Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animals!

Ah the sounds of a honking horn and your own cursing as you drive though the streets in search of last minute presents for your loved ones! As you can see, the world didn’t end on the day everyone expected it to. It’s more exciting to not know when the end is coming, in my opinion. I just hope I am doing something awesome like eating chocolate while floating the Frio River with my family. What a way to go!

This time last week, I was happily packing 3 years worth of accumulated junk and heading to a bright, but unknown future. It’s amazing how much hair you can lose in a week! Stress is my middle name right now. With the anxiety of losing a job and starting another, that should be enough. But let’s make this extra fun by adding that the new job is completely out of the field I had been working in for the past 10 years. For a tasty dash of insanity, mix Christmas in there too. There we have the perfect recipe for my mental break down. I’ve started speaking in one word sentences, because that’s pretty much all I can get out. But it’s all about to relax a bit.

Tomorrow is the big Christmas finale, and hopefully the insanity dies down, and I can get back to focusing on just the new job.
My new office is great so far. They have treated me like one of the family since day one. The challenge that this position presents is not an easy one. I will have to learn all about an industry that I have never dealt with before. It’s exactly what I wanted, and feared most. I knew what I was doing in insurance. I knew the rules, regulations, the paper work, and the people. I was shoved out of my comfort zone, and into this amazing opportunity.

This upcoming year will be a challenging, but good one. I'm off to a party at my parents with a few of my favorite people. Time to dust the powdered sugar and get festive. Much love to all my readers! Merry Christmas!

A Happy Ending

These past few days have been full of ups and downs for me. On Friday I finally got my long awaited answer about my job and if I would have one after the new year. The answer was no. Three years of putting up with the crazy people and ridiculous procedures, and I was given my walking papers. There was no "I'm sorry." Just a brief speech about how he has been working on this for years. It was just as sad and disappointing as it sounds. I might have been expecting it, but the reality doesn't hit until you are driving home worried about how you will pay bills and survive.

But all hope wasn't lost yet. Just minutes before I was called in front of the firing squad, I was called by a recruiter that had a position she thought I would be a great match for. They needed a person to start right away. She said she would make arrangements and call me back. Not 10 minutes after I left the office with my stomach tied in knots, she called me back. She said the company was interested and they wanted me to come in first thing Monday morning. I felt a little better after that. I was still pretty bummed and nervous.

I spent my weekend doing Christmas things like baking cookies and going to see the Nutcracker Ballet with a friend. Sunday I knew I would need to be extraordinarily awesome to land the job I was interviewing for. I bought pantyhose for the first time in years. I polished my shoes, and practiced interview questions in my head. I wanted to be as perfect polished and professional as I could be.

I woke up this morning as nervous as hell. It's been a while since I've interviewed under so much pressure. I headed over to the recruiting office first for paperwork and a warm up interview. Soon enough I was sent on my way to the clients office for the main event. I knew they would have to make a quick decision, and my first impression had to be perfect. Of course I was nervous enough, but when I arrived I wasn't meeting with some HR guru. I met with the bosses. The big bosses. They didn't have any of the normal "where do you see yourself in five years?" questions.

They asked me about my abilities, and if I had thick skin. Could I work under pressure? I almost laughed at that one. I wanted to say, you have no idea the pressure I'm under this very minute! So very quickly the interview was over. They asked if I had a few minutes to speak to the lady they were replacing to know what I was potentially getting into. After 30 more minutes, I was out the door. I still had no idea if I had the job. I drove back to the recruiting office to fill out more paperwork. I was faced with having to go back to my old office and clean out my desk.

I was done with my paperwork, and I was getting ready to leave the recruiting office. They said they would call me when they heard. Before I could get out of my chair, the other recruiter burst into the office and asked if I could start my new job at 1pm. And so, I did. Of course I still had to go clean out my old office. I proudly walked into my former bosses office, handed him my keys and credit card, and packed up my stuff with a pep in my step and whistling while I worked.

I drove away from the office that had thrown my hard work away so easily, and headed towards my new position. It's something I have been wanting to do for some time. I always wanted it to be on my own terms. But you know, I don't mind it this way. My former employer actually asked me if I could still make myself available to help him and the rest of his office transition into the new company. He didn't need me to stay, he just needs me to train his newly configured staff on how to do my job. Well, I'm pretty sure I won't have time. This is a goal I've been working this for years. 3 years to be precise. The End.

Run, Run Rudolph

I have been crafting like the wind lately. Planned projects and even a few unplanned projects have been getting done. I feel like a sewing genius because I tailored a pair of pants, and they didn’t come out too bad! Apparently I can sew. I never knew I had it in me! The latest project I have taken on is one for Mr. Pigglesworth. He’s an angry birds fanatic, and this weekend I saw some angry birds ribbon. Of course I asked my mom what I could make for Piggy that I could use the ribbon with, and she suggested I trim a blanket with it. I took it all home, and contemplated it for a couple of days. Last night I got to work on it, and it’s not half bad. I’ve decided it needs something else. Right now, it’s a plain red fleece blanket with fancy trim. It looks like I need to make a trip to the craft store for felt. I don’t mind putting a little extra effort into it. I must say, sewing in a strait line is as hard as drawing a strait line for me. I don’t know why this is.

This week is soup week in the house, since we are enjoying our first real cold weather of the winter. Monday and Tuesday was chicken and dumplings. Tonight will be tomato parmesan basil. I am not a fan of tomato soup. Canned tomato soup makes me want to gag. I treat it like toxic waste when I make it for my hubby. This morning when I was opening the can of tomatoes to put in the crockpot, I felt ill the moment I smelled it. Maybe it’s all in my head. I’ll eat tomato sauce with just about anything, but put cream in it, and call it soup? I’ve got to give myself a pep talk before I eat it.

