Okay, tomorrow begins 2009 and I'll post my resolutions tomorrow. But today, let's see what happened to me in 2008.
January- I miss the Sundance Film Festival for the first time in years due to financial issues. (Had plans to make it up in 2009 but that doesn't look good right now). On January 18 I give notice at my job and begin a month long crying streak.
February - Last day of work at Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen and Sanders, just three days shy of my seven year anniversary. Very bittersweet, the most poignant part is knowing that they will all get along without me and forget me very soon, which they all promise not to, but they do as evidenced by the fact that no one has ever called me (although a few have sent emails.) I console myself with tons of marked down Valentine's candy.
March - Plant a garden then head to Alamogordo, New Mexico to work for a government contractor friend at Holloman Air Force base. A one week trip lasts almost a month. Still, I loved living in the mountains, spending time with "My Bill" and Blue Bell ice cream. But it was really hard to be away from my family for so long. "My Bill" is back in Las Vegas and it makes me happy.
April - I return home and then promptly quit the new job, because the "only 10 hours a week and you can work from home" is in reality about 60 hours a week at the office. But I am back with my loving family and only gained one pound eating all that ice cream and green chile cheeseburgers.
May - Get some vicious strain of an obviously terrorist-made cold/flu/sinus infection and am sick for nearly three weeks. Like really sick. Like my mom is going to kick me to the curb if she hears me whine any more. In further proof of her sainthood, she does not kick me to the curb. First table read of "Vegas Schmegas".
June - Film the faux trailer for "Brick Morgan". Write the short film "The Sunday Box" (which is set to film in 2009, starring the wonderful John Baniqued, for a festival release). Watch Pax while Will and Val vacation in Wisconsin, the vacation destination of America.
July - Watch Abbey Schwarze, dog extrodinare of Kelly and Charisma Schwarze. Possible career as dogsitter in the future apparently. Second table read of "Vegas Schmegas", which gives me goose bumps because it's so good.
August - The Graminator falls and breaks her pubic bone. After three weeks of hospitals and rehab facilities, we get her home, but with pneumonia, a massive bed sore and having lost over 8 pounds. With home care, physical therapy and me stuffing food down her gullet, she makes a fairly good recovery, but the lasting impact on her mentally and physically necessitates my becoming her full time nurse/therapist/caregiver. It's a labor of love that has changed my life forever. In other news, we are adopted by a cat who took up residence in my garden. After a month of trying to find her another home, we let her into ours, where she promptly takes charge and becomes the fattest, laziest cat in the world. She only drinks out of a human glass.
September - "Brick Morgan" premieres. Mom celebrates her 60th birthday with a bash attended by her entire family. Much champagne is consumed and The Graminator begins walking again. The highlight of my birthday is getting highlights in my hair. Too Blonde. The economy is in terrible shape, with the stock market going up and down faster than a carousel on crack. In assessing our financial situation, I realize we aren't doing too bad since I'm already unemployed and due to the economy the day-old bread store my mom works at is doing well. My mom is truly the 'bread-winner' of the family, since one of the perks if her job is free bread.
October - The return to comedy for "Shae Denin". It feels good to be back on stage after a long absence. I am asked to be Maid of Honor at Will and Val's wedding. This starts a diet that results in a loss of 8 pounds. I don't gain any back over the holidays. In fact, I lose one more. But January will see the return of the diet and exercise regimen. In politics, the ads get so frequent and so negative that I swear I will turn the television off. (This doesn't actually happen.)
November - The busiest month of the year, with three weeks of filming of "Vegas Schmegas". The shoot is a great success, although supplemental filming will take place in 2009. I debut my role as a dominatrix, and consider it for a new career should the economy fail to recover. I also take part for the first time in National Novel Writing Month, an endeavor to complete a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I complete the novel by November 30th. In other historic news, Barack Obama is elected the first "black" president of the United States. (I put black in quotes because he is also white but everyone ignores that.)
December - I burn the NaNoWriMo novel, as it is terrible, although possibly not as bad as some published novels I have read over the years. We get a new fridge and washer and begin the process of bringing the house into the 21st century. Christmas is celebrated with friends and family, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Which brings us to...
Today. I hope your New Years Eve is safe and fun. And I hope your 2009 is bright and wonderful and the fulfillment of many of your dreams. I know mine will be.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Dear Diary, I Saw the Cutest Boy Today
Okay, I have a new crush. He's a lot younger than I am (He's 25, I'm 36, does that make me a cougar?) but he's so cute I just don't care that I could have babysat for him. He's got dark curly hair, dreamy eyes, a chiseled jaw and that wonderfully masculine five o'clock shadow. Gosh I like men who can be really clean cut looking and still have that bad boy thing going when they want. In fact, he falls right in line with my previous crushes, John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Ben Affleck (I guess you can tell my 'type', huh?) I don't know if he's as smart or talented as my previous imaginary boyfriends (no, I'm not delusional or a psychotic stalker, but a girl can fantasize, can't she?) but I'm purely interested in his looks anyway.
Who is my new fantasy man? Brody Jenner, the living example that pairing two genetically gifted individuals can produce a genetically gifted offspring. He's the son of Olympian Bruce Jenner (now the second banana on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians") and Linda Thompson (Former 'Hee Haw Honey' and once girlfriend of The King, Elvis Presley). I have no idea what he does except look good. Apparently he was on "The Hills", a show on MTV, but I stopped watching MTV years ago when they stopped being about music. He has some new show called "Bromance" but I don't even want to know what it's about. I just want to stare at his picture.
How did I discover this piece of prime man meat? The Internet, of course. You know when you click on a story and that leads you to another story and so on and so on. Well, that's how I stumbled across a photo of this gorgeous man. (I use the term loosely because as a 25-year-old party boy with an MTV reality show, I'm pretty sure he's not in any way mature yet.) He's my new eye candy.
As a belated Christmas gift for you ladies out there (or even you 'bromance' leaning gentlemen), here is a picture of beautiful Brody. Enjoy.
Who is my new fantasy man? Brody Jenner, the living example that pairing two genetically gifted individuals can produce a genetically gifted offspring. He's the son of Olympian Bruce Jenner (now the second banana on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians") and Linda Thompson (Former 'Hee Haw Honey' and once girlfriend of The King, Elvis Presley). I have no idea what he does except look good. Apparently he was on "The Hills", a show on MTV, but I stopped watching MTV years ago when they stopped being about music. He has some new show called "Bromance" but I don't even want to know what it's about. I just want to stare at his picture.
