Am I an Elf?

My dear brother asked me to knit them stockings. Talk about short notice! He must think I am an elf. I have multiple projects backing up now. Dad's scarf will be completed tomorrow while waiting for QE's new tires. I should have completed it by now but I was dying to work on my secret project a few times this week. And last night's 2 glasses of wine got me unfocused enough I was unfit to knit. So, this morning I started the sow's stocking (hog, sow and piglet...a perfect little pink piggy family...) It's "dusty rose" Lamb's Pride worsted on my Addi Natura needles, size 5. I love the needles. Very smooth bamboo--smoother than Clover, which I didn't think was possible.

Speaking of elf, Elf is one of my favorite movies.
Bye Buddy, I hope you find your dad
Dad! It's me! Buddy! Your son! (in the Gimbels store window during a.m. rush hour)
Does maple syrup have sugar? Then YES!
Francisco...Francisco...Francisco...
I like to whisper too
You're not Santa. You stink!
My finger has a heartbeat
Congratulations! You did it! World's best coffee!!!
You know, the code...

My sister is a ho

I don't have a sister. But many people do. What's it like to know or have others think your sister is a ho? I watched part of an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians the other night. It was the one where Kourtney thought she was pregnant. I later learned that she's 28(!). Does she live at home? I don't know. It sure seemed like it though. What is a girl that age doing still living at home?! She didn't seem to need temporary parental assistance. It seemed like she never left, even after becoming an adult. Kim of sex-tape fame is 26 and also appears to live at home. Whatever.

What's disturbing to me is that there are two young daughters at home, in the 8-14 age range. I wonder what it's like for them to see their sisters living like skanky hoes. One sister got arrested for DUI, one had a pregnancy scare, and the third has a sex-tape. After learning Kourtney wasn't pregnant by her much-younger boyfriend, mom and the girls (with almost-babydaddy) went to Vegas to celebrate. I have to admit the show was mildly entertaining, if only for the inevitable wrecks. Scary to know these wrecks are real and someone is actually living this way.

Real vs Fake

There is an article in today's Washington Post about going green for the holidays. I am curious how anyone who claims to be eco-friendly can consider cutting down a tree for the sake of in-home enjoyment for about 30 days. Yes, it can be recycled and turned into mulch, but when wood decomposes, it releases nitrogen, which soil only needs in limited quantities. One argument is that most fake trees are made in China and require fuel to ship it here. Probably true, but I know trees made in USA also exists. We have one. It wasn't hard to find nor was it expensive. I'm not saying live tree lovers are evil. But it seems that for every tree not killed and cut down is a tiny step towards improving our air. Not to mention the resources it takes to grow that tree to ceiling-height and then ship it cross-country (most trees are grown in Oregon) could be saved. I've never had a live tree. For me, the fire hazard, watering, and falling needles were enough to deter me. Maybe I'm missing out on something great.

Davis the Treehugger

Where has the time gone? This Saturday is DECEMBER 1!!! I just got used to it being November. The plan is to put up our tree this weekend. Davis looks forward to helping me by inspecting the placement of each branch and the ornaments. He peers longingly into the library (we have glass doors) as I set up the fake tree. Nose and paw prints cover the door. Last year, he would squeak and meow to make sure I knew he was there. Our boy loves to eat the tree. A fake Christmas tree! We've accepted his odd tastes and only allow him into the library chaperoned. He thinks we keep him out of "his" room and will run to the library if he hears the doors opening. Poor Buddy.

I hung a wreath on our door this past weekend. Davis was never more than two inches behind me. He doesn't even get this excited about treats. With his big yellow eyes on full alert, he briskly followed me throughout the house as I tried to lose him. Mission failed. I ended up going out the garage so he couldn't escape out the front door in pursuit of his beloved wreath.

I am hoping this year decorating the tree will unite our kitties, or at least allow brief moments of harmony. I hope they forget about bygones and join forces to distract me. They don't have to be friends. All I want is for them to cohabitate peacefully.