Tomorrow night Santa and the wonderful people with the volunteer fire department will be coming down our street and visiting with the kids. It’s time to make some cocoa and get excited. Only 12 days until Christmas. I feel the pressure of unfinished shopping and baking on my shoulders. I know I will get it all done. But it feels like such an impossible task to get it all together before the most wonderful time of the year. Baking and shopping will happen this weekend. Next Friday, Piggy and I are invited to a special Polar Express Party. My friend has put so much thought and detail into the party, it is sure to be a good time. Plus, we can wear pajamas. There isn’t anything better than a pajama wearing party. Unless there will be whiskey at that party. Then it will be perfect.

Ready, Set, Christmas!

17 days until Christmas. AHHH! Time to get it together and look like I know what I am doing! My sewing machine is back, and ready to rock. I have things to do with it! Everyone is complaining it doesn't feel like Christmas because the weather is warm. Look, we are here in South Texas. It's warm down here. I for one like to ENJOY the outdoors without burning to a crisp or freezing my cheeks off. A slight chill is acceptable. Anything lower than 50 is illegal in my book. Of course this coming Monday, we are going to be freezing our colungas off. Thank goodness it will only last a few days.

This weekend, I am getting my mise-en-place (ingredients in place) for my food gifts. I won't make them yet, but I need to make sure I have what I need. At some point this month, my parents are recruiting myself and the rest of the family for tamale making. A few years ago, my husband and I decided to try our hand at it too. While we had a good time, and made some tasty tamales, it isn't a cheap endeavor. Also, make sure you have all day, and patience. The results are delicious, and you can't beat homemade tamales. 

As many homemade gifts as I plan on making, there are also a few things I will have to buy. I'm not looking forward to shopping, but it just can't be helped. I need to finish up some gifts and projects, and there are things I just can't make. I wish I could knit. I would love to make scarves and hats. Maybe that will be my goal for next year. I can conquer needles and yarn. Maybe I can "yarn bomb" something one of these days! If you don't know what that is, it's worth a Google search. You can learn more about it here: Yarn Bombing

I Did and I Still Do

Today is most assuredly Monday. Not only did my dogs dig out yet again, I was running late for work. Of course I decided to take the freeway to work because it is faster, only to realize that everyone else in my city was apparently running late too.  But all of that is negated by the fact that seven years ago, I was standing in front of my friends and family trying to get through my vows without bawling, and failing. Of course my sister in law told me to keep some tissue in my cleavage, and boy howdy, did that come in handy. The funniest part was when I started crying, the hubby's grip on my hand went from sweaty/nervous groom to, "It's too late to run now!" He clamped down on my fingers, and got his feet shoulder-width apart, ready to trip me, or run me down.

Of course, I am elaborating. Really, he did grip my fingers harder, and yes his hands were sweaty. He didn't get ready to trip me, but I did see worry flicker in his eyes. I wasn't crying because I was scared, I was crying because I was finally there. I was finally marrying him! It was surreal.  After the wedding, we went home, changed out of our wedding clothes and went back over to my parents' where the keg and other party goers had relocated. We caught up with friends and ate pizza. Our wedding night was a memorable one. We ended up taking our nephew and the hubby's best friend home with us. We had a discussion on the the why's and why not's of circumcising baby boys. (friend's wife was pregnant) We put our nephew and friend to bed, and just as our heads hit our pillows, we passed out. We didn't get a honeymoon, because he had to work on Monday.

On our 20th anniversary, I want to renew our vows, while we are on a trip to Italy. As per my best friend: "Your husband should get a medal for putting up with you for 7 years." Yes, and I should get a trip to Italy for putting up with him for 20 years. Only 13 more years to go!

One More for the Road

I packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour: 4 p.m. And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then. This will be my last daily blog, for a while at least! Christmas and all the various sundries attached to it needs my attention right now. Spending an hour trying to think of something to write, and rewriting it is a time killer.   Not that I haven’t enjoyed sharing myself with all of you daily, but it’s not easy trying to think of things to write about every single day. I mean, even my life isn’t that exciting.

Today I am wrapping up another month here at the office. There are so many small things to do that quickly adds up to a massive pile. My options are finish it out, or burn it. Since my clients tend to get upset when I burn their requests, I just process. It never fails that at 4:50, on the last day of the month, which also happens to be a Friday, there will be one person who calls me with an emergency. They sit on this stuff until it is almost too late, and then dump it on my plate. This is highly annoying, but also par for the course.

Soon enough, I might be beating the streets begging for any old job I can find. Turns out, since September my boss has been in dealings with another agency in town. The plan is for our office to merge with theirs. I have suspected this for a long time. But the issue is it will be happening by the end of the coming month.  The building we are in has sold, and the new owners really want to move in ASAP. To stay in compliance with my boss’s sterling reputation, he has kept quiet about the entire process. When the owners of the other company stopped by for a closed door meeting, we knew the jig was up.

One of my coworkers asked the Office Nazi what was going on. He told her that our competitor stopped by because he was buying the furniture.  Our old broken down, held together on hopes and prayers furniture? Not likely. That’s like telling a 10 year old the reason Santa’s beard is lopsided, his breath smells like whiskey, and he sounds exactly like Uncle Al, is because Uncle Al is Santa. We aren’t that stupid. I’m insulted you think I would even fall for that. My placement here hangs in the balance. It’s nerve wracking. But I’m not forcing my hand. I am waiting for the announcement to make the decision as to what I will be doing. My resume is all over the immediate area. If a company is hiring, then I have applied for it. I like to be proactive. But the hour is getting late, and I really hate to be on unemployment. I’m hoping everything works out for the best, but I am planning for trying times. The Hubby and I have discussed selling the house and moving into a trailer behind his parents’ house.  But the only way I could do that is if I was barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen, and was bat shit crazy. Since I only usually qualify for the in the kitchen part, we will have to come up with a different plan.

