Ring Out The Old

As the last few hours of the year melt away I am a little bit sad, a little anxious, but mostly hopeful.
Hopeful that 2012 won't be as stressful as 2011.
On a global level; I hope we all can learn to get along. I get that every culture has their own history and holidays and traditions, but so many traditions come from other cultures originally and since we all started in a pond somewhere in Africa so it shouldn't be a big deal to let the small stuff go, right? I hope we can see the evidence of that this year.
At the national level; I hope we can become more responsible. Bring the factory jobs back to our own country and employ our own people rather than send all our money and jobs out. I know it makes more money for the board of directors but it doesn't help the economy in any way.
For the state; I hope we can figure out how to balance a budget. I don't understand why a problem that has taken years to create is expected to be solved in six months and I hope to see a measure of moderation in the cutting that needs to take place.
City-wise; I hope we will stop being a gigantic pile of selfish, greedy, stupid people and take an interest. Not in a solve-hunger-in-Uganda kind of way but in a care-what's-happening-with-our-neighbors-in-the-house-next-door kind of way. The 'think global, act local' adage is cute but means nothing unless we let the lady with two kids get in front of us in line and worry less about what the media tells us is cool and read a book. Or look at what the political candidate means rather than just what s/he says. I hope to see a rise in intelligence and kindness.
Familial; I hope we can communicate more, talk less behind people's backs and complain less.
Personally; I hope to be more organized and waste less time this year. I have a lot to keep track of and I really need to be on top of it all. I have felt one step behind a lot this year and I don't like it.
Those are my hopes and dreams for 2012. Of course, if the Mayans are right we don't have to think about any of it. If they aren't then we're going to be in the exact same place 365 days from now.

This is me and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!

Not A Creature Was Stirring

There has been a lot going on and I will get to it and tell you all about it, but tonight I need to remember Christmas; the calmer Christmas Eves of my past when it was all twinkly lights and pine fragrance, (some) presents and carols. My brothers and sisters and I would get in our pajamas, sit around on the floor and listen as my dad read a story to us out of the big, red "Christmas book."
Then out of the Bible we'd read the account of Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem and all the visits of that one night so long ago. We'd have "snack," say our family prayers, we'd brush our teeth, hang our stockings and settle down, too excited to sleep and wanting to so much so Christmas would come.
Things have changed significantly since those days. People coming from far and near, arriving and departing at different times, jobs, spouses, kids and all that.
I love my life and I love the changes but sometimes I wish I could go back to that time when it was just me and the tree and a cookie and the itchy, magical feeling that comes the night before Christmas...

This is me wishing everyone a feeling like that tonight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I Did Most Of The Falling

Do NOT laugh.
But.
I think I sprained a thigh muscle yesterday at church, playing ring-around-the-rosy in the Nursery.
...
In my defense, I was wearing three inch heels, there were three of them and we played over and over and over for 25 minutes straight.
How does one say no to three angelic faces begging " 'gin!, 'gin!"
I couldn't, obviously, but now my leg really hurts when I get up and down from a chair or in and out of the car or any other sort of seat.

This is me and I know I'm not in the greatest shape, but really?

We Belong

'Tis the season and all that - I will have to mail 4 or 5 boxes myself later this week - so I shouldn't have been surprised when mysterious packages started arriving on our doorstep. There hasn't been a note on any of them though and after I opened one - almost spoiling a Christmas surprise - I've just been piling them in a corner of the living room.
Hopefully none of them are perishable.
Then, last night, I overheard Tarzan on the phone asking about a membership kit that was supposed to have arrived. We rifled though the stack and, fortunately for the guy on the phone, came up with it.
See, we had joined the Fridgetop Root Beer Society.
Tarzan really likes root beer and over Thanksgiving he and Floyd did some talking about ways to spread the love. It's still in the embryo stage but he's having fun networking with the owner/CEO of the Root Beer Society.
(Tarzan joined Facebook! That's how much he's into this.)
They've exchanged emails over the wonders of the new flavors that are in the membership kit - the Sprecher was super smooth, the Gray's a little zippier.
Also included in the kit; two "official" membership cards, a cute mug that can be frosted for crisper tasting, the history of the company which is a really funny read and a bottle opener which comes in handy for people who don't use their shirt to open a bottle cap. All profusely stamped with the name of the ccompany and the website.
I think we're lifers.

This is me and I'm contemplating how Tarzan would take it if I framed his member's certificate for a Christmas present...

The Good News

On a lighter note, my USC Santa hat does keep my head really warm while out and about:

This is me, keeping positive.

Multiplication

I'm about half done with the Christmas shopping - which I love to do, pick out gifts I think others with like, plus it's shopping with zero guilt - but there's still the wrapping and the shipping and as soon as one thing gets crossed off the list three more appear. I don't know how it happens. I try to schedule things out. We started working on the Sunday Christmas program almost two months ago but now we're down to two weeks and Tarzan hasn't even looked at his piece yet. The guy whose supposed to be playing the guitar - acoustic - hasn't been there the last two weeks so I don't know if he has time to learn his song. The kids are way more interested in presents than singing.
And I know it will all work out. The presents will get bought, and delivered, and the program will be good.
It's just the anticipation that makes me antsy. Timing is not my gift and I really worry about forgetting something serious.
Like sending the outline to the lady who does the program so she can print it out.
Or asking the guy to play Santa at the party this weekend! That's what I was supposed to do this afternoon. Oy.
Send some good scheduling thoughts my way.

This is me and maybe I should develop a mantra; "it will all work out...it will all work out..."

Star Wars: Fodder For Anyone

QC sent this to me a (long) while ago:

I only just got around to clearing out the Inbox of that email account and found it just as amusing now as I did then.
(That's my measure for whether things are really funny.)

This is me and this movie is good for so much stuff.

'Tis The Season

I loved my iPhone before, but now it is getting serious.
Over Thanksgiving with Tarzan's family I was lamenting the fact that there weren't any good ring tones on my iPhone and I didn't want to spend money to get any. Floyd mentioned it should be possible - I just had to trim the song to the right length and find out the file extension to change the song to.
And it worked.
(Floyd is a genius. If you ever need to know anything, he is the man.)
So tonight, following these instructions, I took my favorite 1:53 of Jupiter, cut it to 0:40, changed the extension and voila! I now have it as a ring tone.
Awesome.
Then I got a little crazy and did a Christmas one too. We will see if Mannheim Steamroller's God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen will wake me up in the morning.


This is me and the magic of the iPhone never ceases.

Where Does It Go?

Why do my best ideas for this blog come to me when I am laying in bed and have no access to a writing utensil or even my iPhone?
(I leave my iPhone in the bathroom, charging, so that when the alarm goes off in the morning I have to get up and go in another room to turn it off. I am much less likely to ignore it and go back to sleep that way.)
Last night, for example, I was all tucked in, the kittens were snuggling on one side and Tarzan was on the other and I thought of a brilliant topic for discussion. I considered getting up to write it down, but it was so warm and comfy and the kittens won't come back if I disturb them so I thought I'd leave myself a reminder for the morning. It was a good idea, I promise. But whatever cairn I left for myself was all over the floor when I got up today and of course I don't remember what it was about.

This is me with curses for my inferior memory and lack of a pen.

Unexpected

I have to say, DaddyScrubs.com sounded WAY cuter on the radio commercial.
Also, the text on the website is suggesting these are a MUCH bigger deal than they seem.
I could MAKE these things myself, with some old hospital scrubs - don't ask how I have them - and a fancy marker.
Bing, bang, done.

This is me and what am I missing?