Month 2 Day #31

DBF and I kept our New Years celebration low key. We went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (a FANTASTIC movie btw. seriously. go see it. what are you waiting for? go now!). Now we're drinking champagne, playing Guitar Hero and watching some New Years coverage on TV. At least I don't have to worry about being on the roads. Good times. Woohoo! It's 2009!!

Abyssinia 2008

Reflecting on the year past, I'm torn. I've had as many blessings, if not more, as I have challenges. DBF was unemployed. Then he found a job. I was unemployed. Then I found a job. Family crises of varying types and urgency. A family celebration of my little sister getting engaged (which also was a little of a challenge for me at first). It's been tough for many of us.

Without a doubt, I am not the same person I was a year ago. Everything I have experienced in this year has changed me, shaped me. I made some mistakes. Some minor. And one major. The lessons from these mistakes have already proven invaluable, which is why I cannot regret a single one. For without those lessons, I would not be who I am.

The one constant that I am thankful to have had blessing my life this year is my family and friends. Specifically, DBF, who lent me his strength when I needed it most and never once complained. I do not even want to imagine how this year would have gone if I had not had him to lean on during my darkest time. I know I would have made it; it just would have been a much bigger, much harder struggle.

I cannot even begin to form the words in my mind, let alone aloud or on the screen, to express how grateful I am to him or how lucky I feel to have met him a year ago.

So am I happy or sad to see 2008 come to an end? I can't really say. But I will say that I am not going to dwell on the past. But rather file the experiences and lessons away to be reviewed and serve as reminders as needed. And instead, face 2009 and its blessings and challenges straight on.

Happy New Year! Celebrate and be safe.

P.S. Here's JibJab's 2008 in review video. Hilarious as always.

Hump Day Humor: Babies Eating Lemons

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Cute and funny.

(Thanks to Cary for the video.)

ANSWER - Tuesday Trivia: Sports

Who was the only member of a losing Super Bowl team to be named Most Valuable Player?

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley, at Super Bowl V in 1971. Dallas lost 16-13 to the Baltimore Colts in a sloppily played game that was dubbed the Blunder Bowl by some and the Blooper Bowl by others because of its 11 turnovers.

Month 2 Day #30

This is Tigger. He was given to me one Christmas by Omi and Papa Joe, my mom's parents. I have pretty much slept with him exclusively since then. Yes. I still sleep with a stuffed animal. I'm not ashamed to admit that. Childish might be said by people looking down their noses. Childlike is my reply. He's my security blanket. Or security stuffed animal, if you will. I feel safer and sleep easier if I am clutching him. He fits perfectly with the contours of my body. And it is important to me to hold onto a few reminders of my childhood. Life is just more fun that way.

Tuesday Trivia: Sports

Tuesday Trivia is a weekly post offering interesting trivia questions. Leave a comment if you know the answer or if you'd like to take a guess. The answer will be posted tomorrow.

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Who was the only member of a losing Super Bowl team to be named Most Valuable Player?

Month 2 Day #29

I love Hallmark ornaments. My mom started my collection back when I was in middle school. Only thing is that they are not cheap. So I buy a few when Christmas is over and they're 40% off. This year I picked up a Norman Rockwell-like "Waiting for Santa" ornament, the Gargoyle Guard (that guards Dumbledore's office) Harry Potter ornament and a Santa with a "Honey Do" list ornament. I already am looking forward to next year when I can hang them on a tree for the first time.

Month 2 Day #28

At my grandparents' this weekend, we played a lot of games. Five Crowns, Trivial Pursuit, Blokus, Honeymoon Spades. And as always, we had a blast.

Month 2 Day #27

Extended family gathered around looking at pictures.

Month 2 Day #26

Zoe really liked the new bed Santa brought her. I hope she doesn't start humping this one like she did the last one.

Month 2 Day #25 - Merry Christmas!

This is my brother unwrapping yet another box DBF had hidden his present in. I believe there were 4 boxes in total. Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all had good days where you are. I'm going down to visit my grandparents tomorrow for a few days. Not sure I'll have a chance to post a picture every day. But when I get back, I will post the missing days as soon as I can. Until then... Abyssinia!

Month 2 Day #24

Done with all the baking. Finally!

Hump Day Humor: The Hanukkah Song

ANSWER - Tuesday Trivia: Merry Christmas

How many gifts are there if you add all the presents from the song "12 Days of Christmas" together?

364

Congratulations to Mochaface friend Dogsbody who was the first (and only) to get the correct answer!

