Not Over It.

Don't sweat the small stuff blah blah blah! Here are a handful of inconsequential injustices that I'm simply just not over.

The Peanut Butter Sandwich - This was, after the Dole Whip, my favorite treat at WDW. Fact: On more than one occasion, I trekked over to WDW solely because I had a craving for this delicious confection. Sure, it's still available at Disneyland, but it's nowhere near as easy to justify airfare, nine hours in the air, and park admission, all for the sake of a tasty treat. Not over it.


Friends - I know. It's been more than ten years since that final fade-to-black. I miss this show. C'mon, even after all this time, it remains so relate-able, applicable, and quotable! It was like the worst friendship break-up of all time. Not over it.


Bath and Body Works Apricot Vanilla scent - For ages, my signature lotion scent was Vanilla Bean Noel, with an occasional foray into Twisted Peppermint. I'd buy enough during the Christmas sales to last me for the year, and that was that. Then, one spring, they released the most delicious scent ever. It smelled like peaches and cream, and I wore it all spring and summer. And the next year they released it again. I foolishly expected this to become a tradition, like the Christmas scents, but after that second year, it simply vanished, never to be seen again. Every year, I look, hopes raised, only to be dashed in utter disappointment, and I continue to ration out my last bottle in ever more miserly proportions. Not over it. (Although, in full disclosure, they did bring it back for a limited 24-hour release just a couple of weeks ago, which I saw and pounced on it. Three brand new bottles in my stash. And I'll have to ration those too since now I must assume they will be the very last.)

The Mother on How I Met Your Mother - Let it be known, near and far, that I have a major girl crush on Cristin Milioti. Both of the characters she's played in recent sitcoms -- Tracy McConnell on HIMYM and Zelda Vasco on A to Z -- have been characters I would love to befriend. She's funny and quirky and so darn adorable. The fact that they (spoiler alert!) KILLED HER OFF on HIMYM? Inexcusable. How could they have taunted and teased for eight seasons and then given us the best character ever for ninth, only to make her dead? Heartless. Don't even get me started on how NBC didn't give her new show a fighting chance. This world needs more Cristin Milioti playing adorable roles that make me want to be her friend. Not over it.


Jon Lester - First, the Red Sox give him a joke offer during Spring Training, instead of paying him soundly and locking him up. Then, they trade him away to Oakland, arrogantly assuming they would just talk new contract over the winter. And *then* they allowed him to get away, to all places, the Cubs, where Theo smirks in our general direction, because the Red Sox rotation is now anchored by the enigmatic and fragile Clay Buchholz. He was ours, Red Sox front office, and you let him walk away like he way yesterday's news. Not over it. Not over it. Not over it.


The Moo sign - While I am, admittedly, in many cases, resistant to change at worst, and slow to warm to it at best, I quickly embraced the update Test Track received at Epcot several years ago. My only concern, at the time, was that they maintain the bare bones idea and structure of the attraction, which they did. However, they made one cosmetic change that I felt could have easily been incorporated with the updated, high-tech neon look of revamped Test Track, which is the only change made to that entire sign. Not over it.


Maelstrom - I still can't believe they removed a thematically appropriate attraction from the Norway pavilion at Epcot in favor of putting a new Frozen ride in its place. I take no issue with Disney wanting to capitalize on Frozen. I just don't think it belongs where they're putting it. Every time I walk past Norway now, I fume. Not over it.


Softlips - One of the selling points for me with Softlips was their slim tube. They debuted the Softlips Cube a while back, which, fine. But now I can't find the classic tube anywhere anymore, and I don't care for the cube style. There isn't even another comparable product to which I can switch my purchasing. The other slim tube products offer no SPF (a must for me, here in Florida) and the products that do have SPF come in fatter tubes. I want my classic Softlips back. Not over it.

All this nonsense with the Patriots - I am withholding my full reaction until after the investigation is complete, because I *always* take my media with an extra large grain of salt, but if this football deflation nonsense is true without some sort of reasonable explanation that I can't even imagine at this moment, I am going to be forced to ask why the Patriots must continually test my loyalty. *If* the Patriots are found guilty of tampering following the *conclusion* of this investigation, then I think the punishment they should receive depends on who is responsible. If it's someone on the coaching staff or one of the players, I think that person (those people) should be suspended, *without* pay, for a game or two -- yes, perhaps even for the Super Bowl. If it was someone on the support staff, then they ought to be released from their employment. If the specific blame cannot be determined, then I think the team should be fined heavily, above the "minimum amount" stated in the rules, and should also lose draft picks as appropriate. And keep in mind, I am a Patriots fan, but I'm tired of being made to look like a fool, being embarrassed, being mocked and ridiculed by fans of other teams, for rooting for a team that repeatedly acts as though they are above the rules. What I'd *like* them to do is win without shady antics, because they are good enough that they don't need to do things that take away from their accomplishments. Trick plays don't bother me; cheating does. Enough is enough. If the one enjoyment that gets me through the eternally long baseball-less winter gets taken away from me by repeated foolishness, I'm not going to be over it for a long time.

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38 has been weird.

I've made no secret of the fact that my thirties have been my favorite decade of life so far. I found my footing, a quiet sense of confidence my teens and twenties decidedly lacked, and the kind of love that startles you with its depth and leaves you a sort of grateful you didn't know you could feel for the mere presence of someone being in your life. This has been a good decade. *Really* good.

38, though, has been...weird.

When I was a naive and floundering young lass, I picture-planned my life, right down to the smallest detail. We all know how *that* plays out. Finding someone...later in life than I had scripted for myself changes some of those Big Life Plans. And you know? I'm ok with that. Truly. When you wait a lot longer than most people to find the kind of love that is real and lasts, it doesn't leave much room for being ungrateful. Not when you know what a gift you've been given, when you've gone so long without it. I am "fall down on my knees, feel tears of gratitude drip off my chin" levels of thankful for who I've been given to love.

And here's where it gets difficult to translate raw thought into actual words. Because 38 has been weird.

I'm at the age where having a child isn't a given. (Is it ever, really?) On the one hand, life is good. I don't feel pangs or longing or regrets for what isn't, because I'm too busy being amazed by what *is*. That man is enough for me. Enough in the way that says "I don't even deserve this, but here it is and it's mine."

But as the clock starts to slowly wind down --because that's how time works, no matter how we'd like to pretend it doesn't -- there's this...whisper. I don't even notice it, unless I'm still and listening intently. But in those quietest moments, I pause, as one ought to, for contemplation, and wonder what it would be like to see that man hold a tiny little piece of himself and it about knocks me over. (Honestly, it darn near kills me dead when I see him holding one of his nieces' babies, because there is something about the contrast of soft, new, little person being held by a man with strong, work-toughened hands. What I'm saying is that I can only imagine it amplifies from there.) There are days I give the possibility a serious Side Eye...and other days I want my life to remain just the way it is.

I know that what mostly holds me back -- what mostly holds *any* of us back from anything, if we're deep-down truthful with ourselves -- is that scene between Charlie Brown and Lucy in "A Charlie Brown Christmas": 

Lucy Van Pelt: Or maybe you have pantophobia. Do you think you have pantophobia?
Charlie Brown: What's pantophobia?
Lucy Van Pelt: The fear of everything.
Charlie Brown: THAT'S IT!

Fear. The kind of fear you can't even necessarily name and, when you do, you sound silly or selfish, so you just leave it unnamed. It's something and nothing and everything.

Also, selfishness. We can do things like renew our Disney passes without batting a financial eyelash, or decide at the last minute that it's date night without needing to find a sitter. I can shower in peace, don't have to share "a bite?" of everything I eat, and no one is leaving bodily fluids on my clothing. I can pack my suitcase and get on a plane to visit a friend without needing to tote along a child or feel guilty for leaving my husband to solo parent while I play. I can spend my Saturday mornings lazily browsing the internet, watch anything I want on tv, have ice cream for dinner, or declare that right now is "me time," because I don't have to feed a healthy breakfast or prevent someone entirely dependent on me from damaging themselves. After 38 years, I like to think I'm not selfish toward the people already in my life, but I'm old enough to be set in my ways, and the thought of disrupting my easy lifestyle is unsettling, even in theory. See? Selfish.

Selfishness and fear. Not the qualities one hopes to display as a parent, right? It's not that think I truly couldn't, if I had to. I could. And I have no doubt that I would love and care for a child quite well. I *like* kids. I just also like my life the way it is and I know a child would change that. I look at the things that my parent-friends bemoan and get cranky about...and I catch myself thinking "but my life is so easy..."

38 has been weird. It offers this strange middle ground perspective of being able to appreciate exactly what I have, while acknowledging that there are miracles of life I could also appreciate, if they came to be.

And people have their opinions, which they're more than willing to share. Anxious to, even, pouncing on even the smallest opportunity, sometimes to the point of manufacturing one. "When will you have kids? You're not getting any younger..." (I'm aware. Thanks for stating the obvious.) "Just do it, you'll never regret it." (I'm not concerned with regret, but I'll never be convinced *that* is a good reason to make oneself responsible for a whole new human being.) "It's the best decision I ever made." (Yes, *you*, but I am not you, I am me, and I assure you that our lives are quite likely very different, as the trajectories we took could not be more opposite, so I can't make my life decisions based on what was best for you.)

