The Dog Ate My Homework

No really, that's what happened to my post from yesterday, it had nothing to do with the fact that I apparently forgot to hit the post button. I'd go a head an post it except I'm afraid of the the NaBloPoMo police - you never know when they might catch you cheating.

In other news, my New Year's Day was spent as many Americans prefer to spend it - slightly hung-over, watching the Rose Parade and a lot of football. I even went to bed at 9pm (that might have had something to do with being up til 3am the night before) - all things considered it was a restful day, just the way to start the New Year.

Today I spent ALL day cleaning our photos - tossing a bunch of really bad ones, getting other ones sorted for scrapbooking and organizing all the negatives, cds and film cartridges. Even though it really did take me way longer than I had hoped it feels really god to have it done. Of course since I didn't finish my task till late I didn't help Scott with his (ripping up the carpet downstairs), so he pretty much didn't get anything done.

Oh, did I forget to tell you? Our basement flooded. Yep, Sunday night our little river turned into a ginormous river and decided to find it's way into our basement. Happily we were able to get most everything out or up high enough, so all we lost was the carpet. But if it hadn't been for the help of an awesome friend and the young and burly Firemen that came over with tons of sand bags it would have been much worse. Yeah, 2008 ROCKED - so I'm very, very glad to see the back of that year.

Even though I've already failed on the whole NaBloPoMo thing, I am trying for another picture a day this year. I really enjoyed it last year, so I decided to have another go at it - in fact I've recruited my sister, a friend and her daughter (and possibly one other friend). Come to think of it, I need to get a finder's fee or something.

That's enough randomness for now, but just because I goofed up yesterday doesn't mean I won't try to do the rest of the month - just think of it as NaBloPoMo minus one.

Current Music: Blame it on the Bosa Nova - Edie Gorme (hey, I could blame my missed post on that too)

Girl's night

I gotta go...

Current Music: Teenage Wasteland - The Who

Cheers!

Cheers to being home and sleeping in my own bed! Cheers to the peace and quiet that we are currently enjoying. Ah so many things to be happy about.

Sadly, Scott is not one of those things - he is in the middle of fretting about this evening's festivities. "It's too expensive, I don't have anything to wear, I don't know half the people" - sometimes he whines more than a girl - jeesh! We're off to dinner soon and then we're heading over to J&M's for hot tubbing, and ringing in the new year. Not sure how many are joining us, but it's quite a few - still should be fun.

Have I mentioned that I've never gone out for new years before? So, I'm not going to let him whine his way out - we're dressing up and we're going out and we're going to have fun! I'm not letting him or the impending winter storm ruin it.

Holidalies is just one short day away, so I'll be blogging hungover tomorrow - expect it to be short and maybe a bit garbled.

Cheers to one and all - wishing you all a happy and safe New Year's celebration!

Current Music: End of the World Party - Medeski, Martin & Wood

Why Hannukah Rocks

So yesterday I was feeling all sentimental and got wrapped up in our family traditions, and I forgot to say how fun Hanukkah is! So here are eight reasons (get it, eight nights?):

1. Playing Dreidel - though we never actually play, we just eat the candy. Whoever eats the most candy wins! I used to put out the traditional "gelt" but now I get more adult and put out truffles or something.

2. Decorating - I decorate for Christmas, but if I only did Hanukkah it would be 2 minutes of getting stuff together and that's it. Well I supposed I'd still do the icicle lights on the outside of the house.

3. Presents - "Eight Crazy Nights" as Adam Sandler says - that's right eight nights of presents! We usually set a budget and sometimes blow it on all on one gift or spread it out. Now we have one rule - there have to be eight nights of presents, even if you blew you budget on a couple of items (so I usually get a couple really good presents and a lot of candy - works for me!).

4. Latkes - There's nothing like 'em! We make them a couple of times during Hanukkah. I supposed that I should make them more often than one week a year, but my laziness seems to make them that much more special.

5. Timing - The date for Hanukkah is based on the Jewish calendar, so it's a bit of a moving target, but usually it is earlier than Christmas, so I get all of Scott's shopping done, then once it's done I get started really worrying about every one's Christmas presents.

6. The spelling - You just can't get it wrong (or right). There are at least three different ways to spell it, and a lot of people don't even know how to spell it, so I'm never wrong!

7. Sunset - That's when you're supposed to light the candles. So I get a get out of jail free card to leave work a bit early so I can get home to celebrate.

