Thanksgiving, in Review

I didn't have time to update this blog in time for Thanksgiving, what with all our merry-making.  Here's a collage to summarize our week in Chicago:

As you can see, no fancy editing was done.  Mostly because I wanted to simply enjoy my vacation without working on ANYTHING.  And that's what happened.  We had a horrific travel day, but after that, our visit was idyllic.  We went downtown and I finally (after 23 years of living in Cook County and 5 years visiting) made it up the "Willis" Tower.  We had lunch with family at the Walnut Room in "Macy's," which was fantastic!  Notice how I keep putting certain words in quotes?  That's because they changed the names of those places against my wishes.  They really should consider me in their decision making.  We took Christmas card pictures and stuffed ourselves on Thanksgiving, and I even decorated gingerbread men,too.

This trip reminded me of many of the things I'm thankful for.  On Thanksgiving Day, we sat at the table, enjoying the bounty my mom had created.  We went around the tables (we cousins were still at the kid table but don't mind a bit) and said what we were thankful for.  The oft-repeated thing was family, and it's true.  I'm very blessed with a wonderful family.  My grandpa said it well, though when he said simply, "This.  I'm just thankful for this."  

This year, I have a husband, a puppy, a nice apartment, a job, clothes, good food, healthy familiy, salvation, good friends, and lots of things I don't need.  In addition to all that, God gave me a really special week with my family here in Chicago... probably to tide me over since I'll be spending my first Christmas away from them, ever.

Thanks be to God for all His many gifts!
xoxo, A

Where I Draw the Line

I love a bargain like the next girl.  Alright, I concede I may love a bargain more than maybe anybody.  I get a rush out of spending a little and getting a lot.  For example:  on Monday, I went to Walgreens, Publix, and Walmart, spent $30.28, got 24 items (including big-ticket items like Tyson pre-cooked chicken, Downy Unstoppables and 2 Sara Lee pies), and saved $40.  That means I paid just a little over $1 for each item.  Heck yes, coupons and BOGOs!

All that to say,  I stinking LOVE a bargain.  This has made Black Friday a must in my past.  However, I was never one of those who would stand in line for hours, just to get the first of three TVs for half off, or whatever, and risk literally being trampled to death.  But I do enjoy going out with my mom and grabbing some cool loot for a cooler price.  Last year was particularly fun, as we were getting lots of clothes for my NYC honeymoon!

I found last year that we found sometimes even better deals the day before Thanksgiving (since we weren't looking for that season's most popular toy or overpriced electronics anyway), and then went out at a reasonable hour of the morning (read: not when it was still the pitch-black of night) and caught some good Black Friday deals, too.

One year, I tried to do the 5 a.m. thing.  Turns out I had bronchitis and never fell asleep the night before anyway.  Hband (who was my boyfriend at the time) didn't think I should go.  So instead I lay on my couch, visions of cheap vacuums that I wouldn't own, dancing in my head.

One year, I did do the 5 a.m. thing... with my dad.  Mom had broken her leg, and Dad said he wasn't going to let me go out alone and get killed by the crazies (like a 55 year-old man would be any match for those crazy Moms like the lady on the Target commercials?!).  So Dad and I got up early and headed for Walmart.  Then I fell in the middle of the street, tore up my knee, gave my dad a near- heart attack, didn't even bother with the line, and headed over to Target where it was crowded, but I'll admit... kind of fun.  Until we had to get in line.  That's where a tag-team comes in handy.  I kept a place in line and he ran around to find the items we needed.  That year I was looking specifically for an electric toothbrush (stop judging me!).  I got it, after rebates, for like, $25.  WORTH IT. 

But I've determined I don't really want to ever do that again.  What does it say about me, really, if I want something, nay, think I need something so badly that I'll get up when all decent people are sleeping, worry myself sick that I won't get it, and fight back the crowds like the greedy little buzzard I am to get what I want?  Maybe you do it more gracefully than that, but essentially, that's the game. 

