14 posts tagged “holidaze”

TIME IS COMING TOO FAST SLOW THAT PUPPY DOWN!

Blegh.

Ok, my mood is a bit colored (admittedly) by the newly acquired snarfly nose and general inclination to punctuate every movement of my body with "oof" as a result of an also newly acquired backache.

This week was spent getting the C's holiday project in, purchasing gifts for strangers (Giving trees), wrapping said gifts, having the C's birthday (coolest. cake. Evar!), crate training Thumps (who had decided recently that the library was an excellent place to pee), decorating for Christmas, shampooing carpets (see Thumps), and selling our piano.

I had high hopes for the C when he initially showed interest in the piano, which belonged to my Old Man. My Old Man can beat anyone playing piano, except perhaps Liberace, and then I think he could probably beat Liberace if only we got him a rhinestone jacket. The C is no longer interested in piano and for the last 18 months or so it has decorated the library and valiantly kept up the umpteen photos of the C I have. I placed an ad on Craislist 44 hours ago. It sold this morning.

I may have underpriced it. My dad's advice (and whose permission I sought pre-sale) was to sell it for what it cost me to tune it and move it. That was $85 becaue I didn't tune it yet; I've sold it for significantly more than that (and apparently significantly less than what others are selling for). With the filthy lucre I get I will get a DESK, and cease to use my sideboard as one.

Life is exciting here in the suburbs. I'm going to medicate some more and and watch Emeril make fig newtons. I'm sure there are a bunch of things I've got to do, but I'm in a haze of dueling Christmas light decorations (with the neighbors: across the street is full-on tacky; to the north is full-on elegance, and to the south is nonexistent. Mine are le Target basic).

Next post on Hanukkah...

Having had a Thanksgiving last weekend, I decided there was absolutely nothing wrong with a repeat: in this case though I let someone else be hostess and enjoyed myself. Rather. A. Lot.

Yesterday I got up (rather a lot late) and after some this-and-that went wine tasting. Also. Rather. A. Lot. At some point someone suggested going out to eat for dinner and I pointed out I could cook 'em all some Chicken Cacciatore. Which I did and we ate and we watched the Boondock Saints, because it's important to watch warm and fuzzy movies during the holidays.

This morning I got my knee taped, and picked up my packet, because tomorrow I'm going to be running. Rather. A. Lot.

The Easter Bunny, in my house, does not bring candy. It's not because I'm particularly holier-than-thou (if anything, I am less) but because I am pragmatic: the C doesn't really eat candy -- he'll take a piece, because that sounds like a good idea, and then eat part of it, and not touch it. He goes to fruit for dessert.

The Easter Bunny arrived today and hid things in the kitchen, just in the places where one would reach for pancake-making  things (funny, that). The boy scored a small Bionicle and a K'nex kit to make a helicopter, which he pronounced "Awesome" and quickly asked if he could play Lego Indiana Jones. This is because, you see, he had 5 green cards :). He is spending his entire daily budget of 45 minutes right this instant, while I fry bacon and make pancakes.

The dogs are debating who got more food, the squirrels appear to be eating my slug bait killer, and the crows are breakfasting on worms in the backyard.

Happy Easter from the Sammamish Misfit.

Or not.

I have packed up all of my Christmas gear, this being the 26th; the only vestige of the holiday is a pile of presents that remain for my folks who couldn't make it because they were snowed in.

The C made out like a bandit: a Light Bright, a Build Your Own Lightsaber, action figures, and an Xbox 360. The DD made out like a bandit too: I am the proud owner of a Frida Kahlo cocktail ring, the game Taboo, new windshield wipers, some snazzy wooden spoons, spa gear, and a doohickey which will erase the need for me to run water for 10 minutes before hot water appears in my bathroom. Splendid!

I got my holiday in well, though, so as to make up for my 7.5 Halloween this year. During the course of the last two weeks I've had a sizeable amount of snow, I've brunched with the C and Santa, had two holiday dinners and a holiday breakfast, participated in post-Christmas-Day-shopping (cut short by the C seriously acting up) (maybe that's a good thing, as I am not much of a mall shopper), and drove a little bit around to see how my neighbors decorated.

In the interim few hours since the curtailed shopping trip I have vacuumed, done dishes, cleaned out my car (a truly ponderous amount of hair doohickeys hidden therein), and am sitting here without anything to do... unless I delve into a sewing project. I think I'll defer that though, and do what everyone has been telling me to do the last few days: relax.