8. Eight Nights - I love that we get to be a family eight nights in a row - without all the stress of the single night of family celebration (don't get me wrong, I do love Christmas, but it's way higher on the stress scale).

Current Music: The Hanukkah Song - Adam Sandler

HRH

I know that you are intrigued by me, so I thought I'd give you just another little tidbit of info about me ('cause you know, I never share!).

My real name is:

Marchioness Mandy Lou the Lush of London by the Bow

Now you all can just call me Mandy Lou, it's all right, we're all friends here - but if you met me on the street it's best to use my full title.

If you want to find your true title, you can find it here.

Current Music: London Bridge - Fergie

(I sooooo need to have November be over!)

I'm here!

I made it safe and sound.

Today was a pre-school field trip and mani-pedi, tomorrow is relaxing and girl's night out. About to head out for dinner with the folks.

Currently trying the mobile blogging - hope it works! Sorry for any typos, but text messaging isn't my strong suit.

Bring on the Trick-or-Treaters

When you don't have kids there are two categories you can fall into on Halloween - the scary old couple that never answers the door and inevitably end up with TP in their trees, or you can be the cool, overly decorated house that gives out tons of candy. While Scott will always vote for the first (his favorite part of Halloween is all the left over candy), I would love to be in the second category.

Now I need to say that I have huge issues with Trick-or-Treaters - namely, we've never had many. I grew up on a small dark street that was too spooky to trick-or-treat on (a banner year at my parent's house was 15 kids, and that was the year that I had a Halloween party). So when we moved out to the burbs I got all excited to have my first real Trick-or-Treaters (it's tough getting many kids to trick-or-treat in apartment complexes). The good news is that we had moved to a very nice neighborhood (you know, the kind where people bus their kids in just to get all the good candy), the bad news is that our driveway is so long that no kid dared go down it (too dark and scary - again!).

For the past two years all of our neighbors have run out of candy in an hour and a half - while we're stuck with tons of extra candy - and by Thanksgiving we're left with all the crapy stuff neither of us like to eat.

So I think I've remedied that problem. Three hours and seven sets of Pumpkin Head Lights and six strings of orange and purple twinkle lights later I think we may be festive enough to get some kids down to the house! I've laid in six bags of candy (all the stuff I like, just in case we don't end up giving it all away) and we're prepared for the kids (I hope)!

Current Music: Nightmare on My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (Old school, yes. But besides Thriller is there any good Halloween Music?)

Interview Time

As I was doing my daily blog reading I saw Kimmy's interview - being adventurous (read - stupid) I volunteered to be interviewed as well. These questions were different from what I was expecting, but definitely fun!


Have you noticed a change in the way you write and the person you are now vs. the person who started your blog a year and a half ago?
The way I write is still very much the same - a combination of internal monologue, stream of consciousness and catty girl chat. As far as if I'm a different person, yes - I've become more open, it seems easier to pour my heart out to strangers on the Internet - and that has translated to the real world a bit. I love that I can write things down then send them off into the void - somehow a journal just doesn't do it for me.

You have two choices either (a) stand naked on a street corner holding a sign advertising for a new vagasil product or (b) go to the Michigan/OSU game and sit in the Michigan section wearing scarlet and grey. Whatcha gonna do? [baha!!]
This is such an unfair question!!!! Just last year on the day of the big game I was walking around the mall and everyone was giving me the stink-eye and I couldn't figure out why. I figured it out in the dressing room at Macy's - I was wearing a grey long-sleeved tee and a red puffy vest! Needless to say, I cut my shopping trip short.

So my answer will have to be "(a) stand naked on a street corner holding a sign for vagisil" - I'll have to hope for a nice day and a big sign since I no longer have the best naked body (much better looking clothes - have you noticed how that happens sometime after 30?).


One day you are told "tomorrow you will forget everything you know...but one memory" What memory are you keeping safe?
Not having kids makes this easier, but it was still the hardest question. I guess many people would say "wedding day" or "first kiss" or other obvious ones, but I realized long ago that I can live with out my darling hubby - not that I would want to, but I could. So my answer is this: dancing with my grandmother in her living room when I was little. We'd put on the stereo and we'd dance - sometimes I'd stand on her feet if she was trying to show me a particular step (which wasn't that easy - she used to wear flip-flips with big plastic flowers). I realized as I was thinking about this question that I can find a new love, have another wedding, graduate again - but I only ever got one grandmother and I miss her (thanks for making me cry Kimmy!)

