Month: December 2011

My New Toy

For Christmas, I got a new camera and I love it.  I have been taking pictures like crazy.  It’s a Canon EOS Rebel and man is it fast!  Now I can get all of the action shots of the dogs and miss out on any. 

We had a play day with our dogs and Murphy, the German Sheperd and Stella, the Belgian Mallinois mix.  They just love chasing Orso and chewing on him.  He loves it too, because it means that someone is paying attention to him.

My After Christmas “To Don’t” List

Every year everyone always makes “To Do” lists either before the holidays or after and somewhere on the list is usually lose weight, (which never happens), payoff credit cards, (also which never happens) and get in shape, (but which shape is not clearly defined).  Well this year I’m going for a different approach.  I’m making a “To Don’t” List.  Because as a kid growing up, the thought of punishment for the crime bothered me more than the reward system.  We’ll just have to see if this works out better for me.

My “To Don’t” List includes the following”

Don’t dwell on what I can’t change

Don’t worry so much about the future, it will take care of itself

Don’t put off telling Mitch, the rest of my family and friends how much I love them and need them in my life

Don’t forget to play everyday

Don’t forget to laugh out loud everyday

Don’t let the negative people in my life infect me

Don’t be afraid to walk up to a total stranger and start up a conversation (you never know what you’ll learn)

Don’t ever walk around with a frown it makes me look old

Don’t refuse to try new wines, food or adventures

Don’t stop plotting something evil every day, (because evil is almost always more fun)

And most importantly,

Don’t look back on my life and ever say I wish that I had done that. 

This is what I’m going to try and accomplish from this day forward.  I’ll let you know how it works.

I Need a Little Cheese with this Whine

I am becoming a non functioning adult.  This year I am so unprepared for Christmas.  In years past, I always had the Christmas cards mailed by the tenth of December, I haven’t even bought any yet and it’s the twelfth!  I made clear lists and knew exactly what to get everyone.  Not this year, I have no ideas and there is no inspiration in sight.  I used to love the hustle and bustle of shopping, getting out there and finding that special gift for each one.  Now the crowds are claustrophobic and my patience is short.  After standing in the checkout line for over forty-five minutes at Cabelas Saturday, (the first stop) on our annual shopping trek, my enthusiasm started waning and after the half hour wait in line at Nebraska Furniture Mart, I was ready to call it a day.  And we hadn’t started shopping for everyone else. 

I was excited for Christmas back in October, now not so much.  I need more time, more ideas and the energy to execute.  Is this stress or lack of interest?  I’m suffering from input overload.  I need a spa day, but don’t see that happening anytime soon, I don’t have the time.

I am an Evil Person

I’ve been slowly and methodically corrupting Mitch, bringing him to the dark side without his knowledge.  It is so much fun.  To know Mitch is to know what an old soul he is.  I think he was born old.  He has never done some of the truly inane antics everyone has done growing up.  I am constantly shocked at the lack of silly things he hasn’t done.  Every teenager has at one time or another has cut donuts in a parking lot.  Not Mitch.  Mitch was into “entrepreneurial” endeavors growing up.  He had no time for crazy immature behavior.

So now I have to help him make up for all that lost time, even if I have to drag him kicking and screaming into having silly fun.  I can’t go into all of the things he never did, the list would be too long.  But I’m going to help him cross them all off the list, one silly act at a time. 

Last night for dessert, we had leftover pumpkin pie (who doesn’t).  I got the Reddi-Wip aerosol whipped cream out of the fridge to put on his slice and the dogs got very close.  They know what comes out of the can.  AJ has taught Orso that if he sits in front of me with his mouth open, I’ll squirt some in.  It is hilarious to watch whip cream flying through the air and landing in and around the dog’s mouth.  Charlie wants it too but won’t let you get close to him with the can.  He wants the Reddi-Wip squirted on your hand and he’ll lick it off.  Sissy.  Well I asked Mitch if he wanted some squirted in his mouth and he said. “Absolutely not!”  He’d never done that as a kid and wasn’t about to start now.  Really!  I laughed so hard.  Everybody has squirted Reddi-Wip into their mouths.  It was almost a rule, once you opened the can, some had to be squirted in your mouth.  Everybody knows that.

Well needless to say, I harassed him long enough and with the right amount of wine already consumed, he relented and let me squirt some into his mouth.  The look was priceless.  I still laugh when I remember the look on his face.  I asked if he wanted more and sadly, he declined.  Oh well, one down many more to go.

Poor Mitch.