December 2007 - Posts
I can't explain why, but I've been terribly unmotivated to blog since my last post on 12/24. So much has happened that I could blog about, but my memory is bad, and I'm sure I've forgotten most of it. I've been working from home since 12/21 and I'm actually looking forward to going back to the office. I've gained 5 pounds because of it, thanks to the convenience and accessibility of my refrigerator. Bleh.
I started Tae Kwon Do classes on Saturday (motivated by my recent porkiness), and so I feel like someone put me in a potato sack and beat me with oars. I'm sure I'll get used to it after a few lessons.
I have some new pictures to post in the photo gallery and I'll probably do that tomorrow.
I'll write more tomorrow, when I'm feeling more inclined to put some effort into it.
Happy New Year.
My boss sent me an instant message and told me to pack it in early for the holidays. I just wanted to post a very Merry Christmas to my friends and family!
I have no idea why I found this so funny, but when I was working earlier today, Tristan asked me what I was doing, and I said I was building a website for Novartis. He said to me, "Isn't that a cheese?"
I thought about it for a second and said, "No. That's havarti." Hee hee hee.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I find myself working today (from home, at least) since I'm still on my 90 day probation period and can't use my PTO. I've been listening to a Sufjan Stevens Christmas CD while I work and I just love it. A former co-worker of mine gave it to me last year when I was still working at Adeptiv Solutions, and I've been listening to it in these past two weeks leading up to Christmas as I code.
His style is much different from traditional Christmas music. He's got this Indie-Pop-with-a-side-of-folk-influence-and-a-dash-of-electronica thing going on. You really have to listen for yourself because he has quite a large range of influences.
Not only is his musical style a bit different, but he has rather unconventional lyrics as well. This song is what prompted me to blog about him:
It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad!
Since it's Christmas, let's be glad
Even if your life's been bad
There are presents to be had
Take a walk out in the snow
And hear Santa's "Ho ho ho!"
He's got a million miles to go
La la la la la la ah
Sing a carol to your mom
'Cause she knows what's going on
And she knows if you've been bad or good
And if you get what you deserve
To be graded on the curve
Oh, you got a lot of nerve
La la la la la la ah
Since the year is almost out
Lift your hands and give a shout
There's a lot to shout about today
Since it's Christmas, let's be glad
Even if the year's been bad
There are presents to be had
A promotion for your dad
Don't be angry, don't be bad
When I blog three times in one day, it means I've barely left the house (glorious), and I'm spending entirely too much time reading the news.
This is off-the-hook.
Nanotechnology experts have inscribed the Old Testament onto a surface the size of a pin-head.
I love watching movies. Roger Ebert has the bomb job as far as I'm concerned. I just came across a list of the best and worst movies of 2007. I badly want to see No Country for Old Men, and Zodiac, as well as a couple others on the best list. I hadn't even heard of a couple of them, such as Into the Wild, which I also want to see. So many movies, so little time.
This article gives some interesting tips on how to eat like you aren't dieting over Christmas, but still helps you make wiser choices. It claims you can cut 2,100 calories, a whole day's worth, just by following these guidelines.
Boy, do I miss the Wegman's turkey bargains. I finally found a decent fresh young turkey at Harris Teeter for $0.99/pound. I almost always shop at Earth Fare, but their organic turkeys were just too expensive ($3.99/pound). I really admire how Wegman's offers turkeys during the holidays for practically nothing, so that everyone, regardless of economic circumstances, can afford a turkey at Christmas. As much as I like Earth Fare I think that, so far, Wegman's is the only place I miss since moving away. That, and Duff's, who have the best Buffalo style chicken wings I've ever had the pleasure of eating. I wanted to get to Duff's when I was in NY at Thanksgiving, but it just didn't happen. <pout />
Anyway, my friend Patty Thaler cooks her turkey in one of those Reynold's Oven Bags, and I decided to give that a whirl.
All this talk of food has made me hungry. I think I'm going to go fill my face with some ice cream. Mint chocolate chip. Mmm. All this talk of mint makes me want to go to Starbuck's for a white chocolate peppermint mocha latte.
So much for eat this. Not that.
These scenic winter sites almost make me rethink my dislike of the cold. I'd probably be willing to move to Alberta.
How beautiful!
