The book list goes on...Felt by Robyn Steel-Stickland, Compassionate Knitting by Tara Jon Manning, Home Knits by suss Cousins, and Oddball Knitting by Barbara Albright. I also got a Krups spice Grinder and a Cuisinart stick blender with chopping attachment. I said it already and I will say it again, Amazon wish list is a thing of beauty and every blogger should have one.
I also got a recycled gift from eb. A series of sturdy nesting boxes. I love them. They are cubes and inside was a heart of wrapping paper saying she loves me. The boxes were from a gift she got at work from Dee, one of her reps. They will likely become some fabulous altered collage art. Likely.
Today, I am off to the mall with Connor who has $200 burning a hole in his pocket. I have a pedicure appointment at 11, and he will shop. And shop. At some point we iwll go to Costco as we need water and Pepsi. Might even go to the yarn shop as I got a check from my mom for $50 which is just enough for a set of Denise knitting needles.I might see if they have a set I can try first to be sure I like them, but if not, I might get them anyway and then take a pic for my mom of what she got me.
The mall beckons.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
Xmas time is here...
Did you hear me snoring? That was right before my phone rang at 8 am. I was just getting back to sleep, you know, that morning sleep after you were up at 5 to pee and at 630 with the dogs. The sleep when you have all sorts of weird and profound dreams. I was really looking forward to it after so many early and late work shifts this past week. And the damn phone rang.
I looked to see who was calling and had already ruled out my mom having just spoke to her yesterday. It read Willie's cell. He is at work this morning at the Lake Placid Hilton busy preparing the holiday buffet feast. Why would he be calling in the middle of his saute and roast?
Well, the call is from his cell, but not from him. It was from the kindly gentleman who found Willie's phone at the Whiteface Lodge. He's leaving it at the reception desk there to be picked up and called to tell me because I was listed as Mom. Nice.
Thanks Mr Skier Man on Vacation!!
So I called my mom in case the need to pick up and deliver the grandson's phone to him might in a weird twist of logic sort of way get my dad to take her to the holiday buffet feast for lunch today. Said mom, "Not for $26 each! But maybe your father will feel like a ride this morning. I will ask him when he gets up."
This was news. My dad has always gotten up at 5 am. No alarm, just conditioning. And 9 am their time and he isn't up? At 79 he is finally sleeping in. Good for you, pop.
Since I am up, I just made some deviled eggs, and I put the baked French Toast in the oven. Think bread pudding for breakfast and you're on the mark. I need to fry up some bacon and sauasage. Then a little later on I will get out the Brie wheel covered in fig spread and Marcona almonds. Then at some point there will be a chicken roasting in the oven nestled in broccoli. And finally some shrimp pan fried dumplings with buttery slices of filet mignon.
We began opening some pressies last night. My tally so far includes Mindful Knitting by Tara Jon Manning, Knit Two Together by Tracy Ullman and someone else, Night Vision by Ellen Hart, and season two of Babylon 5. Amazon wish list is a thing of beauty. Eveyone should have one.
Time to fry, maybe more later...
I looked to see who was calling and had already ruled out my mom having just spoke to her yesterday. It read Willie's cell. He is at work this morning at the Lake Placid Hilton busy preparing the holiday buffet feast. Why would he be calling in the middle of his saute and roast?
Well, the call is from his cell, but not from him. It was from the kindly gentleman who found Willie's phone at the Whiteface Lodge. He's leaving it at the reception desk there to be picked up and called to tell me because I was listed as Mom. Nice.
Thanks Mr Skier Man on Vacation!!
So I called my mom in case the need to pick up and deliver the grandson's phone to him might in a weird twist of logic sort of way get my dad to take her to the holiday buffet feast for lunch today. Said mom, "Not for $26 each! But maybe your father will feel like a ride this morning. I will ask him when he gets up."
This was news. My dad has always gotten up at 5 am. No alarm, just conditioning. And 9 am their time and he isn't up? At 79 he is finally sleeping in. Good for you, pop.
Since I am up, I just made some deviled eggs, and I put the baked French Toast in the oven. Think bread pudding for breakfast and you're on the mark. I need to fry up some bacon and sauasage. Then a little later on I will get out the Brie wheel covered in fig spread and Marcona almonds. Then at some point there will be a chicken roasting in the oven nestled in broccoli. And finally some shrimp pan fried dumplings with buttery slices of filet mignon.
