And the stress/happy/family-filled season is off! Thanksgiving was almost a marathon event with having Thanksgiving dinner with one family on Thursday and with the other family on Friday. We drove in to Mississippi Thursday morning and left Mississippi Friday afternoon. I miss being in school, where you have an actual weekend. I never thought about it until I didn't live in the same vicinity as my family, and now I feel I spend holidays in the car. And Smitty has been balking lately about letting me sing on road trips, so I don't get to get all that anxiety out in musical form.
Heard at Thanksgiving by my 91-year-old grandmother:
"When people here die, they move to Oxford."
"I guess I'll see y'all at Christmas, I might be at the nursing home." (the same nursing home on whose waiting list she's been since 2002)
"I thought I was going deaf, but the volume on my phone is just turned down."
I also found a cookie that had been living on the floor of my mom's kitchen God knows how long, uncovered leftovers in the refrigerator, a block of cheddar cheese you could use as a doorstop, and ants in the dishwasher. Ah, familia.
On another note, I set off the damn security system at home yesterday when I selected "Stay" on the key fob instead of "Off." Apparently, we set a code I forgot about, and while a mean little timer ticked down 60 seconds, I punched in every combination of numbers I could recall, and then "WAH WAH WAH," so that I had to call Smitty while this was happening to have the phone immediately disconnect so he could give me at least 3 combinations before I found the right one. Emergency averted. Alarm, one. Emily, zero.
I love online shopping. Oh, dear God, how I love it. I can remember being in college and literally buying my last two presents on Christmas Eve. I don't know why, but it used to make my mom so mad when I'd come in to spend Christmas Eve with them and have to spread out all my wrapping paraphernalia because I also hadn't wrapped anything at all. Now, I'm also a huge fan of gift bags, which require no wrapping and therefore, no mockery at my crumply, 5-year-old-esque wrapping job. I always liked to think it was charming and homespun to look at my wrapping, but is decidedly less so as I'm approaching my mid-30s.
My only holiday issue now is decorating. Smitty is out of pocket working a lot this season, so decorating (or not) is left up to me. I'm thinking of only putting up a few things, like the Christmas "manuh manuh" Muppet, and the stuffed dog that barks "Jingle Bells," stockings, and the glass lighted tree that we call the Dr. Seuss tree. That way, I still feel festive, but not like I'm sitting amid a sea of the inflatable Nativity with dark thoughts surfacing due to that super-loud noise they make. Does anyone put inflatables inside their homes? I really don't like them at all, in any capacity; I think because they look cartoon-y and speak to my weird phobia of exaggerated features, but I just wondered that.
The thing is, I like the holidays, really I do, the actual fire-burning, cheer-filled, kids being excited, fudge, OH MY GOD, fudge, that warm, fuzzy feeling Christmas gives you, and the times you look at your family and remember why you didn't kill these people when you were young and are thankful that you married into a warm, embracing family...and fudge.
"A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of Hell."
George Bernard Shaw
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
I am a screaminger, and I love it!
So, I saw this skit the other night on "Saturday Night Live," which nearly perfectly describes me. One of the characters had lost out on a promotion, and her co-workers were taking her out to cheer her up. She stayed behind a little while to blast Adele's "Someone Like You," and wallow in self-pity for a little while. One by one as they came to find her, they wanted in on the crying action to relieve their individual stresses.
I did that frequently in high school. I had some old stand-by's, Jane's Addiction, "I Would for You," Nine Inch Nails, "Something I Can Never Have," and Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle," to name a few. I would be very sad and deep and write horrendous poetry in my journal until I felt I had suffered enough. Dramatic? Me? Noooo
Now, I am addicted to songs that I can really "sing scream" to...like Concrete Blonde's "Joey," (which is probably Smitty's least favorite song because of this), Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot," and now my new favorite, Adele's "Someone Like You." And I'm sad because she had surgery for a throat polyp, which threatens her luminous voice. I feel sure she'll pull through. We big girls are tough. That was Amy Winehouse's problem..she needed to eat a cheeseburger, oh, and not smoke crack.
You know what I don't like, though? Incessant Christmas music. I feel angry when it takes over a radio station the week before Halloween. That's like a full 60 days of Christmas music. I like Christmas music, like the classics, like Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, even Elvis, but some of the tripe they're playing is making Christmas music sad...and baby Jesus is crying.
Also, where did they holidays come from? Has this not been the fastest year ever? It's crazy. I'm looking forward to just relaxing family time..or is that an oxymoron? We'll give it a try...optimism...glass half-full...we can do it. (the royal we---me) I still feel an ache for my dad during the holidays, and I know that won't go away, but he would be really mad if it cast a pall every year. So, I won't let it. There are new memories to be made, and I have in-laws that welcomed me with open arms, so I'm blessed with two familes.
No progress yet on the knitting; I think this may be a Christmas wish, as everything is crazy loco nuts right now. Smitty fractured his arm moving some stuff, so he is only partially functional. I like to think my clumsiness rubbed off, but if something had to rub off, I wish it could've been something else, like the singing for no reason. I'd enjoy that. But I'm being "nurse-y" as best I can; that's not so much an innate quality I have. I make him take his pain pill if it hurts, although I have also been calling him "gimp," which is probably not as helpful.
You know what makes me happy? Baby carrots and balsamic vinaigrette...my goodness, it's a little sliver of heaven in your mouth.