What's up puddytat?

Here is my cat finally with a face. I debated the whiskers but I think it looks cute. I finished the baby bunting and need to add buttons (completing projects isn't my strong point). I was going to make another kimono-style sweater for piglet but it will have to wait. Dad needs a scarf. I know I've knitted scarves for my parents years ago, but they are nowhere to be found. I was working on a 'secret' project but that too will have to wait. My goal is to have dad's scarf completed by next weekend. It's a simple 3x3 rib, so it shouldn't take too long if I don't mess up. As for my secret project, well...I want to share my excitement and I've debated it. But I think I will share it when I have one completed. This should motivate me to finish quickly since I am ready to burst. :)

Here is my new yarn shelf and stash. This is pre-Frap's Big Wool order, so I have a few more balls of yarn than what's pictured. QE says I can buy as much yarn as I want if I can tell him why I need more yarn while standing in my knitting room.

Piglet the Money Pit

I will be the first to admit that I hoped my brother would have a girl. Girls seem to have more cute clothes and toys...and everything is PINK!!! I love piglet all the same and am now very grateful he is a boy because he's saved me a lot of money. QE and I have spent quite a good bit on piglet as it is, with all the yarn, books, and clothes I have bought. My latest (and hopefully final) purchase is a Halo Sleepsack set in organic cotton. And the print is kitties and doggies! I've had my eye on it for several months and decided that it was meant to be, if Target.com still has it in stock. I finally gave my cat doll a face. Adorable. I'll take a pic and post it later this weekend.

Off-topic: I hate technology. Or maybe technology hates me. We've had our Mac for 15 months and I just learned that I can click on the file name when saving to save in a particular folder. The default file locations are several main folders. This irritated me to no end since I would save it to desktop or a main folder, open Finder, and then move the file. The other discovery was that most of my photos taken at 5 megapixels were uploading at a crappy resolution. iPhoto said the pictures had a good resolution. My personal tech support Frap couldn't figure out what was wrong either. I learned last week that when I download photos from my camera to the Mac, the system creates two folders: Pictures/Original and Pictures/Data. I had been uploading and sending pictures from the data folder, which were at a lower resolution and file size. Over a year of agony...

I feel the storm inside you

Did you see my beloved Goo Goo Dolls as the halftime show for the Packers game? We were sitting in the dining room post-feast when I heard the melody for Better Days. I thought it was just background music for whatever montage they were showing. I go in the family room to check it out. I screamed "They are live!!!" and the MIL wondered what got into me. John was heavily made up but his voice rocked as usual. After Better Days they performed Stay With You. Throughout the performance, I noticed the cameras never panned in on Robbie. I wonder if that was intentional. Maybe he was drunk or had a bad hair/makeup day. After the halftime show, there was a clip of John urging us to help United Way or something. Terrible angle of his face and it was so obvious he was reading a script. My Goo is playing Vegas again this year for NYE at HOB. Sigh. We went one year. Great memories.

Open invitation to contact me offline if you are interested: I have two $10 off coupons for a haircut at PR@Partners in Bristow with Megan. The cost for a shampoo, cut, style and scalp massage would be $25 after the coupon. Since I'm all about full disclosure, I'm supposed to get a free haircut if I refer two people. I don't really care about that. I wish I could use those coupons myself, but I can't. So next best thing is to share the love and deals with y'all. :)

As our travel dates near, I'm getting more anxious about leaving my kitties at the pet resort. What if Davis goes on a hunger strike because he's depressed? What if Angel gets mad at me for leaving her? What if Cara meets a human she loves more? What if they get germs and ickies at the facility? We will apply Frontline on them, but that could cause a reaction too. I'm not fond of chemicals, but it's probably better than leaving them exposed.

The MIL has already declared that she doesn't "feel like doing Christmas" this year and won't be giving gifts. She knows she will get gifts even if she doesn't give any. Nice gig. Where can I find one like that?

