Nope. Sorry. You're not going to find any resolutions here. First of all, I think making resolutions on one particular day of the year is probably a waste of time. I mean...come on....chances are you're hungover or at least very tired from staying up late, you're all bloated from grazing on not-good-for-you food until the wee hours of the morning, and you're probably generally in one of your worst moods of the year because the neighbor's dog, your kid(s) or a combination of these woke you up before 8:00 a.m.

So....why the hell would anyone pick a day like January 1st to make a list of all the things they hope to accomplish in the coming year? You're grouchy, tired, and generally not a very nice person to be around so clearly you're not thinking straight...yet you choose to make a comprehensive list of goals for the year? And THEN....you actually SHARE this list of goals with anyone who will listen?

What are ya? Nuts?

Uh uh...no sir...no way...not me.....ever. No resolutions or goals for me. I strongly feel that if you live your life the way you're supposed to live it and try to be a good parent and treat people the way they ought to be treated you shouldn't feel the need to take part in such a ridiculous exercise.

On the other hand...I'm not you or your spouse or your kids or your relatives who you think should have some plan to make themselves better. If resolutions work for you, that's great. I don't see how they would work, but if they do then good for you.

In short...don't do resolutions...never have...never will....don't understand why people do...but if they work for you that's cool.

Anyway, happy new year. Tommy comes back in the morning so there will be the eating of beer salami and pistachios and ham and the watching of football and the drinking of beer and probably a lot of napping.

Hope your day tomorrow is just as relaxing.

Cheers,

Peaches

Scytheboy and I returned from Wisconsin this morning, after being stuck overnight in the Cincinnati airport flying standby. It wasn't so bad, really. We just stayed at a nearby Marriott and ordered in some Chinese food, and then turned around this morning and made it on the first flight back to Dallas by the skin of our teeth. They were actually counting children and bags to get some slack so they could give us that last extra seat.

Not that she'll ever read this, but our thanks go out to our gate agent who went far above and beyond to get us on that plane. She is truly a New Years Angel to us.

I won't talk much about the trip but to list a few things that stand out:

1. It totally sucked having to get up at 4 a.m. to catch that early flight out of Dallas on Monday

2. But it was worth it...even the running through the airport to barely make our connecting flight - because I was able to make a lunch my mother had put together at which all of my siblings, their spouses and kids were present as well as favorite cousins and aunt and uncle...SO worth it

3. It sucked that Tommy wasn't there

4. While at the lunch, I was so exhausted and hungry from the flight I was really out of it...and you can tell from the pictures just how bad off I was...but again...worth it

5. I had forgotten that in my family it's perfectly acceptable to hit the hard stuff at noon if it's a special occasion...yup, had my fair share of rum and coke (shut up I wasn't driving so I could drink all I want)

6. I stayed with my younger sister, husband, and their 2 year old

7. The 2 year old is damn cute

8. We taught him how to say Guinness...among other things

9. Our second day there, many of us met at my older sister's place for pizza at lunch

10. That time, we broke out the booze at 11:30

11. I was drunk by one

12. It was cool

13. My brother in law makes kick-ass onion rings

14. There was a lot of snow on the ground, but none on the street and the snow was melting

15. We had a 2 hour drive to the airport on Thursday, followed by a flight we barely made it on (again...counted bags and babies to get us on)

16. Then we waited...and waited...and waited....until the last plane to Dallas took off

17. It's not so bad getting lots of rest during the trip back at a decent hotel and ordering in...really it's not

18. I worried about the cat the whole time we were gone...he was alone for almost 5 days

19. The cat is OK....he just threw up a few times on the carpet due to gluttony from all the food we left out

20. It's good to be home

21. But I wouldn't have missed that trip for the WORLD - even with the travel troubles flying standby over the holiday - my mother had all of her kids and grandkids in the same place at the same time for the first time (yes, captured on film - no, you can't see the pics)

That is all.

Mr. Average is off to South America for back to back trips over the next week. So Scytheboy and I have decided to attempt a trek to the great white north to see my side of the family (most of them anyway).

We leave really, really early in the morning (if we get on that first flight) and we should be in Wisconsin before lunch if all goes well.

We're staying with my sister who is on dial-up. So chances are I will not be able to post while we're away. So I hope while we're gone that everyone has a very happy holiday.

With any luck we will be able to make it home before the new year and I can check in with all my blog friends to see how their holidays are going.

In the mean time, be safe and take care, everyone!

You get one of these for Christmas. And you think it's one of the most romantic things he's ever given you.

He's already reaped the rewards. I made a pumpkin pie with it today. It IS a really cool mixer. Note to guys: anything you give the wife that makes her work lighter is a GOOD thing.

