worry

My cousin, Tahirih, a brilliant artist (link on her name goes to her "almost daily blog") posted this on Facebook last night and I just wanted to re-share it here... it is something good to help us all when we begin to worry - ok - maybe it is just something for me because I am such a worry wart :)

It is possible to be happy and joyful most of the time. You just have to look at little children and see their natural joy. You may say that little children are free and don't have anything to worry about, but you are free too! You are free to choose worry or to choose joy, and whatever you choose will attract exactly that. Worry attracts more worry. Joy attracts more joy.

Rhonda Byrne




______________________


Ok - and - I love the biography on Steve Jobs - I'm hooked - I just want to power read the whole thing - I haven't done much reading in a few weeks and was surprised that I got so taken by the book.  We are also going to read 'Hugo' which I've heard great things about - the guys are interested, but we've yet to start it as we've read a couple of other books - oh, and Kyle is totally power reading his books right now - he is finishing his Beast Quest books in two days or less of bedtime reading... it is great to see him enjoying books :)

And there must be a train accident in the works as the horn is blaring - I mean he is honking the crap out of it ... maybe it is an animal... I know - I should totally be a reporter for the news with that kind of captivating information...

xo

more photos and little to say

Can't sleep.  Off to clean.

xo

Christmas

1 turkey dinner
2 potted plants
3 types of potatoes
4 times I wished I was somewhere far away
5 times that Michael said God Bless at dinner
6 types of chocolate
7 Skype calls
8 shots of Carolyn's
9 gifts from my parents
10 the number of minutes I had to myself throughout the day
11 times my mom complained about my grandma (ok that's an understatement)
12 times grandma complained about the stairs  (there are two stairs... TWO - I don't want to get old)

Firsts
1. I got medium sized clothes for Christmas that fit - I know - I can't frickin' believe it - I'm wearing large and just recently bought a medium shirt for a trip in the new year but was surprised just the same
2. My parents actually stayed for the day - they didn't go and visit other people, they stayed at the house and while they just hung out, it was nice - I didn't have to think about what time they were going to get back and timing dinner - dinner just happened and it was great
3. My grandma was actually in a good mood - she was nice and thankful and - well it was unusual and nice... the rock collector still complained though and then at the end of the day said that she couldn't believe how bitchy she was... and my dad and I just looked at each other knowingly and with the same 'whatever' face..
4. I pawned off nearly all of the 15 lb turkey to everyone else and have little left over... amen - since the guys will definitely not eat it - saved enough for lunch tomorrow and that's about it... :)

Turkey dinner couldn't have gone off much better than it did - I'm actually surprised at the ease of dinner and how it just came together - I know -I've done it a lot - probably my 30 or 40th turkey but it just went really well and the bird was done nicely.  Plus I actually made good gravy and that can totally be a miss for me...

Chef Kyle had a suggestion for dinner and wanted baked potatoes with stuffing - so this morning I baked potatoes, took out the insides, mashed them - re-stuff the potatoes and topped them with stuffing - they were definitely a hit - so - woohoo for Kyle.  So we had regular mashed potatoes, herb and garlic cream cheese yams, and the baked potato stuffing addition

Michael had little interest in dinner but loved the trays with meat and cheese - plus sides of cranberry sauce for the sausage - I know - he puts that s&%# on everything :)

I did have a meltdown - it happened while I was cleaning up for the 10th time of the day - after dinner - I just got sad and cried - it was all good - no one was helping anyhow so I just cried and moved on... yes, today was a tough, tough day... but we survived it ....

And now the guys are going to go to bed soon and then I'm going to have a little bit of punch and just hang out with the fireplace and just unwind from a busy day.

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and can't wait to hear about what everyone else did and all the great things that came from your day.

xo - love to you!


photos...

Baked potatoes with stuffing... carb loading at its finest 

Christmas eve

Well the advent calendars are all wrapped up - Michael got yoda and Kyle got a Christmas lego guy - kind of looks like santa.  Those lego advent calendars were totally worth it!  I can't believe how much came with them and we got Chewbacca - woohoo!

So we are about to venture to the grocery store as I've waited to the last day to get a turkey because I don't have a freezer and had nowhere to put the bird... so we are about to go out and with any luck most people will take their time getting there this morning... right...

Anyways - I managed to sleep last night and don't feel like such a zombie today.  Oh and the tooth fairy came to our house last night - Kyle lost his top incisor while they were on the trip to the coast.  Kyle has one more tooth to go and then he has a complete grown up set... sigh.

