For Cate

A toque is that funny hat you see Canadians in. :) A good toque will have a poof ball on the top (as seen on Doug's hat. He's the guy on the right).


Kelly- so far as I understand Americans refer to them as "knit caps". But let's check with Cate, she's a costume designer.

For more info than you wanted on toques, visit Wikipedia.

C Is For Cookie

Elijah has been sick the last 2 days, so I couldn't bring myself to put him in childcare and get others sick. So no trip to the movies for me, and we'll probably miss church on Sunday. His nose has been runny, and his tummy was upset last night. It doesn't help any of us that he hasn't been sleeping well.

It's been snowing since we woke this morning, big fat snowflakes that make it feel like Christmas is nigh. :) What better motivator for making Christmas cookies? With my sous-chef Geoff, we made Christmas cutouts. I hope to get these to my friend Myrna next week, but we'll see how the timing works out. And since I'm pleased with their turn out, here's a peek.







Also to keep with the season of giving, Geoff booked us to give blood on Friday. I think they are giving away toques to all who give blood this next week. Cool!

That's it. I guess we'll spend the rest of the snowy day inside watching movies and eating homemade soup. Stay warm!

I'm closing with a quote from Family Guy. (I wish there was a Kiss Christmas special, that'd be funny).

Gene Simmons: Someone kidnapped Santa? That does not rock.

Movies

While I've totally been lacking in sticking my nose in a book, I've been catching up on some movies I wanted to see (thanks On Demand).

50 First Dates. Very cute. I really liked this, and it made me a little teary. Also, the soundtrack is awesome, especially for an 80s nut like me.

Six Degrees Of Separation. I love Will Smith, so I finally got around to seeing his first movie. I wasn't familiar with the play, or the storyline. It was alright. I likes the flow of it, but could do without the nudity. Will Smith is interesting in it.

In Good Company. I like Topher Grace, I find him enjoyable in all his projects. But this movie was pretty disappointing to me, and no I didn't feel like he "phoned it in". I guess I expected more out of the movie, that the characters would do more, or grow more. So I kinda feel like it was a waste of my time.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get out to the movie theatre. My church is offering free babysitting from 8:30am-12:30pm. And there is a huge Chinese Theatre between where we live and where the church is. Never been there, but it looks nice. Instead of buying theatre snacks, I may pop into the Harry & David near the theatre and pick something up. Mmm, Moose Munch.

I'll close with a quote from 50 First Dates.

Lucy: [to Henry] I hardly know you.
Marlin: Actually sweetie, you're kind of dating him.
[Lucy looks at Henry]
Henry: Yeah. Sorry I'm not better looking.

Thar Be Squalls Ahead

My pirate name is:

Captain Bess Kidd

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

*Thanks Mike*

For My Nerdy Star Wars Friends

Star Wars by the 30-Second Bunnies

Friday's Random Ten

Horseshoes - Moxy Früvous
Let's Make A Mystery - Spirit Of The West
A Spoon Full Of Sugar - Harry Connick Jr,
One Love - Prodigy
Break Your Heart - Barenaked Ladies
Desire - Toad The Wet Sprocket
Every Breath You Take - UB40
Converge - Mars Hill
Boadway - Goo Goo Dolls
Something - The Beatles

2005 In Review/Looking Ahead To 2006

2005 In Review

A Book You Read: Why I Hate Canadians (Will Ferguson)
Favorite Tv Show/Movie: House
A Place You Visited: Bow Falls in Banff
A Big Event That Happened To You: Had a baby, bought a house
A Thank You To Someone: Cate, for the wonderful quilt. It makes me smile all the time.
Something You Would Do Differently: Take more pictures
Favorite Pop Culture/Sports Event: Edmonton Eskimos win the Grey Cup
Favorite Song This Year: Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers or Collide - Howie Day
Something That Made You Laugh: Watching Grampy try to dress Elijah in his jammies.

Looking Ahead To 2006

No resolutions really, I just am looking forward to...
the trip out to CA in the spring
the birth of my new nephew or niece, and subsequent meeting of said baby :)
the births of the Schmidt & Herbert babies
hopefully reading some of the books from last Christmas
possibly a trip to D.C. to see Kelly

Family Activity

Last night the Armstrongs took in Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo. I imagine it's similar to the display that the Calgary Zoo also puts on. It was a little nippy, so we made sure we bundled up. It was a lot of fun, and incidentally Elijah's first trip to the zoo. We had some discount coupons from Chick-Fil-A so it was only $10. We grabbed some dinner, and then walked the park. The animals that are lucky enough to have inside/outside habitats were hanging around greeting guests. The first ones we saw were the elephants, which seemed to be Elijah's favorite. He smiled at the huge elephant stretching out his trunk to touch people. Geoff's favorite were the hippos, and mine of course were the giraffes. There was one giraffe who stopped eating long enough to stare right at Elijah. The place wasn't too busy, but we also shortly after it opened.

It's a pretty cool thing to check out, if your local zoo does it. We may try to find something fun like that for next Christmas, or we go back. It was pretty awesome. See for yourself.

Activism

I don't think I'm an activist. I'm not sure I'd want to be, given that the word seems to have negative connotations to me. I guess there was a vigil/protest/whatever last night in Denver regarding the execution of Tookie Williams. Who was in attendance? Well Ward Churchill of course! (and you all know what I think of him) And this guy who thinks the Denver Police is out to get him & his family (he's on the news a lot). I dunno, it just seems weird to me. There is a gathering of people who didn't think Williams should die, and the stay of execution was denied, so what's the point of people in Denver meeting, when this guy is being killed in CA? What does it accomplish? It doesn't change what is going to happen, it's done. I would understand wanting to hold a vigil to honor a life of someone who has died, but to have megaphones and signs just seems so out of place to me.

I have opinions and beliefs that I feel strongly about. But I've never been to a protest or made a sign to express my opinion. Maybe I should. But frankly, I'm afraid to. I'm afraid physical violence would be bestowed upon me, because I don't share the opinions of the other people. And isn't that funny? Because aren't a lot of protesters trying to promote peace?

Anyways, I'll close with a quote from PCU.

President Garcia-Thompson: You passed out cigarettes for a smoke-a-thon on Earth Day. You installed speed bumps on the handicapped ramps and, most recently, you dumped 100 pounds of... MEAT on a peaceful vegan protest!
Droz: Oh, come on! That was way more than 100 pounds.

A Perfect Sunday

Despite not getting a good night sleep on Saturday night, Sunday turned out to be a perfect day.

We had Elijah dedicated to the Lord on Sunday. Let me run down for you what exactly a baby dedication is.

It's a promise that Geoff and I will raise Elijah to know Jesus, raise him in a Christian home, instill in him the values and morals we hold. Once Elijah is old enough to understand Christ's sacrifice for his sins, he can choose to be baptized. We look forward to that day. But it was a lovely little ceremony, with Pastor Ron and our small group.

I had a wonderful 2 hour nap, we took a walk around the neighborhood after dark to see the lights people have put up, and after Elijah went to bed, Geoff and I enjoyed a fantastic roast beef dinner. Ended the day with watching Red Dwarf on the couch in our jammies.

Ah, that all days could be filled with such simple pleasures.

I'll close with a quote from Red Dwarf (something I could totally see myself saying).

Rimmer: I just want to say: over the years, I have come to regard you as... people I met.

Christmas Party

We had an awesome time with our Christmas party, 10 adults, 3 kids (including us), and a ton of tasty treats. We had cookies, meatballs, bread & spinach dip, pears (from Harry & David), Rice Krispie treats, veggie tray, chips, salsa, Coc-Cola, wine and beer. Highlights were Elijah growling and scaring one of the girls, playing Clue-Great Museum Caper, and everyone digging both the trees.

Pics of the event for you:

Elijah checking out the Christmas crackers we gave everyone.


My little St. Nick. (the hat didn't last too long.)


This is Curt & Jan Jones, the wonderful people who have us over for holidays.


Shots of the guests.


The hosts with the most. :)

I Usually Don't Put Much Stock In These...

But I think it has my number.

*Thanks to Melanie & Mike for starting it*

Your Birthdate: January 11

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world. You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm. Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche. Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done. Your strength: Your inner peace Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds Your power color: Emerald Your power symbol: Leaf Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Friday's Random Ten

No Reply At All - Genesis
Three Times A Lady - Commodores
Superstar - Easily Amused
Why Georgia - John Mayer
It's Alright - Huey Lewis & The News
Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
Start Me Up - The Folksmen
Orange Crush - R.E.M.
The Future - Leonard Cohen
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2

Odd Week

With the weather take a turn for the yucky, and dealing with being annoyed/angry/whatever, it's been an odd week.

