Christmas 2012: We Survived (Part 2)

After opening presents, we finally headed upstairs for dinner (probably around 8:30 or so). I look forward to this dinner all year. Why? Because my mom makes some killer prime rib. Sides come and go, but the prime rib is always the star of the show. We had a minor issue during the cooking process this year that led to opening some windows to dissipate some smoke, but all's well that ends well, right?

We sat down to a fabulous dinner of prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, Brussels sprouts, baby red potatoes and a tomato dish with fresh mozzarella. A few minutes into the meal, I had a plate full of amazing food and was about to dig in when my mom reached for something and knocked over her glass. Her champagne drink landed all over the right side of my lap. Mom started apologizing and Dad started working on clean up. In the meantime, I was told not to move, so I sat there, a little cold and wet, and waited. Meanwhile, Hubby and Mam-maw were trying to situate the rest of the food on the table when my rum & coke got bumped and promptly spilled all over the left side of my lap. What did I do? The only thing I could. I laughed. I laughed hysterically. Dad told me to go change, so I put on pajama pants and a dirty shirt (just in case) and headed back up to dinner. The rest of the meal was largely uneventful, but it was tasty and wonderful and I was happy (and dry).

After we cleaned up a bit, we headed downstairs to finish off the evening. When everyone else had headed to bed, Hubby and I grabbed the puppers and headed over to pick up K  to go through the local light display. Finally, a tradition that we could uphold! We went through twice, just because, and though it was short, it was nice to spend some more time with K. I slept a little better that night (probably because I started on the couch, instead of the floor), but morning still came too early for my liking.

Per our family tradition, Christmas morning is for Santa presents, so I handed out stockings and gifts for everyone (except the pooch; she'd already gotten all of her gifts). I got some fun socks and more puzzles (yay!!), and Hubby seemed happy with his new wallet and the sweet mouse shaped like a race car. There was little time to relax, though, as Mom's family was due over around two. After a quick shower and some setting up, we had a few minutes to breathe before the madness.

I should explain that I love my family to pieces. I don't mean to say that the madness was a bad thing. I'm just an introvert, and a group that big (all 14 or so of us) in one house (or sometimes in one room - eep!) can be a bit much for me. I tried to help Mom as much as I could (and as much as she'd let me), but there's only so much I could do in the kitchen with her. Around 2:30 or so we opened presents, and though the adults don't get much, I really liked what I did get. The ornaments that my cousin's kids helped make were adorable, and the hand warmers that my aunt made are perfect for shaking off a chill while I'm working. And, of course, the money from my Grampa is always appreciated. This year, we're using most of our Christmas money to go on a mini vacation up in Door County, just Hubby, the puppers and me. No work, no school, just us and a little cabin and whatever we want to do. :)

Even though she had cleaned the oven to prevent it, Mom had another cooking incident that led to windows and doors getting opened. This one was even smokier than Christmas Eve, and when Dad opened the garage door to get some air moving through, we definitely felt it downstairs. Even so, dinner was fantastic. Mom made a HUGE turkey (24 pounds!), lots of stuffing, potatoes, etc. We had left over salad and cheese from the funeral, one of my aunts brought rolls, my cousin brought green bean casserole, and with the massive amounts of cookies in the house, I strongly doubt anyone left hungry. 

After dinner, my cousin's kids wanted to play a game, so we played Words With Friends. Yep. They have a board game edition now. Picture Scrabble with a slightly smaller board, some differences in point assignments by letter, and change where the extra score points are. There you have it. We played with partners, for the most part. Me not so much, since Hubby sat on the couch and my aunt decided we were too mean to play with. We didn't keep score, but we still had fun.

By around 7 o'clock, it was back to the 5 of us (plus Maxi). We spent a little time chatting and unwinding from the day, but Hubby and I still had to drive back to Milwaukee, so we couldn't stay too long. The drive home wasn't too bad (at least I assume; I was sleeping for most of it). We got the car unpacked, but not much more. I was pretty tired, so I lounged a bit before heading to bed. Then it was lights out for Miss Riki.

Working the day after Christmas is always a bum deal, but at least it was mostly quiet. I still have some wrapping to do, since my Hubby's family Christmas is tomorrow, but at least I'm not helping to host anything else. As wonderful of a holiday as it was, I need a break from all that. In fact, tonight I plan to be my introverted self and enjoy some me time while Hubby goes to the cigar bar to use one of his gifts. :)

Hope you all had a great holiday, and that 2013 begins a new year with lots of love, health and happiness. <3

Football, Friends and Food

Nov. 18 - On Sunday, I was thankful for...