How did I discover this piece of prime man meat? The Internet, of course. You know when you click on a story and that leads you to another story and so on and so on. Well, that's how I stumbled across a photo of this gorgeous man. (I use the term loosely because as a 25-year-old party boy with an MTV reality show, I'm pretty sure he's not in any way mature yet.) He's my new eye candy.
As a belated Christmas gift for you ladies out there (or even you 'bromance' leaning gentlemen), here is a picture of beautiful Brody. Enjoy.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas, Officer (The Christmas Recap)
Here is my holiday recap, complete with visit from the police. Yes, the police. And no, my family isn't usually the kind that appears on a special holiday episode of "COPS".
Christmas Eve - Made a huge smorgasbord of appetizers. Huge. Way to much food. I admit it, I have a tendency to go overboard. And what's really bad is that before I say the food splayed across the table and kitchen counter, I was worried that I didn't have enough. We had mini cheeseburgers, mini meatball subs, seven layer dip, hot artichoke dip, pizza, boneless buffalo wings and deviled eggs with Christmas cookies and hot mini jelly doughnuts for dessert. And that was because the salami and cheese and cracker tray got put back in the fridge (not to fear, it got eaten on Christmas day.) It was a lot of food. Lots of mini food. Whoever invented the mini food was an evil genius. It's fun to eat and because it's so small you eat like a half dozen mini burgers without guilt because they are so small, only to find yourself enormously stuffed.
We also played the new Wii game I got for the family. "Raving Rabbids TV Party". What a fun and interactive game. It involves these insane bunnies who take over your television. They have these weird television show spoofs that turn into games you play with the Wii-mote, the nunchuck and the Wii Fit balance board. There are more than 65 different games but we only played a small portion of them. One game you had to sit on the balance board and use the wii-mote and nunchuck to mimic riding a motorcycle (steering with your butt) and one game that you had to dance to the Wham! song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (I won that one due to my 80's song experience and impressive dancing skills.) Some of the games frustrated my mom but we were all just learning the rules. Val ended up winning by one point over me at the last minute even though my brother had been in the lead most of the game. All in all it was a great game for any time you want to move, laugh and scratch your head.
After Will and Val left my mom and I wrapped presents and listened to Christmas carols. We were up till almost midnight. Long day.
Christmas Day - I scheduled dinner for 4pm so that we had a leisurely day. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. After a leisurely morning we got the table set for diner and I put the prime rib in the oven at around 12:30. After failing several times at prime rib to get it cooked to make everyone happy (2 people like it rare, 5 people like it medium well - don't yell at me that that's too overcooked, it's the way they like it and it was still delicious) I finally figured out how to please everyone...2 prime ribs, a small two pound cut for the rare ones, put in an hour before the large six pounder was done. It was rubbed with a salt/pepper/rosemary/thyme/Worcestershire rub then slow roasted. I had made the beets and cooked the carrots the day before and with Will and Val bringing the mashed potatoes, my prep was pretty simple. I made the Yorkshire pudding batter then sat back to relax until the roast came out and I glazed the carrots, heated the beets, roasted the asparagus and baked the Yorkshire pudding. Most of the cooking was accomplished in under thirty minutes which left plenty of time for PRESENTS!
Everyone got a crisp $50 bill from my Uncle and Roberta. Mine will go to buying a bottle of cologne I have my eye on. ("Fresh: Sugar Lemon" in case you care.) The Graminator got a purse, scarf and a ton of Kleenex (inside joke) from Will and Val, a new nightgown from my mom and a puzzle, bath products and a foot warmer from me. Mom got a gift card (for buying a dress for the wedding) and scarf from Will and Val and Gram and I got her new outdoor light fixture for the front of the house and I got her a broom vac for cleaning up the cat litter that the cat scatters daily without having to lug out the big vacuum. Val got the jewelry box she asked for from my mom and me, plus a heated throw to snuggle under from mom and a new DS game and funnel cake maker from me. Will got her a box of socks (inside joke from how he proposed to her last Christmas) and Gram got her a calendar. Will got a new stockpot (an pasta, olive oil and Italian seasoning) from mom and me, plus a new Wii game from me and Wii zapper from mom. I also got him the new Dennis Leary book and Val got him a book too. (If it seems like Will and Val didn't get each other much, remember that they are now headed to Modesto to celebrate Christmas a second time with her family so they had to split the presents up.) We gave Roberta a 'cozy kit' with a snuggly blanket, Audrey Hepburn movies, book, tea and new slippers. Will and Val got her a scarf and hair ties and a gift card to Teavana. Stuart got a bottle of Sake from Will and Val and a coffee table book on antique guitars from Mom, The Graminator and me. I also got him some tea and the worlds largest tea infuser (a joke since he said he uses 11 tea bags each morning.)
The funniest present moment was when my dog found her present from Will and Val. It was a box of gourmet dog cookies but on top was a tiny stuffed toy. She took the present off the stack and dragged the box along the floor, carrying the little stuffed toy in her mouth. The box of treats was almost a big as she was and it was hysterical to see her drag it across the room.
Now me. I got a set of Skull Candy earphones for my iPod and $40 from Will and Val to use for apps for my touch. Mom got me a clock radio/dock for my iPod and two new games for my DS along with a new stylus. If my presents make me sound like I'm a college age boy instead of a 36 year old woman, well, I like my toys, that's all I can say.
After presents I went to the the prime rib(s) out of the oven and start the Yorkshire pudding. My brother came in and helped me glaze the carrots when we heard someone bang loudly on the door. I peeked through the kitchen curtains to see a couple of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers on our front porch. We held the dogs back while my brother answered the door. It seems that there was a 911 call that disconnected from our house. It seems that the weather (it was pouring rain and the wind was howling) had knocked our phone out and in older neighborhoods like ours that sends a 911 signal out. When the operator couldn't call the number back they send a unit out to investigate. I checked the phone and sure enough, it was all crackly and had no dial tone. The officer said that it happens occasionally but he asked if he could come inside and check just to make sure everything was alright. Of course we let him in and he could see that we were just enjoying a family holiday. We tried to offer him some food for his trouble but he said they had to go check some other houses. God Bless the police officers who give up their holidays to make sure the rest of ours are safe. And it certainly added a memorable moment to our celebration. We never would have known about the phone otherwise because just a little while later when the rain and wind stopped, the phone rang with holiday greetings from our friend Brigeda.
After digesting a while it was time for dessert. The chocolate fudge cheesecake was delicious as was the apple crumb pie that Will and Val bought. My brother was complaining of sugar shock when he was done but it was still yummy. Here is a picture of the cheesecake. The 'poinsettia' decoration on top is made out of gum, can you believe it? Wish I could say I though of it but I saw it in a magazine. It's so cute!
