Thanksgiving – A retrospective

Wednesday: Stayed at work later than I planned to, because my job passed out checks early and one of my MDs does not have direct deposit. (Who goes to the bank to deposit PAYCHECKS anymore, for goodness sakes? Get it together DINOSAUR, direct deposit is where it’s at)

Still Wednesday: Went to the commissary to pick up fixin’s for thanksgiving DINNER because The Man invited company over AT THE LAST MINUTE.

Thanksgiving Day: Got up at the crack of dawn to make dinner because I still had to make an appearance at my family’s Thanksgiving Dinner

The Good:
Playing Catchphrase (a word guessing game) with the fam –
Word used for me to guess the “catchphrase” :Scary
Actual Word: Clown

My sister insisting I eat a piece of cake she made from scratch. Said that caramel icing almost gave her and her daughter 3rd degree burns and so I better get some and like it. (“Eat the cake Anna Mae” – Guess that movie. Hint: She just turned 69. heh.)

Me & the aunties playing 3-card poker. I got a 3 of a kind. Too bad we were playing with fake poker chips… I won $750.

A phone call from Okinawa! At midnight (girl, you better work on the time difference…LOL) We missed our extended family for the holidays. Sounds like they're enjoying themselves and The Man said he will put me and the brat on a mac flight to come visit next year (yay!)

The Bad:
I’m still SO FULL

The Ugly:
Had to be at work today. Grrr..

All in all, good times had by all. I can be thankful I have a job, even if they DO make me work on days everybody else is off.

Hope Everyone had a happy Thanksgiving too!

I need my fix

Dear HBO,

You do this to me every. single. time. You get me all sucked in to your crazy good shows, and then...season finale that knocked my socks off. That would be okay if I didn't have to wait until SUMMER 2009 before you aired a new episode. What the hell?!

Why are you torturing me? All I ever wanted to do is find out the deal with Sookie and Tara and WTF happened to Lafayette?! And you're going to make me wait SIX whole months. Now that's just cruel and unusual punishment from somebody who should be grateful I didn't come down there and firebomb your offices after you took Carnivale off the air. (I mean...really. It was only a 3-season show. WHY would you show the biggest cliffhanger EVER and then not return to clean it up? JERKS)

So now I guess I'll be tracking down the books (did you know it's a book series?) to kill time until next season starts. In which case, please don't stray too far from what happens in the books, because I'll be watching and picking it apart and wondering why THAT didn't happen on the show like it did the book and.....

On second thought...Doesn't the new season of Big Love start soon? Maybe I'll start watching that instead

Swapping IS good

No, not a spouse swap. A favorite things swap hosted by Mamarazzi over at Dandelion Wishes! My uhh...swapping partner (that's what I said), Anna at Life Just Keeps Getting Weirder. Indeed.

So I come home from work and find a big giant box. And then I start thinking, Oh no...my box is NOT EVEN this big, should I be worried, do I have to send ANOTHER box, so I won't feel box envy? Then I get a grip. I'm a great goodie giver. And good things come in small packages, right?
I open the box to see:


a LOT of packages. And one that smelled SO good that I wanted to eat it, wrapping, string and all. I got home late that day, and I still hadn't eaten my dinner yet.

Moving On...I tear into my packages to find...


GREAT things in small packages! Damn, she is TOTALLY not gonna like my pack of fancy gum. But me? I have been dying to watch Mad Men, the random episodes I catch when my TV is not stalking me make me wonder why I'm not watching this show. I LOVE it.

AND spiced pumpkin bread with a tin to bake it in (so that's what smelled so good)...I'll be making this next week for the Holidays. Along with a candle that smelled as good as all outdoors. I would have lit it that night, 'cept I was scared I was going to pass out and burn my house down, which would have been a downer, but at least I would have had a light to read the book she gave me. Me? Creative, you think? I will let you know if it changes my life..like you say it can. I'm hoping for a sports car and winning the lottery, but I'll settle for finding my creativity.

I love all my goodies. This weekend, I'm looking forward to settling in with some good TV. Tonight I may light my candle. Bow chicka bow wow.

Thanks Anna!

Still not ready

So I’ve mentioned before I’ve got a teenager. I’ve actually got TWO, The Boy is 18ish now; but the girl…The Brat has graduated from a TWEEN, to a real-live, fire breathing teenager. I’m kidding about the fire-breathing, except when she’s on her period. But then so am I, and I’ve had lots more practice breathing fire during that time of the month, so I’m not so scared of that.

