Happy New Year...hopefully the bad juju is gone.

I give to you what I think is one of the coolest pictures I have taken of inatimate objects this year - well, the Orchestra is live, but...

I do this to bring peace and joy for 2009 and a swift kick in the ass to the pessimissim and bad juju that followed me in 2008...kiss my sweet white a@@ 2008 - I will be glad to be rid of you forever.

(while I realize it was an historic year and all...it was not the best year for me professionally...so suck it 2008.)

She is probably coming to Wisconsin with us.

Here is what we got - it looks so awesome in her room too!

Merry Christmas to all...

Every year there are the families that send you "The Christmas Card Letter". Or what is more commonly viewed as "The Brag Rag". Some are funny - Susie you know who you are - and some are just news about what happened in the last year.

I find it the most strange when you get one from people you see a lot - but then there are the Christmas Letters you get from people you NEVER see EVER.

Like I mean 2 times in the last 20 years I have seen these people - once on purpose and once by accident.

What is it about them that keeps me on their Christmas Letter list? Why do they bother? I mean every time I saw them it was - Oh we HAVE to get together, blah, blah, blah, blah. But, nothing ever happens. And the woman in this duo was one of my BEST friends in college - until, "the incidents".

First incident - she tells her dad she is marrying the guy and he cuts her off. So, now she has to move in with the guy...instead of me. (okay I understand this was not the end of the world, but I was excited to be roomates with her, okay?)

Second incident - I am over visiting them before I leave for my first radio job EVER. I used to get invited over for dinner all the time after they got married, but this was right after their daughter was born - so I just went over bearing gifts and to see this miracle baby. (she had a form of epilepsy and was NOT supposed to have a baby! She now has THREE kids) She corners me in the kitchen and starts GRILLING me about going back to college and getting a REAL JOB??? Like huh? You are not my mother - she is EXCITED for me, my aunt AND my grandmother were dj's in there day sister.

BACK OFF!!!

So, I moved away and when I would come home to visit - I wouldn't call because I didn't have a degree. She did, but she was a "stay at home mom" so fat lot of good it did her.

I write all this because there annual letter came today and it talked about how they have been married now for NINETEEN YEARS...Twenty in June, I know because I was one of the two attendants in their wedding. I read it and wondered - Why? Why do I still get this letter?

I mean - it is FUNNY as heck. It is written like a "newspaper" and the first story this year is:

Area Woman Finds Unfettered Joy in Pre-School Teaching Job
Jealous husband seethes, contemplates feeling joy in his own damn job

And then at the bottom I saw that the hubby of the duo left email addresses at the bottom of the letter. In the spirit of the DAMN season...I will email her on Monday. I pinkie swear.

I mean, she will want to know I am about to get my degree next year, right?

Merry Chistmas - this is my blog so no damn Happy "lame" Holidays from me kids!

Enjoy your time with family and friends & throw in peace on earth for good measure.

Hey hey good lookin'! Whatcha' got cookin'?

When I was looking up gifts to give to Karen ZipDrive in the virtual Secret Santa - I came across this thing on BravoTV.com where they showed photos of the "HEARTTHROBS" of Top Chef - Spike, Harold and Ilan?? Give me a break! NOT HOT Bravo, not hot...even if Ilan resembles one my favorite celebrities just a little bit...

In my world to be considered a HOT chef you need to have one of these qualities:


1) Unabashed male insanity and attitude2) Gorgeous hair and a French accent3) Gorgeous eyes and mellow personality (dang, he is now MARRIED! *sigh*)4) Southern charm and a love of your wife

5) A million shows on Food Network and a cute laugh
6) A British accent and a good heart - even if you look chubby on tv these days Jamie, I would still want to see you naked. ;)

Now I am hungry again.

I can not imagine anything odder today.

Did you have trouble seeing your baby in your ultrasound? This creature is 8-9 months pregnant and it is BEYOND me what I am looking at - it is supposed to be a baby dolphin.

Secret Santa - usually I do not play...

I tried to be a good corporate employee and play in Secret Santa games several times, but I always ended up with someone I did not know AT ALL. And the results were that they made FACES when they opened what I thought were fine gifts. I mean DAMMIT I put a LOT of thought into finding just the right thing after asking about you.

And you make a FACE??

Kind of like this:

well, I am all for the season and the spirit - so I could not resist when I saw there was an opportunity to get creative with my giving...a VIRTUAL Secret Santa Gift Exchange -

Well, now we are talking!!! GAME ON!!!

I draw a wonderful woman Karen ZipDrive, who writes a blog called Pulp Friction

Karen, have you been a good girl this year? How about if we start you off with a nice home cooked meal courtesy of a Top Chef contestant -

No nibbling on the chef!

Then, I saw the most awesome bumper sticker!!!

No thanks are necessary...

And I went to Turkey to get you these great shoes, I think they are appropriate attire for the last supper at the White House.

Do not forget the convenient place to KEEP your shoes.

Then I saw you were having some trouble, Dear Karen, with your iPod iTouch, so iThought iWould get you this iClassy carrying case:

Stunning red leather for a happy holiday!

But why stop there? Why not get Dear Karen the whole kit and kaboodle from the local Mac Store???