38 has been weird. It feels like do-or-die time for decisions I don't know how to reach. Many days, I think "oops" would be the only way I'm ever propelled in this direction, because "oops" takes the need to make a decision out of my hands (as much of a decision as it can be anyway), and oh dear Lord, I'm so very bad at decisions, and the days of  "oops" are dwindling. The thing is, I can't figure out if that makes me relieved or sad. I come back, again and again, to one of Charlotte's lines in the "Sex and the City" movie: "I have everything I ever wanted. I am so happy that I'm terrified. Nobody gets everything that they want."

But the probing curiosity, however genuine and heartfelt, and the admonitions not to allow fear to be a factor? They don't actually *help*, if you can understand what I'm saying. Maybe this will put an end to all the wondering people seem to be doing about the topic, some vocal, some more passive-aggressive. I don't have an answer and I'm not looking for anyone to tell me what to do. What will be, will be, and there will either one day be a wee person...or there won't. I am at peace with that much, for myself, and I rather hope that you can be as well. If you asked me point blank, my unequivocal truth is that I will be grateful however my life continues to unfold, because it's already given me so much more than I could have hoped for.

Speaking of terrifying, I suspect I'll stare at that orange publish button for a long time before I work up the nerve to click it. I so rarely make myself vulnerable with thoughts and emotions that are tender and profoundly personal. It's so far from my comfort zone of "hold my cards close to my vest," that my comfort zone isn't even on the radar at this point. My comfort zone, in case you were wondering, would be to type this all out and then save it as a draft. But, you know, 38 has been weird, might as well embrace it. Because it's been a *good* weird.

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This Week on My TV: January 17, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(Law and Order: SVU, S16E10 Forgiving Rollins) And now we know why Rollins has so many issues. You can't suppress a rape for five years and expect there to be no emotional and mental repercussions. I will say one thing: Rollins sure worked with and for some real dirtbags in Atlanta.

**(The Mentalist, S7E6 Green Light) I think Lisbon telling Jane she got him something for his birthday but is keeping it a secret til then is pretty much asking Jane to guess what it is. After six-plus seasons of this show, I'm betting on Jane. And I would have lost, since he admitted to having no idea. -- Pretty clever "drugs for sale" signal at that restaurant: light in the sign on = business is open, light off = not today. -- When DEA Gonzalez turned up dead, I commented to T: now the question is, who silenced him: the restaurant owner, the drug cartel, or Peterson from the DEA? The only thing not on my list: a dirty member of his DEA team.

**(Mike and Molly, S5E6 The Last Temptation of Mike) The look on Mike's face when the female rookie cop kissed him in the bar was just the right combination of perfect and hilarious. I'm pretty sure that's about what my own face would look like in that sort of awkward and unexpected situation. Molly's reaction, when Mike told her, was also perfectly executed...and a little predictable that she had the same sort of situation when she was at writing school. -- I like that Mike so clearly loves Molly. It's refreshing, seeing love portrayed so openly on a sitcom.

**(The Good Wife, S6E12 The Debate) Great episode, other than I felt like I was stuck watching the evening news again, instead of one of my favorite shows. -- The debate was really well done. I loved the camera angles they used. I *loved* Alicia's response to the questions about Peter's infidelity. I loved the impromptu debate in the kitchen at the debate site between Alicia and Prady. -- Wow, I wonder what finally caused Peter to break it off with Ramona. Judging by her reaction, she was as unprepared for that as I was.  -- That whole exchange between Eli and Franny (the Mayor's Chief of Staff) when she informed him "you don't want to make an enemy" and he pretty much said "right back at ya," in not so many words, was another excellent scene. I have to say, I'd rather make an enemy out of her than Eli. And speaking of making enemies, I don't think Cary and Diane want to make an enemy out of an Alicia, considering she could be on the opposite side of the courtroom, if she wins this election. *That* is a mighty powerful enemy to make. Adding David Lee is about the stupidest thing imaginable. But without even mentioning it to Alicia first? Them's fightin' words. Also: David Lee. ::shudder:: -- This was the first time we've seen Alicia with a fire in her belly to win. -- Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Is it possible Johnny Elfman has feelings for Alicia?? He's sure reacting to her brushing off that kiss like it wasn't nothing for him!

**(Blue Bloods, S5E11 Baggage) If that unclaimed bag Jamie and Jenko found *had* been a bomb, it sure seems like maybe they should have backed that crowd up a bit further. -- After listening to Garrett and Gormley get into a shouting match over the inflatable art not-a-bomb and what should be done about it, Frank told them they were hurting his head. That's one of my personal coined lines. -- Garrett is suddenly acting like the jilted work wife over Frank's new working relationship with Gormley. -- The closest thing I ever remember seeing to a chink in Danny's armor is when he admitted he came back from serving in Fallujah in one piece...on the outside.

**(Marry Me, S1E10 Spoil Me) There are so totally show rules for couples. No watching ahead! -- That female cop's name was Laguna Matata? Uhhh. -- T won't admit it's true, but I'm pretty sure that much like Kevin-Tim wants to hit Kevin-Dan with a hammer because he asks questions every five minutes throughout their shows, T would like to do the same to me. I ask a lot of questions while I watch tv. -- *What* was with that cop couple Denneh and Gil were dating? I did not see their open marriage thing coming. At all.

**(Dallas, S3E11 Hurt) Elena sure has the Ewings over a barrel. It's strange seeing her with all the power. Too bad she doesn't realize Nicolas is such a scoundrel. -- I'm not sure Ann has much moral high ground to stand on, berating Bobby for his part in JR's final masterpiece. In fact, I love how they all act indignant, when someone's flaws are exposed, like they would *never*. -- Ann's dress for Drew's funeral looked like it was being worn backward. -- John Ross doesn't like people beating him at his own game. -- Pamela [to John Ross]: I don't want you to fix things. I want you to stop breaking them. -- Sure, you stole that letter from John Ross's wallet at work. Not after you seduced him. So much for hating all the secrets, Elena. -- Those were two severe blows to Bobby. Sue Ellen telling him Miss Ellie would be so disappointed in him. Pamela telling him she expects lies from John Ross, but expects better from Bobby. -- Bum: I was taking JR down to Mexico for his treatments. And of course, he was worried all his hair was gonna fall out 'cause of the chemo. And he said to me, "Bum, if I should lose these wondrous eyebrows of mine, please don't tell Sue Ellen. She and her tweezers have been circling around these furry devils for half a century and she would just be devastated if she thought chemo got to 'em first." -- I don't know why Elena looked so stricken while she listened to Cliff Barnes say when he got out of Mexican prison, he was going to take down every last one of the Ewings, How else did she expect that phone call to go? Cliff's been trying to take down the Ewings since birth. I did not expect her to ask for the piece of property that belonged to Pamela's family, though, and I cannot figure out Elena's endgame if she actually gave that property to Pamela, along with the pardon to set her father free...or not. -- It turned my stomach to see Elena begging Nicolas to forgive *her*.

**(Person of Interest, S6E12 The Big Guns) I'm trying to figure out how I felt about this episode. It was the third part of a trilogy arc, yet it felt like it had no closure. We still don't know if Shaw is dead or alive (all signs point to alive, so much for the shocking cliffhanger ending of the previous episode) and Root is still fuming. It was interesting to see how little control Control actually has, now that Samaritan has put itself in charge. While I am guessing we're supposed to be edge-of-seat on Reese and Root's Roadtrip Rescue, I'm more curious about three things: the little Samaritan boy/living "avatar," Grice and his connection to Shaw and whether this will potentially make him an asset to Team Machine, and what Control will do after discovering the wet paint in the bowels of the stock exchange where last week's shootout took place and was obviously covered up quite literally.

**(About a Boy, S2E10 About a Boy Becoming a Man) Mr Chris arriving in Will's apartment, in the middle of a poker game, via the dumbwaiter, in nothing but his oddly small boxers = AWKWARD. -- Will and Andy's fake gaydom at the bar mitzvah was also awkward. Painfully so. -- I kept expecting Will to bump into Marcus the party crasher, not the other way around. -- Fiona's dress...rather small. Or as Marcus put it "a don't respect yourself dress." Fiona better figure out what she's going to do or Mr Chris is going to get away and that would be a shame, because how many people can appreciate her...uniqueness?

**(The Middle, S6E11 A Quarry Story) LOL: The guy at the quarry calling Sue "little girl Mike." -- What a great direction, with Mike's dad teaching Axl some life lessons. -- Grandpa Heck: You need to know so you'll know. ... *Exactly*. -- Mike looked pretty badass strolling into not-Sue's-quarry-party. -- Sue's reaction to being in trouble? SO ME. (I wish I could say "at that age," but...well... ::shrugs::)

**(The Mentalist, S7E7 Little Yellow House) I just realized that seven seasons into this show. we know next to nothing about who the core characters are outside of work, other than Jane. It was a different twist to meet Lisbon's family. -- It still strikes me as odd, seeing Lisbon play along with Jane's trickery so willingly now. She used to fight it, be so critical and dismissive. Call me crazy, but she seems to be enjoying herself now. -- Awww. Lisbon loves Jane.

**(Modern Family, S6E12 The Big Guns) Jay: You know I raised two fully functional kids. Gloria: You have children I don't know about? -- Phil [to Ronnie and Amber]: We see your tacky boat and raise you a convoy of retirees. -- Fizbo usually annoys me (this has nothing to do with fear but clowns just aren't funny to me), however, Lily as the mean-spirited Lizbo kept making me laugh, mostly because of Cam's and Mitchell's reactions. Wa-waaaa.