(Packers) Football season.

Since Hubby was gone hunting this weekend, it was just me and the puppers in the house. Once I got done with homework, there were few options for things to do. I took a nap. I played on the PS3. I read. I played with my puzzle. 

I got bored.

And then it was time for football. Hallelujah! 

Football season doesn't just get me through the day when Hubby's gone; it's a family affair at our house when he's home. The three of us (yes, that includes Maxine) wear our jerseys, grab some snacks, and curl up on the couch to cheer on the Packers whenever they play. It's one of my favorite family activities, and it even comes with its own traditions (like double high fives for touch downs, a tradition I learned from my parents). A win means a good week ahead; a loss means grumbling, outrage, and moments of panic (unless we're already doing terribly, in which case, not really any need for panic). I always hope that we'll make it to the post-season, not just for the glory, but also because it means a longer football season! :)

As long the Packers are playing, I am thankful for football season. When they aren't playing... well, there's only so many months until spring training for baseball! ;)

Nov. 19 - Yesterday, I was thankful for...

My friends.

Normally I would write a long, gushy post about how much my friends mean to me and how they're always around when I need them, blah blah blah. But instead, I'm going to keep this shorter and more to the point.

I'm thankful that my friends understand what I brat I can be, and don't hold it against me that I don't make phone calls and prefer to talk online or in person. I'm thankful that my friends make me laugh and let me cry. I'm thankful that they're as weird as I am and don't get scared off when I say something crazy. I'm thankful that my friends are all different and that I can learn so many things from each of them. 

Mostly, though, I'm thankful for who they are and how they make me feel like a better person, just by having them in my life. Thanks to you all. <3

Nov. 20 - Today I am thankful for...

Food.

If you know me, you know I love food. (You don't get this physique from not loving food.) And what's not to love? It keeps us alive, happy and (somewhat) healthy. And not everyone has access to it like I'm fortunate enough to. Too frequently I take for granted that I don't have to worry about where my next meal will come from or when I'll be able to get food again. 

Preparing food can be a lot of fun, and so can shopping for it (I always grocery shop with Hubby, and we make it fun). Going out to eat, ordering in, carrying out, or making it yourself all have different benefits and are all different ways to experience food. We have it at celebrations, we have it when mourning. It can calm our stomachs, or make us think we'll never eat again (you know, when you feel like Violet from Willy Wonka and someone damn near has to roll you out of the room). We have favorites, and we have things we won't touch with a 10-foot pole. The options are seemingly endless, and finding a perfect pairing or an unexpected new favorite makes our mouths, minds, and stomachs happy campers.

So, for all that (and more reasons, I'm sure), I am thankful for food. Om nom nom!

Here Comes Valentine's, Here Comes Valentine's, Right Down Valentine Lane

How come there aren't very many Valentine's Day songs?  I mean, are there any that are specifically dedicated to the holiday?  I know, all love songs are applicable on V-Day, and it gets mentioned in some songs, but Christmas gets a bajillion songs.  Halloween gets some pretty awesome ones.  Hell, even Thanksgiving gets "Over the River and Through the Woods"!  Best I can come up with is "My Funny Valentine" and if you really listen, it's actually kind of a mean song.  "Well, you're not very pretty or smart, but dammit, I love ya!"  Gee... Thanks.

Anywhoozles, it seems that in last year's Valentine's-related post, I neglected to share my awesome Heart Day traditions with you lovely people!  What was I thinking??  CLEARLY you're all on the edge of your seats, so here goes.

Warning:  There's going to be some talk about my lady parts.  If you're easily offended (and you'd have to be REALLY easily offended; I'm not going into great detail here), then skip this and have a great day.

On our very first Valentine's Day together, I had an appointment for a colposcopy.  Ladies, if you've ever had an abnormal pap smear, it's possible you know what I'm talking about.  For everyone else, it's a diagnostic procedure where they essentially stick a camera up your hoo-ha to get a look at your cervix.  The procedure itself isn't much different than a pap (a little more "personal" since they have to actually look around a bit), but if they don't like what they see, they might biopsy part of the cervix.  Because of this, they tell you that you might be sore for a day or two and should probably take it fairly easy (in other words, no sex) for about a week.  

Thankfully, they didn't deem a biopsy necessary in my case.  They did ask if I wanted to see what the camera was showing, but I declined.  I figured if it was all good, I didn't really need to see for myself.  They're the pros.  I'll take their word for it.