Including a Airport - so she can have WiFi...

AND SINCE Dear Karen indicates she is "technology challenged" why not throw in some tech support???

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho HO!

I HATE BACON!!!

Okay, now that you want to string me up by my toenails, let me explain.

I love to EAT bacon, I hate the smell in the house after it is gone.
I love carmelized onions on a steak - I HATE the smell on my hands for three days or more.
I ADORE any kind of fish - but if the house smells after my hubby fries up some Walleye.

EWW GROSS!!

and that is why I tell you now that I will NEVER, EVER, EVER, ever in a million years, love you if you smell like a three day old Whopper.

If you must, it is only $3.99

My Friend Michelle and hubby Matt are FUN!

They went to the zoo(Minnesota) and filmed this AWESOME video of little J.

Selling Oscar

I so agree with the Academy on this one.

Things are too commercial - selling Oscar statues is just another sad symptom of this fact. It is like fraternity and sorority badges that you see on eBay. Granted none of us are famous, but according to most by-laws we only own our badge for our lifetime - it does not get passed along to heirs unless the National or International Headquarters gives special permission.

Some of you may think that I am wrong and that others should profit from tradition - but I had to say that I feel tradition is something valuable and wanted to share my agreement with the courts and the Academy in this case.

Our kids love their gifts...I have to remember that when I see the bills.

Can Anyone Afford a New Car?

So, the White House lame duck W says they are now stepping in and 'possibly' applying the Wall Street bailout to the Auto Industry.

Seriously? What good will it do to save Ford, GM and Chrysler now and see them fail later when NO ONE can afford to buy their cars anyway?

Huh? Really?

can you believe I actully cheered senate republicans this morning for not agreeing?

Elf-d!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Totally Crazy Weather - SNOW in So. LA?

In the vein of looking at the positve side...

From my house you can sometimes smell roasting coffee - no joke, I live just a mile from the Caribou Coffee HQ.

This morning I walked out to a CRISP & Sunny 5 degrees and there was a definite smell of roasting coffee beans. YUM.

Then we got to daycare and Shae was there just ahead...he got his coat off and spun around, Boo Boo La La said, "Shae, you are a SUPERHERO!" and as soon as she got off her boots and ran after him (one arm in the air) she cried out, "And I am SUPERGIRL - to the RESCUE!!!"

Fun, huh?

I try and try and try and try some more to be positive,(you saw the pictures from the walk - I took my baby to a nice concert at Orchestra Hall - I tell people nice things!) but I just keep having the negative creep up on me. Anything can trigger me feeling bad and wanting to cry - something someone says on the phone(even if they don't mean anything by what they said), the awful "Buy This Big Giant Christmas Gift" commercials, the news, an email...

I want to go back to bed and stay there for about a week. I do not want to drive anywhere, talk to anyone on the phone, argue with my friends, spouse, child or others, watch news, read bad things on the internet, or work out.

What I want is some rest, some cuddles, a back rub or two and some nice glasses of wine. Maybe an omlette with tomatoes, cheese and turkey.

And ladies and gentleman, she is SERIOUS

Fran Drescher wants to be a senator? She says being an actress is part of what has prepared her to take over for Hillary Clinton. Sure, I will buy that...Hillary has pretended she loves Bill all these years. ba-dum bump.

Thanks folks I will be here all week.

Yesterday it began to snow while I was at work and I called the hubby - "Hey it will still be snowing tonight. Do you know where the sleds are?" "OF COURSE - they are right inside the garage." - Okay, let's go for a walk and look at the lights on the parkway.

Here we are off on the parkway...Boo Boo was VERY excited about all the snow. She actually started telling us to "Hurry up and get your boots on!" while we were still eating dinner - just a salad, so not much to clean up.

After a bit she wanted to pull the sled herself....
Weren't we lucky her new snow pants arrived yesterday from Land's End? Mommy is a good shopper.

Back into the sled.

And MOMMY! Take a picture of THOSE lights......

(remember Mommy can't take super good pictures of lights in the dark.)

Happy walking in your winter wonderland!!!

I thought I was SOOOO Cool.

So the other night I am driving home and see the most amazing thing in the sky. And I think, "Woah! That is AMAZING, gotta getta picture of that!" So feebly I take my camera out and yah, not so good. I needed a tripod or something. But, later on the news I found out what it was that I was so AMAZED by was well know to lots of people. It was Venus, Jupiter and the Moon smiling on the earth. Did you see it too?

Are you jealous? We are pretty much done with our holiday shopping. I am going out to Etsy.com to see if I can finish...see I was having trouble with my SIL, but NOW - I think I know just what to get her...

Wish me luck.

Bedtime Struggle

So lately we have had ISSUES with a little girl staying in bed.

We can hear little feet running around and giggles...

We hear boxes tipping over and a kitty pouncing.

Last night I told Boo Boo La La not to get out of bed. So when I came up to brush my teeth I see a little hand poking out her door waving a sippy cup.

"Momma!"
do you need more water?
"Ya-haaaa. I no get out of bed."
nope you're in it - standing up, but you're in that bed alright. go to sleep!
"hee hee hee."

FYI - Boo Boo returned the tatoo favor to GMa.