if it's red or green and it's in our home, attack it!

hmm. (that's how i begin when it's been awhile and i really have no idea exactly where to begin). so i will just start with december, how's that? (rhetorical-your input is not valid here).

so, here's the deal. thanksgiving decided to come super late this year. thanks a lot, thanksgiving. (and at this point, you might be thinking, 'i thought she said she was starting with december.' i lied. my blog, my prerogative. unapologetic. but not really...i'm a little sorry...only not much). regardless, i was am grateful for much. i am not going to sit here and list everything that i am grateful for and bore you, but i will say that i did a lot of thinking over that break and what i am especially grateful for ( i just told you i wasn't going to do this, but i guess one word a list does not make...yoda logic...and once again unapologetic-for real this time) is relationships past and present.

ok, FF to december. we tried to get into the swing of things at school, but then we were graced with a snow  ice day that friday and it lasted through to monday, when our 2nd snow day was used up...boo. the only thing i hate more than losing a day to ice is losing 2 days to ice. we didn't get out to do anything. in fact, the electricity went out around 3 am on friday morning and lasted until about 5 p.m. saturday... i was not smiley face icon...i was more grumpy cat icon (if there even is one). we made the most of it. so...i like to be prepared-thankfully i had the emergency radio and was able to crank it for news and music...otherwise, i might have driven the boys crazy. and then we snuggled up on the couch and i wrote some of my Christmas letters.

um, yes, please notice the pen. this is one of TWO special pens i bought specifically for writing Christmas messages. it made all the difference. and yes i made a special trip just before the storm specifically to make that purchase. i'm serious about my pens.

 i pulled out all of my batteries, and then i found my camping stove that uses gel (which burns clean) and when it started to get a little chilly, i opened the hand warmers and put them in my socks and in my pockets. worked like a charm.

i used the little stove to heat up water for coffee-the old fashioned way, and i think i heated up some soup...then i took some of the refrigerator items and put them in the cooler and placed them on the balcony.

i'm pretty sure i'd do just fine in a cabin in the woods.

then monday came. i was supposed to be at a convention that day. when i woke up and watched the news, they were showing all sorts of video of people having difficulty maneuvering about on 'cobblestone ice'. so i decided to wait for awhile and see if it started to melt or look better. i decided to venture out and check it out myself-by delivering some mail to the post office (which was close) those roads were clear, so i felt guilty and decided i should try to make it over to the conference at the gaylord. got caught up a little and missed the afternoon session, so i went down to the exhibition hall and looked around (trying to avoid actually talking to any of the vendors). i did come across this next to the restroom:

hmm...now why would anyone build a non accessible closet...and then announce it? and on a placard none-the-less!! rich people.

the next two days were great because i actually went to some great sessions...okay, two were great, the third one i should have gotten up and walked out, even though the presenters came all the way from singapore; a piece of me is still mourning those 2 lost hours of my life (and i did write a Christmas card at that point...i'm sure layne will appreciate the mention of wishing for a cyanide tooth in her Christmas card).

yesterday when i was at petsmart, i saw a santa, and they said santa would be there til 4. i looked at my watch: 1:30. i rushed home, got out the shears, gave bruno and chaco a trim, and quickly hustled them out the door for pictures (we were running against the clock, i may or may not have left hair trimmings on the floor in our rush out the door-but this was important!) when we got there, there was a lady in the santa costume...well, the boys have never met santa before, and they are pretty perceptive...they now think santa is a lady...so i told them that santa is an elderly lady with lots of testosterone in her system, that's why all of the facial hair. chaco was like, "what? she's a tester of bones? i want her job!" selective hearing.

pretty sure if she were the real santa, she would've told chaco he wasn't getting a cat for Christmas because he was DEFINITELY barking at the little boy who came around the corner. he really doesn't like little kids. i don't know what the cut-off age is.

now they know santa. pretty sure chaco was done before we even started.

then i saw something on facebook that a friend posted about getting pics with the grinch. well, i thought this would be a very good idea. it would help a dog rescue team, AND more importantly, the boys would know the difference between santa and the grinch, and if the wrong one showed up on Christmas eve, they would know which one to freak out about...ok, for real though, i told them that if either of these crazies showed up in our place, they should attack!

we waited in line for a bit and a girl came out of the ice cream shop and rushed over to pet the dogs-let's face it, bruno and chaco just aren't very social. they don't like people in public. if you come to my place, they'll be all over you, otherwise, it's like you aren't even there. anyhoo,when i picked chaco up, the girl ran out again to pet him, and i saw his ears go back...he was good. then she turned around and he barked at her-and it wasn't a nice 'come-back-and-keep-petting-me' bark...it was more of a 'that's-right-you'd-better-turn-around-and-run-and-never-look-back' bark. yeah, so i'm thinking that the cut-off age is right around 4th-5th grade.

