We lost power

The weekend after Christmas, we had some heavy snow and strong winds rip through the Cape. At about 7 p.m. Sunday night, the minute Hubby finished his sentence, 'I wonder if we'll lose power tonight?' the power went out. So, we turned on our gas fireplace for heat (since our central heat is operated by electric thermostat) and lit some candles. We threw some dinner together (we have a gas cook top, but electric ovens), and I took some pictures of the dog.

The cat, of course, was no where to be found...I think he was afraid of the wind, that he could hear through the silence in the house. We raised Moxie to not be afraid of storms...Hanzo was adopted and has all sorts of pre-conditioned behaviors! (But we love him in spite of and some times because of them!)

And now, I have work tomorrow and the next day, before getting my day off. I'm so excited!! I bought a carton of orange juice and am planning on having an extra bottle or two of champagne in the house. I think we may have nailed down our plans: dinner at 7:30, with our friend, Spencer. Then, maybe before he's off to our other friends' party (which we will likely skip since I just don't feel like going too far to celebrate) we'll go down the street from the dinner restaurant to a small cafe where they will have live music (no cover!). Grab a drink, hear some folksy guitar music, and then Spencer can go to Ashley&Jason's and we can head home for a quiet night of looking up at the stars while drinking champagne in the hot tub!! Yeah, that sounds just about right.

Some times I feel like having a group of people around, and other times I like the solitude. Most of our friends will be scattered about this year, and instead of a)deciding where to go, or b)ringing in the new year in some place full of strangers, we can just be together. It is nice to just settle in and end the year being grateful for or tiny little spot in this world...something to be happy about.

Here's an annoying bit of my day today. There's a girl I work with that I really like. She's a Jehovah's Witness. She always has her 'books' and is reading them on her break. Fine, I don't care. I occasionally walk in on her 'preaching' to other co-workers, but don't care, as long as she doesn't do it to me. Well, today it came up that I am not religious and she asked me about it and said, 'are you atheist?' I said, 'yes.' She said she had other friends that were, too. Later she asked if she offended me and I said no. I don't get offended about peoples' religious beliefs or even care if they think I'm 'wrong' because of mine. But later she kept on about it. I had told her, 'I've never read the bible and I don't really know a lot about most religions, but I know I don't believe in God. I believe in being a good person to be a good person...not because I think it will help me when I die.' She asked if I would read her book since she 'happened to have it today'. I said, 'no, I won't, to be honest.' 'Fair enough,' she said. 'You don't believe in God, but do you believe in spirits?' 'spirits, like ghosts? yes, I do.' So then she pulls out ANOTHER pamphlet called 'the truth about the occult'. I stuck it in my bag, and said, 'one of my sisters is Wiccan.' She said, 'I have a friend who's Wiccan. It kind of creeps me out.'

Another co-worker was in the break room while this was going on and later, I asked him, 'how'd you like that religion class?' He said, 'people need to just be quiet.' I agreed. I said, 'she's lucky I like her.' It's just so inappropriate for workplace conversation and she shouldn't be doing it...but, as long as this is the last i hear of it, I'm gonna let it slide. Ah, and I remember how it all began...I sneezed and someone said, 'God bless you.' and they do not say that because it is based on a superstition, which they do not believe in...so they say, 'excuse you'...to me, that sounds like you've done something wrong! But, to each his own, which is precisely my point!

PLEASE, can it be January soon!?

I am not a stranger to working 12 or more days in a row anymore, but I am nearing the end of a 16 day stretch that will end at noon on December 31. I NEED my day off! My schedule is all crazy at my grocery store job (well, i work a 6-1 and a 6-2) so i feel like those days are shot b/c I will be working later in the day. I know, one or two hours will not make a huge difference, but sometimes it does...especially when you've had to work every day. I actually think what's making this stretch so difficult is Christmas. Having to go in multiple times through the day, and then still doing the usual Christmas stuff...and then going in multiple times the next day while we were in the middle of a crazy near-blizzard-type snowstorm...it took a lot out of me!
Yesterday the winds started and it's still REALLY gusty out there today. That makes going outside to walk dogs, help clients in and out of their cars, AND shoveling walkways SO MUCH HARDER!! I'm exhausted!!
And today, to make it just a little more interesting...2 of our techs are on vacation. That means there are two techs until 3 (plus me), and then one tech (plus me) AFTER 3...until 6! with THREE doctors on!! I don't know how it's going to work, but I am beginning to appreciate not having to work until 6 a.m. tomorrow!!