Do you believe in Heaven? If so, describe your Heaven.
I don't believe in Heaven. Sometimes I wish I did, it would be nice to know that one day you'd be able to join all your dearly departed.

What did you wanna be when you grew up? How close of a reality is that dream?
I seriously wanted to be a high-powered Stock Broker when I grew up - live in New York, work on Wall Street, the whole nine yards. Please keep in mind that I grew up in the early 80s when it was great to be a yuppie - don't hold it against me.

Reality is a bit different (though I was a techie-yuppie at one point). I love designing kitchens, I love helping people design their dream homes - but sometimes I long for a hip SoHo loft.

So these are the rules. [Because there are always rules]
Interview Rules:
1) Leave me a comment saying "interview me" along with your email address.
2) I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3) You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions.
4) You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5) When others comment asking to be interviewed you will ask them five questions.


Current Music: Read My Mind - The Killers

Check!

Well, I can check another thing off my list of things that "Michiganders Do" (or as my BIL is trying to coin "Michiganeese") - we went to the Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday. (plus don't you LOVE the Picasa collage?!)

The cruise is described as "the world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture, attracts more than 1 million visitors and more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles". I would describe it as a huge gathering of scary men and women and cars, but then I'm not a big car buff. Seriously, it was kind of cool, some of the old cars were really great - and there was even a bus that shot fire out of the top!

We met JC at his house, then wandered across Woodward (which isn't that tough, given that everyone goes about 5 miles an hour) to a party at his friend's house. We stopped there long enough for a couple of drinks, a snack and to meet some of JC other friends (he has other friends!?). Then we strolled back down to Woodward to watch everyone go by.

I do feel bad for the people in normal cars that "accidentally" get stuck on Woodward that weekend. The traffic is usually a bit sticky - but that weekend the top speed is probably 5 to 10 mph! Plus if you have a normal car and are in the "cruising lane" you get booed! Glad we took the back streets to JC's place!

Current Music: Little Wonders - Rob Thomas

Another Weekend Gone

Another weekend gone, how do they go so fast? You spend your whole week thinking about it, then once you get there it's over so quickly!

We had a terrific day yesterday - a great day on the beach; sunny, warm, breezy. We started off with beer and boat drinks on the beach and ended with cheese burgers and beer on the deck. It was a great day, the dogs were happy, the kids had a great time, the adults had fun - winners all around.

Then comes the crash - Sunday. All of a sudden the house is really a mess, the dishes need doing, the laundry needs folding - it's like the chore fairy came in the night and left a ton of things for you to do (while hung-over). Worse yet, the Sunday doldrums set in, that little blue feeling you get about having to go back to work tomorrow (not to mention all the things that didn't get done that you had planned on doing over the weekend).

I guess the only thing to do is focus on the good, get as many of the chores done that you can manage, and get started looking forward to the next weekend!

Current Music: too late for music, more Tivo clearing - another Good Eats episode!

Thanks Harry, it was fun.

I read the first two books in '98 or '99, because my Aunt was wild for them and I "just had to read them". It's a rare occurrence, but she was right - I loved them. I couldn't wait for the third book to come out after I'd read those first two. I was hooked.

And so, almost ten years later, it's all over for my love affair with the boy wizard - the tale has been told. I finished the book around 2 am last night, a box of Kleenex at my side. It ended much as I expected, but with a couple of twists that I did not. All in all, a good ending to the series.

So, I'm happy, sad and a little exhausted.

Current Music: Thanks That Was Fun - Barenaked Ladies

So far, so good

I got home Saturday after seeing Scott off for the race, and I didn't see my copy of Harry Potter in the mail box. I got down to the front door, still no book. I decided not to freak out, I would just sit down and have a bit of lunch and then I'd check on line - then I'd freak out! Just as I was getting on to the Amazon website I heard the pup start barking, and someone coming down the driveway. It was here!

So, after getting the box open, and getting situated to sit down for a nice long read - I began. At this point I'm about half-way through, and so far so good. It's been interesting, exciting, happy and sad. I've been talking back and forth with my BIL and good friend R - both HP fans, we keep checking up on each other, discussing the book to our respective points.

I have been taking periodic breaks to clean, allow my eyes to rest, shower and of course - check on the race! At this point, our guys haven't rounded the buoy according to the website, but apparently there are a few boats on the horizon (of course they're all the big/multi-hulled boats). The committee hasn't heard from very many boats yet, so hopefully the guys are just stuck out there with everyone else and no wind! JR is a great tactician, so maybe he'll be able to find some wind that the others won't.