Month 2 Day #23

I wrapped my last gift tonight. w00t!! I'm done! A week ago I wasn't sure I'd be finished in time. But I did. Awesome! This year I decided rather than ribbons and bows (which I'm never good at using) I'd using photos of me with the person for whom the gift is intended. I kinda like it.

Tuesday Trivia: Merry Christmas

Tuesday Trivia is a weekly post offering interesting trivia questions. Leave a comment if you know the answer or if you'd like to take a guess. The answer will be posted tomorrow.

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How many gifts are there if you add all the presents from the song "12 Days of Christmas" together?

Month 2 Day #22

The last cookie I had to make are called haystacks. Basically, you melt together butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Then coat chow mein noodles and peanuts with the melted mixture. Sane people probably mix it with spoons. I find my hands to be better tools for coating the noodles without breaking all of them. But it's always a mess.

Month 2 Day #21

For some reason, I decided to make 6 different kind of cookies this year for my Christmas baking. Four of which I made today (molasses, snickerdoodle, pistachio linzertorte and chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies). The sugar cookies were made yesterday. Only the haystacks are left and I'm too tired to make any more today. So I'll make them tomorrow.

Month 2 Day #20

It's been a cold lately. Okay well it's been cold off and on. Either way, I've been craving comfort food. So I made this tonight. It was so, so good. I did use about half the sauerkraut. And I'm glad I did. I think a full pound would have been too over-powering.

Month 2 Day #19

Me and DBF on our carriage ride at my office Christmas party tonight.

Lost S5 Sneak Peak

Haven't seen this on TV yet, but here's a video of Jack and Ben talking about Locke and those left on the Island.

Month 2 Day #18

DBF's Christmas present. Shhh. Don't tell him. ;-)

Pushing Daisies S2ep10

This show is getting so intense. And so GOOD! It pains me to know that there are only 3 more episodes and then Pushing Daisies is gone forever. Hopefully, ABC will air those last 3 episodes.

Olive, who has been a little bit of a push-over when it comes to the rest of them, finally stands up and demands to know the facts. And the facts are these... she still doesn't know everything. But you can't blame Ned and Chuck for keeping some secrets. Those secrets are HUGE. Olive's got to take baby aspirin before she can take the huge horse pill.

What is it about Vivian that makes her so clingy, romantic and slightly naive. Likewise, what is it about Lily that makes her so cynical and a hard ass. Lily by far is my favorite of the two. Even if she did have sex with her sister's fiance, bear his child and lied about it to Vivian, and her own daughter, for 30 odd years. The eyepatch is a bonus.

Ned's dad was the one who pulled Dwight out of the ground and staged the hotel room?!?! How the hell?! I mean, how does he know about Ned's gift? Has he been secretly following him all this time and somehow managed to learn Ned's secret? Why would he do it so secretly and never talk to Ned about it?

Like I said... so GOOD!

Month 2 Day #17

The lone glove. Driving home tonight I was wearing my gloves. Both of them. Then DBF called me to talk about what we were doing for dinner. So I had taken off one of my gloves to answer the phone, and I just never put it back on afterward. I got to DBF's place and my glove had disappeared. Into. Thin. Air. I cannot find it. I've searched throughout my car. I've searched my bags and the pockets of my jacket. I've even searched the ground around where my car is parked. But that's not very relevant as I couldn't find it before I even opened the door to get out of my car. I have no idea where it is. And this is what I'm stressing over. Forget about the bills. Forget about Christmas next week and the gazillion things I have to get done before then. I'm stressed about how I lost a glove before I even got out of the car.

Hump Day Humor: Wienerschnitzel

ANSWER - Tuesday Trivia: Literature

What was the name of the Tin Woodman in the Wizard of Oz books written by L. Frank Baum?

Nick Chopper.

Month 2 Day #16

This is all the news can talk about this morning. The tiny bit of ice on the ground. It doesn't even cover all of the ground. Naturally, it's news because of how dangerous the roads are and the wrecks that result because we have trouble driving on ice. It still just amazes me how little ice needs to accumulate for the media to focus solely on it for the story of the day.

Tuesday Trivia: Literature

Tuesday Trivia is a weekly post offering interesting trivia questions. Leave a comment if you know the answer or if you'd like to take a guess. The answer will be posted tomorrow.

<><><>

What was the name of the Tin Woodman in the Wizard of Oz books written by L. Frank Baum?

Month 2 Day #15

I know it's not the same thing as an actual Harry Potter book, but I'm as excited to read it as I was the other 7 books.

