Starting a side career...

Not sure if it will pan out to be worth my time and energy BUT I am going to start being a Home Interiors Consultant next week. I thank Jennifer of Where is Mommy's Prozac for the idea.

My hope is to make a few hundred extra dollars a month - enough to keep paying the maid and the gym membership to be exact.

I have found a local consultant who will sign me up in her organization - assuming this means she will get money from every sale I make too? :)

So come Monday I will have signed up for this officially and see how it goes in 2009 - My plan is to create a list of potential customers who are interested in hearing about weekly specials. I will also bring catalogs to work in case anyone is interested here. I don't plan to do a lot of heavy selling and unless someone begs I'm not doing demonstrations - only book parties.

Maybe it will be a flop because I don't want to put an immense amount of energy into it. But I need to make at least enough to pay back my initial investment which will be approx $200 with the starter kit and the annual website fee.

Wish me luck. Maybe my 2nd career will inspire me more than my first?

Christmas is over..

I had a decent day - my spirits are somewhat lifted. I'm looking forward to a new year, a chance to do it right, make some changes, fix some wrongs.

My Christmas gifts included - a Karoke game for the Wii that I had asked for, a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring in white gold, a cook-book, a candle with a lampshade, a gift card to Red Lobster, a game. We had a nice day and here are some pictures that still make me smile:

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight...

It has not been a year to write home about. Some very bad things have happened. Some good things have not happened. But all in all I am still here, we are still together, I am still fighting the good fight.

Tomorrow is a day for family. I am thankful that my mother's big scare was her gallbladder and not her heart as was first thought. I am glad that tomorrow I will be with my husband, my parents, my sister, my adorable nephews.

I am quite sure that it will not be my happiest Christmas not by a long shot. Some days I feel I'm hanging on by a thread to a shadow of my former self.

Maybe in 2009 I can finally realize that focusing on me is not selfish but an absolute MUST. That getting into better shape both physically and emotionally is way past due. Maybe I can finally do everything that I should to make my life what I want it to be.

My Christmas present to myself is permission to just let go and allow myself to just be me for a change.

Merry Christmas to all my readers. I appreciate the support and feedback you have all given me over the past year. And to the special few who have really become a part of my life in a very real way - I consider you more than internet friends, I consider you true friends and without you I'd be lost right now. You know who you are and I appreciate you very much.

I think it's time to lay off the red wine and head to bed - lots to do tomorrow!

A Recipe - Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies (not going to post this one on 2 Hot Dishes)


Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups dried fruit
1 (750 ml) bottle tequila (Jose Cuervo or your other
favorite brand)



Directions:

1. Sample the tequila to check quality.
2. Take a large bowl; check the tequila again to be sure it is of the highest quality.
3. Pour one level cup tequila and drink.
4. Turn on the electric mixer.
5. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
6. Add one peastoon of sugar.
7. Beat again.
8. At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still ok, so try another cup just in case.
9. Turn off the mixerer thingy.
10. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
11. Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
12. Mix on the turner
13. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
14. Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity.
15. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
16. Who geeves a sheet.
17. Check the tequila.
18. Add one table.
19. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink.
20. Whatever you can find.
21. Greash the oven.
22. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
23. Don't forget to beat off the turner.
24. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the quetila and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.
25. Cherry Mistmas!

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A Christmas MeMe!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Depends on the gift - plain boxes get paper. Things that might be hard to wrap get a nice bag.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Fake - I love real but they are too messy and expensive and the animals won't leave them alone

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually on the weekend after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down?
New Years Day (but we won't be home this year so it will be later)

5. Do you like eggnog?
Nope - raw eggs are not my idea of a tasty drink and I HATE thick drinks that aren't milk shakes

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
I don't remember much - still have a teddy bear my mom made me one year so probably Teddy.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My mother-in-law she doesn't need anything and buys whatever she wants for herself

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My nephews - they are kids and easy to please

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes - my parents bought me all the figures and my dad made the stable. I put it up every year.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Who emails Christmas cards?? I mail mine - and this year I mailed them very late - on Dec 22nd - not likely to arrive before the big day.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
An ex boyfriend bought me a crystal pig for Christmas one year. I'm not a collectible kind of girl and I don't particularly care for pigs.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
It's a Wonderful Life

13. When do you start shopping?
Whenever I feel like it. Haven't felt like it yet this year so has been torture but almost done finally.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Sure doesn't everyone?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Pumpkin Pie - Thanksgiving to Christmas is my fave cause I can find Pumpkin Pie and pie flavored things everywhere - i.e. pumpkin pie ice cream is the best.

16. Lights on the tree?
It is a pre-lit tree - colored lights

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Silent Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Depends on which year it is. Every other we make the trek to his family's for the holidays. Used to be every Christmas we went to his family or mine but then we moved closed to mine so we can have Christmas at home now. This year home for Christmas and traveling for New Years.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star?
I have an angel - my dad bought it for me.

20. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas Eve - that is my husband's family tradition and I like getting stuff a day earlier so we do it too.

21. Favorite ornament?
Not really - I like them all.

22. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Traditional Turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, mom's jello, homemade rolls, etc. (this year we are having ham and scalloped potatoes so not my fave but still all good)

23. What do you want for Christmas this year?
A job for my husband. Not happening.

Not tagging anyone but feel free to steal for blog fodder. :)

It's the little things...

