| ARCHIVES:
DECEMBER 2003
DECEMBER
31, 2003 : WEDNESDAY
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Here we are...New Year's Eve. One of the least interesting holidays
of the year.
 Here's
what we had for dinner. Pasta with shrimp and basil and a little
steak on the side that needed to be cooked. It was good, but we've
made better meals for sure. The bread is always my favorite part
and tonight, we didn't spare any butter. We have cheese danishes
for dessert. Now, we are about to watch LOTR:Two Towers. Does it
seem like every post i write includes lotr in some way? I promise,
it will die down. Hopefully lotr will take us at least close to
the 11 o'clock hour where we can turn on CNN and celebrate east
coast new years and hit the sack. Maybe tomorrow we'll get up early-ish
and cruise around. Its fun to be out on a morning when you know
that most folks are nursing their hangovers. suckas!
I don't have any top 10 lists for you or any new years resolutions.
Snail is torturing me by singing, "Can you feel the love tonight?"
by elton john. Except that those are the only words he knows. I
am going to look up the other lyrics.
DECEMBER
29, 2003 : MONDAY NIGHT
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We just saw LOTR:ROTK. If you haven't seen LOTR:ROTK, don't read
any further. Stop reading.
First let me say that the whole series blows every movie out of
the water 100 times over. Next, i want to say that this last film
was really good and really long. There is no need for a movie to
be 3.5 hours.
The spider scene (extra scary after the spider dream i had last
night), the undead dead people (specifically their king), the flying
dinosaur things and the city that was glowing like the city of
oz were my favorites... This is the stuff that movie magic is made
for.
Generally this 3rd film felt as if it was meant to be seen immediately
following the other two films. There was too many long thoughtful
shots with music from the get go. Its interesting with the last
movie of a trilogy like that --- because you DO have to carry the
weight of the other films but at the same time, you can't start
the movie off all gushy because your audience just sat down. I
guess my only real beef is with the last 45 minutes of the film.
WAY too many teary sam/frodo music-filled scenes. Again, its an
interesting dilemma wrapping up what is one movie, but also 3 movies.
I think the end could have gone like this: after the eagles swoop
up the tired hobbits, we could show frodo waking up and greeting
the team, and then cut to frodo leaving on the ship and end it
all with Samwise and his kids.
That said, i can't wait to see it again and it has been pure joy
to watch these films. Yeah!
DECEMBER
29, 2003 : MONDAY
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Hurray, i'm back and i'm back safe. Christmas is fun but i'm always
happy when its over and i can get back to my regular life. From
here out, its just a bunch of empty weekends for watching LOTR
dvds with snail and painting.
But, let's not ice over my trip just yet. I just read snail's post
and he did a pretty good job summarizing the visit. Except that
the stuff all over my body was nothing like hives, and it was every
bit of a rash. Little tiny red spots alll over me. I've never seen
nothing like it and the medicine i took was ambien.
Also while i was gone, i met my soul mate. (shhhh, don't tell snail).
I was hanging out christmas day at my stepmom's parents house where
a total of about 30 people were gathered and I heard my horn blow.
I looked over and my stepmom's brother's wife was blowing her nose
and it sounded JUST like my horn. It was a bit of a relief. I mean,
i can't help the way my nose blowing sounds and i have wished many
times that it would be a little more girly and a little less like
a 90-year old man. Anyway, i was happy to find my nose blowing
kindred spirit.
Ok, snail and i are going out to get some stuff for the pool and
to have mexican food for lunch. I am happy to be off work today
to recover from yesterday's travels, as i got in late last night.
Much unpacking and resettling to be done.
DECEMBER
18, 2003 : THURSDAY
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After a few days worth of antibiotics, I am well on my way to feeling
normal. When i can get through a night without coughing, it will
be official.
I have to say, its been a strange christmas season thus far. I
never fully got into the seaon the way i normally do. Half of our
decorations will remain in boxes this year. The gifts i bought
lacked the creativity of years past. The christmas cards were store-bought.
No outdoor lights. I think that just happens some years. Things,
for whatever reason, are off. I remember last year's christmas
groove train was unstoppable. It just doesn't seem like christmas
day is a week from today. I have to keep reminding myself.
--> I'm a little bummed that time and health didn't make way
for me to see LOTR:ROTK yet. We will have to wait until the christmas
business is over. Until then, sweet sweet anticipation.
 -->
Have you heard about the Mr.
Clean magic eraser? Its just like the photoship magic eraser
except in real life! I got my hands on a box ($1.99 for 2) and
tried it out this afternoon. It's like a sponge. Wet it and ring
out the extra water (its not sudsy at all). Then use it to wipe
away scuff marks and such (i went through both of them in no time).
As you use it, the sponge get used until you have a handful of
white used peices (hard to describe). If you use it on a paint
surface that is slightly shiny, it WILL leave a chalky residue
that you'll want to wipe off later with water. I learned that by
using it on our near-white painted concrete floor, but it DID get
the grease marks up. Anyway, the hallway looks sparkly! The no-soap
sponge-like quality of it IS a bit scary...just keep cleaning and
try not to think about it.