P.S. I promise, I wasn't cheating. In our house we all get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Tommy opened this.

And Scytheboy opened this.

The rest will remain a mystery until tomorrow.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

So said Peaches on the topic of "Just So You Know"
Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

I don't have a post for today (per se) so I thought I'd provide some useless ramblings for your entertainment. Here goes:

1. I've had a headache for four days. It's one of those that hangs out behind your eyes, roaming from behind one eye to the other or camping out between them. What a nice holiday treat.

2. I made the mistake of waiting too long to take Excedrin when this headache first started. I knew I was in trouble when I finally caved and took it...and it did absolutely nothing to dull the pain.

3. In case you're interested, it's behind my right eye now. I took two Excedrin and two Advil about a half hour ago. And now I can actually sit in front of the computer and look at the screen without cringing in pain...so I guess that's something.

4. I had my eyebrows waxed yesterday....FYI, don't do that when you have a headache. It doesn't help.

5. I cleaned the house today, because I figured I already had the headache - surely a little dust couldn't make it any worse - WRONG!!.

6. I tried drinking four rum and cokes last night to dull the pain...didn't work but my face got kinda numb and I was in a good mood so it was an improvement.

7. The headache was still there after I got back from the gym yesterday and today. Didn't make it any worse, but didn't make it any better.

8. Today at lunch, I was convinced the cause of the headache was withdrawal pangs from McDonald's. The no. 1 value meal didn't help, but it sure was tasty.

9. Scytheboy's a sweetie when I have a headache. He mixes me drinks and puts his hand on my forehead whenever I want. Nothing like a son's comfort when you're a sick mom.

10. I think the cause of the headache is allergies from the Christmas tree. But I like a real tree. I refuse to cave. No artificial trees at the Average household.

11. The cat keeps drinking water out out of the Christmas tree stand and the pine needles on the low branches have rubbed bald spots on his ears. Stubborn cat.

12. Tommy will be home less than a day over Christmas. He leaves Christmas morning to go back to work. He has back to back trips to South America the week between Christmas and New Year's. He gets home New Year's day.

13. It goes without saying that Tommy's December schedule sucks.

14. Scytheboy and I are attempting free flights to Wisconsin the day after Christmas to see my side of the family. It will be the first time in MANY years that myself, my two sisters and my brother will be in the same state with our children.

15. Wish us luck on getting seats.

16. The headache is now down to a dull roar.

17. That is good.

18. I've become hooked on Deal or No Deal. Why?

19. Scytheboy and I are going to watch The Brothers Grimm tonight in Tommy's man room upstairs.

20. Don't tell him.

The following conversation took place just moments ago in the Average household:

Me: "You need to look in your drawer and find the mate to this sock."

Scytheboy: "Bow chick-a-bow-wow!"

Me: "What?!"

I'm convinced this has something to do with his and his father's fascination with Angelina Jolie. His dad would be SO proud.

I am surrounded by testosterone. Even the cat (used to be) male.

Help.

Scytheboy got out of school for Christmas Break (they call it Winter Break...but we all know what it is) yesterday. So of course he had a friend sleep over. Yes, they were up late and yes, they were both ready to end the sleepover today as they started it at 12:30 yesterday. There is such a thing as too much togetherness, I think...

Anyway, the request he and his friend made this morning for breakfast was homemade popovers. This is a super-easy recipe I got at school back when I was in home-ec in 7th grade (yes, they still had home-ec when I went to middle school...shut up).

So here's the recipe. This makes 12 but you can double to make 24 if you have a big crowd. They take less than five min. to mix and much longer to bake. The waiting's the hardest part.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 eggs 1 cup milk

Sift the flour and salt together into a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared muffin tins (about 2/3 full).

Bake in 425 degree oven for fifteen minutes (this is the part where they "popover" and get golden brown). Then reduce heat to 325 and bake for another 25 minutes.

These are excellent with butter and honey. Enjoy!

I try not to post about politics unless I have something I think is useful to read. I've been on a few other sites where this subject has been discussed lately, and I've found that there are a lot of really angry, bitter people out there who are having a hard time directing that anger toward something useful.

You can read some comments from these people here. As I said on Jack's site, I completely understand why some on the left who don't believe in the current war and don't back the current administration are angry. I understand that anger because I've felt it too in past years.

However, the point should be made that standing around berating the president and his policies with personal attacks is not all that productive. In fact, it is a very real possibility when these comments are made in a public forum, verbally or written, the enemy will use them to gain new recruits and drum up support for their cause. I understand people feel like they are just exercising their constitutional right to dissent, but screaming their dislike for what's going on will not change who we have as President or the fact that we are currently at war.

