sorry, we are closed on mondays

I stopped writing a narrative of every weekend or birthdays in my blog because I find them tiresome in other blog's. But in my old age ;) I cannot distinguish one birthday from another, and some simply melt away. So this is for me and the public record - What I did on my 31st birthday.

Aren't weekend birthday's the best? Granted I'm not working outside the home right now, but still!

I woke up this year to my mommy texting me asking what I wanted to do. (Actually, I woke up at 630, turned off Wheel's nightlight, played with her, talked to the other kitties about what they were going to do today and sat in the sunroom with the ipad)

I thought about going to the contemporary art museum - Closed on Mondays
And then thought maybe MFAH - nope Closed on Mondays

So we drove to Columbus.
I consider long talks with my mom a gift in themselves. We drove around the little town and ate at a local joint, trying to imagine what it would be like to live there. And then we had to stop and visit my property. It is the second time I've seen it and it still "feels right."

For dinner I requested Pollo Campero tacos. Those tacos. The peruvian was extra spicy that night.
For dessert I wanted Mam's, I had a really cute instagram idea, you know the really important things in life. But alas - CLOSED ON MONDAYS

David and I drove to Ruggles in the Village and got a piece of chocolate truffle cake, and ordered a cappuccino (which turned out to be HUGE) and sat outside people watching, the truffle cake getting soft and eventually melting in the heat. We talked and sipped our coffees and laughed trying to get a birthday photo.

Do you feel older?
I think for the first time ever, I do feel older. I feel like I know myself a little more and that feels good.  I think 31 will be a grounded, happy year. Not because everything will go my way, but I be present, get out and see the world, and will be listening closely to what needs to be heard.

holiday

A nice half productive/half lazy day off from work is easy for you to achieve

 

 

Step One - A light, refreshing Mexican beer

Step Two - Cooking over an open flame & beef

Step Three - Working in the garden

thanksgiving on mars

Mommy cooked and cooked and cooked. And I ate and ate and ate. The whole break I took an unhealthy amount of naps after eating unhealthy amounts of ham, it was GLORIOUS.

David and I went out Black Friday to look for lights but didn't find anything. I'm a little worried because I've had very bad xmas crafting luck and it is still November. I'm not going to lie, I already have a giant knot in my stomach because of Christmas planning, I wish it was still easy. However, Dp did get my outside lights up over the weekend (Wheels helped - she is such a sweetie). I don't know what it is this year but nothing looks right. Meh. I need an explosion of lights this year.

If you are a 5 year old boy you might ask Santa for a David for Christmas.

Those kids love, I mean loooooooove David. They want to play with him non-stop when we visit. It is kinda a fair fight, 2 of them against 1 giant.

I've been wondering if they are old enough now to file these holidays into long term memory. Will they remember how they liked to snuggle after nap?  Or that I would watch movies with them and watch them play Angry Birds (shockingly well)?

Games Hot with the childrens:

:: Wrestling is still hot (this is when I can play Rescue From Monster)

:: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle the board game (don't throw anything out, this go fish knock off is from circa 1989)

:: Space Invaders - does your Swing Set Space Ship frequently crash on Mars? The Moon? Or Planet Shundelcloon? Then you too can play space invaders!

Next Thanksgiving they will be Kindergartners! And will have a baby sister!  And maybe Grandaddy will have been called home.

Life keeps changing. 

I can't wait for next year to see the boys grow and play with Sweet Monkey, yet at the same time want everything to stay the same. Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time for everything, but really it should say that everything happens at once. Somehow we are meant to be joyful in the midst of bills, mourning, stress, and frustrations. What a gift! To be able to put our sadness away for moments and enjoy life.

3:13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

twenty ninety

Fully aware of my procrastination, I feel that I need to wrap up the birthday post that has been sitting in my draft folder aging as fast as me. Not to mention I have a back log of post ideas to thrill and entertain you all with.