Current Music: taking an HP break, and trying to clear off the tivo (again!) since I haven't been watching anything for the last 2 days - currently another episode of Good Eats (again, I know, but I've got a ton for some reason).

Boat Night!

Big party tonight! It's the night before the big Port Huron to Mackinac Race, and this is the night that everyone lets loose (though I seriously wonder how all those sailors can manage in the morning - some of them will be out till the wee hours of the night)! But this year is a bit different, we're gaining a designated driver - Scott is joining the race! J's boat is down a crew member, so Scott jumped into the breach. It's been 20 years since he's raced, but he's pretty stoked. So we'll need to make it a bit of an early evening so that Scott isn't too bleary eyed or hung-over tomorrow (though there's no reason why I can't be!).

At this point our schedule is totally booked for the day and evening. We're going to take the boat out with J & M and the kids and look at all the boats this afternoon, then we're hitting the parties around 6:30 (I know we'll be hitting the Yacht Club and the Vintage Tavern - I'm not sure what else!). It should be a bit chilly, but it will be a fun evening - looking forward to it!

My mom just called - apparently they were awakened by an earthquake this morning! The last two times I've been home there have been small quakes, wonder if this means I need to go home?

Oh yeah - and it's Friday - so here's a Friday's Feast:
Appetizer: On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?
3, there are very few sports that translate well to TV - I am a fan of going to the game

Soup: If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?
Hmmm, this is a tough one - the thing that first came to mind was T.S. Elliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. It's a collection of poems about cats that they based the musical Cats on. I'm not a huge fan of T.S. Elliot or Cats, though I love my cats, but they are wonderful poems and I can't really see the use of memorizing a novel. Somehow it just seems right to memorize poetry.

Salad: What is your favorite breakfast food?
That one is easy - my favorite would be Eggs Benedict.

Main Course: Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.
Jeeze, there's not much - but I guess go to the movies (as long as you don't buy popcorn). I like to go to our local paper store and crop - that only costs $10, but it's not for everyone!

Dessert: How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?
Usually about a half an hour, I've got to read for a while. It's a rare night that I just lay down and sleep.

Current Music: California Sun - Jem

New Nail Polish!

Shallow I know, but I do love a new bottle of nail polish - calorie free happiness in a jar, all for just $8! I picked up "20 Candles on My Cake" and "OPI Ink". And I bought them even though I'm still totally in love with "Licoln Park After Dark" and "Oh...To Be 25 Again!" - it's an illness really.

So far I'm liking the 20 Candles, it's a bit grown up (but then so am I sometimes), it's a nice pinky-red or redy-pink it's a good nail and toe color - who could ask for more! I haven't tried on the Ink yet - it's super shimmery dark, should be a good toe color, but I only just put on my "Romeo & Joliet" - and I haven't even pulled out the rest of my super fun summer toe colors! The good thing is there's a fair amount of summer left.

In my next life I want to be a color namer for OPI or Benefit - that would be crazy fun! I actually have a polish color called "Who Comes Up With These Names?" - but seriously, how do they do it?

Current Music: Brown Eyed Girl - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Super fun!

Ok - I found a cool new toy! Not sure if I'm going to pay to get the professional version yet - but it's still super fun! Gonna go make another one.




Current Music: Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's

Addendum: I should mention that most of the pictures are of me and my older niece the B'Ave, there's also my BIL, sister and younger niece E-dawg.

BNL!

Very excited today! We're going to see Barenaked Ladies tonight!

I'm not a freaky-super-fan, but I do love those guys. And I love the thought that Scott and I will pile into the car with J&M and head out to spend an evening drunkenly dancing under the stars. As an adult you just don't get enough chances to do that with out ramifications. Most of my time is spent running from work to home (where more work awaits me) - so the thought of letting loose is never really one that I can entertain.

Not that we don't have fun on the weekends, and with summer on the way there are fun days ahead. Maybe this evening is a kick-off of sorts - a beginning to the summer, maybe that's why I'm so looking forward to it? Perhaps I'm getting a bit too deep - probably best to just be shallow and have fun!

Woo hoo - here's to getting drunk and dancing around like an idiot under the stars!!!!!

Addendum: I should mention, it's my parents 39th wedding anniversary today, as well as their dog's 12th birthday today. So cheers Mom and Dad - way to not kill each other after all these years - and Happy Birthday Sassy!

Current Music: Be My Yoko Ono - Barenaked Ladies (getting ready!)