Even though there wasn't a biopsy, I was in some discomfort for the rest of the day, and was pretty glad to have taken the whole day off.  When Hubby got off of work, he drove the hour and a half to come spend Valentine's evening with me, knowing that I had to take it easy and wasn't feeling 100%. 

So how did we spend that evening?  We ordered Chinese food and watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's" together.  Every year since, we've had some variation on that, and we consider it our tradition.  Sometimes we mix it up and go out for Chinese, or maybe we'll go to the theatre to catch a flick, but more often, we order takeout and watch a DVD at home.  It's simple, but it's one of my favorite traditions.

Oh, and for that first V-Day 6 years ago, he baked me a cake.  OK, so it was sorta falling apart, but it was so sweet!  Yeah, I found me a keeper. 

P.S.  Look to the right of this post and you'll see an opportunity to donate to the Humane Society by voting for Miss Maxine.  Check it out! :)

The Holidays are Over; Bring on Reality!

I guess I went AWOL for a bit there, hey?  Sorry about that.  Things have been busy.

Christmas was good to us, I will admit.  Christmas Eve Day I got to exchange presents with K at Ella's Deli (yes, we exchange Christmas gifts at a Jewish deli).  That crafty lady made me lip balm!  Seriously; she MADE it.  How cool is that, right?  Anywhoozles, that afternoon I decorated sugar cookies while Hubby napped.  Maxine, in her Christmas sweater, napped along with him for most of the afternoon, and I spent some good time with my parents.

Christmas Eve dinner was, of course, fantastic.  Mom made the best Yorkshire pudding ever, and when I found they were out of hot cocoa mix, Dad made me some from "scratch" by heating up some pieces of Dove chocolate and mixing with milk.  I have to say that my family is pretty great, and that helps make my holidays so wonderful.  Would've enjoyed some snow, but, it was still lovely.

My parents got me a 3,000-piece puzzle (which is HUGE, btw) and a Jambox (which will come in really handy for school).  They got Hubby a Gentleman Jack giftbox (so, basically, good booze and two glasses).  They got Miss Maxine a bunch of toys and treats.  Oh, and best of all, they got us a new water heater!  (Apparently I was thisclose to getting an iPad, but they decided to get us something practical instead.  Ah, the joys of being a homeowner!)

Hubby surprised me by getting us a bunch of stuff we can enjoy together, including a remote control for our PS3 (so we can watch blu rays without fumbling over the controller), season 2 of "Big Bang Theory" and season 1 of "Raising Hope," and new controllers for the Wii.  He also got me a gorilla pod (that I picked out myself) and a monopod (that was a complete surprise)!  Yes, it was a successful Christmas indeed.  :)

Christmas Day was spent with my mom's side of the family, and then watching the Packers beat the Bears before heading back home.  The day after was Christmas with Hubby's family, which, while a bit chaotic at times, was nice.  I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with my nephew and taking pictures of him (he's so freakin' cute!!), but after being exhausted from all the running around that weekend (and feeling like I was starting to come down with something), I wound up sleeping in the recliner for an hour or two toward the end of our visit.  In my family, it's not Christmas until someone falls asleep in the midst of the festivities, so I guess I was just carrying over the tradition.

You'd think a 4-day work week would go quickly, but it didn't.  It dragged.  A lot.  And while I looked forward to our weekend plans, part of me would've been content just sleeping through the whole thing.  Alas, after a bit of a struggle, we made our way to Madison for S's graduation gathering.  We spent the night at my parents' and the next day had lunch plans with a friend of mine and his wife.  I hadn't seen Mr. P since his wedding, which was in November of 2009 (they moved to Georgia the previous year), so this lunch was LONG overdue.  We actually made plans to stop in on our drive down to Disney in March, so it won't be nearly as long before we see them next!  Color me pleased. 

New Year's Eve was spent with my second family.  K, S and J (my "sisters") had all gotten new toys (iPhones, Kindle, etc) and much of the evening was spent in the same room, but each of us on our respective electronic.  K's dad and his new wife stayed around for dinner, but left around 10 or so.  See, the new wife has a rescue dog named Princess (a bichon, for those interested).  Since she can get along with Eva (J's dog), we tried bringing Maxine into the mix.  Bad idea.  Bad.  Those two were at each other's throats like you wouldn't believe!  My best guess is Maxi made an inappropriate "Yo Mama" joke and Princess was having none of it.  I'm probably wrong, but it works in my head.  So anywhoozles, they ended up crating Princess upstairs in the "other" condo, since the two couldn't play nicely, and so they left early to make sure Princess didn't spend the whole evening alone.  

