New Year's Resolutions?

Kris was asking about them and linked an article about "happy" things to do.

I generally don't make resolutions. I figure there's always something I should be working on, but why wait til the first of the year. and yet, here I am posting about resolutions....

nothing new here really.

start riding the bike or doing some other exercise at least six days a week. I managed that for a month or so last year and then things happened and I wasn't real motivated anyway because I gained five pounds that month. so thanks for nothing.

do more reading off line. I'm thiiiiis close to being caught up on all the magazines. but then, of course, RTO's grandmother decided to give us a Reader's Digest subscription again this year. Not sure why we got last year off, but there it is (I'm currently reading December 2006. I know most people would just let that one go, but I'm kinda OC about these things. and it's always amusing reading those kinds of things later... like last night one article I was reading about nursing home abuse mentioned how Elliot Spitzer had made several convictions that year.) Haven't made a dent in the book pile on the nightstand and I think it's grown by a couple books.

There's some other random projects I'd like to start/finish but I'm always shuffling. close to having one needlework project done and I swears I'm going to do Christmas ornaments this year. and possibly cards. we'll see.

endorsement of sorts...

I guess my new contacts are very comfortable. I forgot to take them out last night and didn't realize it until the second time I woke up today. Usually, by late evening my eyes start getting a bit dry and I take them out, but not last night.

this, um, morning, I started to reach for my glasses and realized that everything was already pretty clear. I walked back into the bedroom and sure enough, I could see the clock on the other side. just kinda funny, I've never done that before.

RTO is trying to tell me that it's okay to sleep in some contacts for a week or two, but I'm not buying it. Things in your eye are not good for extended periods. At least, that's my story.

wonders of vacuum packing....

so, I looked a few places in town, but couldn't find a daybed I really liked and decided to take a chance with ordering one online.


Here's one of the matresses... out of the box....

and behind it... the other matress, still in the box...



needless to say we were rather impressed with the packing job. not sure what we'd have done if it needed to go back.



anyhoo, the frame showed up a few days later and we slept on the thing one night since we'd cleared the bedroom out to have the floors done. it was pretty comfortable.

it's so simple looking, but everywhere I looked locally either didn't even bother with daybeds or had really huge, ornate things, which just really isn't "me".

most funnest Christmas evar!

RTO: ugh, I think this is serious and I need to see a doctor.

MK:

RTO:

MK: you want to go to the emergency room?

RTO: oh.. I don't know that it's that serious...

MK: um, it's Christmas day. That's pretty much your options.


yep, we spent a couple hours this morning at Lake Pointe Medical Center. RTO had spent Tuesday throwing up. seemed better, but not one hundred percent yesterday, but then was up again about three this morning. Anyhoo, still not sure what caused it, but they gave him some medication to calm down his digestive system.

On top of that, my family is here for Christmas and RTO's parents were coming for lunch. We managed to get things done. He'd made most of what he could last night and gave my mom instructions for the rest today. He posted the menu here. We didn't make the eggnog cheesecake and everyone was so stuffed from everything else that no one touched the Chocolate Peppermint frozen dessert (sounds funny, it's um, peppermint ice cream on (I think) a chocolate crust of some kinds and topped with fudge, I would call it Peppermint ice cream pie, or cake, just to simplify)

We'll probably be eating tasty, tasty ham for a while.

got a couple more days of things planned. a short trip to Oklahoma and back and hopefully a day of nothing, Sunday.

Merry belated Christmas!

Icicle lights! not just for roofs anymore!

We saw some interesting new uses for icicle lights this year...

Here's how I would use them... along the edge of the roof, where they belong...


We're not sure what these next folks were going for. I even gave them a week to see if it "came together". um. no.


You can't see it, but the lights on the tree behind the angle chase.


and finally, these people decided to use the icicle lights as a fence, or something...

driving (riding) through Kansas at night...

honk-shu.

seriously, we kept ourselves amused by watching the thermometer drop. It didn't hit zero (while we were in the car... I think the predicted low for tonight is -2) and eventually tried to find the Cowboys game on the radio. (ugh)

found a scary hotel and then went to a bowling alley/"sports bar" to eat dinner and watch the rest of the game. (highlight? NACHOS!!!)

anyhoo, we'll be makin' the drive back tomorrow after visiting RTO's family, because, stupid me, I said I would work Monday. and Tuesday. and originally RTO thought the family get together thing was Saturday, but no, it's Sunday.

a street over...

I am a terrible, terrible person...

days later and this is still crackin' me up




it's the pictures that make it.

good lighting...

or something...
most of the cut-outs I try to get pictures of get completely washed out... like this one...


okay, not completely, but you can't see Santa's face. This is one of RTO's favorite things. heh. many years ago when I was trying to come up with a Christmas card, RTO suggested a polar bear at the manger. so I sketched a bear with his head down in the manger... belching.

