this sick joke on the Northeast...enough!! Knock it off. Winter doesn't officially start until tomorrow and we've just been slammed with another big snowstorm. Another foot of snow has fallen here since 4:00 yesterday afternoon. It is just now showing signs of stopping. That makes over 30 inches of the white stuff on the ground in a week. If this keeps up, I will be spending most of my Christmas bonus on snow plowing.
At least today's storm didn't seem to be as bad as last Thursday's. And I have to admit, it sure is pretty outside. It wasn't as bad driving as it was last week either.
So we got 8-9 inches of snow last Thursday, about 10-12 inches on Sunday and another foot today. Even the snow fell all day today, it was light and powdery most of the time and only did it start getting wet and heavy by mid afternoon when it started warming up. I did a bit of driving in it this afternoon and this evening and as long as you used some caution, it wasn't bad at all. I took the opportunity to finish my shopping this evening, since a lot of people would stay home because of the weather. I'm glad I did, because now I can take care of other things that need my attention this weekend, like wrapping and baking.

We had a little Christmas party at work today and for the most part, we didn't get a whole lot of work done. Some people elected to go out for lunch and some ordered food in, but my department wanted to make stuff and bring it in to share. I made chicken and tuna salad finger sandwiches and my boss Sue made ham salad finger sandwiches. Cyndie made meatballs and Hali made deviled eggs and pasta salad. Then there was the desserts. Brownies, cookies, and a couple of different cakes. Sylvie made peanut butter and chocolate fudge. Bonnie made a rum cake (which was my favorite treat of the day). We exchanged Secret Santa gifts, presented Sue with a basket of gifts and gave Dave his gifts too. I think the snow also helped put everyone in a festive mood. We all had a really good time today and I am very thankful for the group of people I work directly with everyday. It makes going to work a whole lot easier to take.

After work I went to my parents house to drop off some things for my mother, and ended up staying for dinner. I wasn't really hungry but had a little meatloaf and a salad with the family. We also finalized plans for Christmas Eve which will be spent at my folks house with all of the immediate family and a few extras in attendance. After dinner I headed over to Kohl's and finished my shopping. I have set a goal to get everything wrapped tomorrow since I have the time off. No excuses.

I was very happy to see that my driveway had been plowed. I had to shovel where the plow couldn't get and tomorrow I will need to shovel around my mailbox since it is nearly impossible to get close to it now. I am about ready to jump into my jammies and head for the television. It's been a long day and I expect I will be asleep in no time tonight.

Eating Tips for the Christmas Season

Eating Tips for the Christmas Season

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can and quickly. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an "eggnog-aholic" or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it!!!! Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand-alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello???

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa , position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, pumpkin and sweet potato - have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like apple, have two sweet potatoes and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips: Start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO what a ride!"
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! Merry Christmas!! Happy Chanukah!! and lastly Bah Humbug!!

A Winter Parfait

Greetings from snowy and cold New Hampshire. We are under a Major Winter Storm Event or as one of the local weathermen said...A Winter Parfait. Sounds a hell of a lot nicer than it is. I think he's sugarcoating his forecast! LOL
I don't know what time it started snowing but it was coming down pretty hard when I woke up around 6:30. I'd say there is about 2 inches on the ground now and we are expecting anywhere from 5-10 inches here before it changes over to sleet, freezing rain and possibly all rain. Areas north and west of here will be getting a foot of snow or more with this system. I'd rather have all snow than to deal with the ice. But since I am not going anywhere today, I'm just praying the power won't be affected and we can have heat and running water.

I went into work yesterday morning for a few hours to finish up a project that is due on Tuesday. I am anticipating bad road conditions on Monday and I am not sure I will be able to get to work so I decided to get things done and not have to worry about it. It only took me a couple of hours and then I was free to get some errands done. My daughter has been staying with me this weekend (more on that later) and she had expressed a desire to get some shopping done so I came home to pick her up. She was still asleep. I made breakfast, ate, did the dishes, watched some television and finally sent the dog to wake her up. It was after noon...and she was so grouchy. I wish I had just done my thing before coming home, believe me.
We finally got out of here by 2 and we headed out to the seacoast to pick up a gift certificate for my parents at a seafood restaurant they like to go to. I then asked her where she wanted to shop. She said she didn't know what to get the remaining people on her list and she didn't really have any money anyway so I should just go where I needed to go. If I didn't have to have my hands on the steering wheel...they would have been around her throat. I was already a little ticked off at her because she called me Thursday night announcing she was staying the weekend to hang out with me and to clean her room out, only to make plans with her friends an hour after she got here and off she went. She didn't even realize that I had changed my plans so I could spend Friday night with her. She can be very selfish sometimes and that is something that I am constantly reminding her about. Apparently it's not sinking in.