At any rate, I am becoming depressed feeling, more and more each day, that i MISSED Christmas! I got to watch PART of A Christmas Story, we got to open gifts and Christmas eve was a blast, as usual (can't keep me from enjoying that part!!), but it's different.
Under the tree is littered with opened gifts and balled up wrapping paper...as we opened gifts and rushed out the door...
to get coffee. Which I was also glad for. Our friends' bakery was open until noon, so we rushed out the house at 11 to make it there and drop off a bottle of my egg nog for them. They loved it...but, I was sad that my supply disappeared much more quickly this year. I'm usually drinking it until new years but now its gone. My plan was to not have it around so that I didn't gain 20 pounds in egg nog!! It worked, but I had no idea how much I would long for it when it was gone!! :)
We got to see our movie (Tron in 3-D, which was dissapointingly not very 3-D, in my opinion), then off for Chinese-Vietnamese food. We tried a new place this year. It was good food, but there were about 5 tables in the place and none of the food came out together, I was already cranky AND I still had to get back to work for one more shift at the kennel before I could settle in for Christmas Day.
So, you see...I feel jipped!! I am a 2 year old who didn't get EVERYTHING she wanted for Christmas!!
What am I going to do about it??
New Year's Eve is still kind of up in the air. We know we are going out for dinner with a friend (our usual partner in crime...the one who met up with us in Vegas). After that I wanted to hit a bar for some live music, but none of the usual bands we like are playing, and most of our friends are not around or are having 'open house' type parties. Spencer is going to one, to which we MAY follow. But I'm leaning more towards (provided the weather has calmed down by then!!) coming home with a bottle (or two) of champangne and hittin' the hot tub!!
And then NEW YEARS DAY... the day off...I am checking out A Christmas Story (maybe on netflix), staying in my p.j.'s ALL DAY, playing with my new toys (I've been itching to put my pinhole camera together!!), and drinking mimosas!!
Maybe, too, I can come up with a plan for the new year...crafts, art, diet, exercise, house cleaning, clothes purging...the usual!
So, what's everyone else up to for new year's eve? Any big plans?

It must've been Christmas...I got gifts!

I have had to work all week and weekend, and still have to work until New Year's Day...BUT, we did have some activities happening between me going to work. I got up early on the 25th and worked about an hour at the kennel. Then I came home to get Hubby's gifts under the tree and stuff his stocking. Of course, then I was up for another hour or so before he got up, so I was able to blog about our Christmas Eve, and to watch A Christmas Story.
When he finally got up, around 10 a.m. I think, we opened gifts. Once again, my stocking was full of scotch and bourbon nips for me to test. I also got a bottle of Baker's bourbon that I've been wanting to try. I got a funny necklace with a skull on it and a cute pair of earrings. He also got me a book of cocktails, Highballs and High Heels, it's called and my vintage Aunt is going to be covetous of it. I haven't had a chance to really look at it, but I did see 'Classic Champagne Cocktail' which is her new fav drink. I also got, which I forgot I even asked for, a new heart rate monitor. Another toy I have yet to find time to play with.
Uncle got my name for secret santa and got me a 'make your own pinhole camera' kit, which I am dying to check out.
For someone who swore to never travel on Christmas Day, and lounge around and enjoy it, I am exhausted and feel as if it never actually happened. Even now, I am killing a bit of time after eating lunch and having to go back into work for the dinner shift at the kennel! To make it even more sad for me, it's snowing and it's beautiful and I don't want to go out and drive in it.
I am looking forward to my day off...next year!!

Christmas Eve Family Fun

Every year, when I was a kid, Christmas morning lasted a split second before we had to leave to go to Dad's parents house. We got to open gifts, eat a little candy from our stockings, and a bit of breakfast, but then we had to change into our clothes, get in the car, and travel 2 hours to a Detroit suburb where we would spend the rest of the day. In a house full of Polish siblings and no other children (up until I was about 10 or so), I would sit in the corner and eat whatever happened to be in the bowl Grandma would place in front of me...usually potato chips or M&M's. I have never wondered why I was such a fat child!!