We began opening some pressies last night. My tally so far includes Mindful Knitting by Tara Jon Manning, Knit Two Together by Tracy Ullman and someone else, Night Vision by Ellen Hart, and season two of Babylon 5. Amazon wish list is a thing of beauty. Eveyone should have one.
Time to fry, maybe more later...
Sunday, December 24, 2006
552AM xmas eve...
Note to self. No more volunteering. I could be happily still asleep, but noooooooo...I had to volunteer to work for one of the other receptionists.
Actually, I don't feel bad about that, it was a nice thing to do as she has small kids, 2 of them autistic, ao she should be home this morning with them making holiday preparations with and for them.
Right now, however, I wager she is asleep. Fucker.
It's rainig out right now. Sucky. I have to park on three today and it's not covered. But the benefit of working 7-1 is that the parking will be relatively close to the elevator. And I do have an umbrella in the car that I hate using. IT is just inconvenient. But I work in a deep freeze and I don't want to be wet or even damp. I think I might finish my hair at work today.
Yawn.
Actually, I don't feel bad about that, it was a nice thing to do as she has small kids, 2 of them autistic, ao she should be home this morning with them making holiday preparations with and for them.
Right now, however, I wager she is asleep. Fucker.
It's rainig out right now. Sucky. I have to park on three today and it's not covered. But the benefit of working 7-1 is that the parking will be relatively close to the elevator. And I do have an umbrella in the car that I hate using. IT is just inconvenient. But I work in a deep freeze and I don't want to be wet or even damp. I think I might finish my hair at work today.
Yawn.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Of course he is taller than me...
I spent a couple hours knitting at the airport last night. Well, not knitting the whole time, and part of that time frame was the driving, but it was a longer than expected trip as ones to the airport often are.
I left work at three full of anticipation for seeing my youngest, now 16, who did not make it here this summer, so xmas last year was the last I saw of him. His flight was due in at 509 and the airport, on a good day, is about 40 minutes away, so really, I had allowed plenty of time and I would rather sit and knit and be early, than have him have to wait on me as he does enough waiting on his sorryassmotherfucker of a father.
The two minute drive from the mall to the beltway onramp took 37 minutes. Can anyone say fucking holiday traffic sucks? Once I hit the beltway, which I thought would be the worst of the traffic, it was a straight shot through at about 70 miles an hour pausing just for three toll plazas which were not at all backed up. The biggest toll plaza has been modified since my last use of Beltway 8 and is decidedly more EZ Tag friendly and one of these days I must get a round to getting one of those. I arrived at the air port at about 430 and figured by the time I checked the momnitors, I would have little time to knit.
The 509 flight was delayed and was scheduled for 545. Not too bad. I sat down in baggage claim because it was quiet and that is where there were seats. This is a small airport. Why don't they get that people who need to meet someone inside might want to sit? There is plenty of seating at the gate and for ticketed passengers, that is just lovely. With the new security measures, ok, not so new, that is of no help. There were easily 50 people hanging around the security checkpoint at the end of the concourse where my boy would be coming from. The baggage area is just around the corner and down the escalator from there and there is new seating down there. Airport planning and management is on crack.
So I sat down in the peaceful but cold airport baggage area and knit. I was up at 5 to work at 7, so the knitting also made me need to rest my eyes. Just for a minute. Really. I did actually get some knitting done. At 545, I went and checked the monitor and the flight had scrolled off so it had arrived. I went upstairs and waited for my boy. I was figuring 6 ft tall by now and watching all the people streaming through.
There was a young black boy of a bout 5 wearing a cute little leather bomber jacket, a look that took me back, but, no, not my boy. There were many young men who could have fit the bill, most of them older, a few in suits, but none of them mine.
At 610 I called my boy. I figured if he was here, his phone would be back on and maybe I missed him, so even though missing him was not really possible I asked:
Me: Where are you?
C: Atlanta.
Me: Excuse me?There was a delay.
pause in a WTF sort of way
Me: Liar.
C: AAAAAAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA..gotcha. I am at the gate not off the plane yet.
Me: Okay see you soon, love you.
C: Muah.