And now, retailers have let their greed ooze right past their moral strongholds of all that is good and family and tradition, and have completely passed right over Thanksgiving.  It's not bad enough that they start playing Christmas commercials, Christmas music, and putting up Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween has said goodbye... I've felt for a while now that they're just skipping over Thanksgiving, probably because it only makes money for grocery stores.  Now, they are starting their big sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening.  That means, if you want in early, you have to be lined up all throughout your Thanksgiving dinnertime, or run (maybe waddle?) right out after eating it.  Forget about family time.  Forget about tryptophan (how in the world is that spelled)-induced naps.  Forget about yelling at the TV during a football game or playing a wild round of spoons (no?  Just my family?).  I take umbrage to that.  Leave Thanksgiving alone, and keep your grubby little greedy hands out of my pockets until the next day, when all heck can break loose.

Anyway, I'm not planning on doing the early morning Black Friday thing ever.  I'll do my Wednesday before and my normal time of day on Friday, and the Cyber Monday.  Leave the early morning hours and the Thanksgiving Day shopping to someone else.  I will be enjoying my family, my turkey, and my sleep.  That's where I draw the line.

xoxo, A

Overwhelmed.

Today, I expected an easy day in my classes-- they had quizzes and tests to do, and for once I got all of my teacher-type work done early.  I expected to be able to either work ahead or kick back a bit.

Oh, that was not how today went at all. 

Today I came into work with very little stress.  Hband had generously let me end our date night at 9:30 when I fell asleep watching "30 Rock."  Yeah, that's how our date nights roll: Little Caesar's pizza that we later regret and what was supposed to be a "30 Rock" marathon.  It ended after I couldn't keep my eyes open during the second episode.  So I got almost 9 hours of sleep last night, which is what I get if I'm lucky on a weekend night.  So waking up was a pleasure.  Going to school with a chill, holding my hot chocolate was a delight.  Heck, even standing outside for twenty minutes because of "morning duty" had its charms.

And then, I had my 6th period journalism class.

This year, I was assigned to teach journalism.  Awesome-- I love journalism.  You know what I don't love?  Having to be the yearbook advisor, which is what journalism is short for, I guess.  I had no background in composing a yearbook.  I didn't do it in high school.  All I knew was that when my dad created it all by himself, he'd be sitting at the dining room table, giggling to himself as he swapped heads and wrote in voice balloons.  I was pretty sure that's not how we'd be composing the yearbook.  To top it off, I also had to jump-start a school newspaper.

After I got the hang of it, it started going OK.  We were in a groove.

Then came the tsunami.  Suddenly a deadline is upon us and the students aren't ready.  I'm not ready.  The stupid photographers aren't ready because they haven't sent us the portraits.  I lost some paperwork.  I have a hundred questions.  I'm the one taking pictures because no one else takes initiative and I don't want them to have a crappy yearbook.

So I'm overwhelmed.  What I'd really like to do is let them take control.  Let them steer this sinking boat straight to the bottom of the ocean.  But I feel like I can't let them do that, because not only am I not guaranteed they'd learn anything about responsibilities, deadlines, creativity, or hard work, but it would let all the 7th-12th grade students down.

Why are teachers paid so poorly, again?

xoxo, A

Cinnabon Love

Am I the only one who, growing up, used to wish her walls were made of a particular kind of food?  I am, aren't I?  Signs of a gluttony problem, you say?  Probably.  I used to wish my walls wee made of cheese, among other things.

Today, I realized I wish my walls were made out of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls.

Not just any cinnamon rolls.  None even come close to the indescribably luscious taste of a Cinnabon cinnamon roll.  Pillsbury?  Please.  Nice try, Dough Boy.

My mother-in-law got us some mini rolls from Burger King today.  The smell and taste were so familiar; they brought me back to the beginning of summer as a child, when my dad would take me to the mall for a Cinnabon.  Only I'd get a BIG one, and eat it ALL.  I remember one summer in particular when Dad wheeled me around in my wheelchair in the rain after I had broken my growth plate before the third grade.

What made my broken-ankle-summer better?  Starting it with a Cinnabon.

xoxo, A

Christmas Brunch Inspiration

I saw my first Christmas TV commercial two days before Halloween.  I heard Christmas music playing the Saturday after Halloween.  As excited as I always am for the holiday season, I am simply not ready for all that.