HUGE thanks for reading all month long!  400 more page views and I will have reached 10,000 views!!!! That is simply amaze-balls! 1979 page views for November alone. Thanks to every single person out there who reads and passes my page on. I heart you.

Slave Child Labor Is Cute and Free

Free child labor tomorrow night! Those are sweet words to my ears. Mr. Pigglesworth's parents are going out tomorrow evening, and since they don't trust their dog or their teenager to watch him, I get him. The night is already planned out. Get a Christmas tree, get some pizza, decorate the tree, and eat the pizza, maybe look at the moon through Uncle Beebs' telescope, and sleep. The following day, I am scheduled to go on a ladies day out excursion to celebrate a friend's birthday. But before any of that can happen, I still need to go home, feed my hubby, and then help with a special project at my sister's house.

Since I am a glutton for punishment, I have decided to attempt making salt dough ornaments for gift tags as well. Hopefully, I can have slave labor (Piggy) assist me in this as well. Kids love that stuff don't they? If not I can always distract him with TV and popcorn. I'll pick up tacos for breakfast, and save myself the embarrassment of failing at pancakes again. I fail at breads. Even griddle cakes. Why?! I can conquer any new recipe thrown my way, unless it is bread related. I've got some serious bad mojo blocking my bread chi.

My Blog About Nothing

I have writer's block today. I can't think of anything to write about, other than not being able to think of something. My last resort is to go through a list accomplishments for the day.

1. I woke up. While this may not seem like much, I will take it as a win.

2. I got myself dressed and out the door in 20 minutes. Of course I couldn't have done this without the hubby who made my lunch and coffee.

3. I made it to work only 3 minutes late. The boss didn't even notice. Score for me!

4. I ate. Yup breakfast, lunch and snack.

5. I worked. But only when I wasn't eating.

6. I talked to my sister, husband, and emailed my mom. Important things.

7. I wrote an article for a newsletter. It was about a charity project.

8. I came home. I made it out alive!

9. I made dinner. Carnitas transformed into bbq pork sandwitches with pickles and slaw. Yum.

10. I made a cake. I refilled dessert in the fridge, as per the hubby's request.

11. I wrote this blog. It's the best I could think of. (sorry)

I figure I still have a few things to do like brushing my teeth, and going to bed. It's been a day. Wednesday to be exact. I promise better writing tomorrow. Pinky swear!

Sugar Coating is for Cookies

My homemade Christmas gift plans are coming together nicely. I don't want to start making my confections too soon, because they need to be fresh. But I can't wait for my house to start smelling like a candy factory.

As usual, the kids are pretty easy. Just wrap some toys and call it done. But it's always a challenge to come up with things for the adults on my list. That's why I'm hoping going homemade is my answer. I still have an enormous amount of things to do. I am hoping to have at least three items done this weekend. The more I get done now, the less I will be freaking out about in 3 weeks.

It's The Final Count Down

*snap* Just like that the last Monday of November is gone. In four more days we can kiss this month good bye. It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun, and boy have we had some fun. I'm also at the end of my month of marathon blogging. Whew! One solid month of daily posts. (-1 day) It has been interesting. But, it's time to get back to my regularly scheduled program. My plan is to get back to once weekly posting for the month of December. Until next year, NaBloPoMo.. . It's been fun!

The Beebs Family Christmas Tree

4 days in a row off make for a hard day back on Monday. The office is sure to be crazy, and I'm not looking forward to it.

One more month until Christmas! My brain is on my crafts, and on all the wonderful projects I need to make progress on. As usual, I feel like I am running behind. I don't even have my decorations up yet. I've decided I would like a real tree instead of the fake one I drag out and tussle with yearly.

It's not like I'm worried about the cats getting in it, because I already know they will be. They perch themselves in the fake tree's limbs, and have done so since they were kittens. It you aren't careful, you might get swiped at as you pass by. They are the reason why I pretty much gave up on traditional ornament hooks and strap everything down with floral wire. There are those that would say the needles get everywhere. But our fake tree sheds "needles" by the pound too. You just can't recreate the smell. I've purchased the pine scented sticks you hide in the tree, and have some Scentsy wax that mimics the scent. But it's just not the same.

I can't wait to go pick one out with the hubby. Even better, I can't wait to have them bundle it up and tie it down to the roof of my "family truckster". If you see some crazy lady in a blue Honda element blasting Christmas carols with a tree strapped to the top, just smile and wave. My husband won't see you, as he will be scrunched down in his seat trying to avoid being seen with me.

Into The Wild-ish

Tonight I will be sitting in the South Texas brush worrying about snakes. My sister and her husband are headed down to the hunting lease in Rios, Texas, and I've decided to join them. I'm bummed because my husband won't be coming. But the chance to go play camping was too tempting. I'll be back tomorrow. Spontaneous much?

Crockpot Quest Complete

I made it through Black Friday unscathed. It may seem crazy to some to stand in line at 4:45am for a crockpot. But to me it was worth it. I've got two new crockpots for the price of 1 1/2, and I was home before the sun was up. We did venture out last night to Walmart to pick up some cat food and possibly a pots and pans set my sister wanted. We didn't get them, but I scored a bra for $6 and the hubby got some new work pants.

While we waited in the ridiculously long line to check out, we noticed how torn up the store was. People had been in a shopping frenzy, loading their carts up with video games, candle sets, sewing machines, and toys. But once they went to stand in line to check out, they must have second guessed their purchases, because there were discarded items under, and on top of clothes racks. There were things shoved on shelves, and in bins lining the check out area. I feel sorry for all the people having to clean that up today.

