I'm a Volunteer!

How cheesy, huh? I signed up to volunteer for the Inauguration and was accepted. Who knows what I'll be doing, but, I'm just happy to be a part of things. Wooo.

Hazardous Material?

I found this picture on my nephew's FaceBook page and thought it was too funny not to share. So, if you received it via email from me, well, tough luck. Here it is, again.

Life-Changing Events

We went to Michigan for Christmas. We had a great time with the sibs and got some great gifts. I like to think that they liked what we got them, too.

Of course, we didn't want to advertise that we were not going to be home beforehand, so I didn't say anything in my blog about it. We learned our lesson long ago when my sister died. Because the Rosary and Funeral details were posted in the paper, our house were burglarized while we were at the services. Pretty crappy, huh? Lesson learned.

Yesterday, Hannah auditioned at the local Youth Film Academy. Eric said she nailed the audition and, sure enough, they called back today inviting her to be a student there. She may or may not do it (it's pretty pricey) but she was glad to have had the experience.

Today, we had some not-so-great news, too. My stepmother, who has been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis for years, passed away this morning. When my dad retired from the Navy, he brought his hard-drinking lifestyle with him to Michigan. His life was in a downward spiral when he met Barb. She and he both quit drinking completely and his life became the better for it. It enabled me to have a better relationship with him. Sure, he's still a grouchy curmudgeon, but he's alive and he's coherent. I'll credit Barb with much of the purpose in his life these last years.

Thanks Barb. May God greet you with open arms and a warm smile.

A couple of updates...

Saturday night we went out with a group of good friends. We had supper at Olive Garden and then went to see a movie. We saw "Yes Man".

Let me preface the next couple of sentences by saying that, as an actor, I am not fond of Jim Carrey. The overdone theatrical sight gags grate on me. That said, he was hilarious in this movie. My husband and I were laughing pretty much through the whole movie. There were a couple of cringe-worthy moments, but, overall, I thought it was a fun flick. I wouldn't mind seeing it again, actually.

We opened presents tonight (for a bunch of reasons) and, while the kids got all they wanted, I really made out on this one. I got a Garmin Nuvi 205 (since I get lost at least once a week, this will be very useful.) I'm trying to figure it out, still. Also, I got a lovely purse and wallet by Anushka. Here's an example of the purse since I haven't taken any pictures of it yet. I got some other stuff too, but that was the absolute highlight of the night. Other than Hannah shrieking when she got the boxed set of the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. My eardrums have barely recovered.

Curses!

Foiled again!
Isn't that what all the cartoon criminals say when they're nabbed by the good guys? Other than, "I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those nosy kids..."

Long ago, Heroes was recommended to me for my television-viewing pleasure. I wanted to see it, but didn't want to get in during the middle of it and wonder what plot devices I had missed. So, I never got around to it. I signed up for Netflix and have been getting the first season of Heroes in the mail pretty regularly. I have to say, I'm hooked. I love the show. So does Eric and even the kids! Wooo. So it was family popcorn night to watch the show. Good stuff.

Eric and I got up and went hiking today in Prince William park. We went about 5 miles or so but it felt like 20. Could be the hills. I dunno. I know that my body was screaming at me that I'm out of shape. Yeah, I know, round is a shape. Unfortunately, the Air Force isn't keen on round being a shape. They're more interested in svelte. So, I'm working on mah fitness. (that's a Fergie reference if you didn't catch it. *grin*)

Girls' Night Out...

Hannah and I did some Christmas shopping tonight and decided to stop for dinner at the Melting Pot. If you haven't been there, it's quite the experience.

First, the waitstaff was excellent. They knew their stuff and were always timely with the refreshments without being intrusive.

Second, the food. Whoa. I think I ate more tonight than I have in the last week altogether. We decided to do the Fondue Feast. It came with a cheese fondue appetizer, lovely crisp salads, the main entree, and dessert. Fantastic. the cheese came with savory breads, granny smith apples, and fresh crunchy vegetables. I had the cobb salad and Hannah had the Caesar salad minus the dressing. The entree dish had a choice of meats. The one we chose came with filet mignon, chicken, salmon, shrimp, ravioli, and pork. We substituted the pork for duck. It was incredible. Juicy (not greasy as I have been led to believe!). Oh, and we had a boullion broth to cook the meat in. That's not even to mention the fresh veggies that came with it. Potatoes, broccoli, squash and mushrooms. They had this green goddess stuff that you put in the mushroom cap to "stuff" the mushroom. MMMMmmmmm. Bliss.

That reminds me of being a kid. My mom had a fondue pot that she'd dust off every now and again. I remember those nights fondly. She'd get stew meat and we'd cook it in the vegetable oil in the pot and then dip it in a garlic and salt mixture before eating. It was good, but, tonight's fare was miles better.

And finally, third, the dessert. We ordered the Cherries Jubilee. It was dark chocolate and cherries flambe with assortied sweeties to dip in it. Cheesecake, brownie, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, rice crispy treats, and spongecake.

It's been three hours and I'm still stuffed. I'd go back again in a second, though. Maybe a good thing coming from tough economic times is the better service by waitstaff. I guess they DO need those tips.

Nobody

Gets perms any more. Curly hair is not in at all. But Hannah is her own girl. She got a spiral perm yesterday. It looks great, but, it's still stinky. She can't wash it until Saturday morning. Poor baby. I bought her some scrunchy stuff that smells nice, so hopefully she'll like it.

I'm pretty beat. I've been going to bed late all week long. It's hard to sleep with what sounds like a chainsaw going next to your ear, ya know? I finally got up the other night and went to sleep on the couch. Eric blearily asked me why I was going. Ethan was complaining the next day about how loudly Eric was snoring. (He has the room above ours) So, ha! You DO snore, Eric.