And in complete and utter opposition to that last statement, I've been thinking about this upcoming Christmas a lot.  This will be the first Christmas in my entire 28 years that I'll be spending away from my family I grew up with.  I phrase it that way because technically Florida is my home and Hband is my family.  But you know what I mean.  This is going to be rough.  But I have some plans to help me through it.

1.  Go around and look at Christmas lights and listen to Christmas music, perhaphs with Bestie Jr. & Co.
2.  Pick out a real, live Christmas tree with Hband and set it up together, complete with all my ornaments from my parents' house, and all of his, too.
3.  Traditional Christmas Eve seafood dinner at my in-laws.  They also open gifts on Christmas Eve.
4.  Christmas day brunch.  Technically my family has always done this, but not on purpose, and it was only ever just our immediate family.  This year, this is my way of trying to invest myself here during the holiday.  Here is my plan:

I will invite all family and friends in the vicinity, plus those within facebook reach who may have nowhere to go on Christmas.  We will feast like we've never feasted before.  We will sit in a veritable winter wonderland.

Along with coffee, hot chocolate, and fruit juice, here is the projected menu:

Pumpkin French Toast Bake

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Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

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Banana Bread Scones

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Quiche Lorraine

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Cinnamon Rolls

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Slow Cooker Oatmeal

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Bacon 

 

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Winter Fruit Salad

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Roasted Potatoes or maybe even SWEET POTATOES!!

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Baked Egg Boats

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Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

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Spinach and Cheese Strata

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We will view this:

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We will look at these:

I think I will write the menu on mine.
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I'm going to spray paint tin cans with rose gold, gold, and silver paint and fill them with white poinsettias!
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And we may have one of these:

Hot chocolate bar!!
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These aren't necessarily links to recipes.  I'm going to try to make all of these, so if I have some real winners, I'll come back and add the recipes.  So if you're going to be in my neck of the woods on Christmas day, please pop by to taste and see that this smorgasbord is good!

xoxo, A

How I Voted Twice but Never Really Voted at All:

This was my third election that I've had the privelege to participate in.  I am 28, so the first election I voted in was Bush v. Kerry.  You know, the infamous "hanging chad" election.  Except I wasn't in Florida at the time-- I was living in the dorms at Moody as a junior. (Edit: Bestie Jr.'s husband reminded me that was the election BEFORE Bush v. Kerry.  Oops.  They all run together, apparently.)

I had an absentee ballot from my hometown of Midlothian, Illinois.  I was voting for Bush (not that it mattered in Illinois anyway), and super excited to vote for the first time.  I filled out everything on my ballot, put it in the "privacy sleeve" (what a joke) and envelope, signed and dated it, and put it in my bag to mail.

*****

In my whole life, I've only really had two things stolen from me: once, I left my small white purse in the band room in high school.  My Christian high school.  It was gone and I lost my favorite lip gloss and eye shadow.  Waaaaah.  And then I had my bag stolen from outside the SDR (student dining room) at Moody.  The day I had my ballot inside.

Yeah... it just so happens that that was the beginning of a string of thefts at Moody, all from kids that Moody students would bring in from Cabrini Green (read: ghetto).  The video surveillance showed a little kid stealing my bag from among dozens.  Maybe she liked the pattern?  Who knows.

All I know is I lost my dog-eared and marked-up copy of Jane Eyre, my class notes, my new cell phone (my first cell phone), my R.A. binder (later returned by a man who called himself "Prince Ali Ababua."),.... and my ballot.

I didn't really know what to do about that.  I was pretty sure this theif wasn't going to mail my ballot for me.  So on election day, I went down to the local voting location and voted in person. 

Later I found out it didn't count. :(

Good thing it all turned out in the end... but man, what a bummer on your first election!  Since then, I vote by mail and turn it in just a couple days before the actual election.  Way less stressful, and I don't even have to pay for stamps.

And we all know we have to guard our stamp money, what with the economy taking a nosedive and all.... ;)

xoxo, A

On Voting... Like Everyone Else

Everyone is writing about voting.  Everyone.  Everywhere.  I swear, I heard my neice say "Obama."  OK, maybe that was baby talk, but still.  Everyone.  Everywhere.  My facebook, TV, blogs I follow-- everything is and has been about the election for about three months now. 

Thank God it is over (hopefully) today.