We had a great time anyway.  K always makes my second favorite meal of the year for New Year's Eve: shrimp and potatoes.  Between that and all the snack foods available, I was stuffed silly.  We played some Apples to Apples and drank to ring in the new year.  Then we crashed at the condo (me on the couch, Hubby on the recliner/floor, Maxi on another chair).  New Year's Day we headed home to drop off the puppers and headed back to see part of Hubby's family for the Packers game (go Matt Flynn!).  Thankfully, we had nothing to do the next day, and we spent it like a couple of lazy bums.  It was lovely.

This week has been... interesting.  But this post is long enough, so I'll save that for another time.

Christmastime is Here

Well, I have my Christmas cards sent out, about half of our presents wrapped, and I've been listening to Christmas music (on my own) for about a week now.  Christmas must be a-coming.  

The concept of Christmas itself is sort of conflicting for me.  As we know, I'm completely a-religious, so I don't go to church or get into the whole nativity thing.  In fact, our neighbors across the street have a fairly gaudy plastic nativity decoration out front that drives me crazy.  Not because of the churchiness, but because you could probably land a plane on our street when it's lit up.  Aye yi yi.

I don't have a problem with using the abbreviation X-mas.  I understand the "Keep Christ in Christmas" thing, but personally, I don't think the two are related.  Are people upset when others abbreviate TGIF because they don't actually write out "God"?  Somehow, I think not.  And that's all X-mas is.  It's an abbreviation, not blasphemy.

I think people should wish whatever the hell they want during the holiday season.  I don't care if they wish me a happy holiday, a merry Christmas or just a nice day; I just appreciate the sentiment.  If you're offended because someone mentioned a holiday that you don't celebrate, I can't imagine what else offends you...

That being said, I love Christmas.  Not as much as Halloween, but it's a close second in my book.  I love the smell of a pine tree in my house and I love buying presents for people I love.  The past few years, I've taken to making Christmas crafts, and though I tend to end up with more glue on me than I could've sworn I even had available, I enjoy it.  I love being with my family and eating all the cookies I can shove in my mouth before my stomach registers that it's too much.  Getting Christmas cards in the mail makes me downright giddy, and I look forward to my mom's Christmas Eve prime rib the other 364 days a year.  T'is a wonderful holiday, indeed.

My parents will tell you that I'm a tradition nazi.  Actually, most people who know me would tell you that.  I just happen to think traditions are a integral part of the holiday experience, though, I may take things a bit too far sometimes.  My mom once made little tenderloin medallions instead of prime rib for Christmas Eve and I sort of threw a fit (even though it was actually in my best interest, since I always had an issue with eating too much prime rib and getting horrendous tummy aches).  Another year, Mom decided that she wanted their tree upstairs in the window instead of downstairs where it has ALWAYS been, and I tried really, really hard to talk her out of it, even though it was something she had always wanted to try.  Thankfully, I've gotten past most of those issues, but I still have to have my mug of hot chocolate in order to open presents on Christmas Eve and I have to put certain ornaments on the tree myself or else things don't feel quite right.  

The one thing I'm missing right now is snow.  We've only had one snowfall that stuck, and it was only around for an afternoon.  No one dreams of a grey, rainy Christmas.  No one sings, "Let it sleet, let it sleet, let it sleet."  There's a reason for this.  It sucks.  In my opinion, snow is the only acceptable precipitation this time of year and, as my family's motto goes, it's Christmas, dammit!  

Anywhoozles, here's hoping that you all have a wonderful season, however you plan to enjoy it!  :) 

Red, White & Drag Queen Bingo

This past weekend was, of course, Independence Day weekend.  And being that K is around, it was full of traditions and fun.

Friday night we did go see our new nephew at the hospital.  He.  Is.  Adorable.  No kidding.  I know I'm biased and all, but he's seriously cute.  I even held him for quite awhile, which is a feat considering I'm normally scared to touch kids before they turn two or so (that fear of breaking them, you know?).  It was a nice experience.  :-)  And no, it didn't make me want kids of my own.  Just made me even happier to be an aunt!

Saturday was the day for Rhythm & Booms, the best fireworks you'll find in the Midwest.  For those not familiar, the fireworks are (loosely at times) set to music.  You just tune in to the local radio station and enjoy the show.  Rather than going to the actual park for the event (which, IMO, is a clusterf*ck and a half), we always go to my old elementary/middle school and sit on the hill.  We can see almost everything (excluding a handful of ground display fireworks that don't make it above the trees), and though it's much busier than when we first started sitting there, it's not nearly as crowded as the park itself.  