Alright - well I'm sure I'll have adventures to share and would love to hear how everyone is spending today and tomorrow.  Best wishes to everyone... take your time, a deep breath and little bit of your favourite liqueur can't hurt. :)

Love you!

Blah

I'm still pissed about the form - gawd!

My 1.5 hours of sleep is catching up with me right now... crud - oh well - only a few more hours to go...

Now that the form failed I've got some clean up to do and then I'm thinking I'm going to call it... because no one is here and there is nothing going on - and the one investment issue - well I dealt with that this morning and won't need to check on it again until after the weekend...

Sigh - ok - going to clean up... enough blogging and procrastinating - blah.

I hate online forms

I just spent another hour of my life that I'm never going to get back filling out a damned online form for reporting and once I finished it and saved it and went into final reporting the F*$#ing thing cleared the form - of F&$*ING COURSE!

ROAR

10 from Tuesday on Friday...

This again comes from Roots and Rings

1. What is your favorite online-only store?
Definitely Etsy... while I get that this isn't technically "a" store - it is millions of stores... I just think it is the one I've used the most that I can't just go and visit downtown.

2. Do you enjoy wrapping gifts?
Um... yes - mostly... glad I did it early this year not that I had much to wrap, but it just 

3. What is the temperature in your city today?
Minus 2

4. What time do you eat dinner?
Is evening too vague? If the kids are home it is usually 6pm ish - if they aren't home... well it is whenever I feel like it...

5. Will you be making New Years Resolutions?
Absolutely not 

6. How old is your oldest pair of shoes that you still wear?
I have a pair of boots that I've had since high school - so they would be nearly 20 years old - and they are still good.

7. Do you have any restaurant phone numbers saved in your phone?
Yes - for sure - it just makes life easier - I have quite a few from vancouver and lots from Quesnel

8. What is your favorite and least favorite letter to write in cursive?
I don't have any favourites or least favourites - I like writing

9. Do you know any good riddles?
Nope - I'm kind of slow - S-L-O-W

10. How do you feel about snow?
Um - I love it and everyone who reads here must know that from the wicked igloo, turned wicked snow fort :)

still no sleep

Alright so it is 6am and I'm watching the morning news and I totally went out this morning...

Here's Walmart at 5am - I was one of three happy shoppers and 20 miserable staff... almost everyone in the store working was just mad and couldn't care less about anything.. I didn't stay long and was told to have a good night when I left - I laughed and said I'd try once I got through my day... this was also not so funny for staff at 5am... oh well.

Of course - I was hamming it up in Walmart at 5am - of course.

This is the loop from Bouchie Lake to Downtown - you can barely see it but there is a truck in the right hand side of this shot - I'm sure more than one retard was in this vehicle and tore through the loop - doing donuts.  Then the jackasses decided they'd done enough and tried to get out of the loop and totally got high centred - bwahahahahaha - it was a great laugh at 4:30am... 

And now... well now I'm going to go to work... I've already been up for 6 hours... sigh... hoping to sleep tonight.  I guess I'll see how it goes... I'm pretty sure I'm going to need some coffee today.

xo my loves - hope your day goes well :)

a brief hiatus and now - no sleep

The water was rising, there was water in the house - where can I get to before the house is completely submerged, I can feel the water at my feet - where are the guys - panic - absolute panic - and then I wake up and that was it for sleep tonight...  I shook away the panic about 30 minutes ago - I've been up since 1:30.

So now I'm wrapping presents, I've vacuumed, done laundry, cleaned the kitchen, put out christmas ornaments, and am actually thinking about driving to Walmart because it is open and there won't be very many people there and I'll be able to grab the few things I need and be gone... sigh.. what a night.

What else - well I was going to load some photos tonight but my computer isn't cooperating and, frankly, I have no patience to fix it tonight.

Anyways, my loves, I hope you are getting sleep and are all ready for the holiday season.
My love to you! xo

Best snow day EVER

The kids left for Vancouver this morning - so that was sad.

I decided to hit the gym this morning and get in a 5km run - and I was reminded how important it is to go regularly - I was sucking - I walked about 10 of the 50 minutes I was running - which was shocking because I can usually run that - and run it WAY faster... in any case - lesson learned - I need to keep at it and get back into shape... sigh...

So 5km down what next - well I went and read the paper with some fruit and then thought - well now what... I drove home and thought - wouldn't it be great when the kids come home that there is a cool snow fort... right - snow fort...

What started as a little fort... well... have a look...