In deference to our troops, instead of spewing out all that hatred and frustration, would it not be better to use all that energy to actually work toward a change? Why not volunteer for the candidate of their choice in the 2006 elections and try and make a change in numbers at Congress? Join a grass roots campaign and make sure your message gets out there in a classy way, talking to the democratic base and making sure they realize how important you think it is to see a change in Washington?

Let me be clear...I think it's everyone's right to speak out when they don't agree with what's going on in Washington. However, we need to be sure that we do it in a way that is productive and does not effect how our troops can do their job and makes the problem worse. That is all I was saying at Jack's site. I don't think those that don't agree with Bush should just "shut up and take it". I think they should stop whining and if they really care about what's going on and would like to see a change they should do something useful to help make that change happen.

As a side note...while we were in the airport last October waiting to fly to Dublin, we were immersed in a sea of Army personnel waiting on their charter to Iraq. The CNN airport news channel ran a story about some protester (can't remember which or what group). What I do remember is the reactions of the soldiers...they ranged from downcast faces and hunched shoulders to people shaking their heads in disbelief to jaws clenched in outright anger. Remember...the troops can see and hear you when the news covers this....and so can the enemy.

It is my sincere hope that those that still hold onto their bitterness and anger with such fervor can turn that energy toward actions they can take that might actually make a difference.

Man, leave it to California. We all know there are a lot of weird things going on out their with their legal system. We've all heard stories about their judges legislating from the bench to promote a certain agenda so we won't talk about that. It's been done.

And I'm sure this has been done too, but I really can't believe that California passed state legislation in 2001 that allows certain undocumented immigrants to pay the same charges for college as other California students. This, while the state has been charging out of state, LEGAL U.S. CITIZENS a much higher tuition to attend the same schools. You can read all about it here in case you haven't seen the news.

While I do believe that kids should not have to pay for the "sins of their fathers", as adults past the age of 18 I think they absolutely must take responsibility for themselves. By this, I mean if you want to attend a college in the U.S......THEN BECOME A NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN!!!! There is a process they can go through to get this done. Especially with Mexicans, I think the rules are quite lenient (especially in California) for being allowed to stay here and work and go to school or whatever while you go through the process. I am not a lawyer and I don't claim to be....but it's just ridiculous how after being in the country a number of years as an illegal, taking advantage of all that America has to offer, these people continue to ride the system instead of just playing by the rules like all LEGAL citizens have to.

While this legislation leans toward playing nice with California's immigrant population, it is estimated that this courtesy toward illegals could potentially cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars, according to Redwood City attorney Michael J. Brady.

I know, America's a melting pot, everyone deserves a fair shake and all that. But come on, people. If they're smart enough to get into college, they're smart enough to figure out how to become a U.S. Citizen. While they may live in the state, unless they're a legal citizen I don't think they should be allowed to take advantage of advanced public education without paying some sort of penalties for not being legal.

On the other hand, I absolutely don't think the out of state students should be given in-state tuition rates. Although the law is not fair to them, we have to be reasonable about this. The legislators need to go back, fix the law, and charge the illegals for all the back tuition they should owe the school for being NOT a legal citizen of the state when they registered for classes.

Thoughts?

This poem was written by an unknown Marine in Okinawa, Japan some years back. Although many will post it this season I am sure, I feel it is more than worth the space on this page and the time it will take you to read it.

A Soldier's Poem

'Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the mantle, just boots filled with sand,
on the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
a sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,
I found the house of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
curled upon the floor in this one bedroom home.
The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families I saw on this night,
owed their lives to these soldiers, who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it, I started to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still
And we both shivered from the cold night's chill.

I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark night
This Guardian of Honor so willing to fight.
The soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,
whispered, "Carry on, Santa,
It's Christmas Day, All is secure."

One look at my watch and I knew he was right
Merry Christmas, my friend, and to all a Good Night!

Please take a moment to send out good vibes to those lonely souls keeping watch over our freedom in distant lands.

My thoughts are with them and their families as they remain apart this Christmas.

Peace,

Peaches

A few years ago Tommy built this whole bar/media room/pool table/foose ball table setup in the house. I was excited because I remembered having been a pretty good pool player at some point in the distant past. So I was looking forward to renewing my talent for the game.

I've been thinking for the past few years that all I needed to do was practice more...then I'd be good again. I was just a little rusty. Following is the thought process I've been through on this subject:

"I just need to practice more. I'll practice more."

So I practiced more and I still wasn't any better.

"Ya know, I used to drink more while I played. I'll drink more while I play, and then I'll be good again."

No suck luck.

"If I use a different cue, that will work. Must be the cue."

No dice.