On the good side of things...

Colin got a promotion at work! He's pretty happy about that.
Colin & Dawn got Dylan a puppy for Christmas. They've been wanting to add a four legged friend to the family for a long time, and now that they have the house, it was time. He's a little black pup (cross breed of poodle and Shi Tzu I think) named Snoop. Yes that's right, Snoop Dog.

My mom got a kitten. He's smoky grey with white paws and a white chest. She named him Snuggles. They are both very happy together. :)

Elijah had a good doctor's appointment this week. He goes back in March. He likes the Christmas lights. I want to try to take a family walk around the neighborhood to check out everyone's lights. I really want to take a picture of the house on the corner, so you can all see how they went ALL OUT!

Tomorrow is the Christmas party here. It looked like we might cancel, but then yesterday was the day everyone RSVP'd. Some people are even cutting short other parties just to come to our house. That makes me smile. It's nice to be loved (and I needed that this week). I still haven't baked my cookies, and Geoff hopes to bake tonight. That leaves me today to do it. Yikes!

Geoff put up the real tree last night, and I decorated it this morning. I'll take a picture tonight or tomorrow for you all. It's great to smell the pine all throughout the house. And Geoff was right, we do have enough ornaments for 2 trees. But I love adding new ones. He refers to Cornelius (fake) as the modern tree, and Irene (real) as the old school tree.

Getting married means trying to blend traditions, and one of Geoff's is not putting gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve. I hate this, I love looking at the gifts. But I don't want Elijah opening them early, so this year I'm okay with it. Actually, there is one gift under the tree, it's Auntie Lisa's to Elijah. It's in a bag, and it's flat. Elijah sorta plays with it, tries to look inside, but he can't see anything. Then he'll get distracted by Honey and move on to something else. It's gonna be fun Christmas morning. :)

Well, I guess those cookies aren't going to bake themselves. :) I also need to go out to Rite-Aid, so I'll bundle up Elijah and I and plow. I'm closing with a quote from A Christmas Story.

Narrator: In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.

No Reply At All

I've been busy trying to deal with some issues I have, so I haven't really been blogging. Been spending a ton of time on the phone with Lisa & Athena. And while I was able to vocalize to them & Geoff what was bugging me, I think I will ultimately decide to not blog about that.

I've been obsessed with the song No Reply At All (Genesis) the last few days, so here are the lyrics. Something about the song speaks to me. I just love it.

Talk to me, you never talk to me.
Ooh, it seems that I can speak.
But I can hear my voice shouting out.
But there’s no reply at all.

Look at me, you never look at me,
Ooh, I’ve been sitting, staring, seems so long.
But you’re looking through me
Like I wasn’t here at all.
No reply, there’s no reply at all.

Dance with me, you never dance with me.
Ooh, it seems that I can move,
I’m close to you, close as I can get.

Yet there’s no reply at all,
There’s no reply at all.

I get the feeling you’re tryin’ to tell me,
Is there something that I should know?
What excuse are you tryin’ to sell me?
Should I be reading stop or go, I don’t know.

Be with me, seems you’re never here with me,
Ooh, I’ve been trying to get over there.
Ah, but it’s out of my reach.
And there’s no reply at all.
There’s no reply at all.

I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me;
Is there something that I should know?
What excuse are you trying to sell me?
Should I be reading stop or go, I don’t know.

Maybe deep down inside,
I’m trying for no one else but me.
Too stubborn to say, the buck stops here.
It’s not the one you’re looking for.
But, maybe deep down inside,
I’m lying to no one else but me.
Oh but my back is up.
I’m on my guard - with all the exits sealed.

Listen to me, you never listen to me,
Ooh, and it seems there’s no way out,
I’ve been trying, but we cannot connect,
And there’s no reply at all,
There’s no reply at all,
There’s no reply at all,
No reply at all.

Is anybody listening - oh oh,
No reply at all...

Three Things

Three screen names that you've had: Melissius, phil, Melissa_in_denver

Three things you like about yourself: My wit, my smile, my faith

Three things you don't like about yourself: My body, pettiness towards certain people (I'm working on it), lack of motivation

Three parts of your heritage: Scottish, Ukrainian, Yugoslavian

Three things that scare you: Anything horrible happening to my family, insects, lizards

Three of your everyday essentials: Kissing Geoff & Elijah, watching the news, checking my email

Three things you are wearing right now: Jeans, Disneyland shirt, slipper socks

Three of your favorite songs: Return To Me (Dean Martin), Boogie Oogie Oogie (A Taste Of Honey), Sullivan Street (Counting Crows)

Three things you want in a relationship: Someone who makes me laugh, trust, honesty

Two truths and a lie: I get motion sickness, I never lie, I love my friends like family

Three things you can't live without: Jesus, people I love, potato chips

Three places you want to go on vacation: Scotland, New Zealand, Italy

Three things you just can't do: Play an instrument, cut straight, eat fresh fish

Three kids names: Elijah James, Patrick Hugh, Noelle

Three things you want to do before you die: See Elijah get married, go on a cruise around the world with Geoff, be in a movie

Three celeb crushes: Harry Connick Jr, Robert Sean Leonard, Will Smith

Three of your favorite musicians: Harry Connick Jr, Michael Bublé (he sings), Geoff

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to you: Smile, eyes, pecs

Three of your favorite hobbies: Reading, playing games, blogging

Three things you really want to do badly right now: Eat some Ruffles, soak in a hot tub, get out of town

Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy: Hate clothes shopping, love MXC, enjoy playing sports

Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl: I like going to the salon/spa, I love children, I love romantic comedies

Crafty

I went out and bought some supplies to make a Christmas craft. I probably should consider finishing one project before starting another, but that's never been my style. The stocking is well on it's way, and this craft I have in mind shouldn't take too much. (insert laughter here) I also hope to bake some cookies this week. If they turn out, I'll take a picture for you.

We took Elijah to see Santa yesterday. I posted their picture together on his blog.

Scrubs is coming back to tv on January 3! And we'll get two new episodes. Whoo-hoo! The only problem I foresee is it may end up airing the same time as House, which means I'll be using the VCR for the first time since we moved.

I would like to get out to the theatre to see a movie, but I'm not holding my breath on that happening anytime soon. It just seems like a lot of trouble to get a sitter and go out. We didn't go out to movies often before Elijah, but the things we did do, were much more convenient by being so close to Cherry Creek. Aw, the downside of living in the 'burbs.

Last night we watched Surviving Christmas ('cause I think Affleck is the bomb yo!), and it was alright. Geoff said he liked the parts that didn't suck. :) It was very similar to Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. But then Hollywood doesn't really do original, doesn't it? In any case, I liked both movies (but Dickie Roberts is better).

I was going to post about this a while ago, but then forgot, and then my friend Ashley did: I'm really disappointed that Nick & Jessica broke up. I had hoped they would have stuck it out. I feel there are only a few things that can't be fixed in a marriage, and I doubt those issues were present. Marriage is hard enough, but then to add prying eyes and world-wide gossip, it must make it that much harder.

I'll close with a quote from Surviving Christmas.

Drew Latham: Folks, my firm's done a tremendous amount of marketing research and we've discovered two critical things, one; most Americans feel that Christmas is a time for family. Two; most Americans feel that in order to stand being around their family, for even one or two days, they need to swill as much alcohol as humanly possible.

You're A Mean One, Mr. Moore

Hopefully Elijah's first trip to see Santa won't be like this. :)

Friday's Random Ten

Kindness - Todd Agnew
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka
Someday - Sugar Ray
Confessions II - Usher
Ladies Night - Kool & The Gang
Give Up The Funk - Parliment
Disappear - INXS
Hot In The City - Billy Idol
Rotten Apple - Alice In Chains
I Love The Nightlife - Alicia Bridges

Birthday Week

Last Friday - Dylan's birthday
Sunday - Dawn's birthday
Today - Colin's birthday

Happy Birthday You Guys!

I love you, I miss you, I can't wait until I can see you again.

A Bunny Christmas Story

To A Friend

Sometimes people are so caught up in themselves, they don't see how hurtful they are being. In a society that tells you to be selfish, "it's all about you", we are told no to feel guilty for hurting others. Because you should only be concerned about yourself. But how many of these incidents could be avoided by just TALKING to someone, instead of lashing out when they don't understand you.