I got as much shopping done as I could and we got home around 4. I had a Christmas Party to get ready for, and she was going to get started on writing a paper to submit with her Grad School application which she has been putting off. I showered and got dressed and headed out.

I wasn't even going to go to this party for a very stupid reason...I hate going to things like this by myself. I have several co workers who were going but they all have spouses and/or escorts and I just didn't want to be sitting with them all as the fifth wheel. They all like to get up and dance and I just feel like someone always sits out because they don't want me to sit by myself. So I had originally passed on the event. But a co worker of mine invited me to go along with her in place of her boyfriend who couldn't make it. She was a bit depressed at the thought of going alone so what the hell...we may as well go together and have a good time. I'm glad I went. It was held at the Raddison which is very chic...and everyone looked so nice. The place was festively decorated and there was Christmas music in the background. I met up with my friends who were already there saving a seat for me and we got drinks and helped ourselves to the appetizers of bacon wrapped scallops, stuffed mushrooms, cheese, fruit and these tasty little buttery crackers. For dinner I had Filet Mignon with garlic red potatoes, and broccolini and there was some kind of chocolate cake for dessert. I only had a bite because I was so full but it tasted delicious. I had already had a couple of drinks at this point and on my way to the bar for another, I ran into some co workers who now work in another building. I don't get to see them often so I went back to their table to visit for a bit and ended up with a drink in my hand and 2 others on the table in front of me. Since it is a shame to waste good liquor, I finished one and then grabbed the other two and made my way back to my original table. By now, the dinner dishes had been cleared and dancing was underway. I was sitting by myself enjoying the rum and people watching when I was approached by some guy I don't know at all and up on the dance floor I went. I am NOT a dancer...I am clumsy and have two left feet, but my partner seemed to be challenged in that area too so it was all good. I later found out his name is Greg and he was a guest of someone who works with me although I don't know who she is either. There are about 800 people who work for my company in 3 different buildings so there are a lot of people I don't know. Anyway we danced a few more times during the course of the evening and it was fun. I hardly saw my other friends the whole night. They were up dancing most of the evening and it was hard to find anyone since there was about 1000 people there. But I wasn't bored and I really had a nice time. I ended up calling it a night around 11 and I came home. I had pretty much sobered up by then so there was no need to worry about driving and certainly no need to avoid the baby gate when I got home. LOL I am rug burn free, Denise...just to let you know.

When I got home, my daughter was no where to be found. LOL Her room still hadn't been cleaned and I doubt she wrote one sentence of her paper. I went to bed and heard her come in around 1am. She's still asleep and I imagine she will be in bed until after noon. She will probably be staying here again tonight since the weather is lousy and she won't want to drive home in this. Maybe she can get that room sorted out today. *insert eyeroll here*

The reason she needs to clean out some of the junk in that room is because she is considering moving back home and her new bed and other things she has in her apartment will no way fit in her room as it is now. I want her to make a few trips to Goodwill and drop off her old clothes and things she no longer uses. I have made room in the spare bedroom for the twin bed that is in her room now and instead of putting my other desk in the spare room I will leave it in the office area so she can use it for her PC. I told her she isn't moving one thing into this house until she cleans her last mess. (Heaven help me)

It's time to refill my coffee cup and make some breakfast. I hope you all are staying warm and enjoying the snow from INSIDE the house.

~L~

A Little Bad Weather

The weather outside is frightful...
To say the least. The trace of snow I heard about last night on the news has turned into about 6 inches of soft powdery snow with more to follow. It started snowing around 1PM. The snow was falling rather lightly but that quickly changed and by 1:30 it was coming down like gangbusters. I had a short meeting with my boss at 2 and once that was over, I cleaned up, shut down my computer and headed home. I don't know if leaving an hour earlier than usual was a good idea but I thought it was at the time. Apparently everyone else did too because traffic was bumper to bumper and it took me 2 hours to get home! Normally a 30 minute trip on a good day and I kid you not, I got home at 4:30. The roads were slick and the plows were out so everyone was going slow which is good mind you, not complaining about that. Better to be safe than sorry. I did have some wonderful Christmas music to entertain me on the ride. (Josh Grobin's new Christmas CD) And I made it home in one piece so I am also happy about that. I was very very happy to see my driveway and I got the car backed into a spot, grabbed my mail and went inside. I stripped off my boots and changed out of my wet jeans, and heated up some leftover chicken pot pie. I'm quite comfortable for now, and I am just hoping the power doesn't go out tonight. It's only 17 degrees outside and I really don't want to try to sleep with no heat tonight.