Of course, with R&B comes a party with K.  She invites family and friends over to her dad's place for food and fun before the fireworks begin, and then it's just a short walk to the old school from there.  One of K's friends has an adorable 4-year-old son who kept us all pretty well entertained, but it was the adults who played with the bubbles the longest (as the 4 y/o got fed up with a bubble sword contraption he just couldn't make work).  It's just so easy to get caught up in the pure fun that comes with bubbles.

The fireworks were beautiful, if not a bit short this year.  Budget problems would be my guess, as I know they were seeking donations (I gave them $15 - I love those fireworks) and really pushing people to come down to the park to support the vendors there.  I'm hoping next year will be better, particularly because I hope the damn construction surrounding the park is done.  Talk about a mess...  Oi.  Oh, and just to confirm, Maxi handled the fireworks just fine, though she didn't watch with the same intensity as last year.  At least she didn't bark her furry little head off!

On Sunday, hubby dropped me back off at K's dad's place so K and I, along with another friend (P) could go on an Oddball Wisconsin adventure.  See, one of K's friends got her the Oddball Wisconsin book, knowing that she loves all things odd or offbeat that you might find while driving, such as a giant wooden nickel (outside of Iowa City, Iowa) or a buffalo made of chrome bumpers (somewhere in Colorado).  So away we went with the book and a map.

We ended up driving about 314 miles that day.  Starting in Madison, we headed to DeForest to see the pink elephant and its nemesis (or so we're told) from across the street, a cow at a cheese shop.  Then it was off to Spring Green to check out some (not so) acrobatic goats.  There were other things there to keep us entertained while we waited for the goats to wow us, but it just never happened.

After that we headed to Platteville to see the world's largest 'M.'  It's 241 feet tall and 214 feet across.  Trust me; it's a big 'M.'  After a quick stop at Culver's for some cheese curds (nom nom nom) it was on to Dickeyville to see The Grotto, an interesting experience for sure.  Then it was a LONG drive over to Delavan to see the clown-stomping elephant (we skipped the nearby concrete frog since it was getting late), and then it was back to Madison so I could see my puppers.   

On the 4th, K and I headed down to the neighborhood bike parade that we were part of for so many years.  Kids made a good showing this year and actually decorated their bikes with more than a tiny flag.  We gave this year's parade a solid 7.5/10.  After that, it was off to Henry Vilas Zoo and, of course, Ella's Deli!  We can't eat like we used to, I swear, but we still managed to scarf down all our cheese fries.  It's a tradition, after all!  

I spent the rest of my day bumming around at my parents' house.  We eventually ordered Chinese (nothing screams patriotism like ordering sesame beef) and hubby showed up to take me and the puppers back home.  On the drive home, we had to have encountered probably 10 different fireworks displays.  It was nice, and I appreciated being able to see some fireworks on the 4th.

The 5th was no longer the weekend, but K came out so we could go to Drag Queen Bingo at BTW Lounge with her cousins and aunt!  Drag Queen Bingo is pretty much bingo with the balls being read off by drag queens.  But, we also got performances between rounds, so it was pretty awesome.  Of the 5 of us, 3 won prizes!  Sadly, K and I were the only two not to win.  Boooooo-urns.

So, as you can see, the past few days have been pretty exciting for me!  I hope everyone else had a wonderful 4th and hope you all have an excellent rest of the summer!  :-)

Is It Rapture Time Already? (aka, "Beam Me Up, Jebus!")

Boy, time flies!  It seems like just yesterday we were saying goodbye to certain loved ones, preparing for them to be beamed up by the G-man himself because the world was clearly going to end in 2000.  

Actually, there have been a LOT of predicted Rapture experiences.  Check out this list on Wikipedia for all the previous supposed dates of Rapture.  Personally, I'm gonna go with Sir Isaac Newton on this one.  I'm thinking we've got a good 50 years at minimum before Jesus decides he wants to be saddled with the responsibilities sure to accompany (and follow) the Rapture.

In case you weren't aware, I'm not particularly religious.  Wait, that's an understatement.  I am NOT religious.  I'm what most people would probably categorize as 'agnostic.'  I'm pretty sure there's some kind of higher power out there, but I don't believe in any specific God-like figure.