**(Last Man Standing, S4E13 Mike Hires Chuck) I think Mandy doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen was the first time I've ever seen one of the girls actually pitch in on the housework. And then Eve took credit for it. ::shakes head:: And then the laundry too? LOL at Eve's visit from Karma though, since Mandy accidentally shrunk Vanessa's favorite James Taylor tee. -- Mike: I've seen fire. I've seen rain. But I have never seen a black man at a James Taylor concert. -- No Kristin, Ryan, or Boyd! Score!

**(Law and Order: SVU, S16E11 Agent Provocateur) How weird that the person who left the suitcase unzipped it to expose the girl stuffed inside. As if they were hoping she'd be found. -- Adderson: I just played a lawyer, I can't lie to the police. ... What?! LOL!Because *that's* why you shouldn't lie to the police. -- That was a strange case. Between all the lying, acting, and cover-ups, I kind of got lost on what actually happened. I know Fin was pretty hilarious as "Big G," though.

**(Mom, S2E10 Nudes and a Six-Day Cleanse) Alvin: Bonnie, everyone gets old. You saw Steven Tyler. Dude looks like a raisin. -- Did Alvin sort of propose to Bonnie in the car after the concert, right before they got arrested? -- I wonder if Christy really will try to become a lawyer.

**(The McCarthys, S1E10 Hall of Fame) Wait, what? The father of Jackie's baby is Arthur's dead former assistant coach, Fatty? Did we know this?! (T keeps telling me they brought it up right in the pilot. I have zero recollection of this. But at least now I can a) stop wondering what I missed and b) be assured that this is what actually happened and not just what we're saying "happened" to save face.) -- Still being shown out of order, as tracked by Jackie's increasing and decreasing belly size. --  Pretty by-the-books episode with a few chuckles. I like Sean, despite his simplicity, and Marjorie's snark when someone in the family shows their feeeeeelings. Also, the look on everyone's faces when she tells Gerard he got into the high school hall of fame too, so he won't feel left out.

**(Chicago Fire, S3E12 Ambush Predator) Because nothing at 51 is easy: while Donna and Boden are figuring out how to be new parents, Boden's father is interfering with the best of intentions, so Donna asks Boden to say something, and before he can, learns his father has four months to live.Do you side with your new wife who just birthed the child you never thought you'd have or your terminally ill father? -- And because everyone who is even so much as associated with 51 must be affected by their curse, the Chaplain gets into a car accident, suffers a head injury that renders him unconscious, and he has no next of kin. -- I'm questioning exactly why it is that it takes Severide and Dawson to discover and investigate the possibility that Shay's death was caused by an arsonist. The fact that they keep heading back to that location, without telling anyone, makes me wonder how long until they get attacked. Because that's how we roll at 51. -- I'm left wondering what the repercussions will be of Mills' little side trip to punch the abusive husband.

**(Elementary, S3E10 Seed Money) At one point in this episode, Sherlock was working out without a shirt. I have to say, he has far more upper body definition than I would have expected, given how skinny he looks when he is fully dressed. -- I can't figure out what to make of Watson folding her private investigation business to work as an insurance investigator...or Sherlock's reaction to the news, as if he had something to say but withheld it. -- Sherlock: An honest politician is rare. A marriage worth the bother is rare. This is the only orchid of its kind in existence. -- Sherlock: Decorum forbids me from showing my emotions during an interview such as this one, but I assure you on the inside, I am doubled over with laughter. -- I initially felt a bit disinterested in this episode. Another drug dealer killed, blah blah blah. But then it turned on a dime and became about cloned rare flowers and a love story gone bad, and I was sucked right in. -- The person responsible for Kitty's assault has surfaced in New York. Things with Kitty just (finally) got interesting.

**(A to Z, S1E12 L is for Likeability) When Zelda freaked out over the drone flying by her office window, I could totally picture myself doing that. -- Andrew's dad said "it was quite a night," the sun was shining outside the window like it was high noon. Oops. -- Yes, you *are* likable Zelda. So so likable. I would be your friend! (If, ya know, you were a real person and whatnot.)

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Currently: January 15, 2015

I keep staring at the blinking cursor, missing my blog, knowing the answer is to just start but unable to figure out how or where.

Here. I start here.

We've been plagued with various illness since right after Christmas. It started December 27 with T as the flu, which turned into a throat and double ear infection and a nasty cough, and necessitated a Z-pack. On the evening of January 6, I started feeling a sort throat. It was bad enough to keep me awake most of the night. I was sent home from work at noon on January 7 and didn't come back until January 9. (I felt kinda bad about that, since I had just returned from a long holiday vacation on January 5.) My only symptoms were a horrible sore throat and feeling exhausted. On the 9th, I had no symptoms. On January 12, I had a vaguely sore throat, which turned into a slightly stuffed up nose, and is now a nagging, tickly dry cough. This morning T texted me and thinks he's catching my (thankfully) mild cold.

To sum up: we are done with the being sick already, please make it stop.

In addition to all the malaise, we've also been...

Making … a concentrated effort to walk most days, while the temperature is not of summer proportions. Except when we've been feeling too cruddy. And when it's been dreary and damp and dismal.

Cooking … again, after an illness-induced hiatus that resulted in no one feeling like messing up the kitchen and lots of takeout.

Drinking … my usual water. I'd really like it to be a steaming cup of hot chocolate from Dunkin tonight. This dampness has me feeling chilled.

Reading … a book that's been on my Goodreads "to read" shelf since 2011, These Things Hidden, and really enjoying it.

Wanting … to stop coughing, to play at Disney, and to stay as nearly current as I have managed to get on my feed reader and the DVR.

Looking … forward to our Valentine's Day plans, the start of Spring Training, Flower and Garden Fest at Epcot, and the final seven episodes of Mad Men.

Playing … the radio on my commutes recently. I need to "discover" some new music.

Enjoying … the few remaining NFL games left on the calendar. Especially since the Patriots are still alive!

Waiting … for the new spring Yankee Candle scents to be released in Sampler size. I've earned two gift certificates in the customer loyalty program and I'm saving them to round out my spring scent stash.

Liking … that we're finally getting some Florida winter. It annoys me that we have to pay to run the a/c for six months. It *really* annoys me when we have to pay for a/c in January.

Wondering … what 2015 holds in store. We can make all the plans we want, set goals, dream dreams, but I've found that old saying holds true more often than not: if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

Thinking … is one of those proverbial double edged swords. Both necessary and overrated. Next?

Loving … my new Thirty-One bag that I got for toting back and forth to work, even more than I expected. It's a bit more pricey than what I typically spend (for a good cause, though -- one of T's nieces sells it for supplemental income while she stays home to care for her two little boys), but it's roomy and durable. And I can finally fit even my two big refillable water bottles.

Smelling … peppermint, pine, cranberry, red velvet, sage, fresh snow. I classify my candle and lotion scents by season, and we're deep in the heart of winter right now.

Buying … very little right now, after all the Christmas spending. I'll get the aforementioned spring candles with my vouchers and next month, I renew my WDW Annual Pass (my tax return gift to myself) but other than that, no unbudgeted spending for a bit.

Watching … tv shows that are within a week old! I cannot believe how empty I got the DVR over my Christmas break. The only shows I'm behind on now are Parenthood (only watched one episode so far), the season one finale of The Last Ship, the final episodes of Dallas (intentional because I'm so bummed they canceled it), and two episodes of Grey's Anatomy.

Disliking … illness and running the a/c in January, both of which will, with any luck, be a thing of the past very soon.

Snacking … on peach slices with cinnamon. Trying to limit my sweets intake so my immune system can focus all its energy on fighting off these germs, instead of wasting time, helping to process sugar.

Hearing … sirens on the main road. Always. I swear, every emergency vehicle must travel that road when they get a call. And the sound of my own typing, punctuated by coughs by one or the other of us. It's pretty quiet in here.

And with that, I believe it's bedtime. My book is calling my name.

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This Week on My TV: January 10, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(Blue Bloods, S5E10 Sins of the Father) I have to be completely up front on this one. I was kind of distracted while watching this one, so I'm not sure if I was only mindlessly half-watching or if this episode was truly unmemorable. I remember there being a lot of shooting in this episode, more than typical, and that the opening scene, when a bullet shattered something glass, at the hot dog stand where Danny and Baez were getting lunch, was especially startling. I remember feeling slightly skeptical that Frank was able to recognize a man who killed an officer forty years ago, on Pops' watch, because he had been checking age progression photos on the guy for years, because are age progression photos really *that* accurate? I remember thinking he put the guy's son, a police officer himself, who had just received a promotion (the one his father showed up to see where Frank recognized him), in a terribly awkward position by asking him to wear a wire and get a confession, although I appreciate that Frank told the father he ordered the son to do, so he wouldn't know his son willingly wore the wire that put him away. In Jamie and Jenko's case, where a father took responsibility for running over a girl with a car to protect to his son (who was actually the one responsible), I remember thinking the detective on the case (did they ever actually give her a name?) was a real jerk and that the mother making the father and son do the right thing was a nice twist (if only more people had this mentality about owning your mistakes), especially when it made that jerky detective look like a fool for not listening to Jamie and Jenko's concerns about the father's "confession." And the story about the parents who were killing people in the adult film industry, for whom they blamed the death of their daughter, felt very "Law and Order: SVU," in both content and the theatrical elements. It wasn't a bad episode, because I enjoy the Reagans, but it almost felt like they forced a little too hard to make every element of the episode cram into a little box that fit the episode's title.