Anyway, when I moved out, and was living on my own I swore I would NEVER travel on Christmas Day. It's the day when you are EXPECTED to stay in your PJ's all day...and that was my plan as an adult. Even when my parents eventually followed me out here, I told them, 'do not expect me on Christmas day...it is the day I get to spend with Jason and that's it.' So, Christmas Eve, it was...
Through the years, it has evolved into many types of party. I think we've settled on rotating host house, and we tend to have a theme (last year I did the Japanese themed Christmas).

This year sister Steph hosted and her theme was Christmas Morning. We all (except my crabby 'Jewish' husband) wore our jammies. There were 3 kinds of quiche, bacon, sausage and fake sausage for the vegetarians in the crowd, roasted potatoes, and a baked french toast. I brought my homemade eggnog, there were mimosas, and a delicious non-alcoholic punch for the non-drinkers. I actually ended up have only a couple cocktails and then switching to punch...I still woke up sick this morning...I think staying up late plays havoc on my insides! :(

But now all of that is over and I can reveal what I found for gifts. Usually we do a swap, but this year Steph wanted to do Secret Santa instead. It was fun, because you knew who was getting the gifts, so you could put a little love into it. I, of course, pulled Steph's fiance's name...I know little about him and what I do know is all foreign to me...technology, video games, Japanese culture...stuff I just don't know about. But I took what I knew about him and found some great stuff. I bought a little wind up toy in Vegas, but each day, I thought it might not be interesting to him...but I ended up giving it with the gift b/c it was there and I couldn't think of anything else. He ended up liking it after all.

I wanted to find some cute robot thing and found a robot pocket watch on etsy, but it was in China, so I didn't get it. Today, of course, I found about a million more, right here in the States (this isn't the one I found originally, but it was kind of like this).Oh, well.

Then I found this funny salt shaker at Prince and Pauper. It looks Asian, but it also looks like a robot!

After buying it, I went back into the shop (on etsy) and found another cool gift for him! An illustration (by Ben Wu) on a card. There were prints, but we had a budget, I liked this picture, and cards are great when they're framed anyway!

Jason found the cutest little paper animals on etsy, too.

When he showed them to me and said, 'I need to make these to go with Renee's gift.' I said, 'oh! I want to make some too!!' So, I convinced him that the owls would be better with my gift, and that he should do the chickens for my sister, because they reminded me of her bumper sticker that says, 'I am not a nugget' (she's one of the vegetarians). It was kind of funny, actually, last Sunday, Jason and I watching football, drinking beer, and making little paper birdies!!

I saw some embroidered 'geekery' on line, and said to myself, 'I could do that!' I figured a homemade gift is a good way to add fun, without spending any more, since I had all the supplies already. My gift recipient plays video games, which I have no knowledge of or about...I'm completely clueless there! But when we played Rock Band, there was a funny song I liked my sister to sing, and they all told me it was from a video game (I couldn't figure out what the lyrics meant). So all I know is this: there's a video game and in the end you find out 'the cake is a lie'...whatever that means...so I made this:
I wasn't sure about it. I thought it was funny, and I thought he MIGHT like it, but I almost left it out of the gift (yes, I doubted most of my choices!). He ended up really liking it and it was a hit. phew, dodged that embarrassment bullet! :)

Normally, wrapping gifts is one of my fav parts of Christmas. This year, as with most things, I had no creativity to think of a fun way to wrap my gifts. Then, it hit me...re-purpose the recyclables piling up. The taco shells box was the embroidery, the ice cream sandwiches held the wind up toy, soup box=salt shaker, the giant minute rice box was perfect for the two boxes I had the owls in...it was sturdy enough to keep stuff from crushing, and the framed card was tricky. I found one box that would work. Unfortunately it was from a frozen pepperoni pizza...my gifts were for the OTHER vegetarian! At that point, though, he knew it wasn't really going to be a pizza!

All in all, it was a fun night! We played with their xBox 360 Kinect...bowling, dancing, volleyball, boxing...it was odd,but fun.

We also played 'pin the star on the tree'. Games are tricky business with this family...too much silliness leads to a lot of confusion and bent over laughing.