Today, Cyn is flying off to the midwest. Two days back K-bear did the same (different home). As friends leave and friends stay (CC and McGuyver are here! yes!), you can tell the Big One is coming.

As much as I love Halloween, and I love it more than Christmas, I felt cheated on it this year. I only got one pumpkin patch trip, and I didn't get a chance to do pumpkin or squash soup. And about 40% of my invitees bailed or never got the invite. So Halloween was about a 7 out of 10 this year, maybe a 7.5, which means I need Christmas and New Years' to make up for it.

Fortunately, I have obsessive family and friends, with warm hearts and who will cheerfully, for the most part, admit they are not celebrating the birth of Christ anymore than they are celebrating rampant commericalism. The big focus is the food and friends and family.

I have about 90% of my "shopping" done, which sounds impressive; but I await some fabric in the mail to make something for my brother, and I have the materials to make something for someone else, and somehow those things need to be manifested between now and the 24th. The other 10% of the shopping involves the liquor store, or I'd have been done today.

True to tradition I got items that cost less than a stocking, and fit into a stocking; I have made molasses cookies (OMG addictive, I will do that again when I can send the bulk away with friends!); I have indoor/outdoor holiday decor, I have received a steady trickle of holiday cards. I have a bit of guilt about that, but as my H'ween cards didn't turn out right and as I've given my paperworks away, I am not going to do holiday cards this year. This is me, being adamant.

The only thing giving me a little apprehension here is that I haven't been able to run, and I was counting on running to keep my weight down through the end of the year. The scale smugly pointed out that I have in fact gained 1.5 pounds back, thanks, and I am certain that both food and drink are to blame (and oh, the molasses cookies!).

I wonder if I can trade molassess cookies for GU when running?

This morning I woke up with a bit of a hangover (CC's bday dinner the night before, 'nuff said), and then proceeded to get a tire repaired, oil changed, groceries shopped. thank you cards started, 3 loads of laundry, 1 load of dishes, and my resolutions done.

Then I took the SC to Ali & Doug's for a NYE party, where people played Rock Star and Dance Dance Revolution and Wii, and drank interesting things (I didn't, had to drive) and the SC consumed half his body weight in shrimp and vegetables. Along about 11 I realized neither he nor I was going to make it to midnight, and we left regrettably early. Then again, I have a peacefully asleep SC now and am in the comfort of my own home, without worrying about the drive. (Although the drive was fine, I suspect the person in front of me was a bit tipsy -- or their car alignment is seriously messed up).

Highlights: D&A have the best goodie bags. I got Nihilist Mints, and Parasite Pals paraphernelia (how's that for alliteration). Catching up with the friends from Up North Van, watching friends play varying and sundry electronics (and yet still talking with one another). Twinkies! River in her NYE outfit! :)

I am working on my resolutions. This year I actually plan to learn to drive a stick. And possibly engage in a winter sport. And manage my money better. And get help with the yard.

I work for a little internet travel company you may have heard of. Sometimes it offers perks, sometimes it doesn't.  Case in point: booked 2 rooms at a hotel in Anaheim where the reservation was completely f*ckd up and I had to spend Christmas Evening "discussing" at length with the front desk person about how his hotel (not him mind you) was messing up my holiday and would he please do something about it (he did, but I'm still unimpressed with the person I spoke with on the phone about 4 weeks back). I also was arranging for a hotel room for a dear friend for her b-day with our internal travel department, who promptly tried to book it for 2 nights, then the wrong night, and finally (theoretically) came through at the final hour (after much phone deliberation).

In reading the byline of yet another good friend I discover his holiday travel was most likely messed up by an online booking agency. The arrangements I'm trying to make for the mom of a friend seem to have stalled via the holidays, which is kinda sad. And although my flights mercifully left and returned semi-unhitched this last trip, I don't think I can say that about any flight I've had in the last 2 years.

Travel is a luxury commodity; I get that. People who do it can afford it (or shouldn't do it) and it's usually for pleasant reasons if they're paying for it themselves. When a trip "costs" you more in frustration than it gives you in relaxation (mine didn't, but came close) when is it a good idea to not go?

