Serenity, Now!

Blissfully, we are back from our Thanksgiving folly. Driving 1000 miles round trip with a very active infant is not my idea of fun..I was skeptical up until the last minute. The Pumpkin was a champ, though, and despite having to listen to Laurie Berkner and Raffi more times than I care to, it was a delight to travel with her. I am impressed at my ever expanding repetoire of skills... feed an infant organic peas at 80 mph without spilling ? Check. Change a diaper on my lap so as to avoid the dreaded public restroom? Check. The best part is we got home a day early. For myriad reasons too complex to list, DH decided we were leaving behind the relative drama, crappy weather and lumpy beds to come home. Even though we had to drive like bats out of hell at all hours to do it, it was bliss to awaken in our own beds.Next year I vote to veto the stranger relatives and relative strangers to a more peaceful holiday at home!

Work it, Girl!

I am always amazed at how the Pumpkin knows how to turn on the charm when needed. Case in point.. today we went to notarize our wills. Unfortunately, our bank no longer does that but the lady was so entranced with the P that she offered to see if the title company accross the way would. Even though Pumpkin had just woken up from her nap, she instantly turned on the charm and had all the people in office enamored of her- so much so that they happily notarized for free 4 documents for us!
I think I might start taking her on sales calls... :)

I'm Thankful For My Friends...

You know, it's always amazing to me how people that were meant to be just sort of gravitate towards each other. Having moved around a lot and had many jobs over the years, I've amassed many friends and aquaintances, but there is a core group that prevails. These are the friends that stay true even though you may not see each other for years, or the friends that totally understand if you fall off the face of the earth for a while yet gleefully welcome you back into the fold when you resurface.
One of these wonderful friends of mine, MCM is one of those people. We met in 1987 which was the start of our senior year of high school in Virginia. Both of us were new to the school that year, and equally miserable. I had just moved from New England, and she from Puerto Rico, and we felt like fish out of water in this huge school that was full of randmomness.. chicks named Muffett who drove Volvos and played lacrosse, morning announcements done by a guy named Silky C in rap, and senators kids mixed with kids from the hood.. a truly motley assortment of humanity.
We both noticed each other as we spent our lunch hours poring over college catalogs in the guidance counselor's office plotting our get away. I remember being in awe of her ability to accesorize.. she had this FAB big gold purse that was such a wonderful contrast to the preppiness and hood fashion of the day. Gradually, we became friends and her friendship MADE that year bearable. She introduced me to the joys of hair metal bands, and we spent hours fantasizing about Bon Jovi and working crappy jobs to make money to go to rock concerts. MCM even came west with me to California and we started school together as room mates at UCSB. We had all sorts of wonderful, crazy adventures in Hollywood and beyond before she headed back to FL to be with family. She is truly a talented, wonderful person who keeps it real and slays me with her wit. I got this great email from her re: my blog and this turn of phrase at the end of her message just cracked me up..
P.S. I did not know what the hell a Gymboree was for the longest time. The moms would mention it and I went along with it. But I wondered, is it a church activity for toddlers, does it involve tamborees and singing in a gym? Finally figured out, particularly after being invited to a 4 year old's birthday party at one the joints...ack.

This is why I love my friends.

Christmas ..12:00.. Warp Speed

Let me preface this by saying I really am not a Grinch. I love the holidays-maybe even more than most as evidenced by the fact that I own just about every Christmas CD known to man, and I have enough decorations to easily fill 2 trees and multiple color schemes. My darling husband even put on holiday music today and it sounded great.. it's a gloomy day and it feels like the perfect launch into Thanksgiving week.
Anyhoooo, in a moment of peace between the Pumpkin laying down and the next task that beckoned, Idecided to do a quick fridge purge. How does this tie into the holidays, you ask?
Well, my way of making room in the fridge is taking food that is marginal but still edible and tossing it over the back deck for the critters. Living out in the country on a hillside, there's deer, raccoons, coyotes and turkeys that all like to stroll through our yard down below so it's a good bet it's going to get eaten. Everybody wins.. I clean my fridge and don't feel guilty for letting another perfectly good bunch of arugula wilt, and the critters eat food as opposed to neighborhood cats. However, I am a klutz as evidenced today when I accidentally lost the Tupperware with the strawberries I was donating to nature. As I was starting back up the outside stairs I did a double take.. on two lawns I saw big, giant inflatable Santas, along with my neighbor standing on his roof like Clark Griswold putting up his lights. Dude, I am all for the holiday spirit but it's not even freaking Thanksgiving yet! Let us enjoy our cornucopias, turkeys and ornamental squash a wee bit longer before trying to race us into the next holiday. I guess the stores that have been pushing Christmas on us since August are finally making people drink the kool-aid. Sad, because these are usually the same people that ruthlessly cast their trees out on Dec 26.
Having spent much of my childhood in Europe I guess that had an impact on me. There, the holidays were less about consumerism and more about the gentle beauty of the season. Christmas Eve was the big kickoff to twelve days of celebrating, culminating on January 6 with the eating of the King's Cake.
I have certainly adapted to life in the US, and I'll be eagerly trimming our tree shortly after Thanksgiving. Until then, I will proudly display my harvest decorations and nurture my mums until I transplant them in favor of pointsettias.
There's my rant.:)

Kung Fu Fighting

Don't even ask about the title.. just a random thought that popped in my head. I guess it describes how I feel I get through the days. Do you ever feel like you're in a video game? It may sound demented but that's how I often feel.