Today was a very good day otherwise. I got my performance review and did very well. I got a small promotion to Line Co-Ordinator, which also gave me a nice raise, effective on Monday. Today was also the day we got our Christmas cards and gifts from the owners of the company. We all received a fleece blanket that has the company name and logo embroidered on it and a big glossy calendar which features all of the products that we provide to the military. The product my department builds has the centerfold position. Almost as important as being on the cover, I would say! LOL In our Christmas cards there was a nice fat bonus check. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy to see that!! We always get gifts and cards but we don't always get bonuses. I am going to put half of it into the bank and pay off the charges I made on my credit card for Christmas and I am keeping some for myself so I can pick up a few things I may not get for Christmas. The rest is going into my savings account. After buying 500 gallons of heating oil and paying my property taxes, the ole savings account needs a little lift!

Speaking of Christmas, I am almost finished with my shopping. I got a lot done earlier this week by going right after work on Monday and Tuesday. I just have to pick up a gift certificate for my parents at their favorite restaurant and I still need to get something for Jessie. I'm still undecided about that. I guess I am going to just have to do some shopping and hope that something jumps out at me. I am running out of time, so I will force myself to get it done on Saturday. I think I'll hit Kohl's and pray. :-) I also have to get a little something for my Secret Santa gift for work. I was lucky enough to get Cyndie's name and I know just the place to shop for her. It will require another trip to the Mall (ugh) but if I go Monday after work, it won't be crowded. She loves to cook and bake and she loves all kinds of kitchen gadgets so I know I can't miss if I go to the Kitchen Store.

I know I promised pictures and I did take some but I didn't like them so I am now charging my camera and I will take some more. Will post them as soon as I can.

I think I'd best jump in the shower while I still have electricity. (We folks who live in the boonies need electricity to pump the water from our wells to the water tanks, I think we covered this before but some may need a refresher.)
I hope you are all staying warm and dry. I also hope Styxie gets her wish and the foot of snow I am rerouting to her this weekend. :-)

Merry Christmas

Let's all believe that reindeer fly,
That santa will be stopping by,
That hope and peace and Christmas cheer,
Will last throughout the coming year.
Merry Christmas!!!!!!


Happy Holidays to all my nutty friends.

Busy Busy Weekend

I've been busy since the minute I woke up this morning and still have a lot to do but I needed a break and here I am. I decided to sleep in this morning since I had a long week and had to work yesterday on my off Friday. Not complaining one bit.
I am so grateful that the extra work has come finally and it's come at a good time too, when everyone really needs some extra money.
I was supposed to work all day yesterday but I had a dentist appointment at noon. I was going to go back to work after my appointment but my supervisor was sending everyone home at 1:30 anyway so she told me not to bother. My appointment went fairly well. I have to get a filling replaced in a couple of weeks but everything else looked good. After that I stopped by my parents house but no one was home. I stayed about a half hour then decided to just leave a note and continued on with my errands. I had to go to the bank and then it was off to the post office to mail a package and pick up some Christmas stamps. I got home around 3pm and had just kicked off my shoes when my son called inviting me to his apartment for dinner. It sounded good to me so I jumped in the shower, took care of the dog and headed over there. It's about a 45 minute drive from my house but I took the back roads to avoid the rush hour traffic. That makes it more like an hours drive but I didn't mind because it was getting dark by then and it was nice driving through all the small towns from my house to his and seeing all the Christmas lights and decorations along the way.
Jessie made a southwestern chicken dish with rice and corn and beans. It was pretty good.
After dinner we watched Flags of Our Fathers, a movie about the guys who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. I really enjoyed the movie even though I don't really care for war movies. This movie held a particular interest, however, because Rene Gagnon, one of the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima is a cousin of my ex husband's. He was considered a hero at the end of WWII but died a very bitter and sad man. As often happens, the horrors of war are deeply embedded in a soldiers psyche and they have a real hard time accepting and dealing with the death and carnage that they have been exposed to. The photo taken of that historic event made these men heroes and the government promised them a lot of things besides medals and parades, like jobs and celebrity, all of which never materialized in Rene Gagnon's case. He worked at the Chicopee Mill in Manchester New Hampshire after his discharge from the Marine Corps and held a lot of odd jobs. He died a very unhappy man with an alcohol problem.
I left Eric and Jessie's around 10 pm and it was lightly snowing. I took the back roads home again and took my time since it was a little slick in some spots. By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed.