Here's the thing - I didn't want to shovel the driveway.  Not at all - the snow is heavy and I just wasn't into  it.  And then the idea of the snow fort came and it gave me a way to solve my driveway problem.  So I used the snow from the drive way to build the fort.  

AWESOME!

Sadly - it pissed rain all afternoon - this took about three hours and the last hour was in the rain, but then it really started raining.  The igloo is still standing (now) - hoping that it will cool off a bit and then the igloo will stay put... I totally wanted to build another fort but my arms were saying NO - that's enough for today.  

At the half way mark I should have changed clothes - might have avoided getting frost bite.  I had frost bite on my legs and tummy... and my neck.  And now I'm going to bake some more cookies... and do some chores... 

I hope you are having a great weekend.

xoxo

Nothing says Christmas like Chewy Peanut Butter sugar cookies

This was an experiment for me - I've made piles of sugar cookies but wanted to make peanut butter flavoured sugar cookies - the regular recipe for peanut butter cookies is no good for rolling out... ha ha - rolling out... we'll get to that...

Recipe.. ah - well I've never tried to flavour my sugar cookies... so it initially went like this...

1 cup margarine or butter

1 cup peanut butter

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

5 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt 

Now while this recipe worked - it was crumbly and not sticking together well - so what should I have done - well either had less peanut butter and more margarine/butter or less flour... lesson learned - so what to do now... well I added more peanut butter and a little bit of soy milk to get everything less crumbly and something I could roll out... roll out... right... enter my brand new rolling pin

Yep - a bottle of blush - yeah for having extra wine in the house that can do double duty 

Hello chewy peanut butter sugar cookies 

My recipe made 60 cookies.  I usually get about 150 out of it but the Chewbacca cutter is kind of big - it is wicked awesome - you can buy your own cutters at Williams Sonoma in South Granville (Vancouver) if you feel compelled.

And now to help that rolling pin out and use it for what it is meant for.


Oh - and it's raining - damned weather

snow day

So I thought we got a lot of snow yesterday - I was wrong.  More came today - lots more... and it is heavy, terrible wet snow... BLAH.  I shovelled enough of a path to get the car out this morning and am waiting to see what the weather actually does tomorrow and then carry on with the shovelling.

I'm tired.

Photos later... back to stuff.

- Fast forward 3.5 hours... no word of a lie I went and got ready to cook - put on the apron and then for some reason came into the living and sat down on the couch and then I woke up 30 minutes ago... so I really really was tired... totally blew my afternoon of cooking.. alright - so I'm going to get to it...

xo 

snow

5 inches (or more) snowed in Quesnel last night and tonight we are tap for a similar amount.  The driveway at the new place is considerably longer and wider than the old place and so tonight I went out and cleared it - it was great fun and good exercise - which I desperately needed - so hooray for that!  I sang and then about 30 minutes in realized I'd become the nights entertainment for my neighbours - they were standing in their driveway watching me run around and sing - since I was running up and down the drive way to really get a work out in... my arms are singing a wee bit but other ways - it was great.

My dad's surgery went fine - he looks like he was in a hell of a hockey match (and lost) but he is ok.  They cut out a triangle piece of his eye lid and now we wait on the results from the latest piece and see if they got it all.  My parents are retarded - instead of spending one night away - they get up at 2am to drive to Kamloops - have surgery - drive home - wouldn't want to get a friend to dog sit and just spend one night away... nah... let's test how are bodies will hold up against stress and surgery and try that out... sorry - I'll stop ranting.

The kids are off to the coast on Saturday - seeing their family - which is great.  I hope they have a fantastic time!  I miss them already.  I missed them before they walked out the door.  Sigh.

Tomorrow is one of my staff's last day - she's been with me for nearly three years - sad to see her go - but she is going on mat leave and it is great for her and her family.  What else... not much - planning to do some baking tomorrow night - need to share the cookie love with some of my local friends.

Good night my loves - it is Friday tomorrow - hooray!  Definitely been a long week.
xo + xo * x2 

shower

I've installed new shower heads in both bathrooms because the old ones sucked.  The one in the master bedroom was bugging me though - I hadn't really used it (ok - hadn't used it) because I just didn't feel like I installed it the best way and then I tried again tonight and adjusted one small thing and now it works wicked great - I decided to wash away the days stress and then go back to crochet.