I have deliberately stayed pretty silent on all things political, unlike the last election.  Four years ago, I was involved in the Greater Pinellas Young Republicans, a group that has since dissolved into something else and I just sort of eased out of it.  I voted for John McCain, and I didn't care who knew.  I told everyone on facebook why they should do the same.  This year, I think I "liked" Paul Ryan on facebook and that was the extent of my political voice to the masses this time around.

Why?

Because I don't know about you, but I have never, ever been swayed by anything anyone has posted on their facebook/twitter/blog.  I have never, ever been swayed by a political ad.  So those who rant and rave against one option and glorify another are essentially wasting their breath unless they also post informative, non-biased facts, statistics, etc.  In fact, those are the only things I find helpful (and sometimes not even then).  I understand why they do it-- we all want sounding boards while we're up on our soap boxes.  Oh do I ever have soap boxes.  But at this point, when everyone is so fed up with political ads and all the hooplah, I kind of figure that my soap box will be simply pushed away like everyone else's.  So I don't waste my breath anymore.  Instead, I discuss it with others in person, which is, I believe, the only way people are ever really swayed.  And by "others," I don't mean strangers.  I mean people I know.  Because another annoyance is having strangers who know nothing of your life tell you who you should vote for.

I'm not at all apathetic.  I have very strong convictions.  I'm just sick of hearing everyone's all at once, and I know you are too.  But I voted, and I'm very thankful for that opportunity.  There was a time when women weren't allowed to; I'm very glad that has changed. 

This election wasn't easy, however.  Here come my convictions:

I have tremendous respect for President Obama.  He has filled his role with dignity, and that is something I appreciate across party lines.  However, I personally don't agree with what he thinks will improve our economy, I think he lacks experience, I think he hasn't fulfilled his promises, and I disagree with his stance on abortion.  I'm not a huge fan of Mitt Romney as a person.  I think he's hidden some potentially shady business deals, etc, and that doesn't smack of integrity to me.  Yet, he isn't a believer in Jesus Christ, so I can't expect him to act like one.  I do think he would have integrity in office, however, because it helps to have the accountability of a Cabinet.  I think he can handle money well and will turn our economy around, and I believe he will do his best to try to preserve unborn lives.  I'm not wild about either candidate, but not voting is the coward's way out.  I voted for Mitt Romney, not because I love him; not because I think Obama is terrible, but because he aligns more with the idea of less governmental control over my life, and more importantly, he aligns with what I believe is one of the biggest issues of our time, that God will judge people for: abortion. 

I cannot, in good conscience, vote for someone who doesn't have a problem with killing unborn babies.  I will admit a problem though-- I don't understand how someone could be against abortion except in cases of rape and incest.  In those cases, does the baby cease to be a baby?  Certainly not.  The fact of the matter is, yes, it is a woman's body, but not hers alone.  It is also the body of a baby that cannot speak up for itself.  Abortion is the largest case of genocide, and it is continuing, unchecked.  Again, I simply cannot vote for a leader who would support the murder of unborn children.

So that's who I voted for, and why, and why I haven't been in your face about it.  You can certainly disagree with me, as this is America.  Ultimately, I know God is my King and in control-- no human leader will ever mess up his plans, and for that, I am truly thankful.

xoxo, A

My Husband, the Gamer

I may have just stood in the tamest gamer line ever.  I lined up for a ticket for Hband to come back later and claim his special edition of "Halo 4."  There were a gaggle of really nerdy maybe nineteen year olds ahead of me, complete with some kind of glowy mask that played "Halo" music.  There were two grumpy twentysomethings behind me who made cracks about everyone.  And at the beginning of the line were some old people there for their children, sitting in chairs as if they were going the be there all night.  We're talking like, 45 minutes, people.

At any rate, it got me thinking about one thing I am very thankful for.

Hband has a lot of self control when it comes to gaming.  I know how much he really loves it, and also how much he used to play.  And I know that part of the reason he doesn't play as much now is simply that he doesn't have time.  But I am beyond thankful that my husband chooses to spend time with me or time in ministry rather than allow games to suck the life out of him.

If you think I'm being dramatic about the pull of video games, I'm not.  I've experienced first-hand elsewhere how one can allow gaming to overtake their reality, and therefore miss out on all the important things in life in favor of a game.  It can destroy relationships and lives.