Or maybe I'm cranky because my cell has been dead for the last 5 days (this is what happens when you leave the charger at work. And you have a loaner security badge. Which won't work. And the replacement charger you bought doesn't actually work with your phone, even though the packaging insists it does. And all of Verizon and Radio Shack can't accommodate you).

Not that I'm bitter.

I write from room 517 at the Anaheim Maingate, which is a block from Disneyland. They managed to screw up two fairly simple reservations so I had to go downstairs and elucidate my unhappiness, on Christmas day, no less.

I so need room service.

My flight was delayed an hour for de-icing. Europe seems to be unhappy with its data run (and checking in on Christmas, no less). My mom again reminded me that perhaps I shouldn't have broken up with Q (he is, after all, taking her to Canada this weekend). Also, my room keys don't work, so if I want to go to my room I need to call maintenance. Each. Time.

Sigh... once the SC is asleep I'll see if I can find diverting TV.

May this post find you warm, safe, and in the company of good family and friends. Go out and play.

Last night I made ravioli. I think about 120 of them -- with help, of course ;) I think we managed to somehow dirty every darned thing in my kitchen, and as I gaze lovingly over at my finally clean kitchen (thanks to Greenies and CC & McGuyv and so forth for the cleaning help!) I say to myself:

What in hell have I done to my back?

I'm serious, there is something messed up here. It really has flared up in the last 3 days, and last night I felt more comfortable in the LoveSac than I did in my own bed. I couldn't pick up the SC today at all -- physically, that is. I did retrieve him from his Dad's and finished up my holiday shopping today (well, except the ones that are dependent on the liquor store)  -- but this is going to be a real problem come D-land.

Speaking of which, I am looking forward to this ride, which imho, is the 2nd best in all of D-land. First best is Pirates of The Caribbean -- 'course.

Finally, a merry holiday present to y'all:

How to make homemade ravioli:

You need:

• 2-3 eggs
• about a quarter-size plog of salt in your palm
• 1.5 lbs Semolina flour (comes in 1.5lbs bags, which is convenient)
• a cup or so of water (no, you're not going to use it all)
• olive oil
• regular bread flour

dump flour and salt into your mixer (yes you want a mixer, otherwise your arms will ache) and then add the eggs. slowly add water until the consistency goes from a crumbly pie-dough look to a big plonk of dough that gets pushed around by the paddle.

Next, get out your pasta roller (oh you don't have one? skip this paragraph and go to the next one). Set that bad boy on the widest setting, put a plog of dough in your hands that is about the size of 2-3 golf balls. Flatten it up a bit (use the regular bread flour to make sure it doesn't stick too much to you or the machine) and roll it through the machine. Fold it once or twice and roll it on that setting, then notch the machine a little tighter (1-2 notches) and do this again. Keep doing this until the dough is on the next-to-last thinness setting. You shouldn't be able to see through the dough. If you can see through the dough maybe you should consider making a pastry.

Ok, so you don't have a pasta roller. Now you know what you want for Christmas 2008. Meanwhile, get out a rolling pin. No rolling pin? Take a glass (typical cylindrical), flour it, and use that. Roll the dough out as thin as you can get it.

--> using a plaque

Lay one piece of the pasta along a well-floured plaque, nudging your knuckles into the divots to make sure there's plenty of give for the filling (more about that later). Plug a bit-o-filling into each pocket, less than it takes to fill the entire pocket. E.g., let's say the pocket is the size of a quarter. You want to put a dime-or-nickel-size plug of filling in, because an overfilled ravioli will burst like a chucked can of coke. Lay the 2nd piece of pasta, press it down, and then take your rolling pin and roll it flat against the plaque -- this will cause the ridges put into the plaque to theoretically cut the individual raviolis. In actual practice it will make lines for you to then go and hand cut, when you upend the plaque onto a floured board. Boil them in salted water for about 3-4 minutes -- they'll go from a yolky yellow to a milky cream color.

--> using freehand

 Lay a piece of pasta out on a floured board (again, bread flour for this sort of thing) and put teaspoon-sized plogs of filling in as if you were filling in a checkerboard. Lay the 2nd piece of pasta over it, and press firmly between the plogs -- this will adhese the dough together. Use a sharp knife to cut the raviolis out -- or a biscuit cutter, if you want fancy and round -- and cook as you would plaque raviolis.

Filling:

Do what you want :) Ricotta and parmesan is an old standby, sausage and spinach works. The key is to find something that can be spooned up easily.