Being a-religious was sort of hard on me growing up.  I remember being in 1st grade or so and a friend asked me if I prayed at night.  With sort of a sideways glance I told him that no, I didn't, to which he promptly replied, "Oh, well you're going to Hell then."  Lovely.  

6-year-old Erika kind of took this to heart (in other words, I was f*cking terrified) and tried this "praying" thing a few times.  Turns out it really just wasn't my thing.  I also completely missed the whole point of prayer, so it would go something like this:

"Dear God, I really want to get a good grade in Math.  And I REALLY wish I could fly.  I think I could, but I need some help, you know?  OK.  Amen."

In the following years, I started coming up with snarky responses to religion-based questions. 

"What church do you go to?"  "I attend the Church of Erika.  We meet Sunday mornings in my room and sleep."

"How come you celebrate Christmas?"  "Because my parents celebrate it."

"Why don't you believe in God?"  "Why don't you believe in dragons?"

Now, I've attended services at a few churches.  When I was a kid, I went to a Lutheran service with a friend and her family.  It was close to Christmastime, and I remember the music was beautiful, but the rest was so-so.  Later in life I sat outside of SEVERAL Catholic services between Girl Scout cookie booth sales.  Not my thing.  And when I was in high school, I went to a Presbyterian service with one of my best friends (the best of my church-going experiences).  It was pretty cool (they were a VERY accepting church, which was a new concept to me), but still just not my thing.

My parents once told me that they wish they would've raised me in a religion so I could choose what I wanted to do about it when I became an adult.  (I'm not sure how they would've accomplished this; Mom also grew up a-religious since my Grandpa is an atheist and Dad went to a Methodist church when he was quite young but also grew up mostly sans religion.)  

I'm actually thankful that they brought me up the way they did.  Sure, I miss out on some religious references now and then.  And for me, Christmas is about a fat guy with magic reindeer and Easter is about bunnies and chocolate.  But I'm not sorry for these things.  I take great joy in giving gifts every December and to this day I hunt Easter eggs at my parents' house!  And I don't need an antiquated book to tell me what's right or wrong; my parents' did that for me, and they did a wonderful job all on their own. 

So, all that being said, I wish all of you believers well in your journey to Heaven, however you may get there.  As for me?  I guess time will tell.  It'll be an adventure, that's for sure.     

It's Almost Here!

Yes, kids, Christmas is just around the corner!  In fact, one week from today I will be baking cookies with my mom and getting ready for the best meal of the year: Christmas Eve Dinner.

Ever since I can remember, Christmas Eve has been as big of an event as Christmas Day.  True story.  So it's only fitting that Christmas Eve Dinner be as fabulous (if not more fabulous) than Christmas Day's meal.  

Every year my mom makes prime rib.  It is by far the best prime rib you will ever have in your life.  It's so good that during the five years I went vegetarian, I always took Christmas Eve off so I could indulge in this magical meal.  

The prime rib itself would be a complete meal, but there's more.  Oh yes, there is more.  Mom makes Yorkshire pudding.  If you haven't had it, you need to try it (assuming you like things that are delicious).  Yorkshire pudding is the perfect compliment to the prime rib and is to DIE for.  Soooooo good.

As if that weren't enough, the table is also filled with things like salad, potatoes, green beans, black-eyed peas, and/or any other number of side dishes that my mom prepares.  In other words, if you walk away from the table hungry on Christmas Eve, you weren't at OUR table.

Top the night off with hot cocoa and opening gifts and you have a pretty perfect holiday.  :-)

Christmas Countdown

Yes, kids, there are officially 15 days left until Christmas Day.  If you're anything like me, that both excites you and terrifies you.  So much shopping, crafting, wrapping and baking to be done!  

To avoid too much stress, what better way to relax than with some awesome seasonal movies?  We'll go for 15 so you have one for each day left!