I take theses things and I hope I learn from them. To be honest, to speak the truth in love, to stand up for what I believe, and to call people on their stuff.

This is my blog, I can say what I want. It's a forum for my feelings and my experiences. I would hope if I said something you took offense to you'd take the time to ask me about it. If you said something I thought was hurtful, I would probably ignore it, because it isn't worth getting myself worked up over something that I may have misunderstood. Or maybe it's a pattern, and I've learned not to take that path. I just hate lying, I try not to do it, and I hate when I feel like someone is lying to me.

I had a good Mom To Mom meeting today. It was meaty, it was small, it was everything I wanted it to be. Except it could have been longer.

We just finished watching Newsradio Seasons 1 & 2, so I'll close with a quote from that.

Joe: Seven times. I flunked this test seven times, you know. I mean, I don't want to say 'conspiracy,' but...
Lisa: Well actually, I am starting to see a pattern here."
Joe: Ah. Uh huh. Uh huh.
Lisa: One of last year's questions was: 'In the following circuit, the potential is blank volts.' And you answered: 'I refuse to answer the question on the grounds that the design of this circuit is totally sucky.'
Joe: Yeah. I don't know how that dumb bastard ever got to be a professor.
Lisa: Oh. Well you know, that would explain why you answered the next question: 'If you want to build a thermostat that won't be affected by humidity, try this you dumb bastard.'

Decking The Halls

We're having a Christmas party on Saturday, December 10. You out of towners are welcome to come, please wear something festive (red, green, Christmasy).

Christmas Q & A

I know y'all are going to copy this from me, so please credit me for starting it. :)


* When is the best time to open presents? Always open one on Christmas Eve, then the rest go early Christmas morning.
* Have you been naughty or nice this year? Mostly nice.
* Real tree or imitation tree? This year both.
* Favorite Christmas cartoon character? Hermey.
* Did you ever write Santa a letter? For sure!
* Buy any Christmas presents online? Naturally.
* Save the ribbon and paper or rip right through it? Rip rip rip.
* Sharing Christmas with family this year? Just immediate family.
* Ever ride in a one horse open sleigh? No :(
* Ever roast a chestnut on an open fire? No
* Favorite Christmas pie? Not a fan of pie.
* Favorite Christmas movie? Come on, A Christmas Story! (but for a non-traditional movie, I have to say The Ref)
* Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, Angels We Have Heard On High.
* People on your Christmas list; more or less than ten? I'd say it's 10 exactly.
* Will you have a white Christmas this year? Most likely.
* Do you believe in Santa Claus? Santa's got the spirit of Christmas, so I'll say yes.
* Who would you like to kiss under the mistletoe? My hubby, and Elijah. :)
* Who gives the best gifts? Geoff
* Do you send Christmas cards? Yes, a ton of them!
* What color best represents Christmas? White
* Do you own any Christmas music? You bet.
* How many Christmas parties will you attend this year? Maybe 1
* Does the postal worker get a gift this year? Maybe, he's pretty friendly to me. I used to share cookies with my UPS guy.
* Giving a present to a pet? Of course.
* Your shopping: All done, half-way done, just started, not yet started? Half-way.

For My Canuck Peeps

If you aren't reading Rick Mercer's blog....
A letter from Stephen Harper
(warning: may contain bad language, but it's funny)

Fa La La La La

Just a bunch of misc thoughts today.

I think we're going to have a Christmas party. Short notice sure, but we just wanted to gather our friends near. In Irvine, our couples group would get together for a progressive dinner and ornament exchange. In Edmonton, Diane & Glen would throw a Christmas open house, where friends would gather for food. It's in that spirit, of being with people whose company you enjoy, and laughing and eating. I only wish our out of town friends could be there. :)

I sent out all the Christmas cards this morning, and hope they are well received. Though I doubt the letter has much to say that people didn't know, perhaps they enjoy a refresher of what the year held for us. It's fun to look back on the year and see all that God has blessed us with. If you haven't read the letter online, don't worry, chances are it's coming to a mailbox near you. It was a bit of a challenge to take the family photo, but nice that we could do it in the comfort of our home.

The coming year holds a few trips I think, for certain we are going out to CA in early June. Geoff was invited by his friend Sean to run in a marathon in San Diego. I am really looking forward to seeing more of San Diego, and hopefully to meet our friends Anna & Francesco's baby girl Julia. She was born a few months after Elijah. Of course I can't wait to see all my Irvine friends. And perhaps a trip to Disneyland. We'll have to see. I don't know how much Elijah will get out of that.

I also want to get up to Edmonton to see all the new babies, especially my newest nephew or niece. I don't know when I'll get the chance to do that, and it will likely be just me & Elijah going up. Perhaps in the summer, or we might push it to fall. It's all about timing and money. And I probably wouldn't stay too long, maybe a long weekend. I know, that's not enough for those of you who can't get enough of the Armstrongs. But when you add on that I am determined to get to D.C. to see Kelly, it makes for a busy year.

I am hoping that now we have a basement, I can buy Christmas stuff after the holidays for next year. Space has always been an issue until now, and if I can score a good deal (and that is my specialty), wouldn't it be silly not to? A lot of our neighbors are going all out decorating their yards. We hope to get out in some warm clothes and walk the neighborhood to see what everyone has done. Inspiration for the future, and just to get in family time.

I LOVE that Prime Minister Paul Martin got booed coming onto the field at the Grey Cup. That totally rocked! And the icing on his cake this week, a no-confidence vote. Looks like Canada's having an election in January. Get out and vote you hosers! (P.S.- visit Rick Mercer's blog for a funny letter from the P.M.)

Alright, I'm going to sign off now with a quote from Clue.

Mr. Green: But this is ridiculous. If he were such a patriotic American, why didn't he just report us to the authorities?
Wadsworth: He decided to put his information to good use and make a little money off of it. What could be more American than that?

Quote For The Day

Kelly often posts quotes on her blog, and since she is in Prague, I will post one on her behalf.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. -Marcus Aurelius

Making The Most

Thanksgiving was great, both of the dinners were very tasty. I love going to Curt & Jan's, there is always a lot of people, they have a wonderfully large house to seat everyone (12 of us), and you get to leave with leftovers. We played Catchphrase, a staple of Thanksgiving at the Jones'. We got in two rounds of Scattergories before we had to get Elijah home for bed. But he enjoyed himself, he crawled around their floor and played with one of the 4 dogs there. He still needs to learn to be gentle. Thankfully it was a very understanding dog, she didn't react too much to him pulling her hair.

Geoff prepared our Thanksgiving meal last night, and as usual the gravy was fantastic. No one makes gravy like Geoff. :)

We decided that since we have the space, and I really want to put up the tree, we are going to have two trees this year. We dug out Cornelius (the fake tree) and decorated it with all the Hallmark ornaments, a few other store ornaments and ornaments from places we've visited. The rest will wait for the real tree, which we will probably buy in a few weeks. I'll have to take a picture so you can see how it's worked out. But the real tree will go in the front room, in front of the window, the fake tree is in the living room by the fireplace. Elijah really likes the lights of the tree.

I don't know if it's age, or the holidays making me miss loved ones lost, but I really feel like I want to make the most of the time I have with family. I don't know when I'll get back to Canada for a visit next, but I would like to try to see family at least once a year. Part of what spurned this was reading my Christmas Memory book. We got this great book the first Christmas we were married, that lets you write how you spent your Christmas, who you were with and other special memories. I was reading about Christmases past, and I missed all the people mentioned. I miss Christmas Eve walks around the Legislative Buildings with Doug & Barry. I miss a big family meal with the Kroliks. Progressive dinners with the couples group. I miss going to Uncle Kim's, or out to the farm on Boxing Day. I miss being in jammies opening presents with family.

My dream Christmas has all these elements. I'd like to have my friends & family come to church with us Christmas Eve, then all come back to our place for food, and caroling, with Geoff playing his violin. Christmas morning, we'd wake up just the 3 of us, and open presents, then spend the afternoon or evening with family. That is my dream Christmas. And I get to have all my friends and family across Canada & the U.S. there. Impossible, sure, but that's why it's a dream.

We're going to watch the Grey Cup today. Elijah is wearing his Eskimos shirt (thanks Auntie Dawn). Last night we watched The Ref, which is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I'll close with a quote from that.