We just recently started playing pool again in the house, now that the weather has turned cold and Tommy has all his wiring figured out in the media room. Last night, Tommy even gave me a refresher course on how to hold the cue and where to place it in my hand, etc. I thought that would do the trick....but I tried all that last night and I was still horrible. I figured it was because I'd just changed everything around and it would just take time.

So tonight we were playing, and here is what it was:

"It's the damn cue again. I'll take Tommy's cue. Must be the cue."

Um.......no.

"Maybe more wine?"

Wrong again.

"I know what's wrong...I didn't have chocolate with the wine. I'll eat some chocolate, then have more wine. That should do the trick."

Yeah, right.

"I'm wearing these big-ass slippers so I can't get a good stance. I'll just take the slippers off. That will work, right?"

No it won't.

After my third loss tonight, I'm finally convinced. I...CANNOT...PLAY....POOL.

Oh, well. I'll go drink some more wine and maybe that will take the sting out of this revelation.

Goodnight.

I know I've posted this under "Whining". But before I start let me make it clear...I am NOT whining about having gone to Scytheboy's first band concert or about how well he did. I wanted to go, would go again, and will go to all his concerts. That's what good parents do.

And...can I just say that Scytheboy is a rock star? He and his fellow sax players did an outstanding job harmonizing when they played "Angels We Have Heard on High". IMO, the sax section ruled the day last night. However I must say that all the 6th graders did an outstanding job in the 45 minute program, each section highlighted with their own song. They had a couple of group songs as well. They had only ever played together as an entire group once before last night and it was surprising how well they played given that they only picked up their instruments for the first time in August.

Anyway...back to me. Because this blog is about ME. We were sitting there, and then of course a family with one six year old who stomped up and down the stairs constantly while we were trying to take pictures sits directly behind us. Included in the group was a three year old boy. This boy found it absolutely necessary to continually kick me throughout the program and also mess with my hair and slap me on the shoulder a few times. Although the parents kept telling him to stop, there were no consequences so he continued and laughed about it. He also talked through the entire performance and many people around the family kept saying "shhh" to this boy.

WTF? Why the hell didn't they just take the kid out of there? Talk about a complete and total lack of consideration for others. Every time he kicked me I looked back. So much so that now my neck hurts on that side. The parents knew what their kid was doing, knew he wouldn't stop, yet allowed him to remain at the event harassing others (namely me) throughout the whole concert and making noise so as to ruin the professional recording they were doing that was to be put up for sale after the event.

Some people should just not be allowed to be parents. Especially the parents of that poorly behaved and loud three year old. I mean, seriously.....

Okay, I admit it. I'm blogging because I feel like bitching. Deal with it.

I've been noticing lately while watching David Letterman that his production staff has chosen to move like almost every single commercial until the end of the show...before the last guest. This means that one has to wait through 10-17 minutes of commercials (with stupid, boring 20 second spots with audience shots thrown in here and there) before they can watch the last guest.

Ya know...sometimes that last guest is the best part of the show. Like a musical guest that you really want to listen to. Like Shakira, for example. I know, a lot of women hate her because of all that weird stuff she does with her chest and other parts of her anatomy. But I find it strangely intriguing. And I really, really like her Spanish music. I was hoping she'd sing one of those. But I was so pissed after waiting through almost 15 minutes of commercials that I was finally so disgusted I felt that writing this post was a better use of my time.

I think all those commercials at the end of the show do a disservice to that last guest, but also to the viewing audience who has in many cases been anticipating that last guest only to be disappointed and disgusted by all the seemingly endless commercials at the end of the show.

In summary...like David Letterman, usually like his last guests, but hate waiting through all the commercials at the end of the show, so much so that I usually miss the last guest. And then I am not only disgusted but disappointed as well. Like right now.

That is all.

I'm only doing this because Paula made me. I mean, seriously...who wants people to know five weird things about themselves? But I know the rules are now I have to play, so here are five things about me that are slightly on the weird side:

1. I have a very narrow tolerance with regard to the temperature range in the house. It cannot be cooler than 73 degrees nor warmer than 75. Tommy says it's a ridiculously small window...I say it's two whole degrees. Who can't work with that? Geez.

2. I can't stand clutter or messes so I keep the house picked up and clean. I've gotten such a rep among the family that when I go visit them they clean "extra special" just for me before I arrive. I don't think cleaning someone's microwave while I was visiting a few years ago should warrant such a response, do you?

3. I like even numbers. I don't like odd numbers. My son tortures me regarding this weirdness by asking for odd numbers of things to eat (three slices of cheese, 11 pizza rolls, etc.). He is evil.