That little fucker did not miss a beat in this conversation. When he walked through the gate and hugged me, his bony little self was crushing me. He misses his mamaa so. I am sure I will be ready to strangle him in short order. Oh wait, he used all the minutes last month and then had $500+ in cell charges. I am already ready to strangle him.
Off to work.
I left work at three full of anticipation for seeing my youngest, now 16, who did not make it here this summer, so xmas last year was the last I saw of him. His flight was due in at 509 and the airport, on a good day, is about 40 minutes away, so really, I had allowed plenty of time and I would rather sit and knit and be early, than have him have to wait on me as he does enough waiting on his sorryassmotherfucker of a father.
The two minute drive from the mall to the beltway onramp took 37 minutes. Can anyone say fucking holiday traffic sucks? Once I hit the beltway, which I thought would be the worst of the traffic, it was a straight shot through at about 70 miles an hour pausing just for three toll plazas which were not at all backed up. The biggest toll plaza has been modified since my last use of Beltway 8 and is decidedly more EZ Tag friendly and one of these days I must get a round to getting one of those. I arrived at the air port at about 430 and figured by the time I checked the momnitors, I would have little time to knit.
The 509 flight was delayed and was scheduled for 545. Not too bad. I sat down in baggage claim because it was quiet and that is where there were seats. This is a small airport. Why don't they get that people who need to meet someone inside might want to sit? There is plenty of seating at the gate and for ticketed passengers, that is just lovely. With the new security measures, ok, not so new, that is of no help. There were easily 50 people hanging around the security checkpoint at the end of the concourse where my boy would be coming from. The baggage area is just around the corner and down the escalator from there and there is new seating down there. Airport planning and management is on crack.
So I sat down in the peaceful but cold airport baggage area and knit. I was up at 5 to work at 7, so the knitting also made me need to rest my eyes. Just for a minute. Really. I did actually get some knitting done. At 545, I went and checked the monitor and the flight had scrolled off so it had arrived. I went upstairs and waited for my boy. I was figuring 6 ft tall by now and watching all the people streaming through.
There was a young black boy of a bout 5 wearing a cute little leather bomber jacket, a look that took me back, but, no, not my boy. There were many young men who could have fit the bill, most of them older, a few in suits, but none of them mine.
At 610 I called my boy. I figured if he was here, his phone would be back on and maybe I missed him, so even though missing him was not really possible I asked:
Me: Where are you?
C: Atlanta.
Me: Excuse me?There was a delay.
pause in a WTF sort of way
Me: Liar.
C: AAAAAAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA..gotcha. I am at the gate not off the plane yet.
Me: Okay see you soon, love you.
C: Muah.
That little fucker did not miss a beat in this conversation. When he walked through the gate and hugged me, his bony little self was crushing me. He misses his mamaa so. I am sure I will be ready to strangle him in short order. Oh wait, he used all the minutes last month and then had $500+ in cell charges. I am already ready to strangle him.
Off to work.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Max and Anna
This was my first attempt using transparencies for photos. My dad took this pic about 50 years ago and it is of his parents. I recently came into possession of about 2000 of his 4 inch negatives from back in the day and this is first in a series. Nice bonus that it sold.
I first made a black and white transparency. Then the transparency is coated front and back with matte Mod Podge. Sections were painted with craft paint then cut oout and modpodged to a piece of tin. The background is a piece of chinese paper I found in Santa Fe. I wanted to add clock works to the top right, but ran out of time. It is whatever it was supposed to be because hey, it SOLD!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Damn, but I make some good onion dip!
Tomorrow is our holiday potluck at work. There are 29 of us and several nationalities and ethnicities are represented, so we usually have quite a good spread going on. There has even been custome participation in the past, so really, the unexpected should be expected.
Dianne will bring her spinach dip, Miriam will make a huge ham and cheese empanada which she then cuts into little sandwiches, and I know someone is making queso. The boss is making a ham and bringing some other stuff as well, and I imagine someone will fess up with plates or something equally lame.
We all, well, almost all, kicked in $5 and I went today and picked up a gift card for the boss to Perry's Steakhouse & Grill. There is a new location recently opened at our mall, and it is divine.
So yes, I am bringing onion dip. This morning, I was pan frying the onions and they were smelling so good. I just wanted to dig into them with a fork as they sat on the plate cooling slightly. I made a double batch of dip thinking that half would go to work, and half would be for the 3rd Annual White Trash Xmas Buffet which is at our house on Sunday.