The weirdest part was when Steph went to get one more gift. Wrapped up in a blanket that she was carrying like a puppy or a baby. Coming over to me, everyone was joking that she got me a puppy. And I was so confused by what was happening, when she took out the gift, I almost expected a puppy!! But it was this: Barbie's horse 'Black Beauty'! I had one when I was younger, and I thought it was my old one. But then she reminded me that she had broken one of the legs off of mine. This was one she actually found at a thrift store and got for me. As I said, there is a lot of silliness in this family!

So last night was fun. I went to work this morning around 6, to feed the cats and dogs that are boarding for Christmas (it made me happy that we are able to find people to come to our house...I would hate for my pets...my BABIES...to be locked up for the holidays), and now I'm watching A Christmas Story while blogging about last night's fun. The super awesome thing is that I can watch in the basement. Upstairs, I keep the sound low so Jason can sleep, but then I can't really hear. Before last year, we didn't have heat in the basement. This year, I'm cozy and warm in the basement: comfy chair, wrapped in a light blanket in my jammies, cup of coffee, and the tv...ahhh...

Merry Christmas to ME!!

Happy Christmas, Everyone

Well, it's finally here. Christmas Eve. Work this morning was kind of funny. There was a GROUP of people waiting to get in right at 8 a.m. A GROUP! Most of them bought a couple of things and were in and out in just minutes. Generally, between 8 and 10 a.m., not much happens. Today, not the case. It started at 8, and was still going strong when I left at noon. I, too, had to do some shopping after work. I did most of it yesterday, because I didn't want to do it today, but somehow-terrible 'mother' that I am- I forgot to get dog food!! Now, it's not as terrible as it sounds, I guess, because: a)she probably wouldn't have run out before Sunday, when I went back to work at Trader Joe's; and b) I am working at the kennel all weekend...we definitely have food that I could've 'borrowed' for the weekend. On the upside, I also got her some Charlie Bears and Greenies! And, treats for the cat.

Anyway, I have finished up all of my shopping and wrapping, and baking and fruit salad assembly. The other day, for fun, I baked some cookies from a kit we were selling for 99 cents. Yummy! It was super easy and it took care of that nagging voice saying 'it's not Christmas until you bake some cookies!'

So, happy holidays to all of you, whatever your beliefs or traditions are! Be safe and forever grateful for the family and friends you have!

(I can't wait to post pics of the gifts I'm giving tonight...unfortunately, family members read this on occasion, and I don't want to spoil any surprises for tonight!!)

It's that time, again

Time for me to make eggnog. The year I started dating my husband, was my first 'real' holiday season as an adult. When my aunt and I moved to the Cape in 1994, I was 20 and not prepared for some of what adulthood threw at me. Specifically, I decided too late, to get a job and ran out of money. I had to move back home just after my 21st birthday. Luckily, Auntie had a pretty sweet job, and stayed behind. It was my saving grace, since after that one summer...just 3 short months...I decided that I was taking whatever money I had saved to move back to Massachusetts. She got me a nanny job that lasted 2 weeks, but I didn't care what I had to do, as long as I didn't have to go back home. All sorts of things happened between that July and the end of 1995, including Auntie starting work at Barnes & Noble. That is where she met lots of new friends, most of whom were also far from home and didn't have family close by for the holidays. Thanksgiving was the first to find us all gathered at our cute little rented cottage...when Hubby and I decided that what we had going since the beginning of the month (thanks to Auntie's birthday out, actually!) was real. Then for Christmas, one of her co-workers gave her a recipe for eggnog. I made it that year. I think we served it for our New Year's Eve party, though. At any rate, it was delicious. I have made that eggnog EVERY YEAR since then, EXCEPT for the year we were on Nantucket and didn't see anybody at all for the holidays. Every year since 1995, I have separated that dozen of eggs and whipped them up. Most years, I didn't have an electric mixer and had to whip those whites stiff with my own brute strength. But I didn't care, because I knew the end product would be that delicious, creamy spiked loveliness. This recipe calls for a dozen eggs, a cup of sugar, a quart of milk AND a quart of HEAVY cream...plus, a quart of whiskey and a cup of rum (or brandy). Most years I say I'm cutting the recipe in half b/c I end up drinking most of it and I don't need that much. I have heard that it is too strong (not in my opinion!), so that too steers me towards not making as much. This year, though, I decided to just cut the alcohol. Not as much whiskey. BUT, even though I had brandy left over from last year (since it's not something I tend to drink otherwise), I wanted to try the Kraken rum we found this past year. It's got an almost vanilla taste to it that I thought would work great in eggnog.
We'll see how it's received this year. It doesn't REALLY matter, though, I will probably be making this every year until I just can't any more!
This is why I have, in the past, cut the recipe...I have to save old bottles to decant the nog into! The two round ones in front are actually half of a set I got from the Cisco Brewery, the local brewery on Nantucket. And the rest are old whiskey, bourbon, or rum bottles. I love it though...yummy. It has to 'season' for at least 3 days before you can drink it...it is a dozen raw eggs after all. The alcohol has to kill the bacteria!! It'll be ready for Christmas Eve.