Will and Val are now on their way to Modesto while they left Pax with us for the week. It was an awesome Christmas, although there is a huge pile of dishes in the sink that my mom and I just couldn't face last night. Hmm, maybe next year I should ask Santa for a dishwasher. But we have a new fridge full of leftovers and I have some new games to play and music to listen to. I hope that you all had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. Happy Holidays, Loyal Readers!
Christmas Eve - Made a huge smorgasbord of appetizers. Huge. Way to much food. I admit it, I have a tendency to go overboard. And what's really bad is that before I say the food splayed across the table and kitchen counter, I was worried that I didn't have enough. We had mini cheeseburgers, mini meatball subs, seven layer dip, hot artichoke dip, pizza, boneless buffalo wings and deviled eggs with Christmas cookies and hot mini jelly doughnuts for dessert. And that was because the salami and cheese and cracker tray got put back in the fridge (not to fear, it got eaten on Christmas day.) It was a lot of food. Lots of mini food. Whoever invented the mini food was an evil genius. It's fun to eat and because it's so small you eat like a half dozen mini burgers without guilt because they are so small, only to find yourself enormously stuffed.
We also played the new Wii game I got for the family. "Raving Rabbids TV Party". What a fun and interactive game. It involves these insane bunnies who take over your television. They have these weird television show spoofs that turn into games you play with the Wii-mote, the nunchuck and the Wii Fit balance board. There are more than 65 different games but we only played a small portion of them. One game you had to sit on the balance board and use the wii-mote and nunchuck to mimic riding a motorcycle (steering with your butt) and one game that you had to dance to the Wham! song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (I won that one due to my 80's song experience and impressive dancing skills.) Some of the games frustrated my mom but we were all just learning the rules. Val ended up winning by one point over me at the last minute even though my brother had been in the lead most of the game. All in all it was a great game for any time you want to move, laugh and scratch your head.
After Will and Val left my mom and I wrapped presents and listened to Christmas carols. We were up till almost midnight. Long day.
Christmas Day - I scheduled dinner for 4pm so that we had a leisurely day. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. After a leisurely morning we got the table set for diner and I put the prime rib in the oven at around 12:30. After failing several times at prime rib to get it cooked to make everyone happy (2 people like it rare, 5 people like it medium well - don't yell at me that that's too overcooked, it's the way they like it and it was still delicious) I finally figured out how to please everyone...2 prime ribs, a small two pound cut for the rare ones, put in an hour before the large six pounder was done. It was rubbed with a salt/pepper/rosemary/thyme/Worcestershire rub then slow roasted. I had made the beets and cooked the carrots the day before and with Will and Val bringing the mashed potatoes, my prep was pretty simple. I made the Yorkshire pudding batter then sat back to relax until the roast came out and I glazed the carrots, heated the beets, roasted the asparagus and baked the Yorkshire pudding. Most of the cooking was accomplished in under thirty minutes which left plenty of time for PRESENTS!
Everyone got a crisp $50 bill from my Uncle and Roberta. Mine will go to buying a bottle of cologne I have my eye on. ("Fresh: Sugar Lemon" in case you care.) The Graminator got a purse, scarf and a ton of Kleenex (inside joke) from Will and Val, a new nightgown from my mom and a puzzle, bath products and a foot warmer from me. Mom got a gift card (for buying a dress for the wedding) and scarf from Will and Val and Gram and I got her new outdoor light fixture for the front of the house and I got her a broom vac for cleaning up the cat litter that the cat scatters daily without having to lug out the big vacuum. Val got the jewelry box she asked for from my mom and me, plus a heated throw to snuggle under from mom and a new DS game and funnel cake maker from me. Will got her a box of socks (inside joke from how he proposed to her last Christmas) and Gram got her a calendar. Will got a new stockpot (an pasta, olive oil and Italian seasoning) from mom and me, plus a new Wii game from me and Wii zapper from mom. I also got him the new Dennis Leary book and Val got him a book too. (If it seems like Will and Val didn't get each other much, remember that they are now headed to Modesto to celebrate Christmas a second time with her family so they had to split the presents up.) We gave Roberta a 'cozy kit' with a snuggly blanket, Audrey Hepburn movies, book, tea and new slippers. Will and Val got her a scarf and hair ties and a gift card to Teavana. Stuart got a bottle of Sake from Will and Val and a coffee table book on antique guitars from Mom, The Graminator and me. I also got him some tea and the worlds largest tea infuser (a joke since he said he uses 11 tea bags each morning.)
The funniest present moment was when my dog found her present from Will and Val. It was a box of gourmet dog cookies but on top was a tiny stuffed toy. She took the present off the stack and dragged the box along the floor, carrying the little stuffed toy in her mouth. The box of treats was almost a big as she was and it was hysterical to see her drag it across the room.
Now me. I got a set of Skull Candy earphones for my iPod and $40 from Will and Val to use for apps for my touch. Mom got me a clock radio/dock for my iPod and two new games for my DS along with a new stylus. If my presents make me sound like I'm a college age boy instead of a 36 year old woman, well, I like my toys, that's all I can say.
After presents I went to the the prime rib(s) out of the oven and start the Yorkshire pudding. My brother came in and helped me glaze the carrots when we heard someone bang loudly on the door. I peeked through the kitchen curtains to see a couple of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers on our front porch. We held the dogs back while my brother answered the door. It seems that there was a 911 call that disconnected from our house. It seems that the weather (it was pouring rain and the wind was howling) had knocked our phone out and in older neighborhoods like ours that sends a 911 signal out. When the operator couldn't call the number back they send a unit out to investigate. I checked the phone and sure enough, it was all crackly and had no dial tone. The officer said that it happens occasionally but he asked if he could come inside and check just to make sure everything was alright. Of course we let him in and he could see that we were just enjoying a family holiday. We tried to offer him some food for his trouble but he said they had to go check some other houses. God Bless the police officers who give up their holidays to make sure the rest of ours are safe. And it certainly added a memorable moment to our celebration. We never would have known about the phone otherwise because just a little while later when the rain and wind stopped, the phone rang with holiday greetings from our friend Brigeda.
After digesting a while it was time for dessert. The chocolate fudge cheesecake was delicious as was the apple crumb pie that Will and Val bought. My brother was complaining of sugar shock when he was done but it was still yummy. Here is a picture of the cheesecake. The 'poinsettia' decoration on top is made out of gum, can you believe it? Wish I could say I though of it but I saw it in a magazine. It's so cute!