And now - back to crotcheting :)

hugs and kisses to you

what's that... the fraggles are on - woohoo!

slippers and nonsense, oh and youtube

Blah - 


Ok and now that that is out... crocheting (or crotcheting) is something I've done for years - many many years and now I'm working on a fancier pair of slippers and have just taken them completely apart - roar - but that's ok - I'm getting in great practice on stitches and counting


YouTube... Michael and Kyle performed in their school christmas play this afternoon - no christmas music - or rather traditional-ish christmas music - we shared them with my parents tonight and now - if you feel like seeing them.. they are here...


Kyle playing xylophone http://youtu.be/pCxmE-iy0Jo
Kyle playing the triangle http://youtu.be/bHj2jZkb0cM
Michael dancing (ish) http://youtu.be/u13R4eGeMOs
Michael singing http://youtu.be/VL-MDNMmIPU

And now because I'm pissy about the slippers and just feeling kind of down in general I'm going to answer another quiz tonight and then I'm going to try and work on the slippers again... FFS

And just as fast as I wanted to do a quiz I've changed my mind and am just going to go to sleep - or at least lie there and wonder and think - my jaw is torture right now and I need to deal with that...

xo - my love to you - xo 

10 on Tuesday

I'm on my lunch break and decided to blog... I cleaned my office today and have grants that I'm working on... plus reporting...   this again comes from Roots and Rings

1. How do you eat your eggs?
I like eggs poached over easy... my Dad makes them best and my roommate from college-  but I'll pretty much eat eggs anyway... omelettes are great too... especially well made omelettes :)  ok - wait - I don't really like hard cooked poached eggs... I'll eat hard cooked eggs but for some reason those babies poached just doesn't work for me 

2. Do you volunteer?
A little - not as much as I should though - and sometimes I feel like I volunteer for my work since they don't pay me for the time I put in... lol 

3. What’s your favorite brand of jeans?
Um... sorry - I don't care about brand for jeans... 

4. What was your child’s first word? Or what was your first word?
The kids first words were hi and hot and I actually don't know what mine was - probably was politics

5. Can you french braid?
Yes and use to do it all the time

6. Do you prefer wide rule, college rule, or blank paper?
Blank paper is fine - college rule also works... 

7. Is there a specific treat do you always make during the holidays?
Yes - booby cookies, caramel popcorn and sugar cookies - this year I'm adding chewbacca peanut butter cookies

8. Do you have a KitchenAid mixer? Do you want one?
Nope - they cost WAY too much and I'm happy with my little mixer and using my muscles :)

9. What kind of computer do you use?
Mac - and I've converted my entire office... 

10. Favorite Christmas movie?
Wasn't this a question last week... Christmas Vacation - for sure... and I really like Elf - plus Michael loves the Grinch (Jim Carrey)

ornament fundraiser

Alright friends - Kyle and Michael and I are making Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser for their school and the PAC (parent advisory committee)  They are $2.00 each and all proceeds are going to the school.  Photos are below - these ship really easily as they fold down in size.  If you want specific colours I can accommodate pretty much anything - I have piles of scrapbook paper and rather than toss all the paper I figured we could do something to help out.

Shipping to anywhere in Canada - and I'll cover the postage - unless you want a giant shipment... but if you just want a few then I'll cover you.  I will also ship them as gifts to others - if you want...  you can pay through paypal and if you are interested then email me.  If you order by Friday they should make it to most points in Canada before Christmas arrives... of course I can't guarantee anything once Canada Post gets them - but orders placed tonight will be shipped tomorrow :)  If you are interested...

5 and 6 pointed stars - 5 for single colour, 6 for multi colour - for some reason the multicolour or patterned ones just don't look the same as a five pointed star

Easy to store away for next Christmas - you just move the bell up the rope and it opens/closes.

knee

So Kyle and Michael and I are making Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser for the school.  I'm waiting on confirmation that we are allowed to do this but I've already got some orders... I'll post photos next week once we have a green light from the school.  Anyways - we just wanted to do something to give back to the school since there hasn't really been much fundraising this year and usually we've done quite a bit by now.

What else?

My right knee is swollen - only slightly - but it hurts a lot - like enough to curse here but I'm withholding my profanity - saving up for a good case of turrets.

We went for dinner tonight with the kids aunt - it was lots of fun.  Then we went to crap-o-rama - blah - but I needed some bells for the ornaments so that was good and they actually had the ones I was looking for.

More whining... well I'm cold... I can't seem to warm up - that matched with my swollen knee is quite delightful

Ok - I am going to carry on building the ornaments - they are kind of like an origami wreath - we've made about a dozen so far and have orders for another 5 more right now... I'd love to see us donate a couple hundred bucks to the school - but that may be way out to lunch... we'll see what happens with the green light and then I'll get my little salesmen on it...