John Chasseur: Mom, the TV's broken. What are we gonna do all night?
Connie Chasseur: Celebrate the birth of Christ!

Friday's Random Ten

Bem, Bem, Maria - Gipsy Kings
Sadness Grows - Spirit Of The West
House Arrest - Bryan Adams
Witchy Woman - Eagles
Time (Clock Of The Heart) - Culture Club
Breath - Pearl Jam
Buona Sera - Dean Martin
Wicked Garden - Stone Temple Pilots
Good - Better Than Ezra
Miss United States - William Shatner

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

First off, let me tell you that I am feeling better today. I am at the hump of the sickness, meaning I'm less clogged, and instead of a sore throat, it feels coated. So I anticipate that tomorrow I'll be coughing. In any case, I certainly feel well enough to enjoy turkey today. I will try to take it easy though, but good luck if we decide to play a game. Apparently I can be a little competitive and get excited when playing games.

Our turkey meal is set for 2:30pm, which I like. I feel like it won't disrupt Elijah's routine. He's been such a good boy this week, well he's a good boy a lot of the time. It will be nice to have this long weekend together to spend as a family.

The Christmas cards are mostly addressed (we're sending out close to 70 this year), all I'm waiting on is the picture we took on the weekend. Since I had grand ideas of being early this year, and that fell through, I've going to give you all, my loyal readers, a look at our annual Christmas letter. The photo we took you'll have to wait for. I also had hoped to get Honey cat to join us in the picture, but if you've met her, you know her. There is no way she would have sat still for that.

We're going to go for a family walk once Elijah gets up from his morning nap. So I'll close now with a picture of my turkey and a quote from Scrooged.



Earl Cross: All day long I listen to people give me excuses why they can't work. My legs hurt. My back aches. I'm only four.

Yuck

I'm sick. I'm nursing a sore throat, and it feels like all the holes in my head are plugged. I have to get better by tomorrow, I refuse to miss Thanksgiving at Curt & Jan's. My plan of attack? Plenty of warm fluids, resting (while I can), and a nice hot shower. Elijah seems to be better from his cold, now we need to make sure Geoff doesn't get sick.

Alright, I am going back to bed. Here's my closing quote, from Friends.

Joey: You can't have Thanksgiving without turkey. That's like Fourth of July without apple pie, or Friday with no two pizzas.

Truth & Beauty

We have some friends who live in OR, and they had a son born a month before Elijah. They are pregnant again! Due at the end of July. Exciting, but crazy! While I love the thought of adding to our family, I am enjoying my time with Elijah right now too much to consider a 2nd child. Elijah may not remember this time we spend, but I sure will.

There is so much drama going on right now with people I know, I'm happy that my life is quiet. I don't have teens being murdered on my block. I don't have someone breaking my heart or hurting my feelings. I have a wonderful husband and darling son to spend my holidays with, instead of being alone. I am blessed, and I am thankful.

I am also lucky. Today I found out I won a contest I entered, and I found two dimes on my walk this morning. Shaping up to be a good day! :)

Tonight House is on (yay!). It is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows, especially since Scrubs isn't airing yet. I am trying to get House season one from the library to catch up, but you can easily follow the show without it (or so I have found).

Nothing else to say. Bought most of the stuff we need for our turkey brine. Just need to find some fresh sage at King Soopers tomorrow.

I am going to close with a quote from Seinfeld.

Elaine: Oh. So, you're pretty religious?
Puddy: That's right.
Elaine: So is it a problem that I'm not really religious?
Puddy: Not for me.
Elaine: Why not?
Puddy: I'm not the one going to hell.

Holiday Season

I'm really looking forward to turkey this week. We have a lot to be thankful for this year. We're going to have 2 turkeys this week, one at the Jones', and one at our place. Mmm. I posted before about inviting Kelly & Roman here for Thanksgiving, but Roman contacted me weeks ago to say he was taking Kelly to Prague for her birthday gift. They went this week. She really wants to come here soon, so maybe once she returns we can look at our calendars and figure something out.

Christmas is coming fast, and I'm pretty excited. There are aspects of the holiday I don't enjoy (going to the post office, and other stuff I won't mention), but let's go with the positive. I enjoy working on our annual Christmas letter we send out. I enjoy wearing my Christmas clothes. I love getting Christmas cards. I love the lights. Most of all, I love being able to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The songs singing about His birth, His life, His reign.

Roland posted on his blog a song list for a Christmas mix CD he made, so I thought I'd post the song list for the Christmas CD I made last year.

Go Tell It On The Mountain/Amen - Phillips, Craig & Dean
You Make It Feel Like Christmas - Neil Diamond
Jingle Jangle - Blue Hawaiians
Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord - Boney M
The Night Before Christmas (The Devil In The Kitchen) - Ashley MacIsaac
The Marvelous Toy - Irish Rovers
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
This Christmas - Harry Connick Jr
Last Christmas - Wham!
Jingle Bells (from The Simpsons)- Robert Goulet
Do You Hear What I Hear - Out Of Eden
Silver & Gold - Burl Ives
Twelve Days Of Christmas - Bob & Doug McKenzie
Blue Christmas - Johnny Cash
O Come Emmanuel - Michelle Negron Bueno
Do They Know It's Christmas? - Paul Bellows & Stew Kirkwood
Mistletoe & Holly - Frank Sinatra
O Holy Night - Josh Groban (my favorite version of this song. Will give you chills)
Little Drummer Boy - Jars Of Clay

I may try to make another Christmas CD this year. I always like to add one or 2 Christmas CDs to my collection.

Here are pictures from Geoff hanging out lights. I was anti-icicle lights (because I think they are overdone, and everyone has them), but we compromised and got mutli-colored ones. It's hard to see the house, but hopefully you get the idea.







Thanks to all you guys for saying you miss us too. It meant a lot. I guess it makes the times we see each other more special, but I could use that specialness more frequently, y'know? :) All in good time.

I'll close with a quote from one of the ultimate guilty pleasure movies, Bring It On.

Sparky: I am a choreographer. That's what I do. You are cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are dancers who have gone retarded. What you do is a tiny, pathetic subset of dancing. I will attempt to turn your robotic routines into poetry, written with the human body. Follow me, or perish, sweater monkeys.

Decking The Halls

As we prepare to decorate the house for Christmas, I kinda wish we could see family. I don't regret the decision to spend Elijah's first Christmas here in Colorado, because there is no way I'd want to travel over the holidays. And there is no way we could accommodate everyone coming here (meaning my family and Geoff's). I wish we lived a better driving distance sometimes(though really 25 hours isn't so much).

I know we'll have a wonderful Christmas, and I'll try to take a lot of pictures so you'll feel like you are here. Hopefully you all will do the same. And perhaps in a Christmas future, we'll venture up. But don't expect it to be on Christmas Day! :)

I miss all of you, in Alberta, in California, in D.C.

Friday's Random Ten

Time Of The Season - The Zombies
Invisible Sun - The Police
Poisoning Pigeons In The Park - Tom Lehrer
Crying - Roy Orbison & K.D. Lang
Cynthia - Blue Rodeo
Predictable - Easily Amused
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Blue Satin Jacket - Brock Skywalker & His Irregular Heartbeats
God You Are My God - Delirious?
Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Frightening

I don't know if it's making news where you live but here in Aurora, it's been a strange week.

Monday a little 6 year old girl was reported missing, presumed to have runaway. As the week progressed, there were no leads, and her father supposedly wasn't being too cooperative (the mother lives in Detroit). Last night, they reported on the news the authorities believe the little girl was murdered, MONTHS AGO! They have found no body, and details aren't being shared, but how does a family conceal a death of a child. They have 7 older kids in the house. Here's the story.

It's so disturbing. The longer she was missing, the more I thought the whole situation seemed fishy. The nighttime temps here were very cold, so if she was outdoors somewhere it would not bode well. If someone had her, I figured there would have been more leads. I'll continue to watch this story unfold, and pray for the family.

In my world, not much has been happening. I can hardly believe how quickly time is passing (I know I say this a lot, but I am still in shock over it all). It's Friday? Thanksgiving is next week? Yikes! as I mentioned the weather has been chilly, so I haven't done much. I finally made it to the post office to mail off the "birthday week" package (Dylan, Dawn and Colin all have their birthday in the same week). Mom To Mom was good, I missed seeing the ladies. But we're off next week for Thanksgiving.