**(The Last Ship, S1E9 Trials) It's a nice (can you really call it nice, given the subject matter?) to see some of what's going on only peripherally related to the ship. In this case, with the Chandler's family. Terrifying though it may be. Danger is everywhere, barring the way of survival. I don't know which was more scary: the law enforcement shooting the sick people in the streets or the fact that the Chandler's wife was near a diseased corpse while looting the parts her father in law needs to get his radio working again. It was inevitable that she was going to end up infected. And of course, she served the whole family and did the whole "clean her son's face by licking her finger and scrubbing" bit, all while looking like someone who doesn't feel up to par. That final scene is surely setting the stage for both the finale, its certain cliffhanger, and season two. -- It was honorable of Quincy to admit he didn't deserve what Chandler did to get his family back from the Russians. -- Chandler [about Tex, as the volunteers are getting ready to go into quarantine to test the potential vaccine]: Ladies and gentlemen, your entertainment for the next three days. ... If you're going to be in the ultimate crappy situation, Tex is certainly the guy I'd want for my entertainment, because I cannot even start to wrap my head around how utterly and positively terrifying it would be to be injected with a deadly virus to test a vaccine's effectiveness. -- LOL: Tex's Sean Connery James Bond impression. -- You know circumstances are dire when Tex stops cracking jokes. -- Did Chandler really tell Danny that Kara was pregnant?? Even if she somehow survives and doesn't miscarry, this exposure can *not* be good news for a developing baby. And yet Rachels' response was only that it would be born immune? How does she know there will be no ill effects? -- I'm not sure I followed Rachel's explanation for how to trick the body from turning on itself when the immune system tries to fight the virus. Sometimes they rush too quickly through explanations for the sake of conveying urgency on this show. -- As difficult as it was to watch the six in quarantine struggle with their illness, even to the point of death, it was even harder for me to watch Chandler struggling to hold his emotions in check when Rachel told him that they not only had a vaccine but a cure.

**(The Good Wife, S6E11 Hail Mary) I had no idea they had "prison coaches." I wonder if that's really a thing. -- Cary was "prison coached" to "uncomplicate that today" with Kalinda. Excuse me while I fall on the ground laughing. -- Bishop is a real jerk. He basically threw Cary under the bus and Cary never once wavered or turned on Bishop to save his own skin, he's on his way to prison as a result, and Bishop isn't willing to find Cary someone to have his back without asking a favor in return? -- Eli confiscated Alicia's phone at her debate rehearsal like he was an angry school teacher. -- It's sort of ridiculous how excited I get whenever Finn appears on the screen. Have I mentioned just how much I like him? -- Kalinda cares about Cary more than she wants to admit. I can't remember any other time she showed an emotion other than anger. To see her eyes fill with tears after leaving Cary at the hotel was so very telling. -- I wonder what string of expletives was going through Kalinda's head when she realized Diane handed her "hack job" to the judge as evidence of a Brady violation. -- That was some stellar acting on the part of Matt Czuchry, as Cary realized all the charges were being dropped and he wasn't going to prison. Haggard disbelief and weary relief. -- I cracked wise when Alicia was in the parking garage with Elfman, rejoicing over Cary's good news, saying "she's going to kiss him." I never expected to be right! But, Alicia, what about Finn??

**(2 Broke Girls, S4E8 And the Fun Factory) OMG. Sophie's...errr...wig business. -- So their new plot for this show is to make the cast more likable by surrounding them with guest actors that are somehow (and I don't even know how, to be be honest) even more obnoxious. I know, right? (Just imagine me saying that last part in a nasal whine.) -- Now this is a way to make me happier with this show. *Two* Sophie arrivals in the diner. "Hey, everybody!"-- What is with this show's obsession with dropping things out of the female characters' skirts this season?! Newsflash: still not funny.

**(Madam Secretary, S1E12 Standoff) I can't believe I didn't catch til now that Henry's NSA contact played Jamie on Reckless. I'm so glad to see she landed somewhere. I hope we haven't seen the last of her, because it sure looked like Henry was less than thrilled that his mission was complete and he was being dismissed. -- Nadine: Blake's a little rattled. His message has a typo. -- Nothing like a cliche "having a fight on what should be a romantic anniversary weekend" bit. Of course most of them don't involve the fear that your Secretary of State wife may be assassinated by the guy you're spying on for missions so secret, your wife doesn't even know you're on them. (Follow that?) -- Moral of the story: Elizabeth can't go away for even a weekend without everything falling apart. Jason sprains his ankle. Texas violates Mexico's extradition rules and then gets in a standoff with the FBI. Nothing like making the woman believe she can never get a break. -- I like the real-world way they allow Elizabeth and Henry to make up from their fight. It's believable and relateable.

**(Mike and Molly, S5E5 Molly's Neverending Story) Mike [about his mother]: Her words don't just cut. They burrow in and lay eggs. -- I laughed right out loud at the "interrupting your coven" line. -- I'm not sure how that exercise ball a) fits into that tiny bedroom Mike and Molly share, and b) how it didn't do more damage when she chucked it. -- I get Mike's frustration. *I'm* ready for Molly to finish the book already.

**(Marry Me, S1E9 Test Me) There was a taxidermy owl in the nursery?! -- Mmmmmm...bellini. -- That scene where Annie and Kay are trying to steal the nanny cam would have been funnier if they hadn't made Annie act *so* weird. -- Gil telling Jake to "go to the doctor who will tell you if you have to worry about the thing you're worried about"...Why is Gil making sense? What is happening??  -- Annie: I mean, what if it's me that can't have kids? What if I find out it's just tumbleweeds down there?

**(About a Boy, S2E9 About a Manniversary) OMG Fiona coming on to Mr Chris. Could she be any more awkward? -- A surprise Brazilian would equal NOT MY FRIEND ANYMORE!! -- Fiona's Marcus-faced teddy bear = crazy creepy. -- Will: In what universe am *I* the weird neighbor?! -- LOL: Fiona gloating that finally got some.

**(CSI, S15E13 The Greater Good) I'm not sure which was more unnerving: Maya's opening dream sequence with the Gig Harbor Twins, or Shaw listening in on Maya and DB's phone call that was designed to be bait. -- The best laid plans, huh, DB? What an intense episode. I can't believe Maya had the presence of mind to leave the CSIs so many clues to follow. Her wedding ring. Paint flecks. Tire tread marks. I would have been a total blubbering wreck. -- When Shaw was strangling Jared, I kept expecting Paul to pop up from being shot and clock him over the head. I did not expect Paul to shoot Shaw. -- What Crawford lacks in personality, he makes up for in a kindness Brass never really showed. -- I'm glad Shaw was not really Paul's partner in crime, but a pawn, trading DB's daughter for the life of his own. -- Wait, Paul got away, despite Maya shooting him??

**(Chicago Fire, S3E11 Let Him Die) I'm not sure what was up with Brett wanting Mills to let one of their captors die rather than save him. She seemed pretty adamant though. I'm not completely convinced those guys worked for Lulo, though. -- I really hope Mills doesn't move in on Cruz's territory with Brett, because he seems to be giving some signals. However, as much as I want Cruz to be with Brett, I don't think he should have let her call that shady guy using his phone. That's all he needs associated with him. -- Because having breathing problems isn't enough for Baby Boden, they need to worry about brain damage from oxygen deprivation too. -- If Dawson is willing to walk out on her relationship instead of working on it, she probably *shouldn't* be marrying Casey. Marriage means you stay and fight for your relationship. -- And another explosion. One that looked kind of intentional, if you ask me, given the contents of that storage locker.

**(Grey's Anatomy, S11E2 Puzzle With a Piece Missing) I like the comparison between medicine and puzzles. I also like getting to know Maggie. It makes her more sympathetic than "just the new doctor who won't give Mer a chance." -- Made me laugh right out loud, because, actually, yeah. ... Maggie: I'm sorry, is everyone in this room somehow related? -- Richard [to Maggie about Mer]: I think she's more than you bargained for. But I think when the world gives you more than you bargained for, you usually end up glad you got it.

**(The Middle, S6E10 Pam Freakin' Staggs) Hooray! A Devin Levin appearance! And I love that Axl was the one chasing her. He's actually pretty cute and sweet, when his ego is in check. -- Mike: This hose water is really making the coffee taste weird. -- Devin Levin. Pam Staggs. What is with the Hecks calling everyone by their first and last names? -- Pam Staggs was annoying. How, exactly, was she one of "the popular kids" from Frankie's high school? Is this what happens to the popular kids after graduation and a dose of real life?

**(Person of Interest, S4E11 If-Then-Else) Mr Reese: Sorry, I'm busy making death threats to Samaritan operatives. ... Never change, Mr Reese. Never ever change. -- Mr Finch: What's the point in saving the world if you cant enjoy it? ... Indeed. -- I'm always amused that Root's "thing" is that she gets to have two guns when the bullets fly. -- T didn't care for the format of this episode, how it showed The Machine looking for the best possible scenario to direct the team. The back-and-forth and the replaying of the lead-in scene started to annoy him. It didn't bother me so much, once I knew what it was doing...and I recovered from thinking Mr Finch was dead. After that, it was kind of fun for me. Especially the scene where, to save time in the thought process, The Machine just had the team say things like "witty banter" or "biting retort," instead of actually creating lines for them to say. I also enjoyed the time travel back to when Mr Finch was teaching The Machine about infinite choices by playing a game of chess. -- Of all the crazy possible scenarios The Machine played out, the Fusco-Root kiss was my favorite. Never saw it coming and I laghed so hard. -- Is Shaw really dead??