This birthday everyone completely spoiled me, birthday celebrating went on for days and days and by the time it was over it was time for dp's birthday.

FRIDAY JULY 20 - my work bosom buddies surprised me with a darcy haircut! The level of trickery and planning blew me away. Remember how I said I was spoiled? Cause I am.

Friday night was Mexican as usual. I can't say no. I just can't. And afterwards we went back to the house and watched War Horse which was really good. Only 1 dead horse and I cried 3/4 a much Hildalgo and if you compare this to Toy Story 3 or The Muppets I cried just a drop. I still love you Kermie.

SATURDAY JULY 21 -- THE BIG DAY. The big 29. I already felt totally spoiled and didn't expect anything else.

• The lawn man came!! We were pushing 7 inches in shady spots of the yard and the neighborhood cats were doing high kicks in the grass. I think a squirrel got lost. And the jungle lawn almost broke the mower. 
• My mom took me on a shopping spree to H&M and I found 2 cardis, one is striped. I have a small addiction. The Bay Area is crowded, it was like being in the Galleria area but not knowing any back roads. We looked at the traffic going north on 45 and shuddered and stopped into Pinkberry instead. By the time we left traffic was "moving."
• Dp got me james avery earrings and a card - first line was "To my sexy husband"... he didn't read it thoroughly... or maybe I need to bump up the femininity by A LOT.
• We went to some steak restaurant in Pearland. I can never think of the name. I always think it is Logan's and it never is. We'll call it Birthday Beef. There weren't any peanuts on the table so I made dp take a handful when we left, his 1 handful was 2 overflowing handfuls to me. I like peanuts.
• After dinner we watched Moneyball and Analee's birthday was over.

NOT!
SUNDAY JULY 22 - mom and dad dropped off a new pillow for The Chair, cake!, and sunflowers. They sang happy birthday to the both of us, and Analee's birthday was over.

NOT!
AUGUST 1 - work birthday lunch for me & mel at spaghetti warehouse
AUGUST 2 - birthday dinner at Carrabbas with Micheletti Clan

But really, after that Analee's birthday was over.

Happy Valentine's Day

I know that many people dislike valentines because it is commercialized. I agree it is kinda over done. I think it puts a lot of pressure on men to magically become romantic when we all know guys are not romantic. I must admit that I have been jaded by this holiday in the past. But I think I am ready to come clean about my feelings for Valentine's Day.

In middle school, people could send "candygrams" to friends and crushes. In high school it was carnations. In all of my years of middle school and high school, not one candygram, not one carnation. All I wanted was a delivery in my class, for them to call my name. It never happened. I tried to be sneaky and sent some to my friends, openly, so maybe they would send me a candygram. I have never fully gotten over not getting a candygram or carnation.

But I guess now that I don't need to prove my self worth to others (applause) I don't need to be angry at Valentine's Day. I actually think it is a good idea at it's core. We do need to tell the people we love that we love them more often. I told David it is just another excuse for me to tell him 100 times that I love him.

I could go on and on about David but I thought I might blog about my sweeties. I really do love my little kitties. I am so thankful that I have them. I can't imagine a morning without Abbey beside me and Rigby on my legs. They are just a treasure, and I love every minute with them.

Abbey does still have some problems, she gets a little restless and in bad moods. But I am so happy when I think of our progress together. She would barely let anyone touch her. And two years later she is cuddly and sweet and a really kind kitty. Also very pretty!

Rigby is the kind of kitty that would melt anyone's heart. I don't care if you don't like cats, this one you would like. He is so rollie pollie and adorable. He is a short cat and kind of bow legged, with a kitten face, not a grown up face. Rigby so sweet, and the sleepiest cat there has ever been. And he looks so serious when he is sleeping, like he is at work.

I love them so much. I can't stop smiling when I talk about them. And I want everyone to know I have the best kitties in the whole wide world. I love Abbey Darling and Rigby Buttons.