I did that frequently in high school. I had some old stand-by's, Jane's Addiction, "I Would for You," Nine Inch Nails, "Something I Can Never Have," and Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle," to name a few. I would be very sad and deep and write horrendous poetry in my journal until I felt I had suffered enough. Dramatic? Me? Noooo
Now, I am addicted to songs that I can really "sing scream" to...like Concrete Blonde's "Joey," (which is probably Smitty's least favorite song because of this), Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot," and now my new favorite, Adele's "Someone Like You." And I'm sad because she had surgery for a throat polyp, which threatens her luminous voice. I feel sure she'll pull through. We big girls are tough. That was Amy Winehouse's problem..she needed to eat a cheeseburger, oh, and not smoke crack.
You know what I don't like, though? Incessant Christmas music. I feel angry when it takes over a radio station the week before Halloween. That's like a full 60 days of Christmas music. I like Christmas music, like the classics, like Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, even Elvis, but some of the tripe they're playing is making Christmas music sad...and baby Jesus is crying.
Also, where did they holidays come from? Has this not been the fastest year ever? It's crazy. I'm looking forward to just relaxing family time..or is that an oxymoron? We'll give it a try...optimism...glass half-full...we can do it. (the royal we---me) I still feel an ache for my dad during the holidays, and I know that won't go away, but he would be really mad if it cast a pall every year. So, I won't let it. There are new memories to be made, and I have in-laws that welcomed me with open arms, so I'm blessed with two familes.
No progress yet on the knitting; I think this may be a Christmas wish, as everything is crazy loco nuts right now. Smitty fractured his arm moving some stuff, so he is only partially functional. I like to think my clumsiness rubbed off, but if something had to rub off, I wish it could've been something else, like the singing for no reason. I'd enjoy that. But I'm being "nurse-y" as best I can; that's not so much an innate quality I have. I make him take his pain pill if it hurts, although I have also been calling him "gimp," which is probably not as helpful.
You know what makes me happy? Baby carrots and balsamic vinaigrette...my goodness, it's a little sliver of heaven in your mouth.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
I (want to) knit, therefore I am (will be)
So, I spent a good hour in a fabric store in Tuscaloosa yesterday. My nephew is an angel in an upcoming Christmas pageant, and my sister is having a little costume made for him. God bless her, I would've just cut a hole for his head in a sheet and been done with it. However, I realized while I was in there, 1. There are some bizarre people that frequent a fabric store, and 2. My new goal in life is to learn to knit.
I've been thinking about it for a while when I heard a story on NPR about how knitting was seeing a resurgence with the downturn of the economy because people were getting back to basics and doing activities on the cheap. I'm simultaneously fascinated and terrified by the giant needles involved, but I think after I poke myself a few times, it'll be okay. It just seems like a really neat thing to know how to do.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to dip my metaphorical toe into the yarn game. I feel like a class or lessons would be helpful, but I also have a feeling I'm not going to be good at this for a while. I don't want a repeat of my Step Aerobics class from college that I ended up having to drop because someone asked me if I had inner ear trouble that affected my balance. I'm thinking a beginner's book, a starter kit, and You Tube are gonna be my keys to top-notch scarves, socks, and hats. I like the idea of being able to knit for my children, well, child, as I only plan to have one and actually have put thought into things that I make for others. Smitty says he wants some underwear, I dunno about all that, I think he was mocking me. That seems like a potential for a doodle to pop out unexpectedly.
On a completely unrelated note, I find myself looking forward to the holidays this year. I wasn't really into them last year since my dad had just passed away, but I'm actually ready for all the family time and treats and decorations. Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday, largely due to not having to buy gifts. I detest shopping, and I like the idea of being thankful and stuffing your face with dressing and cranberry sauce. I once ate an entire can of cranberry sauce by myself. I'm not proud of that, mind you, but it's something of note.
I wish we were more thankful all year, though. I think it's nice to let other people know that you appreciate them. That's my personal goal, to let those that are important to me know how much I value their presence in my life. I've already started, in fact, but be aware, there may be a thank you headed your way. This also goes for my dogs...but they can't read or understand me, so I guess that's just an unspoken thanks.
I've been thinking about it for a while when I heard a story on NPR about how knitting was seeing a resurgence with the downturn of the economy because people were getting back to basics and doing activities on the cheap. I'm simultaneously fascinated and terrified by the giant needles involved, but I think after I poke myself a few times, it'll be okay. It just seems like a really neat thing to know how to do.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to dip my metaphorical toe into the yarn game. I feel like a class or lessons would be helpful, but I also have a feeling I'm not going to be good at this for a while. I don't want a repeat of my Step Aerobics class from college that I ended up having to drop because someone asked me if I had inner ear trouble that affected my balance. I'm thinking a beginner's book, a starter kit, and You Tube are gonna be my keys to top-notch scarves, socks, and hats. I like the idea of being able to knit for my children, well, child, as I only plan to have one and actually have put thought into things that I make for others. Smitty says he wants some underwear, I dunno about all that, I think he was mocking me. That seems like a potential for a doodle to pop out unexpectedly.
On a completely unrelated note, I find myself looking forward to the holidays this year. I wasn't really into them last year since my dad had just passed away, but I'm actually ready for all the family time and treats and decorations. Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday, largely due to not having to buy gifts. I detest shopping, and I like the idea of being thankful and stuffing your face with dressing and cranberry sauce. I once ate an entire can of cranberry sauce by myself. I'm not proud of that, mind you, but it's something of note.
I wish we were more thankful all year, though. I think it's nice to let other people know that you appreciate them. That's my personal goal, to let those that are important to me know how much I value their presence in my life. I've already started, in fact, but be aware, there may be a thank you headed your way. This also goes for my dogs...but they can't read or understand me, so I guess that's just an unspoken thanks.
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