Month 2 Day #14

My lunch at Genghis Grill today. If you've never been to Genghis, it's a create your own stir-fry. I have never had a bad bowl there. Yum!

Month 2 Day #13

DBF and I were doing some Christmas shopping when I noticed these statues in my mall that aren't normally there. I looked closer and noticed that they represent each day of the "12 Days of Christmas." Kinda neat idea.

Month 2 Day #12

DBF got this tiny little ecosystem from his company as a Christmas gift yesterday. There are three tiny (and I mean wee) shrimp in there that feed on the algae. It's supposed to do something like grow more algae but so far it's the same amount of algae as yesterday. I think it's broken.

Month 2 Day #11

Tonight was DBF's office holiday party was tonight. First it was dinner at Fogo de Chao (absolutely delicious btw) then it was games and more drinks at Fox and the Hound. Someone apparently brought Guitar Hero.

Month 2 Day #10

I don't have a fireplace. So our stocking are on the end of the counter that you can see as soon as you walk in the door. I didn't decorate mine, though I did do DBF's. Unfortunately, I'm not that crafty so I don't think his is as cute.

Pushing Daisies S2ep9

Loved that Nora was literally fried like an egg on the lighthouse lamp.

Cute raincoats with olives, pies and fish. But what was up with Olive's hair? She looked like Farrah Fawcett.

Wonder if Charles would have approved of Ned if he and Chuck had never died and Ned had never brought them to life. Something tells me no. Love that fight between Ned and Charles, how they couldn't use their fists so they were using just about everything else.

Olive is fantastic as a budding junior private investigator in training. She seems to have good instincts and is very knowledgeable about their community, which helps when trying to figure out suspects.

And I absolutely love how she helped Emerson heal a little and not be so ornery. It looks like they could be great friends. I hope he is able to help her move on from Ned. Since Ned is highly unlikely to move on from Chuck.

Hump Day Humor: Hands Free

ANSWER - Tuesday Trivia: Definitions

What is an onychophagist?

A nail-biter.

Month 2 Day #9

She ate that whole thing in less than 5 minutes. I swear.

Grey's Anatomy news

Apparently, George will be leaving Seattle Grace. T.R. Knight is trying to get out of his contract. You know now that I think about it, this is not all that surprising news. George hasn't had much of a storyline this season. I just hope he has a better swan song than Erica did.

Tuesday Trivia: Definitions

Tuesday Trivia is a weekly post offering interesting trivia questions. Leave a comment if you know the answer or if you'd like to take a guess. The answer will be posted tomorrow.

<><><>

What is an onychophagist?

Month 2 Day #8

I'm making Christmas gifts this year. Here's a Christmas snow globe I just finished tonight. Sorry for the fuzziness. I've never claimed to be a professional photographer. In case you can't tell, that's Santa Claus and he's holding a toy. Not a bad job for the first snow globe I've ever made, if I do say so myself.

Month 2 Day #7

She's always on her best behavior when she wants a treat. But then again, so am I. ;-)

Month 2 Day #6

It's just like that famous painting (picture? Pretty sure it's a painting) of the dogs playing poker. Only she laid down and fell asleep rather than actually playing.

Month 2 Day #5

This is my fish Tek, or Varitek. He's named for the captain of the Boston Red Sox. Well he's been the captain for many years now. There is a chance he may not be playing again in Boston. Which would make me very sad as he's a great catcher. And he's cute, of course. I think Tek needs a bigger bowl. But he's living frugally right now due to the economy.

Grey's Anatomy S5ep9

Suddenly losing one’s voice is a very rare disease. But I know of one person who has lost his voice. Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, recently underwent surgery for spasmodic dysphonia and has successfully started regaining his voice. I know Grey’s Anatomy takes great care to be sure all their medical cases are rooted in reality. But it is thrilling to have heard of an example in real life.

I’m actually glad Cristina chose Alex for the solo surgery. He was the most prepared. And he has struggled to get where he is. He has fallen down and gotten up over and over and over again. Not just as a doctor but with Izzie as well. Winning the solo surgery has given him some confidence in himself that he didn’t have before. He has finally realized that not only is he worthy but he can do it. And now he has discovered confidence in himself with Izzie. Finally he has admitted he loves her.

Only Izzie is still seeing Denny. And Denny’s still dead. But she has said screw it, I’m going to enjoy whatever the frak this is while I can. Except she has Alex saying he loves her. Now what does she do?

I don’t understand how Meredith after telling Cristina to do what she needs to do about the solo surgery could be so upset when she wasn’t picked. Or how she could be so naïve to think that things were okay again between them after the huge fight they had. No one, not even best friends, are okay again so soon after a falling out like that.