4. If given the choice I would sleep 12 hours a day. I love to sleep...a lot...and often. I've been known to take three naps on a Sunday.

5. If I have something I have to do...it gets done RIGHT THEN. I mean, like immediately. Or I can't sit still. If I'm forced to put something off, then everyone around me suffers from my freaking out about it not getting done. Yet I'm married to an expert procrastinator. How weird is that?

So now I'm supposed to tag five people that must also take part in this craziness. The following five must now tell us five things on the weird side about themselves:

Jack
Sugar Mommy
Cybervassals
honestyrain
Janet

Well it appears the Do Not Call Registry actually has a purpose. They received enough complaints from people who were called by telemarketing firms on behalf of Direct TV for the FCC to take action. Now, Direct TV will have to pay a fine of $5.3 million dollars for calls made on its behalf to numbers on the registry. Apparently, six telemarketing firms were involved.

You know, I really don't mind direct mail. And by now you all know I do detest advertising items to be left near, slipped into the frame of, or taped to, my front door.

I will say that I know being a telemarketer is a thankless job and it is probably one of the least rewarding professions out there. And if that's what people have to do to put food on the table, I commend them for sticking with it and doing their job as required.

But telemarketers are the absolute worst. I hate to shop to begin with, and I really would rather not have sales people dog my every step when I'm in a store looking for something. But when these people call you unsolicited at all hours of the day and night, either waking you up in the morning, interrupting dinner, waking the kid up after his bedtime, etc.....it's just aggravating.

We signed up all our numbers to National Do Not call Registry. And whenever we get called, we have caller ID so we don't pick up the phone...but we report each and every call via the Do Not Call website. If everyone would do this, then more companies like Direct TV would finally have to pay the price for being so annoying.

Unless you LIKE getting all those calls.....

I'd have to say this is pretty accurate, in more ways than one. Good thing I live in a "red" state, right? And I definitely have opinions on things, one way or the other. H/T to Paula for this.

Your Blog Should Be Red

Your blog is full of intensity and passion. You are very opinionated - and people love or hate you for it. You have the potential to be both a famous and infamous blogger.

I finally got to have my permanent on-lays (a step below crowns) installed in two teeth today. After last week's debacle, I was quite nervous to go in for my appointment today. In fact, I called yesterday to be sure the appliances were in.

They were in. The dentist numbed me up just fine. But here's the part I don't like. Apparently, I grind my teeth when I sleep. I grind them so much that I loosened the fillings that I had replaced and I had actually cracked one of the teeth that finally got its permanent solution installed today. So....to avoid further dental work I had to get a night guard (bite plate so I don't ruin my teeth when I grind).

I knew I had to get a night guard...so I tried an OTC one that you're supposed to be able to heat up and then mold it to your teeth. I tried it....by the second night I started experiencing jaw pain. I figured I probably didn't want to cause myself to pick up another dental problem (TMJ) that's much more severe than getting fillings replaced constantly from griding....so I had to suck it up and get the $500 custom night guard which our dental plan doesn't cover.

The night guard comes in next week. With that, hopefully I won't have to get any more damn fillings replaced. I said it before and I'll say it again...I...HATE....THE.....DENTIST.

That is all.

Have you guys been having the same problem I've been having? For some reason, I've been having a hard time finding stuff to post about. So I thought I'd at least put down something useful. I took a pepper steak recipe from a low fat cookbook and modified it so it's actually pretty good. Here we go...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips (set aside in large zip loc bag)
2 medium green bell peppers, sliced thinly (any color will do...but green tastes better)
1 1/2 medium onions, sliced
1-2 teaspoons FRESH garlic, minced
Flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Lots of salt and pepper (to taste)
Olive Oil
Worcestershire sauce

Here's how you do it:

First - and this is key...cut up everything first. Trust me on this.

Sautee' the peppers in olive oil with salt and pepper for about five minutes. Remove peppers from pan. Add onions and garlic to the pan, salt and pepper, and sautee' until they are soft. While this is happening (I usually have my son stir at this point), add flour to the zip loc bag filled with meat and toss until coated. When coated, add the meat to the pan and stir until browned on all sides (you might need to add more oil to the pan at this point...and salt and pepper the meat while it's browning).

Note: For those of you like me that are gravy-phobic, what you are doing now is making a rue for gravy...you just don't know it. Never mind...moving right along...

Once the meat is browned, add the beef broth, water, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper again. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pan. Simmer for 35 minutes. Then add the peppers back to the pan, stir, cover, and continue simmering for 10 more minutes.

Note: If you are cooking bread (we do the Pillsbury French Loaf with this) you might want to preheat your oven now.

