Let me tell you, this photo was actually easier to take than I thought it would be. She didn’t mind being in this outfit. The only problem (hah beyond the ridicule and torment amongst her peers she’ll have to endure) was that the neck area is too big. She’ll grow into it. Next year it’ll fit perfectly.Mwa ha ha.

Oh and lookie lookie! I made it to the end of NaBloPoMo. Only one almost-goobered day (nothankstoblogger).

Yet again, more Blogger issues.

I can’t seem to get the expandable post thing to work properly. It (the link for “read more”) should only pop up when I actually have more post to expand.

Crap.

I think I might be moving on from Blogger soon.

If I had a floppity gajillion dollars I’d gather my friends and family and take a Weightless Flight. Zero-gravity baby! Retail value: $95,000 for 27 people. (The crazy part of me just thought “OMG I could totally save $3k for this.”)
Actually there are a lot of awesome things to do at Cloud 9 Living. More of my imaginary money may be spent here.

And I know, money like that can be given to charities, shared with the less fortunate, given to a foundation, yadda yadda. I’m not heartless, mmkay?

Took a trip to the mall today (Mondays are awesome because there are less people, even during the holiday season.) Goal: Get some clothes you hippie!

After trying on a handful of items, I walk away with this sweater in charcoal and a pair of pj pants.

Then Adam and I stop by Fossil, check out their new Batman watch as well as the rest of the mens collection. We make the trip around the women’s styles and head on our way out. I’m not much of a watch girl. Though I do have grown a liking to the thick leather band kind.

Then I remember, I need a candle for work! So Adam and I went to Yankee Candle and sniffed and huffed our way around the store.

Scent for me: Christmas Cookie
Scent for Adam: Sparkling Cinnamon

They smell nice. Too bad I can’t share them with you.
If only I could invent Scratch-n-Sniff Blogs. Ew wait, no.

Yes, yes another Penny shot – but hey, at least I don’t post them every day right?

Random meme – plus I’m trying out another Blogger doodad. It’s a long meme, you’ve been warned.

Copy, bold the things you’ve done, and post.

(I added comments here and there as well..)

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain :: Tahoe, Rocky Mountains
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula :: NO WAY
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree :: My cousin Kim and I when we stayed at a house in the woods with family. Fun times!
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris :: The Great Euro-Trip of 2005
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game :: Raiders, Giants
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon :: I want to do this one soon.
22. Watched a meteor shower :: Saw some aliens too!
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster :: I miss rollercoasters – love ‘em!
35. Hit a home run :: I was damn good at softball in elementary school.
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking :: Anytime I choose to dance this happens naturally.
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day :: I can’t even adopt one for more than 3 minutes.
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country :: Nope, just my friends
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs :: Sad, I know. They lasted a very short time like that.
57. Pretended to be a superhero :: Back when we were little, my neighbor and I would have these other identities – he’d turn into a black horse and I’d be a pink armadillo and we’d save the world.
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour :: If I did, I’d be on the east coast for the majority of the time
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over :: Keeps crossing my mind
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge :: 5th Grade!
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds :: I wish
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet :: YEA RIGHT
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon :: No, but I looked into it.
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper :: Ok so not a photo of ME but my photos have been in newspapers and magazines. So I’m gonna claim this one.
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad – and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions :: I plan to.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair :: Considering one
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Hmm, almost a third. I’ll update again next year.. maybe s’more stuff will have happened by then.

I peeled, gutted, and diced my very first Butternut Squash for Thanksgiving. We gave Butternut Squash Soup a try (while the general opinion was ‘different and somewhat nice’ my opinion is ‘meh’.) It was a lot of fun peeling and gutting it though!

Snagged this from another blog… and even though I’m pretty much bah-humbug about the holidays I thought I’d play along. I need something to blog about.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I like a few glasses of egg nog every year. Hot chocolate is usually too hot for me to enjoy, I’m more of a chocolate milk girl.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
There comes a point when you’re a kid and you realize that the gifts are from mom and dad – yet they’re usually wrapped in different paper and only placed in the morning. Then of course, there are those years when you find the gifts still unwrapped in the bottom of your parents closet. Teehee.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Depends on what look you’re going for – I tend to like one color though. If I’m going to decorate at all. If they’re on a tree they have to have green wire, if they’re decorating the inside of the house/apt, white wire.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Bleh no. Mistletoe killed the giant tree in our front yard. Boo to mistletoe!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually right before any kind of holiday party. But I won’t be decorating at all this year.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
It’s kind of cheesy but I every year I have to have the green bean cassarole (using French’s Fried Onions.) My grandma used to make it every year and well, that’s what I remember during the holidays.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
My silly Uncle Mike running around the house video taping everyone. I miss those days.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
No idea, guess it just happened one day and I didn’t really care much about it.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
I may have when I was little. I know when my cousin would have Christmas Eve with her dad (my uncle) then that meant I got to choose. Do I open my gifts (all or some) with her or do I wait until the next day when everyone else opened them. I think it’s safe to say I always opened them with her (probably saving a few for the actual Christmas Day.) Again, great memories…