This weekend I think the plan is to do some shopping, get our Christmas lights, and watch the Broncos beat the Jets. :)

That's about all, so I'll close with a quote from Strange Brew.

Bob McKenzie: I was the last one left after the nuclear holocaust, eh. The whole world had been destroyed, like U.S. blew up Russia and Russia blew up U.S. Fortunately, I had been offworld at the time. There wasn't much to do. All the bowling alleys had been wrecked. So's I spent most of my time looking for beer.

Favorite Quote Of The Week

I actually got to tag along with some guys from the Department of Natural Resources as they took a giant drugged polar bear, stuck him in a net and airlifted him via helicopter out of harms way. It’s quite a sight to see. They use a technique that was actually developed in Alberta as the most efficient way to transport Ralph Klein back and forth between Edmonton and Calgary.- Rick Mercer, on a visit to Churchill, Manitoba

Feeling Neglected?

Which Neglected Mario Character Are You?

A Bunch Of Random Things

As previously posted, we had a good time throwing our first party in the new digs. Wyoming people know how to party, they stayed from 3-10. We even played two rounds of Shout About Movies. We still have some food left over.

I dreamt last night that Jen & Greg, and Cate & Kaisara all bought a house together here in Colorado, right near us. Sigh, that was a good dream. :)

It's gotten colder here, there's been a strong wind blowing for days. There's no snow yet, but I'm sure it's around the corner. With a chill in the air, it makes me want to decorate the house for Christmas.

We got a great turkey for Thanksgiving, a 14 pounder and it was only like $6! We also got an invite from the Jones' to join them for Thanksgiving. I totally want to go, I love being at their house.

Zach Braff has posted a video post on his blog. It's interesting to get his perspective on stuff.

On Demand has one episode of Robot Chicken, so we watched it. It was hilarious, as usual. It was about how all the members of N*Sync were murdered, except for Joey Fatone, so he has to avenge their death in a martial arts match. If you haven't had the chance to see Robot Chicken, you have to find it!

Penn & Teller's special on tv last night has prompted Geoff to declare we'll go see their show in Vegas on the next trip. He is desperate to get back to Vegas, and I'd like to have people meet us there. If you are interested, email me. Maybe we can swing it.

No big plans for this week. I'll close with a quote from that episode of Robot Chicken.

Britney Spears: [in a death-match against Joey Fatone] Wait a second! Meet my homegirls - Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Jessica Simpson, Jessica Simpson's sister...
Ashlee Simpson: I'm Ashlee!
Britney Spears: [sighs in frustration] Sh! The big kids are talkin'!

Happy Birthday Heather!

Heather is unique in that she is among the elite number of people to visit me wherever I move. She came to CA (before we had Beatrice so we bussed it almost everywhere we went), she came to Denver last year, and I expect she'll come to Aurora in the next year (she loves to travel). Hope you have a great birthday bud!

Good Times!

We had a fantastic time at our party. Wish you'd been here.

A Treat For Me

When we bought the house, I wanted to get a treat for myself. So we made sure we set aside some of our house money for me to bring a little bit of Scottish heritage & Glasgow to our new home. I contacted Scottish Stained Glass, and set an appointment up within a week of being here. They came to our house, and we picked out a design that was very reminiscent of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who designed a ton of buildings in Glasgow , including our favorite spot, The Willow Tea Room. They said it would take 5-7 weeks for them to make the window.

I got the call on Tuesday that it was ready to be installed today. Here it is.

Our Stained Glass Window

Friday Already?

well, let's get the random 10 out of the way.

Ride Wit Me - Nelly
Jimmy Olsen's Blues - Spin Doctors
Karate Schnitzel - Tenacious D
Come Fly With Me - Michael Bublé
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Grace like Rain - Todd Agnew
Consequence Free - Great Big Sea
Rebel Yell - Billy Idol (note to Diane & Geoff- the original song doesn't have the dirty line, that is reserved for the live version)
You Might think - The Cars
Shy Guy - Diana King

Our dinner with our friends Jason, Nicole & Trista was a lot of fun. Geoff makes the best ribs. Here's the secret, 1/2 of it is recipe (Alton Brown's), the other 1/2 of it is using good quality meat (thank you Whole Foods).

Thursday, I blew off going to Mom To Mom because I felt like I had enough on my plate, plus Geoff had his dentist appointment. It turned out to be a good thing, 1. it gave me the chance to talk to Athena for 109 minutes on the phone (hee hee), and 2. Jayla said the guest speaker wasn't so great. Elijah and I took a walk around the neighborhood near us, and enjoyed the fresh air. Last night drove to our old neighborhood to take a CPR class at the pediatrician office. Saw that someone has moved into our old place (have fun with that!). The class was good, and I met a couple who brought their 7 month old daughter (Lara), and the wife is already 3 months pregnant with #2. Crazy! So I feel like now if I'm in a situation calling for choking or CPR with infants or children, I'll know what to do. They said even if you are worried you will forget a step, or do it wrong, almost any action is better than inaction. Plus, if I feel like I want to go through it again, it's only $10, and they do it every month.

Today will be spent wrapping gifts to prep for mailing, and cleaning the house for the party tomorrow (seriously, come to the party). Don't think I'm all done my shopping, far from it! I just have a few gifts bought. But my goal is always to mail everything by December 1. I can't recall if I've ever actually made that goal. :)

Well, the boy is sleeping, so it's as good a time as any to get on dusting. I will post again this afternoon with something exciting (well exciting to me). Until then, I'm closing with a quote from The Drew Carey Show.

Kate O'Brien: I don't believe this. You're taking advice from Oswald? Oswald who once swallowed a sponge to soak up all the beer, so he won't get drunk?
Oswald Lee Harvey: Did I get drunk?
Kate O'Brien: We had to take you to the hospital! You were clinically dead for two minutes!
Oswald Lee Harvey: But, did I get drunk?

Apropos

I had written a post and then changed my mind about what I had written. I felt like words weren't capturing the emotions I was feeling. It was all brought on by the song Walking Away (Information Society).

On an almost related note, I finally watched Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. I enjoyed it, but it made me very sad. I found Jim Carrey's hair distracting (too Peter Krause), and Elijah Wood's character was so pathetic. I would likely recommend it if you were in the mood for a drama.

I had a good dentist appointment. My teeth are now clean, and the hygienist was pleased that not much had changed since I was there 6 months ago. Plus it wasn't all that painful. Whoo-hoo!

Not much else to share. I'm spending too much time thinking about things/people I can't change. I'll close with a quote from Never Been Kissed.

Merkin: I'm just a little tense. This whole office is not Feng Shui. All the desks are facing evil.

Birthday Wishes

Happy 29th Birthday Kelly!

Back To Normal?

There wasn't much disruption of my normal routine with Diane here. We did some stuff that I don't usually do, like go to the Aurora Mall. It used to be a kind of scuzzy mall, but they've revamped it, and it much nicer now. But in general we kind of just hung out. We also did a short trip up to Boulder. Next time I want to go to Boulder Falls. As it was, we just walked up to Pearl Street.


This week is crazy busy. Wednesday I have a dentist appointment (getting my teeth cleaned), and Wednesday night we are having Jason, Nicole & Trista over for ribs. A thank you to Jason for helping us move. Thursday, Geoff goes for his teeth cleaning, I have Mom To Mom, and then Thursday night I have my CPR class while Geoff has his Building Brothers group at our house. Saturday is the house warming party (come on by!), and Sunday we greet at church. A little more action than usual.

I'll close with a quote from True Lies.

Gib: I'm beginning to like this guy.
[Harry gives him a mean look]
Gib: Oh, we've still gotta kill him. That's a given.

5 Things

I had a great week.

1. Having Diane here, and seeing Elijah and Nana bonding.
2. Great weather.
3. Elijah eating a lemon.
4. Cranking "Too Little Too Late" coming back from Mom To Mom, and rocking out. I had to laugh at myself dancing in the car.
5. Elijah's first Halloween.

Yah, it was a good week for Elijah doing cute stuff.

Friday's Random Ten

Time - Hootie & The Blowfish
Come Down - Toad The Wet Sprocket
Domino Dancing - Pet Shop Boys
Elegantly Wasted - INXS
Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
The Only Thing I Need - 4Him
Your Little Secret - Melissa Etheridge
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Game Of Love - Santana
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas

Same Old

Thought I should write to let you know I'm still here. Everything here is same old, except I have Diane hanging out with me. We haven't really done anything exciting, just regular stuff. Elijah is entertaining us every day. We did a trip out to Cherry Creek North, and we'll go back on Saturday with Geoff. Today we may go to the Aurora History Museum and tonight for dinner we're going to On The Border. I've only been to On The Border once, with the Gathering group on night (Kaisara, Cate, Roland, Chris, ect...). Tomorrow we are going up to Boulder, probably check out Pearl St. and grab some lunch.