LOVED that scene with Cristina and Owen with the vent. Absolutely LOVED it! He understood exactly what she needed. And what she needs is him. More scenes like that please!

Don’t think that just because I love Owen that I have forsaken my first love. Mark Sloane. How cute was he? He was trying so hard to convince himself not to go there. When he was lecturing Callie on avoiding the hot intern, he was also clearly trying to convince himself. Lexie is his hot intern. And naturally he did go there. But he was frakkin adorable trying to keep himself from doing what he knew he mustn't. What I find more interesting is that Lexie is so willing to drop her feelings for George for easy sex with Mark. Of course, if I were her, I would do the same thing.

Month 2 Day #4

DBF brought me flowers tonight as a congratulations on your new job. Don't feel bad. I only get flowers twice a year. At least that's as often as he remembers. But I'm not complaining. Just gushing. ;-)

Month 2 Day #3

Remember when I said the holidays are here? One of the things I love about the holidays are peppermint mochas, peppermint brownies and Christmas blend coffee from Starbucks. The fact that I get my drink in a bright red cup doesn't hurt either. ;-)

Pushing Daisies S2ep8

Chuck's dad looked really good for being dead so long. I thought he would have decayed much more by now. But then again I don't know anything about the decaying rate of people. Or really the decaying rate of anything. I's no good at science.

So Dwight was after an insurance policy. Not surprising. Though I didn't expect the twist of Chuck wanting to keep her father alive and Dwight end up taking his place. I liked the twist.

Unrequited love is difficult. And Olive yearning for Ned while Ned yearns for Chuck is more interesting to me than most love triangles. Probably because of the detail that Ned can't touch Chuck ever even though he loves her deeply.

I am going to miss this show if for nothing else than Kristin Chenoweth's occasional singing. Her rendition of "Eternal Flame" was absolutely beautiful. I hope if they every make Wicked into a movie that she reprises her role as Glinda.

Hump Day Humor: Ninja Lessons

Best advice from the lesson "Don't go nin-jun nobody don't need nin-jun. Alrighty?"

ANSWER - Tuesday Trivia: Foreign Cities

What European city's motto is Fluctuat nec mergitur, Latin for "though rocked by the waves, she does not sink?"

Paris

Congratulations to Mochaface friend Julia Goolia for being the first to get the correct answer!!

Month 2 Day #2

A year ago, my apartment complex was sold to a different management company. Shortly afterward they started making upgrades and improvements around the complex including the club house/office.

One such upgrade were the TVs in the gym. They put in 52" LCD flat-screens. Very nice TVs. But not at all necessary. When they were installed, we were only allowed to use the gym during office hours (usually we can use it any time of day) as they worked out the security system.

Well a couple weeks ago, I went in for my workout and both TVs were gone. So all that is left are the wall mounts and cables hanging down. It feels a little like the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Rumor has it they're getting new TVs, just don't know how much longer I have to entertain myself while I workout.

Tuesday Trivia: Foreign Cities

Tuesday Trivia is a weekly post offering interesting trivia questions. Leave a comment if you know the answer or if you'd like to take a guess. The answer will be posted tomorrow.

<><><>

What European city's motto is Fluctuat nec mergitur, Latin for "though rocked by the waves, she does not sink?"

Month 2 Day #1 - The holidays are here!

They're here! The holidays! I'm one of those that most people hate as I start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, even though Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

I prefer Thanksgiving for many reasons. One because it's all about the 3 F's: family, food and football. There's no stress to get the perfect gift. Just to make the perfect pie.

But I also love Thanksgiving because it is the beginning of the holiday season. While Christmas is great and I love everything that comes with Christmas, the actual day is always sort of a downer as it means the season is over. But with Thanksgiving, there are 4, or sometimes 5, weeks to enjoy the lights, ornaments, tinsel, Christmas carols and movies, the baking, Christmas cards.

Due to my recent situation, this Christmas is decidely low key compared to Christmases past. But that doesn't mean I'm not celebrating to the best of my ability. I have decided not to get a tree this year. But in order to display my favorite ornaments, I decided to decorate this baker's stand I have as if it were a tree.



I know it's hard to see but there are lights wrapped around it too. Well if you look at the bottom you can kinda see them. I even wrapped a Christmas tree blanket around the bottom. And you can see the ornaments hanging from the shelves.

So this my friends means Daily Photo is back! Every day for the month of December, I'm going to post a photo I've taken that day. Would love to hear what you think.

And I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!