**(Grey's Anatomy, S11E3 Got to Be Real) Jo: I am a doctor. I am a surgeon. I deserve respect. Stephanie: You're a girl in her pajamas with her ear to the door of a bathroom. How much respect can anyone give you right now? -- Yeah, because if Callie and Arizona are having entirely separate conversations about their individual work lives, wrapped up in themselves and not remotely hearing the other, things aren't going to go terribly awry once they start seriously trying to add a baby to the family. /sarcasm -- Things I would like to do: Slap Mer for being a brat about about Derek's decision to stay in Seattle. Slap Amelia for being a brat about Derek's decision to stay in Seattle. -- Alex isn't Cristina, but I like what he offers Mer as her new Person. -- It was heartbreaking to listen to Owen talk about Cristina and how she lit up his darkness. -- Alex has grown up. I hate that they have to choose between Alex and Bailey, because I think they could both be valuable assets as board members. -- Meredith [voice over, closing monologue]: Vulnerability isn't the opposite of  the strength, It's the necessary part. We have to force ourselves to open up, to expose ourselves, to offer up everything we have and just pray that it's good enough, otherwise we'll never succeed.

**(Grey's Anatomy, S11E4 Only Mama Knows) Young Richard and Ellis were not...visually convincing. -- This is the second time they've used the analogy of a side road as a method for making a medical procedure work. -- I wonder if there's a chance Mer and  Maggie will warm up to each other at some point. -- Meredith [voice over, closing monologue]: They say we can repress our memories. I wonder if we're just keeping them safe somewhere. Because no matter how painful they are, they are our most valuable possessions. "Our lives are built on our mistakes as much as our successes." They made us who we are. -- I wonder what Richard was thinking as he watched Mer and Maggie, side by side, over Ellis's journal. That maybe there was still a chance for him to know Maggie? That watching those two grow up might have been his life?

**(Grey's Anatomy, S11E5 Bend and Break) I miss the day when the opening and closing monologue voice overs were only Mer. Now I have to think too hard about whose voice I'm hearing. -- I just don't much care for the "on a break" solution for exactly the reasons Callie listed. -- The timeline's back and forth wasn't always very clear. I don't know if I just missed the notation of which day we were on in the Arizona-Callie Break or if they only bothered to show it every other timeline switch. -- So Callie and Arizona are, presumably, over. I'm kind of tired of all their whiny behavior anyway.

**(The Big Bang Theory, S8E12 The Space Probe Disintegration) Sheldon: If you want to live with Penny, I think you should. Leonard: You really mean that? Sheldon: Yes, just put on your squeaky shoes and eee-eee-eee right out of my life. -- I appreciated Raj's views on how one can be a scientist but still have a strong faith. -- Wow. Big step forward for Sheldon, who compromised (yet again! LOL) and "allowed' Penny and Leonard to start living together...one night a week...with him sleeping on the couch.

**(Modern Family, S6E11 The Day We Almost Died) I don't know which part of the Dunpnys post-near-accident revelations was funnier: Alex thinking Haley was going to hug her, wailing how "I almost lost you!" and going on a girls' day that led to her walking in painful shoes and sporting facial rashes in all the places she was waxed. Or Cam wondering if Phil was, maybe, sexy.

**(Mom, S2E9 Godzilla and a Sprig of Mint) How do Christy and Bonnie have an upstairs neighbor in their building when their apartment has an upstairs? -- Awww, I was hoping Christy had found a sweet guy to date. But if there was going to be a deal breaker with him, though, I wasn't going to guess he was into kinky bedroom stuff. Namely pretending to be a dog. -- Christy [singing as she escapes Andy's apartment]: I'm alone, I'm alone, I'm alone, but I'm not murdered! ... LOL

**(The McCarthys, S1E9 Sister Act) Ronny: Per usual we are embracing change with grace and dignity. -- Jackie's belly is all over the place in size. They really can't show these episodes out of order without it being completely obvious. -- [phone rings] Gerard [checking the phone]: No caller id? [answering] Who's this? ... That is my dream phone answering etiquette. If only it were acceptable.

**(A to Z, S1E11 K Is for Keep Out) That was a lot of people in the bathroom in that opening scene. -- I'm somewhat impressed that they showed Stephie and Joseph looking realistically sleep-rumpled. You know, like people actually look in the morning, rather than hair perfectly styled and makeup intact. -- Who surprised who? Andrew thought he was surprising Zelda with *his* new apartment, so they could finally have alone time...and somehow she thought that this was a great place for *them* to live together...surprise! -- Awww! Stephie and Stu made some alone time for Andrew and Zelda. They really are good, if needy. best friends. And speaking of friends, I think I almost like Big Bird and Lora, after their "girl talk" turned freiendship.

**(Last Man Standing, S4E12 Helen Potts) All the Home Improvement jokes were spot on and hilarious. 8 long years being with her husband. Amping up appliances and destroying their home. The conversation at the fence. -- Oh look. Kristin is here to do laundry at her parents' house. ::eye roll:: -- Mike: Right is tight. Left is you don't know what you're doing. ... ::snicker:: -- Confession: I totally teared up when they showed Ed helping the vets fill out paperwork and Eve realizing you didn't have to be in combat to be a war hero. -- Randy from Kristin's old restaurant is Helen Potts' son?? Please, oh please, let them both be recurring characters!

**(Sleepy Hollow, S2E12 Paradise Lost) Despite the fact that he appeared a bit loony for parts of it, I have to agree with Ichabod at the farmers market. I think we're way too busy, sometimes, searching for "the next greatest thing," often to our own detriment. There are just some things that don't need to be changed, because the further you get from the original, the more damage is being done. -- Interesting how, when talking to Abbie about Abraham, he takes the stance of "beneath the monster is a man," but when discussing Abraham with Katrina, he insists that Abraham is pure evil. -- Katrina appears to have expanded her wardrobe from her bustier to include a snugly fitting sheer top. -- I am not sure how I feel about the addition of Orion. It seems silly to consider him "over the top" in a show filled to the brim with demons and the supernatural. I will say that he has some startlingly intense eyes, and his desire to destroy the Horseman of Death is certainly going to create a conflict of interest with Katrina. Katrina's emotional investments in Henry and Abraham are turning her into a liability. -- I suspect this may not be the last we've seen of Orion. And I wonder how sparing Abraham's life is going to play out for Abbie and Ichabod. -- I KNEW IT!! I knew Irving wasn't going to be gone from the story. Seems few people are ever *really* dead on this show.

**(Elementary, S3E9 The Eternity Injection) Watson: So, how are you doing? Sherlock: Beg your pardon? Watson: How *are* you? Sherlock: Well, my heart rate is normal for a man my age, and my blood pressure is good to excellent, the last time I checked. You know better than to ask me such a nonspecific question. ... LOL! I love when he cracks wise. -- Time dialtion drugs? Is this for real? -- That was a moving explanation Sherlock gave Watson about why he's been so down in the dumps lately. -- LOL: Reveille on the bugle played by Sherlock for Watson after she spent the night and his gleeful admission that he missed rousing her. And then when she asked if he was going to wake Kitty, his indignant "Of course not. I am a courteous housemate." -- When they stumbled upon Mr Connaughton in his bed, under the influence of his time dilation drug, his rapid and exaggerated eye movement was way creepy.

**(Grey's Anatomy, S11E6 Don't Let's Start) I like that they allow April to look in control and efficient when she runs the ER. They went out of their way to make her look flaky and ruled too much by emotion for so long that it undermined the fact that she *is* a doctor. -- Ewww! I was NOT prepared for the geyser of blood when Owen performed the emergency laparotomy in the ER on that carjacking victim. -- Are we supposed to feel bad for Arizona, that her marriage is ending and her fellowship mentor(?) is berating her at every turn? Because...I don't. -- I like that Owen pulled military rank on the carjacked veteran to help her, since it was probably the only way she would accept the help she needed and deserved. -- Derek Shepherd. Family matchmaker. -- Sometimes I don't recognize this new Alex Karev. I like him. I like that Alex has grown up, quietly, under the radar. -- It's been a long while since Mer-Der sexytimes caused anyone to lose track of time. -- Whoa. Dr Herman (Geena Davis) has terminal brain cancer. Did not see that coming. -- True for more than just doctors: "You don't know the secrets the body in front of you holds." -- What was with the fades to grainy black and white at pivotal moments in the episode? Is this a thing we're doing now?

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This Week on My TV: January 3, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(Madam Secretary, S1E11 Game On) Russell: You know the manifest said Marsh was on his way to Caracas on his last flight. Maybe you can finish what he started. Elizabeth: What's that? Russell: Actually land. ... Russell is a Major League Jerk. -- LOL: All of Elizabeth's terrible baseball puns when greeting the famous Venezuelan baseball player who is accompanying them on their diplomatic trip to the hostile-to-the-States president. -- I love the way Henry is sweet, thoughtful, and romantic with Elizabeth. I still do not love Stevie the brat, the way she is acting toward Elizabeth, and whatever that move was with Alison and the boyfriend while Stevie was in charge during the trip. -- That baseball player made moves on Blake?! That whole exchange was unexpected and comical. -- What the heck is going on with that Marsh account? Forty million dollars emptied from the account the day after he died? I do feel a little bad for Nadine though. She clearly thought Marsh was in love with her and has been thrown for a huge loop by all the discoveries of the secrets he kept from her. -- I didn't care for the dress Elizabeth wore at the start of the episode (looked too 1980s matronly), but I loved that navy blue pinstriped button down shirt she wore near the end. -- It was just a matter of time until Russell learned about Elizabeth's investigation into Marsh's death. But if it wasn't Russell and the President...then who? -- What on earth is the real story of Marsh's murder?? Could it really be a larger scale global political plot?