Will and Val are now on their way to Modesto while they left Pax with us for the week. It was an awesome Christmas, although there is a huge pile of dishes in the sink that my mom and I just couldn't face last night. Hmm, maybe next year I should ask Santa for a dishwasher. But we have a new fridge full of leftovers and I have some new games to play and music to listen to. I hope that you all had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. Happy Holidays, Loyal Readers!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I want to take this time to wish a Merry Christmas to all of you, Loyal Readers. I hope your holiday is filled with food, family and fun. (And I hope Santa brings you everything you asked for!) And for those Loyal Readers of the Jewish religion, Happy Hannukah!
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Final Push to Christmas
Okay, it's only four days to Christmas. Are you done with your shopping yet? Yeah, well, I hate you. No, not really, I love you Loyal Readers, but people who are done with their Christmas shopping in November, well, you bug me. How can you do that? The people I love are really hard to buy for and they never tell you what they want and AUGHHHHHH!
I'm really not that far behind. Except for a few little 'gag' presents, I'm done with everyone except The Graminator. What do you buy someone who doesn't need anything? She has been really tough to think of things for. Honestly, if she needs something I just go buy it. What's worse is that her birthday is in January and I'm going to go through this agony again in a few weeks.
This week the push is for the cooking. I'm making an appetizer buffet for Christmas eve and a big dinner for Christmas day. I'm thinking for the appetizer assortment I'll make sliders, deviled eggs, seven layer dip, buffalo chicken, and a couple of other things TBD. For Christmas dinner I'm making prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, roasted asparagus, Harvard beets, balsamic glazed carrots (with Will and Val putting in their famous garlic mashed potatoes) and for dessert, a chocolate fudge cheesecake, plus Will and Val are bringing an apple pie. Top it off with the loads of champagne that my Uncle Stuart brings. Sounds good, right? But I have to go to the store and buy all the stuff, prep it, cook, it, serve it, clean up after it. Ugh, I'm exhausted already and I haven't wrapped the presents, washed the good china or mopped the floors yet! Plus, at some point, the Graminator needs to be hosed down. Okay, maybe I need another week to get ready. Is this December 25th thing set in stone?
Now I need to go sort through my recipes and make some lists, check them twice, and get my butt in gear. Hope your day is a little more relaxed than mine!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Somebody Up There Is Messing With Me!
Okay, yesterday it started to snow. And stick! I got so excited. I called my mom. I called Val. I called Will. The news reported that we would get six to ten inches. I went outside and played, catching flakes on my tongue. And then...nothing. In a strange turn of events (one that even the weather forecasters were hard pressed to explain) the North and West sides of town warmed up (after dark?) and it turned to rain. So while the South and East sides of town got three or more inches of snow (and Boulder City got eight inches!) my house got NONE. Zip. Zilch.
Now usually the North and West, because they are higher in elevation, get the most snow. But not this time. There was enough snow that roads in and out of Las Vegas were closed. The airport was closed (The FAA said it was due to visibility). Officially they recorded 3.6 inches of snow. Pictures from the South end of the valley show a snow covered winter wonderland. But at my house it's just wet. No snow. I had flakes over maybe a quarter of my yard for about two hours. The weather man says they experienced 'cold-hugging' on the South side which is why they got all the snow. Well I would have gladly hugged the cold. They cancelled school for the first time since the 1979 storm, even though my neighborhood is clear. I think they just wanted to have an extra Christmas shopping day, but good for Val. And my brother gets to go to work late, due to icy road conditions near where he works.
Look, I'm not begrudging anyone their snow. But couldn't they share? I could have used an inch. I even went to bed last night praying that over night we would get a little. But I woke up to what little snow we had gone, already melted. Is Mother Nature just laughing at me? I'm sad.
I made the best of it. I played outside while it snowed. But I would have liked a little more. Still, we got a snow storm. It just missed my house.
Here are the pictures of the pathetic snow at my house. Hey, it stuck to the ground. I'll be okay with that but I wish I could have made a snowman. Instead I made an ice cube.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Things I Love About Christmas
These are the things I love about Christmas (but some of them could apply to Hannukah too, I suppose.) I'm making schnitzel with noodles tonight (because below is a list of my favorite things...and because I bought a pork tenderloin that I have to do something with!)
10. Egg Nog (Homemade is good but store bought is really tasty too.)
9. Wrapping stuff (I loved my first job as a gift wrapper at a department store.)
8. Christmas lights (They are so pretty and festive.)
7. Holiday movies (Duh.)
6. Little kids sitting on Santa's lap (I have truly fond memories of Santa's arrival.)
5. Candy canes (Delicious fun. Remember sucking the ends to a point like little peppermint shiv?)
4. Presents (okay, I'll admit it, I like presents, does that make me greedy?)
3. Peppermint ice cream (It's so good, how come you can only buy it during the holidays?)
2. Christmas carols (Oh, how I love to sing along. Anyone want to go caroling? )
and the number one thing I love about Christmas is
1. Spending time focused on my friends and family.
So thank you Loyal Readers for being part of what I love most this holiday season.
10. Egg Nog (Homemade is good but store bought is really tasty too.)
9. Wrapping stuff (I loved my first job as a gift wrapper at a department store.)
8. Christmas lights (They are so pretty and festive.)
7. Holiday movies (Duh.)
6. Little kids sitting on Santa's lap (I have truly fond memories of Santa's arrival.)
5. Candy canes (Delicious fun. Remember sucking the ends to a point like little peppermint shiv?)
4. Presents (okay, I'll admit it, I like presents, does that make me greedy?)
3. Peppermint ice cream (It's so good, how come you can only buy it during the holidays?)
2. Christmas carols (Oh, how I love to sing along. Anyone want to go caroling? )
and the number one thing I love about Christmas is
1. Spending time focused on my friends and family.
So thank you Loyal Readers for being part of what I love most this holiday season.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Winter Wonder? Land
Okay, so I didn't get my blanket of snow. But I did get a few flakes. In some areas of Las Vegas they even got some to stick to the ground. (For those who don't know, Las Vegas is shaped like a big bowl, with mountains around the outside and the area where the Strip is kind of at the bottom of the bowl. So the areas of town have different elevations and therefore different temperatures by a few degrees. Where I live is about 2,500 feet in elevation. The snow level was supposed to go to 2,000 feet, which would have covered most of the valley. But it only went to about 2,800 feet. Okay, geography lesson over.)
Still, even without the white stuff sticking around for more that ten seconds, I made the best of my day. I opened the curtains wide (which made my 45 year old house very cold but I had my slippers on) and laid on the couch under The Graminator's heated throw with a book and a cup of tea and watched the snowflakes fall for a little over an hour. And of course I went outside a couple of times to catch a snowflake or two. (Yes, I know it's childish but I've come to the realization that while I can present the persona of a well adjusted, intelligent adult woman, inside I'm about ten years old, especially when it comes to precipitation and Disneyland.) We had chili for dinner and I made gingerbread and hot chocolate for dessert. The snow did make me appreciate my "work at home" status since I didn't really work but played hooky on my couch.
