Friday, December 31, 2010

Amuse Bouche


Amuse Bouche, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Lauren and I have just enjoyed our first oysters, except without so much of the "enjoyment."

NYEPOTD


NYEPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

I am genetically gifted.

Afternoon Tea w/ SIL Sarah

Jif has been the alleged choice of choosy moms since I was a kid...

...I wonder if they've validated that in the last 30 years?

MBPPOTD


MBPPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Multitasking Back Porch Photo of the Day

Brushing my teeth and then off to a pedicure appointment. A girl has to start 2011 off right!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

BHPOD


BHPOD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Baby Holding Photo of the Day

This acupuncture place has signs for everything.

Wipe your feet twice, put your shoes here, lock the bathroom door, don't put paper towels in the toilet (a standard, I know) and FLUSH THE TOILET. This is like the opposite of that place I interviewed at where the sign specifically said that yellow was mellow and that flushing was optional.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

BPPOTD


BPPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

On my way to Roseville for the day so I can visit Team Guam, who are in town for Christmas.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Needles in my left arm


Needles in my left arm, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

I'm disappointed it's too dark in here for you to see the ones in my face.

I am about to get acupuncture...

...in a room where the carpet and the table and the tissues and even the fan all match! It's a purple paradise!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

There's a pecan-picking bandit on the loose!

Ignore the first two texts, which don't apply but instead relate to my brother attempting to put the Wiggles DVD on in the TV room and not knowing how to maneuver the complicated a/v setup that includes a TV that was manufactured 20 years ago.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

I swear.

30-ish years ago tonight I was standing outside my Aunt Mary Jo's house, waiting for my parents to organize my brothers and come out (WHY I was allowed outside at night by myself is beyond me...but it was like 1980-something and the world was a gentler place?) so we could go home and set out milk and cookies for Santa.

So I was outside of Aunt Mary Jo's house and I was looking at the apartment building across the street and TO THIS DAY I SWEAR TO YOU, I saw McGruff the Crime Dog walk out of one of the apartments.

I swear.

It's actually one of my clearest memories from my early childhood.

Happy anniversary, McGruff.

Grinch? Or just age-appropriate?

My friend Tracey is good people. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is her willingness to call out the adults in Santa hats.

http://warmastoast.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-love-christmas-trees.html

I saw a man today in a Raiders-themed Santa hat and I consciously thought "PLEASE DON'T LET ME DATE A MAN WHO WEARS RAIDERS-THEMED SANTA HATS!!!!!!!!!!"

But really, that applies to all Santa hats in general.

Unless we're at Santarchy.

Adult people in Santa hats or reindeer antlers are foolish.

But PS, merry Christmas peeps.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

BPPOTD


BPPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

After


After, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Before


Before, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Lamb and lobster with Lauren

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The tree has made it inside the house...

...and has lights. Let's see if it gets decorated tomorrow. Don't hold your breath, internet.

Monday, December 20, 2010

BEH!

1. Someone at work just left what is possibly the most impressive skid mark I've ever seen in a toilet bowl. It was so impressive that I was inspired to report back to the internet (check!) but that's probably not what my cousin David had in mind when I saw him at the family holiday party on Saturday and he said that I was a good writer.

2. I got home last night just as my brother was leaving. We said a quick hello while I was still in the car and then he got into his car and drove away. I dilly-dallied a bit and then as I was walking up the stairs I noticed that my brother had turned around, come back and was parked across the street.

Hmm.

But then I saw two perhaps-not-so-upstanding citizens walking past the house and realized that he saw them as he drove away and had come back to supervise my safe entry back into the house. I texted him to thank him for making sure nobody got me and he replied that one of those dudes had a ponytail that indicated that he was a bad dude and that he was just making sure an even badder dude was around.

That's sort of the sweetest thing ever, no?

I can think of four or five similar "I have an armed bodyguard" scenarios (that I know about) and I'm sure there are others where I was an unsuspecting bodyguardeeeee. I prefer to believe that my brothers spend their days rescuing cats out of trees and helping old ladies cross the street, but I know that the reality is that while I'm busy trying to get red, yellow and green bubbles to line up correctly in this very important PowerPoint, they're in a world I've never even seen.

3. And for the record, I'm pretty sure my brother would be proud to have the skid mark story precede the my-brother-saved-me-from-the-bad-guys story.

4. Unrelated: I missed the family Christmas tree expedition yesterday but word on the street is that the Christmas tree farm people wanted to trade us five years of free Christmas trees in exchange for one perfect little 18-month-old baby. I'm shocked to hear that Grandma even considered it (dudes, Christmas trees are expensive!) but DON'T YOU WORRY BABY! AUNT ELIZABETH WOULD HAVE COME TO SAVE YOU FROM BEING A CHRISTMAS TREE FARMER!!

5. Also: Baby calls me "Beh." I didn't realize that was specific to me -- I thought it was just a yell for someone to come put him on whatever side of a door shouldn't be on...but my mom said that when I'm not home he'll go to the hallway outside my bedroom and yell "BEH! BEH! BEH!!!!!!!!" and that she's sure it's his version of Elizabeth.

My heart: WARMED!