I imagine myself like this little icon cruising through a Ms.Pac Man like screen ( clearly, you can see how uncool I am that I have no context of what today's Wii and Playstation games look like) with things jumping out to get me... Crying baby with diaper full of poo! Change her and move on.. check. Husband with random science idea as to how to save the world and make money at the same time!... listen, nod, mumble something encouraging.. move on.. check. Whining cat ( yes, I have cats that whine and seemingly yell) that needs petting/food/to be played with.. Repeat afore mentioned sequence (twice)and move on... check. Work crisis that needs resolution, STAT! Confer with team, execute, move on.. check!

Such are the days of my life. I am always moving at hyper speed.. slowing down is an issue. I worry sometimes that since I am so used to shoveling food in fast and furiously before the Pumpkin squawks that I'll forget how to eat like a normal person and will eat with such dubious manners or lack thereof at a business dinner.

You know what though? Such is life. Sleep and peace are for pansies. As my buddy Bruce says,
"Soldier up!". That's what I'm going to do.
Meanwhile, I'm off to fortify with a cup of Joe... or two or three.
Have a good one!

Random Musings

The Pumpkin has finally laid her sweet head down in slumber.. ah, bliss. That child had so much energy today. Trying to change her diaper was like wrestling a slippery eel! Lucky for her, she's so cute.

So.. I went to the doctor today to get my TDAP vaccine.. Tetnus, Diptheria and Pertussis. Apparently the latter has reared it's ugly head and so they are urging the herd to get pricked against it's nastiness. Anyway, I'm sitting there in the waiting room - for a long time it's just me and a wide expanse of chairs. What kills me is that as people start trickling in, they chose to sit RIGHT NEXT TO ME. I mean, seriously, there are like 45 other chairs and they had to sit next to me. What's up with that?! Mind you, this happened not just once but 3 times. I know this because I sat there for what seemed like an eternity- I guess nurse visits don't have the same priority as Doctor's visits, so I got to wait and watch all sorts of teeming humanity come in. I wished I'd had a biohazard suit or at the very least a Purel shower. :)

Needless to say, I felt not a thing- guess my arm is still numb from the flu shot I got the other day.. I am on a roll ! I did feel a bit woozy reading all the potential side effects ( of course, they hand you this AFTER you've had the shot)- it's like one of those ads on tv for drugs where the possible effects sound way worse than the actual disease.. gas with oily discharge? Nausea? Confusion? Sleeplessness? What happens then? Do you take another pill for that?!

Anyway, I am now innoculated to the gills.. ready to brave the germ tubes of airplanes I'll be on all next month, and also against whatever funk the in laws bring to Thanksgiving. I'm always a bit wary after my sister in law brought her visibly ill child a few years back.. poor little thing was pale and miserable and ended up hurling everywhere. Nice. I'm all for family togetherness but a little judgement and consideration is a good thing. I put her in the same class as random strangers in the supermarket that try to put there germy hands all over my infants hands that clearly are going in her mouth.

I'm starting to sound like a ranting Michael Jackson germaphobe lunatic so I'll drag my cranky self off to bed. Peace out.

Things I am Loving Right Now

1) Jancee Dunn's books: I found a sympatico voice in her writing! I love that she is conflicted between being a rocker chick and a little old lady who loves her pjs and old movies.. that is so me! Read her. She will make you laugh and you'll want to be her best friend as you cheer her on.

2) Jello Molds: Retro, wonderful odd concoctions. I got a great recipe for one the other day called Orange Salad.. not because of the fruit, but the color. Cheddar cheese topping and Jello? Youbetcha.

3) Starbuck's Thanksgiving Blend: Caffeine. Spicy. Good.

4) Seeing my daughter's little butt and legs in pants: I know it sounds weird but it's so cute to see her looking all sassy and grownup in her jeans

5) The spiraling economy: Again, I know it sounds weird and it sucks but at the same time I think it's a good resetting of people's expectations. Everyone has bigger cars, bigger houses and bigger bling ... we just all consume, consume, consume. I'm all for people, myself included, scaling back and appreciating the simpler things

6)www.retailmenot.com: Discount codes galore. In the immortal words of my friend Speedy, "Only schmucks pay retail"

Slacker

Well, clearly I have not been diligent about updating the blog.. could it be that life has gotten in the way?
Since my last post, I've had 2 trips out West, 2 military balls to attend, and survived my daughter's first Halloween. The latter is the most interesting, believe it or not. I dressed the little one up as a Pumpkin- appropos, given that we call her Pumpkin. Needless to say, she was not pleased with her costume but begrudgingly sumbmitted. Determined to make some showing in the neighborhood since I believe they all think we are antisocial since we don't hang out with any of them, I trudged my little Pumpkin up to the neighborhood hayride bearing my contribution to the party I would not stay at. The invite said that all adults should get in the spirit and wear a Halloween item. Being the rule follower that I am, I went all out and dressed as a glam witch. Clearly, no one else follows rules since I was the ONLY one in costume. Nice. All the other mommies were in their hip, svelte jeans ( do these women not eat or work out 24-7?!) and gave me " Aww, how cute" looks in that slightly patronizing way the uber mommy set has. Ah well, I wore my sass with pride and happily escaped home when they started the hayride. (God forbid the kiddies should have to WALK to treak or treat!) There. I've done my socializing bit for the quarter. ;o)

Meanwhile, all the projects I've intended to do prior to the holidays like finally unpacking my office ( on the docket since I got my new furniture 6 months ago) and finally setting up the playroom upstairs still languish. I am in denial that the holidays are nearly upon us, but still look forward to them as for once we are not traveling and a lot of my family will be here- staying in their own casas now that many of them live here. It's ideal! I still dream of hosting some fabulous shindigs but then I think about all the work involved and push that thought further back. :)

Work beckons.. must go and support the baby's Pamper habit and my shoe habit.