1. all my packages are in the mail & will arrive before Christmas!
2. the really nice postal worker who helped us get all the packages to be mailed from the truck to the building with his rolling bin.
3. the very amusing guy who was behind me in line which made the wait go by quickly.
4. my shipping costs came in slightly under budget!
5. the season finale of Dexter. holy crap was that a great season! love that show!
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1. i got a huge beautiful red poinsettia today. i love it.
2. taking a day to snuggle up on the couch & just watch football & enjoy my tree.
3. how beautifully the church is decorated for Christmas.
4. dipping into my box of See's chocolates.
5. scrolling through the photos from the Christmas party & having some good laughs.
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1. this quote from the movie "P.S. I Love You"
We're so arrogant, aren't we? So afraid of age, we do everything we can to prevent it. We don't realize what a privilege it is to grow old with someone.
1. i got my first Christmas card in the mail!
2. the company Christmas party was a success.
3. i won a gift card for Macaroni Grill as my prize!
4. laughing so hard during the prize drawings that i couldn't call the numbers.
5. being reminded that i am lucky to have a really good boss.
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1. the baking is done! the baking is done! well, the cookies being shipped anyway. i need some sugar cookie trees, some peanut butter blossoms & some Candy Cane Cookies for myself now, but no pressure there.
2. a very entertaining episode of CSI:NY on the DVR.
3. houses decorated with Christmas lights.
4. the humidity went away & some brisk air took its place. puts me in the holiday spirit.
5. sampling Christmas cookies while you bake.
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yes, it took me just over two weeks to get these uploaded & onto my blog. i underestimated how busy i would be! Nichole has the Thanksgiving menu on her blog, so you'll have to pop over there for a full description--we made a deal that if she handled the words, i would provide the pictures, as a collaborative post of sorts--so here is my contribution. yay teamwork!
The Table
Appetizers
Soup & Salad
The Carving
The Main Event
The Drama
those are fire engines & on-lookers , in case that's not obvious without having been there.
The Candle Garden
and ummm...dessert was devoured by candlelight & i seem to have forgotten to take a photo before gobbling its deliciousness up. oops.
i was ranting at with Pocklock this morning about the grave injustices taking place on our beloved baseball team in the overnight when she suggested a blog post. i already had the seedling planted, but her creative brilliance is responsible for the title and format. and so, without further delay, let's set the scene: elevator. lone occupant when i step on: one Theo Epstein, Red Sox GM. and... go.
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listen, Epstein. Mike Lowell. now don't look at me like that. you knew we were going to start here.
so let me get something straight. we are trading him to Texas. for a minor league catcher. *and* we have to pick up a significant chunk of his salary. so you can clear the way for a *possible* Beltre acquisition? let me rephrase that. we could be shelling out somewhere around twenty million dollars to ditch a class act with a solid bat in favor of a dirt bag whose last great season was 2004, when he just so happened to be juiced. i'm sorry. the logic of that choice hasn't emerged for me yet. can you clarify it for me?
still waiting.
nothing to say?
let's move on. speaking of choosing dirt bags & other players for whom you have lusted ::cough::E6::cough:: over class acts, i have to say...you have some questionable taste in men. and i speak with authority on that topic from former life experience. i'm glad one of us learned the lesson. and even *I* wouldn't have made the Lugo mistake. you win.
and speaking of paying that salary for Texas to take Lowell. ya know, the Yankees may drop a lot of cash on payroll but you fly under the radar. you win the prize for signing the most payroll checks out to PLAYERS WE NO LONGER EVEN HAVE. WHAT GIVES? look, you've gone & made me all shouty. i'll let you explain yourself.
and i'm still waiting for the logic on that Lowell trade too. in case you thought i was distracted from it.
and while you're at it, you maybe ought to let Beltre know--*if* we (maybe) get him (just in case)--that if he thinks choosing #25 is a good idea, the cold shoulder i gave JD Drew for the better part of a season & a half for putting on that #7 jersey will pale in comparison to the contempt that will sear into your new 3B's back when the Sox come to Tampa. hell hath no fury & all that. i'm sure you've heard that one before.
i'm also wondering why we are spending so much energy on "unloading" a perfectly good player with whom we have no complaints, a clubhouse leader & a consummate professional, with one year left on his contract, who looked pretty darn good at "only" 75% last year, WHEN WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES. like the troupe of traveling Ramon Ramirezes that void known as the bullpen. and perhaps a sixth starter since everyone knows there's no such thing as "too much pitching" and we have some guys in our rotation that have a first aid symbol hovering over their (much beloved) heads. oh and ummmm... NO LEFT FIELDER! (PayBay!!!) (sheesh. have we not gone over this for several months now?)
this just in: Sox acquire Boof Bonser. ok Theo. WHAT.THE.HELL. are you *trying* to kill me? for real. at least lay your cards out on the table. do you know how long i have howled with laughter over that guy's name?! now you are forcing me to root for him??