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Last year I went multi-colored IKEA ornaments. If I had a party this year I may have done the green and teal thing… some kind of theme or design is nice.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
It sure does look pretty – but being in the valley it doesn’t snow. I’ve never had a snowy Christmas.

12. Can you ice skate?
Nope, I’d probably snap my ankles.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I’m sure each year there is always something to consider a favorite but I remember (and it’s on video so I’ve seen it plenty of times) one year my cousin and I opening gifts (being the only grandkids meant TONS OF GIFTS – oh such spoiled children we were) and we’d basically trade off opening gifts. Most if not all of our gifts were the same thing so they’d be wrapped the same and look the same. I remember the sheer joy one year when Kimberly (cousin) and I found out we got Little Miss Makeup.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Vacation time, hanging out with family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Random stuff, not really a pumpkin pie girl.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
We don’t have traditions anymore. Things have changed. I’m hoping next year my parents and I can go on a trip.

17. What tops your tree?
Nothing usually.

18. Which do you prefer giving or getting?
Giving; I’ve been buying gifts over the year for some friends and hope to send/give those soon.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Mele Kalikimaka – only because it’s in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and that’s a damn funny movie.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yuck.

Is it spring yet?

I don’t like to shop when there are a lot of people. It makes me feel claustrophobic
and irritable. It actually makes my blood boil when there are too many people sticking their carts in the middle of the aisles, wandering around with dumb looks on their faces as though they’ve stumbled upon the land of Narnia and had no idea why they were there. Basically I want people (and should I be shopping at a high traffic time, I do the same) to get their shit and get moving. Make your damn lists at home or be civilized and respectable people and allow others to get their shit done.

That said, Adam and I decided to go to the grocery store today, the day before Thanksgiving.

Looking back, the in-store experience wasn’t TOO horrible. I kept my cool in regards to the aimless wanderers. Most people had a mission, some did not and I stood with my cart against the side of the aisle waiting for idiots to move their shit or asking with my sweet-voice “excuse me” when needed.

But.. before we even got into the building we had an issue. In the car looking for parking we spotted a lady walking to her car and lucky for us, her car was near where we were waiting. Jackpot! So we had to wait for her, but she had to wait for another car that was leaving across the isle. That’s fine. So that car leaves and the first car in the on-coming traffic line pulls into that spot. So we’ve waited not only behind the person pulling into the other spot, but behind someonein front of us (not looking for parking). Anyway the car we waited for finally pulls out and starts to move parallel to us to get out of the parking lot, that’s fine because at the same time, two women are walking across our path… but.. then! THEN.. the next car in the on-coming traffic line PULLS INTO OUR SPOT.

Sure we honked and whatever but what good does that do?

Immediately as she pulled into the spot I flew the door open, shouting to Adam “THAT’S IT!” but since the person in the car was an old lady (a mean looking old lady, think Carol Kane’s character from the Princess Bride, but mean looking) I didn’t bother running up to the car – although, that’s what Adam thought I was going to do. Instead I just stomped off into the store as Adam continued the quest for parking. (BTW, I didn’t bail on Adam, we tossed the idea around of me jumping out earlier.) The women that had crossed the parking spot shared my frustration with the little creepy old lady as we walked up to the store. GRR!

I was still pissed off as I maneuvered around the store to the baking aisle (one of the worst aisles to have to shop down during this holiday.) I kept my eyes on the look out for that lady. Would I say something to her? Cut her off? “You got a nice parking spot, didn’t you?” I finally calmed down after awhile and as I was making my way up an aisle, THERE SHE WAS. I had to pass her. So instead of ramming my cart into hers or any other multitude of snide remarks that passed through my head… I merely took up more space than I really needed to get down the aisle, thus making her move a bit more.

Chicken? No. Compassionate – yes. I let her age convince me not to do anything. That and dammit I’m better than that.. I shouldn’t lose my nerve over stupid pushy people like that.

And now, we battle traffic as we make our way to Mo-town for the holiday.