But yes, David is my Valentine. He is doing well, but not to his destination yet. Soon though I think. He appreciates all the prayers and thoughts.

Month-by-Month

Have you ever felt like you are just on a really fast train and you are looking out the window at the blur of trees and houses and that is how you days zoom by?

The past few months have been fast, disorientingly fast. (I make up my own words) But I decided to do a quick month-by-month update. But real fast.

November
-We had a really good Thanksgiving with our friends Chris and Jeni. I was really impressed with how yummy we made our dinner.

-My computer also contracted a ridiculous amount of viruses that attacked my Internet explorer and AOL.

-It snowed and we had an interesting experience sliding down a hill and me screaming, STOP! STOP! STOP! We did. Thank you to the brave curb.


December
-I decided to remove myself from all of the drama that I was being weighed down by, and in doing so was unbelievably at peace.

-We also packed up the kitties and took them to Houston. A word to the wise: Red Eye + 2 cats + a very tall husband+ claustrophobic me = HORRIBLE FLIGHT!!!!

-I got really sick in Houston, thanks mom.

-Being sick as a dog was not helped by a phone call in the middle of the trip stating David's pull out date was being pushed up from January 16 to January 2nd and instead of Japan they were going to the Persian Gulf. Panic and crying followed.

-But Christmas was nice.

-Right before we got on the place David's chief called and said never mind about leaving early but definitely straight to the gulf.

January
-David had duty New Years Eve.

-We started packing and getting things ready for David to leave for 8 months. Think packing for a 2 week vacation is tough, how about almost a year!

-We started painting, and boxing things up and moving, all the while missing my little kitties.

-It snowed a bunch. It was not fun.

-We said goodbye at 3am, January 16th, the only way I knew how. We didn't say goodbye at all, we just danced to the first song we danced to as man and wife: I Love you by Coleman Hawkins.

-I barely made it home from taking David because of the terrible snow storm.

-My mom flew in and worked really hard with me to finish packing/cleaning my apartment. Thanks mom.

-Then we drove from Port Orchard, Washington to Houston, Texas. A long haul.


I hope that clears up alot of curiosity and now I can jump to the present time and continue my blog life.

It was my new year's resolution last year to have more people read and enjoy my blog and I think I achieved my goal. I really enjoy sharing with all of you. :)

Twas the Day After Halloween...

I had a GREAT Halloween. We had heard rumors of Halloween parties but none of them happened, so I threw a mini-halloween party for me and David.

David has duty today and leaves tomorrow so we had to have all of his stuff ready to go, and I will come clean, we hadn't started till the last second. So we went to the grocery store and got him some stuff and me my tv dinners to last me. Yeah, I don't cook when David is gone; I will cook for 2 but not for one. I also got me some Coco Crispies. Tease all you want, I like them and the only time I ever got them was at my Grammy's house and just one of those tiny boxes. So I told myself that I am a grown woman and if I want a sugary cereal I can get it. Oh and we got a pumpkin.

We carved our pumpkin, Fred, and watched Sleepy Hollow, clever I know. Then I toasted the pumpkin seeds and finished the movie by candle light. I had candles everywhere and all the lights off so it was kinda fun. By then some the little Trick-or-Treaters, I like to call them TOTs, started to arrive. We had lots of little children, but less bigger children than I did last year. So I had bought a mess load of candy this year and last year's amount would have done it. I think our TOT number was down because it was below freezing outside and I think most of the kids were in our complex so it was close enough to face the cold temps. Even so, Everyone loved our Fred!!!

Then we ordered pizza and watched Sean of the Dead, a hilarious parody of Dawn of the Dead. Really funny, but still appropriate for Halloween night. All the while David was folding clothes and packing.

I had the best time, what a fun last night with David, what a fun Halloween. My mini party was a success!!

ps- Rigby dressed up as a sleepy kitty and Abbey was a hungry kitty.