(I’m scared of THIS, though…She sent this to me. She is well aware her mama is freaked out by eyeball pictures. I feel like they’re staring DIRECTLY AT ME. The subject of this small time terrorism disguised as picture mail? Boo.)

But I’m slightly scared of her growing up. After all, I was quite a handful as a teenager. I would never deny it. And she…well, she gets it from her mama. LOL. The sassy mouth, smarts, she is even MY SIZE at that age – except for the hips. I never had a pair of hips until I started having babies. Good Lawd, my baby has baby makin’ hips. I worry about her starting high school NEXT YEAR (can anybody hear me screaming on the inside?)… I worry about boys, and wrong choices, and growing up too fast…

Yesterday, she says Mommy, can me & my friends go to see Twilight after school on Wednesday? Then we can go for sushi or pizza at the mall. Now, I was ALLL excited to see Twilight myself. In fact, I was actually thinking of going to a midnight showing tonight/tomorrow morning (I never can figure that out). Anyhoots, I told my sister…Nah, I won’t do that because I’ll have to take The Brat this weekend. No point in going twice, right? Well. Fooled me. Miss thing made plans WITHOUT me. No sooner than I start thinking she’s growing up, she gets into the car singing this:



Veggie Tales! We used to watch this together when she was 5 or 6 years old. She LOVED to sing silly songs with Larry. The more things change, the more they stay the same. I know that it was just a glimpse of the baby she used to be, but still. It’s comforting to know my baby is still there and she remembers spending time with her mommy.

Now if I can just block out her singing along to Soulja boy .

They ARE watching

It's official. Somebody is recording my random conversations so that movies that I want to see, come on television right when I want to see them.

I have a list of movies on my blockbuster account 250 movies long, so I thought it was just coincidence that just as a movie hit the top of my queue, it would come on TV. Ohh, I can dismiss things like Hairspray! After all, it had just come to cable and they were running it, like, every 3 hours on the hour. But when I started adding obscure/OLD movies like Please don't eat the daisies, or How to marry a millionaire...and they would come on AMC or TCM about a week later. I began to get suspicious. Is there someone listening to my conversations and checking MY list of flix to schedule TV Programming..?

Think I'm making it up? Last week, I had a conversation about a movie that I watch whenever it comes on. No, not that one, Save the Last Dance (not better, I know). And I discovered that there is a part 2. Didn't know that? Surprise! Me either. Anyways, someone volunteered to let me borrow their copy, and I'm all, I'll come & pick it up tomorrow. And I get home, and guess what's on: Save the Last Dance 2. On MTV. Well. What the hell?

Example #2: Please Don't Eat the Daisies is one of my all time favorite Doris Day movies. I was talking to my cousin because she called to tell me Pillow Talk was on (another fave) and I said, I should just BUY my favorite movie. Then I thought, well...when's it coming on?

TCM
Fri, Nov 28, 1:15 AM
Please Don't Eat the Daisies

So I guess I don't have to. It'll be on next week. Next on my list: West Side Story and Sideways. Sideways is not airing in the next 2 weeks, but West Side Story? Next Wednesday @ 8PM.

Really? I mean, I realize the whole point is that they are supposed to be airing things that people want to see...but is there somebody besides me who wants to see Don't Bother to Knock? Which, incidentally is coming on Friday, at 6AM on HBO.

I was completely unaware that they had began stalking me by internet and listening in on my conversations to see what I'M watching. But whatev. I may as well use this power for good.

Anybody wanna see Batman Begins...?

Boo-ya. Coming on Monday, the 24th at 7PM on FX.

You're welcome.

How I spend my weekends, The Military Edition

Oh yes, it was THAT time again. The MARINE CORPS BALL WEEKEND. All caps, Good Times. It was bittersweet, it was The Man’s last ball as an enlisted Marine. I can never say, “as a Marine”; because once a Marine, ALWAYS a Marine. He retires next spring after 20 years, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with him underfoot am happy that there will be no more deployments.