When I was a baby I called my aunt and grandfather Ninny and Boppa and those names just stuck and here we are, 34 years later, and Ninny is still Ninny and Boppa was Boppa until the day he died. Or still is, actually. I'm interested to see what Beh turns into or if he'll eventually figure out the other syllables.

BPOTD


BPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

New necklace, new pants, dirty hair.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Six days until Christmas...

...and "we" finally get the lights up. I hear a Christmas tree was secured today too but I haven't seen any evidence.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

All tuckered out...


All tuckered out..., originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

...after a day of being shown off to the extended family.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

THIRTY FOUR OMG

Last night was my new company's holiday party.

I waited a couple hours before hitting up the open bar because I wanted to be sure everyone else was a few (or more) drinks ahead of me. This was a good strategy for a variety of reasons with the bonus outcome of NO HANGOVER! Yay!

But maaaan. These people are a good time.

And not just because I told a couple of the youngins I work with how old I am and their jaws dropped. THANK YOU, YOUNGINS! Your shock at me being THIRTY FOUR and not twenty seven like you thought I was is appreciated. I was easily one of the oldest 25 people in that room of 250 though.

The OMG NO WAY ARE YOU THIRTY FOUR game is my #1 favorite these days. My good genes and my fat to plump up the wrinkles are serving me well.

In other news:

1. I have a busy weekend of holiday-related gatherings ahead of me.

2. Including today, I have five more working days and then I'm off until Jan 3.

3. I am not finished with my Christmas shopping.

4. I do not have the Christmas spirit, but I am not poopy about it either. I've just been too busy to take a moment and realize that Christmas is NINE DAYS away.

5. I was totally going to register as a bone marrow donor today because they're having a cheek-swabbing drive in the cafeteria and because I was excited when I found out I do not exceed the weight limit for donors but then I realized it was a drive for an Indian lady and that Indians have a 1% chance of finding a match because 80% of the existing registrants are white people. I still could have been a good citizen and signed up, but I went down there and felt self-conscious because I was the one white person in a sea of Indian people and decided to just come back upstairs and stare at a Powerpoint that needs my attention.

I know that the whole thing is more of an awareness event than a "Let's find a match for the one specific lady TODAY!" thing, but I will be keeping all my bone marrow. For the time being, anyway. Maybe tomorrow they'll have a drive for a half English, half San Franciscan by way of Oklahoma lady and then I'll rush down to give her some sunscreen and my bone marrow.

6. Back to the coal mine.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Keep Calm and Carry On

I know they're all over the place these days, but I'm disappointed to read that the "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters aren't cool anymore.

Stupid Apartment Therapy readers.

I love mine. I've had it for a long while, so maybe I can get grandfather'd in?



Sigh.

I miss my beautiful little home and all the things in it. I hope they're enjoying their vacation in storage.

The leaves fell


The leaves fell, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

2011 = MY year!

I've been busy doing worky things and haven't had much to say, but I do finally have something to share.

I spent NYE 2007 with Joanie.

Look how big my hair was!



We kicked around SF and looked for trouble. We took a $30 cab ride out to Ocean Beach. She fell down and I photographed it:



The next morning she woke up wondering how she got sand in her mouth.

But blah blah blah, that NYE she stood (eventually) on Ocean Beach and proclaimed that 2007 was going to be HER year...and SURE ENOUGH, a few days later she met her now-husband.

So then fast forward to 2010.

It's funny how it started out being the best year I'd ever had. I was the happiest I'd ever been. But then, as we all know, the second half of 2010 really kicked my ass.

While 2010 was kicking my ass, it was reallllly walloping my friend Christa's ass.

Ass. Ass. Ass.

So Christa and I have been looking forward to 2011. It's gonna be OUR year. We know it. Joanie is supportive of this and just sent me a link to this poster:



I love it. I totally just bought it. And now I want like 10 others from that site.

And now I'm going to go find that necklace I'm wearing in that photo because it's one of my all-time favorites but I'm only just now remembering that I've forgotten about it.

Monday, December 13, 2010

BPOTD


BPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Friday, December 10, 2010

It's beautiful but...


It's beautiful but..., originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

...this means the privacy tree outside my bedroom window will soon lose its leaves and I'll be ducking from the neighbors until spring. (Because closing the shades is SO HARD. Or because I'm lazy.)

Thursday, December 9, 2010

BPOTD


BPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

All badged up and ready to work!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

All bundled up!


All bundled up!, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Holiday Magic

My brother and SIL Who Does Not Wear John Deere Pajamas called the other day and asked me to come over and take their Christmas card photo for them. I suggested that they enhance the holiday magic by wearing matching holiday sweaters but Dave and Jim had a better idea:

BPOTD


BPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

These shoes are killing me.

Monday, December 6, 2010

BPOTD


BPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

In a hurry. Note the feet in the stall behind me.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Another reason I love TinyPrints

They advise people to STOP MISUSING APOSTROPHES, DAMN IT!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Stupid


Stupid, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

BPPOTD


BPPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

I have new shoes and they're awesome.

They're more grayish-taupe than they appear here.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Filed Under: Tricky Questions to Ask

Someone: YAY I'M PREGNANT!

Me: Um? Yay! Who's the father?

BPOTD


BPOTD, originally uploaded by dumpstar_drummer.

My legs look short and stubby.

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