Today is a day of resting and a little bit of cleaning. The rest of the weekend will be as uneventful if we can help it. I hope to finally complete at least one of my crafts and maybe start a new one. Hip Hip Hurray for extra long weekends!

The Rolls Just Won't Rise

"It's easy!", said the recipe. Oh yes, it's all very simple till the buns are in the oven, and fail to rise to the occasion. I'm not sure what went wrong. I added the ingredients. I mixed them according to specifications. I set them to rise for 20 minutes. I came back to the same blobby shaped dough that I put in the pan. I added 15 more minutes to the count. The blobs have spread out but not up. I'm currently adding another 10 minutes to the timer in hopes that a Thanksgiving miracle will occur. But I really need two miracles. Sadly, I have a better chance at my rolls working out.

My family will be gathering today to eat drink, and be merry. But, we will be missing a very important person at the table. It's a sad thing to purposely exclude yourself from the entire family because you are mad at one person. Instead of trying to work it out, you are trying to make a point. But in the process, you hurt 6 other people. I suppose that we are all just collateral damage. If your plan is to seem selfish and bitter, you've done a good job. While the people that will always love you most are feeling alienated, I hope you find solace in your alone time. We are only on this Earth for a short time. I choose to spend as much of that time with the ones who will always love me, and will be there with me till the end.

It's never too late. Step out of your piteous cocoon and take your place at the table with your family. Be with us as we celebrate all of our triumphs and blessings. We don't have so much time left together that we can waste it on self righteous indignation.

Thanksgiving Eve

Today is my short day here at the office. T-minus 2 hours, and I can burst forth from this wretched prison. My to do list is small. 1. Help prep for dinner tomorrow 2. Make homemade rolls 3. Make breakfast 4. Eat.  Although, making homemade rolls is pretty big for me. I know making yeast rolls is not rocket science. It's more like brain surgery.  If I make one wrong move, my rolls won't rise, and I'll end up with a mess. If you mess up in brain surgery, there is no fixing it. When I was taking culinary arts and restaurant management courses at the local college, bread was my Achilles heel. I made pies, cakes, fritters, gingerbread houses, and truffles, and I mastered them all. Bread was a miserable failure for me. So since I wasn't taking on turkey roasting this year, I decided to challenge myself. Of course I have a back up, just in case I don't triumph over yeast rolls. If I do triumph, I will be sure to post pictures of the joy my rolls are sure to bring.

I hope if you are traveling to a destination for this holiday you arrive safe, and don't have too many delays. If you are expecting a houseful, may your whiskey never run dry, and your guests behave themselves. "May your turkey's be moist, and your mashed potatoes be full of butter and milk. "- Beebs proverb

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL, SPECTACULAR, GENIUS, HANDSOME HUSBAND!

Tuesday Was Today.

I had to go to the store again. Just this one last time. I swear I am done! Well, at least until the weekend. Then the week just starts over again doesn't it? As impossible as it seems, we are two days away from the day of turkey and other various food sundries. Also, my husband embarks on his last year of his 30's tomorrow. We are celebrating with snickers brownies and teriyaki marinated ribeye steaks and oven baked fries. It seems impossible that we are really in the "hurry up it's almost Christmas time" crunch. I started on one of my sketchier crafts last night, and it turned out 1/2 crappy and 1/2 great. I can at least fix the crappy part. I'll need a sewing machine, and my husband's help. (That's like calling in the National Guard of crafting) Hopefully, I'll be able to salvage the awesome part, and make sure it lives on to be wrapped and put under the tree. It was my original plan to duplicate said master piece, but I thought about it, and decided that I would run the risk of going all O.C.D. on it. I would most likely obsess until it was either a mess, or I was locked away.  I may decide to try something else. I wish I could post pictures, but I don't want to spoil the surprise.Tomorrow is a half day at work! So, I am headed to my sisters to help in any way I can after I get off. Time to go cut those snickers brownies I've been diligently working on this evening. If the hubby hadn't loved the cheesy hash browns for dinner so much, he might have been enjoying them with me.

Thanksgiving 50% Complete

This is a very short week for most of us. There are people traveling, kids out of school, and the stores are a mad house. Welcome to the holidays, eh? I've done my shopping for food related items, and honestly, there is really nothing further to do, than to get some steaks for my husband's birthday, and make him a great meal. I can handle that I suppose.

My biggest goal of the week is to not over eat, and make sure I limit my carbs and my fat. I am not sure if I can not over eat. We will have a late lunch at my in-laws, and then have a big dinner at my sisters. I know it sounds crazy, but I am going to make sure we have a good breakfast in the morning. That way, we will be hungry for lunch but not STARVING, and then we can limit our portions at lunch, and still have room for dinner. This has always been the challenge for me personally. I can't say much about the hubby. He chows down, no matter what, and ends up in a food coma on someone's couch. He can't help himself! I at least have Hayden to keep me busy. He doesn't know the meaning of slow down.  I often think he has two modes, go and sleep.

We Are Space Cadets

Today I failed at making waffles, mostly failed at pancakes, and gave up cooking for the day. Poor Hayden was the recipient of the only edible food item I produced this morning. Thank goodness for left overs.

I purchased the items I needed for a few of the crafts I planned, and started the first project. I'm undecided on if I should paint or do iron-on decals for one of them. My dilemma is that I can hardly draw a straight line, let alone paint one, an the iron on decals can look kind of cheap and frayed if you don't do it right. There's a 50/50 chance it will still end up something that is shoved into a closet and never put to use.

