My brain is officially ON vacation. It totally left me yesterday. I had planned to relax my POP-ness for my holidays travels (goal is to just maintain where I am), but the fact that my brain seems to have left me entirely already worries me! I'm doing laundry, packing, getting gifts ready etc. today. I need to keep in mind that I do not want to undo all the hard work I've done over the last few months! I've lost 9 lbs, need to keep it off!
I probably won't be online much for the next week plus. When I get home hasn't exactly been set yet, not sure if it will be before or after New Years. Have a happy, safe holiday everyone!
midwife~make my own tortillas? No! I have had homemade ones and they are much better than store bought, but it's a lot of work! Costco does sell raw tortillas that you simply have to cook and use, but even that is a bit too much work. The enchiladas are chicken, from Cooking Light (Enchiladas de Pollo. I'm also making black beans similar to what Chili's has and some homemade Spanish rice. I wimpled out and bought premade guacamole and salsa.
Sheila~you'll have to give us your review of The Blind Side. I'm sure you'll love it. We're probably going to go see Avatar this weekend, but I'd also like to see It's Complicated--it looks too funny!
Midwife and/or Allison - what time should I be there??? DH doesn't "do" Mexican/SW food at all! We do have a Mexican restaurant here in town where I go for lunch occasionally, but of course homemade would be more calorie friendly. (He has been know to eat a chicken enchilada casserole when it was served at a friends' house - it was that or go hungry. )
Megan - I hate it when my brain does that to me - and it has. Have a great trip and visit with your family.
Sheila - I'd opt for "It's Complicated" I'm hoping to see it in the theatre - just need to convince someone to go with me. It's a minimum 30 min drive to a movie theatre, but I don't know if it'll be playing there or whether I'll have to go to Anchorage to the 16 screen multi-plex.
Had a miracle happen this morning - sort of. I went to renew my driver's license and was the first person in the door, and got a good picture! One I can live with for the next 5 years.
Swimming again tonight. Last night I got there 20 min early so swam some laps to practice/warm up. And then in class we did diving! Amazing, I can still do it. Haven't in at least 40 years, probably longer. And I should get my new swimsuit today or tomorrow in the mail (UPS?).
Back to work, it doesn't take a holiday break, but at least tomorrow is a half-day.
Pat~lunch is on Christmas eve at our office. I'd love to serve you if you come down this way! It's only a, what, 5 hour flight or so? I don't know ANYONE who doesn't eat Mexican food! It's by far my favorite, with Italian a close second.
Congrats on the good pic at the DMV! Here they renew you without a new photo. I think my photo is about 10 years old. At least I was younger!!
Sheila-- thanks for asking about my tooth. It seems fine now.
We saw The Blind Side and LOVED it!
I want to see Invictus since we lived in S. Africa.
I had my sutures removed from my leg today. Seems to be healing well. Still looks pretty gross but the biopsy came back that they had gotten it all.
We had Super Hanukkah/ Christmas this morning. We opened the rest of our presents since we leave tomorrow am for Houston. My dh never listens to me saying not to spend much $$ and then we are always poor trying to pay off the bills. I shouldn't complain because he loves to treat me! He bought me a pair of Uggs (since I would never buy them myself but I like them). Then he bought me a Michele watch. I was actually not very gracious about the watch. I have been saving $$ for it and having fun saving. I put $3 in an account every time I workout and I figured I would save or a year or so and then buy the watch. I was planning on going to look at the watches soon so I could see which one I liked best and figure out how much to save. So, he buys me one and I probably would never have chosen the one he did. But I don't know because I never shopped for them. And then I sound ungrateful. So, I'm the proud(?) owner of a new watch with my name on it! I'm still going to keep saving the $$ and figure out what to spend it on later.
We fly through Denver tomorrow. I'm praying the weather isn't too bad there and we don't get stuck!
I'm also bummed about dd and her boyfriend (this is the boyfriend from Africa that she hasn't seen since this summer). He was going to come stay with us so we could meet him/ get to know him (and see dd of course). He can't get a VISA just to visit her so he is trying to get one to visit his sister in Atlanta. We reluctantly bought dd a ticket to go see him after the first of the year. Not what we want but she is an adult. We had frequent flyer points so we used them so we aren't out any $$. I just don't know when my kids stopped being toddlers and now they are flying across the country to visit boyfriends? She is so young.... she will be 19 on Jan. 4. However, I was 19 when I got engaged and 20 when I married. Sigh..... Shannon-- I may have you check up on her!!