I think I have been a writer since I was a very young child. I used to make up scenarios in my head and play them out. Like I used to walk to my friend Marcy's house which meant crossing the schoolyard of our elementary school that stood between her house and mine. I would imagine that I was a young Jewish girl posing as a Dutch milkmaid and I had to pass the German SS troops to sell my milk and not let them discover that I was a Jew and have them send me to the concentration camps. (I was 8 years old at the time.) And ever since childhood I want certain 'scenes' to play out as they have been 'written' in my head. Like, on a snow day the snow should be several inches thick, and there should be a stew bubbling on the stove and home made bread baking in the oven, the rich yeasty smell filling the house and I should be wearing my hair in a bun with loose tendrils framing my face and a lovely beige knit outfit toped by a long, loose gray cable knit cardigan. Instead I has wearing sweat pants and a gray long sleeved t-shirt that I found in the maternity section of Ross (even though I've never been pregnant, it's a very roomy shirt) with my hair in a sloppy pony tail reheating leftover chili in the microwave. Life is certainly much prettier in my mind. (And if you think my snow day scenario is elaborate, you should hear my "walking along a secluded coastal beach" scenario. It involves me having naturally curly hair.)
So I will enjoy this cold snap (more rain predicted tomorrow, I can only hope that the predictions change and it's colder than anticipated so we get some real snow, but I'm not holding my breath) and if it doesn't turn out the way I want, well the fantasy land in my head was probably better anyway.
Still, even without the white stuff sticking around for more that ten seconds, I made the best of my day. I opened the curtains wide (which made my 45 year old house very cold but I had my slippers on) and laid on the couch under The Graminator's heated throw with a book and a cup of tea and watched the snowflakes fall for a little over an hour. And of course I went outside a couple of times to catch a snowflake or two. (Yes, I know it's childish but I've come to the realization that while I can present the persona of a well adjusted, intelligent adult woman, inside I'm about ten years old, especially when it comes to precipitation and Disneyland.) We had chili for dinner and I made gingerbread and hot chocolate for dessert. The snow did make me appreciate my "work at home" status since I didn't really work but played hooky on my couch.
I think I have been a writer since I was a very young child. I used to make up scenarios in my head and play them out. Like I used to walk to my friend Marcy's house which meant crossing the schoolyard of our elementary school that stood between her house and mine. I would imagine that I was a young Jewish girl posing as a Dutch milkmaid and I had to pass the German SS troops to sell my milk and not let them discover that I was a Jew and have them send me to the concentration camps. (I was 8 years old at the time.) And ever since childhood I want certain 'scenes' to play out as they have been 'written' in my head. Like, on a snow day the snow should be several inches thick, and there should be a stew bubbling on the stove and home made bread baking in the oven, the rich yeasty smell filling the house and I should be wearing my hair in a bun with loose tendrils framing my face and a lovely beige knit outfit toped by a long, loose gray cable knit cardigan. Instead I has wearing sweat pants and a gray long sleeved t-shirt that I found in the maternity section of Ross (even though I've never been pregnant, it's a very roomy shirt) with my hair in a sloppy pony tail reheating leftover chili in the microwave. Life is certainly much prettier in my mind. (And if you think my snow day scenario is elaborate, you should hear my "walking along a secluded coastal beach" scenario. It involves me having naturally curly hair.)
So I will enjoy this cold snap (more rain predicted tomorrow, I can only hope that the predictions change and it's colder than anticipated so we get some real snow, but I'm not holding my breath) and if it doesn't turn out the way I want, well the fantasy land in my head was probably better anyway.
Monday, December 15, 2008
No Snow for Shae
Well, it was supposed to snow last night, a one inch blanket to cover the entire Las Vegas valley. But when I woke (at six a.m. to see the snow because it was supposed to start snowing at 4 a.m.) there was nothing. Squat. Nada. Bupkiss. (Pause for long dramatic sigh.) So once again my dreams for snow are dashed.
I've never had a white Christmas. Or anything other that a pretty sunny Christmas, usually with highs near the 60's. It's sad. I hope, I pray, I wish, but it never happens. So when they predicted this storm I let myself get a little excited. Only to be disappointed.
Yes, Virginia, it does actually snow in Las Vegas. Sometimes a lot, although most of the time it's gone in a matter of hours. But it does happen, once every few years.
I love the show. I know, that's because I have never had to live in it. My mom says if I lived somewhere it snowed and didn't melt away quickly that I'd hate it because is isn't so pretty when It's been around a while. And I hat the thought of digging my car out of the snow. But I love snow anyway. It reminds me of wonderful things, like my dad waking me in the middle of the night because it was snowing and he wanted me to see it. Like going to Mt. Charleston, loaded with hot chocolate, so my brother and I could play in the snow and making snow ice cream, which I thought was the most delicious ice cream I had ever eaten. My mom, making my brother and I walk to the McDonald's during a snowstorm so that we could get hot chocolate and watch the snow (my mom LOVES to watch the snow, she hates being in the snow.) Making tiny little snowmen (because there wasn't enough snow to make a big one and it melts too fast anyway.) I love those memories because they remind me of love and family. Snow makes me happy.
There have even been some big snowstorms (at least by my standards). January 4-5, 1974 it snowed 9 inches. My dad used to tell me that the snow was as big as my head (I don't remember as I was a toddler at the time but it sounds like an enormous amount of snow. I do remember the storm of 1979, as it was the only snow day in CCSD history. No school and we got to play in the snow. I was in second grade and it was a momentous day. It was like a blizzard and the city practically shut down. (No wonder, we just aren't equipped to handle snow.) It snowed more than seven inches over three days and I thought it was a miracle.
There has been snow a few times in the past years but nothing like what I want. I would love a ton of snow. It wold make everyone have to stop and breathe a moment, which is something we sorely need during this tough economy and hectic holiday frenzy. To stop and look at the miracle of nature, rare and fleeting.
I wish we had snow. I wish for a white Christmas, just once in my life. The pictures are from Sundance, Utah, the only place I get to see snow regularly. Isn't it lovely?
Still, I suppose it could be worse. Here is what Christmas is like in Hermosa Beach where my Uncle Stuart lives. (That's Roberta with the surfing Santa.)
UPDATE: Okay, it's technically snowing. But is isn't sticking. So it doesn't count.