In the week he's been born, my piglet has tormented his parents much to my delight. My brother reported an exploding diaper where poop was everywhere. And he had to clean it up. On the first night home! HAHAHAHAHA Wednesday night, piglet got a feeding at 12:00 AM and was cranky. He couldn't sleep and took a poop instead. They got him cleaned up and shortly thereafter it was time for another feeding at 3:00 AM. Piget then had a tummyache and mild diarrhea. Another cleanup. He didn't go to sleep until 6:00 AM. HAHAHAHAHAHA I don't think his cuteness offsets his poops. But it's hilarious to hear he's calling the shots and nobody can sleep if he can't sleep.

A Turkey Ran Away...

A turkey ran away
Before Thanksgiving Day,
He said, "They'll make a roast out of me
If I shall stay"

That's a little song I learned in elementary school and it's tradition for me to make QE sing it every year. :) There are other verses for the cranberry and pumpkin too.

Well, I had my tofurky. The gravy included in the box looked nasty compared to the one I made from scratch. The tofurky itself had a nice flavor but I didn't care for the texture. It was too processed for my liking. It was firm "like a really firm tofu" according to QE. It reminded me of bologna. Again, the flavor was good, the texture was just too processed. At least now I can say I tried it. Surprisingly, nobody commented on my vegetarianism. I was shocked but also glad. Now if only I can get those freaks at work to quit commenting about it every day.

Menu
Herb roasted free-range turkey
Tofurky
Corn pudding
Mashed potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes with ginger
Stuffing
Simple green beans
Pumpkin pie
Pecan chocolate espresso pie

Everyone liked my cooking. Babymomma was envious of our kitchen, which made me a bit uncomfortable. She also doesn't know how to cook and commented that she felt like she was watching the Food Network as I finished up the meal. Awkward. But I guess I'm also proud that she would rate my skills on par with tv chefs. Cara enjoyed the turkey and I think she ate all three plates. Davis was too preoccupied with the guests (weird for our shy boy) and Angel only wanted to sleep.

Overall things went way better than I expected. QE's nephew is a very picky eater and didn't touch any of the sides. He only ate turkey. At least the boy got his protein. And he commented on how juicy it was! MAJOR compliment coming from the pickiest eater ever!! :) My favorite moment has to be when he took a bite of pumpkin pie and made the most vomit face ever. It was hilarious. His face lit up when I offered him ice cream instead. This was major progress for him. At least he tried everything. His mother kept debating with him that the food WAS tasty even if he said it was gross. I think she would be better off encouraging him to take one bite out of everything he's served. If he doesn't like it, fine. At least he tasted it. Just an opinion from a non-mother.

Highlight of the afternoon has to be when the kid freaked and panicked when Cara and Davis fought. He is allergic to cats but seems to also use that as an excuse to be afraid of them in a drama queen kind of way. So the kitties were screaming and hissing (ah...the holidays....) and the poor boy leaped off the floor and scrambled to the sofa with a sheer look of horror on his face. OMG...hilarious. He was being overly dramatic, but I think there was real fear in there too.

Introducing Piglet

Here is my little piglet in his crib with lots of cute toys. I love the doll in the top left corner! Notice that my knitted bunny is next to piglet. His parents sure know how to butter me up! It hasn't really hit that piglet belongs to my family yet. He looks like my brother as a baby, but I guess since I haven't met him, he's not officially real to me yet. It feels so weird to know that my brother is a father. I still see him as my dorky brother who is still in college. :)

Giving Thanks

As massive number of people travel yonder and beyond to see loved ones this week, it's sometimes easy to forget why these people clog the rails, air, and roads the fourth week in November. Hopefully their excursions yield more than a free meal and brings warmth and happiness to their hearts. Time seems to fly faster each year and seeing friends "just a few weeks ago" turns out to be six months ago. The world seems a much colder and harsher place than even five years ago--all the more reason to appreciate what we have. With that in mind, here's a list of how I know I am blessed and lucky.