Home at last!

David comes home today! ahhhhh. Sigh and relief, if only for a couple weeks is plenty for me.

It will be so good to see him, and to eat with people again, sing together in the car, lying in bed with kitties reading the Sunday paper, walking through Manchester park, playing Boggle and wow a face to face conversation.

All that peace from not feeling so alone. That, I miss.

But miss no more... until November when he leaves again, and then January when he leaves for 8 months.

But these next 2 weeks, I will feel alive.

All Hail the Conquering Website!

We Did It! RealtyNewsReport.com has won our first award!!! Please read the whole story it is such and honor. They love me, they really love me.

Also in fantastic news....

DAVID COMES HOME ON SATURDAY!!!!!!

This is a big surprise because he was scheduled to come home on May 20th. But they have told them that they aren't needed until then. Yippie!! This is especially exciting because the boat is already home, since Tuesday. So I have kinda been on my own for a few days, since all the wives have their husbands back. But I just got the word so now it is a mad dash to get the house clean and the clothes washed and the kitties all cleaned up and purty. And all of my other errands. But this is the kind of busy I'd like to be!!

I scream, You scream, We all scream for...

ICECREAM!!!!

Ok you guessed it. But this is super sad. I just took an early morning nap after taking David to work. From 6-8am and I dreamed of nothing but icecream.

I was at Marble Slab (not Cold Stone that icecream is yucky!) and I couldn't decide what to get. But in the end I got a scoop of chocolate cherry with chocolate chips as a mix in and also a scoop of their double dark chocolate with nuts and marshmallows mixed in. And I ate it, and it was yummy. And that is how pathetic I am.

Also, I went on wednesday to Walgreens for the after Valentine's Day candy sale. All of the candy was half off. Well I spent $11 and can you imagine the mass of candy I got? It is mildly embarassing. I got two huge bags of sweethearts Sweet tarts, two chocolate hearts; one was a Whitman Sampler the other was filled with Snickers, also a bag of Kisses with almonds, two boxes of Nerds, a Nerd Rope (for david), heart shaped Reese's and two little bags of the Cadburry mini eggs because they just put out Easter candy. I am ashamed. BUT anyone who knows me knows how long that will last, possibly till I am 30. You see I am a candy hoarder. Once I ate a box of Nerds 6 at a time, seriously it lasted forever. But it was a good deal right?

Ok, so I admit it, I like sweet and chocolate things. I can dream of only icecream, I can spend $11 on 50% off candy. I know it is sad, at least I admit it.

I've got a Valentine!

This came to my email with this simple question:

"Will you be my Valentine?"

Well Happy Valentine's Day people. Surround yourself with the people you love, no matter what your feelings are about this "holiday," any excuse to tell people you love them is a good one.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Santa has made his first appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which means

a. I can change out my fall door sign a little early for a holiday snowman.
b. We must watch for reindeer crossing the road.
c. I gotta get on that Holiday shopping.

We had already gottten a jump start on the Christmas decorating on the inside of our place with holiday smelly candles, Santa/snowman/reindeer nesting dolls, garland and a wreath above the fire place and a Santa hat on Kermit (he lives in the living room with us). So it already looked like Christmas here. It feels like Christmas outside cause it has definately made the shift to colder weather.

Another northern phenomenon is that it really gets dark early up here. I mean we all experience shorter days, but being so north it is rediculous. I think we are in the worst of it with something like only 6 hours of day light. It is dark till almost 7am and then no joke about 430 it is pitch black outside. Your tummy doesn't know when it is dinner time and your sleeper doesn't know when it is sleepy time. It is so dark out side that you will think it is bed time and look at your watch and say uh well it is only 6 even though it has been pitch black outside for hours. It is just wierd. So when they say Seattle is depressing because of the rain, they lie, it is because the sun never has a chance to come out.