I've never had a white Christmas. Or anything other that a pretty sunny Christmas, usually with highs near the 60's. It's sad. I hope, I pray, I wish, but it never happens. So when they predicted this storm I let myself get a little excited. Only to be disappointed.
Yes, Virginia, it does actually snow in Las Vegas. Sometimes a lot, although most of the time it's gone in a matter of hours. But it does happen, once every few years.
I love the show. I know, that's because I have never had to live in it. My mom says if I lived somewhere it snowed and didn't melt away quickly that I'd hate it because is isn't so pretty when It's been around a while. And I hat the thought of digging my car out of the snow. But I love snow anyway. It reminds me of wonderful things, like my dad waking me in the middle of the night because it was snowing and he wanted me to see it. Like going to Mt. Charleston, loaded with hot chocolate, so my brother and I could play in the snow and making snow ice cream, which I thought was the most delicious ice cream I had ever eaten. My mom, making my brother and I walk to the McDonald's during a snowstorm so that we could get hot chocolate and watch the snow (my mom LOVES to watch the snow, she hates being in the snow.) Making tiny little snowmen (because there wasn't enough snow to make a big one and it melts too fast anyway.) I love those memories because they remind me of love and family. Snow makes me happy.
There have even been some big snowstorms (at least by my standards). January 4-5, 1974 it snowed 9 inches. My dad used to tell me that the snow was as big as my head (I don't remember as I was a toddler at the time but it sounds like an enormous amount of snow. I do remember the storm of 1979, as it was the only snow day in CCSD history. No school and we got to play in the snow. I was in second grade and it was a momentous day. It was like a blizzard and the city practically shut down. (No wonder, we just aren't equipped to handle snow.) It snowed more than seven inches over three days and I thought it was a miracle.
There has been snow a few times in the past years but nothing like what I want. I would love a ton of snow. It wold make everyone have to stop and breathe a moment, which is something we sorely need during this tough economy and hectic holiday frenzy. To stop and look at the miracle of nature, rare and fleeting.
I wish we had snow. I wish for a white Christmas, just once in my life. The pictures are from Sundance, Utah, the only place I get to see snow regularly. Isn't it lovely?
Still, I suppose it could be worse. Here is what Christmas is like in Hermosa Beach where my Uncle Stuart lives. (That's Roberta with the surfing Santa.)
UPDATE: Okay, it's technically snowing. But is isn't sticking. So it doesn't count.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Favorite Christmas Films
Since I told you how much I love Christmas movies, here is my list of favorites (in no particular order, since that would be like picking a favorite child.)
A House Without a Christmas Tree (yay Maura for remembering this one too!) - 1972, Jason Robards as a grumpy widower who learns the value of Christmas from his daughter.
Borrowed Hearts - 1997, Eric McCormack and Roma Downey as a single mom and wealthy guy who pretend to be married so he can sell his company. It has Hector Elizondo. I love Hector.
Christmas Comes to Willow Creek - 1987, The Dukes of Hazard (okay, just the actors from) save a small town's Christmas
The Santa Clause 2 - 2002 Tim Allen in the 'romantic' one of the trilogy. Directed by Michael Lembeck. Anyone besides me remember when he was on "One Day at a Time"?
Miracle on 34th Street - 1947, the classic with Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle and Natalie Wood. Love it.
Home Alone - 1990, Worth it just to see the house Macauly Culkin lives in. Beautiful. I want to live there. And it has John Candy too.
A Christmas Story-1983, I saw this in the theater when I was a kid. I still shudder when the kid sticks his tongue to the flagpole.
Comfort & Joy - 2003, Nancy McKeon as a career woman who hits her head and wakes up the mother of two. Scary stuff. But the guy who plays her husband is adorable.
Love, Actually - 2003, I love this film anytime of the year. I showed it to my mom for the first time this year and she cried. Great movie. Love the character of "Colin Frizzle". And of course, Colin Firth is in it, so it's an automatic win.
A Boyfriend for Christmas - 2004, The title says it all. Wish someone would get me a boyfriend for Christmas. (hint, hint)
Elf - 2003, Will Farrell at his best. Bob Newhart...need I say more?
Okay, those are my favorites. But don't forget the Christmas specials too, like the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated ones like "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (my favorite, with the Burgermeister Meisterburgerer) and "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and of course, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Oh, and the Christmas TV episodes, like the one on "Family Ties" where Alex P. Keaton gets the Scrooge lesson and buys his family presents at the 7-11. (You can catch the episode on Fancast.)
What are your favorites? I hope they bring back wonderful holiday memories like this list did for me!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
It's now December and one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Happiness and food (and sometimes, for me anyway, happiness=food). It's time for Peace on Earth, goodwill to men and Christmas movies galore.
It hasn't really felt like Christmas this year and I think it's because I'm not working at ATM&S. December was always the busiest month, with decorating the office, choosing a family to donate food and presents (then buying, wrapping and delivering said items), planning and executing the annual Christmas party (which involved buying seventy gifts and then figuring out a unique way of handing them out, like last year when we put the present names inside the shells of walnuts that I painstakingly cracked open then Jamie glued them closed again) not to mention that after the warm glow of Christmas had barely faded, it was time to get the year end accounting done (which was a pain in the butt that fell mostly to Jamie, although I tried to help her as much as I could). But with all that planning and giving it really seemed like the holidays, which seems to be lacking this year.
Decorating for the holidays isn't really feasible this year, it would be too hard for The Graminator to get around. So we have a beautiful wreath on the door (thanks to Val and one of her students who was selling them for a fundraiser) and a poinsettia with some candles around it inside along with a couple of holiday-theme throw pillows I made years ago for my mom. you have to look closely to see any touches of Christmas in our house. No tree or lights, it's kind of dull. And I haven't shopped for presents yet, heck, I'm still not sure what to even buy yet.
But I have been watching my Christmas movies. Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and ABC family are all running tons of holiday movies. And I love them, love them, LOVE THEM. What a wonderful world it must be where peace and love and joy reign and all problems are solved by Christmas, or at the latest, New Years Eve. I watch them over and over and over again. I swear I have seen some of them a dozen times or more. The moral of most of them is pretty much the same, that what's truly important is family and that love conquers all. I know them by heart and I even miss some that they don't run anymore (whatever happened to the one with Tom Wopat and John Schneider - yup, the Dukes of Hazard boys, where they played feuding trucker brothers who bring Christmas to a snowed-in town? And I think they retired the one with Connie Stevens and Randy Travis too, I haven't seen that one this year.) I even have an idea for a Christmas movie that I think I'll be writing.
