New yearses :)

I am currently sitting at the kitchen table waiting for the timer to go off so I can stir the caramel popcorn again. I found a recipe a few years ago for homemade caramel popcorn and it is so yummy. After you get the goo poured on it has to bake for an hour, and it has to be stirred every 15 minutes.
I am making this to take to my parents' house tomorrow. On New Year's Eve for the past several years we have gone to their house to "ring in the new year". Usually it's just us, my parents, cousin and his wife and two teenaged daughters. We eat, laugh, and play Tripoley (which is kind of a poker game). At midnight, the two teenagers and I toast with sparkling grape juice. This has become as much of a tradition as the Tripoley and food.
This year we have a few more people coming (yay!).

So tell me, dear readers, how do YOU plan to spend New Year's Eve?

Dear friends

Before I begin, I just wanted to tell those of you who normally receive a Christmas card to that you were NOT deleted from the card list this year- I didn't send any out. (ok, I sent ONE, but I was sending a gift and wanted a card to go with it and wanted it to be special) I simply ran out of time. I had the cards out, ready to be signed and addressed....and just never got around to it.
I just didn't want you to feel left out. :)


So 2007 is about to come to a close. Some of the most memorable things that have happened this year:
Mark and I bought a new house and moved back to B'town (finally!)
We said goodbye to Harry (in a way)
I discovered Twilight (is there a way to put heroin in book form? cuz I'm addicted to it)
I went to New York TWICE this year!
I met authors and broadway actors
(Lots of other things happened, but I'm a little tired now)

But the biggest thing that happened- I began to LIKE myself. (remember the bathsuit fiasco this summer? that was the turning point)
Case in point: I happened to catch my reflection in a mirror as I was smiling recently and noticed tiny little lines under my eyes (I believe these are known as "laugh lines")
I didn't freak out, I didn't make an appointment for plastic surgery, I didn't even cringe.

Why not?

Because I think they are beautiful

*gasp!* did I just say that?

yes I did.

I have to like myself first and I've decided that I do.


Here's to the New Year- May you all love yourselves, love each other, and continue on the journey for which you were put on this earth.

Christmas is WHEN?!?

TWO DAYS? no. cant be. surely the calendar is wrong!

where has the time gone?

Some random Christmas things you may not know (but you know you are dying to hear!):
1.We havent put up a tree in several years. Two reasons, really, a. where we used to live, no one really saw it.

and b. my cat knocked it over the last time I put one up. Hopefully I will get one to put up next year. It needs to be pre-lit though.

2.I dont buy many gifts at Christmas, but the ones I plan to give are already bought. Thank goodness, because people are psycho at the stores now! And too many people spend more than they can really afford.

3.Mark and I dont exchange gifts and haven't since we married. People are always shocked by this. At first it was because we were poor college students and didnt have the money. Our feelings are if there is something that one of us needs or wants (within reason) and we can afford it, we try to get it through out the year. Why wait til Christmas?

4. Forget A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 49th street, etc etc etc...My favorite Christmas-watching movie has become Rent. Why, you ask? Well, it begins and ends on Christmas day (or Christmas eve) and the sense of family among friends is great. So, we'll be watching it again on Christmas night at my house :). Its our newest holiday tradition.

whatever your traditions, beliefs, or celebrations, I wish you-my friends and readers- the happiest of holidays

Todd and Eric!

Have you heard these two yet? O.M.G! I totally love their voices. and they give Britney Spears' song "Gimme More" a whole new feeling. And beside that-look at how cute they are! Listen to this one, then go listen to their other songs here.

Hey Twilight Fans!

Edward has been cast!
The yummy Robert Pattinson- better known as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- has been cast as Edward.



I for one am super excited about this. I thought he was quite the hottie in the Goblet of Fire and I cant wait to see him as my favorite vampire!

The Golden Compass

Its sad that so many people are going to miss the delightful Golden Compass movie. One of the big things that the Magesterium in the movie wants to do is to stop free thinkers and to stop people making decisions on their own......sounds familiar.

Armoured bears, grand adventures to save some friends, truth-telling compasses, great CG- all add up to make a great movie.
I intentionally did not re-read the Golden Compass before seeing this movie. I have read it twice in the past but dont have it memorized like I do with Harry Potter. I remembered the basic storyline but not all the tiny details. I was impressed that they caputred the essence of the story as well as they did.

I am not a big fan of Nicole Kidman. They could have easily picked another actress and I would have been ok. All the other actors were great, including the gorgeous Eva Green as Serefina Pekaala.

Please, give the movie a chance. It is a great story.

what was I thinking?

After working all day with these hooligans , I chaperoned a dance tonight. The other student council sponsor and I stayed after school until 5 decorating the cafeteria and the gym (the gym decorations consisted of christmas lights taped to the wall).
I ran home and changed clothes and got back to school a little before 6. We had about 100 kids show up. We knew ahead of time who was coming but still ended getting too much food. We fed them chicken strips, sub sandwiches, chips & drinks, and we had fruit and veggie trays. After eating we moved to the gym for the dance.

Lawdy mercy.

I got the music together using the Now thats what I call music cds plus whatever music some of the kids brought to me ahead of time to put on my ipod. You can imagine what the music was like----- the clean versions of Crank that (Soulja Boy), T-Pain, Chris Brown, and other crap-tastic music. I did include some Taylor Swift, Colbie Calliett, Paramore, Fall out Boy, etc.
The kids literally cheered when Soulja Boy came on.

The dance was over at 9:30 and the student coucil members were supposed to stay and help clean up. Only a handful did and most of them left by 10:15. With Mark's help we ended up getting out of there a little after 11.

I'm beat. But the kids had a great time. We only had to bust up some smoochers twice I think.