I didn't sleep very well last night . I'm really anxious about this evening's Christmas celebration. DH and parts of my family don't mix well. And my dad is such a loud, old man.
And what was I really worrying about at 3 a.m.? That the really glam outfit in which I look fabulous I bought for this occasion is really inappropriate. And that DH will be mad from the get go because he has nothing appropriate to match it.
H*ll! I'm going to wear it. I never get to dress up any more. This is the only occasion in 2009 where I will actually be wearing a pretty dress and heels.
I will talk to DH this morning. And I will make sure that whatever I eat this evening is for the pleasure of the food, not to relieve anxiety.
Have a great holiday everyone! Enjoy celebrating with your family and friends!
holidays can be stessfull because they confront us with all the "should be's". Some things shouldn't be but still are. Christmas will come and go wether DH enjoys them or not. In the end, the only one responsible for you having a good time is yourself.
Take a step back, acknowledge that some things shouldn't be but just are, and go have a great holiday and shine in your glamorous dress.
Morning - and Merry Christmas to those celebrating!
Our neighbor, who is from Mexico, brought us half a dozen homemade tamales yesterday! Yum. DH thinks they're too spicy, so they're all mine.
Working til 2 pm today and then home to make some cinnamon rolls and go to 2 church services - one at 4, and one at 7. Dinner somewhere in there, likely leftovers.....
Pat~we have a tamale guy here (the guy who washes our cars). The past few years we've gotten a lot of tamales from him. It is his wife and MIL who make them. Last year they even entered into the 2 day long Tamale Festival (they didn't win anything, but enjoyed doing it). Anyway, his MIL died this fall and they haven't done any tamales. :-( But yesterday he showed up with two varieties! DH and I each had one for breakfast because I couldn't bear to put them in the fridge just yet (they were still warm!). I love tamales.
Michele~my DH refuses to buy me anything in the jewelry department. Although he knows the exact watch I have had my eye on for years (Rado). If he were to get that for me I'd be fine with it, but they are WAY expensive! It's hard to let our girls grow up, huh?
I came home early yesterday and spent about 2 hours mixing and rolling the enchiladas. I didn't quite get 72 done, but close. I still have stuffing to make more (I ran out of pan space). And I have about 4 pounds of shredded chicken breasts (which is now frozen for another use). This morning I made the beans and rice and carried it all over for lunch. We ate 1 1/2 pans for the lunch and then I got the guys to take plates home (most are married, so they each got 2 servings or so) and got rid of another 1 1/2 pans. So I have one pan left which we'll have for dinner Sunday. So the party was a success!
Last night, after 11 PM (read: I'm sound asleep) the phone rang. Our caller ID simply stated "out of area" so I answered and hung up to make it stop ringing. They called back. They wanted Dana, but I could tell it wasn't one of her friends, although they never did say who they were. I hung up again and went into talk to Dana. It turns out she had been on IRC (internet relay chat) and some program she'd been using allowed some creep into her system (a hacker) and he was able to gather enough information to get her name and home phone number! YIKES! She realized what was happening and disconnected that computer right away and with help from her programmer friends was able to get rid of anything he may have done. But still, that's really scary! And yes, we have firewalls and all that. But I guess hackers can bypass just about anything. We've determined that nothing of value was found (passwords to banks, etc.) so we think she caught it in time, but I hope the creep doesn't call again.
Merry Christmas, Rabbit, and to all who celebrate!
This is my favorite time on Christmas -- it's dark and early, no one else is awake (except my furry friends). Everything is done, the house is silent, all the preparations are finished, and the presents are wrapped and under the tree. In a minute, I'll take my mug of coffee into the living room and turn the tree lights on. No others, just the tree. And I'll sit with my coffee and soak up the peace.
Warmest thoughts to all of you lovely Maintainers and your families. You all are such a gift to me!
DH doesn't "do" Mexican/SW food at all! We do have a Mexican restaurant here in town where I go for lunch occasionally, but of course homemade would be more calorie friendly. (He has been know to eat a chicken enchilada casserole when it was served at a friends' house - it was that or go hungry. 
)
Ho, ho, ho?? I'm venting!
. I'm really anxious 
about this evening's Christmas celebration. DH and parts of my family don't mix well. And my dad is such a loud, 
old man. 
about at 3 a.m.? That the really glam outfit in which I look fabulous I bought for this occasion is really inappropriate. And that DH will be mad from the get go because he has nothing appropriate to match it. 
mudpie
Merry Christmas
