I Want to Thank You, Thank You

So here I am at work with NOTHING to do and 4.5 hours to go until a 4 day weekend...

But I'm thankful for it.

I know, I know, I complain often about my job here and yes someday I will fulfill my actual dream of stay-at-home-momhood (I'm talking to you here ovaries!), but I appreciate the opportunity to have a good job. A job that pays me enough money and affords me the ability to see a doctor (like I did today!) when I need to, and pay $4 for contact lenses. It provides me a social network that I find fulfilling and allows me to give something back in life. So thanks, job.

I'm also thankful for these things:

-MY HUSBAND! True love amazes me. And I'm talking true love and not, oh I thought I was in love, there really is a palpable difference.
-My family. I'm glad I've never gone through a period in life where I did not appreciate and enjoy my family.
-My in-laws. I lucked out there!
-My puppies. No explanation needed.
-My health and the health of those who are in my life. I appreciate all of you who have overcome some serious issues to be still with us and living well. You know who you are!
-For the fact that there are lots of other things I could include on this list, but won't.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here, There, and Everywhere

Is where I've been today!

I had to run errands for the boss this morning, among doing many other things for my actual job. Contrary to popular belief (of one person) I am not an assistant, nor do I want to be. I spent 2.5 hours driving around this morning. The upside, I was out of the office, the downside, I was driving around Decatur for 2.5 hours. One more day of work this week, that's all. This has been the longest 3-day week of all! And tonight I have to go get groceries which just makes the day that much longer and now that I realize what week this is (2 days before Thanksgiving!) I'm regretting not getting food earlier, but I honestly haven't had the time. Well, to be honest, yes I have, I could have gone on Sunday...darn it why didn't I go on Sunday?!

Sorry, now I'm just rambling about days of the week. I'm pretty much just blogging today so my "anonymous" reader won't leave a message saying "why haven't you blogged today?"

Tomorrow I have to come to work, set up food for a newsletter folding, go to the doctor, come back to work, put some gift baskets together and then go home!

erin

Another Saturday Night...

We had another show (we = the band).

It was REALLY good! We had a good sound system (for once) and good mics and a good crowd and it was fun. Did we get paid? No. Free drinks is all, but I don't normally drink during a show so my voice remains "buzz free" and I can be sure my sound is what I want it to be. So...for me it was free water! Score! But it was still fun.

Let's back up to Friday night...

Went to see Twilight with Susannah, Millie, and another friend of Millie's. Now, when I was invited to go, I hadn't yet read the books...so I had to go out (or send my Mom out in reality) to quickly get it and read it in less than a week. I almost finished before the movie, but I had the general plot down and saw some spoilers online so I was good. I am a stickler about reading books before seeing movies (and when I say stickler, I mean I read the Harry Potter books first and ever since then, I will try to read the books first). The movie was decent. It skimmed over A LOT of stuff from the book, but that happens when you have 2 hours to tell the story and it got some things out of sequence and I'm not really sure why that was and I think it threw in some things from other books that were not in the first one because I didn't recognize some of the story lines, but all in all, it was good. And Rob Pattinson who plays the main character? Whew! I felt like I was 13 years old leaving the theater...he was so dreamy! I now have a small crush on him (and he was in the Harry Potter movies as well). We had many teeny-boppers in the audience with us who all swooned and screamed when he first came on the screen and the 4 of us kind of groaned and thought, oh you kids...well by the end of the movie, we were all a bit "swoony." And I did mention that when I pulled into the theater parking lot, a Jonas Brothers song had just come on the radio, so I felt my night as a middle school girl was pretty much complete! Plus, we went to Steak and Shake afterwards and got milkshakes...it was a toss up between margaritas and milkshakes and milkshakes won out! So yeah, it was a little flashback to 1996 for me.

Sunday Danny went to the Bears game in St. Louis with a buddy so I was delegated to go pick up his drum set from the show the night before (what a good wife/band member I am!) and then took Harrison to Mom and Dad's to watch the game.

Speaking of Harrison, she and Nick got into it over a big knuckle bone I let her have while we were gone and Nick is now sporting a 1 inch gash on his shoulder and there was blood on our kitchen floor! So, our little happy family is just getting along so well these days! That's what happens when you have a 75lb. 8 month old dog and a 12lb 9 year old dog and they decide to fight. Little dogs might be scrappy but big dogs will just take a bite out of you and be done.

So, a full weekend and a short week! I am preparing for my annual Volunteer Holiday Party that is happening next week, so it's not a blow off week for me (though I don't foresee myself getting too worked up about anything). I'm looking forward to having 4 days off, however.