But I digress. The ball was at the Stateline this year, that’s Stateline, NEVADA. As in, the very minute you hit the Nevada border you can pull over and loose your ass at the tables or on a one-armed bandit. AND, if you are not a gambler, you can always throw your money away here:

Mmm Hmm.. Have mercy. Outlet shopping. A beautiful, BEAUTIFUL Coach Store, and a SHOE heaven - where you can buy Carlos Santana shoes for $40. (and how hurt were my feelings that my foot is STILL *$#&@ing swollen, I didn’t want to buy shoes because I couldn't wear them out of the store?? Very)

And then there was the whole reason that I went out to begin with*

* Although I make light of the fact that we celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday in such a lighthearted way**, it is an honor to be invited, and INCLUDED in such a ceremony. And every year I'm reminded of that as I watch them celebrate their own; from the oldest (at our ball - born 1953) to the youngest (born 1990. Holy SHIT! The Boy is only 2 weeks older than this MARINE.). To those that didn't make it home:

** Me: Holy crap, did you see the SIZE of that thing? (I was talking about the cake)

The Man: That's what she said.

So long, farewell, Auf Weidersehen, goodbye

Or Leaving on a Jet Plane, Don't know when you'll be back again.





We met because I adopted her husband as my "other child" back when he was a single Marine. She became part of the family when she became HIS family. When she moved to the Left Coast, I was stationed in Camp Pendleton, while she was in San Diego, right next to La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya...no, you will never live that down). I had already been married for SEVERAL years at that point with the brats; and she was kind of like I was when I first married, confused about the Marine Corps Wife life, never lived away from home, and to top it off, living far, FAR from home.

And in less than 10 days, my friend is leaving the country. Free travel, courtesy of the Marine Corps. (gotta love it).

This past weekend, we had her & the fam over for a little going away party along with some of my family who has adopted her as a pesky young sister *wink*. We had a cook-out (sorry L-boogie, I forgot about the camera ‘cause I’d been drinking, but I do I hope you enjoyed some dessert) and Sunday, there was a “Girls Day out” while the Boys did their Football thing. I’d tell you ALLLLL about Sunday’s outing but 1. My friend is not as loose in the lips as I am and so may not want you to know what she was doing 2. I’d do it anyways if I didn’t know she reads my blog AND has one of her own. So I’ll just say: Did you know there are stores where you have to be 18+ to go in PERIOD. No infants, no babies who can’t even read and/or talk? Well. There are. (heh. Me & my big mouth. That’s what HE said)

She had a whole LAUNDRY list of things that she hoped to do this weekend before she left California…but there are only so many hours in a day. Maybe when you come back for a visit. You never know, it could happen.

And speaking of lists…Here are the TOP TEN things I hope for you while you are gone:

I HOPE…
10. That you get out and explore your new digs. Not just touristy stuff, I hope you get lost and get to see the coolest shit ever. Shit that is in no way on the tourist route.
9. You meet some cool broads to hang out with that know the ins and outs of your new place.
8. That you find some time away from the hubby & kids to be totally selfish and do whatever your heart desires, as long as that does NOT include your sitting on your couch.
7. You don’t take offense. LOL
6. You learn the language. Espero que aprendas el idioma (see…? I speak Angeleno)
5. You do one thing that you didn’t think you’d like, that you end up loving.
4. There are no clowns (just checking to see if you are paying attention)
3. You don’t get caught up in the B.S. because into every military base, a little B.S. will be flung.
2. You’ll miss me. ‘Cause I’ll miss you. :)

And the number 1 thing I hope for you:

1. You don’t come back with excuses about why you didn’t do it and have a SHIT LOAD of fun.

Remember how I told you the story about the mummy and the giant? (So, I was in the 'I love Lucy' museum and this mummy walks in…I make a break for the door, but due to my odd & unnatural fear of tall people, I was unable to get out because a 12 foot tall GIANT - okay..he was probably 6'5, but still - was standing by the door. Luckily, the mummy left before I went completely batshit & dug a tunnel or hit the fire alarm or something)

I also hope that when you come back, you have an equally ridiculous story that could only happen to you.

Love to you & the fam my sister/friend. Hasta Luego!

Message to the Man

Happy Birthday Honey! You are 233 years old today. Looking pretty good for an old guy.

This weekend we are going out to celebrate in Marine Corps style, you in your blues (damn, do I love a man in uniform), me in a fancy dress to do you proud. We are gonna impress the shit out of everybody! And then, we are going to eat shitty ball room food...listen to the Commendant's message and eat some cake. Because it's your birthday!

I'm going to let you do Jack Daniel shots until they stop buying them for you, I'm going to let you buy drinks for other Marines, and I will do my best to keep you out of trouble, while drinking copious amounts of liquor myself (because I am a Marine Corps wife, I learned early to keep up or shut up). And later I will do that thing you like, if you're not so drunk that it's all I can do to pour you into bed. Because it's your birthday.

