Friday Fillins & Happy Turkey Day

Well - we are getting ready to go south for forced family fun - errr I mean Thanksgiving holiday. It should be nice, it will be warm although I am looking out the window waiting for the first snow flake to drop. This weekend will be crazy getting packed, getting the house ready for the house/cat sitter and maybe finishing a scarf I started knitting with monster size 19 needles. I'm looking forward to running in warm weather, although I do like it on the cold side - guess I am looking forward running somewhere that is FLAT. Also hanging out by the ocean will be nice. And visiting with the family will be nice, we are helping cook dinner for 13 - YIKES!

I doubt I'll have Internet access so I won't be able to update this for possibly a week unless my brother in law lets us use his computer or there is an Internet cafe somewhere. So I wish all my loyal readers a very Happy Turkey Day - here are the fillins!

1. The last band I saw live was Fred Eaglesmith.

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is stuffing - I heart me the stuffing.

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is about 3/4 of the way complete!

4. Thoughts of martinis fill my head.

5. I wish I could wear my Birkenstocks to work on casual Friday.

6. Bagpipes remind me of men who wear kilts & no underwear.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to making ( and drinking) a birthday martini for my neighbor, tomorrow my plans include a long run I guess and Sunday, I want to sleep in and finish my laundry!

"Dude - don't pack the quilt - you won't need it in Florida." - Nelson

Wanna have a cookie exchange?

First of all - I must admit - I heart a good cookie exchange. I like all the variety without having to do all the damn work of making 20 million different cookies. Especially since it's just me & Hubby and neither one of us really needs any cookies - but 'tis the season and I have a half marathon I'm training for.

So Training Buddy sent me a great link for a posting from the Accidental Housewife, her Christmas Cookie Manifesto. It made me re-think my cookie exchange efforts. Last year, I was invited (OK invited myself) to participate in a wonderful cookie exchange that included about 12 Girl Scout Moms. I should have known I was out of my league but I wanted those damn cookies. I found some very pretty, fussy, never tried to make them before recipe and off I went. I broke almost every rule in the manifesto. Decorated? Check - did that with red sugar because I went to 6 different stores & couldn't find anymore green sugar. Stressed out? Check - my Mom who was visiting had to help me get the damn things done about 20 minutes before we left for the damn cookie exchange. Plastic plates? Check - did that and I think used festive colored Saran Wrap to cover them. Recipe? Shit! I was supposed to bring a recipe for these damn cookies? All in all those Girl Scout Moms were very nice & generous and took all of my cookies, whether they ended up in the trash or not I do not know. So.... if you live close by and want to invite me to participate, I promise I won't try to be Martha this year.

Whatever I Want Wednesday

I'm borrowing an idea from another blog I read, bag n' trash. You really must go check out her beautiful photos of New England fall that she posted yesterday. I just finished knitting a scarf using her gathered scarf pattern and love it! I used Ct Yarn and Wool Farmhouse Silk in Autumn, although it looks more Christmasy to me. I loved working the pattern, fast & easy and the scarf is oh so warm. I bought an extra skein of yarn so I can make a pair of socks! Thanks Maryse, for sharing your wonderful pattern!

Now for my Ten on Tuesday - I was going to blow it off but I like the topic - Ten Things I'm Thankful For. I never want to pass up a chance to remember that - even though I do my fair share of bitching & moaning.

1. My health

2. My husband ( most of the time)

3. My family

4. My friends

5. My great new job

6. Lessons learned from my not so great old job.

7. That I have a house to go home to.

8. That I chopped enough damn wood I'll have a nice fire tonight.

9. My cats, except at 4:00AM when they are chasing a mouse around our bedroom - like last night.

10. I live someplace where there is a change of seasons - appreciating the end of fall but looking forward to the first snowfall.

I'll end with a picture I took from our neighborhood. I thought it was really cool, a Halloween decoration for adults. I was thinking it was sort of a Burning Man deal but Hubby thought it was more Blair Witchy - which I won't even go to their web site to check out because the thought freaks me out too much. So let me know what you think!

Ten on Tuesday - we'll be doing that on Wednesday

Yoowwza - it's already Tuesday. Well - ya got to know I'm happy about the 'Fins game on Sunday. And Shana, I was a loser and did not complete my long (5 mile) run on Sunday because I am a loser & started to watch the football game with a glass of wine in my hand. But I ran yesterday and actually am going to hold all my thoughts for this post until tomorrow so I can go and run now (on a treadmill which is boring but it's dark so there you have it).

Yea - it's FRIDAY!!!

A gray, rainy day here in Connect- the -Dots but next week they are predicting snow. Yippee! First snow of the season means we get to drink port ( a tradition we started when we moved up here) and go to the Bidwell Tavern for wings. Another weird tradition we have but they have amazing wings and awesome beer on top and are a higher elevation than us so it usually snows there earlier in the year.