**(Scandal, S4E9 Where the Sun Don't Shine) I found the way they jumped around, both from topic and scene, and within time, extremely confusing. I'm sure it was intentional for effect, but it wasn't...my favorite. -- I loved Maya's reaction when Olivia listed the charges that should be made against her and telling them to take Maya to prison, instead of "handling things." -- Lizzie Bear: There's a special place in hell for women who don't support other women. Olivia: There's a special place in hell for women who spout that tired quote to justify their bad behavior. -- It was just a matter of time before those photos of Cyrus and Michael were used. I almost feel bad for Cyrus. He clearly loved James, and the only spin Olivia can give this to make it go away is "a love story" where he marries Michael. So his options are to be ripped apart by the media scandal or to marry someone he doesn't love and dishonor the dead love of his life. -- I will never understand Quinn's love life. -- LOL: The amused expression on the face of the security guard at the law firm when Quinn scanned in with the fingerprint of an old man, as it showed on his computer screen. Using just the man's finger. Also, about Quinn: she's looking old. -- Quinn sees the kill card Charlie is carrying, confronts him with it, and all he can say is "Oh...crap." LOL -- I don't know how Olivia didn't scream when she came home to find Rowan sitting at her table, helping himself to a glass of wine. What a scene between them though. From her grabbing his gun and then pulling the trigger, discovering it wasn't loaded, and him freaking out that she would actually shoot him. -- LOL, Mellie is back. ... Mellie [to Lizzie Bear]: Because we're both screwing Andrew? That doesn't make us friends. It just makes us both at risk for the same STDs. -- What a gut punch for Olivia, walking up to see Abby in Fitz's office with him and Cy, laughing and having a drink. That used to be her place. Her entire world, as she once knew it, has now ceased to exist. -- I felt that same level of bewilderment Jake had all over his face when he came back to the living room to find Liv vanished without a sound, the only trace: her spilled glass of wine on the couch. Oh, Mr VP, what did you do???

**(CSI, S15E6 The Twin Paradox) I've always felt like CSI was at its best when it does a serial killer arc. The Gig Harbor Killer story is further proof of that. I like the suspense and the slow accrual of facts that aren't tied up with a tidy bow at the end of the hour. I have to admit I never saw the connection between Paul and Mark Valley's character, Shaw, coming!

**(The Mentalist, S7E5 The Silver Briefcase) To gain entry into a house where a murder had taken place, Patrick and Lisbon pretended to be house hunting. This prompted a conversation between me and T whether or not we could ever buy a house we loved if a murder had taken place there. -- Ever since they became an item, Lisbon has stopped giving Patrick a hard time about his consultant tactics. -- When Wylie was trying to take the scarf that was tied to the homeless person's tent, I kept waiting for the inhabitant to accost him from out of the bushes. -- With all their discussion about how they could "just pack up and leave" and what they would do if they left the FBI, I wonder if that's how they're going to play the end of this show.

**(Mike and Molly, S5E4 Gone Cheatin') Equating Victoria's cheating to a cell plan was really well orchestrated. -- After some initial resistance, I think Carl and Victoria's relationship is growing on me. Carl is really good to her. -- ::shudder:: Vince and the "apple juice."

**(Chicago Fire, S3E8 Chopper) Of course Boden's and Donna's pregnancy is in jeopardy. He works for the Cursed Firehouse. Why would it go smoothly? -- Awkward: Casey and Dawson listening to Severide and Brittany's bedroom antics. -- I can't imagine searching a neighborhood, looking for pieces of a helicopter that came apart and fell randomly on people from the sky. Where do you even start? I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it. -- There sure are a lot of explosions on this show. -- Brittany shows up too many places. She's very needy and very dependent and something is just...up with her. -- Too much tension all at once. Casey trying to pull the kid out of his own blood pool before it reaches the live power line and electrocutes them both. Severide in the chopper, releasing the two passengers trapped inside, as the lines holding it fray and the ledge it's teetering on crumbles. Brett treating a criminal who pulls a gun on her. -- "This goes no further,"my behind. Now everyone thinks Cruz and Brett are together when that's not at all what the real secret is... OMG. They *do* know the truth! And all showed up for class. LOL! That is awesome and hilarious. -- Uh, Brett? When someone is following you while you're driving, especially after you had a run in earlier with a guy who is clearly shady and combative, why would you pull into a deserted alley instead of driving to the police station or back to the firehouse or *anywhere* public?? -- Awww, it's a boy for Boden.

**(Chicago Fire, S3E9 Arrest in Transit) I think it's time we learn Brittany's real story. -- Brett, you fool! Cruz is a good guy! GO ON A DATE. -- Dawson needs to remember her professionalism when she and Casey are on duty. As soon as they are on the clock, she is the candidate and he is the boss. End of story. And she needs to stop having moments with Mills as a result of having her pride smacked down by a necessary reprimand. -- Mouch: Guys, I don't know what happened. I was just being friendly, asking about glass eyes, which is a bonafide interest of mine, and all of a sudden, I have a date. ... LOL at Mouch. An unintentional dating dilemma with his eye doctor when he's already dating Trudy, and his interest in glass eyes. -- Nothing like having a mob boss ticked off at you because his son died on the way to the hospital from "secondary drowning," huh, Mills? -- Good lesson for Dawson and Casey, seeing the man run into a burning building for his wife, and hearing Herrmann say he would do anything for Cindy, no matter what happened to him. -- I don't get why Brittany facing her parents after the guilt of driving the car in the accident that killed her sister means that she and Severide are over. If she goes to Florida to see her parents, is there some rule that says she can't ever return to Chicago?

**(Chicago Fire, S3E10 Santa Bites) So Mills gets to go from a mob boss being ticked at him to Casey's cold shoulder because he walked in on Mills holding Dawson's hand in a moment of friendly comfort. Not the best day. -- It bothers me that Donna was mad that Boden was against hyphenating the baby's last name, saying he didn't even give it some thought, when she had already clearly made up her mind on the subject and was just expecting him to go along with it. The man has a right to his own feelings on whether or not he wants his child to have a hyphenated version of his last name. No rule says a woman must always get her way. -- Oh, Casey, you naughty boy. A night of (assumed) indiscretion and suddenly you're all ready to let bygones be with Dawson? -- Predictability: Molly's 2 was going to have something to do with filling that boot for the chaplain and his soup kitchen. Casey and Dawson were going to end up on the rocks. -- On that token, things I *didn't* see coming: Mob boss maybe wasn't sincere in telling Mills he was no longer blaming him for the loss of his son. The guy started the fire that nearly killed his wife. The food truck would be donated to the chaplain to use as a rolling soup kitchen. Donna would be the one to "give in" on the hyphenated last name. -- Speaking of Donna, I thought her pregnancy was high risk, something to do with her placenta and potentially hemorrhaging out? So how is it that she delivered the baby in the fire truck without issue and the problem is with the baby having aspirated meconium, with no mention or concern whatsoever about Donna's risk?

**(CSI, S15E7 Road to Recovery) I wonder if that's true, that the refractory pattern of a diamond is or can be its "fingerprint" that can be used to identify it? I take this show with a grain of salt, since I am reasonable about the fact that they often need to be creative for the purposes of entertainment, but that doesn't stop my curiosity on how much is realistic. -- Nick sure had a predisposition about the rehab charging $8000/week. Turns out it had nothing to do with the case. -- My first guess was the husband, but the guy who was in rehab so he wouldn't lose his kids was my second guess, because he immediately seemed like the least obvious person to attack the victim. I've seen a lot of CSI.

**(CSI, S15E8 Rubbery Homicide) I'll say this: the fact that this show is based in Vegas means they can go in some truly strange directions with cases. These rubber doll suits are unnerving. Especially when they were all crowding around Greg, staring and leaning in. -- Greg: What made you think I was a cop? Interviewee: Please. There's thirty one flavors of freak in here. In walks Mr Vanilla, scanning the place, like some kind of Nordic Terminator? -- I would have guessed the son was the killer, not the daughter, and I certainly never saw her motive coming.

**(CSI, S15E9 Let's Make a Deal) I totally understood Greg's revulsion about all the germs in the medical module at the jail. Yuck. -- It seems that prison politics are very complicated.  Who's ratting out who, and who has the power and why. -- I have to admit I laughed when the FBI suddenly wanted to work with LVPD, after refusing to work together initially, when LVPD cracked their case in a way that jeopardized the FBI's hunt for a dirty detective. -- The guy who ended up committing the murder had my pity. I would have struggled to find him guilty after learning that he had been raped as a nine-year-old child by the man he later killed. -- Is it me or does George Eads look thinner lately? -- Wow. I never would have guessed that Nick had a secret in his past, that he too had been assaulted as a boy. I wonder if that will tie into his departure at the end of the season?

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E10 Fall) The Shattered Sight Curse is the coolest looking of all the curses inflicted on Storybrooke. -- LOL: The pirates vs wizards debate. "Pirates are better because they can be bought." -- Regina: Look at this mess. A good mayor checks that these things are kept up to code. Mary Margaret: Yeah, well, if the mayor only has to worry about one villain, and it's *herself*, that frees up a lot of time for infrastructure. -- Regina: I should know better than to trust blondes by now. -- Anna [to Hans]: You rolled around in gold bars? Weird. And ouch. -- This show takes crazy timelines to a whole new level. Anna and Kristoff and Arendelle were frozen by Ingrid for thirty years? And the trunk scene is happening now, at the same time Emma and Elsa are searching for Anna? -- Anna [to Elsa, upon Anna seeing Storybrooke for the first time]: What a funny looking world. ... Finally!! I was wondering why no one ever verbalized that about Storybrooke before, after arriving here from Fairy Tale. -- Nothing like having to save everyone while toting a newborn baby around, huh, Emma?