I have been with you from Kuwait to Okinawa to Afghanistan. And I've never been any prouder of you than I am right now for becoming one of the few.

Semper Fi,

Your loving wife.

Thank yous*

Okay...And one LAST thing to say about voting (go ahead & click it. I'll wait).

********************************************************
Moving on…aka “UNFINISHED BUSINESS”





SOMEBODY hearts my blog. Hiya Elf Lady, Lovely Lady Lump, Kori and Mamasphere! I was SUPPOSED to have done this some time ago, but time gets away from me pretty quickly (all you need is something shiny…)

Anyways, the rules. Choose some blogs I like, and pass the love. Not much of a rule follower –what a surprise, right? – so bloggy hearts go to….

Miss: ‘Cause her blog is pretty fuckin’ awesome.
Immoral Matriarch: Because that’s a kick ass name for a kick ass blog. She makes you think, she makes you laugh, and even sometimes, makes me cry.
Mr. Lady: yeah. Anybody with that name HAS to be interesting. And she is.
And actually these ladies who chose to give me this award have EXCELLENT taste (hehe) and damn good blogs themselves.

So, I think it says 5 or 7 depending on who you ask, or who gives it to you. But really, I read a LOT of blogs (mostly when I should be working) and I couldn’t put you ALL down here, so I’m going with 3.

Because I'm a rebel. And lazy.

*So I made YOUS plural, because it was MORE than one thank you. I don't know if it CAN be plural, and usually, I'm kind of a grammar nazi, but this time I'm going to let it pass because who is going to nitpick a thank you (actually, I guess I am, but whatev.)

I voted

Tonight I called my mom to congratulate her on helping to elect the 1st Black President. She didn't pick up the phone. My 4 year old niece did.

Bubbles: Auntie, I have a President that looks like me...and his name is Barack Obama.
Me: Yes, baby...You do.


Yes We Can. YES, we did.

Six Words?

Mamasphere had this six word meme and said if I wanted to try it, I was welcome to it. I thought.. Can I be defined in six words? And is that, six words or less, or SIX WORDS? I mean what if I need only a few words, like:

Nobody likes a smart ass

But that’s not really true. People DO like smart asses. Which is why Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are so popular. And of course, EVERYONE loves me [snort]. What’s not to love? Except my smart remarks, my inability to hold in my inappropriate laughter, my opinions...

No? Okay.

Married young and still in Love

How about it.? Six words, AND it’s true. I got married at the ripe old age of 19 to my high school sweetheart/baby daddy (although, he’s kind of a jerk..so I don’t know if “sweetheart” is the right word…then again, I am sort of a jerk too so maybe we’re even). What can I say? I like a bad boy. And the bad boy likes me *wink*

You WISH you had my awesome-ness

Umm..is awesome-ness even a word? LOL. Okay, now I’m just reaching. Then again. If you’re here reading this, YOU are awesome (because you are bathed in my awesomey glow). So then I guess you DO have my awesome-ness. (Seriously, it that a word? Even if it’s not, I think I like it)

Okay. Really.

I DON’T REGRET A FUCKING THING.

Bam! Six words, all me. All of the things to this point have made me, ME. The asshole-y things, the nice things, the what-the-hell-was-I-thinking things. And I enjoyed MOST of them. Except maybe being shot at. I can even say (now) I’m glad that I had my 1st child so young. We grew up together, I was still young enough to roll around in the dirt with him and now… he’s moved out on his own, so, one down, one to go. LOL.

I don’t believe in regrets. I think that everything I’ve done from getting knocked up early to going back to school NOW…and even picking a fight with an ENTIRE softball team - which we’ll just go ahead and file under WTF was I thinking – led me here. Happily married, with my 2 brats and my fairly cool job that allows me to go to concerts and Vegas and vacations with the girls and sometimes, The Man when he can get some leave.

And even better, I LIKE who I am, for all of those things. Even that one time, when I got completely drunk hanging out with the girls and had to have The Man come & get me and he talked mad shit about me the next day and all I could say was at least I didn’t DRIVE (which shut him up quick fast and in a hurry).

So yeah, I think I’ll go with that one. Not one single, solitary thing.

(But if you don't like that one, I got two more words that define me: FUCK. YOU.)
hahaha....