But Hband doesn't let that happen.  That's why I was so happy to stand in line for him today, and why I hope he'll take an entire Saturday and enjoy his game.  He deserves it.  I only wish I was good enough to play with him.  But apparently I lack the fine motor skills that "Halo" requires.

Happy gaming!
xoxo, A

Dumb yet Awesome Stuff I Did in College

A couple weeks ago, Hband and I were in the car, and he said this: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not as fun as I used to be."

Now, I think Hband is still a really fun guy.  I mean, he uses a silly voice for our dog, and that's pretty fun.  Even if he denies that he does it.  He does it.  Are you reading this, Hband?  I'm calling you out.  Regardless, I responded, "You're not less fun; you're just growing up."

I've already realized I'm less fun than when I was in college.  Don't forget, I'm a whopping 4 years older than Hband.  Four years, one month, and three days.  He's now beginning to comprehend that post-college means post-fun.  Not really, but kind of.

Last week, Bestie Jr. and I were driving home from a sister date, on which we saw Pitch Perfect (yes, it was very good!).  On the way home, we cackled about all the dumb yet somehow awesome stuff we did in college.  It was all so fun.  Then I spilled my water all over myself as I was driving and we laughed until we were silent.  You know why?  Because even post-college, we're still fun. :)

The dumb yet awesome stuff we did in college includes but is not limited to this list:

1.  Rolling our upper lip over our teeth and slumping against the wall in the hall of our floor, pretending we died that way, with our eyes open.  We wanted to see how long it would take for people to notice/laugh/prod us.  Only one person even acknowledged us.  But we loved it.

2.  Sledding down a tiny hill next to train tracks in downtown Chicago... on garbage bags.

3.  Pretending to get beaten up by Bestie while we were roommates, just to see who would come by, alarmed.  No one ever did.  They knew better.

4.  Knocking over a red candle that was sitting on a candle warmer... and having your room look like a murder scene.  Then posing like dead bodies for pictures.

5.  Pretending to be conjoined twins by sharing a shirt and tying our legs together.

6.  Creating an a cappella bluegrass band that played the air fiddle, air banjo, and the "vocalizer."  We specialized in singing "Happy Birthday" to students, sometimes in the dining room (SDR).

7.  Having an all-day Bro-Sis outing, during which we visited four museums, I think, and then when to Chinatown.  I also left my video camera in the Planetarium and had an athsma attack, all on the same day.

8.  Dragging Bestie down the hall on a blanket in the middle of the night.

9.  Creating valentines for our brother floor that went something like this:
Majestic
Illustrious
Kid-friendly
Ever-present.

10.  Having a bro-sis overnight at Inner-City Impact, where we made a horror movie in the middle of the night.

11.  Walking to Jewel in the hood at 10 p.m. in the cold, just to get break-and-bakes to aide our studying.

That's not the half of it, and pretty tame compared to others.  But for me, those were dumb, awesome, fun days.  But today is pretty fun too-- just maybe less dumb. :)

xoxo, A

Go-To

Do you have your "go-to"s?  You know, your never fail, trusty, first thing on your mind in any given situation?  Here are some of mine:

Go-to song to sing if one is stuck in my head: "Yesterday" by the Beatles.  Hband prefers some kind of weird and stupid song he found on YouTube comparing dog and God.  I HATE IT.  I also don't know how he has memorized it so quickly.  I know one day our children will hate it too.

Go-to outfit: anything with a cardigan.  Cardigans make everything better and make my muffin-top less visible.

Go-to meal: chicken in the crock pot with roasted or smashed and roasted potatoes.  Can't lose.  But if we're talking quick meal, that would be quesadillas.  Hband said he'd eat them anytime, ever, forever.

Go-to saying: I know it's bad, and I never mean it, but I often respond to Hband with an insincere "You're stupid."  It always makes us laugh.  Also, I say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" a lot when I'm frustrated in traffic, under my breath, or when I'm venting loudly-- a.k.a. "yelling."

