A Belated Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!

Once again, I was holding out until I upload my holiday pictures for a new post (these things MUST happen in order, after all!), but I figured I'd better post something so I don't lose any faithful readers.

Faithful readers? Hello . . . Hello?

A Lovely, Snowy, Christmassy Weekend

I’m back at work today after a wonderful four-day weekend. I took last Thursday and Friday off to spend time doing Christmassy things and get some random stuff done.

It was so nice.

On Thursday we woke up to heavy snow. I managed to get myself out of bed and out the door for my follow-up chest x-ray (to make sure none of the pneumonia from a month ago remains). Nikki was excited that I was home, and she insisted on going with me, despite my warnings that if my x-ray took a long time, she’d be cold in the car. She didn’t care, and there was no way she was staying home. So, off we went in the snow. Roads were snow-covered but manageable, but visibility came and went with the wind. Large flakes were falling with a vengeance when I parked and went into the lab, and as I signed in, I was struck with the view from the open and airy reception area: a winter wonderland through enormous windows spanning the front of the building. Christmas music was playing softly, the waiting room was empty, and I wondered for a moment if it was actually pleasant working there at that moment. My x-ray only took 15 minutes, so Nikki was spared the chill. When I left, the snow had slowed to a very light flurry, so I stopped somewhere on my way home to pick up a couple Christmas gifts. It was a blizzard again by the time I left, so I thought I’d better quit while I was ahead and turn for home. When I got closer to my house, the snow was lighter again, and I ran a bunch more errands. The whole time, Nikki and I listened to Christmas music . . . and I sang along.

Later, I turned the tree lights on, listened to Christmas music, and worked on Christmas cards. Our afternoon trip to the vet was less adventurous for Nikki and me, as it had stopped snowing altogether by then, but Nikki was very happy to return home from that particular trip. The snow started up again when it was time for S and me to go to dinner with some family, but it was worth the drive.

Friday, I spent a fun day Christmas shopping with my sister-in-law and got several things crossed off my gift list. S and I went to dinner with my brother, and then we visited with him at his fine apartment. Saturday, after having nothing but difficulty finding online the gifts I decided to get for our niece and nephew, I took a quick trip to Toys R Us. It was amazing how fast I was in and out of there. The store was PACKED with Christmas toy shoppers, many yelling over the din on their cell phones, “Was it the red one with the ‘mystic speeder’ or the one with the ‘deluxe dragon mobile’?” I went in knowing exactly what I wanted, and that helped me get out of there in less than an hour. After that, I headed off with my family to visit some friends for a delicious meal and happy company.

Sunday, it was pancakes for breakfast and Thai for lunch, then I got a massage (ahhhhh . . .) and we went grocery shopping. George found one of his Christmas gifts and was angry when I told him he had to wait until Christmas to play with it.

Really, the only thing I have left is the wrapping. I save it up so I can put on A Christmas Story or Christmas Vacation and wrap all the gifts at once. I’m sure George will be helping me.

Thanks to the long weekend, I’m feeling relaxed and settled for Christmas. Each evening I can go home to our warm and cozy house, light the tree, and put on Christmas carols. George can take up his favorite spot under the tree where he is the picture of Christmas peace, a soft kitty lit dimly by the white lights on the branches above him, snoozing away.

Right now, though, I’m back at work watching the minute hand and remembering how wonderful it was to not be here!

Thank You Ohio!

Here's something I'm thankful for...

Starting December 7, "all enclosed public spaces and workplaces" will be smoke free!

Having just been through a bout with pneumonia most likely brought on by four hours spent in a cigarette-smoke-filled room back in mid-October (I should have known better, but it seemed like an important function at the time, and it was the only way to be there), I couldn't be happier about the passage of Issue 5. Thankfully, before I was house-bound for a week and a half, including election day, I voted absentee, and Issue 5 was The Issue for me. The fact that it passed makes me think that there are plenty of people in Ohio like me who are just sick of cigarette smoke altogether. We wanted this, and now we finally have it. We just needed a chance to make it happen.

It's like Christmas came early this year. No more choosing places based on how smoky they are. No more turning down invitations because going would make me miserable. No more picking clothes based on how smoky my destination will be. Hallelujah - it's a new freedom!

Now . . . I can go anywhere . . .

Happy Halloween from Peaches!

(Picture by Mom!)

I Want To Live in an LL Bean Catalog

Where no one goes to work.
They just go sledding.
And hiking.
And ice skating.
And wear comfy flannel pajamas and fleece pullovers.
And big bulky sweaters.
And there is always a hot cup of cocoa waiting.
And puppies. Fluffy sleepy puppies.
And every day is Christmas Eve.

George's Latest Nemesis

First there was the blue pen.

Then the mousie that squeaks.

Now . . . Mr. Bunny.

Welcome to the Family, Peaches!

Meet the new addition to our family, little Peaches!

Found wandering around the zoo where my brother works, Peaches was taken in by the hospital staff and tested for various conditions. They determined that she was healthy and approximately six weeks old. She was in a little carrier with a heating pad and some towels. Since my brother's cat, Futz, will be moving out of my parents' house soon, Mom and Dad decided to adopt the sweet little kitten. She is very loving, purrs loudly, and loves attention. Except when it comes from the dogs. According to Mom, though, Peaches is getting used to the dogs more and more. Toby thinks she belongs to him, and he tries to protect her. She's the only creature in the house smaller than he is, so maybe his "maternal" instinct is kicking in!