Happy Monday everyone!
erin

All I Want for Christmas....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Usually wrapping paper, but this year I have some gifts that will be difficult to wrap, so then it's gift bags.

2. Real tree or Fake?
I got a real tree for the first time in my life last year, the first Christmas with Danny in our home. Needless to say, this year (and for many more) we'll be having a fake tree. So messy!

3. When do you put up the tree?
After Thanksgiving, at least by the first week of December.

4. When do you take the tree down?
By New Year's Eve. Now, ask me when we got the portion of the tree that had to be CHAINSAWED OFF off the porch...

5. Do you like eggnog?
I never drink it, so I don't know if that's because I did once and didn't like it, or I just don't drink it. So I don't know. Danny will drink it by the carton, however.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Man, this is a tough one...gifts that really stick out in my mind...the Mall Madness game, my Clarinet, I got a really cool silver phone one year, and some John Lennon-esqe sunglasses...I've had a lot of good presents!

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My dad...he just has so much cool stuff already!

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Actually, Danny. I can usually think of good ideas for him.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
No, but Mom and Dad had one that I ALWAYS played with. I might dress up Danny and the dogs this year for that "live nativity" in our front yard...

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail...if I remember to do it!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Okay, I have gotten some interesting things from various people, but in order to not offend anyone, I'll go with the "That Was Easy" button my sister re-gifted (yes, someone gave it to her) me last year. Of course this was a gag gift and she actually got me the Magic Bullet (!), but it was pretty bad as far as gifts go.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, and yes, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street! Classic!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
October/November/December, it all depends on funds and ideas.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Why yes I have. I'll leave it at that.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Tough one again! Mom's Christmas cookies (back in the good old days when Mom let people eat food - just kidding Mom, sort of!), and Dad's coffee cake on Christmas morning! What happened to that tradition?!

16. Lights on the tree?
I really dig white lights (did I seriously just type "dig"?)

17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Used to stay home, last year Danny and I went to 4, count them 4, Christmases. This year we'll be going to Bloomington to have Christmas at Austin's house!

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s?
Yes

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Neither, usually we would put that one Reindeer topped pencil that I got in 4th grade at the top of the tree. Last year, we had like 3 ornaments total on our tree, nothing at the top, and this year, let's face it, if Harrison doesn't at least knock the tree over, she'll eat the ornaments off...so I'm not gonna stress about ornaments too much.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Occasionally we got to open one on the eve, but I think that was partially due to the fact that we had to stay up late to attend the Christmas Eve service at church and needed something to help occupy our time. Now, we wait until Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Crowds of people.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
I like white lights...and I enjoy the antique reds, greens, and golds.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Dad's lasagna, also Dad's two-cheese spaghetti.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
I've decided I really do need a wallet.

26. Who is most likely to respond to this?
Probably no one because I've stolen it from my sister, who stole it from her friend Cecilia! The circle of stealing is complete.

27. Who is least likely to respond to this?
see above

28. Favorite thing about Christmas?
I really love watching people open their gifts even more than I like opening mine...it's the "christmas scheme" of it all! And who doesn't love a good Christmas scheme? I know my family does!

Happy ThanksChristgivingmas!
erin

I wanna talk about me...

Here's another one I stole that others are welcome to steal from me!


This is "Using something as something else"
1. When did you last use the edge of a coin (or a knife blade) as a screwdriver?
Hmm, I can't recall an exact time, but I've done it. However, we seem to have screwdrivers all over our house in various places, like the bathroom, so there is usually one handy!

2. When did you last use a wire coat-hanger to break into a car?
I don’t think I ever have, actually. I feel like I've seen Danny do it.

3. When did you last use food or drink as medication?
Well, Danny was sick yesterday and wouldn't eat or drink or do ANYTHING (frustrating!) so as I was leaving for lunch, I left him with the oh-so-healing combination of water and pretzels. I seriously need to go to the grocery store.

4. When did you last use your cellular telephone as a flashlight?
Every night after I turn off the tv and downstairs lights until I can get to the light at the top of the stairs. They are handy that way.

5. When did you last use a paper clip for any purpose other than to clip paper?
The answer that was here from the person I stole this from had said back when she was in elementary school and kids used to make fake retainers out of paper clips...that's totally my answer too! What was with that? Was there really that much appeal to a retainer?

erin

Yummy, yummy, yummy I've got love in my tummy

And I expect it to keep me full!

I have to get weighed next week at the doctor! Frightening!