And before I close this show out tonight I'll end with this...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEL!

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to Mel
Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you
You live in the zoo
You look like a monkey
And.. you smell like one too

We love you! LOTS!

blah

basal cell carcinoma

This is what my dad has been diagnosed with.  It is on his eye lid and he has a second surgery next week.
The rock collector told us about it but was so nonchalant and asshole about that I kind of wrote it off and just figured I'd catch up with my dad at another time and see what the hell was really going on.

Today I took my chance - given that I had many extra treats I stopped by the shop with a coffee and treats and asked.  He confirmed that they received a letter noting the cancer and that he needed to have more of his eyelid removed until they got it all.  This is a form of skin cancer.  He may lose his entire lower lid and possibly the top lid since there is a lump there as well that they didn't check.  He was calm.  I was calm.  Then I left... and was less than calm.

So - yes, I'm sad - but really out of all the cancers this is the least harmful - or so it sounds.  It sounds like they just cut it out and make sure there isn't anymore and then you are good to go.  I know I'm simplifying it but I need to - it is overwhelming and I cried as I drove away and cry as I write this - but I really needed to just get this out of my system.  What bugs me is that he is now complaining about eye pain - like his eye ball - I asked if he was just anxious to which he mocked me.  I probably shouldn't have said anything about anxiety but I know he has it - I know I get it from him as I do a lot of similar things to him.

And now I'll get back to work - I have stuff do before I head away for the weekend.

Hugs and kisses to you.
xoxoxo

Tuesday 10

And since I'm nowhere near sleep... here is my Tuesday Ten - questions offered up by Roots & Rings

1. What are 3 things that are on your Christmas wishlist?
I have no items on my wish list - I have everything 

The kids on the other hand seem to want everything.. sigh :)

2. What’s your favorite Christmas song?
That is tough - I have many - my top three are 'Baby It's Cold Outside' from Elf, 'All I want for Christmas is you' - specifically the version from Love Actually, and Carol of the Bells (any version - just plain love it) oh wait and then God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Barenaked Ladies with Sarah MacLachlan 

3. Do you have a favorite band or singer that sings it especially awesome?
Ok - I answered that above like a keener

4. Have you heard about the website goodreads?
Nope (this question kind of sucked... instead I will take the opportunity to complain again that I have yet to receive a response to joining pinterest... I love that site... love it - thank you, Carmen! )

5. What are 3 books you want to read?
I'm reading David Suzuki's latest book, and I'd like to read the Tar Sands and Jack Layton's book

6. Do you hunt deer?
Well I used to - haven't in ages - unless this is a question about a PS3 or Wii game and then my answer is no.

7. Have you started Christmas shopping? Are you completely finished?
I didn't really christmas shop this year - there will be a few gifts... not much this year - Christmas is not about gifts and should be about our family and friends.

8. Did you shop on Black Friday? What was the best deal you got?
Well some shops in Quesnel celebrated Black Friday but I didn't participate - it was moonlight madness in Downtown Quesnel and did pick up one special thing... ok - so I shopped.

9. What’s one holiday tradition your family has?
Hmm... no answer... our new tradition... hmmm... I'll think about that - my personal tradition is sneaking creme de menthe into drinks on Christmas day - this is to cope though and not so much about the holiday... 

10. How many blogs do you read? Do you subscribe/unsubscribe often or do you purge every once in a while?
Honestly... I read two consistently and then browse many others 

Ok - maybe I'll try and sleep

Good grief - why did I just look at the side bar - seriously - it's minus 12 in Quesnel - blah - brrrrr.

mmm baking...

Tonight I baked.

First - I made my mom's butter tart recipe, modified with my grandma's touches.

Grandma had many steps when making butter tarts and it was largely about the end product being better than an average butter tart.  She cleaned her raisins (grapes) every time.  So I soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes (at least) - rehydrating the raisins and cleaning off any yucky stuff.

So that's three cups of raisins and yes, I used 1 cup of green grapes and 2 cups of red grapes (raisins)

Then you clean them

'Cause - you see that little stem - those suck to eat and they get stuck in your teeth - so I pick off all the extra bits to try and make an enjoyable experience... 

So this is a double batch for 30 tarts (I totally over filled my batch though and they exploded - but I don't really care about that - they are still super yummy...) 