Tonight the Hubby brought out his telescope and we got to see the moon and all it's crater covered glory. We also got to peak at the North Star. Sadly, it looks like a bright dot. Nothing exceptional there. We are looking forward to learning how to use the scope to it's full potential. I have grand ideas of viewing mars and other close planets. Maybe even a peek at Saturn and it's rings? Hope springs eternal. As always, the initial investment of a good scope is never enough, and we need to purchase more accessories. The first thing on my husband's list? A filter for viewing the sun. No, I'm not kidding. He's really going to do it. I'll let you know if he needs to have retina transplants. I married a crazy man.

Party on Wayne, Party on Garth

So I missed a blog post yesterday! I didn't mean to, it just happened. Or didn't happen, I suppose. Today was a good day. The husband got his Italian feast, his carrot cake, and his telescope. He ate too much, and enjoyed himself. It was missing a few key people, but all in all, it was a good party. Next week is his actual birthday, and since it is the day before Thanksgiving, I'll be cooking and getting ready for eat fest 2012. Next year, he will be getting turkey and all the trimmings for his birthday meal. But I always try to make sure he gets one special day that is all for him. He is worth all the fuss.

It's A Sweater!

I was going to make pork tenderloin and veggies in the crock pot today, but sadly, I just didn't feel like it. So, Papa Murphy's to the rescue! I can do that occasionally. It's allowed! In other news: in addition to the other crafts I have planned, I have added crafting an ugly holiday sweater to my list. I am a board member of a local life and health insurance group, and this is the theme we decided on for the December membership meeting. I've never had an occasion to wear, purchase, or design an ugly sweater. I am excited! I have all sorts of excellent ideas that involve tinsel, lights, and most likely some annoying song playing device that I could rip out of a stuffed animal or a card. There is no prize, it's just an excellent and fun holiday activity.

Tonight I am going to gather all of the candy left over from Halloween, and take it to the local volunteer fire department, so they can use it in their goodie bags they pass out to the crowds during their  wonderful annual tour with Santa around the Bluff. It's possible that we may even load up on the trailer with them this year and pass out candy ourselves. This has been going on since I was a kid and I remember looking forward to it each and every year. Now my nephew is the one that is foaming at the mouth, just waiting for the sirens, lights, and Christmas music that is the sign that Santa has arrived. The awesome part of it all, Santa doesn't just drive by in our 'hood. He gets off his "sleigh", greets the children personally, takes pictures, and our neighbors generously open their home to everyone in the parade of vehicles to come get cocoa, water and hot dogs! Of course in years past, my only involvement in this was helping hand out cocoa and baking cookies to hand out. I suppose this year would be as good as any to do more for an organization that is there to save our lives, and also spread Christmas cheer. You just couldn't ask for anything more!

I'm A Naughty Auntie

I've been naughty and nice today. In my hopes to make this Christmas as exciting and magical as it can be for a 7 year old, I have written a letter from Santa, in response to his letter to Santa, and forged his name. Hayden will receive a very personalized letter from the North Pole, along with a picture of Santa and Rudolph. I didn't do this in years past. I'm not sure it would have been remembered, or had an impact. He can read fairly well by himself now, and that makes this letter worth it's weight in printer ink. (which is way more expensive than gold!) I was told by my sister in law about a website that charges $10 and mails the letter for you. I think for now, Hayden's not going to pay attention to post marks, and if he questions it in the future for some reason, well, Santa has elves everywhere doesn't he? I would like to make Santa as real as I can, for as long as I can.

My parents used to have one of the guys in the family dress up like Santa for us when we were little. I remember crying about sitting on Santa's lap the year Uncle Alan drew the short straw. He smelled like Jack Daniels, and he bit my ear. (he still bites ears) Of course, the adults had a few laughs too. I won't lie and say that I have used the threat of calling Santa when Hayden was acting up. One time, I even called my mom's house and left "Santa" a message about Hayden's behavior, and boy did that get tears faster than any threat of a butt whoopin'. You can bet he was on his best behavior after that. (for a while at least!) 

The website Lettersfromsanta.org provides a free option which you can use twice, or pay $10 for a premium option. I went with the free one, and wasn't satisfied with the background, which reminded me of an angry Santa. So I put the letter on a different background, and replied to the questions that Hayden had asked Santa in the letters we wrote this weekend. I even included a picture of Santa and Rudolph. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Last Minute Larry

Oh I blogged today. Yes I did. It might be late, and this is not my best effort, but it's an effort none the less. Today will go down in my record books as WTF Day. Every year we will mark it by being senseless and unfounded. Get ready for next years commemoration. I'll serve the crazy on a stick and the special koolaid.

Christmas prep is in the works. Stocking stuffers and presents are decided upon, and the crafts list is narrowed down. This weekend is the hubby's party, and I'm excited to give him his gifts. Too bad I'm making him wait till his actual party to give them to him. Next weekend is decorating open season. I can't wait! I'm just not sure what to do with the dogs, since their crate is in the living room where the tree normally goes. Maybe I can wrap them as presents and make them coordinate with the tree. Knowing Lucifina, she would chew out of her packaging, and not stop until the tree is devoured. I should craft them cages with steel bars painted to look like candy canes... Any one have an arc welder I can borrow?

Another Drama PSA, For Your Pleasure

I am an advice giver and all around mothering type. It has always been in my nature to be the ear everyone bends when they are having issues, and my advice is usually given freely. But there are those few that I lose my patience with. I can't take the bitching, the self loathing, the scowls, and the general nasty attitudes. People have problems. That's life. But most of the people around you didn't have a thing to do with what made you angry. Take your f*ck world attitude, and shove it where the sun don't shine.  Everyone is entitled to a bad day. But you know what, when you have more bad days then good, then you need some help. Take your anger and your drama to a therapist and let it out. Don't come home or bring it to work.