Ever since this whole "happily in love" thing hit, I've been more comfortable to eat. It's that comfort zone that allows you to give up on some personal appearance aspects of yourself because you are no longer trying to impress the opposite sex, or same sex, whatever your orientation may be. It's the same zone that pushed Danny to wear his Chicago Bears pj pants to the movies with his best friend. It's wonderful and horrible all at the same time. Not to mention, my mother-in-law makes some of the best desserts and Sunday dinners EVERY WEEK that I take great pleasure in eating. Also, my workplace feels the need to have food for any and every occassion. I got to work today and found sheet cake, freshly baked cookies, and doughnut holes, the last two being passed around during the weekly staff meeting. I AVOIDED! And it was very hard, but I have to be publically weighed in 1 week!

I understand that a week does not leave me with much time to drop the 20 pounds I'd like to, but at least not eating cake daily might do some good on the old mid-section area. I also have a wedding approaching in January and while I already have my bridesmaid dress and it fits and looks pretty good, I certainly wouldn't mind paying to have it taken in!

The holiday food deluge is upon us and I'm doing my best to keep my head above water. It's going to be a long few months.

Good luck to us all! (except you skinny bitches! You eat all you can! )

erin

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's supposed to snow tomorrow!

Now, every year it snows. Some years we get mounds of the stuff, some years, it barely accumulates. Somehow, though, the first snow always catches us by surprise.

"What?! Snow! I can't believe it's going to snow already!"

But every year it snows. It's Illinois. There is no escaping it. And then everyone forgets how to drive for about 3 days and then finally, we all accept that winter has yet again come to our city.

With that said...it's still the middle of November. It is not the Christmas season quite yet. So why, when I got into my car for lunch was one station playing nothing but Christmas music? Can we not enjoy Thanksgiving first? I know it's kind of a non-holiday where the only real activity is to eat way more food than should be allowed and maybe if you remember, you'll go around the table and say "I'm thankful for..." whatever, but it's still a holiday and a time to be together with family and we should not glaze over it with pre-December Christmas music. Not only was this station playing the Christmas music, but it seemed to be some sort of "local high school choir sings the holiday hits" segment. Not really very good. I suppose if you have to "entertain" your listeners with local high school talent, broadcasting it this early on is actually a wise move. No one is listening for it. I don't get into the "high school musical" of Christmas until that one tv station starts showing us the delight that is the Holiday Madrigals who all seem to have a version of Carol of the Bells with which to keep up in that holiday spirit! I recall making my mom watch that station many a year!

But I digress...

Pull out those snow shovels folks! Winter is a comin'!

erin

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray

And it's cold and wet and muddy!

I guess it is mid-November here, but man, those days of mild temps. were great! I had work off yesterday and did absolutely nothing! Didn't even make a meal...we had leftovers. It was great for a while. Watched a West Wing marathon on Bravo (that was the BEST show on tv, hands down). Played with the pups a bit (though Harrison kept getting bored and was just barking at random stuff - all day), then about 3pm, I was bored. You can only watch so much tv and I had cleaned my house the weekend before, so it is still in decent shape! I finished putting clothes away from Sunday night laundry so all the clothes have been washed and put away! Both laundry baskets are not full of folded clean clothes, but rather, dirty clothes waiting to gather enough friends to constitute a load.

We did have band practice last night. We've got a show coming up on the 22nd of this month. Maybe we'll get paid for once??

These have been days where all you want to do is light candles, get under a blanket and watch a movie or eat chili or heck, take a trip to Hawaii. Oh! Speaking of that...I informed Danny I wanted us to take a trip to Hawaii in a few years and he says, "no way." What! Apparently there is "nothing to do" in Hawaii and you only have fun if you enjoy "sitting around doing nothing." Hmm, well I guess I can't say for sure having NEVER BEEN THERE, but I guess I'll have to take my sister instead and leave the hubby at home!

Boys. What is wrong with you sometimes? Seriously.

erin

No time left for you

Sorry, not a good blog today...

We had an all staff meeting this morning that I had to help prepare for (food-wise): made some corn bread to go with the chili and help with room set up, etc. Then had to help clean up and do some other stuff not in my office...finally got back to my desk at 4pm! Makes the day go by fast, but I'm tired!

No work tomorrow! Whoo hoo! Good old, Veteran's Day....thanks Veteran's! Not only have you done a job I would never want to do, I get a day off in your honor. Can't complain about that!

Wow, I've used many exclamation points in this one.

So, hopefully I'll have more to report on Wednesday!

!!

erin

And they called it puppy love!

Just thought I would share one more.

Don't have much to post lately. I actually have a weekend of hardly any plans! I will be going to Springfield on Saturday to get a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I'm in in January. Hope to clean our mess of a house at some point and maybe rake some leaves...that should be a challenge this year (see above - she. likes. leaves.). The band was potentially going to play a show this weekend, but now that has been changed to the 22nd, so now I've got some time.