1. All of my loved ones are in good health, as am I.

2. The people closest to me have been in my life for over 10 years, with Frap taking top honors at 15 years.

3. QE and I are "rich" financially. No, we don't think so, but we are. We don't have to worry about making ends meet, and the cost of fuel does not affect our ability to pay for food or other bills.

4. My parents are still with me. They are showing the signs of aging and their health is declining, but they are still here. We've had our rough times, but I know deep down I'm glad they are around. My dad especially. He and I can't talk about money, the economy, or anything involving spending without him offering us money. Dear ol'Dad is always there for me.

5. We have three mostly wonderful cats. The fighting and screaming continues, but they love us and know we love them. Our home would be lonely and empty without them.

Winter Thoughts

This kitten needs mittens. I want to make mittens using the Rowan Big Wool Frap procured for me. My "problem" is that I don't want to use size 17 dpns because I will never use them again and it will be a waste of money. There should be a needle swap of sorts, kind of like Netflix. Pay a deposit and you borrow a pair of needles. Return the needles and you get your deposit back. No needles, and they keep your deposit. Brilliant idea. Somebody is going to steal it and make millions off my idea. Oh bother. Anyway, I am stuck with mittens knitted using straight needles. Except those have a squared off top instead of a rounded top. Can I live with that? I don't know. But I want to knit with my BW, so I best make up my mind ASAP. Maybe I can get away with using smaller dpns. I could consider that. Hm.

Christmas is coming. I need gift ideas for my kitties. What should I get them? Last year, my gift from QE was a cat tree for the kids. I transferred my gift rights to them. :) This year, I think a mini-Christmas tree with cat toys and cat-safe decorations would be hilarious. It would drive QE crazy though. And Davis would eat the fake needles. Maybe a real mini Charlie Brown-esque tree? I can't bear the thought that a tree had to die for us though. A pink feather tree!!!! Oh, the kitties would love that. hahaha

So the mashed potatoes I'm making for Thanksgiving (12 servings) calls for 6 pounds of potatoes, 2 sticks of butter, and at least a cup of cream or half and half. It seems like a lot of butter and cream. Best price on Land O'Lakes butter is at Harris Teeter--2 for $5. My wonderful QE knows I like to hoard butter and bought three pounds. LOVE him.

My big dilemma is whether to contribute food to the people who feed the cats at the train station. These cats are all very tiny adults with the cutest little faces. They know when it's dinner time. The thing is, these people are making no efforts to spay and neuter the cats. As a result, we see new tiny faces all the time. We shouldn't feed stray/feral cats unless we make an effort to trap and neuter. Otherwise, we are only encouraging the cats to produce larger litters. So, do I contribute the food I have to these cats? It's food I don't feed my kids but got for free through samples and coupons. I should give them to the local shelter, but I can't walk in there without crying. Do I leave the food out for cats passing through our yard?

Bellyaches

Must live up to my name, Negative Nelly:

1. My brother has not sent more pictures of piglet yet. Doesn't he know it's all about me and I want to stare at his baby's face? And he had the nerve to cover piglet's hands in this morning's photos!! Frap and I are waiting to see fingers and toes. Mmm...baby toes.

2. Sadly, yesterday was not my first encounter with this--a pregnant woman on the Metro. She wasn't curiously pregnant as in "is she or isn't she?" She was obviously pregnant although not at the penguin waddling stage yet. Metro was full but not sardine-packed. This white guy who was dressed like an office dweeb was one of the people sitting in the priority seats by the door. He looked at me a few times so I know he wasn't immersed in a daydream or napping. PW was standing right in front of him with her round belly at his eye level. Not a flinch to get off his white-collar ass to let a pregger sit down. Finally a seat became available and I body blocked it so PW could have it. Some old white woman (60s) got huffy because I blocked it from her. Up yours, old bag. As I mentioned, this isn't the first time I've witnessed this. Once, I saw a penguin PW give up her seat TWICE--once to a frail and crusty-old woman and the second time to a handicapped woman. Train was full but not packed. When she got up the second time, I loudly said it's disgusting and appalling that a PW has to give up her seat. Nobody got up. Now, I know men can be self-centered pigs and chivalry went the way of dinosaurs, but there were tourists with a 10ish year-old son. This would have been the perfect opportunity to teach that kid decency, respect, and all those other old-fashioned values. Instead, everyone just looked up in response to my comment and did nothing.