These pictures were taken by my dad.

Welcome, Peaches. You have found a great home!

Oh yes . . . despite what you might believe, even though you came from a zoo, you aren't going to grow up to be a lion!

The Cracker Barrel at Gate 9 and Three Quarters

I vow never to use Mapquest again.

On our recent trip to P's wedding in Pittsburgh, we found out just how pathetic Mapquest directions are. In hindsight, I should have known better, as Mapquest had misled me in the past. Their strategy seems to get you CLOSE to a destination then leave you to figure the rest out on your own. Nevertheless, this time, I thought I was completely prepared. I had printed off at least a dozen maps showing us directions back and forth between any combination of points A and B that we could possibly need that weekend. "From Home to Hotel." "From Hotel To Home." "From Hotel to Church." "From Church to Rehearsal Dinner." "From Rehearsal Dinner to Hotel." "From Hotel to the Sharp Edge" (a restaurant we discovered last time we were in Pittsburgh. "From the Sharp Edge to Hotel" . . . you get the idea. Each one was meticulously labled, stapled, and placed in a nice, pressboard folder. Thanks to my obsessive compulsive planning ahead, we were all set.

It wasn't long before I realied I should have Googled.

Despite it's best efforts, Mapquest could not ruin the weekend. The wedding, as I have said, was absolutely lovely, and we also had a great time at the rehearsal and diner after. The inn where we stayed with the rest of the wedding party was beautiful and comfy! For a few moments in the car here and there, however, it was touch-and-go.

We got lost on the way to the hotel, thanks to the directions "Take the I-279 S ramp toward NORTH CANAL STREET" followed shortly by "Turn RIGHT onto CEDAR AVE." Ok. So you take the ramp and turn right. Right? Off a ramp? HUH? We "took" the ramp, alright, and as we were on it, I spotted a tiny one way road going toward the right. Not "turning" to the right, mind you, just sort of leaning to the right. I thought, "That can't possibly be it," and of course, it was too late to turn by then, anyway. Turns out that yes, that was it. That was what we determined after getting stuck getting on 279 then getting off one or two exits later, having to stop in a factory parking lot to look at the map, and finally finding our way to the hotel. S later figured out a much simpler route to the hotel. Thank goodness.

Then, on the way to the church for the rehearsal, we found this in the directions: "Make a U-TURN onto ONE WILD PL / THE HILL RD." A U-TURN. Are those legal Pennsylvania? Not that it matters, because in reality, it wasn't even a U-TURN. It was a "SOFT RIGHT" where the road continues without changing names. There is even a stop sign there. We figured it out, thanks to the directions enclosed with the wedding invitation.

The final straw came when we were attempting to go out for breakfast the morning of the wedding. I had three maps each leading us from the hotel to a different popular breakfast spot. I left it up to S where we would go, and he chose Cracker Barrel. It was supposed to be a 10 minute drive. So, we got in the car and headed out. First 8 minutes or so, we were fine, now-familiar patches of highway, exits we had seen before breezing by. Then the directions took us up a hill where there were many small houses and twisty roads (because locations like that are where Cracker Barrel usually chooses for their restaurants, right?). One road - which, of course, was one we needed- was closed by a bunch of chuckleheads having a street fair. We managed to get around that and continued along the street where the alleged Cracker Barrel was. The street ended. No Cracker Barrel. Just more houses and a different street going off in another direction. S said that the Cracker Barrel referred to by the Mapquest directions must have been a literal barrel in someone's backyard, full of crackers. My theory, however, is that it was actually like Gate 9 and Three Quarters, and you have to just clench your teeth and drive directly into a house or something, and you'll magically be transported to Cracker Barrel. Maybe that's where Harry Potter eats breakfast on the way to Hogwarts.

So . . . seeing as how I had to be back to start getting ready for the wedding in less than an hour, S dropped me back off at the hotel and wandered off on foot in what didn't seem to be the best neighborhood to get breakfast. I grabbed a muffin and some much-needed coffee and got ready to leave, all the while thinking how S was surely going to get mugged, or worse, and not only was I going to lose my dearest husband . . . but I was also going to be late for the wedding. All thanks to Mapquest and the Cracker Barrel at Gate 9 and Three Quarters.

S did make it back, incidentally, and all was well. But I've learned my lesson!

A Beautiful Bride

My friend P on her wedding day!

It's Been a Long Time

I have Blog Guilt.

I figure I better get on here and write something before I lose all my faithful readers.

July, as it turned out, was a pretty wild month. Fun, but wild! My dear friend P returned to Ohio for another whirlwind wedding-planning weekend. We shopped, we printed, we called. We got things done! We actually had time for dinner and a movie one night - and that was lovely. Then she packed up the wedding van and headed for Pittsburgh. The following week, for me, was manicures and pedicures and dress fittings. Then Steve and I packed up and headed for Pittsburgh, too. The wedding was beautiful, and P was radiant! I'd never been a bridesmaid before, and it was great fun!

I visited the Pittsburgh zoo last Monday. Took a lot of very cool pictures with my very cool camera.

As usual, none of the pictures are ready for me to put them online. So, stay tuned.

I don't know if August will turn out any calmer than July, but we're hoping. We're enjoying summer while it lasts. Our garden is now producing beautiful tomatoes and peppers. We had to put up a fence, but we're recently realized that it doesn't even slow down baby bunnies. They really love our bell pepper plants. We're not sure about the bigger bunnies. Funny, though, they leave the hot peppers alone!