Thursday, December 25, 2008

Global Warming Shmarming

It snowed for three days straight. Then we had sun with highs in the teens for two days. Now it is pouring rain and 42 degree's out. Weird.
Sorry I haven't been around visiting this week. I have been busy making cookies, candy, potato latkes(pancakes) and trying not to eat any, I mean many. I had the most trouble not eating too many latkes. They are just soo good with all their fried potatoey salty goodness. Yum.
I also worked the last two evenings, but have Xmas off tomorrow. We are celebrating Hanukka too so that has taken up a lot of my time. It takes 5 seconds for the kids to unwrap their gifts each day from grandma and another hour for me to get the damn toy out of the packaging.
So, Merry Christmas, please wish me luck not to want to poke my eye out with a pin while visiting the inlaws tomorrow. Oh, and Happy Hanukka too.

SNOW
MORE SNOW


Best Hus Ever, Cleaning Off Our Vehicles for the Millionth Time!


Little Birdy

All views from my porch.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Arthur

Here's a nice short post for you. This is Arthur Boy. He always looks like this. Scared.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Boston Fancier than NYC?

Aside from being stranded in the middle of nowhere for over two and a half hours, the trip to Boston was fun...

I'll start from the beginning. On Saturday, E and I went to Boston with E's drama club to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas the Musical. We arrived on time to the grade school, 8:30AM, for bus pick up. We were immediately informed that the bus was running late because the roads were slippery where he was coming from. Okay, no big deal, E and I got into a friends van to hang out and wait.We waited and waited and waited, finally after an hour the bus showed up.
We all gasped as the 200 year old bus driver stepped out of the bus and limped into the grade school to take a ten minute pee trip.
The ride to Boston was pretty uneventful, a little snow fell in through the roof vents, but it wasn't' over my seat, so whatever. There was boring scenery and stomach lurching winding roads,but I don't get carsick, so whatever. We arrived about 10 minutes before the show was to start. Before the bus stopped to let us out, Mr. Bossy,not his real name, one of the drama coaches took a hold of the microphone so he could start bossing, I mean telling us what to do. He told everyone that they had to leave all of their electronic devices including cell phones on the bus or shut them off. Fine, I shut mine off, but I would have a real problem leaving it in the bus, say if for some crazy reason, the bus took off without me and I ended up stuck without a phone. Next he told us to go to the bathroom on the bus because we weren't' going to have time to go in the theater before the show starts. Yeah, right. Last, he told everyone they had to leave their coats on the bus because we were just getting out and crossing the street to the theatre. I told E she could leave hers on if she wanted, I am just rebellious like that. However, E is not rebellious, and she left her coat on the bus. I didn't' care about my coat as I avoid wearing one as much as possible. It was only 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. We piled out of the bus, half the people wearing coats, and made it into the theatre without anyone dying of hypothermia.
Of course when we got into the theatre, half of us snuck off to the restrooms! E pleaded with me not to go because we were "not supposed to!" Heh heh. When we got into the bathroom we met up with many other rebellious chaperone's including Mr. Bossy's companion. Poor guy, even she didn't listen to him.

While we were meandering about the theater, I noticed that there were small alcoves here and there with private parties going on. I also noticed that many people were dressed up. I thought of the matinee we went to last year with the drama club in NYC. Almost everyone there was wearing jeans. Not so much in Boston.There were also cash bars located at every level, E seriously begged me not to get a drink, so I didn't. A choice I regret.

Our seats were about a quarter of a mile away in the last rows of the Balcony and I forgot my binoculars. As for the show, it was great. I am a huge Dr. Seuss fan, and even painted a Dr. Seuss fence on my living room wall, and tell everyone I went to the same high school as him. Of course not at the same time. The costumes were fun and the songs fabulous.

After the show, several of us stood in line so we could purchase $35 T shirts. The T's in NYC were $20. Yes, I am insane, but felt pressure, I know, crazy, I really don't want to talk about it.