If you need to try and stay warm - go here to try and win a quilt. They are really nice, thanks to Chris at stumblingoverchaos for pointing me to this really cool contest. Good luck but I hope I win at least one of them - especially since I didn't win the snow blower - bummer....



Ok - on with the show - have a great weekend!





1. Please feel free to leave a comment so I know you care.

2. When I ride in a new car I can't help sniffing it occasionally.

3. My favorite thing to cook is a meal for friends.

4. Good energy is something I can't get enough of.

5. That's the thing I love most about hanging out with positive people.

6. Montana always makes me think to myself, what the heck?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a glass (bottle?) of wine and changing from my dress and high heels - YUK!, tomorrow my plans include the training run and dinner with good friend my training buddy and Sunday, I want to sleep in then watch the 'Fins beat Oakland !

I've been a bad blogger...

I hate it when my favorite blogs don't get updated. I forget these people most likely have lives outside of entertaining me. So for all my dear readers I apologize - usually Ten on Tuesday wakes me up and gets my arse motivated to post something. Or when the 'Fins manage to squeek out another win.But I've been busy and then tired. Hubby & I have been car pooling since my truck stopped running so I've been hanging with him (unless I'm at work). And now , on our 3rd year anniversary, my truck will be ready for me to take home and there will be no more "forced togetherness" on our drive in to work or home after work. We are going to go out for a hamburger tonight to celebrate the 3 year anniversary thing, however.

I have included a photo of our favorite hot dog stand in CT. When we moved up here from FLA we were surprised at the New England obsession with hot dogs. People are very loyal to "their hot dog joints". We drove by this place for almost 2 years while we were working on our house before I finally couldn't stand it one day & stopped. And let me tell you - these dogs are great! They park this trailer in a parking lot on the side of the road ( next to a Subway shop which is sort of funny) so if you are really lucky sometimes you get to see them driving down the road and it does make you feel extra special - I don't know why, to see the hot dog going down the road on their way to the parking lot (open at 10) or on their way home (close at 2). They are also open seasonal so when you see them in the spring it is hopeful and when they tell you they will only be open for another week ( like they did Saturday) it's a little sad that another hot dog season is over. They have been doing this for 23 years - WOW! So thank you Hot Dog Lady for another great season and for giving me extra incentive to keep running so I can burn the calories from two cheese hot dogs with relish, ketchup and horse radish mustard!

Can the weekend be any better than this week?

I don't have any exciting plans for the weekend, oh wait - since half marathon training buddy reads this I am excited to run my training run! I haven't run much this week (translate: at all since my truck blew up) so the training run will be that much more special. But it's only 4 miles, a mantra I am sure I will be repeating in my head as I slog my notwatchingmyweightverywell body down the road. So I will send reiki to my run and keep a positive mood and all will be well with the world.

My brother and I have been having a very spirited e-mail conversation this week. He happens to think W has done a fine job and is horrified by the events of Tuesday. It all started when I sent him the link to this very awesome letter by Alice Walker. So, I do get that not anyone had a great week but baby bro - your guy had his 8 years and now mine has 4. And since I doubt you read this, I do think W did a crappy job.

If you are in need of a good laugh - go check out one of my favorite blogs - Bye Bye Pie. I always enjoy me a June post. The best one ( I think) is when she had gas at work. It's sort of sad that I know that is her post for May 16th but I have read it more than once when I needed a little cheer.

Since it's Friday - here are my fill ins- oh ya, in case you were wondering if I won the snow blower - they have post-poned the announcement until tomorrow - so keep thinking good thoughts! Hubby asked me what I was going to do with it when I win & I just smiled.... Have a great weekend!

1. My blueprint for success includes keeping a positive attitude.

2. Goetze's carmel cremes (link to an awesome candy blog) was the last candy I ate.

3. The best facial moisturizer I've ever used is who cares, whatever is on sale.

4. Knitting, unless you keep buying shitloads of yarn like I do can be good therapy.

5. I'd like to tell you about more house building stories - it was soooo fun.

6. Being a loyal friend is my strongest characteristic.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chilling at home, tomorrow my plans include having a glass or two of wine and oh ya - a long run and Sunday, I want to go for a hike with hubby!

A good blizzard story..

My half marathon training buddy sent me a link to this web site, Garden Rant that is having a snow blower give away contest. Instead of randomly choosing a number, they are looking for the best blizzard/heavy snow storm story. And hell ya - I got one of those! But I'm not going to tell it here - it really is too long to re-type so you'll have to go here and read it in the comments section. I will add the end of the story on my blog so go ahead and read the first part, then come back to my blog.