But it isn't that bad. We did get to go to Monika's for Thanksgiving and it was good to be with famliy or at least my family on a holiday. And yesturday it was rainy and cold and extra dark because the sun never came out all day. So we didn't do a darn thing, which was ok with me. David has duty today so he is all alone on the boat and I am all alone here. But we finally have a little family. Abbey has done so well lately. She has been real cuddly with me and even lets David pet her like for five minutes straight. And she even touched him last night, of course it was to play and claw at his feet under a blanket but still she initiated contact. She hasn't quite gotten used to David while standing up, we think she believes there are two of them: the not so scary sitting down David and the terrifying talldavid.

We had a great holiday, I am going to be sad when David goes back to work and he can't hang out with me all day anymore. Why can't everyday be a holiday?

My Husband is a Thief

Yup the Navy has once again foiled our plans. They called David last night to tell him he needed to come into work. grrr. But that if he got there at 8 then he would only have to stay for a couple hours. So a couple hours has come and gone and they haven't even started working. So maybe another couple hours or maybe another 4. Who knows at this point.

So I am sitting around watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Which isn't a horrible way to spend the holiday. So to explain the title of this blog. I forgot to by a couple onions at the store. David is working unloading all the food for the boat. Yes lifting fifty pound bags of onions. So he is going to take payment for working on a holiday, payment by onions. Well, ok he is going to steal an onion but I think he deserves it. He isn't getting overtime or anything and they have ruined our plans. I will admit that it was my idea because by the time he gets back the grocery stores will be closed.

I just hope we can make our ferry and make it to our Thanksgiving dinner. And I hope everyone's holiday goes off without a hitch unlike ours. No worries though if we can't make it out to Sammamish then we will go over some friends' house whenever they let my husband lose.

Uh.. Lets try this again

I must admit that I was a tad hasty with shuffling of this week along. I was convinced that yesturday was Wednesday, even after David told me I still had trouble with it. I was dissapointed when my Wednesay show didn't come on. So my bad. Today is the day before Thanksgiving. Kinda disregard the last Thanksgiving themed post and pretend it came today and that this one came yesturday.

I can't believe that I forgot Tuesday because I have been anxious like a kid waiting for the last Real World episode. And it was good but sad cause it is going away. Who will I talk about now? Who will be my friends? Laguna is already done and now Real World Austin, which was the most eventful Real World of all time??? Network television you say? Pish Posh. Ooooo CSI, I can't become friends with them. And the only real TV shows these days are cop shows. Oh it is so sad.

But I have discovered this really funny show on Discovery about this guy Mike who goes around and does people's dirty jobs, it is called obviously Dirty Jobs. It is really funny, the host is a hoot. It comes on Tuesdays at 9/8c. Good times.

Kitty is doing well and slowly being sweeter and sweeter to David. I have started making David feed her, to bribe her. But it is working. She gets very excited when David comes home. We are not sure when she will get her kitty friend to play with because kitty season is almost over. (By that I mean there is a natural season when kittens are born for cough natural reasons cough) We are hoping there is one waiting for us at the right time. I just know Abbey will be happier with someone to rough and tumble with that isn't my hand, or should I say shredded hand from the crazy sharp nails. So be thinking about of future kitten, someone who can come join our Beatles naming scheme.

I too was trying to put out Christmas things but I realized how lacking I was in Christmas decor. Any ideas for a cheap transformation that will pack a big punch of christmas spirit???

So, eat lots of turkey TOMORROW. There that is right. But seriously Happy Thanksgiving!

Speaking of Birds...

Well, all that talk about scary birds and I forgot that birds will definatly the popular kids at school this week. Yummy. I love Thanksgiving. I used to think it was my favorite holiday but not being at Grammy's has brought it down to number two, behind Christmas. There is something to be said about a holiday where you eat foods that you don't eat any other time of the year. Even when you get trukey and dressing at restraunts it is never as good (except maybe Cleburne's). Oh and Grammy's stuffing, it just isn't Thanksgiving without it.

