6 years ago
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
2010-04-04
2010-02-02
2009-04-12
2009-03-17
2009-01-01
Happy New Year from Calvin & Hobbes
One of my favorite comic strips of all time is Calvin & Hobbes. For those not familiar with the strip, it is about a 6 year-old Calvin and his tiger named Hobbes (who to everybody but Calvin is just a stuffed animal). The other people (and often nemesis) in the comic strip are his parents, Susie Derkins (the 6 year old next-door girl), Miss Wormwood (his school teacher), the school principal, and Rosalyn (the babysitter). Calvin is often very philosophical about life but other times he can be daydreaming up new worlds, dinosaurs or space aliens. The palette of his worlds and creativity often consisted of snowmen, snowballs (often targeted at Susie), sports (croquet or baseball will never be the same) and toy cars. Cleverly written by Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes was only around from 1985 to 1995. Sadly, on December 31, 1995, this last comic appeared for Calvin & Hobbes.
Click to enlarge.
2008-12-31
2008-12-29
My 2009 New Year's Resolutions
I don't believe in all the hocus pocus that people call resolutions. After all, are those people so weak that they are unable to make a change in their lives on the other 364 days? When I set my mind to change something, I don't wait until January 1st, I just start doing it. Last year I made 2 resolutions, but honestly, I had already been working on them. The first was to workout more. I did that until I hurt my back in the summer. I tried to workout (very carefully) with my back pain, but I never got very far. So I dropped my gym membership. The second resolution was tied to the first. It was to lose more weight. I did lose more weight, but I didn't lose as much as I wanted. But I am very happy. My goal is to continue with that, but of course, that is a lifetime commitment, not just 2009.
And before you start to throw shoes at me, and please, keep those shoes for your favorite soon-to-be-gone-but-not-gone-soon-enough elected officials, let's keep in mind what helped fuel the passion at the elections this past November. Change. This country is long overdue for change. Obama was elected on the platform of change. But that change began with us (we did elect him) and it will continue through us and not him. He will do his best, but nothing is going to correct itself without our help. So my resolution will be to get out there and make that change happen and to make it stick.
I am not any activist by a long shot. But the change I am talking about is the little things. Going out there and helping your neighbor. Buy a meal for a friend who needs a hand. Take some food into work and feed your coworkers. Give a gift to somebody who is sick. That is how change begins. And it is contagious. Once you begin the change, the people you touch will turn that around and pass it on to others. That is my resolution for 2009.
Have a great and safe new year. And lets hope for many more new years in the future for all of us. Have a great 2009, I plan on it!
Bloggers Block
Yes, I admit that I haven't been posting very much lately. I am suffering from a bad case of writer's Blogger's Block. After reading the usual other blogs, I still don't have anything to steal write about. So this post will be about my very exciting (sarcasm is great) Christmas. Being the "new kid on the block" at work, of course I get to work the crappy shifts! So I got the thrill of closing on Christmas Eve and working at 5am the day after Christmas. Thank goodness we are closed on Christmas I guess. This actually works out great for me. My grandparents have been doing their official Christmas celebrating on Christmas Eve. WHAT?!?!? That's a shame, I have to work. Hold on, I need to get a rag to wipe up some of this sarcasm...it is dripping on the keyboard. So last year and this year, I go down on Christmas Day. I get to see my aunt (and her roommate) from Columbus, Ohio for a few hours before she leaves to head home. The rest of the day it is just my grandparents and me. We enjoyed a small breakfast and the gift exchange before my aunt and her roommate left. Then I helped my grandparents with some tasks. Took down their Christmas tree and put it away in the basement, helped them with their digital photo frame I got them 2 years ago, helped them with their computer and tried to help them with a new alarm clock they received. Oh yeah, I took a couple of cat naps in between some of those tasks. We also enjoyed a dinner of leftovers. Overall, it was a very nice and relaxing day. I would take this anytime over a day full of kids running around and screaming. Plus my grandparents are both getting up there in age, so it was nice to get to spend time with them.