and another thing. can you just not make up your mind? Alex Gonzalez plays for the Red Sox. no he doesn't. wait...yes he does. nope. he's gone. really. so... let's kick the tires on this guy named Coco Crisp. he might fit in well in Boston. hmmm... seller's remorse much?? may i redirect your attention back to Point Number One. better known as Mike Lowell. who i hope rams his bat up your rear with his cleat every time Texas plays Boston. except that he won't, because he's a class act. he will, instead, quietly go about his business, hopefully having an All Star MVP season, and turning your stomach lining into an angry crater-surface of ulcers. so does that mean we can hope he'll be back in 2011? i'm confused how this works.
here's an aside for you: you know that Beltre is a Bora$$ client...so a) why would you want to deal with that tool yet again? and b) what makes you think you will get the player you so badly want when the anti-Christ is pulling all the strings? he was just waiting for you to shove Lowell out the door so that he can laugh maniacally as he sends Beltre to the Rangers or the Twins or...anywhere not Boston. kinda like he did last year? guy named Teixeira? ring any bells?
just so you know, i am really restraining myself from slapping you upside your perfectly-coiffed head about Lugo. you should know you scarred me for life with that one. i will forever flinch when the ball is hit to short. which reminds me: you are officially on The Lugo List now. just wanted to be clear about that.
i have to tell you, Theo. these decisions have left me scratching my head. they make no sense. have you suffered a blow to the noggin? are you being blackmailed? perhaps we should have *you* tested for various substances... because i am searching for a shred of sense in all this & i have to be honest, i'm coming up empty-handed. and you've been curiously (suspiciously?) mute.
i realize that Texas is being all coy & telling us "nothing is in stone yet" but i am onto you, Epstein. it doesn't have to be Texas. i know if that falls apart, you will just try somewhere else. the destination isn't important, the *departure* is what bothers me. i should give you fair warning though: if you send him to the Bronx, you should probably go into hiding, because you've already got me teetering close to the edge as it is.
well now. *that* was therapeutic. thanks for allowing me to give you a little piece of my mind. i'll let you get back to business now. but i'll be watching.
tonight was our "Candlelight & Carols" Advent service at church. it's one of my favorite services. the church is lit almost entirely by candles (one spotlight shines softly on the altar) & we pause to think, to reflect, to find peace in the midst of all the bustle associated with Christmas. it is designed to feel like a refuge in the center of a whirling storm.
we reach a point in the service when we are pausing to remember loved ones who have passed away. the church is silent & reverent.
and then, i hear it. that unmistakable whine.
a mosquito.
and he is buzzing all around me. first by this ear, then the other. lands on my neck, my hair, my arm. i cannot just allow a mosquito to land on me & nibble. just can't. so i am trying to discreetly swat him away. but he.won't.leave. he just keeps hovering. and whining. faster & faster. tormenting me.
and there i am, swatting away at the mosquito. but the church is dark & no one can *see* it. so i just look insane. arms flailing, hands waving, trying to defend myself. from a mosquito. AT CHRISTMASTIME. only in Florida is this an issue.
i can't tell you how grateful i was when, at the end of the service, the guy sitting behind me tapped my shoulder & said "i just want you to know, i know you're not crazy. i saw the mosquito. i wanted to swat him for you when i saw him land on your hair but i thought you might turn around & hit *me*."
so much for some quiet moments to breathe & re-center myself.
1. coming home & turning on my tree first thing (the socket it's plugged into is operated by a switch by the front door, which normally has a lamp plugged in there but it's easier to turn the tree on that way then trying to crawl under it, skirt the gifts & attempt to not bump fragile ornaments or knock the whole thing over) and in the otherwise dim & quiet apartment, i hear my little ornament playing "Silent Night." makes me happy.
2. midweek Advent services. particularly this week's, which is very serene & reflective in nature.
3. getting my most challenging batch of Christmas cookies finished, except for the decorating--but that's the fun part!
4. Sarah McLachlan's Christmas music.
5. a church lit by candlelight.
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**I Want to get all my Christmas to-do list items crossed off by the end of this week--wrapped, baked, boxed & shipped out--so that i can finally relax & enjoy the rest of the Christmas season.
and thus ends my Wants for this week. i haven't had time to find anything new to want because i've been running around like an idiot.
1. someone Christmas-a-fied my work window!
2. very pleased with some recent decisions i have made.
3. last two Christmas gifts have arrived! just need to wrap 'em up & ship 'em out!
4. snuggling up on the couch to watch some tv after a long last week.
5. second batch of Christmas cookies - done!
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1. my Christmas cards have all been mailed!
2. i worked on the company Christmas cards off & on all day. they have glitter on them. it was EVERYWHERE. i looked like i got into a brawl with Tinkerbell & lost.
3. one batch of Christmas cookies-done! mmmm... Peanut Butter Blossoms...
4. a nice cool shower after busting my tail all evening.
5. slipping into a bed with cool fresh sheets.
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1. all my Christmas gifts that have to be shipped have been wrapped! they are sitting under my tree right now & it all looks so festive!
2. sparkly Christmas ornaments.
3. getting my home back in order after i trashed it with Christmas preparations over the last three days.
4. good memories of Christmases past, as i unpacked all my decorations.