Life is so much better without drama! Why can't people realize this, and stop creating it?! It's not hard. Have an issue with someone? Ask them directly about it, and don't assume. That cuts down on so much drama. If you feel like you need to alienate those around you, and make everyone uncomfortable, while you let your issue fester, shame on you. Wallowing in self righteous anger because of misunderstandings or minor issues, makes you and your surrounding environment like poison. The solution is simple. Be more forgiving and understanding. Talk to the person you have issues with, see a professional about your feelings, and make an effort to grow up and move on.

Life doesn't have to be filled with issues and drama, but eventually  people learn to expect issues from you. It's really  hard to want to include or be around someone who is well known for taking a perfectly good day or occasion and turning it to crap. Life has enough unpleasant events to go around. Making more for yourself and others is a crime. There is so much out there to enjoy and be thankful for. If you stop bitching about the thorns, you might notice how beautiful the rose is.

Relaxed

Today was a good day. Slept in late, ate a free taco, and hung out with my hetero life mate. All is good and fine with the world. More Sundays like this are needed. Happy Veterans Day to all.

The Cheetah Who Changed My Life

Programming on the t.v. at 1am is usually rather dull. But occasionally, I come across something that is so amazing, it restores my faith in the world. No, it wasn't the newest exercise craze called the zoombatapoutnordic 5000. It was Animal Planet's Big Cat Diaries. These teams follow and document majestic species such as cheetah, lions, and leopards.

They are amazing animals, and their cubs are flipping adorable. But sometimes, these crews get in the way of the natural happenings. Poor cheetah mom had been unsuccessful the day before in catching some food for her cubs. So on this day, she found a lone gazelle, and she was stalking it like a pro. But right before the cheetah was in striking distance, something spooked the gazelle, and it took off in a flash. Of course the cheetah took off after it, and the camera panned out to show the chase. In the back ground I noticed about 3 big SUV's lined up. They were probably for the crew, and a few spotters. But they were parked in the way of the gazelle and cheetah. These obstructions clearly distracted the cheetah, and she missed her chance. The host was commenting on how tired the cheetah momma looked, and how the cubs might go without food again. As he's blathering on about the obvious, the cheetah comes over to the hosts vehicle, and jumps on top. These fools have two huge open sun roofs, and this hungry, and pissed off cheetah was within easy striking distance! Omgwtf scary!!

The cheetah vary carefully and gracefully positioned herself over the host's head, and proceeded to take a huge dump on him. It was outstanding! I wanted to jump out of bed and cheer! It's hands down the best thing I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Since I'm blogging from my phone, and I can't embed the video, but it's on YouTube. Search big cat diaries cheetah poops. Bask in the awesomeness!

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=OYuxnBFDPLo&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOYuxnBFDPLo

Gotta Get Down on Friday

Finally, it's Friday! I've been waiting for this day since 4 days ago!! It's time to find my sister and nephew and relax. Nothing strenuous will be done this weekend, unless you count laundry. Also, I might cut  the hellions' hair. Recently I learned via online tutorial how to cut hair in a "fade" style with clippers. My first try was on my hubby's head. I didn't do too bad of a job, but I need practice. I even cleaned up the hairline and shaved it. Not that I would shave the dogs, because that is just crazy. But it might save on vacuuming. If that works, then I'll move onto the cats. I may need drugs for that. For both me and the cats that is. Might as well paint my walls institution green and walk around in a hospital gown and slippers. "Choo choo, all aboard the crazy train!"

Watch This!!

Is your brain bleeding yet?? I'm sorry. ;) Mwahahahahaha!

30 Days In One Day, I Win!

All week, several of my close friends and family have been doing daily posts on Facebook for 30 days of giving thanks. I think it is a wonderful idea! You can never be too thankful. I am not participating because I am already posting my blog daily. But, I figured why not go ahead and list all 30 in one blog post? So here is my day 1-30 I am thankful for posts in no particular order:

1. My crazy family. I couldn't do this life thing without them.

2. My goofy, hilarious, smart, bull headed husband, who says no to my "suggestions", but does it anyway just to make me happy. He loves me, even when I lose my temper or my sanity. We may not always agree, but ultimately, we are a team.

3. My eclectic and fun mix of friends. Without them, girls night would be less gossipy and parties would be dull. Shopping would be less likely to induce sidesplitting laughter, and lunch wouldn't be a 2.5 hour ordeal.

4. My sister. She is a best friend, a partner in crime, the sun to my moon, the mother of my nephew, my comic relief, my cheerleader, my benefactor, my therapist, my enabler, and the best thing since sliced bread.

5. My hetero life mate. She has been there with me through relationships, growing pains, and pretty much everything I've gotten myself into since 1999. If I was married to a polygamist, I would be happy to be her sister-wife, she's just that awesome.

6. My online work buddy and long time friend on the East Coast. She is my complaint department, and I am hers. We keep each other from roasting alive in the burning stupid our offices can spit our way. Her enemies are mine, even though I have never met them, and we make fun of everyone. Also, she has the biggest collection of cat memes I have ever seen on a phone.

7. Diet Coke. Delicious.

8. My Mom. Her broken brain to mouth filter has never been fixed, and while it can be aggravating and  down right embarrassing at times, you never seem to leave anything unspoken. Your generosity is astounding, and if half the world were as giving and concerned as you, we would never have another war. I would vote for you if you ran for president. You would get this country back in shape, I just know it.

9. My Daddy. He's the salt of the Earth. He's a walking encyclopedia, and funny as hell. He is an amazing craftsman, and is probably one of the most patient people I have ever met. He is as laid back  as he is formidable. He's the reason I am book worm.

10. My Sister in Law, for being our champion, and for convincing me to stick with it. She promised it was worth it, and it has been.

11. My Job. It's not the best. I work for selfish jerks. But I have a job. I earn an okay paycheck, and I am able to help support my little family unit.