Blast!

I thought, this morning, while sitting around with some extra time on my hands, that I would get back into posting pics on my flikr account. only problem is...I can't remember how to access it!! I had a yahoo account years ago, but i don't think i used it to set up my flikr. so i tried logging on with google, but then it just sends me to set up an account. I suposse i could just start a new account, since i posted about 5 shots on my original account, but i am sad that it's just out there, lost, feeling abandoned...

oh, and it finally decided to snow last night. it's still snowing now. we have about an inch or so, and it's BEAUTIFUL...but i have to go to work. No dogs to walk this morning, and if not for the diabetic cat (who finally got adopted after over a year, but will not be going home until after the holidays) I wouldn't have to get there until 8!! but he needs his shot, so I will have to make it in by 7:30 this morning. Man, i wish i could walk to work. But even if i could/did, I still am the errand girl and need a car in case i have to go to the store (which i most likely will since the other girl tends not to go...and boy do i love driving in the snow b/c someone else couldn't be bothered to do it all week....sorry...this is how I get in trouble at work...bad girl!!)

better get a move on, then...

another new year

I don't know about this new year coming up. Usually I have all of these ideas of what I want to change or fix in the new year. But the end of 2010 is coming up fast and I can't think of one 'resolution'!!
I am happy with my life as this year closes out. I have two jobs, and it seems to be the trick I needed to keep me from wanting to quit my job after a year. I have turned over a new leaf, health-wise, and it seems to be sticking. Even now, I'm being a little lax, but still aware enough that I am not just pigging out all the time.
I feel a little strange closing out a year in a good place, where I know there is room for improvement (because there always is), but not getting down on myself for anything.
I think I'm finally in a place where I can be happy with myself, and move on to improving my life with those things that aren't life necessities, but would enrich my person as a whole.
I don't think anything I just said makes any sense, but I'm calling this post a cathartic stream of consciousness to clear my head.
...what did she just say??...

Holiday cocktail party!!

Yes...I meant 'holiday'. We don't really celebrate any religious holidays in my family. Those family members still practicing some sort of religion are either far away and out of 'the picture' or celebrate their beliefs on their own, with other like minded people. For the most part, we just like the excuse to get together for some fun. We celebrate the joy of being near those we love, and having a good time. But this is not a post about my religion, your religion, or the religion of my family members; nor, is it about what I had to endure in my youth, why I have chosen the beliefs I have, or why my uber-religious relatives give me the creeps.

(in the interest of 'full disclosure', this post was started as I was waiting to go to the party, but ended up just leaving early, instead of waiting around, after a call from the host saying I could come over 'whenever'.)

So, now I can just post ABOUT the party...as it happened!
Auntie sent out the cutest little invites, instructing us to come in our festive attire (usually 50's inspired, though I'm more of an early 60's type, myself!)
I wore my sequined 'Vegas' dress and shoes. This time, though, I fashioned a hat out of one of my spring hats and a blue feathered wig. I wish I had more occasions to wear it...I don't know what it is, but I love having all those feathers on my head!! It makes me think of Mag Wildwood from Breakfast at Tiffany's. (sorry, can't find any pictures or links for that, though)

I put together my cheese platter...I thought the chocolate coins would be cute. I never actually cut up the apples I also brought, and the crackers had to go on a separate plate...maybe I over did it? It was all very yummy, anyway.
Auntie also made some tasty treats: baked brie, deviled eggs, smoked salmon/cream cheese on pumpernickel toasts, and a lovely punch. Baby sister also made some lovely tiny cheese and smoked portabella quiches. I also made a 'white cranberry spritzer', which I found in my latest Cooking Light magazine. It tasted like a Mojito...I thought it was good, and I drank most of it myself, but I might as well have just made Mojitos. We also had champagne cocktails, and frozen grasshopper drinks. Later, Uncle made us Manhattans, as well.