Austin will be staying with Mom and Dad all weekend, so I'm sure I'll spend a good amount of time over there and Danny will be a doing a little male bonding with his dad, brothers and good family friend on Saturday - dinner and boxing. Who hoo! I'll pass, but then again, I wasn't invited!

So the work week winds down. We get Tuesday off next week for Veteran's Day, so work one day, take a day off, work 3 more. I'm going to a birthday party for a friend Monday night and since I don't have to work the next day, I'm going to try and explain to my body that even though it's a weekday, I don't have to necessarily fall asleep at 8 pm. That's been my routine as of late and that won't make for a very exciting party.

That's it! I seriously can't think of anything else to share! I can't believe we're weeks away from Thanksgiving and Christmas and 2009!

Have a good weekend!

erin

God Bless America!

President Obama sounds pretty great to me!

It's a change! Even putting political agendas aside, it's a change. Since the birth of our nation, old white men have been at the helm. Some have done great, others not so great and still others (cough*Bush*cough) abismal! But now we have a change. And I'm not saying because he is black, Barack Obama will solve all of America's issues, I'm saying, it's about time we see a different kind of face in the White House. What an exciting time this is for America. A younger, in touch American with a fresh perspective and a strong desire to change what ails us (and can raise his arms above his shoulders...sorry, had to throw that in there...loosen up those suit jackets McCain)! I don't see how anyone can be so upset with this choice. I understand if you supported the other side that it's disappointing to lose, but now it's time to get on board this new train! Give the new guy a shot and see what's he's got in store for the country. After 8 years of dumbed down, messed up, "don't mess with Texas" rhetoric, does-what-my-Vice-President-tells-me-to-do, let's see what a well-spoken, motivated, appears-to-have-a-grasp-on-what-President-does, actually gave us some answers on his proposed policies, man can do.

I feel great about my country today! And I haven't felt that way in oh, I'd say 8 years. You don't have to agree with me at all, but we all should to get behind President Obama here at the beginning of what could be a great time in America!

God Bless America!

erin

My Guy

Totally stole this from another blog, but I thought it was a good idea for a blog and I haven't done the whole "2 in one day" thing in quite some time!

MY GUY
1. He’s sitting in front of the TV. What’s on the screen?
I'd say top 5 would be football, UFC, mythbusters, something like Real World/Road Rules challenge, and then whatever I'm making him watch (like Gilmore Girls)

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
French

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?
I can give you an entire food group: cooked vegetables. period.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?
Hmm, there are a few options, but his fav. beer is Newcastle.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Meridian High School, Macon, IL

6. What size shoe does he wear?
9, I believe

7. If he were to collect anything, what would it be?
oh lord, BEARS stuff!

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
The baja chicken something-or-other from quiznos

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
see above, and candy (which he does eat everyday from gas stations, though he doesn't think I know that...I know all!)

10. What is his favorite cereal?
He's a big fan of cinnamon toast crunch, not sure if it's his favorite, but it's up there.

11. What would he never wear?
A cowboys jersey.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
CHICAGO BEARS

13. Who will he vote for?
Obama

14. Who is his best friend?
Well of course me! But aside from me, I'd say Smitty.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
get on his case about anything! (living in a dream world with that one, buddy!)

16. How many states has he lived in?
One.

17. What is his heritage?
Well, I know he's got Irish roots, and some Native American too, but I'm not sure about anything else.

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
He doesn't generally eat a lot of cake, but I made him a pecan pie for his birthday this year.

19. Did he play sports in high school?
He played football for 2 years and wrestling for 1? 2?

20. What could he spend hours doing?
Video games, drumming, sleeping, and I have seen him put in a good amount of time into working on the dining room...not lately, but I've seen it!

Good ole hubby-o-mine!

We are the Bears shuffling crew....

Here we are, about to depart for the Bears game, from my sister's house in Bloomington!

Soldier Field!

Here we are at Soldier Field!

The view from our seats

He's ready for the game!

Pre-game warm up, Urlacher and Briggs

Getting ready for the Bears entrance through the giant Bear head

Orton just went down... And we take the lead in the 4th quarter!

As we realize our shuttle pick up in on the other side of this crowd, we decide to walk back to the parking area...about 2 miles away.

It was a nice walk, though it got a little dicey towards the end trying to figure out where exactly our car was parked (picture that episode of Seinfeld, except it wasn't really very funny and I had a GROUCHY husband with me)!

All in all, it was a great time, but we'll probably never do it again.