1. The Muppet Christmas Carol - Love the muppets?  I do.  This movie is a must-see every season!  I'm pretty sure Michael Caine was actually born to play Scrooge.
2. John Denver & The Muppets: A Christmas Together - Again, I love the muppets, AND I love John Denver.  Why wouldn't I love this movie?
3. A Muppet Family Christmas - I grew up watching this every year after my parents recorded it off TV and onto a Beta tape.  Man, I wish I still had it...  Quality stuff right here, kids.
4. Christmas Eve on Sesame Street - I think this was on the same Beta tape.  I LOVED this special growing up, and I'm pretty sure this movie is part of why I believed Santa was real for as long as I did.
5. Miracle on 34th Street - If you're going to watch this movie, do yourself a favor and watch the original.  I'm sure the remakes are fine, but the 1947 version is classic.
6. The Santa Clause - I won't lie, this movie still makes me laugh.  What can I say?  Tim Allen just cracks me up.
7. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Short and sweet, this is a true must-see.  I love to try to catch it when it's on TV.  I think it just feels more special when I know there are others out there enjoying it with me.
8. A Claymation Christmas Celebration - If you haven't seen this, go find it and watch it this season.  Claymation is one of the coolest things ever, and this special is hilarious (or, at least, I think it is)!
9. A Garfield Christmas Special - Another childhood favorite, I just love the scene with Garfield climbing up the tree to put the top ornament on.  Plus, how do you not love Odie?
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas - It's not just for Halloween my dears!  Tim Burton's masterpiece is great for Christmas, too!
11. It's A Wonderful Life - If you can believe it, I never saw this movie until I was probably 13 years old.  So for 13 years I missed out on a lovely movie that really captures the Christmas spirit.
12. Home Alone - Don't look at me like that.  You know you love it. 
13. How The Grinch Stole Christmas! - Not the blasphemous 2000 Jim Carrey version (no offense, Mr. Carrey), but the good old 1966 original cartoon. 
14. Holiday Inn - A true Christmas classic, this is a fantastic old movie well worth watching.  Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire... What more do you need?
15. A Christmas Story - Fa ra ra ra ra, ra-ra ra ra!!!

So there you have it - 15 fantastic films to get you through 'til Christmas!  Enjoy!  :-)

Did I miss your favorite Christmas movie?  Or do you hate my list?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Christmas Is Coming

I had a friend who posted her top 10 classic Christmas songs, and I thought, "Hey!  That's cool!  I should do that, too!"  So, just remember Kelly - copying is a form of flattery. ;-)

The following lists are not in any particular order, but rather as I come across them.

Riki's 5 Favorite "Traditional" Christmas Songs

Typical Christmas carols, with all the churchy goodness.

1) "O Holy Night" - There are a number of artists who have covered this song.  I remember first falling in love with it when listening to Hanson's "Snowed In" Christmas CD when I was 13.  I suggest the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's version of this song, but any will do.

2) "The Holly & The Ivy" - No idea what my favorite version of this song is.  All I know is that I love it.

3) "Angels We Have Heard On High" - Again, no clue what my favorite version is.  I know this is my mom's favorite Christmas song, though.  I grew up knowing that, and I think it just slowly became one of my favorites, too.

4) "The Twelve Days of Christmas" - There have been some great versions of this.  The only one I can listen to more than once a season, though, is John Denver & The Muppets ("Fiiiiiiive gooooooooold riiiiiings... Ba dum, dum, dum!").  Classic.  <3

5) "Silent Night" - It's too classic not to be on my list.  Instrumental versions can be just as beautiful as vocal ones, and no matter what, you'd recognize it as a traditional Christmas song.

Riki's 5 Favorite "Popular" Christmas Songs

The songs that everyone adores, but you probably wouldn't sing door-to-door. 

1) "Sleigh Ride" - Doesn't matter which version; it always gets me bouncing along.  Though, I do really enjoy the Boston Pops version (if for no other reason, than the whip noise they make).

2) "White Christmas" - My favorite version has to be The Drifters (a la "Home Alone").  What's more fun than singing, "I-yi-yi-yi'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."?  Few things, my friends.  Few things.

3) "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - I adore Judy Garland singing this song, but my true favorite comes from the John Denver & The Muppets Christmas special.  John and Rowlf do this as a duet, and it melts my heart every time I hear it. 

4) "Santa Baby" - Eartha Kitt's version is the only one worth listening to (sorry, Madonna).

5) "Feliz Navidad" - I just want to rock out to this every time I hear it.  Kudos to you, Jose Feliciano!

Riki's 5 Other Favorite Christmas Songs

These are the songs that you probably have heard, but you might not even know they exist.  Some of them could be put into the category above, but they get a special place because I love them so much.

1) "The Chipmunk's Christmas Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" - Because every kid still wants a hoooooooola hooooooooop.

2) "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" - Gayla Peevey had the original of this song.  I believe it has since been re-done, but I still go for Gayla's version.  :-)

3) "364 Days To Go" - One of my favorite Brad Paisley songs, this is a sweet song about waiting for Christmas.

4) "Song For A Winter's Night" - Sarah McLachlan does such a beautiful job with this song. 