We played some card games, which Monty (Auntie's teacup chihuahua) also wanted to play and a game called Bananagrams. I wasn't familiar with it, other than knowing it existed, but it was fun. Good clean fun...you can't beat it!

And of course it all wore out the dogs!

(Monty, with Sophie the Italian Greyhound...)

Then, back home the next day after spending the night and most of the next day hanging with Auntie, I got to enjoy my own little Moxie lounging next to our Christmas tree. Aren't dogs just about the best thing ever!?

a night of music

Of course, this post would've been more interesting had I remembered to bring my camera, but i did not...big surprise.

anyway, we went out last night to see some local bands playing a fundraiser for the NOAH shelter, which was put on by the housing authority here. A good friend of ours works for the housing authority, and many of our friends are in various bands that were performing. It was a Christmas concert, basically...all Christmas music and lots of festive outfits
Being the shut-ins that we are (well, mostly ME), we decided it would be a good idea to go early and eat.
We only stayed for half of the event, but we still didn't leave until almost 11 p.m.!!
The best part was that we ran into people we hadn't seen in YEARS!! Unfortunately, that also meant running into people I was glad to not have seen in years!

We still have fun, and we had a night out full of food, drinks, music, and friends.

wowee!

I just posted this morning, I know...but, I posted about the boots i just ordered last night. They are under my tree already!! that's not even 24 hours since ordering them!! Seriously, endless.com (affiliated with amazon) is the way to go for shoes, I think. 100% price guarantee, free (two day, I think) shipping, AND free return shipping if you need to send something back! My first order from them went like this: found a kick ass pair of boots for $80 (roughly) and I got them two days later, when they went on sale for $60. I emailed them that I wanted the sale price, should i send them back and reorder them. The simply refunded me the difference!!
They're not always the cheapest, but when you can find a deal, I have found them to be quick and friendly. No, i'm not getting a cut for this promoting, I just really think they are doing a good job, and wanted to pass it along.

My plan to medicate and sleep all day turned into a day of foggy headed cleaning: kitchen, laundry. And I did some embroidery for a gift to include with my secret Santa gift. I can't show it b/c some of my family reads this. It is silly, but I'm going to include it in the gift anyway! Pictures will come after the party on Christmas Eve...

Okay, no more computer, chores, or needlework...time for more medicine and lounging about!

Ah, Christmastime....

There are always good and bad with this time of year.
One annoying thing that turned out good: I walk dogs, as you all know, 2 days a week. But I also work in the hospital/kennel and can't just wear my boot all day, any more than I can just wear my trainers/sneakers/tennis shoes all day. Last year I wore my super delicious lace-up suede boots with the fuzzy lining. But I wasn't keen on wearing my 'good' boots to work due to all the nastiness that sometimes comes with working in a hospital setting. Nor did I enjoy taking an extra 15 minutes every time I needed to go outside and then again when I had to put my shoes back on when inside! Troublesome. This year I decided to get a cheap pair of pull-on boots. I saw the BEARPAW brand at a discount clothing store and thought that might be the way to go. Then, as if to say, 'yes...those are the boots you need for work', endless.com had a '12 days of deals' offer that they were sending to my inbox. Through the preview I could see they would be having a sale on BEARPAW, but i didn't know what the sale was, specifically. So I marked my calendar and waited. Yesterday was the day: 50% of select styles!! So I didn't waste any time buying these for work: They are as basic as can be, but with more oomph! to the soles for walking dogs!! So happy. If it doesn't snow between now and Christmas, I will just have hubby wrap them for me. I won't be surprised, but I will be excited!

