In The Beginning

Christmas is here! Just a couple of days and we'll be sitting around the tree sipping on hot chocolate or (drink of your choice) and opening gifts. All the hustle and bustle we've done over the past month, will be over in a few short minutes. In our efforts to take a minute to "stop and smell the roses"... basically take a breather... we headed to Bricktown friday night to relax! Dinner at Zio's and a walk along the canal and club hopping. What a good time!

New Lady

Ok... I visited the new Chiro last night and I like her! I gave her a list of my "you can't do this or that to me". I want her to use the Activator (and gave the ok to use the drop table), she can't twist or turn or yank me and I wont get naked. Yes, I actually had one chiro (many moons ago) want me to get naked for a treatment. You sported a nice white gown, but NOTHING else and it was open in the back. I wasn't really hip on that method.

She did my evaluation and determined a course of action plus she put me on the stretchy rolling table. The one where you lay down and these big rollers stretch your back and does it ever feel good! I felt like a million bucks last night and I feel wonderful today! I see her again tonight and her plan of action is twice for 6 weeks, then once a week for a few more weeks and then once every month or two. That is so much better than 3 times a week for four years!

Note: I didn't go to all my 3 appointments because I was self-diagnosing and determined (my personal course of action) that I didn't need to see him that many times, nor did I have the time.

Snap, Crackle, Pop

I'm going for a consultation with a new Chiropractor today. After several years of pretty much constant pain because "its going to hurt while doing manipulations because your back has been out of place and gotten used to it", I've had enough and i'm trying someone new. I didn't hurt before I started seeing Dr 90210, I just had this nice little curve in the middle of my back and I'd very frequently pop ribs out of place while in the gym. So, to get all that fixed I've been in pain for ever! Just not right I tell ya.

Sometimes I've wondered if they don't do things to you to make you feel bad... so you'll come back and get more treatments. Typically once you feel good, you stop going to the 'doctor'. I know they preach preventative treatments and that's all good however my "preventative" was 3 times a week which I changed (self medicating. haha) to once a week and I'd skip that if I felt good.

Crossing my fingers that new lady will get me all squared away in no time flat!

Oh, Stuff It!

Stocking stuffer ideas are hard to come by sometimes. Wait... no, I think of alot of cool things but they aren't really stocking stuffers. Unless your stocking is gargantuan size. My ideas of stuffers... are too big! But, I found a list of 101 ideas. Here goes:

1. Chocolate - any kind will do!
2. Mandarin oranges or exotic fruit such as star fruit
3. Lottery tickets
4. Lipstick - buy a wild shade of red
5. Cozy mittens or gloves
6. Personalized or Christmas print coffee mug or tea cup
7. Tire gauge
8. Picture frames - buy a plain wooden frame and wrap it with Christmas wrap, glue on Christmas ornaments, paint on holly leaves or apply Christmas stickers.
9. Silly Putty - fun for any age!
10. Baseball, golf ball, rubber ball....
11. Night light
12. Christmas ornament - home-made or store-bought
13. Unique kitchen gadget like an egg slicer, grapefruit spoon, garlic press, etc.
14. Deck of cards - search for one with unusual artwork
15. Hair accessories
16. A book or magazine
17. Magnifying glass
18. Gum or penny candy - buy the stuff that takes you back to when you were a kid
19. Pot pourri - create your own easy sachet by placing pot pourri in a lace handkerchief, gather the kerchief and tie with a silk ribbon
20. Novelty shoelaces
21. Stamp pad and stamps
22. Batteries
23. Decorative wine stopper
24. Journal or diary
25. Modelling clay
26. Touque or a scarf - hand-knit or purchase in a store - you can add your own personal touch to store bought by stitching on ribbon, bows, buttons or beads
37. Yo-yo
28. Home made cookies
29. Wallet or business card holder
30. Travel games
46. Coupons for fast food, or admission to museums or other attractions
32. Underwear or socks - be racy or pedestrian, your choice
33. Candles - and there are so many to choose from
34. Slinky
35. Popcorn seasoning or spices
36. Nail polish
37. Toothbrush
38. Airplane sized bottles of liquor
39. Packets of flavored hot chocolate or cider mix
40. Die cast metal car
41. Stationary or note cards
42. Bath beads, bubble bath or scented soap - make your own or go shopping
43. A copy of the gift recipient's favorite recipe - you can add some of the ingredients, too
44. Stickers
45. Pencil or pen - try a pen with purple ink, a giant pencil, a fountain pen, a twig pencil, etc.
46. Desk or wall calendar
47. Keychain
48. Soap dish
49. The hottest hot sauce you can find
50. Seeds - try heirloom seeds or native wildflower seeds
51. Fishing lures
52. Glasses case
53. Coloring book
54. Coasters
55. Incense
56. Paper pouches in novelty shapes
57. Craft supplies - paints, brushes, wooden cut-outs, embroidery thread, beads, doll heads, kits, etc.
58. House plant tools or decorative watering can
59. Sports water bottle
60. Vase
61. Mouse pad
62. Exercise bands or hand weights
63. Snow globe
64. Cold mask (the kind you store in the fridge and wrap around your face to relieve aches and stuffiness)
65. Travel mug
66. Photos of the gift recipient as a child
67. Christmas theme costume jewelry
68. A tool - hammer, screw driver, pliers, etc.
69. Harmonica
70. Sewing, knitting, woodworking, needlework patterns
71. Poster
72. Kaleidoscope
73. Decorative bottle opener or cork screw
74. Silly straws
75. Flashlight
76. Address book
77. Cedar balls for keeping closets and drawers fresh
78. Blank diskettes, cassettes, or CD's
79. Piggy bank
80. Kite
81. Jar of homemade jam or syrup or canned fruit
82. Decorative tea towels or hand towels
83. Hand held calculator
84. Jigsaw puzzle or other puzzle game
85. Tarot cards - they only work if you receive them as a gift!
86. Small wooden trinket box
87. Small stuffed toy
88. Napkin rings
89. Model airplane kit
90. Personal radio
91. Sidewalk chalk
92. Personalized birth chart or horoscope book
93. Thermal lunchbag
94. Sheet music
95. Film for the gift recipient's camera
96. Gift certificate for fresh flowers
97. Paperweight
98. Fridge magnets
99. Travel maps
100. Long distance calling card
101. Bird feeder