Funny , huh? Ya that night was a laugh a minute. Somewhere I have a disposable camera with a picture of hubby trying to dig the ditch which I remember fondly taking just so "I can show people how stupid you are trying to dig this damn ditch!". I believe those were my exact words too. So fast forward to our arrival at our apartment after the long, death defying drive home in which we did not speak to each other for over an hour. I came in the apt. and immediately called my Mom to tell her I was over it, I was going to leave my then fiance, I'd had it. I wanted a drink but in CT the liquor stores close at 8:00 and we just missed the deadline. I was so stressed. I was in our bedroom trying to decide the best way to leave and crying to my Mom, who was concerned as she was over 3,000 miles away and really could do nothing. ( I tend to do that to my poor Mom, I called her when I thought our house was burning down too but that's another story). Anyhow - the last person I wanted to see knocked on the bedroom door - but he had an apple martini in his hand. So I thought, OK maybe this will work out. I grudgingly took the drink & noticed little clouds of something floating in the drink - I tried to pick one out to discover it was..... BACON GREASE! He had washed the glasses in the dishwasher with a pan we used to fry bacon ( even though I told him a BAZILLION times not to) !!!!!!! I then started to ball, like with snorts and everything and my poor Mom was going "What's wrong?? WHAT"S WRONG??" I managed to choke out I .....have.....snort ...sniff .. snort...BACON GREASE IN MY MARTINIIIIIIIIIII !!!!!!!!! And her wonderful reply, comforting from 3,000 miles away was "Good God, drink it anyway it's not going to kill you". So I did and it didn't. And me and that wonderful martini maker got married a couple of years later because we survived that so why not try marriage.

Yea for America !!

What a night!! I was cautiously optimistic and was quite surprised by my reaction when they finally called the results at 11. Up until then it still seemed like the rug could be pulled out from under the American voters, again. But that didn't happen and I actually cried when they announced the results - holy crap!

To my friends in West Palm - what is the deal with your county election office?? Why can't those people get their shit together?!? At least this year it didn't affect the national election - but I would be holding some people accountable down there if they tried to suppress my right to vote by totally creating a screwy system that no one can follow or machines that don't work. But I digress.....

How can you not help but feel optimistic, and hopeful and think that ya, maybe this is the time we've been waiting for? I so respected John McCain's speech last night. He spoke from the heart - it was like the old John McCain showed up, not the KarlRoveRepublican party robot. He is a great man and I believe he will keep his promise and work with the new administration.

I went to bed excited and hopeful and I woke up excited and hopeful. I want to be part of the change, not sure how that will happen but I'm tired of watching from the sidelines and watching America become a shadow of herself. The rest of the world was as excited as any of us with the results - how can that not be a good thing ?? And I know it's easy to talk about change - but it's up to us as Americans to hold all of our politicians accountable and to get involved, don't just bitch because as we are sitting on our ass with our remote the world happens around us and we don't like what is happening. I think that was the best thing about the high voter turn out, people are giving a shit. Have we woken up? Did it take the financial crisis to make us sit up and take notice?

Here is a link to some pretty cool election songs for Obama from ALL OVER THE WORLD. Who says the world wasn't ready for a change??

OMG - too good to pass up!

I should have gone to the Daily Show blog before I posted - this story is waaayy too funny, about Terry the Shit Dumper. And I've been to Whitehall, MT a lot, ok I've driven through it a lot - it is a little podunk but that's OK! I'm proud to have grown up in Montana and although I voted for Obama - I do think this is a pretty funny display of ... civil disobedience?? Maybe I'm giving him too much credit - what do you think?

Have you voted yet??

Wow - I have so much to write about today - the first being the election, of course. I woke up early this morning, and was really, really excited to go vote. Hubby & I went to the polling place in town and were shocked to see traffic jams and lines out past the street! All of this at 6:20 AM. It was a festive atmosphere and I really did feel like I was part of history - WOW! We live in such a great country.

It was a good thing my day started out so amazing because on my drive to work, something very funky happened to my truck and the engine died about 10 minutes from work. I don't know what happened but it felt big..... and expensive. My most amazing Hubby came and picked me up, AAA picked up the truck and I arrived at work by 10. So, dear readers, cross your fingers that my truck only had a "minor" issue.

November 1 was the start of the Freeze yer Buns Challenge which we will be trying. Especially after we got out first gas bill since June - over $3.50 a gallon, so over $400 - OUCH! The goals of the program are on the above link at Crunchy Chicken's blog - go check it out! We do have the advantage of having a ton of firewood to supplement our fuel use but don't burn the fire 24/7 since I don't work from home anymore. We'll see how we do when it starts to get real cold - it was 60 degrees today.

And finally, Ten on Tuesday - here's my list (in no particular order) of Ten Things I Love to Talk About!

1. The 'Fins - here's your victory song, they beat Denver Sunday - YEA!

2. The Red Sox - not so much in the off season but only 100 days until catchers & pitchers report to spring training!

3. My awesome friends - love you all!

4. My wonderful family - especially when you drive me nuts, baby bro!

5. My kitty kids - guess I need to post photos some day.

6. Reiki - it really is a cool thing & I believe it helps people

7. Good books I've read

8. The fun blogs I follow - see most listed to the left

9. Good music - especially performers I haven't heard

10. Adventures I've had while traveling

Ok, if you haven't done it - do what half of the world only dreams of doing

GO VOTE!!!