Many bloggers might be going through what they are thankful for and maybe I will give into that too, maybe. But to me Thanksgiving is about the food. We try and make Thanksgiving a time we reflect on the good things in our lives, but why do that just once a year? We have to suffer and wait for Grammy's strawberry jello salad, dressing and pie oh yummy pie, but why should we reserve our thankfulness for one day? I can give Grammy the year off but I guess it doesn't make sense to not be thankful everyday. Ok that is pushing it, I know that I am not cheeseball thankful EVERYDAY, but more than once a year.

Well, yes we can be thankful. Oh I am not saying lets forget that we should be thankful this day but maybe we should be thankful a little more often than we eat los turkey! Yummy!!! (Did you know that onomatopoeia is different across language lines? Oh yes. For instance, a turkey does not says "gobble gobble" in Spanish it says "gluglu". Yes it is true. Oh the factoids of a linguist.)

On a lighter note, I think we might actually get a real family thanksgiving. Yes David has to work, seriously the Navy doesn't believe in Holidays. But we may be able to make it to our aunt and uncle's by a late lunch/ supper meal... slunch if you will. So at least it won't be me and David eating little personal meals bought at the grocery store.

Also, me and David will be making it home for Christmas. Now that is the miracle. I am totally surprized that his leave went through and now we much hunt for plane tickets at the last minute. But yea! We get to come home to Houston, where my mother has promised me tamales, the tamales that the REST of the family gets a Thanksgiving.

As well as our happy holiday news, David made his rank yesturday, (got a promotion). We had been waiting 2 months since he took his test to see if he made it. He is no longer a Seaman but a Petty Officer. Sounds so important doesn't it? Well it isn't really. But we got to go and buy all new patches and pins for his uniforms. This is like really fun for them. Girls if you ever thought that guys don't get excited about shopping, these do. So we are all proud of David for passing his test, don't ask me what is on it I think it is secret, but it is hard is all.

Happy Eating Tomorrow! Yum Yum.

My Halloweenie

Well I have had the candy ready for a month, my scarecrow gaurding the front door for weeks, and the Halloween excitement brewing. But I was unfortunately dissapointed in my trick-or-treaters. First off I have to confess my trick-or-treating history.

I was not really a cute trick-or-treater. I always wanted to make my own costumes and I don't know how well it came off. One time I was an Olympic Runner, I was just wearing sweat pants and a sweat shirt. I think I tried to make a torch but ended up with a flashlight. I also must confess that I trick-or-treated well past the trick-or-treat age cut off. I was in 9th grade my last year. But in my defense I was going around with my friend Jennifer's young sisters.

So with that said, my trick-or-treaters were NUTS! First off they were old. Like maybe 5 kids were actually kids. The others were old, at least in high school. They were taller than me, which isn't hard but they were old. Also they were all dead people. Almost every single one of them was in all black with white face paint and black lip stick. So they were creepy, creepy. I was definately scared of these crazy kids. So when I was in high school even for like halloween parties girls want to look cute not gross. Maybe things have changed.

But the worst was when a girl asked for MORE candy!!! I was shocked. First off, um I love candy so I like to pass on that joy to others. I give big handfulls. Each kid got a Reeces or Kit Kat and Hershey's Mini Bar (the big kind not the miniatures) and several pieces of gum. Come on that is alot. But this kid thought she deserved more for putting on some white face paint. Pish Posh! I mean what is she Oliver for Halloween? It wasn't like breakfast gruel I gave her alot already. So I told the girl "NO!" and shut the door. Tisk tisk. I could not believe it. Well out of the goodness of my heart and the fun of the holiday I give out candy, I don't HAVE to and she asked for more. Well needless to say I was ticked.

How unfair that those kids ruined my fun! I wish I could have spent my night handing out candy to little kids who are excited and SAY THANK YOU! Nuts, those kids are nuts.