After simmering, add the cherry tomatoes , salt and pepper them, and pour in Worcestershire sause to taste (we use quite a bit), recover pan and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Now is when you should put the bread in the oven and set your noodles to boil....we use those No Yolks egg noodles but other stuff works too.

After 20 minutes, serve your pepper steak over the cooked noodles in pasta bowls with whatever type of bread you prefer.

I hope this was clear enough. It's really not all that hard, just very time consuming and there is a lot of cutting stuff up which you can do before hand as I always do.

Enjoy!

OK, OK, you've all heard me gripe about going to the grocery store, from people balancing their check books while you wait to people standing in the aisles to people talking loudly on their cell phones while the clerk's trying to ring them up, etc., etc.

So anyway...I'm sure you all are sick of hearing about my weekly trips to the store. But I thought it was worth one more post. Because I have yet to mention how the timing of your grocery store visit is key. So here's a handy-dandy checklist of items you should consider before deciding which day you will go out for supplies:

- Do you have a lot of time? Because if you go when the seniors do you will need to factor in about 20-30 minutes of waiting for them to move through the aisles and waiting for them to write checks slowly and balance their check books before handing said checks to the clerk.

- Again on time....if you go during in the daytime during the week, consider this is when the slowest checkers work. And I mean S-L-O-W.

- Another day time thing...get ready for crying babies and women talking loudly to each other and on their cell phones while said babies cry and toddlers whine. It's a given. I can't say I blame them for some of this...I mean they have to shop some time, right? And they care for their kids so they have to go...but do they all have to be so damn loud?

- Do you mind bagging your own groceries? If you go during the week, chances are you will need to bag your own groceries as they are usually short on baggers. At least at my store they are.

- How are you with a crowded store? If you go on the weekend or any time past 4:00 p.m. during the week, chances are the store will be quite crowded.

- However, if you go when it's crowded chances are they will have their super-fast baggers and checkers there so overall you will be in the store for less time. Something to consider.

So, for me...this is what I've decided. I really can't stand waiting for checks to be written or people to move or loud people or crying, whining, screaming children or slow checkers or bagging my own groceries. I can deal with a crowd if they'll check me out quickly and bag my groceries and generally leave me alone. So my new grocery day is Sunday morning when all the fast checkers are there and they have a full bagging staff and just before the church crowd gets there.

How about you? Do you really care either way, or are there certain things you try to avoid and time your food shopping accordingly? Do tell.

We all know that Kagnazsty's taken on a new look for the season. I walked into the kitchen last night, and apparently Chocolate Chip decided to play as well.

Well, at least now we know where Scytheboy's hat is.

Don't forget to go visit the Friday Ark.

So said Peaches on the topic of "Chocolate Chip"
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I know I tend to gripe a lot about customer service...but this time the owner of the establishment was actually in my corner.

Let me explain...

Day before yesterday they predicted it would begin sleeting with freezing temperatures in Dallas some time early in the day (like before noon) and in the northern sections of the metroplex the roads were predicted to be quite hazardous.

Well....I had a dentist appointment scheduled at 10:30 in the morning to get my permanent on-lays (step below crowns) put in to replace the temp fillings I've been saddled with the past month. And...can I just say...it sucks having to chew on one side of your mouth for Thanksgiving dinner?

Anyway, I digress. As stated, my appointment was for 10:30. They called at 8:50 to ask me if I could come in "as soon as possible" as they were going to close the office early since most of the girls lived north of Dallas and were afraid of icing on the overpasses.

OK...fine...I hauled my ass out of bed, took a 10 minute shower, barely dried my hair, scarfed breakfast, put on a wrinkled sweatshirt and headed off to the dentist office with damp hair and no makeup on.

So...I get there...wait 20 minutes...they put me in the room...start the anbesol numbing thing prior to Novocaine....and the dentist asks where my stuff is.

Guess what? The stuff's not there. The assistant knew the stuff wasn't there and would NOT BE THERE and didn't bother to tell the office manager before she called me to rush in early so they could do the work.

Well...I was pissed. I told them it wouldn't have been so bad if they had called to wake me up so they could tell me my stuff wasn't ready so they had to reschedule. And they understood that and the dentist was pissed and called the lady at the lab to gripe her out while I was standing there. Turns out the lady at the lab didn't want her delivery people (her daughters) driving in the icy conditions (yeah, right....can I just ay it was NOT icy at that point?)...and....one of the things wasn't even ready. So icy streets or not they could not have done my appointment anyway.

So...we get done rescheduling the appointment about 40 minutes after my quick arrival...and....one of the daughters who "would not be allowed to drive due to the icy roads"...shows up...as I was walking out...to pick up MORE WORK!!