**(Sleepy Hollow, S2E11 The Akeda) LOL at Ichabod after taking a motorcycle ride: "I want one of these as soon as this is over!" -- When Ichabod was insisting that Abraham tell them where Moloch was located or he'd run him through with Methusalah's sword, I started to get annoyed. The man/demon HAS NO HEAD. He cannot *tell* them *anything*. Good thing for Katrina's amulet and magic witch powers that allowed Abraham to have a head for everyone. -- "All magic comes with a price"...? Who's been watching Once Upon a Time? -- I really feel for Ichabod, walking in to hear Katrina talking to Abraham. No matter how much he loves her, he's a human being and all her other betrayals has to make her "sweet nothings" nearly unbearable. She had that outburst from him coming. Although he *does* call her "my love" when they're in the church with Henry so... -- Bloody hail. Oh how I love a good play on words. (Say it out loud. I couldn't stop giggling.) -- I'm glad they finally figured out that they needed less run-of-the-mill weaponry to execute this planned attack. -- I think it's amusing that Katrina is fighting the apocalypse in a bustier. -- I want to be sad that Irving is dead, but I'm never sure when something like that is actually permanent in this show. -- Abbie: Don't thank me yet. You haven't heard my plan. ... At least she's honest. -- Twice, I expected a scene to be the midseason finale cliffhanger: when Irving lay dying and when Henry grabbed Methuselah's sword and turned it on the witnesses. I never expected him to use it on Moloch. So... now what? If he turns to the side of good, the show is essentially over. Does he plan on taking over all of Hell?

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E11 Shattered Sight) As a WDW frequenter, I immediately associated Madame Faustina as a veiled nod to Madame Leota. -- Madame Faustina [looking for payment for her reading]: And how will you express your gratitude? Ingrid: Thank you. -- The concept of the Shattered Sight Curse is actually rather scary when you consider it. Each of us acting like and seeing one another as the worst versions of ourselves, until we finally turn on each other. All the snarking between characters, though, was making me laugh. -- Regina [affected by the spell and seeing her Storybrooke style]: What the hell am I wearing? -- Emma [seeing Regina's Fairy Tale attire for the first time]: How do you walk in that thing? Regina: With the poise and composure of a queen. -- Hook [after Henry calls him a dirty pirate]: Dirty? I bathe quite frequently, thank you very much. ... I'd go with you, Hook. (Ahem.) -- Henry's marble move: right out of Home Alone! -- The "memory magic" from Arendelle was kinda cheesy. -- LOL: The guy in the streets of Storybrooke, trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue after the Shattered Sight Curse was undone...Dopey, I presume? -- Now what are we going to do with Gold and his plan to escape Storybrooke, free himself from the power of the dagger, and kill Hook? Because...no.

**(CSI, S15E10 Dead Rails) Zoe "knew Jimmy but hadn't seen him in years"? She looks barely 18! -- Kind of a meh episode. Billiards and hustling. The woman who accidentally hit Jimmy was the same one who thought she'd killed him the first time. Nothing all that inventive or shocking. In fact, the most shocking thing was that Crawford showed a hint of personality.

**(CSI, S15E11 Angle of Attack) Victims hit by cars in back to back episodes? (I wonder how many people would have caught that though. I'm watching DVR backlog and just finished the previous episode.) -- What the heck? A runaway, jet-propelled flying suit? A captain with a seizure whose brain just started bleeding out of his head? What is going on in the Air Force? -- Well, I did not see the motive coming in this one. I thought it was the wife, not the man Captain Holland was secretly involved with.

**(CSI, S15E12 Dead Woods) I do like that we're getting more personal details about the crew. Last time, Nick, this time, Sara. -- I keep wondering if this was an actual revisit to an old CSI case?I swear I remember a similar type story line from a show I watched in the past. -- I knew it! I knew that taxidermy guy was involved the second they showed up in his shop.

**(Elementary, S3E1 Enough Nemesis to Go Around) LOL: The reunion between Sherlock and Watson at the brownstone, when Watson was there looking at Sherlock's books and stumbled upon him back there, wearing a strange helmet. -- I'm almost afraid to put this into actual words, for fear it won't last, but they may have actually fixed the volume issue with this show. I didn't feel the need to crank up the volume on the tv to the point that I was concerned I'd damage the television's speakers, in order to understand what they were saying. -- I didn't pick up on it the first time Watson and Kitty met, in the park, but the second Watson's "stalker" popped up, following her, I strongly suspected she was Sherlock's new protege. I also knew that when Watson disappeared around that street corner, she'd noticed she was being trailed and would be lying in wait to confront her. -- I'm glad they didn't drag out whether or not Joan was going to allow Sherlock to resume working with the police department. But despite her agreement, I'm also glad they are still on somewhat stiff, strictly professional terms. It feels...real. -- Did Sherlock seriously bring Watson a pack of hangers as a housewarming gift? -- What a weird vague exchange between Watson and Kitty, about how they came to be who and where they are now.

**(Elementary, S3E2 The Five Orange Pipz) It's interesting to watch Sherlock and Watson navigate their new dynamic, of working in the same circle, sharing ideas, but not working as a team. -- I'm with Joan. Kitty is kind of an annoying addition. I think that may be the point, but still. Even if she has a sympathetic backstory. -- The first two episodes of this season, the cases seemed to have taken a backseat to the adjustment of the dynamic between Sherlock, Watson, and Kitty. I like that. This show has always been at its best when the case-of-the-week is a vehicle for delving into and advancing the interpersonal relationships of the characters. -- Now I wanna know what was in the Kitty file Watson was reading.

**(Elementary, S3E3 Just a Regular Irregular) Phil Simms! Secret professional knife thrower! LOL!! -- LOL: Beka's face when she handed Sherlock a dog treat, to make friends with her dog, and he took a bite of it. -- Three episodes in, now, and I'm almost convinced that they truly have corrected the low volume issues of the two previous seasons. -- So Kitty was a rape victim that was abducted and held prisoner. I'm curious how choosing this as her backstory will define her character. -- Sherlock has come a long way. He realized he'd hurt Harlan's feelings, when HE had thought Sherlock considered him a friend, then stopped using his services as a math consultant, Sherlock not only recognized it, but went the extra mile to mend the relationship.

**(Elementary, S3E4 Bella) LOL: Sherlock in a mind game with a doll that speaks for an artificial intelligence. -- Did Joan tell Kitty to use the fire extinguisher on Sherlock if he started destroying things?! -- The relationship between Sherlock and Watson has matured into *exactly* the type I had hoped. Mutual respect. Equals. Genuine understanding and affection. Witty banter. No romance. -- Interesting. No real resolution to the case! The only show that ever seems to toy with this outcome is Law and Order.

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E12 Heroes and Villains) When Hook refused to do Gold's dirty work and asked "what are you going to do about it?" since, you know, Gold has already promised to kill Hook when he's done with him anyway, I had to nod in agreement. I've often wondered why people just comply. -- Every time I see the Fantasia broom, I giggle. -- LOL: Henry calling Belle "Grandma." -- The flashback of Belle getting lured away by a Dalmation and captured by Cruella De Vil was...odd. -- I knew it was too easy for Regina that Robin picked her. Of course he has to cross the one-way line at the edge of Storybrooke and be (potentially) gone forever, in order to save Marian from the frozen curse. Broke my heart for Regina. -- And so we say goodbye to the Frozen portion of the story. It wasn't as contrived as I feared it might have been. -- For the sake of continuity, I have to ask: When we met Ariel, Regina was Ursula. So why is Ursula someone else now? -- The scene when the stars in the sky started to line up with the stars in the Sorcerer's Hat was impressive. Most of the CGI in this show makes me roll my eyes, but a couple of times now, recently, they've actually done some visually appealing stuff. -- Oh, thank God, Hook has been spared. I would have been devastated. -- I never saw it coming that Belle would discover that Gold had been keeping the real dagger from her and would use it not only to stop his evil plan but to banish him forever. What an excellent twist. -- Emma shows up at Granny's Diner and pulls up at the counter next to Regina, who is mourning the loss of Robin, and offers to do shots with her. Since when is Granny's also a bar?! -- I love love LOVE where they are taking this story. Henry stumbling upon The Author's room of blank books, and showing it to Emma and Regina. And Gold, now in New York City, tracking down Ursula, Maleficent, and Cruella, for some master plot. Heroes and Villains and Happy Endings, here we come!

**(Elementary, S3E5 Rip Off) Sherlock: Paranoia is the byproduct of being consistently right. You should aspire to it. -- All the test dummies hanging around the brownstone cracked me up. -- I wonder if Sherlock will ever confront Watson about the book she was writing about him. -- Captain Gregson has a daughter? Who is a police officer? And it's taken this long for her to be revealed?

**(Elementary, S3E6 Terra Pericolosa) Sherlock [to Watson, after she offers a few too mnay opinions about Kitty]: Get your own protege, Watson. -- I couldn't get into the maps story, but I'm enjoying Sherlock's growth and character evolution, the new dynamic between Sherlock and Watson, and the normal volume which appears to be here to stay.