12. Coffee. I can't wake up without it. If I try, the day is ruined.

13. Books. I LOVE READING.

14. My animals. Yes, even the hellions. My house would be empty and silent without them.

15. That I was born and raised in the USA. Freedom of speech, right here.

16. Calculators. Because I suck at math.

17.  Cheese. But not stinky cheese. Swiss is as far as I'll go on stink factor.

18. The Internet, because I'm too old to hang out at the mall with my friends, and with the aid of stolen pictures, I am so much funnier. Life would be boring without it.

19. Air Conditioners and Fans. I live in the armpit of Texas. There is humidity and heat here. I would die without my cool air, man made or not.

20. Flat iron hair styling tool. Without it I would still have a 1/2 strait 1/2 curly mop with no hope.

21. Granny panties. Because most nights, I'd rather be comfy than sexy.

22. Chocolate. Because I would kill everyone without it.

23. Whiskey

24.  Rum

25. Vodka

26. That ABC hasn't cancelled my shows yet. (Once Upon A Time, 666 Park Avenue, occasionally Revenge)

27. For my crockpot. It makes dinner less of an effort and more of an event.

28. The air I breathe. Without it, I would die.

29. Diet Coke. Yes, again

30. The people that read my blog and support me in my hobby. Thank you for reading!!

Tempertantrums Abound

Slowly but surely, the world is going back to normal. There are still those clawing at the walls, railing about the end of the world, and how we are all going to die. Shhh now. Hush little babies, don't say a word... It's all going to be okay.

It's wonderful fabulous glorious Wednesday! Okay, maybe it's just Wednesday, but in 2 more days, another Friday will be upon us! 15 days until Thanksgiving! Which means.... only 47 days until Christmas.  Let's get those credit cards and billfolds warmed up y'all! I am trying to make my list , but I am stumped on a few key people. I wish everyone wanted legos. Shopping would be so much easier. Since I can't do that, and because I vowed to be crafty this year, I need to get to it. 47 days isn't long to craft 15 plus gifts. My mom said she would get my sewing machine fixed pronto, but I am not worried push comes to shove, I know how to glue... I need string, yarn, paint, glitter, felt, stuffing, and a hot poker. (The hot poker is to keep me on task.) This weekend, I will lay out my baking plans too. I will try to keep it to a minimum, but I have certain cookies that are expected of me. My reputation depends on it!

 I am missing my Mr. Pigglesworth. It has been an unacceptable 8 days since I have seen him last. He has grown 10 feet and graduated college by now, I'm willing to bet. I will have an all access back stage pass to him this weekend. I can't wait. I think we will need to do some thing extra special fun, but I am not sure what... Possibly take him and Uncle Beebs to go see "Wreck It Ralph"? Yea, I know how to show my fellas a good time!

Hush Your Mouth

Today is a very important day! I've made it through 6 whole days of posting! Not a single person has petitioned to block me for spam! Yay! Today's musings come from my excitement for the end of this election! I never thought it would get here. Tomorrow the winner will be happy, the loser will be licking his wounds. Your complaints or cheering won't change the outcome. Let the rest of us live in peace and harmony. I beg of you. SHUT UP!! Let's get over this charade, and we can move on. It's a simple request. You've been exercising your freedom of speech, but you also have the right to remain silent. Starting tomorrow, please do just that!

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/meatball-bubble-biscuits/0933de2b-ba69-4e27-8c42-771f4293a648

Tonight for dinner, we will be eating garlic bubble biscuits (aka bubble butts).  The chicken and spinach gnocchi soup was a hit last night. It actually inspired my husband to request a home made tour of Italy feast for his birthday, in honor of his birth country being Italy. Too bad he wasn't actually Italian or retained an accent. He is still hot without it, but he would be liquid magma with an Italian accent. Mama Mia!

I'm Dreaming of A Coconut Pecan Frosted Christmas.

 Monday is usually a hard transition from the weekend. But today, while is is dragging on into infinity, hasn't been horrible. For some reason my brain has been in Christmas mode. I'm not entirely sure why my brain is so focused on it, but I am excited this year. Possibly because I will be working on some of my gift projects soon. There is nothing more exciting then a new craft! I haven't picked out anything too ambitious. Just a few fluffy things, a stringy thing, and something that lights up. I know that is vague and random, but I just don't want to spoil it for the recipient. All I know is, I am ready to go to Hobby Lobby and stock up on items.

One thing I am NOT looking forward to this year is all the treats that are flying around in my face. Mom made Jumbles? Om nom nom. Tamales? Pass the picante and cheese! My sister made 4 kinds of fudge and incorporated it into a massive cheesecake brownie pie cookie? Oh great gods of diabetic heaven, get ready, I'm coming!! I have been much more realistic these past couple of months when it comes to temptation. I do not deprive myself of things. I just try to make better choices, and I know if I have a bad meal, I had better be eating lean and clean the next few days. But Christmas seems to be the ultimate trial. If I can make it through these next holidays with out packing on the pounds, I might actually have learned my lesson. I know there will be weak moments. When my mom hauls out her home made german chocolate cake, and starts slicing it up, I will be first in line! You can't tell me no. There is something about her cake that makes even the staunchest coconut hater fall in love with it. (shivers) I can give up the tamales, and I can only eat one of Daddy's sausage and cheese balls. But you can bet your britches I'll be tearing up some of that home made cake. (Maybe even with a glass of almond egg nog, if I'm feeling sassy.)