1 cup of margarine or butter

3 cups of raisins

4 cups of brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp white vinegar (yes, this is optional - but I think it makes the tart extra special)

See - totally exploded - but then you don't have boring tart shell and you just have yummy goodness

Oh and then I made 200 cookies :)

On being old - 

Just because I want to rent a copy of Sleepless in Seattle does not mean I deserve a funny look or being told that - sure, we had it - 12 years ago - pardon - how about a little go f*&$ yourself - how about that... 

On dying - 

Laughter doesn't cure everything but it sure helps - hearing the stories today, albeit brief, was both gut wrenching and heart warming... they had love - they understood each other and even in their last minutes together on this earth she was able to communicate the way she always had... hearing her talk choked me up but I held it together until later tonight

xo 

he passed away

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

A friend's husband passed away last night after a battle with cancer.

He was diagnosed at the start of summer.  

Be kind to each other and give those around you hugs and kisses today.  We never know when it is all going to be taken away from us and we should celebrate every day we get.

My love to you - many hugs and many kisses.

some photos

Still sick - ended up taking today off - or rather - part of today off... my doctor reminded me that I am allowed to ask for help and suggested that I should have stopped by this weekend in emergency to get some help.... next time.. I'm sure...

And now I have do some work... ain't no rest for the wicked

Here is me and Nicholas and Sprocket (yes, from the Fraggles)

Nicholas napping while we walk around Farmers Market

(I also like this photo because I can see how different I look in this photo... and I didn't set it up or adjust it - Mel took it and I am sharing it - it was also interesting to pack Nicholas as he is about 25 lbs (26.6) and after an hour of walking I don't know how I managed to get around and be even kind of comfortable when I was carrying so much more than 26.6 lbs...)

One of the most fantastic sunsets I've seen in Northern BC - it was spectacular!

Our 2011 tree - simple - lovely

Good night my loves - kisses and hugs - two for you!

and because I'm feeling terrible and can't sleep

I know.. this is supposed to be a Tuesday thing but I'm sick and don't want to lie down to feel worse... so... here's ten on Sunday... :)

1. Do you wear glasses, contacts, or are you one of those perfect eyed people?
Perfect eyes - however, when I was a kid I wanted glasses, wanted them so bad that I faked exams to fail just to get glasses... and I still don't know why I wanted glasses... 

2. What is the next item you are going to purchase?
Probably tea... 

3. Have you ever watched Judge Judy or any other real court show?
Yes - I have watched Judge Judy - it is lame - lame.

4. How do you feel about fake nails?
Fake nails suck - I completely appreciate the fact that some people need to wear them so they have nails at all because they chew them off otherwise... but getting fake nails for Paula's wedding was awful - they looked pretty - yes - they held up pretty well... - they failed to tell me that a chemical reaction was going to occur on my hand and that it was gonna HURT - so - sorry - but fake nails are just not me.

5. What is your favorite sport to watch?
This is a tough question.  I don't watch a lot of sports on tv - but if it is tv - well it is definitely hockey - if it is watching it on the sidelines or in a stadium - well you can pretty much name the sport and I'm interested - never thought I'd like baseball and once you are sitting, eating a hotdog and seeing the green and wow - it was awesome.

6. If you could create your own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, what would it be and what would it be named?
Sadly - I wouldn't invent ice cream... but for a funny name... well - how about 'lick it good' and I guess the flavour would be peanut butter banana... ;)

7. Do you have any scars?
Yes - numerous - emotional and physical 

8. Does your pet’s name fit them? Is there a more appropriate name?
No pets

9. What is your favorite television show theme song?
Greatest American Hero - believe it or not - I'm walking on air...

10. What was your favorite activity on the playground?
I really liked this spinning thing that you held both your hands on a bar and then ran in a circle and launched yourself over top of other people in the circle - there would be three people in the circle - I liked this until one day I lost my grip and bit it and then was the cushion for a rather large student - people came running to see if I'd died - I got up and walked away while the other girl (who landed on me) broke her tailbone 

the flu

And so I guess I've had the flu - it seems to be departing - thankfully.  I'm still not 100% but I don't feel as rough as Friday/Saturday.

I'm hoping to get a run in tomorrow but I'm not sure if/how that will happen.  I'm probably expecting too much to try and get in a run, but I'd sure like to get to the gym.

The kids are good - we had a fun day - made christmas ornaments, put the tree up, ended up going to PG for a few hours and having lunch and doing a little shopping and coming home... it was whirl wind but good - we haven't been to PG in ages and Kyle had been complaining about going... ok - and now for some photos...

Blah... should not have said this thing was departing... blah - blah - triple blah!