Of course, the office manager was mortified and said, "Oh, my God!" Turned bright red, apologized to me, and escaped to the dentist's office to speak behind closed doors.

What a cluster. I'm stuck with temp fillings until Tuesday, the dentist and his office manager are duly embarrassed, the assistant who neglected to tell the office manager my stuff was NOT going to be there will more than likely be fired.....and I'm sure other work set to be done that day was canceled due to no deliveries from that "lab".

Turns out this is a lady who does this mold stuff from a converted old house, has all family working for her, and is basically a sole proprietor contractor. But...apparently she does the best work in town...and knows it. Because she was late with the last pieces they had to install in my mouth too. But that day I waited while they "rushed" it to the office.

Anyway...when Tommy and I got back from errands yesterday (due to having time since I did not get drilled) there was a message on the machine saying they were going to give me a $50 discount on the work when I come in next week. So at least there's that.

In summary...was supposed to get drilled on and get permanent stuff...was awakened by dentist and rushed my ass in to get drilled early but didn't get drilled ..was pissed (still am pissed)....still have temp fillings and thus still have to chew only on one side which is a pain in the ass....have to set aside ANOTHER morning next week to go get drilled....but at least they're paying me $50 for the inconvenience.

'Kay? Kay.

We were getting ready to put Scytheboy up for the night, and what flashes across the T.V. screen? His school district has announced it will be CLOSED tomorrow!

Okay, I just don't understand it. I grew up in Wisconsin, and spent five years in Utah through some pretty harsh winters later...why the hell do they have to close all the schools just because of a little sleet? If you have front wheel drive, you can make it there and back just fine.

Having said that...no matter WHERE you live, we all know that first bad winter storm brings out the worst in drivers. Nobody can remember how to drive on slick roads....the idiots in pricey SUV's and Lexi (Lexuses...I'm not sure) all drive at the normal speed and then are surprised when they hit a patch of black ice, slide all over the road, and cause four and five car pile-ups.

If people would just slow down, observe common sense rules for driving on slick roads, and keep their cools it would all be OK. But they don't. So on second glance, maybe it's better we're not having to drive him to school tomorrow. And on the bright side....Tommy doesn't have a trip so we can all sleep late.

But...seriously....a little sleet and there's no school? Come...on.....!!!

Man, I can't believe this. Saddam "refused" to go to court today, so they've suspended proceedings at his trial. Last time I checked, he is a prisoner. I don't understand why they can't just handcuff him and drag his ass in to court, sit him down, shackle him to his chair, and ensure he sits there and listens to each and every word of testimony related to many years of atrocities committed upon his own people.

But...I guess in an effort to ensure the world sees that he is treated "humanely", the court decided to avoid that type of confrontation on camera and is working toward a solution that will work.

I say, if he won't come to court, bring in a screen he can't get to but is in his line of sight and blast the testimony into his prison cell so he HAS to hear his evil deeds put into words.

I might have mentioned here before that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. This could be because what could be better than starting off my day with one of my favorite things to do...eat? Or it could possibly be due to the fact that if I don't eat in the morning I will more than likely faint (I'm hypoglycemic) so I try and make the best of it.

In any case...I've been craving French toast lately. This is because my grocery store recently began carrying a specialty sourdough bread that I have to walk past every time I'm there. In my opinion nothing stands up better to French toast batter than sourdough bread. As a result every time I see the stuff I crave French toast.

So this week I picked up a loaf. And I pulled a recipe for French toast off of Food Network. Tommy got back too late to make it yesterday, so today was the first opportunity I had to try it (well, I wasn't gonna eat it all by myself). I executed the recipe brilliantly (Tommy said so...he might not have used those words but that's what I heard him say). But I was too hungry to take pictures, so sorry no pictures.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk (skim's OK)
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (use the 100% pure stuff, not the imitation)
1 tablespoon orange juice (don't skip this, trust me)
Cinnamon to taste (I did 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon)

Whisk all the ingredients together in a shallow baking dish, making sure the eggs are thoroughly combined. Heat a skillet to medium high, thinly coating the bottom of the pan with REAL BUTTER. Dredge slices of sourdough bread through the mixture on both sides, draining off the excess. Fry both sides of the bread in the skillet until golden brown.

Serve with heated maple syrup or any other condiment of your choice.

It's good, people. Trust me.

I realized tonight while Scytheboy was mixing me a rum and coke that there are some major benefits to becoming a parent. Oh, of course there's all that warm fuzzy loveliness associated with bringing a child into the world and watching them grow and learn new things and love you unconditionally.

However....