And while some holiday spirit is eluding me, I have had the baking bug. For a friend's Christmas party last weekend I made sugar cookies and fudge. Both turned out way better than I had expected. I love frosted sugar cookies but hadn't found the perfect recipe (although any cookie topped with my home made buttercream is still pretty good.) But I found a fabulous sugar cookie that I made (and have since made a second batch since my mom wanted more). I even hand painted some of them, see?
They are so good, I'm having trouble limiting myself. Here is the recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown and Food Network (with a tiny tweak by me, Alton's used no vanilla and I like a little vanilla in my sugar cookie).
SUGAR COOKIES
3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. heavy cream (Alton's recipe called for 1 Tbsp. milk, but I figured with a half a pound of butter already we would go whole hog and use cream, but I only used 2 teaspoons because I added vanilla)
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer (Alton says stand mixer but I only had my hand mixer but this dough gets really stiff so if you have a stand mixer, use it) and beat until light in color. Add egg, vanilla and cream and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add four and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl (with a hand mixer you may have to finish mixing by hand as the dough gets too stiff to beat.) Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. (Alton says two hours but in my fridge that made it too hard to roll so I recommend an hour.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out dough on a floured board (Alton recommends using powdered sugar instead of flour but it made the cookies stick to the pan after baking which made me break a few. I used flour on the second batch and they came off beautifully) to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Serve as is or decorate as desired.
Honestly, these are so good and they just scream Christmas to me. You can eat them plain, or sprinkle them with colored sugar before baking or frost them. There is even a pre-made royal icing that you can put on the cookies that dries hard and you can paint them like I did. (I just dipped a paintbrush in a little food coloring. No artistic talent required, as you can clearly see.)
So that's how I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit this year, cookies and Christmas movies. Hope you are getting into the holiday mood too!
It hasn't really felt like Christmas this year and I think it's because I'm not working at ATM&S. December was always the busiest month, with decorating the office, choosing a family to donate food and presents (then buying, wrapping and delivering said items), planning and executing the annual Christmas party (which involved buying seventy gifts and then figuring out a unique way of handing them out, like last year when we put the present names inside the shells of walnuts that I painstakingly cracked open then Jamie glued them closed again) not to mention that after the warm glow of Christmas had barely faded, it was time to get the year end accounting done (which was a pain in the butt that fell mostly to Jamie, although I tried to help her as much as I could). But with all that planning and giving it really seemed like the holidays, which seems to be lacking this year.
Decorating for the holidays isn't really feasible this year, it would be too hard for The Graminator to get around. So we have a beautiful wreath on the door (thanks to Val and one of her students who was selling them for a fundraiser) and a poinsettia with some candles around it inside along with a couple of holiday-theme throw pillows I made years ago for my mom. you have to look closely to see any touches of Christmas in our house. No tree or lights, it's kind of dull. And I haven't shopped for presents yet, heck, I'm still not sure what to even buy yet.
But I have been watching my Christmas movies. Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and ABC family are all running tons of holiday movies. And I love them, love them, LOVE THEM. What a wonderful world it must be where peace and love and joy reign and all problems are solved by Christmas, or at the latest, New Years Eve. I watch them over and over and over again. I swear I have seen some of them a dozen times or more. The moral of most of them is pretty much the same, that what's truly important is family and that love conquers all. I know them by heart and I even miss some that they don't run anymore (whatever happened to the one with Tom Wopat and John Schneider - yup, the Dukes of Hazard boys, where they played feuding trucker brothers who bring Christmas to a snowed-in town? And I think they retired the one with Connie Stevens and Randy Travis too, I haven't seen that one this year.) I even have an idea for a Christmas movie that I think I'll be writing.
And while some holiday spirit is eluding me, I have had the baking bug. For a friend's Christmas party last weekend I made sugar cookies and fudge. Both turned out way better than I had expected. I love frosted sugar cookies but hadn't found the perfect recipe (although any cookie topped with my home made buttercream is still pretty good.) But I found a fabulous sugar cookie that I made (and have since made a second batch since my mom wanted more). I even hand painted some of them, see?
They are so good, I'm having trouble limiting myself. Here is the recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown and Food Network (with a tiny tweak by me, Alton's used no vanilla and I like a little vanilla in my sugar cookie).
SUGAR COOKIES
3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. heavy cream (Alton's recipe called for 1 Tbsp. milk, but I figured with a half a pound of butter already we would go whole hog and use cream, but I only used 2 teaspoons because I added vanilla)
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer (Alton says stand mixer but I only had my hand mixer but this dough gets really stiff so if you have a stand mixer, use it) and beat until light in color. Add egg, vanilla and cream and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add four and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl (with a hand mixer you may have to finish mixing by hand as the dough gets too stiff to beat.) Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. (Alton says two hours but in my fridge that made it too hard to roll so I recommend an hour.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out dough on a floured board (Alton recommends using powdered sugar instead of flour but it made the cookies stick to the pan after baking which made me break a few. I used flour on the second batch and they came off beautifully) to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Serve as is or decorate as desired.
Honestly, these are so good and they just scream Christmas to me. You can eat them plain, or sprinkle them with colored sugar before baking or frost them. There is even a pre-made royal icing that you can put on the cookies that dries hard and you can paint them like I did. (I just dipped a paintbrush in a little food coloring. No artistic talent required, as you can clearly see.)
So that's how I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit this year, cookies and Christmas movies. Hope you are getting into the holiday mood too!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I've Been Naughty
I sure hope Santa doesn't cross me off the nice list because I've been neglecting my blog. I have been so bad to you, Loyal Readers and I'm sorry. I wish I had a good excuse, like a breakthrough in my cure for cancer or an urgent call to help broker peace in the Middle East. But no, just a combination of busy and lazy (it's a bad combination). I have decided that the reason people make so man New Years Resolutions is because it's hard to get anything accomplished during December.
Early edits on Vegas Schmegas have indicated that we not only need to re-shoot some scenes for technical reasons but also some additional scenes need to be written and shot. This weekend we will re-shoot at the motel location and shoot some narration that will help tie the project together. We may have to re-shoot the infamous 'dominatrix' scene as well due to a style change by our director. In the end it will make the finished product look incredible but I'm a little daunted at the idea of re-shooting that scene, primarily because I have indulged a bit too much in the holiday treats (I haven't actually gained any weight but I'm sure it's there, hiding, just waiting for me to put those fishnets back on!)