I worked 3-11 tonight and for my dinner break, I drove around to the front of the mall to get the gift card for Perry's. As it is the holiday season, it took most of my break to accomplish this. I decided that dinner would be a grande Chai from Starbucks, and stopped in there on my way back around to the other side of the mall.
OF course I knew that I would be putting dip into a container so it is ready to bring to work tomorrow. I also felt a certain responsibility to taste it and make sure it was just right. Also, to make sure noone would be keeling over tomorrow from food poisoning. My coworkers health is at the forefront of my thoughts. Really.
The dip is awesome, and hey, I am hungry. And there isn't exactly enought to save for WTXB3 and I will have to make more anyway. So in I dig. Yumm.
Queenmaxine's Awesome Onion Dip
8 oz block cream cheese
i cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
2 large onions diced small
I tbs butter
s + p to taste
In a saute pan over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the onions and some s + P. Saute the onions until they are a rich golden brown. The darker you can get the onions, the more flavorful the dip will be, bubt be careful to not scorch or burn. No black crispy onions! Set aside to cool slightly.
The other ingredients should be at room temperature. The cream cheese is really the important one as far as it needing to be softened to room temperature. If you forget to take it out or are just not too patient, break it up and nuke it for 30 seconds. Then blent it on high with electric beaters. Once it is creamy, add the mayo and sour cream, mixing the three together until the ingredients are nicely smooth and homo-genous.
Once the onions have cooled slightly, add them to the mix and stir thoroughly to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least a couple of hours. Once you taste it, it is indanger of not making it to its final destination, so buy double ingredients to begin with!
Dianne will bring her spinach dip, Miriam will make a huge ham and cheese empanada which she then cuts into little sandwiches, and I know someone is making queso. The boss is making a ham and bringing some other stuff as well, and I imagine someone will fess up with plates or something equally lame.
We all, well, almost all, kicked in $5 and I went today and picked up a gift card for the boss to Perry's Steakhouse & Grill. There is a new location recently opened at our mall, and it is divine.
So yes, I am bringing onion dip. This morning, I was pan frying the onions and they were smelling so good. I just wanted to dig into them with a fork as they sat on the plate cooling slightly. I made a double batch of dip thinking that half would go to work, and half would be for the 3rd Annual White Trash Xmas Buffet which is at our house on Sunday.
I worked 3-11 tonight and for my dinner break, I drove around to the front of the mall to get the gift card for Perry's. As it is the holiday season, it took most of my break to accomplish this. I decided that dinner would be a grande Chai from Starbucks, and stopped in there on my way back around to the other side of the mall.
OF course I knew that I would be putting dip into a container so it is ready to bring to work tomorrow. I also felt a certain responsibility to taste it and make sure it was just right. Also, to make sure noone would be keeling over tomorrow from food poisoning. My coworkers health is at the forefront of my thoughts. Really.
The dip is awesome, and hey, I am hungry. And there isn't exactly enought to save for WTXB3 and I will have to make more anyway. So in I dig. Yumm.
Queenmaxine's Awesome Onion Dip
8 oz block cream cheese
i cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
2 large onions diced small
I tbs butter
s + p to taste
In a saute pan over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the onions and some s + P. Saute the onions until they are a rich golden brown. The darker you can get the onions, the more flavorful the dip will be, bubt be careful to not scorch or burn. No black crispy onions! Set aside to cool slightly.
The other ingredients should be at room temperature. The cream cheese is really the important one as far as it needing to be softened to room temperature. If you forget to take it out or are just not too patient, break it up and nuke it for 30 seconds. Then blent it on high with electric beaters. Once it is creamy, add the mayo and sour cream, mixing the three together until the ingredients are nicely smooth and homo-genous.
Once the onions have cooled slightly, add them to the mix and stir thoroughly to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least a couple of hours. Once you taste it, it is indanger of not making it to its final destination, so buy double ingredients to begin with!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
allow me to brace your descent with my breast
eb leans in to bid me farewell with a kiss and i say it and she says to write it down and since i am online and it is easiest, i write it here not necessarily to share with y'all, but out of convenience. bon jour.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Frosty
Lilli Munster and I were just outside and there is frost on the ground. Frost. That is just plain wrong. She is out there like a little bouncing toy shivering away trying to find a spot to poo. W.R.O.N.G.
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