5. flopping onto the couch at the end of a long busy weekend with a sense of accomplishment.
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1. making the rest of my home all Christmas-y.
2. when it stopped raining this afternoon, a cool front moved in. the air is brisk & it puts me in such a good holiday mood.
3. clean ceiling fans. (how does something that never stops moving manage to collect so.much.dust?? seriously. of course, it may have something to do with the fact that i forget to clean them as often as i should because they don't *look* dirty...til you stop them.)
4. finishing the last few bits of my Christmas shopping!
5. i love this:
Ever thine.
Ever mine.
Ever ours.
(Carrie Bradshaw reading from "Love Letters of Great Men: Volume One" in Sex & the City: The Movie)
1. my Hallmark "Joyful Tidings" angels.
2. i decorated my tree tonight. i love my tree. i love all my ornaments. i could just sit & stare at my happy shiny tree for hours.
3. the colorful lights of the tree reflecting off the silver garland around the window & all the sparkly ornaments.
4. eating on dinner--a super simple dinner of frozen waffles--on my Christmas plates makes everything feel more festive.
5. a box full of Yankee Candle goodness from my god daughter--and permission to open my gift early so i can enjoy them all month long! medium-sized jars of Hollyberry (a favorite retired scent, back just for the holidays), Christmas on the Beach, North Pole and Christmas Cupcake!
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1. the woman in the charcoal grey Chevy Trailblazer who let me into an endless line of traffic this morning.
2. evergreen boughs hanging in the office, making the whole downstairs smell absolutely divine.
3. one lazy evening before i become a Christmas whirlwind.
4. burning evergreen-scented candles that (almost) make up for having an artificial tree.
5. forming my Christmas Plan!
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1. lunch out with the girls from work before finishing up errands for next week's work Christmas party. free lunch always = good.
2. my boss went out & got an emerald crab for our fish tank just because i told him how cool i thought Nichole's was & how much i enjoyed watching him when i visited California over Thanksgiving.
3. stockpiling Christmas shows & movies on the DVR to enjoy throughout the whole holiday season.
4. Candy Cane Kisses. yumminess.
5. quiet evenings spent at home.
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**I Want a red poinsettia. i get one every year, in honor of my Gram. she loved them & we would give her one every year for the Christmas season. now i get one for myself in memory of her. i do the same thing at Easter with an Easter lily.
**these are the Christmas DVDs I Want for my personal collection:
**I Want these two prints from Studio Mela in my bathroom:
The Little Family
Count the Waves
*I Want this Christmas Tree Forest pillow from Quiltish
1. figuring out the new digital format my cable provider upgraded to for its on-screen guide & DVR controls. now that i understand it, i like it! so much easier to navigate!
2. finally got to change my work calendar off that horrible turkey. i like the bighorn sheep for December much better.
3. the lights on my tree throw enough light that unless i'm doing something that requires a significant amount of brightness, i can use it as my primary lighting in my living for the evening.
4. flannel pj pants.
5. i love my new iGoogle theme for the Christmas season (it's the Winter Village one, for anyone curious):
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photo of me
ummm... ummm... i have no good excu... WAIT!! there *is* a photo of me from this month but it's on Renee's phone! ha. at least i don't have to say there isn't one at all this time.
1) current candle scents:
Fall Festival. Autumn Gold. Lakeside Birch.
2) what i am currently reading:
"Joy in Mudville: The Big Book of Baseball Humor" (Mort Gerberg). "Watching Baseball: Discovering the Game Within the Game" (Jerry Remy with Corey Sandler).
3) newest music i added my playlist:
"All I Ask for Anymore," Trace Adkins. "Laughed Until We Cried," Jason Aldean. "You Found Me," The Fray. "Your Smiling Face" and "Who Comes This Night," James Taylor. "Hope Now," Addison Road. "Hello," Schulyer Fisk. "I'd Rather Be With You," Joshua Radin. "Lucky," Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat. "As I Lay Me Down," Sophie B Hawkins. "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum. "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" and "Merry Christmas Darling," by The Carpenters. and a whole bunch of Christmas music by Straight No Chaser, including "The Christmas Can-Can" and "The 12 Days of Christmas."
4) movies i saw:
The Bourne Ultimatum. Mr Brooks. Disney's A Christmas Carol. Auntie Mame. To Catch a Thief. The Time Traveler's Wife.
5) something yummy i made this month:
Romaine-Wrapped Tilapia with Red Onion and Capers.
6) someplace i ate out this month:
at the Pacific Club for Nichole's birthday! so.freaking.yummy.
7) something that made me cry:
the Publix Thanksgiving commercials. they get me every time.
8) something that made me laugh:
"The 12 Days of Christmas" by Straight No Chaser. especially the ending. seriously, laughed until i cried.
9) something i looked forward to this month:
Thanksgiving dinner. i have been lucky enough to be invited to some of the most incredible holiday meals, possibly ever.
10) something i am thankful for:
those days when my heart is full to the point of bursting.
11) something i want to remember about this month:
there are still good people in this world, despite the way it seems sometimes.
12) a photo i took this month:
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