2008-12-24
Thanks To My Secret Santa
In this years Secret Santa gift exchange at CMG, I received some cool gifts from fiestasal! Every year HLCCA (Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association) hosts a conference. They always have some very cool Fiesta pieces that is decaled with the HLCCA Conference logo. I have always wanted to go, but there is something that has happened so I am unable to enjoy the conference.
3 years ago, my family decided to suprise my grandparents in the celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary. I was all for that, until I realized that they decided to celebrate it over a month early...the same exact weekend as the conference! I was so looking forward to that conference since it was going to be in St. Louis (only 3 hours from where I live.)
The next year, I was going to ask off for the weekend of the confernce, but my boss announced that he was going to get married that month (they just had to get married on 7/7/07.) No problem I said, the conference is a few weeks after that. NOPE, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! They decided they were going to take a 2 week honeymoon, but they wouldn't be going on the honeymoon until a week after the wedding. UGH!
Last year, I had been saving a bit of money in order to do the conference. But clumsy me, I fell down the stairs in May and it started a chain of events that ended with me being in extreme back pain for 4 months. There is no way I could have ridden in a car or a plane for any extended period of time, so the conference in Minneapolis was out. :(
So back to the story, grandmadisher (Pat) sent me 3 items from previous conferences. I totally love them since I have never been to a conference or been able to see in person any piece from a conference. First up I got 2 pieces from the St. Louis conference. Both are in peacock, one is the chili bowl with the logo on the front. The other is the jumbo saucer (which works for the chili bowl) also in peacock with "Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association" written on the top of the saucer. Both are beautiful! The 3rd piece I received is beyond words! It is a turquoise bread tray with the logo from the Phoenix, AZ conference. IT IS AMAZING! I totally love the pieces I received! And YES! I am going to the conference in 2009. Every other year (the odd years) it is held in Pittsburgh which is only 30 miles from the factory that makes our beloved dishes.
Thanks To My Santa Elf
So yesterday, I was laying on the couch when there was a knock at the door. Then I hear the noise of a package dropping on the floor. YAY...I have a package! But I haven't ordered anything. And I already received my SS gift. The return address is from my good dishing friend MsVal! :) This year she has created some wonderful ornaments. Click the link to see her post about the ornaments she made. I open the package to find 2 of her wonderful ornaments that she made especially for me!
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on Chartreuse | on White |
I will cherish these ornaments forever! Not only because they are Tigger and Pooh or because they are Fiesta, but because they came from Val and she made them especially for me! She has restored my Christmas spirit. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
2008-12-23
My Christmas Spirit Has Arrived, Thanks To The Post Office
I must have been a very good boy (or Santa is blind as a bat) because I got a very special gift today! How is that for a tease! I will post more (with pictures) after I get my camera working. HAHA Thank you to Santa's Elf!
2008-12-20
Christmas Meme
Thanks Val! I found this meme on her blog.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer to use wrapping paper, but some things just have to go into gift bags.
2. Real tree or Artificial? REAL! Growing up we always had a real tree. One year we were dirt poor, so our grandparents gave us their old artificial tree. We only used that when the money was tight. So an artificial tree always meant bad economic times to me. Sadly, I have used an artificial tree in 7 of the last 10 years. Mainly because I was lazy and didn't feel like wasting time and money on buying a tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? Around January 1st.
5. Do you like eggnog? I have never tried it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The first Christmas I really remember I was about 4 or 5. My sister and I scored big time. The best gifts that year, we received all of the Fisher Price Little People. Oh yeah, it was all about the Little People!