We ended up getting a try when I realized I had Sunday off this past weekend. We decided to go to the CapeAbilities Farm down the road. They were a little more expensive, but the money goes to help this farm that is run, in part, by people with disabilities. We've been wanting to check it out, since it is literally down the road from us, but we just never did before now.
And, I have been doing some shopping for hubby, on line. I actually finished in a few minutes the other day. I bought most from Amazon, since the only thing he actually asked for was a couple dvds. I got those, plus a cool book about the art of How to Train your Dragon. I think he'll like it.
The major score was when I stumbled across an Etsy shop that sells framed bugs!! He bought one on our first trip to Vegas and has been wanting more ever since. They are EXPENSIVE out here. There is a Japanese store in Provincetown that has them for hundreds of dollars.
This shop on etsy (RealButterflyGifts) had such great stuff I had a hard time picking just one. I settled on this one:
but will likely be back for more in the future. The real kicker is that I just ordered mine a couple days ago, and got a message about how busy they were for the holidays and that they would ship as soon as possible. Looking back at their site today, I see that they have had to stop taking holiday orders so they can catch up!! In under the gun! Phew!

I am having the most difficult time with my secret Santa gift though! Usually we do a Yankee swap thing, so the gifts are generic. This year we drew names and I have no idea!! I actually bought something while in Vegas but each day I feel less like it is the right gift. So this morning I found something I thought might do the trick...in CHINA!! I just don't feel confident it will arrive in time.

On top of it all, I'm sick. I found someone to take my shift today, so I'm going to go get some medicine and crawl back into bed for the day. Although, I'm tempted to go to Old Navy for some 'jingle jammies' while they're on sale this weekend!

Random things...it's Monday

I forgot to show the lollipop I got in Vegas. When I was buying the portable shoes to keep my feet from detaching, the clerk asked if I would like to donate $1 to St. Jude's. I almost always do, for 2 reasons...1. Hubby had a friend in school who had leukemia and he told me the story about St. Jude's and now she is in her 40's and living a 'normal' life. They saved her. 2. I met Marlow Thomas at Hubby's uncle Bruce's funeral. I was crying so hard all I could do was shake her hand and walk away. (later I also met Phil Donahue...strangest funeral I've ever been to.)
Anyway, after I donated my dollar and got my shoes and change, he said, 'thanks for your donation' and handed me this lollipop! I thought it was funny. What I also thought was funny is that I almost bought a cheap bottle of champagne because they sell alcohol at the drugstore...though, thinking about it, maybe that makes sense? Ahh, 'sin city', indeed!
When we got back from our trip, our 'kids' could not get close enough to us. They didn't even care that they had to get close to each other to do it!!
Usually the cat gets annoyed when Moxie is so close to him, but after hiding in the basement for a week, he hugged her with his tail!
He's almost always right next to me, though. As I type this blog he's sitting on the back of my chair...clingy mommas boy!

And, another random note, since this originally was my etsy/art blog, I managed to get most of my stuff back into my shop Saturday evening. When I found out I didn't have to work Sunday, I spent the whole morning getting nearly all of it in the shop (I just have some bags I want to put back up). I had already made a sale sometime Sat night/ Sun morn and then after posting all the Christmas cards, someone had bought almost all of them!! I'm letting everything go cheap...every thing's at least a couple dollars cheaper, most things are 50% off.

I want to see if I still want to create for others or if it's just too much. My hope is to clean out some of my old stuff and re-group...recharge.

If you're interested, check it out...I didn't bother with any coupon codes since I 'slashed' all the prices...just an F.Y.I.

Here's a link if you wanna go.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

Ready for some overkill??
First of all, I found it pretty funny that there was a wax sculpture of the sculptor.
I wanted a shot of me and Halle b/c she always pops up when I search for cute short hair cutes...Hubby joked that we are twins.
If you're gonna stay at the Flamingo, why not pose with it's founder, and famous Vegas mobster, Bugsy Seigel? Bad photo, but it's strange how much fun we had posing with statues of famous people!!

Even Jason got in on it with Daniel Craig-Bond...and, with Evel Knievel and his bike! (I got on the bike, too, but I had to stop posting every shot we took!!) You know, they had little bios for everyone, but I don't think I read even one of them!! There were so many of them!

Who could resist...Billy Idol...come on...he looked so real. A lot of my shots look 'greasy' or fake, but a lot of the newer ones were really well done.

These were in the room with the 'sculptor', where they also played video of how the figures are made...I thought these heads on a shelf were kind of creepy.

At the entrance they have Angelina and Brad...of course, we couldn't resist...Wife Swap, anyone!? :)

My favorite shot...me singing with the Rat Pack! If only I had been wearing my sequined dress that day!!