Anyhoo, these cut-out things are really popular here. I don't recall ever seeing them in Oklahoma.

recorded a couple new Christmas albums today, nothing special. a Perry Como thing and a random selection of people. found out I hadn't had any Liberace songs before now. huh. You'd think with all the cheese I have, he'd be in there somewhere.

holiday traditions...

Barney cam time! eh. it's like he's just phoning it in this year.

B.C. Clark jingle!



and yes, RTO and I sang along.

now I'm ready for Christmas.

thank goodness mom doesn't have a scanner...

or else my picture would have wound up here. trust me. I looked through all 269 that were posted currently.

just more fodder for the Santa/Satan argument.

ha ha, yes, it's Texas....

The high today was 79. Current temp? 51 and falling. Tomorrow's predicted high is, um, 30s.

I noticed the wind had picked up, but come on! Guess I'll be turning the ceiling fan off.

more hmmmmm

the brain's not shutting down tonight. seriously. I've been laying in bed for the last hour. so I gave up and came into the living room and the animals are all still in here. Roxie in particular always sleeps in the bedroom, but not at the moment. hmmmmm.

hmmmmm... I wonder what this is?

RTO wrapped this. I do not have that kind of patience.

randomness...

well, I was hoping to have a picture of me and RTO with Santa, but it will have to wait.

We went to Chik-fil-a for dinner last night because RTO didn't want to cook and we had coupons for free things. So as we're walking in I notice there's a sign on the door that says pictures with Santa are that night from 5 to 8. and I was thinking it was just after 8 and told RTO it was too bad we missed Santa. and RTO's all, "He's right there!" huh? wha? sure enough he was right in front of me, so I got some ribbing for missing the guy in the bright red suit.

Anyhoo, Santa motioned for us to come over and we got our picture taken. They said it would be ready today after three, but I stopped by there and the clerk told me it would be tomorrow. : (

oh well. There's all kinds of goofiness going on here. I found the MOST.AWESOME.BALDEN FAMILY. CHRISTMAS GIFT.EVAR! or not. I think it will be talked about for a while. not sure if that will be good or bad. started to get a cordless screw driver like we got for, uh, someone else. (I don't think they would ever read here, but I'll be vague anyway) but then we saw this other thing. BWAH HA HA HA haaaaaaa.

So, um, is there an Ann Taylor Outlet near you? I was in the one in Allen today and spotted this coat and I've been looking for a coat like it, but of course they didn't have my size and it's not online at all. and I waited too long to even finally decide to get a coat like this. I'm kickin myself for not buying the one at Dillard's a few years ago. oh, checked the nearest AT Loft as well, and they didn't have anything like it either.

Hopefully this weekend will be one final big cleaning that we can maintain til Christmas and I'll probably try to get some more light pictures as it looks like most people got their lights up last weekend. I've seen a lot more in the neighborhood this week.

driving by the neighbor's tonight, RTO says, "you know, their house does look really good... but I've got a moose."

Snow!

we has it.

not much, but I did get a few pictures.


update:

envy...

MK: oooooh, did you see the "Yard of the Month" sign across the street.

RTO: no.

MK:

RTO: We'll get it next month...

MK:

RTO: Just as soon as I add a few more lights...

MK:

RTO:

MK: we're not having lights on in January.

just so you know what we're up against....

This house is catty-corner from us, and I noticed you could see the glow from it a few streets over and i couldn't fit it all in one picture.



in this one, you can see our house in the background...

They also have some lights along the fence that faces our street, but they were out the night I was taking pictures.

cowinkydinks....

We watched part II of the Godfather this weekend. Then yesterday Hot Air linked this article about how they shot The Godfather. Currently, Rush Limbaugh is rambling about The Godfather. Hopefully, I won't be finding anything, um, unusual in my bed tomorrow.

wasn't sure what I would post about today...

and then people in the classical singer forum started posting bad Messiah "covers" first, Every Valley




and next, and a little better... But Who May Abide

huh

I checked the archives and it looks like I didn't do any Christmas light pictures last year. I guess I didn't have time thanks to Beauty and the Beast. anyhoo, I took a few this week, but I guess I'm kinda rusty cause they're all a bit blurry. oh well. Here's our house.

um... yeah...

I don't know what brought it on, but maggie decided the TV remote needed cleaning last month. She did this for a couple days.

now that it's after Thanksgiving...

Carin's been asking for Christmas music suggestions. I haven't come across anything new that I'm really excited about, but it's early yet, I guess.

I picked up Diana Krall's Christmas album the other day, and I've only heard a few tracks, but it's nice so far.

Also, saw Gloria Gaynor on last night's Red Eye talking about her Christmas album, listened to the clips in itunes and there are a few tracks that stood out, Winter Wonderland in particular.

so that's it so far.

Things I learned this weekend...

you can rent a ladder from Home Depot...

RTO was serious about the moose

The blue lights can only go around the polar bear. The moose would not be in a pond.