Today was also a busy day. I picked up some groceries first thing this morning and then came home to clean and decorate. I've been at it most of the day. I start to clean one area and then find another spot that needs cleaning, the next thing I know I have several areas partially straightened up but more of a mess than when I started. The tree is pretty much all decorated now. I can't find my porcelain angel that goes on top of my tree so I'll have to keep hunting for it. I am sure I put it someplace where it wouldn't get broken. I just have to remember where.
I've dusted and rearranged my entertainment center so I have my Christmas snow globes and shelf sitters out. I also had to find a place to display my newest snow globe that has blowing styrofoam snow inside it and a working ferris wheel. I decided to put that front and center of my coffee table. I've got a string of lights that I want to put up around the archway that separates my living room from my office area. I also brought out a new fleece blanket with a winter scene on it for the sofa. The dog usually ends up dragging that off of the back of the couch and he crawls under it when I am not at home so I picked one that won't show his white fur so much. (I'm catching on.)
I've wrapped a few gifts and set them under the tree. I wrote out some Christmas cards and got them ready for the mail on Monday. I also wrapped a gift for my friend Anne who lives in Spain so I can get that mailed on Monday too. I received a gift from her earlier in the week and that is also sitting under the tree.
I've got some mac and cheese in the oven now (yes home made not the Kraft stuff) and I am going to finish up here so I can eat when it is ready.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. I will be taking some pics tonight to post at a later date.
Oh and by the way, it got quite warm here today, 40 degrees or so. Not too bad since we barely made it to the 20's most of the week. But I suspect the cold air will be back soon and the weatherman is predicting snow, sleet and freezing rain Sunday and/or Monday. UGH

Winter Has Arrived

Snow Snow Go Away
Go to Styxie everyday!

I woke up this morning to about 4 inches of snow on the ground. I made it to work today only 15 minutes late. Not bad since it normally takes me 30 minutes to get to work on a good day and the roads hadn't even been plowed when I left this morning. I drove about 25 MPH and had to ride in the tracks of the car that went before me, otherwise I would feel my car trying to go off the road and into the ditch. The snow was coming down pretty hard this morning and I couldn't see the lines designating which lane I was supposed to be in. Luckily, there was very little traffic on the road at 4:30 am. I was very surprised that my road had not been plowed but even more surprised that the highway hadn't been touched for 6 miles. Talk about slow going. Once I hit Candia, which is the next exit west of where I live, both sides of the highway had been plowed and it made for a much easier ride. I still went very slow but at least I could see the lines on the roadway and was in no danger of veering off into another lane.

It's been snowing all day but I think we got the bulk of the accumulation during the night. Most of what has fallen during the day has been very light and I would guess only accumulated another inch or so. The roads this evening weren't too bad, much easier traveling than this morning, and I made it home in one piece. My new plow guy was just finishing the driveway when I pulled up. He said he wanted to make sure I could get in and at least park my car when I got home. Very considerate.
I shoveled the steps and in front of my mailbox, and I am in for the night. I will admit...it does look very pretty with the freshly fallen snow all over the place, especially on the tall pine trees that are all over the place here. I will try to get some picks tomorrow. It's already dark out there now.

Several people didn't show up for work today but surprisingly everyone in my department made it in. It always amazes me how so many people who live right there in town can't make it to work on a snowy day but people like me who live 22 miles away or more, make it in. And some of these people have 4 wheel drive vehicles too. I've lived in New Hampshire all my life. Driving in the snow doesn't frighten me at all...been doing it all my life.

I had a bit of bad news this morning when I got to work. One of our junior engineers was killed in a single car accident on Friday evening while he was on his way home from work. I didn't know Jordan personally but I knew of him. He always had a smile on his face. He was only 23 years old. My prayers go out to his family. It's all so very sad.

The next time I go to the doctors office, Denise, I will ask if the good doctor is single. He's Vietnamese and kind of on the small side but I would be willing to overlook that if he would give me free medical checkups. We may as well be dating, I see him enough. LOL

It's time to have some dinner and then jump in the shower. Hope you are all having a good day today. :-)