Hope everyone had a safe Halloween. We had a lot of fun, but we hardly got 20 kids. :( The people on our block just weren't doing anything. So next year, we want to make our house showy, to draw the kids in. There is a house around the corner from us that went all out, a graveyard on their front lawn, and a car accident in their driveway. I doubt we'd go that far, but something has to be done.

Oh yeah, Happy Birthday Chad!

I'll close with a quote from Red Dwarf.

Kryten: Causality? Well, OK, you know, one event causes another, OK, but sometimes, you just gotta say, the laws of time and space? Who gives a smeg?

Happy Halloween!

Here are the photos of our pumpkins.



Here's a picture of Geoff's at night, before the pumpkin rebelled and threw himself off the rail.

Interesting

Thanks Roland.


COMMONER

You are the Commoner, often
put down and yet surprisingly one of the most
valiant and true characters in fantasy. The
Commoner may be average or plain in appearance,
and yet they are the most likely to possess
noble and unique characteristics such as a
sense of honor, honesty, and deep loyalty. They
are also very loving and dedicated. If they
take up a cause you can bet they will see it
through the very end.

Color:
Orange
Animal: Dog
Gem: Onyx
Symbol:
Farmer's Scythe

Image:
http://www.deviantart.com/view/16757273/


Who would you be if you were a character in an epic fantasy? (beautiful pictures)
brought to you by Quizilla

Friday's Random Ten

Just Came Back - Colin James
Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies
Girls & Boys - Blur
Sure Shot - Beastie Boys
Video - India.Arie
Rico - Matthew Good Band
Twist My Arm - Tragically Hip
Freedom 90 - George Michael
The Change - Steven Curtis Chapman
Hey Hey What Can I Do - Led Zeppelin

I Think I May Have Considered This Once

I did toy with the idea of dressing up Honey (once upon a time), but I doubt she would let me.

5 Things

Here are 5 Things that made my week (in no particular order):
1. Having family & friends say nice things about me (on their blogs or on the phone).
2. Watching the hockey game with Geoff (even though the good guys lost).
3. Having my order from Amazon arrive.
4. Nice weather.
5. Vh1 airing I Love The 80s: 3D all week long.

So when I look in the mirror and see that annoying pimple, I can think hey, it hasn't been that bad a week. :)

Laughing Boy

My Mom

1. Growing up, I always loved your clothes, and couldn't wait until I was big enough to wear them.
2. Mermaids. Because (like us) after all they go through, they are able to love each other for who they are.
3. Orange.
4. California Pizza Kitchen
5. I couldn't tell you my clearest or first memory, so I'll pick a random one: Having my stitches taken out in a hospital in Calgary.
6. Lioness.
7. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Meghan

1. you have the most diverse taste in music of anyone I know.
2. dead again (K.B. is so awesome in that movie).
3. raspberry.
4. Bubbles. :) (well, maybe it's not just between you & me)
5. walking you home from school w/ Geoff & "would Melissa like some gummies?"
6. cougar
7. Don't you find it ironic you married a mascot after all those years of being afraid of people inside of costumes?

Athena

1. I like your laugh.
2. You're My Best Friend - Queen (the lyrics not so much, but the title was perfect).
3. lemon.
4. skimpy. revelations even w/o the beer.
5. the day we met, I felt comfortable talking to you right away.
6. a swan.
7. why did you change the spelling of your name?

I May Live To Regret This

Melanie did this for me, and it says at the bottom you must post it on your blog if it is done for you. Please do not submit if you don't have a sense of humor, as who knows what I may come up with.

Leave your name and:
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal (if you haven't already).

Mother's Intuition

Athena had a feeling (so did I), and the feeling was not wrong. Andrew & Athena are going to have a daughter. It was so exciting to hear. Now the rumors of an arranged marriage have begun. Hee Hee.

I Have A Cunning Plan

Baldrick


What smashing Blackadder character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Blah Blah Blah

We kept busy this weekend, doing chores, getting our house in order. Saturday we hit the ol' stompin' grounds, Cherry Creek. Took in some shopping, then did our grocery shopping. Geoff came home and did manly chores, and I tried to amuse a baby teething. Sunday we did church, and bought the Halloween candy at Walmart. Hopefully enough to appease 100 kids. Then we cleaned the house and finally unpack the boxes in the loft. All that is left to get the house organized is a filing cabinet. We have 5 years worth of receipts in office boxes, and a ton of papers we don't need but wouldn't dream of throwing out without shredding first.

Tomorrow we head to Bonfils to donate blood. We've been waiting until we got settled from the move, and we know there are people out there in need. Well, they don't need me, but Geoff's blood is very coveted. Tomorrow we're also getting the sprinklers winterized.

Those are the big plans for this week. I know we lead an exciting life. I invited my cousin Kelly (and her fella) to come here for Thanksgiving. I really hope they will consider it. Haven't seen Kelly since she came out to CA. And her fella is Canadian too, so I foresee a game of Trival Pursuit Canadian Edition! Kelly won last time, so I'm sure she'll be game. :)

I've been yakking on the phone a lot this last week with my friends. Usually I prefer email or IM to a phone call, but it's been fun. The conversations can move faster, and I feel like I get more out of it. It also helps to have stuff to talk about.

I'm not even going to comment of the Oilers getting spanked by the stupid Avs. It's just too painful. :(

I'm closing with one of my all time favorite quotes, courtesy of The Usual Suspects.

Cop: I can put you in Queens on the night of the hijacking.
Hockney: Really? I live in Queens, did you put that together yourself, Einstein?

Friday's Random Ten

The Way You Move - OutKast
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - KC & The Sunshine Band
Love Shack - B-52's
Stop Draggin' My Car Around - Weird Al Yankovic
Everything - Delirious?
The Toronto Song - Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie
Praying For Time - George Michael
God Bless America - Drew Carey
Sunrise - Norah Jones
The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim

Finally!

The Dilbert comic was a direct result of frustration with Sofamart and having to wait a month for tables we ordered. We finally got them on Tuesday. I am going to be writing a letter to Sofamart letting them know while their product is great, their service leaves much to be desired.

So here are pictures of the coffee table and end tables we ordered.





Now, I need some bedside tables!

6 miles was way too far to take on. I was so pooped when I got back, but I called it, it was 45 minutes to get to the post office. And they had the nicest people working there. I also met my postman when I returned home, and found out that in the case that my packages don't fit in the mailbox, he'll deliver them to my house. Whoo-hoo! Bring on the big Christmas boxes! :)

If I plan to get on sending my packages early, I need to get shopping. I have 3 gifts bought, and a list for a few more. I am wondering whether we will send out one family gift to everyone, or one from Geoff and I, and then Elijah sends his own gift (thinking that Elijah will send out pictures of himself. Yes, he's that vain). I'll talk it over with Geoff.

I'm closing with a quote from House.

Patient #2: I can't get my contact lenses out.
House: Out of what - they're not in your eyes.
Patient #2: They're red.
House: That's because you're trying to remove your corneas.

Free Day

No Mom To Mom today, or next week. It was a nice to not have to rush out the door at 8am to drive Geoff to work. A second car would be oh so handy, but I think it will be a few years before we do that. Let's just focus on house payments for a while.

My mom went to Toronto this week, her first time flying east, her first time going east of Saskatchewan. I'm curious to hear how she enjoyed her trip with her friends. You all know how I feel about Toronto (Toronto sucks), but I do have 2 nice memories of the city (seeing The Lion King with the Ontario family and visiting the Hockey Hall Of Fame).

Speaking of hockey, I've been catching some Oilers action on the tube, and enjoying that. Only thing that would make it better is to watch it with my brother. The Paul Coffey night was neat to watch, as he was one of my favorite Oilers. Who knew Barney Bentall was a friend of his? Anyways, it's been nice to have Geoff indulge me in my Canadian roots, even if he doesn't care much for hockey.