3. My employer's open enrollment period for benefits began on Monday (11/12). My office got our benefits session on Tuesday, with one office getting theirs today, and another tomorrow (Friday). We are changing medical insurance providers. In order to ensure we receive our new ID cards in time, the provider needs enrollment forms by next Wednesday. Our open enrollment is supposed to go through December 5. Smell the incompetence and poor planning? The theme this year is "new provider, same rates! We are great!" The fine print that I deciphered by thinking (imagine that!) is we get downgraded from a PPO to a POS. In addition to that, our copays are increased from $10 for any doctor including specialists to $15 PCP/$25 specialist. Although our prescription copays remain the same, the drug formulary changes so that my allergy medications go from tier 2 (formulary) to tier 3 (non-formulary)--i.e. from $25 to $40. So, let's summarize my costs: allergy shots go from $10 to $25; medications go from $25 to $40. But wait!!! MY PREMIUMS STAY THE SAME! Isn't my employer wonderful for keeping premiums the same while most plans increased 10-15%??? So my monthly cost for allergies alone goes from $70 to $130. I wouldn't be as pissed if they didn't try to spin this crap as keeping our premiums the same. Having costed out benefits, I can say that the increase in premiums in exchange for lower copays isn't that much more. But then the idiots don't have bragging rights about keeping our premiums the same.

4. I found out this week that January 1, 2007 was the first time in the company's 35+ year history that New Year's Day was granted as a paid holiday. In prior years, employees had to use leave if they wanted the day off. The notion of paid holidays is also fairly new--about 3 years. Before then, there were no paid holidays. Period. I'm still trying to figure out how they got nominated (but didn't win, thank goodness) as a Washingtonian Best Places to Work. So, now we get 15 days paid time off (vacation/sick) and 6 holidays. Meanwhile there are excess baggage that get bonuses in the six-figures. They are delusional about this being a great place to work. The benefits suck.

My Piglet

50 cm (about 20 inches), 3210 grams (about 7 pounds 1 ounce), born last night around 11:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. EST)

Dementors will not allow me to post pics. I will have to do it tonight. He looks just like my brother as a newborn, only smaller. And much cuter. Hahahahaha!

Borrowing a Cat

Dad called on Sunday asking for a favor. I cautiously said yes, wondering what he could possibly need from us. He asked to borrow a cat. As an overprotective mother, my mind started racing...experiments? showing my cat off? lonliness? to entertain children guests? Dad was only kidding about borrowing one of my kitties and I was relieved. He has a weird way of starting conversations! He had some unwanted houseguests, as in little mousies. Three mice.

He managed to catch one using those Tom and Jerry mouse traps. Dad said the mouse's head got caught and made a mess. Yuck. The other mice managed to eat his bait food and left the traps unsprung. He was amsued at the intelligence of his intruders. "They must have seen the fate of their friend and learned not to make the same mistake!"

I called Dad last night to see how things were going. He caught the other two with peanuts on sticky paper traps. Dad was laughing while describing how one got caught...apparently the little mousie sniffed all around the paper very cautiously and finally decided it was ok to eat the peanuts. Whoops! A whisker got caught on the paper! Dad said the mouse used his paw to wipe his face and d'oh! Now the paw was stuck too. Dad watched as the mouse managed to get his entire body stuck on the paper. The next morning, Dad found the third mouse also stuck.

