Good morning ladies,
T minus 2 days and counting before we leave. Seems to have crept up fast. Mel's counter is in the single digits! I have a long list of to do's tomorrow (vacation starts at 5pm tonight). But at least it's all written down so I won't forget.
I am very proud of myself. As DH will loudly proclaim to anyone who listens, we have WAY more food in this house than 2 people and a couple of fur bags need. Week before last I did not go grocery shopping except for perishables like milk and coffee creamer. I surveyed both refrigrerators (the one in our kitchen is kinda small so don't get the idea that there's THAT much food
) and made menus for the week to use up as much food as possible. I did go grocery shopping last weekend and spent quite a bit but that included meat for this week's meals as well as snacks for the road trip and items to make a couple of deserts for Christmas. Today is trash day and DH said I needed to fill up the 3 bags I normally dump when cleaning out the refrigerators. Lo and behold, I had one grocery sized bag of mostly leftovers I knew we would not finish by tomorrow. So I'd say I did very good on keeping waste to a minimum.
I even ate the lunch I brought from home yesterday. It helps that the cafeteria is really getting bad with their food offerings.
While I was shopping Saturday, I got to talking to one of the ladies that works at the grocery store. She saw the can of almond paste in my basket and said oh.... that looks good, what are you making? I said kolacky (ko-lotch-keys). She said what's that? I had to think a minute and for the life of me, found it very hard to describe. Up in Chicago, it's a city of every racial and ethnic make up you can imagine so to hear of various ethnic dishes is no big deal - in fact I can probably rattle off at least 1 from easily 20 different countries myself. Here in the south, there are no ethnic groups - everyone is just "southern"
I have been doing alot of thinking lately and I am very sad and a bit scared too by our friend Tom's passing. He was a little older than DH but still, very much of what would be considered "in" our age group. That means we have hit that bump where people getting closer to us are passing - DHs, siblings, friends and that makes me kind of fearful. Been with DH so long (since age 18), not sure what I'd do without him... after he toted me back and forth to work, he took me to the Diabetes class. When he came to pick me up after class, he popped on the seat warmer on my side so my seat would be warm and cozy -
whatta guy! I must remember to be nicer to him
In other news though...
Michelle that was a great "family" picture. I just LOVE your hats
Mel - if you're going to get snow, that's the best kind snow then rain / wash it away. Although you didn't get to admire it falling from behind a warm window. Isn't this weather nuts lately?
Annie - guess with a new job you're one of the few who HAVE to make it in to work
Glad you made it there and back safe and sound. I take it you are in a campus setting with probably not much of anything around? Probably will be able to take some nice walks in the spring time to burn up some of that extra lunch time. I once started a new job around now too. Had been out of work for about 8 months, the last thing I needed was more time off but according to the HR rules, I had "earned" one day before the end of the year even tho I only was on the job something like 7 work days
Enjoy your day with Tony.
Shad - I promise we will get hooked up and chat a bit when we get back and settled in. Hope you get some decent job offers.
Ceejay - hope you have a better drive in today. I was watching all that pink on the radar very close to you. Saw a nice feel good article on the news yesterday about a bus headed to Mexico that broke down in your town. It was very cold and the bus had no heat. The pastor of a local church found out about it, sent the church van to pick up the bus passengers, put them up for the night and fed them. Very nice story. Good people up your way.
We have a crazy male cardinal that for some reason pecks at the bottom of the window in our office / living room. The windows go from ceiling to the bottom of the baseboard inside so they are pretty low to the ground. There is a ledge outside and the crazy bird comes along on the ground, jumps up in the air and pecks the window. Bonk, bonk. It's like what dah heck? Then you see this red head bobbing up and down through the window. Drives the cat nuts.
We don't know what he's doing - if he sees his reflection and he's fighting another "bird" or what? It's too funny tho. This is the 2nd or third year he's doing it. I think him and the Mrs. nest in the tree next to the window.
And with that, I'd better get moving. Love to the chicks I missed.
Carla - I owe you an email and a great big thank you
A QUICK POST TO SAY GOOD MORNING LADIES!! I HAVE SOME STUFF TO GET DONE FOR MYSELF TODAY AND I DON'T WANT TO WASTE A MOMENT OF TIME GETTING STARTED. 
HELLO HAPPPY...WHO MIGHT BE RIGHT BEHIND ME!
I WAS WATCHING THE WEATHER CHANNEL AND SAW ALL THOSE MINUS TEMPS!! 
I HAVE A FUNNY.....LAST NIGHT JIMMY RANG ME AND TOLD ME HE WAS "DONE WITH THE BLDG AND MOVING ON"....I SAID "WHY WERE WE ON FIRE?"....HE TOLD ME "NO I JUST FINISHED SHOVELING"..WHAT?????? I HAD THE CURTAINS DRAWN AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT HAD SNOWED. NOW IF HE HAD WAITED A FEW MORE HOURS...MOTHER NATURE SENT SOME RAIN AND WARMER TEMPS AND BEGAN MELTING IT DURING THE NIGHT. 
Your holiday plans sound so nice! A day with Tony and then time with your family! 
