I WAS SEVENTH!

Although many of you probably have seen this already, I love this video. A little snippet of the mysterious racing world.

Click here to see.

I was seventh before this post, now I'm not.

Oh, the pressure

OK, so a fellow blogger recently redesigned his blog. The list of blogs he reads used to be in alphabetical order. I was midway down, as it went by first names. The new design lists the blogs with the most recent updates first.
That means that if you're busy, overtaxed or just plain not feeling creative, you'll slip down the list. Why I've even noticed this, I'm not sure, but I can tell you I now feel this pressure to write more. I'm guessing that was the idea.

New Year's Eve

I've always thought that New Year's Eve was a bit overrated. Don't get me wrong, I've had some really nice New Year's (including this year) but on the whole, not a huge holiday for me.

There was one, many, many years ago (before I met my husband) which was shaping up to be quite interesting. The interesting factor ended quite abruptly with the consumption of too much champagne. I learned my lesson. No champagne this year at all.

One of my BEST New Year's was at my friend's house when we lived in California. We had a seafood extravaganza in her beautiful home. It was a really lovely evening with good food, friends and merriment.

It seems, though, that as we were watching the Tar Heels play last night right until just after the clock struck midnight, our great evening could have been on any date, not just December 31st. I guess it just goes to show you that good food, drink and great friends can happen any day of the year. We don't need no stinkin' holiday for that.

Poem

Here is a poem I love. Written by a 9 year old.

Snow

Snow is in the air,
It tickles my tongue,
Now there is sun and
I am done.

Snow slowly starts
melting away.
What bliss it was
to be carried astray
in snow.

-AB, age 9

I ask as people are running around in shorts on this 70 degree day, is it too much to ask for a little snow?

The Family Guy Christmas

Ok, my husband loves the show The Family Guy. Watches it all the time. Much like I used to watch Sex and the City all the time.
Anyway, the show is starting to grow on me. I saw an episode the other day that pretty much summed up the Christmas experience for moms, to a certain extent.
Basically, Christmas is total chaos. The dad accidentally gives away all the Christmas gifts and there is a major accident involving the dog, Brian, the oven and the fire extinguisher. Lois, the mom, retains her calm demeanor throughout until she tries to clean up the mess. Her daughter mentions they are out of paper towels. Lois goes off the deep end. She yells something along the lines of "YOU THINK THIS CHRISTMAS SPIRIT JUST HAPPENS???? I WORK SO HARD IT COMES OUT OF MY BUTT!!!" Then she runs off, takes the star off the tree in the town square, and gets shot with a tranquilizer gun.
All I can say is, I hear ya Lois. I feel for you Lois.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving for me always means family, friends, cooking, cold weather and lots of food. A not-so-common tradition that began with my sister is to eat cold pumpkin pie the morning after Thanksgiving for breakfast. Even if it sounds strange, it is truly delicious.

For the first time this year, I celebrated Thanksgiving while on vacation in a hotel. I have never even had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, much less at a hotel in a tropical climate. I worried about this for quite some time and even thought I'd have to cook a full-on Thanksgiving dinner upon my return home. I have to say, though, once we were seated oceanside and I ordered a maitai, I was OK with it. Really, I was.

The other day I happened to make pumpkin pie sans the crust. I got home from my run this morning and was looking for breakfast. I suddenly remembered my strange tradition and had the tastiest breakfast. Yum. For those who doubt, don't knock it until you try it!

Holiday Craziness

As I begin, (yes, begin...we were traveling over Thanksgiving therefore I am now just BEGINNING) my holiday shopping, I wonder how it will all get done. I also wonder when the stress will really kick in. So far, I've only ordered stuff online. I'm already a little overwhelmed and I haven't physically gone anywhere to shop yet.

Each year I take on too much...too much shopping, baking, decorating, preparing and socializing. It's my way, as I love this time of year and I value our family traditions. I also love sharing this time with family and friends.

The desire to make it all happens stems from many things, not the least of which was the year my daughter didn't get what she wanted for Christmas. I can still recall the disappointment in her voice, and it has been YEARS. Painful, it was. She got the item the next year, but I'm still reeling from the incident.

I'm sure other parents out there feel the same pressure, especially in a financial crunch time. I guess we need to focus on the spirit of the season, not the craziness that goes with it. Despite that, I'll still end up making at least 14 batches of spritz cookies. My family and friends will undoubtedly be happy ;)