I wholeheartedly agree that none of us want mice or other critters living in our homes. But is it necessary to kill them? Why can't we trap them and release them outside and plug up their entryways? I know it's unrealistic but in my dream world, that's what would happen. Am I crazy for feeling a bit sad and guilty about my dad's actions? Dad seemed quite amused by the whole thing and wasn't malicious about killing them. But...poor little mousies!!!!

The funniest part has to be when Mom told Dad that she couldn't sleep the night after Dad trapped the first mouse. She was afraid the others would find her and bite her toes while she slept. This is especially funny if you know my mom and her pack rat ways.

I Key A You

Went to Ikea today. Free coffee before 10 a.m.! Small bfast (eggs, potatoes and bacon, sans bacon) for 99 cents for me and a cinnamon roll ($1) for QE. Bought a bookcase for my yarn. Very nice. What's funny is that one of the rooms was staged as a craft room with a larger bookcase filled with yarn, needles, and finished products.

Davis had his annual checkup earlier this week. He weighed in at 10 pounds 6 ounces, a loss from last year. Our doctor said Davis' weight seems sensitive to food changes, but I don't recall us changing his food in the past year. He also got blood drawn from both legs as baselines and flinched both times, causing bruising and some bleeding. Poor little boy. We're trying to feed him more kibble and that is driving his sisters crazy. As cat parents know, vets usually recommend canned food to help weight loss since kibble is higher in carbs. Getting the girls to eat more canned while giving Davis kibble is difficult. To further worry me, he decided to go on a diet and snub most of his meals this week. He finally decided to eat when I fed him Fancy Feast. It's not the best food, but him eating is more important right now.

Last night, Cara and Davis had another showdown. I missed the actual fight, but QE reports full body contact. Cara also lost tufts of fur. This explains the mysterious clumps I found last month. I thought they were from a mutilated toy since cat hair usually falls out one strand at a time. In addition to tufts of fur, she has a tiny abrasion on her neck. We don't know if it's from her brother or the result of her hair getting pulled out. This could also explain the mysterious red spots she had around her nipples a month ago.

In other news, this year's Thanksgiving will be vegetarian except for the actual bird. In place of chicken broth I will use mushroom broth. Cream, half and half, and butter will still make a formidable appearance. I still haven't decided if I should take my brother's challenge and mix in a tiny amount of tofu into every dish just to be funny.

Broken Heart

I live for Meerkat Manor. By Tuesday, I'm dragging and my spirits are sunk. Happy thoughts of my little meerkats help me get through the week. Knowing I get to see my little furry friends on Friday is the highlight of Fridays. As a reference point, John Rzeznik is a host on that American Band competition and I skip it to watch my meerkats. QE was shocked to find that I chose meerkats over my precious Goo. Tonight, I learned that the Meerkat Manor season concluded last week. WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Life Truths

Santa does not exist. He may have lived long ago, but he's dead now.

The truth hurts. Maybe that's why we are prone to lash out at those who speak the truth. Frap and I had a loving moment (it was, really!) a few weeks ago about how most of us don't want to hear the truth and don't react well when others point it out. Yes, your kid really IS ugly! Yes, the dress does make you look fat, dear. My, you've gained weight since last time I saw you! Yup, you are going bald, big man.

Every year, the holidays are a mixed bag for me and unfortunately, frap bears the brunt of my anger, frustration and hostility. I love that friends and families get together (in theory). In reality, schedules need to be shuffled around, family drama and gossip prevails, and getting stiffed by family at Christmas gift exchanges is the norm. The thing is, I know all of these things will happen. So why do I allow myself to get all worked up? I think it's partly because we are the couple perceived as making big bucks (HA!) and therefore should spend (on their freeloading asses) like money is going out of style. Maybe they forget that we paid out of pocket for QE's master's degree. Maybe they forget that I commute 3.5+ hours a day to and from work. Or that I still wear clothes I've owned since before I met QE 12 years ago. And I don't mean raggedy t-shirts but work clothes and casual wear.