Good Tidings We Bring

The cards are in the mail!

I mailed them yesterday and the little postmaster lady said that a school came in right before me and mailed 3 big boxes of Christmas cards to the troops. That is awesome! I hope they make it to them in time and I do hope they enjoy them. I also hope they can read them! Some of those little guys crack me up. Their intentions are good and you can kind of make out what they meant. The pictures are the best! One little boy drew a tank and a soldier holding a machine gun (bigger than the soldier) and said "Merry Christmas!" How sweet is that. Not bad for a 4 year old :)

Round 1

I got the first round of Christmas cards laying on my desk. Whooohooo! I hope the troops like them ... they have certainly brought a smile to my face. Not only because we're able to do them, but because of what the students write. Some are so sweet and some are just... clueless. HA

Yesterday while the kids where designing and writing I was watching over their shoulders and one girl started with "To My Significant Other", and then proceeded to write about how she appreciates this and that and Merry Christmas. After my internal hysterical laughter fit and then switching to potential child stalker scenerios and everything else that could go bad (I always switch to a dark side at some point. haha) I convinced her that addressing the card as such probably isn't a good idea and maybe should change it. She said "I dont know what that means anyways". HAHA Then why address it like that?! I guess she'd just heard it randomly and thought she'd write it!? hahahahah

Its changed and the card is good. Wouldn't some guy, or gal, just crap when they opened a Christmas card like that? haha

In a Far Away Land

I am so excited about our computer project today! I'm having the students make Christmas cards to send to the unit that was just deployed from Oklahoma. I don't know why this particular project has me so pumped... but i'm sooo excited! I guess because some troop, somewhere, over there, in the nasty elements, is going to open a little card from a kiddo in Oklahoma who thought of them :) Hopefully they will bring smiles!

Gender Analyzer

Yep. This blog is written by women (65%)

Check yours

I survived Thanksgiving 2008 and I prepare for 2009. My plan is to NOT have to spend my holiday racing all over God's creation just to eat at someones house. I am going to pick a spot to "have Thanksgiving" and that's where i'm going and that's who i'm spending my time with. I don't think Thanksgiving is a Holiday where you should be expected to make rounds. Especially when 4 weeks later, they want you to do it all again for Christmas. Makes no sense.

Regardless, its over! Yeah!!!

oh... and baby Z totally surprised me. She loves to eat what i'm eating and I totally expected her to taste test everything I had on my plate. She opted to eat NONE of it! She ate her baby food and crawled away. Even turned down pumpkin pie and chocolate pie. I think she's on her first diet! ha

Round and Round

Since the weather has gotten a bit cooler, I've not been able to ride bikes outside so I've returned to spin class at the gym. The class that i've been able to attend is taught by a chick... and as much as I like her personally, I don't like her teaching the class so much. She tries to incorporate all these aerobic moves while you're spinning your legs off. *jump up* *swing your arms* *up*down*up*down... blah blah.