Last week and this week have been busy due to some major appliance issues. The washer stopped spinning, leaving the clothes clean but sopping wet which is especially bad when you have a dryer with no heat (don't ask, it has something to do with my mother's moral indignation against paying for electricity to heat when we live in the desert, so we line dry our clothes.) This was compounded by the need for a new refrigerator, the old one having been held together with hope and duct tape. One of the joys of living in an old house (oops, sorry, now we are referring to it as "mid-century" so it sounds almost chic) is that things are old and should be replaced but they still 'sort-of' work and so we just adapt to the quirks of each thing. (Oh, I could tell you stories about how to get our 45 year-old toilets to function somewhat properly but I don't want to frighten you.) My mother's siblings gave her gift cards for a new fridge for her birthday in September but we hadn't gone yet (again, a combination of busy and lazy). The more pressing need for a new washer sent us to Lowe's to buy some new appliances.
We bought a lovely new high efficiency front-loading washer (which my mother still doubts can be getting our clothes clean using that little water) and a new fridge (so pretty, clean and white and with nary a duct tape anywhere). They were delivered on Monday (bless you delivery men who were here and gone BEFORE the scheduled delivery time and were so courteous and helpful) which meant eating all the ice cream and superfluous food over the weekend and cleaning it out and moving all the accumulated junk around the old washer. Then I had to learn how to use our new washer (which has a program display that I think also controls NASA satellites) and put in new shelving to accommodate the new 'front load' configuration and then do DOZENS of loads of laundry that had piled up during the week without a washer. Plus I got to arrange the new fridge the way I wanted it (my mom gave me the privilege since I do most of the cooking. I love it. The condiment drawers are so large that all our old stuff fit and we still have tons of room left over. I'm trying to resist the urge to BUY MORE CONDIMENTS!!!!)
My mother is working six days a week since one co-worker left for a job at Encore (congrats Brigeda!) and her manager is quitting to move back to California due to foreclosure, leaving her the sole employee at that store. Someone from the Henderson store is there to help her until they can get people hired but it still means working every day except Sunday (thanks goodness the store is closed one day a week!)
Still, even if I have been busy and lazy, it's no reason to shirk my blogging duties. I promise to be better and get back to blogging daily. But I'll be honest, snuggling in bed on a cold winter morning is more appealing than getting up early to exercise and blog. But I'll be good Santa, honest I will. (Because he knows when I am sleeping and he knows when I'm blogging!)
Early edits on Vegas Schmegas have indicated that we not only need to re-shoot some scenes for technical reasons but also some additional scenes need to be written and shot. This weekend we will re-shoot at the motel location and shoot some narration that will help tie the project together. We may have to re-shoot the infamous 'dominatrix' scene as well due to a style change by our director. In the end it will make the finished product look incredible but I'm a little daunted at the idea of re-shooting that scene, primarily because I have indulged a bit too much in the holiday treats (I haven't actually gained any weight but I'm sure it's there, hiding, just waiting for me to put those fishnets back on!)
Last week and this week have been busy due to some major appliance issues. The washer stopped spinning, leaving the clothes clean but sopping wet which is especially bad when you have a dryer with no heat (don't ask, it has something to do with my mother's moral indignation against paying for electricity to heat when we live in the desert, so we line dry our clothes.) This was compounded by the need for a new refrigerator, the old one having been held together with hope and duct tape. One of the joys of living in an old house (oops, sorry, now we are referring to it as "mid-century" so it sounds almost chic) is that things are old and should be replaced but they still 'sort-of' work and so we just adapt to the quirks of each thing. (Oh, I could tell you stories about how to get our 45 year-old toilets to function somewhat properly but I don't want to frighten you.) My mother's siblings gave her gift cards for a new fridge for her birthday in September but we hadn't gone yet (again, a combination of busy and lazy). The more pressing need for a new washer sent us to Lowe's to buy some new appliances.
We bought a lovely new high efficiency front-loading washer (which my mother still doubts can be getting our clothes clean using that little water) and a new fridge (so pretty, clean and white and with nary a duct tape anywhere). They were delivered on Monday (bless you delivery men who were here and gone BEFORE the scheduled delivery time and were so courteous and helpful) which meant eating all the ice cream and superfluous food over the weekend and cleaning it out and moving all the accumulated junk around the old washer. Then I had to learn how to use our new washer (which has a program display that I think also controls NASA satellites) and put in new shelving to accommodate the new 'front load' configuration and then do DOZENS of loads of laundry that had piled up during the week without a washer. Plus I got to arrange the new fridge the way I wanted it (my mom gave me the privilege since I do most of the cooking. I love it. The condiment drawers are so large that all our old stuff fit and we still have tons of room left over. I'm trying to resist the urge to BUY MORE CONDIMENTS!!!!)
My mother is working six days a week since one co-worker left for a job at Encore (congrats Brigeda!) and her manager is quitting to move back to California due to foreclosure, leaving her the sole employee at that store. Someone from the Henderson store is there to help her until they can get people hired but it still means working every day except Sunday (thanks goodness the store is closed one day a week!)
Still, even if I have been busy and lazy, it's no reason to shirk my blogging duties. I promise to be better and get back to blogging daily. But I'll be honest, snuggling in bed on a cold winter morning is more appealing than getting up early to exercise and blog. But I'll be good Santa, honest I will. (Because he knows when I am sleeping and he knows when I'm blogging!)
Monday, December 01, 2008
I DID IT!!!!!!!
I did it, I completed NaNoWriMo!!!! I wrote a 50,000 word novel. (52,228 words to be exact.) And CONGRATULATIONS to my writing buddies Dyann, Maura and Noreen who also won NaNoWriMo!!! You guys ROCK!
How is the novel? It's AWFUL. Terrible. Atrocious. Horrible. It's called "A Time to Dream", that's how pathetic it is. What do you expect of a novel written in less than 30 days? But being good wasn't the point, for me, the point was to get done. 1,667 words a day. It seemed really intimidating until I realized that some of my daily posts here are longer than that, and I do those in less than an hour usually. So while the Graminator is napping, I CAN get into a daily writing habit.
This novel is so bad that I'm going to burn it. It's a time to die for "A Time to Dream". Now I don't believe in book burning (that's wrong) but since this one is mine I'm going to burn it in effigy, as a sacrifice to the 'writing gods' to give me the chance to write better ones. How can it be that bad? Well, I think my fellow writers will understand when I say that I used all the right words, I just put them in the wrong order. But again, this challenge wasn't for a good novel, it was for a finished novel. I'm sure Dyann and Maura and Noreen wrote great novels, but with the challenges of the Vegas Schmegas shoot I was really behind, so I wrote total crap. Pure and utter drivel. It was all for word count. No one should ever be forced to read such manure. So today, I release the words back into the universe so that I may use them again and this time put them in the right order.
NaNoWriMo gave me hope that I can write a better novel this time. I actually have three projects planned for December (I'll tell you more as I complete them) and I look forward now to some GOOD writing. Join me as I wave goodbye to my first (and hopefully worst) novel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