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Before i go, i want to tell you about the cranberry
upside-down cake that i made the other night.The recipe is
featured on the cover of the december issue of Martha's Everyday
Food. It was my first upside-down cake. I LOVE cranberries and
i thought this recipe would give me all of the cranberry goodness
that i wanted and more. Instead i found the fruit/topping part
of the recipe to be kinda hot and cold. Pockets of extreme sweetness
and areas of tartness (which i like best). Seems like it could
be improved if the berries were chopped and therefore better integrated
with the sugar/cinnamon, creating a more consistent flavor.
Tomorrow we leave for my homeland, virginia. Be back in a long
week. Merry Christmas and happy travels to you.
DECEMBER
14, 2003 : SUNDAY
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At 8am this morning, i was seated at a mexican restaurant with
a plate of verde chicken enchiladas in front of me to celebrate
the capture of saddam. i should start my day like that more often.
I'm doing nothing this weekend. I still feel lousy. Still coughing,
still not myself. I've been in bed a lot, but being in bed doesn't
seem to be making me feel any better and its not helping my christmas
mood and it isn't making a dent in my shopping list. And yet, its
all i can do.
DECEMBER
11, 2003 : THURSDAY
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I went to see my allergist this morning. I've been seeing him for
going on 9 years. Isn't that amazing? Can you imagine the money
he's made offa my misery? I think a target gift card is in order
- some kind of token of appreciation. Patient of the year?
Anyway, he said that i have a cold and gave me some decongestants
to try. On the way home, i desperately wanted a hot hot bowl of
tortilla soup or a spicy plate of enchiladas. Something to cure
what ailes me. Something that i can taste! The closest I got was
a can if Campbell's Cream of Chile Poblano soup (which is darn
good, by the way). Since then, i've been pretending that i'm perfectly
well. I just wrapped a couple of christmas gifts and hung the tinsel
on the tree that i picked up at target on my way from the doctor.
DECEMBER
10, 2003 : LATER WEDNESDAY
Here are the beloved gingerbread house decorating photos. If I
was feeling better, this photo website essay would be much cooler.
But i didn't want you to have to wait any longer. And it was a
good excuse for me to not be in bed watching tv.
Oh, i also wanted to mention that I saw a lady on foodtv do a kids
group thing. They used cardboard houses and TOTALLY covered them
with icing and then stuck on whatever decorations. They looked
pretty neat, as just big white snowy icing blobs with colored candies
piled on.
DECEMBER
10, 2003 : WEDNESDAY
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I was certain that i would be feeling better today. It seems that
i've made no improvements since yesterday at this time. Allergies
are no doubt complicating matters and my doctor is closed on wednesdays.
I just don't want this all to develop into a sinus infection, which
i'm always afraid of getting, but haven't had in 5 or so years.
I WILL venture out to the drug store today and see what the outside
world feels like. I could really use some cough drops and some
nyquil and some sprite.
Truthfully, i'd like to go to a place like target because we need
some tinsel garland. Our tree is up but we can't decorate it until
we have that and time is getting away. Hmm.....That might be pushing
it.
DECEMBER
9, 2003 : TUESDAY
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Sunday night i got a burning sore throat. Monday morning it continued
followed by overall achy breaky body. Today, looks like a cough
is in the running with less body achiness and less sore throat.
Isn't only fair that allergies go away while i'm dealing with the
flu?
Did anyone see christa on letterman last night? She acted like
the biggest idiot ever. I knew i didn't like her.
DECEMBER
7, 2003 : SUNDAY
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Here we are. Another sunday night. The weekend went by kinda quick.
I got most of my christmas cards addressed. I didn't do any painting.
I did some felt tree sewing. I did eat some candy and cookies.
I didn't do any christmas shopping. I didn't wash any jeans. I
did some gingerbread house decorating today and yesterday and will
have pictures to post, probably tomorrow. I am very excited to
share the photos with you. Right now, i have to go get ready to
meet friends for dinner. Sushi.
DECEMBER
3, 2003 : WEDNESDAY NIGHT
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Well, Snail and I can't sit around any longer waiting for cold
weather. Its going to be december 25th one day, ready or not. Tonight
we busted out all the christmas decorations from the attic (and
there's a bunch). We didn't finish putting all three trees up,
but i put up the miniature one and we got the big one started.
It's fun to grab a bundle of tissue and unwrap it to see what favorite
decoration you've forgotten about over the year. It's officially
Christmastime at the home of Sleepy Snail. Ho Ho Ho.
Next up: outdoor lights, christmas
cards.
--> My allergies said that its time to go to bed and to bed,
i will go. Good night.
DECEMBER
1, 2003 : MONDAY
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Snail played a trick on his grandmother at thanksgiving dinner.
He was sitting at the dinner table with the tv remote control in
his shirt pocket and grandma asked if that was his cell phone.
( the remote was pretty long and sticking out of the top of his
pocket ). He said, "Yes."
And then he held the remote up to his ear and said, "Hello?"
and then paused and said, "Grandma, its for you" and
passed her the remote.
She looked at it, held it up to her ear and put her serious 'phone'
face on. Then she said, "Hello?"
She should really know by now not to believe anything he says.
Its was all fun and we had a good laugh. The image of her talking
into that remote will not be soon forgotten.
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