I miss one of the male instructor that was hired to teach the class a few years ago. He rocked it! His music was awesome and he had been in the military and rode professionally at some point I think. He knew how to teach a spin class. Plus, he was hard core! You'd walk out TOTALLY wringing wet. LOVED IT

The chick is just too... chick-like.

WELL tonight I went to spin... at my gym... but its a class I never get to go to because of the time. However, I left work early today and made it on time. Some dude was teaching it and he was hard core! The pain and burn were awesome! I loved it! Guys really do know how to spin your wheels way better than a girl! I say keep the men!

Finished

I've had this thought ALL day long.

I'm SO sick of people trying to bleed you dry... take every little thing they can. I'm tired of takers. I'd much rather give to people who don't expect or beg for things than people who demand, expect and constantly ask for crap! I'm sick of everyone and their dog wanting donations. A person can be spread only so thin and then that's the end!

I mean THE END!

Power Drink

Chocolate Milk

There's way more to milk than just calcium. In fact, it's a damn near perfect food, giving you a lot of valuable energy while keeping your calorie count low, says nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D. The chocolate kind is loaded with calcium, vitamins, and minerals just like the plain stuff, but new studies confirm that milk with a touch of cocoa is as powerful as commercial recovery drinks at replenishing and repairing muscles.

YES YES YES!

Someone Stole Christmas

When I was a kiddo, I loved the holidays. I absolutely loved Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the hub-bub. More and more... i'm growing to hate it. This year specifically is just... well I wish it would just slide by without me knowing its been here and gone.

I'm tired of trying to figure out schedules of where to be and when and trying to fit everyone in. I want SO BAD to tell them I'm staying home! Last year was awesome because at Thanksgiving I was preggers with Baby Z... and I did just that. I stayed home! I loved it!

Once we figure out Thanksgiving, we have to turn right around and do it again for Christmas. I'd love to have my own Christmas. My own traditions. For once I'd love to get up and have Christmas with my kids at my house and stay and play with new toys all day long and just lounge around. Instead we bustle from here, hurry to there, and try to cram in every person in such a short amount of time. Its stressful and not relaxing.

I haven't even mentioned having to buy them shit that no one wants or needs and probably winds up lost, broken, in a garage sale, on a dusty shelf, given to the neighbor, etc.

I found this while Holiday shopping online today:

Common Sources for Holiday Anxiety, Stress and Depression are:
Divorce
How we look or how we've aged
Success or Failure
Fear of Faking Love or Joy
Fear we got the wrong gift
How did the year go
Work-a-holic letdown
Fear of Crowds

Some Solutions:
Change your expectations or attitudes
Don't blame yourself
You can always answer NO!
Alone is not bad
Refocus on someone else
Set rules of discussion
Do shopping by mail order or internet

O'Reilly Factor

Dennis Miller for President

Did anyone happen to catch him on Bill O'Reilly tonight!? I never ever watch it... well, ok sometimes. But very rarely. I got to the gym and Bill was interviewing someone about the Presidential elections and blah blah and it kind of sparked my interest.

Dennis Miller was the next segment and although i've never been a fan of him, I stayed tuned in to hear what he had to say about the political issues at hand.

Gawd, I love him! He had his head screwed on straight tonight! Preach on, brutha! He said

although he may, or may not have voted for the President Elect, he wants him to be successful. He wants him to prove all of us wrong (that thought otherwise and voted against him) and he wants us to be in a position we want a second term. This is his country and he loves it and supports it, and he wants his president to be a success. Although people think Bush has been so bad and want him out, Thank God for him and the 8 years he served and his willingness to fight for our freedom and the willingness of the men and women to fight for us and for those 8 years, they have given us the ability to have this election in 2008. We are still free.

He then went on about the f'ing bailouts:

Where the #&*$^@^ do they think this money comes from? We're paying for it! Let the companies go under. Let us deal with it. AIG is taking the money and giving bonuses and vacations. They aren't stopping their lavish spending... they are continuing on. They havent learned a thing and where will this stop? Now the auto makers want a bailout. Let them go. Someone will survive it.

He said other things but that's the jist of it. I think he's right. I know we're going to be in a heck of a hurt if we don't bail them out, but damn! We let them continue business as normal!? Its NOT normal! They f'd up. They should be on a payment plan and pay all that bailout money back! Plus interest! I'm (we, the taxpayers) are paying for their shiznit several times over. We buy the products, then we get taxed to death to pay for their bailout, then we don't have the money to live so we lose our shirts... where's our bailout!?