Do I feel a sense of entitlement to spend our hard earnings on "luxury" items for ourselves? Yes, I do. But I view my luxuries as reward for waking up at 4:50 every morning and being out of the house before most people are out of bed. And I don't get home until most families have already had dinner and given the kids their baths. I am totally fine with this, really. What annoys me are the snarky comments about how nice our house is and what a waste it is for "just the two of you." As if we don't deserve it because we don't have kids to help us occupy the space? How dare we give cats(!) their own bedrooms! Oh the horrors!! Children are starving in this country and our cats have their own bedrooms! Where is the justice in this country??? We chose the commuter, child-free lifestyle and accept the good and bad aspects of it. Stay tuned for the next episode...why you don't deserve to benefit from my death.

30 Flights

Mandatory fire drill at work. 30th floor = 30 flights of stairs. 3" heels. My legs hurt. Going DOWN stairs can be painful too. Who knew? I do know that in a real emergency, I am destined to die in the death trap known as an office building. One more reason to look for a new job. I'll be damned if I die while working in this hell hole.

Important Information

I read from an independent source (forget which) that compared various "organic" and "humane" certifications and labels on food. Time and again, the Animal Welfare Institute designation was the most stringent and the USDA Organic was one of the most lax.

http://www.animalwelfare.com/farm/sidebyside.htm

I will post info on my independent source when I remember it.

Let Love In

Our girls have very similar mannerisms and behaviors. I wonder if it's a Siamese thing. Both gave us a good laugh by wearing the chicken head. I tried putting it on Davis and he would have none of it. It's been a nice and relaxing weekend. Just hanging out with the kitties, knitting, catching up on two weeks' worth of Wall Street Journals, and goofing around.

Cara is a confirmed hitman. Every morning I find one of her fish toys floating in her water bowl. Why is drowning her toys necessary if she's not a thug?

My dad reports that piglet is now a healthy 7 pounds 2 ounces. He makes his debut next weekend. Baby clothes and toys are expensive. All of the adorable stuff I like costs a fortune. Or maybe I'm cheap. I don't have a problem shelling out big bucks for goods, but there has to be value. Most of the items are made in Thailand, China, India, Malaysia, Honduras, etc. It's fine to have products made in those countries, but don't charge $30 for a sweater then. The workers surely aren't seeing even 10% of the price.

Goo Goo Dolls greatest hits comes out next Tuesday.

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

November 4-10th is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.

We can't adopt every animal out there, but we can make their lives better. Please consider donating old towels, dog and cat toys, kitty litter, food, bowls, and other supplies. Every dollar shelters don't spend on supplies is a dollar available to help an animal in need. Remember that not every animal is lucky enough to get adopted. Let's try to make their short lives a bit more comfortable and loving, however brief. Visit the shelter and tell the animals they are loved. It may be the last time they hear "I love you".

The ILs are all coming. I was hoping the brother would decline and stick to their usual tradition, which involves going across the mountain far far away. I'm not the nicest person in the world, but I'm trying to improve myself. So.Freakin.Difficult. While I don't have an issue with handling a dead animal, I am irrationally afraid of eating the happy bird I ordered. I'm sure she will taste delish, but I'm not really looking forward to it. When I think "Thanksgiving", visions of stuffing and mashed potatoes fill my head. But then again I've never been a turkey fan. Maybe I'll give my portion to the Goo kitties and the homeless kitties shivering outside.

Amidst all my planning, I realized just how lucky and blessed we are to face "difficult" decisions such as "organic or free range turkey". Yes, we have worked very hard to achieve and accomplish so much, but many less fortunate households work just as hard if not harder. Nobody should have to choose between heat and food. Maybe next year I should cook for a needy family instead of lavishing a bounty of food on ourselves. How nice would that be? Just my luck, they will probably sue me for food poisoning or an allergic reaction. No good deed goes unpunished they say.