7 . Hardest person to buy for? My grandparents! They have everything.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Not sure. I only buy for a few people and after my grandparents, none are any harder than the rest.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I will take the diplomatic way out, I cherish all of my gifts!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I totally agree with Val on this one: No contest. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start before Thanksgiving. By the day after Thanksgiving, I try and have 80 to 90% of it done.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I remember, but I have nothing against doing that.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas ? Chex Mix and Lemon Bread (my mom used to make this at Christmas every year)
16. Lights on the tree? Who wouldn't put lights on their tree??? Usually lots of white lights with a few strings of 1 color (usually red) mixed in.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland (from the movie Meet Me In St. Louis) It is actually a sad song that always hits the emotions.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both. But my grandparents only live 30 miles away.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes: Flopsy, Mopsy, Topsy and Peter Cottontail....Yes I know them...duh...I can recite Twas the Night Before Christmas.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I used to have the coolest tree topper. It was a wreath made out of cool white lights and in the center of the wreath was 3 candles. It is one of a few items that my sister stole from me when she let me store some stuff in her garage. For years after that, I didn't have a tree topper because I couldn't find one that I liked to replace it. But a few years back, D and I found a very cool 3-D metal star with cutouts.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? As hard as my sister and I would try when we were growing up, it was almost always Christmas Day. So sticking with tradition, it is usually Christmas Day.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The fact that Christmas items are now in stores BEFORE Halloween!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Either my Fiesta ornaments or my Tigger ornaments
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Good Food...who cares as long as is it good!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I won't be getting what I would like, so I will just be happy with what I already have...damn, I hate being diplomatic!
2008-12-01
Happy Thanksgiving or Do I Feel Like 200?
This was originally supposed to have been posted on Thanksgiving....better late than never I guess. I worked 5am to 1:30pm on Thanksgiving Day. When I go in at 5am, the first thing I must do is put the delivery away. Clumsy me, while I was carrying a 60 pound of spareribs, I tripped over a pallet and twisted my back. While I was trying not to fall, something in my back snapped. With a lot of caution, I finished my shift on Thursday. I went home that afternoon and ate my Thanksgiving dinner of cheddar brats and stuffing (Hey, it was quick and easy, it was all I could do to stand up to cook this.) After lunch and taking care of the pets, I laid down on the couch. I watched a few movies (luckily I thought of putting movies into the DVD player before laying down). I dozed off during the movies. I woke up a few hours later because the dog was wanting to go outside. OH NO, I couldn't get up! I spent probably an hour trying to just sit up, but I couldn't do that without a lot pain. I got the bright idea that if I rolled off of the couch (rolling wasn't any easier than sitting up) that I could try and sit up that way. Unfortunately, when I started to roll over, I fell onto the floor. Now I was laying down on the floor and still unable to get up. I spent probably 15 minutes trying to sit up, but I was unable to do anything, because the coffee table was in my way. Luckily I could reach the phone and call Douglass. He came over, helped me up and took me to the emergency room.
Today I had to go to another doctor (for workman's comp). Even though I feel much, much better, this doctor put worse restrictions on me than the first one did.
So the original post was going to be about being thankful. This past year has been a roller coaster of a ride. I started off the year with being single for the first time in 8 years. I moved into an apartment and was living by myself for the first time in 20 years. That was an eye-opener. Thank goodness I still have enough dishes to have a dinner party for over 50 people. The good thing about moving out, the ex and I have become much better friends. I feel like I can open up to him much easier now. I think he is more open with me now. Too bad we weren't that way when we were together. Over the summer I fell and hurt my back (deja vu). I had many months of back pain. I finally found a doctor who gave me shots directly into my spine that corrected the problem. Shortly after that, I got fired from my job. The company had been moving in a new direction, they started by firing all of the management team at the store. This just threw me into a huge depression.
2 months later, and after fighting, I finally was employed again! This is a step into the right direction, but the depression is still there. It seems like everything is a battle right now. I am getting the run around from the unemployment office. I have yet to receive any payments. I am still single, which is mixed emotions. I wish things had worked out better between me and the ex. I still have feelings for him, but I have no idea how he feels. My job isn't my ideal job. I am getting paid right under what I was making before (which is very good) and within a year I should be making more. My bills have piled up from the unemployment. Those unemployment benefits would really help with those!
