Wednesday Hodgepodge - Or How Did I Spend My Vacation?

Good questions this week From This Side of the Pond


1. Do you send Christmas cards? If so about how many will you send this year? How do you display the cards you receive? Or don't you? (gasp!)

Last year I skipped sending cards (except for the cards I handed out with homemade gifts to co-workers and neighbors). I still have 2+ boxes of really cute puppy dog cards that will just have to be slowly handed out because I'm not mailing them out anymore. First of all I never sent out many to start with, second all the people I would want to send them to are Facebook friends (except my Mom who refuses to be on a computer). If I get any, they go in a basket next to the fireplace.

2. When do kids become adults?

I think when they move out of the house. Whitney turned 18 just one month into her senior year of high school and while technically an adult, I never thought of her that way. After she returned home at Thanksgiving I realized how much mature she was just a few months out of the house.  In otherwords it isn't age it is seasoning that makes you an adult.

3. Does your 'beauty regimen' change with the seasons?

Nope, I do the same thing every day. Only difference is maybe a little more lotion on the legs at night.

4. What's something you like to eat that might cause another person to turn up their nose?

When I was young I would have said ketchup on scrambled eggs but I don't do that anymore. But now I think I'm pretty normal and do anything strange. I do like sushi and I know a lot of people don't like that.

5. Gloves or mittens?

Definitely gloves. While mittens are warmer (and important for a kid making snowmen) it doesn't help the driving aspect of my life.

6. What's the longest queue you've ever been in? Was it worth it? Queue=line but doesn't queue sound nicer?

Well this answer is obviously the lines at Disneyland last Christmas. The longest lines I've ever been in (even beat the lines at Disneyworld at Christmas). Would I do it again? Probably not there but I'll go to Disneyworld anytime.

Second longest, waiting in line for security at Paris Charles DeGalle airport. Oh my, I thought we were going to miss our flight home but lucky for us there were kind people who let us cut in the line to check in our luggage (which was another 2 hours wait) and that there were people farther back in line than us for our flight. That was absolutely the worst flying experience.

7. Besides Christmas, what is one thing you are looking forward to in the month of December?

My 10 day offs of work with only taking 2 days of vacation. The most generous holiday policy I've ever seen is saving up the holidays by OU for the "winter" break. So we are off Dec. 23-Jan. 2 with only two of those days as vacation days. No arguing for time off. We all get it off.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My car accident settlement check is in the mail! I've already paid all my bills so now have to plan what to use it for. I've got ideas but just need to put some things in motion.

Holiday Cranberry Chutney

I've always made cranberries like my mom and grandma did...exactly like the bag with just one cup of sugar and one cup of water plus about half a box of strawberry jello. Well last year I decided to try something different and we loved it. And I did it again this year and everyone loved it. Our guest said it was better than her grandma's recipe (always a good sign). Dan couldn't get enough of it. I got the recipe at allrecipes.com. While they say put it over some cream cheese and use it as a spread, we just use it as our salad and so tasty.

Holiday Cranberry Chutney
courtesy of allrecipes.com

• 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 large cooking apple, chopped (I used a Fuji)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 15-20 minutes or until apple is tender and mixture thickens. Cool completely.
2. Store in the refrigerator. Serve over cream cheese with crackers or as a condiment with pork, ham or chicken.

This gets really thick if you make it the day before.

Time to Catch Up

Four days off and so much is happening. Without a laptop and with the office having a guest stay in it, my access to computers was limited. So time to catch up in my life.

The house is all decorated for Christmas. Day one was all of the regular decorations. That went well without any problems. I thought I was missing things but it was ok, I was decorated. Well when I unpacked the tree decorations the next day I found what I was missing. So now everything is decorated. Putting the tree up though was full of problems. It is a pre-lit tree and three of the lowest branches were dark. I spent over an hour trying to figure out which light was the problem but couldn't figure it out. The whole tree was already put together. So I just took a regular string of lights and tried to wrap it around the branches best I could. And then moved those branches sort of towards the back. Then I bought a new tree topper and thought I was going to love it. Unfortunately I don't. It doesn't light up and I didn't think that would be a problem. But at night you can't see it at all. It was only $10 and we determined that we were going to buy a new tree for next year so I'll just get another topper then.

The turkey dinner turned out great. We didn't rush in the morning and we thought the dressing was going to be too moist, but it was perfect. And the leftovers were good to as was the turkey noodle soup we had last night. We get that again tonight, which is perfect since it is cold outside.

Movies watched...lots. We went and saw the Muppet Movie in a sold out theater. By the time we got there the only seats left were in the front. I guess I can put up with a crick in my neck watching those funny guys. Then we watched Elf, To Kill a Mockingbird and Gone With the Wind. The last two were for Whitney's history class. Add that to a bunch of football games and there wasn't a lot of time for other watching.

Black Friday shopping...didn't do. I'm not crazy. I don't need anything that bad nor do I spend that much money that anything looked like it would save me money. So total Christmas shopping done is zero. Which is fine. I usually shop online anymore and get free shipping. Why go out in the cold and then find out a store is out of something when I can shop and ship and never leave my house.