it's not the greatest pic, i am waiting for them to send their digital pic-i was moving, trying to get them to look at the real photog.

then we came home and did some photo shoots. we got a Christmas one for next year's card..

we may have to choose between this, santa and the grinch...

and then we went for something a little more sophisticated.

they'd seen a guy on facebook do this with his cats, and bruno was adamant that they would look great. we go to great lengths to keep 'em happy.

well, this is it, one final week of classes until we have a break! i have a few more Christmas messages to finish-hopefully i will find a free evening this week.

 make sure your pets know the difference between good and evil! (and rehabilitated) or just teach them to bark at everything-safer.
julie

who keeps eel bones around the house, anyway? no one, that's who.

i don't know about you, but i am somewhat bothered by the best buy commercials-the lady competing with santa and being saucy about it...i feel sorry for santa. is that strange? there is just something about elderly people, and respect...especially santa. i realize it's a commercial. i realize that santa isn.....(tell your children to skip this part) isn't real. but still, maybe it's the underlying theme behind it. the commercialism and competition at the expense of another just to be a winner.

most people know that i am not a crazy-big-jewelry wearer, but i do sport the smaller beads and more practical necklaces. i found some bead jewelry that i actually like the looks of, AND not only that, but it goes to help aids in rowan. one of my friends from kanakuk kamp (where i used to work for many summers), her name is joy (appropriately) and she has a heart for missions-especially in africa. please check out the site here, you might find something that you like, and it will certainly go toward a worthy cause. you know how sometimes there are organizations you are leery of, well, i actually read joy's blog about her time there, and she has some pictures posted in which she is planting trees with the widows and girls there-i am humbled by her commitment to love and serve in rowan. go joy!

new topic. i just saw a drano commercial on t.v. that made me want to watch Lord of the Rings tonight...i guess you'd have to have seen the men with the battering ram. oh, and i am really kinda dying for the hobbit to hit the screens (the rumor is that the trailer will be before the tin tin movies...smile). also seen on t.v. today was charlie's angels, only it wasn't the original angels...so i didn't watch the entire thing (kinda like the duke cousins...just not the same). does anyone really miss the fashion of the 70's?

i would VOMIT if i went to this gym! (and not from over exerting myself)

i had to open the windows today because there was lingering smell of dehydrated onion-which is not good once you're done dehydrating it! well, that has caused bruno and chaco to do a whole lot of barking. so finally i said, "guys, that is not the holiday spirit, you really need to stop now." chaco turned around and said, "but mama, we're saying merry Christmas type things..." and turned to growl again at the slamming car doors below.

and the only thing that really sounded good for dinner tonight was chinese/japanese and homemade eel sauce...only i found out why one of the web sites said it is rarely made at home (because normally it is made by dipping the eel bones in while simmering the other ingredients.)..ixnay on the eel bonesay...so instead i added a hint of citrus. smile. love it! and instead of the usual asian delivery guy, there was a hispanic man, which struck me a little weird, because usually when i go to a chinese restaurant, there are only chinese people working there...keepin' it in the family. so i prepared my plate and whipped out my handy dandy personal chopsticks (made in china and brought back by a friend who went on a mission trip). i love pulling them out to use every once in awhile. they are SO superior to the cheapies that you have to break apart.

yes, as a matter of fact, they do have their own carrying case. deal wid it!

and the fortune cookie-will prove to be true.

i am hoping to do something unique and fun this weekend-it's all about creating new traditions, right?

so, one of the gifts i got this year at school was a twin set of coffee mugs for on-the-go. well, i had one awhile back, but the lid broke and then it got lost at summer school. well, every time i was about to get a new one at bed bath and beyond, i talked myself out of it for trying to be practical. so i had this other travel mug that had a sunken hole, and it spilled on me a couple of times, so maria decided to help me out! love it and use it all of the time!

and the great thing about a twin set is that they always know what the other is thinking!

i also got this great set of utensils (which have the super-power of not melting; they're like shadrach, meshach and abednego in the fiery furnace), which i again have not trouble finding use for (in fact, i used one of the spoons tonight to make my fake eel sauce without the eel)...

the mixing bowl is perfect too, because it pours-pancake batter!

 and a third gift which i have put to use already since being home this break for obvious reasons:

sometimes a kiss just makes everything better.

the 4th gift was the tree, and sweet stationery-which i am prone to use quickly.

tomorrow i will be doing some preparing for this weekend. yea! if anyone is in the dallas area, looking for something a little different to do on Christmas eve, let me know.

julie