With all of that, I am very thankful. I am thankful that Douglass and I are still talking. He means the world to me and I hope he realizes that. I have a job which is very good. I know a lot of people are jobless during these bad economic times. I do have some family left. I have my grandparents (from my mom's side) and my sister and her family. And I also have my new Fiesta family. There are quite a few special people that I have met through the Fiesta message board! I am also very thankful for the readers of this blog. I haven't been posting nearly as much (thanks to the new job and the back problems) but this is post #200!!! It took me 2 years for the first 100 posts and only 3 months for the next 100 posts. So thanks to all of you! And here is to the next 200 posts!
2008-11-27
2008-11-14
Friday Quiz ~ What Thanksgiving Side Dish Are You?
2008-10-31
Happy Halloween
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2008-01-07
A Christmas Party and A New Date :)
Last night (January 6th) the store I work at held a Christmas party. It is a little late for the party, but I am used to that from when I worked at the bar and catered. Both jobs were super busy until after the new year, so we always had our celebration after the 1st. The surprising part is the fact that I have worked for this same company for 5 years and this is the first party they have had for us. So that was nice.
We were allowed one date for the party. I took along a guy I have been chatting with online for a few weeks now. I was quite a bit nervous, it has been many years since I have been on a real date. The last 2 relationships I have been in both just happened, no real dating involved. There was a small amount of dating before the last one, but nothing serious. So on the way to the Christmas party, I stopped to pick up G (the new date). I have only seen a few pics of him before last night, and he is a very good looking guy. I was very nicely surprised when I picked him up last night, he is a real hottie! :)
So we went to the company shindig, had some drinks (PLEASE!!! No more Mojo!!!) ate some good pizza and had a good time. We went back to his place to chat for awhile. It is always nice to meet somebody for the first time and like them right away. Overall, I had a great time...and I hope he did too.
2008-01-01
2008 part 2
I did join the YMCA today! :) I didn't get enough time to workout though. But tomorrow I will go in before work and do some. My goal is to lost about 30 pounds by my birthday (June 7th). So far in the past 2 months, I have lost about 40 pounds. But I have hit that plateau and can't seem to move on. So I am going to start going to the gym again. I also want to start eating better. I have gotten into a bad habit when and what I eat. I am not a good diet person, so I don't want to put limits on myself like that. But just try and be more aware of how often and what I am eating.
As for other goals for 2008, my partner and I are in the process of going our separate ways. So I am currently in the process of finding a new place to live. My goal is to move most of my stuff into a storage shed within the next few weeks. And when I get my tax refund (probably mid February), to move totally out. It will be hard to leave this house, this is the first time in quite a few years that I have felt like I had a home.
I still need to start selling off a lot of the Fiesta I have been collecting. I still have quite a collection of Post 86 in a closet downstairs. These are mainly odds and ends that local stores have had on clearance. Some discontinued colors in there. Also some stuff I bought when a local store went out of business. I am thinking about starting to weed out my Vintage Fiesta collection too. I love the look of the dishes, but I have never used my vintage for anything except display. I have so much post 86 dishes that I use, I don't ever feel like using the vintage.
Another goal I have is to start being more sociable. Not that I am totally friendless, but I know that I am a very shy person. I am going to start by trying to post more often on this blog. I also would like to start meeting some of the people from the Fiesta message boards. I am hoping to attend the HLCCA conference in Minnesota this summer. It would be my first time if I make it. But with me moving out on my own, money will be tight....so I will have to really try and save up for it.
2007-12-31
2008
Here is hoping for a great 2008.
I will be going down to the YMCA tomorrow and signing up again. Last fall, I let my membership go after my PayPal debit card was stolen. On January 1st, the sign up fee is only $20.08 and the first month is also $20.08. Sure beats the usual $85 sign up fee. That is as close as I come to New Year Resolutions.
2007-12-22
Happy Holidays
One of the best SNL Christmas skits....if not best ever. Happy Holidays and enjoy some NPR's Delicious Dish and Schweddy Balls.
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