I want all my money back.

Hot for Teacher

Did I tell y'all I'm doing Taekwondo!??!?!

I'm not really, but P is, and in a round about way, that means I am. I'm paying for it and watching lessons... so i'm taking it. Right!?

I never knew that to find the hot guys, you need to hang out in the martial arts training gyms. Heck, even daddy, who opened the gym in the 70's is still a hottie! His son, who currently runs the show, is a cutie patootie (and his baby girl is cute to boot!) and obviously a prereq to instruct there is to be tall, dark, and handsome with piercing eyes, luscious smiles, and limber as a newborn baby!

I might go ahead and enroll in the beginners program with P. I did Taebo for years... surely that would impress the hot teachers! lol I should get some pictures.

No comment

It's a sad day.

McCain/Palin won our state, but unfortunately they didn't win the big race. I have yet to speak to one person that is excited about the outcome... maybe I will bump into someone tomorrow that actually thinks we got a good deal.

I wish the presidential race had a time limit... from start to finish they have 3 months or something. I swear it took two years to get this dang thing over with. Also, focus on the REAL issues! NOT clothing or family... but important things like why the HELL wont someone provide a birth certificate or what the F is "change"? Have you really ever defined it!? Change. That's nice but what kind of change? Not ALL change is good.

Booger Bear

Has anyone ever noticed that New York always has a "can't miss" sale of $30 off purchases over $75 and Carnival Shoes always has the great Buy one, get one Half sale... every week; and Express always has the $25 off $75 purchase sale... every week?!? It's the exact same sales every single week. Do they really think we think these are special sales!? Just wondering if I was the only one wondering these things.

I'm home with a sick Z today. I really didn't have anything special planned, I wasn't working today... but I sure didn't want to spend it wiping snot and giving meds. I guess it worked out for the best. She woke up with red swollen eyes yesterday morning and a snotty nose and congestion. So off to the Urgent Care center she went. Richard got to sit with the doctor while I tended to the boys and the soccer tournament. Turns out she has an eye infection (we knew that by looking at her). Apparently, she got something in one eye and it became infected and, as all babies do, she rubbed her eyes and spread the goo to the other eye. I'm pretty sure this all started at a soccer game a few weeks ago because she woke up after the game with a red eye but the redness and puffiness was short lived. She probably got grass in her eyes, rubbed them, and started a little infection. Just my guess.

Anyways, Baby Z and I have been busy cleaning her room from top to bottom. The eye infection is very contagious so I pledged her room, changed sheets, shampoo'd her carpet, etc. It's spotless and smells so... pledgey clean! hehe She's napping now so I'm playing catchup on my stuff.

Tomorrow is Voting Day!!! Don't forget to Vote!

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween to y'all tomorrow!!!

Baby Z is going to be a ladybug and I've recruited Darth Vader to take her on the candy tour. She has a hat to wear... that has the lady bug antenna on it and she refuses to wear it. She rips the hat off faster than I can get it hooked on. This may be an antenna-free ladybug.

Fuutball

bbbrrrrrrrr it's cold!

We've had really nice weather thus far... until today! When we are scheduled to have a parent/kiddo soccer game and ice cream social dealie-o at soccer practice!!! I think we should be having a chili cook-off instead of ice cream. The parents are also supposed to suit up and have a scrimmage with the soccer team.. and we were encouraged to wear "all the gear". Translation: make sure you wear shin guards and any other padding/protection you can find.

Well, I have recruited a sub for my position :) My precious C is going to be playing in my place. I know its somewhat unfair (but who cares). He outweighs me by a ton and running into him is like hitting a brick wall. He also plays and knows the rules of the game inside and out plus knows the cheats. He can also outrun anyone playing. So... I did good! haha

I begged and bribed him to take my place... plus I claimed injury (which is partially true) plus he'd have to watch baby Z while I played. He chose to play. ha!

I'm not liking Today

I can NOT stand Meredith Vieira! I'm pretty sure i've blogged this before, but I'll say it again. She should have never been hired to do the Today Show. It has sucked donkey dick since Katie Couric left and Meredith started sitting with Matt Lauer. She's unable to do a decent interview and can't leave her personal opinions untouched. She's rude and a total douchebag.

They need to replace her and from the look on Matt's face half the time, he thinks the same thing! She's not strong and is most definitely the weakest link on the show! I've seen the others cut her off in mid sentence because she's rambling on about some BS that doesn't make sense and they are trying to keep the show going. Her attempts at flirting are also gut wrenching. Blah!

Go away!

ok... gotta run and take care of other matters!

I miss Circe!