Walmart on a Saturday morning after Black Friday and the weather is cold/windy and there is a home football game...EMPTY!!!! Let me just say what a pleasant grocery shopping experience that was. I even had both girls and they shopped and I shopped and we each walked up to a check out lane without waiting. WOOHOO!!

Christmas music...playing on my computer and car radio station now constantly. 

Office...decorated for Christmas. 

While unpacking my Christmas stuff I found a lot of things I bought on superclearance last year. I had a lot of plastic bowls that have snowman on them. I probably spent ten cents on each of them and must have thought I would fill them with giveaway stuff. So now that I see those I think I know what I'm going to do. It does involve food but it is easy crockpot stuff and makes a ton so I think I'll fit my inexpensive but homemade criteria.

Movie Review - The Muppet Movie

First of all, I haven't seen a movie in a real theater in years, so this is a treat. But once I heard that there was a new muppet movie coming out at Thanksgiving I knew I had to go.

For anyone who grew up with the Muppet Show, this is a definite must see. Oh how I loved watching that show with my family. The laughs and smiles it caused were so wonderful. I still have to smile at Pigs in Space or the Swedish Chef. This movie lived up to all that and more.

It is campy, but it is made that way and with taste. It was obvious that the writers were huge fans. It seemed to be a combination of the tv show and the first movie. It even had references to the first movie (travel by map, Sweetums at the car lot). But it also was current (I hate to admit it but I didn't get all the cameos).

But the best part was the smile I had on my face the entire movie. Plus me singing along to the Muppet Show theme song (along with my head nod). The best song was the chickens doing Forget You.

And we can't forget the message behind all muppet movies/shows. That we are all one family. We may look different but underneath we are all the same. A good, kind, loving group of people/muppets.

Don't judge by what you look like. Even a pig and frog can fall in love.

Let the decorating begin!

Today is traditionally the beginning of Christmas decorating in our house. And as I went into the attic with Dan to pull everything out, I realized something. I have a lot of stuff. Like boxes and boxes of stuff. And yet, not enough stuff. It is way too easy to put everything out. Maybe its because I don't have a lot of places to put things. Maybe its because I just have the same stuff and I keep putting it into the same place. So I think I need new stuff.

The tree will go up tomorrow because this afternoon is a real treat...we are going to see The Muppet Movie. At a real theater! The last time I went to a movie was probably three to four years ago. I was shocked at how expensive movie tickets were. Even with the matinee price it is outrageous. Makes much more sense to wait til it comes out on dvd and rent it at redbox for a buck.

Dinner is easy tonight, leftovers. Although I'm going to have to make a new batch of mashed potatoes because we ate them all yesterday. Lucky for us we made an extra pan of dressing. Plus the bird has been taken apart and the bones are in the crockpot making stock so we can have turkey noodle soup. Yumminess is on its way.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - It's A Five Day Weekend!

1. Let's start with something controversial...dressing or stuffing? What's it called at your house and what's included in your recipe...cornbread? oysters? sausage? chestnuts?

Nothing controversial on this one. It's dressing and there is only one way to make it. White bread and sage. Lots of sage. And lots of butter. Plus you cook it in the turkey so it gets super moist.

Anyone who disagrees with me can just leave me more to eat.

2. Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?

Absolutely no one.

3. When were you last inside an airport?

A couple of weeks ago when I flew back from Washington DC. It is sad when I know the DC airport as well as the OKC one. I even know what fast food they have at the gate.

4. What is one side dish that absolutely must be included in a turkey dinner?

Just one side dish? How about three? Dressing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and Cranberries.

5. What Christmas song do you dread hearing?

Feliz Navidad.

6. If someone approaches you and asks for money do you give it to them? Do you drop money 'in a tin cup' that belongs to a person on the street? Do you have a specific charity you support during the holiday season and/or year round?

I never give money to people on the street. I donate money to my church and I also play Secret Santa to a foster child.

7. Share a favorite Thanksgiving memory. If you live in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving share a favorite memory associated with food.

Watching the Macy's parade. I always love to watch that. Although now that I'm older I realize it is all lip sync stuff. But the big balloons are pretty cool.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The office is all decorated for Christmas (I spent my morning doing that). And when I get home Whitney and her friend will be there. And then the cooking will commence.

Ergonomics and Glasses

Yesterday I had the environmental safety people come and look at my work station to make sure I'm ergonomic. I found out that I have very bad tennis elbow from overuse of my mouse and I needed help. Boy did I learn a lot.

First of all, my keyboard was about 1/3 to the left of where it should be. You are supposed to line up the middle of the keyboard to the middle of the monitor. This looks pretty wacky since I have a big keyboard on my little laptop docking station. I also had my chair and monitor too low. So now I've crammed myself into the corner of my desk so that my right arm has as much support to be neutral as possible. This is not an easy position to get into because the wheels on the chair have to be just so so that I can get myself close.

Then he taught me a trick which I didn't know about how to increase the size of the fonts on what I'm reading. I've been using reading glasses for a few years and it never seems to work right. But now that my monitor is farther away than before, the glasses really aren't working right either. So I've zoomed the screen to probably 150% and can read it it for the most part. I'm still not happy about this because my spreadsheets just aren't going to work that way, but for general stuff it should work.

So what have I learned through all this. Most of us don't know what we are doing with our computer workstations and we need help.