Me and D-O-Double Jizzle (is that right?) I don't know any of his music really, but I have a strange infatuation with him...can't explain it. Although I think it mostly has to do with him as an actor, b/c he cracked me up as Huggy Bear in Starsky & Hutch (terrible movie, though).

Anyway, I also took this picture so I could piss off my baby sister when I told her I saw her in Vegas. I don't think Julia is ugly, but Sister doesn't want to be the look-a-like to someone with such a giant mouth. At least she doesn't look like Snoop Dogg!!
And then there was a room at the end with people who were influential, but I'm sure did not have their figures made the way they do it today...Presidents, astronauts, and our founding fathers...

Life sized Barbie and Ken dolls? Nope, the Kennedy's...She's even a smart dresser when she's made of wax!

So it was fun. We also got shots with Hugh Heffner, George Clooney, and a bunch of others that I thought I'd shield you all from. I recommend it as a silly way to kill some time, if you ever have the chance to visit a wax museum.

i'm an idiot...and it made my day!

When we got back from vacation, I had gone into work to get my schedule for the week...at which point they asked if I could work the next day -the last day of my vacation! I said only if they REALLY were in a bind, they didn't call me in after all. But in the 'commotion' I wrote my schedule as working every day. Add that to my two days at my other job, plus the 5 more days at the grocery store the following week and another couple days at the vet's office =a 16 day work 'week', until the day I requested off for a holiday party.
So, it's Sunday, and I got up at 4 a.m. and went to work. Looking at the log that says what I'll be doing all day, I didn't see my name. I checked the schedule...and I was OFF today!! I ran around the store, jumping up and down and said 'I'm not scheduled...check ya'll later!' The girl in charge said, 'you don't need the hours?' and I said,' i can stay if you need me, but this would be a day off for me...which I won't get for 10 more days, now...' she said, 'no no, go home!!'
and that is how being an idiot made my day!
Of course, I'm up now and awake, so here I am...blogging and such.

Last night I spent a nice chunk of time, while Hubby made dinner, re-listing and editing a lot of stuff in my etsy shop. I cut all of my prices...most things a couple dollars at least, and some things are 50% or more off! I feel like if I can clean out what I have, I may be able to rekindle my love of crafting. If not, maybe at least I can see some of my stuff to go to loving homes?
Well, already I've sold one of my journals, so it's already worth it to me.
Now I just have to get down to the studio to photograph my Holiday cards so I can list those...before it's too late!!

I think I'll also take this time to post my final Vegas re-cap: the wax museum...

I forgot! the Eiffel Tower

The views from the Eiffel Tower Bar:

The Strip, to the left and, the strip to the right

And during the Mirage water show...

My 'Perfect Manhattan' (man, could I go for one of those right now!)

And, the happy couple before the Jubilee show.

Last day in Vegas...boohoo

Last day, flying outfit: my new favorite Old Navy jeans, my super cute gingham shirt from Forever21, that you can't see because, yet again, I have to wear my corduroy jacket. I also wore Hubby's boots b/c they were the right height and 'tightness' to make my foot feel better.

So the last day was a lot more walking to kill time between 10 a.m. when we checked out and 7 p.m. when we would catch the shuttle back to the airport.

This is the Excalibur, the cheesiest looking hotel ever!
Not sure if I posted Jason's jacket, yet. He was the warmest of the bunch...it's velvet and he wore it every day. A lot of people commented on it...even the bums!

While he was playing his last poker game, I wondered over to the Brewing Co. for a drink. (The game he was in was actually in the Flamingo, and so was this place I had my beer. The Sin City Brewing Co. had little places everywhere, it seemed, though.)

CHOCOLATE FLOWERS!!! This is the display outside a sweets shop in the Aria hotel.

Minus 5 bar...it's a vodka bar that is kept at 30 degrees, -5 Celsius. There's a $30 cover and they have big fur (probably faux?) coats or puffy parkas you have to wear inside. We thought it would be cool, but not for a $30 shot of vodka!

Several times I passed a shop with these beautiful dresses in the window. I finally took a picture of my absolute favorite. It's just so wonderful!

And, of course, the back entrance, where we waited for our airport shuttle had more pink lights.

Okay, one more Vegas post to come: the wax museum...then, I promise, to stop!

I have to get back to my non-vacation life sometime I guess. I was really hoping to get my etsy shop open for the holidays, but being off-line for so many days has really pushed things back!!