**(Elementary, S3E7 The Adventure of the Nutmeg Concoction) Ooo! Missing person case! Nice change of pace from the usual murder. -- Watson: You're scrolling too fast! Sherlock: I'm speed reading. You moved out before we got to that portion of your training. -- LOL: horizontal refreshment as a euphemism for intercourse. That ranks right up there with coitus. -- Because of course Sherlock has a "smell guy" he knows only as The Nose. -- Actors who formerly played bad guys on other shows always make me unjustifiably suspicious when they appear in another show I watch. In this case, Christian Camargo, who played the Icetruck Killer on the first season of Dexter.

**(A to Z, S1E10 J Is for Jan Vaughan) Andrew is so stinking cute "tooting" after saying "not to toot my own horn." (To clarify, he actually said "toot!" in a high voice.) -- It was pretty hilarious to watch Andrew and Zelda compete at matchmaking for their best friends. -- I called Stephie and Stu "reconnecting" during their sadness over their respective relationships imploded. -- Zelda with the zinger, asking "Should I come to the window and watch?" when Andrew thinks he's about to get in major trouble at work. -- Awww! Zelda's new beau brought her $420 worth of flowers, after he accused her of stealing his $420 when he slipped away to buy them breakfast and she misunderstood, thinking he'd slipped out and left her money because she was a hooker.

**(Elementary, S3E8 End of Watch) Sherlock: I'm not a man prone to sharing my secrets. ... This is the sort of sentiment I can really appreciate. -- I'm starting to wonder if they will ever fix the brownstone to any extent. It's shabbiness is particularly depressing. -- I like that Sherlock takes protecting sobriety, both his own and his fellow AA attendants', so seriously.

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2014: Wishlist Reprise

Let's see how I did on my 2014 Wishlist, shall we?

1. I think I want to work on acquiring my passport. I don't have any plans to leave the country or anything, but I like being able to show a form of id that isn't my social security card. Not so much. I don't even have a good reason, other than I mostly forgot about it, and the few times it crossed my mind, I was doing something like sitting in an airplane or waiting in line at Disney, and couldn't actually act on the thought...and then I forgot about it, again.

2. Last year's goal of commenting on ten blog posts per day ended up feeling a bit out of reach in practice. I think I will shoot for three to start. Fail. I was perpetually three weeks behind on reading and too self-conscious to "admit that openly" by commenting when I read.

3. I *will* be current on my feed reader, within two to three days. A couple of times, I got within two weeks...and then it slipped away again.

4. I'd like to try for at least one new recipe each month. We missed two out of ten months, but totaled twenty new recipes, so I count this as a success!

5. Lest I bite off more than I can chew again, I think, perhaps, completing one Pinterest project each season is a good place to start. I really just wasn't into using Pinterest for project collection in 2014. It was really more just a place for me to gather ideas for home decorating.

6. This year's reading goal: forty books! I made it to 34, but, in my defense, two of those books were in the +700 page category, which should count as two books, in my humble opinion, so that number really would have been 36. I knew I was pushing it with 40, but how else do we challenge ourselves, if not by seeing just how far we can reach?

7. I'd like to complete another photo-a-day project, but I think I'd like to try out my own format this year... Wild success. I didn't miss a single day! And I loved the format I created for myself.

8. Find some "things" to hang on the walls in our house. I hesitate to say "artwork," because I feel like that indicates paintings or something. I don't think that's my taste, for the most part. But I love the few things we've put up so far and I want to find some more things to dress up our empty walls. I've gathered some ideas but I have yet to pull the trigger. Mostly due to the expense. I need to start thinking of it in terms of baby steps. I don't need them all at once. At least I know what I'd like now!

9. I *will* tackle my old nemesis: The Stack of Magazines. I'm done seeing this on my list. Done, I tell you! I managed to stay current, as in there are currently no 2014 issues hanging around. They were all browsed, ideas were collected or used, and then went promptly into recycling when the next month's issue arrived. It's the backlog that's taunting me still. I'm telling myself that the pile didn't grow, even if it went down less than I hoped. 

10. I'm not sure how lofty I can make this goal, but I'd like to scan in...oh...a hundred of my old photos? The final tally was 41. It took longer than I anticipated, mostly because I didn't factor in any editing. I'm pleased with what I accomplished though.

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: December 2014

1) A photo of me:


2) Candle scents* this month:
Cinnamon Caramel Swirl (Bath and Body Works). Cranberry Pear. Moonlight Harvest. Amber Glow. Pumpkin Ginger Bark. Cider Web. Fresh Balsam (Bath and Body Works). Caramel Pecan Pie. Red Berry and Cedar. Winter (Bath and Body Works). Farmhouse Apple. Vanilla Snowflake (Bath and Body Works). White Christmas. Luscious Plum. Mandarin Cranberry. Candy Cane Lane. Christmas Eve. Sparkling Pine. Holiday Bayberry. Mistletoe. Jack Frost.

3) What I am reading this month (you can find me on Goodreads!):
The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway) - It's funny, to me, to read books considered classics and wonder, a little, how they got to be such. The book was easy enough to read, although I find Hemingway's style to be a bit clipped and abrupt in its delivery, but it gets on my nerves a little when the characters repeat themselves within the same conversation. His choice of simple text leaves it clear what is being conveyed, so the repetition seems to serve no real purpose. I guess I also prefer there to be some sort of plot, and this was the sort of story that is just like jumping into and out of the lives of these characters for just the duration of the book, without any real point or resolution. There is also something just generally unlikable about this particular generation, at least as they are portrayed in literature. Much as I felt while reading "The Great Gatsby," I didn't find a single character I liked, even in passing moments.
The Diplomat's Wife (Pam Jenoff) - Such a great story. The characters were likable. The story sucked me right in. A little bit love story, a little bit spy mission. I got a sneaking sense, fairly early on, about a key factor in the story, which proved correct, but there were at least two twists I never saw coming. This book was easy to read, difficult to put down, sad to see end, and successfully immersed me so well in the story, I would find myself trying to read faster and faster during some the more intense scenes.
A Red Herring Without Mustard (Alan Bradley) - Flavia de Luce continues to amuse me. She's such a clever, multi-layered character. I enjoyed the plot of this story, but what I enjoyed more was learning more about Flavia, seeing some softer parts to her thoughts, and getting some more information about Harriet. I do remain confused how their last name is de Luce, presumably from their father, and Buckshaw is the de Luce family home. So...why do they remain in danger of losing Buckshaw, because Harriet didn't leave a will? Apparently they cannot transfer ownership to the Colonel and their financial situation would clearly prevent them from buying it, but why was Harriet, only a de Luce by marriage, the owner of the de Luce ancestral home in the first place? Was this explained in book one and I just missed it?
At Wit's End (Erma Bombeck) - With the crazy pace of the holiday season, I opted for something fairly easy and light. Something I could pick up and put down quickly, and would require minimal brain power.

4) Calendar image for the month:

Oh man, this makes me miss the possibility of a white Christmas.

5) New recipes tried this month:
Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie - Fairly easy and *very* tasty!
Cheesy Sausage Balls - A new recipe T tried for Christmas morning breakfast. We want to tweak this one a little though.
Herbed Potato Gratin - We (and by 'we', I mean T) made these for Christmas dinner. They are labor-intensive (so weekends or holidays only, for us, at least) and there is not a single healthy thing about them, but they are super delicious!

6) Restaurants where I ate:
Metro Burger Bar (or something like that?) - it was this counter you sat at that has iPads for ordering and then your food was delivered to your seat within 20 minutes and I wish I remembered anything else about this, but it was late, we had a ton of weather-related delays to deal with, and we had limited time until our connection, so my attention to detail was minimal. Bonefish Grill for our standing New Year's Eve date.

7) Five things I am loving this month:
1. Christmas lights. They make me a perpetual child.
2. Christmas treats. They also make me a perpetual child.
3. Being off work from noon on Christmas Eve until Monday, January 5, and only using three vacation days, thanks to weekends and paid holidays.
4. A Christmas visit from Daniel. Used to be I'd travel west for a few between Christmas and New Year. Now he travels east. It gives me the opportunity to reciprocate all the hospitality he showed me for years!
5. Tracking down the Neige Bubble that I so enjoyed during Food and Wine Fest to be our bubbles for New Year's Eve.

8) Three goals I had this month and three goals for next month:
1. I want to have Christmas in the mail by December 15. (It was the 16th. Close enough.)
2. It's been a long time since I visited the Disney hotels, to see them decorated for Christmas. Too long. (I almost went, but then it was raining, and the thought of traipsing through the rain, back and forth from parking lots to hotels killed my will. Maybe next year.)
3. Tackling my To Do List of odds and ends projects while I am off work from noon December 24 through Sunday, January 4. (All but two items! The DVR was reasonably cleared out -- I'm caught up on everything but Grey's Anatomy and Parenthood -- and whittled away at a good stack of magazines. I weeded out some clutter. I got myself nearly current on my blog reading. The only two things I still need to tackle are the music files/iTunes situation on my new-ish laptop, and getting my new planner set up the way I want it.)

1. Finally get my music files sorted and iTunes loaded onto the laptop.
2. Set up my 2015 planner.
3. Get to WDW at least twice, while the crowds are somewhat lower and the weather is somewhat cooler.

9) The best part of this month and the worst part of this month:
The best: Being at WDW when it's all festive and dressed up for Christmas.
The worst: T coming down with something flu-ish right before New Year's Eve. I hate when he feels poorly.

10) A photo I took this month:


*All scents are Yankee Candle, unless otherwise noted.

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