Happy New Year!

and more snow pictures of my kid.

My First Sled

Happy Holidays!*

(*Becuase the "The War on Christmas" makes me giggle.)



(And yes, I really need to learn to use Photoshop, which I even own, so that I won't revert to back to Paint. Hand drew the eyes and nose on the cards I sent, but I wish I could have used a mini carrot instead.)

You Say Farolito, I Say Luminaria

(And if you're not overly familiar with the Southwest you say "WTF?")

(And if you're my husband, you just call them "flaming bags o poo.")

So what the heck are farolitos/luminarias/fbops? From dictionary.com: "A votive candle set into a small, decorative paper bag weighted with sand and placed in a row with others along a walkway, driveway, or rooftop as a holiday decoration."





(Or you can buy electric ones with clear C9 Christmas lights and plastic bags from Walmart.)


This year I made J and the Cracker take me to Santa Fe on Christmas Eve so we could do the Farolito Walk.

Wow! Even J was impressed, and he was not all that thrilled to go hang outdoors past sunset with temps in the teens when he could be inside playing computer games. It was that amazing.

So we walked, we drank ponche, sang some carols, did the ooh and ahh thing. We even came across a Papa Noel who was giving out Beanie Babies to all the kids just cause he was cool like that.







The Cracker was gifted a bald eagle, which he insists is a penguin because of it's black and white and not a panda and not a zebra. (Go figure: he was so totally over Happy Feet after the first hour.)


















There are bonfires every where, which they call luminarias locally (it's all very confusing) so that you can stop and defrost while making chit chat.










J's favorite unexpected highlight of the evening was the college-aged female PETA protestors who were very cold in Christmas themed lingerie. (Sorry, no pics.)




There is a great article in this December's Sunset Magazine (different than the link above and not on the web) with great pics. I highly recommend going, even if, according to my neighbors who have recently migrated from the Golden State, Santa Fe is filled with "assholes from Berkeley" (Snort.)

Tonight's Entertainment

Damn I love those eyelashes...

Just Stop Talking, Like Right Now

I hate vomiting and I try not to do it often. My kid? So NOT a barfer. The virus that hit me the night of December 1st was the first real can't-keep-water-down since Christmas Break 1996.

(Have you seen that Seinfeld?)

Dictionary police: I used the word "virus"...didja see? Know what I hate more than people who use the word virus when they've been throwing up and/or having diarrhea and say "flu" is the people who correct them.

"Wow, you don't sound so good. You okay?"
"Getting there. I got the flu and haven't even been able to even keep down ice chips for 3 days. It sucks."
"Nenenenoooo! That's not the flu! The flu is res-pi-ra-tory. You had a virus!"

Assholes.

The Coolest Shit Ever!

when you're three.

This was taken, by request, as Mommy's car got new shoes so that the Cracker could take a copy to "sharing" aka Show and Tell.

Sucks to Be Him

So we're in Colorado at J's dad's house when I spot this dude out the window last night.



(That's a purple volleyball net complete with carabiner.)

Poor guy is local celebrity and has my FIL's house on his daily rounds. The powers that be have decided to just leave him alone as he'll be shedding his antlers soon anyway.

Presenting my Niece

Due 5.4.07

My SIL M and I think she totally looks like a girl already. I'm off to shop! I've been waiting until the official word which arrived just a few hours ago. M feels very strongly about NO YELLOW! and NO GREEN! just pink or blue. Seeing as M and I both have boys we need to get cracking on wardrobe. Fun!

Tales from the Homeland

Did you hear about the new milk campaign that was pulled after just a day in SF?

Seems that cookie-scented ads in bus shelters are not only offensive to those with allergies (that one I get) but to homeless people who can't afford to buy cookies.

Sometimes I really do miss life in the Bay Area...

How to lose 9lbs in less than a day!

A big, fat, nasty virus.

On the plus side, for a few days I actually weighed less than my DL says, which, is like, something I never thought would happen, and wouldn't have except that I'd lost real weight a few months back.

So once I'm back to my normal self I think I need to go get a new license and knock that weight down by at least 10, maybe 15, okay how about an even 20lbs. Because when the cops are putting out APBs for women I seriously think it's DL weight + 10-20, doncha think?

More Than Meets the Eye

"I want to watch Tubbies."
"How about we watch Transformers instead?"
"No, I want to watch Tubbies."
"Daddy doesn't want to watch Teletubbies. How about Voltron!"
The Cracker shakes his head no.
"Monsters, Inc?"
"No Daddy. I not like those movies."
"But they're cartoons."
"Cartoons is not for kids. They's for Daddies!"


2001


















2002 (Heidi 2006 called and wants those arms back)










2003


















2004 (He can't wear this shirt now unless he's got pants on "because it matches" his leg tatt. See 2006 picture)

















2005 (J's Saabatron after battling Idiot Driver's Ford F150)












2006

Ex Californian attempts to make snowman

out of less than an inch of snow to placate her son.



Those would be raisin eyes and Russian Sage arms.