Yesterday was a bad day. I was down for sure, having some issues at work with clients and just bumming all around. I went home not in the best of moods but knowing that I had dinner in the crock pot at least made the evening something not to dread.

When I got home my husband got off the couch and gave me a hug. We talked, we laughed a little. I made some mashed potatoes and corn to go with the roast in the crock pot. We had a nice dinner.

After dinner we watched Mama Mia! And my bad day dissolved away as I laughed, cried and sang along. This scene in particular made me want to get up and dance with them:



I explored the special features which allow you to jump right to a song and I watched this scene again. And then I watched this one which also makes my heart sing along:



I know I'm a dork but I <3 ABBA and I don't care who knows. Thanks Mama Mia for turning a shitty day into a nice evening!

Do you Blogerella?

I wish I had a river...

I could skate away on. The song sums up how I feel about the holidays this year. The images are from one of my favorite shows of all time - Ally McBeal

So without further ado - Robert Downey Jr sings River (a Joni Mitchell song)

My pooch eating JuJu Fruits

My dog Xavier who will swallow big chunks of meat whole takes the time to chew JuJu Fruits! And it's kinda funny to watch him. Taped this with the digital camera and it's a little dark but heck he's my pooch and I think it's cute so I'm sharing.

Rambling Brain Dump...

Tonight is my holiday party - so excited to wear my pretty dress and hot new shoes. I think I gave up on an upd0 for my hair. I did it last Sunday and thought it looked okay - curly and up. Did the same thing last night (another practice run) and it flopped badly so I brushed it out and looked like I had a modernized bouffant type do. Not sure if I want to try again today and end up with less than fabulous hair to go with my fabulous dress and shoes because it will affect my confidence level.

This was a crazy week at work - extremely busy coming back from the 4 day weekend. A problem that won't go away kept me scrambling all week and my boss helped out and we still didn't get it right in the end. I found out that we pitched a new client this week - we are on the short list with 2 other companies for this account. It is another HUGE and high profile account and if they sign with us they will be mine. My boss warned me that the woman in charge of the project on their end is abrupt, demanding, no sense of humor, hard to please. OH JOY! I'm getting the client who's main contact is a mega bitch. During the pitch on Tuesday she was pushing to have this project done by Feb 1st and the CEO, VP and Database Manager all told her that was too aggressive and we couldn't promise to deliver by Feb 1st, that the best we could promise was Mid March. Her suggestion to speed things up? Let's cancel Christmas holiday plans for all involved employees and just work straight through. She wasn't kidding. They told her no. So perhaps with all this NO going on we won't win the client? But if we do - what a fun 3 months I'm going to have trying to please this bitch.

My health insurance changed on Dec 1st to a new company and plan. I was worried as hubby had a Tysabri infusion scheduled for Friday. If anyone remembers last January when I first started blogging - it was about the 4-5 week frustration I had getting him set up, approved and started on Tysabri. It took 4-5 weeks to get it all done. New company would require pre-approval for crazy expensive treatments and I was worried I would not get it all done between Monday and Friday. Add to that we didn't get our cards until Thursday. Sooooo - what happened? I called his doc's office on Monday to have them call and jump through approval hoops and didn't get anyone but left a message. They called me back Wednesday and I was thinking no way it would be done by Friday - but by Wed afternoon the drug was approved, the hospital that was infusing it had all the info they needed and it went off on Friday morning without a hitch. It was so easy I'm sure something is wrong. I'll probably get a bill for $5800 or something.

So that's about it - rambling update of what is happening in my crazy and boring middle aged life.

My Mother-In-Law...

My mother-in-law is quite a woman, she is a tiny little woman but no dainty flower this one! She isn't afraid of much, she speaks her mind, she is a little coarse at times but also has fantastic taste. She sends me porn on my cell phone too - hilarious and creepy at the same time. She has been a widow for 8 years now and I think the only boyfriend she's had in that time requires D-cell batteries! ;-) She is one of a kind that much is for sure.

This story is about the night my mother-in-law called 911 because someone was trying to break into her house. One night just as she was getting ready for bed she heard a banging on her front door - but when she looked out she couldn't see anyone. She wasn't about to open the door and step outside when she had no idea who was out there so she looked out windows and peeked around - nothing. But the banging continued so she called 911. Since she had just moved to Dayton and didn't have her phone hooked up yet and her cell phone was from a different area so it took awhile for the 911 operators to figure out where she was and which police department to call. For a good 20-30 minutes she stayed on the phone while someone was banging on her front door waiting for the police to arrive.

Finally the police show up and come to the door and they are knocking on the window instead of the storm door or the front door - odd. They said "ma'am - open your front door" and she looked nervous but then she realized the cops were laughing and saying "it's your cat"!

She opened the door to discover "Kitty" staring back at her. She had locked Kitty between the storm door and the front door and she was furiously beating on the door with her little paws. Kitty gave her a dirty look and stalked off to nurse her wounds. I bet that the cops in that precinct still laugh about the crazy old lady who called 911 because her cat was trying to break into her house.

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