There are some other benefits to parenthood that are not discovered until the child reaches double-digits in the age category. These are (in no particular order):

1. Decreased house work - as they grow, you can teach the children to do various house chores ranging from picking up their own toys to loading the dishwasher to vacuuming the rug.

2. Decreased laundry chores - after the age of 10, you can teach a child to pour detergent, load the washing machine, and even how to add the liquid fabric softener and set the machine to the proper cycle. You can also teach them how to transfer the laundry to the dryer and dry it at the proper temperature.

3. Pet duty - this one's nice. Even before the age of 10, the child can be taught how to feed the animals, brush them, clean the litter box, and clean up the messes in the yard (the latter can be quite challenging but I'm convinced it can be done...we were never successful but I'm sure others have been).

4. Beer/drink tote - this one's a biggie - I can remember as a child walking up many, many steps to retrieve a beer for my mother or father during vacations at the lake. Now, Scytheboy has been checked out in pouring beers from the tap and mixing rum and cokes. Very nice for the lazy mom or pop.

5. Making the bed - as soon as one can, they should teach the child how to strip and make a bed (along with the aforementioned laundry duty). I hate making beds. Scytheboy now knows how to make his bed (sort of). He's not as neat about it as I'd like, but at least he knows the basics and that's what matters. When I'm tired or lazy, he changes his own sheets. I hate changing sheets and making beds.

6. Various other cleaning duties - too numerous to mention, you can teach the child that is 10 or older to perform many household cleaning tasks. The trick is to know when a request of this nature will take hold...like when you have something to bribe them with like a movie they want to see or a game they want to play...also, bribes with cash always work.

I guess what I'm saying is that I've waited 11 and a half long years, but I'm finally realizing the benefits of child labor associated with having a kid...and it's nice. I try not to take too much advantage of the situation, but man it's nice when you can have someone else mix your drink and bring you a bowl of pistachios after a long day.

I was thinking about this subject today as I was getting ready to leave my hairdresser's pleasant little cube. She works for herself and rents space at one of those one-stop salon boutique buildings where all the folks have their own little place.

As a rule of thumb, if it's a service person I go to on a regular basis and they do a good job...I try to give them at least twice the normal tip when Christmas time comes around. I realize these people live off their tips to a large degree and I try to do what I can to show them how much I appreciate their good work.

Emily Post says you should consider:

- the quality and frequency of the service
- your relationship with the service provider
- where you live (amounts are usually higher in large cities)
- the frequency of the service or how long you have worked together
- your budget
- regional customs
- the type of establishment: deluxe vs. moderate

I think all this sounds reasonable. I tip the hairdresser because she gives good service AND because she's a really cool person. Also my nail lady...she has four kids to buy for on Christmas AND in my opinion does the best nails in town. So of course she gets a good holiday tip.

But...the garbage man? The mail delivery guy? I don't think so. Those guys make good livings.

And when I get that "holiday" card - with the newspaper delivery person's home address conveniently placed right where I can see it...I almost feel like they're trying to strong-arm me into giving them a tip or else...or else what? I don't know...or else they'll throw my paper in the bushes? I don't have a direct relationship with the paper guy or gal or whatever....I don't even know who they are.

As for the teachers....well this year my son has seven of them. All of whom he only sees an hour a day. I don't think we'll be doing teacher gifts now that he's in middle school....but he used to give his teacher and his gifted teacher chocolates at Christmas.

So I suppose now you all think I'm a terrible person for not tipping the garbage man, mail delivery guy or paper boy(girl).

The question is....do you tip your service people a little extra on the holidays? Where do YOU draw the line?

Do you do this? Send text messages while you drive? I must confess that on occasion I might do this while stopped at a stop light or while in my car before starting it. But WHILE you drive? I know a lot of people do it because I've seen them. I've also seen them full-on reading the paper, putting on make-up, curling their hair, and even smoking-talking-drinking coffee simultaneously...while driving.

The bad habit of doing other things while we're supposed to be driving has caught on with the younger generation. Apparently, in Colorado a teen caused a death because he hit and killed a cyclist while he was text messaging when he was supposed to be paying attention to the road. The article is in the extended post.

Sort of makes you think twice about multi-tasking while driving.......and about letting your kids have a cell phone, doesn't it? Perhaps I'll have to re-evaluate when Scytheboy starts driving...

Text Messaging Driver Charged in Death
The Accociated Press
Friday, December 02, 2005

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — A teenage driver faces charges in Colorado after allegedly hitting a cyclist while text messaging behind the wheel.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the 17-year-old was charged with careless driving causing death. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.

The victim was riding his bicycle November 23rd when he was hit by the teen's car. He died two days after the accident.

The teen has not been identified because he is a minor. Authorities say he lost control of the car because he was sending text messages on a cell phone.