Go-to Bible verse:  this is not trite, and not because it's one of those easy verses you memorized when you were seven, so when someone asks your favorite Bible verse you spout out whatever you have memorized, like "Jesus wept."  No-- these are my life verses, chosen during the most difficult struggle of my life thus far (singleness), and I imagine will carry me through every other challenge in my life: Psalm 27:13-14. 

Go-to feel-good song: anything from "Glee" that I can belt out, loudly.  Or "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls.  Stop judging me-- I grew up in the 90s.

Go-to feel-good movie: "You've Got Mail," "The Wedding Singer," or "While You Were Sleeping."  They make me feel all warm inside.

Go-to TV show: somehow I always end up watching "Bridezillas," or some sort of creepy "Snapped" type show about people who go crazy and kill other people.  I don't know why I watch those shows!  They're awful!!

Go-to hairdo: when I had long hair, it was the messy bun (God bless the genius that made that hairstyle fashionable!).  These days, it's a ponytail stub.

Go-to takeout: Subway.  we used to get these coupons that basically gave us two meals for like, $6, plus we'd get a free cookie with each survey we did on every receipt, so I think we were robbing them blind.  We don't get those coupons anymore.  But we still enjoy ourselves some bland ol' Subway!

Go-to mood-improver: shopping.  I don't really have money anymore (when I got married, my disposable income disappeared along with my ability to control my food intake), but going shopping still lifts my spirits.  I love to browse Target or HomeGoods like I actually have the means to take something home.

Go-to time-waster: duh.  Pinterest!  I literally spend hours there.  Not that it's all wasted time.  Sometimes I actually get good ideas that I use later.  But let's be honest.  Mostly I just look at pretty homes and lovely clothes, and laugh at stupid memes.

Go-to nickname for Hband: "darling."  It makes me feel like Laura Petrie and so old school.

Go-to date idea: takeout and a night in, watching whatever TV show we're currently viewing.  Right now it's the miniseries "Rome."

Go-to story to tell: Mike's completely crazy and utterly creepy college roommate.  Anytime a funny story needs to be told, this one shines!

I'm sure I have more.  These make me look super lame/boring, don't they?  What are your "go-to"s?

xoxo, A

I Don't Like It

Have you ever wanted to NOT like something just because everyone else DOES like it?  I have.  And I don't think that makes me a hippie or a hipster, because it's not that I take pleasure in being counter-culture-- it's just that sometimes, I find mass adoration of things annoying.  The most prominet examples of this are two wildly popular book series: Harry Potter  and Twilight.

Please don't hate me.

See, I gave Twilight the old college try.  My jr. high discipleship girls were reading the books, and I wanted to be "in the know," as they say (just kidding; no one says that), so I read the first one.  Aside from the poor writing, Bella was a really terrible excuse for a girl.  She was moody, clingy, and needy.  And she's OK with a freaking vampire watching her sleep.  I didn't finish the next book.  I. just. couldn't.  I even gave the first movie a try.  I laughed out loud literally the whole time.  Calm down, we rented it, so I didn't disturb the pre-pubescent girls and creepy cougarliscious women in the theaters.  But seriously.  I couldn't handle it.

I never read Harry Potter, though I've heard they're well-written and well-developed.  But somehow, the enormity of the books' subculture turned me off.  I don't know why-- it's not that I have a moral objection to reading about the supernatural.  I mean really-- my favorite shows of the moment are "Supernatural" and "The Walking Dead."  But I did allow myself to watch the movie.  It wasn't horrible, like Twilight, but I'll be honest: I was bored.  It seemed like just another movie about magic, without anything exceptional to boast about.  Plus the guy with no nose was really starting to creep me out.

Another confession: I never finished The Hunger Games trilogy.  *gasp*!!!!  I really did like the first book, though I'll admit it didn't suck me in as much as everyone warned me it would, and I'm a voracious reader.  I've yet to see the movie, but I'm looking forward to it.

It's just some sort of weird aversion I have to the obsessions people get with pop culture.  I like pop culture as much as the next girl; I watch E! occasionally and I really love to hunker down under the covers with a new People magazine, but when people start tattooing a lightning bolt on their foreheads and wearing fake fangs, I kind of want to run, and run fast.  In the other direction. 

I dislike reality TV, too.  But don't tell anyone that I watch "Bridezillas."

xoxo, A