I've decided to start taking Tae Kwon Do lessons with the kids. I've only taken Wado Kai karate, so it should be interesting to try another style. It's something we can all do together, and I think we'll enjoy being involved in it as a family. Since I have a brown belt already, I'm hoping I will be able to pick it up pretty fast. I think they may also credit me for having previous martial arts experience and grade me a bit faster up through the lower belts, since there is a girl there from a previous style and they've done that for her.
Mmm. My apartment smells so good. I bought two "pumpkin pie banana nut spice cake" candles tonight at Target. It's a 19oz candle in a glass jar and I got it for $5.96. Yay, I love sales!
I also bought some hot apple cider scented room spray, some pumpkin latte diffuser sticks, cinnamon bark countertop spray, another candle of that same scent, and some peppermint vanilla liquid hand soap. I love the smells of the Christmas season!!!
Well, it's getting closer. The last weekend until Christmas. I'm sure it's going to be a busy weekend in preparation, but still, Christmas is going to be low key this year. This is going to be my first Christmas that I won't be spending with my folks, so there will be definitely something missing.
I think we're going to make a real log fire in the fireplace that we have never once used yet, have hot chocolate with marshmallows, and then I'm going to make a turkey, with stuffing and mashed potatoes and all that good stuff. I know that traditionally people in the U.S. often have ham, or a roast, at Christmas, but I was raised in Canada, and since Thanksgiving is in mid-October there, it's not too soon for turkey again by the time Christmas rolls around.
I still have some shopping to do, and I've decided to do most of it from the comfort of my executive massage chair. It's gift certificates all around! It has to be, because I've procrastinated too long to ship anything anywhere.
I've started up my weekly movie night again, which I used to do a couple of years back, and tonight, it's Shooter, with Mark Wahlberg. Looking forward to it!
I had never heard of 10-year-old Gabi Wilson until today, and you may not have either. I suspect the song she's singing in this video doesn't necessarily showcase the extent of her talent, but you can certainly see that she's a singing prodigy, and has a ton of potential as her voice matures and becomes more controlled.
Update: I found a much better video. Watch this one instead.
The kids and I decorated the Christmas tree this evening, and when Justin was putting some decorations on the bottom of the tree, he was bending over and contracting quite a case of plumber's crack. We took a picture of it and I said I was going to post it on my blog. Well, that news made Justin none too happy and he started to cry, and through his tears he mumbles, "Moms making me feel bad. She's putting my butt crack on the computer."
I darn near laughed my head clean off.
Suffice it to say I don't have the heart to post it now, but three other pictures from the evening are in the Christmas 2007 gallery.
My friend and co-worker, Brian, sent me a link to this video today. It's very powerful. Some kids in the youth group at my old church performed a very similar version of this before I relocated to Charlotte and I was very moved by it.
We have a tradition of making a ginger bread house every year at Christmas time. Today was ginger bread house making day and we had a lot of fun doing it, despite the mess of icing sugar all over the kitchen. The back of the house has a large licorice picture window but my camera batteries died as I was about to take a rear-view picture of the house. As a sidebar, I'd like to know how you get lick-er-ish, out of the spelling licorice.
I was messing around today and created a recipe that I'm sure already exists, but it was a new creation for me.
I had artichoke hearts, which I love, in the pantry and I wanted to do something with them. I started rooting through my cupboards and just started pulling out ingredients and ended up with a red potato salad with marinated artichoke hearts.
I wanted to put blue cheese crumbles in it but I don't have any, so here's what's in it. It turned out to be exceptionally tasty:
Red Potato Salad with Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Red Potatoes (the number depends on how much you want to make. 3 lbs is good but I only used about 8 or 9 small ones)
1 can or jar of artichoke hearts, drained
2 tbsp dill
1 tbsp dijon mustard
4 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Fresh milled black pepper to taste
Optional:
Blue cheese crumbles, 1 tsp honey
Directions
Boil the red potatoes until cooked through.
Mix the olive oil, cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and dill in a mixing bowl and whisk ingredients together. Add chopped artichokes (halved or quartered, depending on your preference) and the cooked potatoes (halved or quartered) to the dressing.
Cover and chill. Eat. Be happy. Take nap.
I went to a staff holiday party last night at Rick and Carol Ellenburg's house. It was a small gathering of seven of us, and somehow we ended up wandering into Rick's office to watch Jim Gaffigan's stand up routine about Hot Pockets.
It cracked me up. And in case you're wondering, there's no bad language.
Here's two other funny routines by Gaffigan:
Cake
Steak & Salad
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