If you didn't know it before now, it's news

Thursday, December 29, 2005

A New Walnut Is On The Way!




One of my oldest and dearest friends is currently with walnut. Actually, since the new baby is only about a centimeter at the moment, it's more like a pumpkin seed (or a peanut?).

I feel more auntie duties are on the horizon for me.... And congrats to my sistah, little T!!!!

And it is a possibility that this baby was conceived on a recent trip to Italy. I myself was conceived in Spain (my parents didn't take their big honeymoon until they had been married for 10 years). Someday I'll probably get a tattoo on the bottom of my ass that looks like a stamp and reads, "Made in Spain" or "Hecho en EspaƱia" take your pick!

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

What Happened to White Christmas?


We had more snow this season before Christmas than we had in YEARS! So much so in fact, that I was really regretting my decision not to buy a snowblower when I bought my new house. We had well over a foot of snow on the ground a week or two before Christmas. Then the strangest thing happened.... it got warm out!

It has been over 32 degrees every day for the past week? Two weeks? The snow is all melting and because it's too damn warm out, instead of snow we are getting RAIN. It rains nearly every day.

This rain is a problem, because it is still WI after all, so it's freezing at night. This leads to freezing rain (every driver's nightmare) and black ice (very, very bad news).

The forecast for the next week is some variation of "Mostly cloudy with areas of fog, drizzle, freezing drizzle, light sleet, or flurries. Mostly cloudy and breezy with drizzle and flurries changing to light rain and snow (precipitation changing to snow at night with minor accumulations of an inch or two possible)."

Bumper cars with real cars, ah, good times.

Monday, December 26, 2005

The Day After Sales

Holy Man!

I had an idea, to get some gifts that I know I need for people this year by going shopping at the after Christmas sales, which began this morning. Many, MANY other people had the same idea!

I set my alarm to get up early (way too early considering I spent 13 hours Christmas-ing and traveling yesterday) and packed Aldo into the van and drove off to Target. I was thinking that maybe they would open around 7:00 AM.

When I pulled into the Target parking lot at 7:02 AM, it was PACKED! Not only was the lot packed, the store was packed. I think there was a cashier on every register.

The Christmas items were ALREADY picked over by the time I got there (did they open at 6:00?) and it was more crowded than anything I've dealt with lately.

I shopped for about an hour and then spent a half an hour in line. It was still worth it though as many excellent gifts were purchased!

When I got back out to the car, little Aldo was sleeping soundly. A little shopping never fazed him (and he's so good at waiting in the car).

Most of my actual Christmas revolved around getting gifts for my mom, dad, aunt and Grandma. Oh, and ALL of their dogs (2 for mom and dad, and one each for Aunt and Grandma).

I can't believe how many balls, squeaky toys, jingle collars, Greenies, and rawhides were purchased for the 4 legged members of our family. And miss Lexa (she just turned 2, but my folks got her last January so it's our first x-mas) was a good car rider. THANK GOD! Dogs that are bad car riders are only allowed to ride in my car once!

I spent the rest of the day doing dishes, paying bills, doing laundry, cleaning up a few rooms, unpacking more boxes, etc.... All that domestic bullshit that I wish I had enough money to hire out. I'm hiring all that junk out someday!

I watched Elf too, because it is such a cute (and funny) movie. And as a musician, I must say, the music freaking ROCKS in that film!

Merry-merry to all!

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Wisdom, as Read in a Proverb


This couldn't be more true:

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.

-Chinese Proverb

Now quit interrupting me, I have work to do! ; )

****

Also, welcome to the world my sweet beautiful niece, little Esse K. I haven't even met you yet, but I love you so much! I promise to visit in the hospital tonight. Can you believe it, I'm an AUNTIE?!?!? If I say it out loud I'm going to start crying again. What an excellent Christmas present for the whole family!

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Mele Kalikimaka

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day

That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway

Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night

Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."


It's been in my head all day..... I suppose it could be worse. Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 15, 2005

From my sis

My pal (and sistah) little T sent me this. Amazingly, it's a forward that I've never seen before!

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the
statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the
middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their
maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a
warning to others.

* Never buy a car you can't push.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you
won't have a leg to stand on.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the
world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty
and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all
have to live in the same box.

* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Status Quo

All systems will remain as they have been. I had the greatest interviews, and was convinced something was on the verge of happening (I always feel like all this momentum eventually has to cause SOMETHING to change for the better).

Nope.

I got two (TWO) letters in the mail yesterday telling me, "Thanks Phaedra, but, um, no thanks." One of those supervisors had even called and checked my references!!!! Damnit.

No new job for me for x-mas. It was all I really wanted.....

But in the America's Next Top Model recap on televisionwithoutpity the writer stated, "Nicole gets worse and worse and I laugh a tiny bit with glee, because what good is life if you can't enjoy the misfortunes of others? ["That's what the holiday season is all about, really." -- Wing Chun]"

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Aldo Claus


Merry X-mas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

My page-per-day dog calendar reads for today, "Dogs are our link to Paradise." -Milan Kundera

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Europe, so Far!


I hope to expand this European map soon. For now, here are the Countries visited.

Thanks Jamie for pointing out that I forgot the State where I began my college career! Missouri (misery) must not have been all that memorable!

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

24

Beginning this afternoon, I have THREE job interviews in under 24 hours.

Something good has to happen. PLEASE let something good happen from all of this. Keep fingers crossed people!!!

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Bush Tracker

Bush Tracker

Be sure to check this one out in your free time (perhaps bookmark it). It's well thought out, and has my stamp of approval (for whatever that's worth!).

States I've Seen, So Far


Because Erin did this on her blog.... here are the states I've been to. I hope I'm not forgetting anything!

They had a country one, but it didn't look as impressive. I've been to three continents, but Japan and Taiwan are so small, and the rest of the world so big that it didn't look how I thought it would. Apparently, I've only been to 4% of the countries in the world (with 8 countries and 3 continents under my belt).

I mistakenly thought I was well traveled!

Could This Be Love?



I am finding out more info about adopting this good, sweet girl into my home. Hopefully, she can help Aldo be a better dog too.

Her name is currently Molly, but can easily be changed to Moxie. She was found stray outside of Chicago.

She's a Tibetan, and full grown at 30 lbs.

I do think I'm in love!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Careful What You Wish For!

I had a moment yesterday, like that bad movie Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley, where I may have gotten my wish, but not the circumstances surrounding it.

In the movie, the devil gives him exactly what he wishes for, but puts a terrible twist on each wish. For example, he wishes to be the richest and most powerful man in the world and married to a certain girl. She makes him a drug lord, constantly being shot at, etc... and although he's married to the right woman, she's miserable and having an affair with someone else.

I wished to no longer work for my boss. But when I wished that, I wished for ME to be the one with a fabulous new job. Nope. My boss gave notice yesterday. He'll be around for another month and then he's gone.

I am not going to be able to successfully complete anything at my current job without him there because he has filtered so much information to me, kept me at an arm's length away from all the information and decision making processes that I WILL fail with him gone. So now I need a new job ASAP!!!!!

Especially with the holidays on the horizon, careful what you wish for!