Love Means Eating Burnt Sausage

Sundays at Casa de Beebs usually consist of coffee, sleeping in, and general lazing about. I do try to make my upcoming week easier by planning out our menu. I plan at least 4 dinners, and leave Fridays open for anything. My only rule is no repeats! Cooking the same old things gets boring. So I spend some time looking for easy and interesting foods to make. If I go to the store without a plan, that usually leads to half formed ideas and missing ingredients. I don't like having to go back to the store. So spending a wee bit of my lazy Sunday planning and shopping for the week is worth it. Thankfully, Pinterest has really helped my Sunday meal planning. In fact, all four of this weeks meals come from things that caught my eye while pinning. I can't be 100% positive the outcomes will be great, but I try. Thankfully, my husband is just happy if there is food on the table.

Once, I put some sausage on the gas grill, and ended up charring them beyond recognition in a blaze of grease and glory. The blaze was so bad, the neighbor ran over to our house with a fire extinguisher. I got the fire under control, but the sausage was burnt, black and crispy. My husband sat down , smothered the cremated remains of the sausage in mustard and chowed down. He lived to regret it, but I will always appreciate his ability to eat anything I make. I do try my best to serve delicious dinners. But sometimes, I accidentally test my husbands faith in my cooking. He has yet to fail me in proving he will eat just about anything.

Peace and Quiet

Time to clear out spookville and get ready for the Christmas explosion. Of course I won't break out the tree and holly until the weekend after Thanksgiving. This weekend I have no parties or events to prepare for, and for that, I am thankful. As much as I enjoy it all, peace and quiet do a body good. But if I was smart, I would have a Halloween clean up party. Maybe next year. Good bye skulls and spiders! See you next September!

100 Adventures and Counting!

Blogging achievement obtained! Welcome to my 100th post celebration! I wasn't prepared for a post extravaganza because it snuck up on me. (did you know snuck is not a proper word? It's slang!) However, I did eat a leftover brain cupcake from Halloween for breakfast in front of my computer in honor of this glorious occasion. It was much tastier than the oatmeal I planned on eating, but I still feel guilty for doing it. But hey, you only post your 100th blog post once right? This is better than my blogiversary, because honestly, I didn't think I would stick to this.  But I obviously have found something that suits me, because here I am 100 posts later! Sure, there have been weeks I haven't posted, usually because of obligations and then that one time that I was in the hospital. I expected to get bored with this, as I do with all of my hobbies. But I haven't! I'm still not bored. Amazing! But blogging has it's downsides.

Surprisingly enough, there have been people who read my blog, and take everything I put on here as a personal attack. With the exception of one post, I do not speak directly to or about any one person. I try to make it a rule to keep personal specifics out of a post unless it is my own ordeal (or Mr. Pigglesworth's), and I choose to share.When I am inspired to write a blog post, the ideas come from day to day life. I am not out to hurt anyone. I try to find humor in everything, and most of the time my humor is sarcastic and silly. So the mixture of real life goings on and sarcasm sometimes makes trouble. But that's just me. I can't apologize for that.

 Sometimes, the best blog post is one that involves embarrassing moments in my life. My pants falling off in the driveway at home , and then again in a crowded store? Yea,  that was a good one. But I don't mind laughing at myself. I do dumb things all the time. Such as.... I am notorious for  losing my phone. The other day , as I was leaving for work I was in a last minute panic looking everywhere for my phone. I gave up, and figured I would find it when I got home. That was until I put my phone that was already in my hand in my purse to get my keys out. No one was paying close attention to me that morning. No one knew it had happened ! I could have laughed it off alone, but I choose to show you that we all do ditzy things. No blonde needed!

Possibly the most horrifying thing about blogging is the fact that once it's on the web, it will always be out there somewhere. Even if I should now decide that I no longer want my blog, I know in my soul that the internet never forgets. It has an epic memory! I will forever be tied to Adventures of Beebs! One day I will look back upon these years of weekly blogging and ask my self. "What was I thinking?" (The current me could care less.) Happy 100th post day to me! And.....

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!

NaBloPoMo Go!

Me So Tired!

Good Morning November. I see you didn't bring your lovely cool weather again. If you had a phone, I would text you a frowny face. :(  It was hot last night. Icky sticky hot. Despite that, Halloween was another fabulous success. The crowds were smaller than anticipated,  but we still managed to make at least a handful of kids cry. Not that we set out to make kids cry, but it is a little gratifying when they refuse to go into the "mad lab", or come out bawling. They get extra treats too. I feel bad and good at the same time. It's a paradox! But the best part of it all is hearing the kids and parents alike, tell us we are the best house in town, and how they love coming to see our set up every year. The true appreciation that people show is heart warming and extremely gratifying. It's what drives us every year to open our home to the public and share our love of Halloween. Of course, after all of the festivities of the month leading up to, and ending last night, I am wore out. I'm ready for a respite before my hubby's birthday and Thanksgiving. This will give me time to get the house in order, and ready for the next all consuming holiday month.

This is my first official National Blog Posting Month. Starting today, my challenge is to blog once a day, every day, for the next 30 days. The biggest feat I imagine will be finding time and subjects to babble on about. I have always said, this blog is for me first. It is my outlet and my soap box. I am coming up on my 2 year mark in January, and that to me is a feat in itself. This very post is my 99th! Tomorrow I will have to do something special for my 100th post. But the most amazing part is how impressed I was that I had had 2000 views in 1 year back in January. This was way more than I could imagine! But... so far this year, I have had 5601 views. My mind is BLOWN! Last month, I had 1,098 views alone. I am humbled, and a bit scared. I'm just writing about my every day life. I almost feel the need to amp it up! I should take this blog to a whole new level, and make it about extreme cooking or something equally as exciting and dramatic! But then I realize, I don't have time for that. I am busy living the normal crazy life I live. I am lucky to get a blog out every week! I have a day job! (I can't quit it!) This month is the exception. I have to blog every day, and I will run out of subjects. Thankfully I have prompts I can work with. I also won't be writing long posts either. Today, I start a challenge. I will make it to the end, even if I only submit one sentence a day!