We got back on the bus and proceeded to go back to Vermont. Well, we made it over the border from NH to VT, through Woodstock VT, about an hour away from our destination, when the bus pull over at a gas station."Why are we stopping?" we all asked. After a while Mr. Bossy got on the horn and told us that the bus driver just noticed we were low on gas and he wasn't comfortable going further without getting more. Okay, we are at a gas station,no big, right? WRONG! There was no diesel fuel at this station. And to make things more scary, apparently this bus had no emergency road side assistant plan, huh? Being that I was toward the back of the bus, I couldn't hear exactly what was going on but I heard a rumor that the State police were called, the town police where we were headed were phoned and supposedly the town we were stuck in Bridgewater was not going to help us. Great. I don't know what finally happened but after about a half an hour we were told that gas was on the way. Yay! But the gas didn't arrive for another two hours!!! In the meantime people were getting ornery. At one point I was scared that I, I mean, WE were going to go all "Lord of the Flies" set the bus on fire and throw the driver into traffic. Thankfully, I had Xanax with me, which I took, and it helped me realize sending smoke signals would probably be fruitless out here with all the wood stoves around and all. Mr. Bossy did yell at some of the moms because they were really acting over the top angry. I was angry because they didn't give us frequent updates and also because I was just getting into the movie A Sharks Tale, when the bus stopped. The most I did to rebel, was stand up and volunteer to take some of the carsick kids off the bus for fresh air. Another bossy man tried to stop me and asked that we all go out in groups. I said no thank you, I was going out now, it was too hot in the bus, and I was not waiting for a turn to go outside. "You can't keep us from leaving the bus" I said loudly, well quietly anyways. I know the bosses just had every ones safety in mind, but I had to get the fuck out of there, if just for a minute. It was zero out.
Finally the gas arrived we headed out, and well, wouldn't you know, the toilet wouldn't flush. What a piece of crap this bus was. The driver couldn't even figure out how to turn the lights on and off properly. The aisle lights would go on for no reason then off then all the overhead lights would go on. What a dumbass.
Last I heard, from one of the over the top angry moms, was that we were getting a refund for the bus cost. That's good news at least.



$35 T-shirt, which I bought one for T also. I know, I don't want to talk about it.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Mama Made It!

Just wanted to let you know I made it home safely in the storm. The roads were a real mess with 6 inches of snow and not a plow in sight until the last 4 miles. Damn budget cuts. It is still coming down hard and is not supposed to stop until tomorrow at 1PM. I slid quite a bit, but my little Toyota Matrix pulled me through. I even shouted "Woo Hoo Mama Made It!" as I flew up my driveway as fast as I could. ( I would have gotten stuck if I went too slow)
Off to watch Fire Fly. Good night.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Miscellaneous Manure Pt. 5

Am I the only one receiving more than the usual number of spam emails lately? I am even getting them on the weekends. Leave me alone Spirit Halloween, I don't care if everything is 75% off, it is Christmas, not Halloween!

We are expecting our first significant snowfall TOMORROW so why is it freaken snowing and sleeting right NOW? I am just a little nervous being that I have a different car than last winter and I have not driven it in the snow yet. I had brand new snow tires put on it, so wish me luck.
(Add.)I wrote the above yesterday, and the snow did stop before I left work and the roads were clear. Now it is Thursday and there is a winter storm warning out calling for 5-10 inches of snow, sleet or freezing rain. It's supposed to be worst overnight which is when I will be driving home from work. UGH! I do have houses on the way I can stop at if I go off the road. They are spread out anywhere from 3-10 miles apart. The ride to and from work is 36 miles long. I won't go to any strangers home for fear they might be relatives of Ed Gein. But, I know me, lazy, so if I do go off the road I'll just hold up in my car and eat my emergency stash of candy bars and wait for help.

Speaking of candy bars, I joined Weight Watchers 4 weeks ago, actually going to the meetings joined, and as of today's meeting I have lost 8.8 pounds! Yay Me! So I should probably put some diet treats in my emergency stash.

I am going on a Drama Club field trip with E to Boston on Saturday. We are going to see
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I hope it's not snowing, those crazy bus drivers, drive fast. I'll bring my Xanax.

Monday, December 08, 2008

Ghost Tree

My bloggy Friend Alissa recently had a giveaway on her blog to celebrate her 1000TH post. And Guess what? I was one of the lucky winners! I have been admiring Alissa's photographs since I started reading her blog 2 years ago. I feel very fortunate to have won my very own print of her work.

The photo is entitled Ghost Tree and this photo of a photo doesn't do it justice.



Alissa sells her photos, so if you are looking for a unique gift for someone or for yourself, go visit her right now.
Thanks Alissa!!!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

The New Extreme Sport

We have invented a new extreme sport called PNX Sliding (Pine Needle Extreme). Who says you need snow to slide?


T Solo


E Solo
Wipe Out

Monday, December 01, 2008

Seven Why's

I was tagged recently by Mercat to do the Seven Random Things Meme. I've changed it this time to Seven Why's. Why? Just because.

1) Why is my favorite flashback to the '80's radio station playing only Christmas music, and not '80's Christmas music, now until Christmas?

2) Why do I hate crumbs but tolerate dust?

3) Why do I love Edward Cullen, I mean in a non-pedophile-if I was 23 years younger-type of love?

4) Why do I all of the sudden like the Rolling Stones and find myself humming Ruby Tuesday sometimes?

5) Why did I have a dream that someone cut the top of my head off and I spent the remainder of the dream trying to keep my head together?

6) Why does dog breath make me gag but cat breath smells good to me?

7) Why no more Buffy?!!!