Today I am going to aim to truck on up to the post office, which I figure will be a 45 minute walk (one way). It's three miles away, but I have something I really want to mail, and I do need to load up on my Canadian stamps. So I will dress in layers, grab the pod and we'll make the trek. It is supposed to be 20 degrees warmer today than it was yesterday, and I walked 4 miles yesterday. So a 6 miles walk today shouldn't be so bad.

Diane is coming here in 10 days for a visit. She'll be here a week. No big big plans, maybe just a trip up to Boulder. Naturally, a trip to Peet's for coffee, and Cherry Creek Mall to go to Harry & David's. She & I will be taking Elijah out trick or treating, while Geoff stays home and hands out candy. Did I mention the neighbor said with the bad weather last year, only 40 kids came around? The year before, with nice weather, 80 kids. Needless to say, we'll be stocking up on candy at Walmart this weekend.

Well, it's time to get a move on and do my walk. I'm closing with a quote from Judging Amy.
Bruce Van Exel: I figure I have three choices of what to believe: (a) there is no God; (b) there's a callous God who doesn't care that horrible things happen to people; or (c) there's a benevolent God who's beyond my understanding and I have to give the benefit of the doubt when He looks bad.

My Favorite Bond

So yeah the announced the next Bond, Daniel Craig. Here are misc thoughts:

-I think that it may be good for them to go with an actor who isn't largely known to American audiences. It can be hard to accept an actor if they are already well known for certain roles. (Yes Pierce was Remmington Steele, but I never saw Remmington Steele, so to me he was the guy who got attacked in a drive by fruiting.)

-I'm hugely disappointed Pierce was let go, I love him. He is my favorite Bond (I mean I sat through Die Another Day for him).

-I am ever thankful that they decided against hiring Tarantino to direct, since I think he's a ponce (there are exceptions to most rules).

-No Q or Miss Moneypenny? But Dame Judi Dench back as M? Weird.

I haven't seen the first version of Casino Royale (Geoff has, the Armstrongs are Bond fanatics), and I wonder if holding off on seeing it may make this version easier to watch. In any case, we will all have to wait and see what happens with the Bond franchise.

I guess I'll close with a quote from Goldeneye.

M: You don't like me, Bond. You don't like my methods. You think I'm an accountant, a bean counter who's more interested in my numbers than your instincts.
James Bond: The thought had crossed me.
M: Good, because I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War, who's boyish charms, though wasted on me, obviously appealed to the young lady I sent out to evaluate you.
James Bond: Point taken.

Lemony Goodness!

FABULOUS! Oh so good!

Man! Now I have to wait a year for the last book!

Musical Leanings

Since I left KUCI, I haven't really been on top of what's new and hip in music. If I cared more, I could find an equivalent station here (or make a point of regularly tuning in to KUCI). As it is, I rely on tv and popular radio to find my new music. In my iTunes shopping cart right now is the new Depeche Mode single Precious (which I think it excellent) and the poppy Click Five tune Just The Girl.

Video iPods. Yeah, they're cool, but I don't really feel the need for one. I am keen on having the nano, because it will allow me to carry around pictures of Elijah, and it is so lightweight.

After almost a week of problems with our alarm system, we finally have it solved. They gave us new keypads for free. Our old keypads, which came with the house just were not cutting the cheese. I feel a lot better about the whole situation. Now, I just need to get Sofamart to get us our tables (which we ordered a month ago!), and hopefully my calling and complaining days will be behind me.

It's gorgeous out today, we'll be hitting the high 70's (or 20's). Supposed to be the same for tomorrow. Funny to think it's was snowing this time last week.

Yesterday we had company over for the first time. It was awesome. Once the pumpkins were carved, the guys watched the Bronco game, and the girls hung out talking at the dining room table. Jayla and I also took Elijah & Jayden to the park by our house. In the evening Geoff and I watched a science show, something about the best things to ever happen to physics. It was hosted by Bill Nye, and it was pretty entertaining. We crashed at 9pm though, it was just too much excitement for us. :)

Well nothing else to say. Tonight we'll watch Dream House. It's about a couple trying to build their house near Boulder and the trials they went through to make it happen. It's kinda funny because the first few episodes reminded us of what we had to endure getting our house. I said to Geoff when we started watching it, that all they need now is for the wife to get pregnant. Yep, that happened next. It airs on HGTV. It seems like all I do is watch HGTV, but they have a lot of good shows. You ever see Flip This House? Last week, a crew dropped a huge waste bin, and it slid down the hill, and trashed one of the guys cars. Totaled it! It was cool.

Okay, I'm closing now with a quote from Finding Nemo.

Nemo: Hey dad! Maybe when I'm at school, I'll see a shark.
Marlin: I highly doubt it.
Nemo: Have how ever met a shark?
Marlin: No, and I don't plan to.
Nemo: How old are sea turtles?
Marlin: Sea turtles? I don't know.
Nemo: Sandy Plankton from next door, he says they live to be a hundred years old.
Marlin: Well, if I ever meet a sea turtle I'll ask him, right after I'm done talking to the shark.

Hits Close To Home

It's like this comic is looking into my life!

Friday's Random Ten

Are You Gonna Go My Way? - Lenny Kravitz
Shoop - Salt-N-Pepa
Better That Way - Easily Amused
He's A Dream - Shandi (Flashdance soundtrack)
Wings On My Back - Splendourbog
Argue - Matchbox Twenty
You're So Vain - Carly Simon
Midnight Blue - Lou Gramm
Knock On Wood - Amii Stewart
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Parenthood

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of losing Dad. It was mostly a day like any other. I don't miss him more on that day than any other day.

Mom To Mom has been going well. Last week was a great session on marriage, the myths that women have going into marriage, and how those myths can ruin a marraige. It was almost laughable, the names of people I know who have these myths, and most of those marriages ended in divorce. In case you are curious...

Myth 1: But I thought marriage would make me happy-fill the hole in my heart.
Myth 2: But I thought marriage would make me whole-would complete or heal me.
Myth 3: But I thought it all depended on marrying the right person-but he looks less like "Mr. Right" than he used to!
Myth 4: But I thought love would "conquor all"-since we loved each other, everything would fall into place.

Sound like people you know?

This week's session would have been better if the guest speaker had stuck to his topic, instead of spouting off his personal opinion on stuff, and throwing out statistics, both of which could be misinterpreted. Needless to say, I will talk with my Titus II mom (Julie) and perhaps even the woman who runs Mom To Mom at our church. I just left feeling like he was scaring moms, and really they should do their own research on stuff, not just take his word as gospel.

The weather has been getting warmer every day, today was gorgeous. Sunday, we're having couples group over here to carve pumpkins, and Geoff is making his ever popular pumpkin pie. Incidentally, if you are interested in carving a pumpkin, and want it to last, spread vaseline inside and on your cuts.

When you see the hurricane symbol on the news weather, does it make you think of Meatwad? Or is that just me?

I'm going to close now with a quote from O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Tommy Johnson: I had to be up at that there crossroads last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil.
Ulysses Everett McGill: Well, ain't it a small world, spiritually speaking. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I'm the only one that remains unaffiliated.

Pride

Yes, sometimes it's a sin, but not in this case.

Glen (my father-in-law) is famous!

Here is one of my favorite pictures of him.

Trick Or Treat?

This is just ridiculous.

Halloween costumes for your iPod?


Vampire iPod

I love Pearl, but not enough to dress her up for Halloween. (Obviously just enough to name her)

Baby Bunk

I've read some questionable articles about pregnancy and baby health, but I always take everything I read (and hear) with a grain of salt.

The first article was about the "appropriate" weight a pregnant woman should gain. When I was pregnant, I was concerned about my weight gain, not wanting to gain too much, but also wanting to provide enough nutrients for Elijah. I do think some women do not gain enough weight, some women gain too much, and sometimes you can't control what health issues arise (gestational diabetes). I did agree with one thing the writer said, which is that Hollywood is not helping women have healthy pregnancies by flaunting unhealthy pregnancies of celebrities.

The other article was about traditional baby food myths being hooey. That you should feed your baby anything, that you don't need to follow "the rules". You know, like first they get cereal, then yellow vegetables, ect. It isn't going to change the decisions I've made about how I feed Elijah, I will continue along the traditional method. I am willing to expose him to different foods, I'd love for him to have a palate like his father.

You have to give it to Nick Park for having such a good attitude in the face of personal disaster (Aardman studio burns). Wallace and Gromit's creator, Nick Park, said the earthquake in South Asia helped put the loss into perspective.