5) "The Christmas Song" - Not the song you'd expect by the title, this is Weezer singing a fairly sad song that I can't help but love.

Now, you have to understand that I love probably 99% of all Christmas music, so this is just a sampling of the songs I truly enjoy each winter.  There are TONS more songs that I could've included, but there's only so much time in the day, my dears.

Now go get your carol on!

Lazy, Lazy

I'm pretty sure I've done nothing productive today.  Wait, no, I take that back.  I might have been productive for about 20 minutes somewhere in there.  But, as it is, I could have been cleaning or doing laundry or exercising or something like that.  Instead, I watched America's Next Top Model re-runs and worked on a puzzle.  Awesome.

Ok, in all fairness, I did cut out pictures for our thank you cards.  And I picked up some dishes and stuff around the living room.  And I tried working on Christmas presents (which I just can't focus on because it's not even Thanksgiving yet, FCOL).  So I sort of tried!

I just can't do anything when Zach's not here.  I don't know if other couples function this way or not, but when he's not here, I just don't feel comfortable.  I get so bored doing things that I normally do.  If he were home, I could spend all day on my computer playing games and just being a dork.  But with him gone, I've spent maybe a total of an hour on the computer so far today.  I just don't know what to do with myself with an empty house!

On the plus side, I managed to get Maxine to sleep in bed with me all night, so that was nice.  I think she tried to wake me up a few times so I could pet her, but when I ignored her, she just curled back up and went back to sleep.  I really do love my dog.  

Tomorrow it's off to see my parents and stay overnight as I have a doctor's appointment on Monday morning (annual physical... joy).  The good thing about next week is that I only have two FULL days of work.  I'm off Monday morning for my appointment and I'm off Friday morning* for travel purposes, and of course I'm off on Thursday, so that leaves a full day on Tues and Wed!  Awesome!!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving.  It's not my favorite holiday (that would be Halloween, of course), but I think it's the most relaxing for me.  I know most people get all up in a tizzy about Thanksgiving - stress from family and cooking and trying to be perfect - but it's never been like that for me.  

Growing up, Thanksgiving was normally my mom, my dad, and me.  Throw in my hubby for the past few years (though, this is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple), and the puppers this year, and you still have a pretty chill gathering.  

As tradition dictates (I'm HUGE on tradition - blame the OCD), I'll wake up early-ish to watch the Macy's parade with my mom while she starts cooking (because that is one parade you are never too old for!).  Then I'll get hubs up to watch some football with dad and me (and may make some Chex mix or some other snacky item).  

We'll probably do some family trivia after that (this is normally done via the numerous newspaper Super Quizzes my dad has saved up), then have Thanksgiving dinner (which, we actually have at dinner time, not in the afternoon).  Then it's time to make hand turkeys (a tradition just for me and Zach) and probably watch the Peanuts Thanksgiving special.  Dad normally has a fire in the fireplace, and he and Mom are often half asleep, enjoying its warmth.

And last, but NEVER least, comes dessert.  Pumpkin pie.  Or some variation thereof.  Sometimes mom gets a pecan pie for Dad, but nothing is quite like pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  The BEST tradition of the year is when Dad and I make whipped cream together.  

Dad will have the bowl in the freezer for hours ahead of time, waiting for us whenever we're ready.  Then we get out the heavy whipping cream, the sugar, and the vanilla extract.  There's no recipe or measurements to be followed.  One of us will pour in the cream, while the other starts getting sugar ready.  Dad starts up the mixer, and tells me when to start (and stop) putting the sugar and vanilla in.  When we think it might be ready, we grab spoons and taste it.  If it's not to our liking, the solution is normally more sugar.  And eventually, it'll be just right.  It always is.

So I know there's some big thing about being against Thanksgiving because of what it stands for, etc, etc...  But I never think about the history involved.  Maybe that's naive of me, but I prefer just to think about what I'm thankful for and enjoy the day with the people I love the most.  

My advice?  Stop over-thinking holidays.  Have they been commercialized?  Sure.  Are the things they were founded on maybe less than happy/PC/whatever?  Sometimes, yeah.  But does that mean they have to be ruined and we should all be unhappy and stressed?  Hell no.  Make holidays what you want them to be.  They're much nicer that way.  :-)      

   

*Yes, I actually do have to work Friday after Thanksgiving.  In fact, the only reason I have that morning off is because I requested it almost 2 months in advance.  No, I'm not in retail (thankfully).  No, I don't get overtime or holiday pay.  Yes, it sucks.