"Even though it is a precious and nostalgic collection and valuable to the company, in light of other tragedies, today isn't a big deal," he said. It really is such a shame to lose that history, it must make them feel sick to their stomachs to think of it.

Yes, it's still snowing, but it has at least stopped acumulating. Laugh it up Albertans, we will see who has the longer, colder winter in the end.

I can take solace in the warmth of my home, turn on the fireplace and enjoy a mug of hot chocolate. Life isn't so bad. :)

I'll close with a quote from Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave.

Wallace: Won't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.
Wendolene: Oh no, not cheese. Sorry. Brings me out in a rash. Can't stand the stuff.
Wallace: [gulp] Not even Wensleydale?

What A Difference A Day Makes

Saturday


Monday


I have a wonderful husband, taking care of our property. Sadly, I may end up having to shovel again today since the snow doesn't plan on letting up. Funny enough, while it is in the 30's now, it is supposed to go back up to the 70's by the end of the week.

Because Roland Does It

Friday's Random Ten Songs

The Best Of Times - Styx
Try A Little Tenderness - Otis Redding ("This is Otis, I love Otis.")
I Would Die 4 U - Prince
Sullivan Street - Counting Crows (My favorite CC song to sing)
Know Me - Toad The Wet Sprocket
Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing - Chris Isaak
Anymore - Travis Tritt (Makes me think of the video, and then I could cry)
Land Of Confusion - Genesis
Take The Money & Run - Steve Miller Band
Chain Gang - Sam Cooke

Pants On Fire

Our closest fire station is hosting a pancake breakfast on Saturday. I could care less about pancakes (I'm more of a waffle fan), but Geoff wants to go. I'd love to get some pictures of Elijah with a fire truck, so unless we get some snow this weekend, we'll walk down the road to check it out.

This week has been pretty good. Haven't done much, just trying to empty boxes, and I'm watching WAY too much tv. We got digital cable, we're seeing how we like it. There is too much stuff to get distracted by, I mean, I've got first season of Facts Of Life on demand. Dangerous! I am getting a kick out of seeing Don Adams on Match Game (courtesy of the Game Show Network). We got a real hoot out of watching Extreme Dodgeball the other night. The commentators were AWFUL. But the mascot looked funny, and I thought of Mike.

I've yet to hang any pictures, I'm still not sure where I want to begin. I have a number of table pictures, but no tables yet to put them on. The giraffe collection also has not found a home, as I promised Geoff he could reclaim the bookcase for books. Ideally, I'd like a shelf somewhere to display my giraffe stuff.

We set a date for the housewarming party, Saturday, November 12. Come on by!

Oh yeah, I saw Chewbacca on a street corner today. He was just waving at people.

I'm going to close now with a quote from So I Married An Axe Murderer.

Charlie Mackenzie: Dad, how can you hate "The Colonel"?
Stuart Mackenzie: Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly, smartass!

Because Ashley Did It

Probably more information than anyone would want.

Put an "X" next to your confessions.

[ ] I am bisexual
[ ] I am homosexual
[ ] I've run away from home
[ ] I listen to political talk radio
[ ] I collect comic books.
[ ] I shut others out when I'm sad
[ ] I open up to others easily
[ ] I am keeping a secret from the world
[x] I watch the news WB2 morning news
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs
[ ] I own something from Hot Topic.
[x] I love Disney movies. mostly the Pixar ones
[x] I am a sucker for hair/eyes. I love Geoff's eyes
[ ] I don't kill bugs.
[ ] I curse regularly.
[ ] I have "x"s in my screen name.
[ ] just to be funny I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation
[x] I love Spam. mmm
[x] I bake well I make a mean chocolate cake
[ ] I would wear pajamas to school.
[x] I have a job. if you count being a mom
[ ] I love Martha Stewart.
[x] I am in love/like with someone. Geoffrey
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[x] I am self conscious. daily
[x] I like to laugh. love to laugh
[ ] I smoke.
[x] I loved Go Ask Alice. good book
[ ] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[x] I have many scars. I'm clutsy
[x] I've been out of this country I'm not from this country, so yeah
[ ] I believe in ghosts
[x] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room. I hate bugs
[x] I am really ticklish. hee hee
[x] I love chocolate. very much
[ ] I bite my nails.
[x] I am comfortable with being me. wouldn't want to be someone else
[x] I play computer games/video games when I'm bored. I love mario, or bejeweled
[x] Gotten lost in the city. I get lost everywhere
[x] Saw a shooting star. been a while, but yeah
[ ] I had a serious Surgery.
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas. used to all the time in Irvine
[ ] I have kissed a stranger.
[ ] Hugged a stranger.
[x] been in a fist fight with the same sex. well, I slapped a girl across the face, does that count?
[ ] Been arrested.
[x] Laughed and had milk/soda come out of your nose. it was embarrassing
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator. who hasn't?
[ ] Made out in an elevator
[ ] Swore at your parents.
[x] Kicked a guy where it hurts. not since I was a kid
[ ] Been skydiving
[ ] Been bungee jumping.
[ ] Broken a bone.
[ ] Played spin the bottle.
[x] Gotten stitches oh yeah
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour
[x] Bitten someone. oh, yeah
[ ] Been to Niagara Falls.
[x] Gotten the chicken pox. oh yeah
[ ] Crashed into a car.
[ ] Been to Japan
[x] Ridden in a taxi. sure a few times
[x] Shoplifted. I was a rebel child
[ ] Been fired.
[x] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back. tons of times!
[x] Stole something from your job. office supplies
[ ] Gone on a blind date.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[ ] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[x] Been to Europe. Scotland
[ ] Slept with a co-worker.
[x] Been married. 9 years in February
[ ] Gotten divorced.
[x] Saw someone/something dying. saw a bird die near our place in Irvine, it was too far gone to do anything.
[ ] Driven over 400 miles in one day.
[x] Been to Canada. oh sure
[x] Been on a plane. yes, how else would I get to Canada?
[x] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show. yes
[ ] Thrown up in a bar.
[ ] Eaten Sushi.
[ ] Been snowboarding.
[x] Been skiing. yeah, downhill, and cross country
[x] Been ice skating. I love ice skating
[ ] Met someone in person from the internet.
[ ] Going to or have gone to college.
[ ] Done drugs
[x] Taken painkillers you bet
[x] Cheated on someone else I was young and immature
[x] Had sex with more than one person. I was young and immature
[x] Thought about suicide I was young and stupid
[ ] Feared for your life because of another
[x] Been hurt so bad you'll never forget the pain. yeah, but you can move on
[x] Wished somebody would die yeah
[x] Lied to your girlfriend/boyfriend oh yeah

Life Is Great!

This is a picture of the road around the corner from our place.

It feels good to be starting a new week, leaving behind a week that was way stressful and exhausting. There are still plenty of boxes to unpack, but they aren't important ones. There is still plenty to organize and decide final placements of. And a ton of stuff in the garage that can get moved into the basement.

We're aiming to have a housewarming party on November 12, but no time has been set. So those wanting to travel out from CA (or we'd even welcome some Canucks), come on by! We should have the house in order by then.

Did you ever see something and wonder if it was really happening? We ordered pizza on Wednesday night, and the delivery guy got out of his car, and in a flash he had thrown the pizza, rolled out of his car, and the car started driving over the curb and onto our neighbors lawn. I felt like I was watching an episode of Punk'd. The driver wasn't hurt, and no damage seemed to be done, but it was one of the craziest things I'd ever witnessed.

So, with all the house stuff lsat week, we didn't make it to the birthday party Elijah was invited to. I felt like it was too much, that I had bitten off more than I could chew. So we passed, but I am trying to reschedule it as a play date at the pool. I am eager to go, so we just have to find a day that works.

In the fantasy world where my evenings aren't tied down to being a mom...Lemony Snicket is coming to Denver! I could (in theory) get book the twelfth autographed and meet him! In the fantasy world where I could just go out on a Monday night. I'd send Geoff if I thought he'd go for it, but I don't see that happening. Maybe we can work something out, but I'm not sure what kind of time commitment it would be, plus I'd have to drive to downtown Denver.

Alright I've saved the best news for last. Get ready to do a dance of joy....

I'm going to be an auntie again!

Dawn and Colin are expecting! How awesome is that?! EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! There aren't really words to express how ecstatic I am. Now I have to get up to Edmonton next year for sure!

I'm closing with a quote from Ocean's 11.

Danny: How's your wife?
Bruiser: Pregnant again.
Danny: Well, that happens.