This is one of my favorite poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I wanted to share it with you all - it's starting to feel like Christmas!
Christmas Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
Most of you probably have heard this as the hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" but this is the poem that it's based on in it's entirety. I think that it's really appropriate with the world situation - we need to remember that all is not lost. A little bit of faith in humankind and the spirit of Christmas will get us a long way.
I wish all of you, friends of mine, a wonderful holiday. I wish for you a peaceful and happy time with your family and whomever you choose to celebrate with. Although I didn't get Christmas cards out this year (yet) I am thinking about all of you.
Merry Christmas!
12.25.2006
12.18.2006
and a life sized Mr. and Mrs. Claus tops it off
In the true spirit of Christmas, tonight my cousin and I decided to partake in one of our favorite holiday activities, looking at Christmas lights. Except we don't look at them to admire, we look at them to mock. Tonight D decided that he is going to make up a point system for the winner. If they have two incarnations of Santa, they get 5 points. If they have stray blinkers plus chaser lights, they get 7 points. If they have Santa and Frosty at the birth of Jesus, they get 15 points. You get the picture.
A sampling of what we saw tonight:
Santa cracking his whip at moving reindeer
moving reindeer
three white, colorless wisemen surrounded by Frosty and Santa
blue blinking lights
green rope lights leading up the stairs, looking like a cheap bar in the back woods
lit up trains that have wheels that move in locomotion - they actually hurt your eyes
a penguin that moved in and out of a giant igloo
a snow globe with fake snow blowing around in it
and to top it all off - a life size Mr. and Mrs. Claus crowding a front porch with no earthly way to pass it
We decided that white icicle lights are nice, classy. If you have colored lights that don't blink and are straight - they can be nice. Any blue lights or red lights should be banned.
And I truly apologize if anyone feels offended by this (maybe your family is the family with the random blinker and chaser lights). Christmas is truly one of my favorite times of year. But you know what - it's pretty fun to mock bad Christmas lights. You should try it. And let me know if you have any over 20 points. :)
Quote o' the day:
"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." -Charles Schulz
A sampling of what we saw tonight:
Santa cracking his whip at moving reindeer
moving reindeer
three white, colorless wisemen surrounded by Frosty and Santa
blue blinking lights
green rope lights leading up the stairs, looking like a cheap bar in the back woods
lit up trains that have wheels that move in locomotion - they actually hurt your eyes
a penguin that moved in and out of a giant igloo
a snow globe with fake snow blowing around in it
and to top it all off - a life size Mr. and Mrs. Claus crowding a front porch with no earthly way to pass it
We decided that white icicle lights are nice, classy. If you have colored lights that don't blink and are straight - they can be nice. Any blue lights or red lights should be banned.
And I truly apologize if anyone feels offended by this (maybe your family is the family with the random blinker and chaser lights). Christmas is truly one of my favorite times of year. But you know what - it's pretty fun to mock bad Christmas lights. You should try it. And let me know if you have any over 20 points. :)
Quote o' the day:
"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." -Charles Schulz
12.17.2006
frosty the fake snowman?
As I walked outside tonight, the frost shimmered on the grass and my feet crushed each delicately whitened, frozen blade. The night air was crisp and cool and I was only mildly chilly in my sweatshirt. It's been the perfect October weekend.
Except...
It's not October. It's December 17th. Christmas is a week away and we have NO snow. I'm not asking for much. All I want for Christmas is maybe a small snowstorm on Christmas eve. I can't say that I'm not enjoying the nice weather. I actually went for a run yesterday (let me tell you, it was rough) and I didn't freeze my ass off. I'm ok with that. But so help me, if there isn't snow on the ground by next Sunday, I will be begging Santa for a refund.
Yeah, we still have Christmas music, we've still done our Christmas baking (though significantly less than in past years), we still run around frantically trying to find that perfect gift and we still watch the plethora of movies that are on (thank you TBS, for giving me the opportunity to watch Runaway Bride not once, but three times and to CBS for showing Elf). But something about it is just not Christmas if the tacky Christmas lights and fake Santas and manger scenes are dusted finely so that the lights shine and twinkle at you from under their winter coats. I feel like I did when we spent Christmas and New Years in California, where the palm trees were decked out in twinkly lights. It's nice, but it's not the same.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glisten and children listen, to hear sleighbells in the snow.
Quote o' the day:
"The snow itself is lonely or, if you prefer, self-sufficient. There is no other time when the whole world seems composed of one thing and one thing only." - Joseph Wood Krutch
Except...
It's not October. It's December 17th. Christmas is a week away and we have NO snow. I'm not asking for much. All I want for Christmas is maybe a small snowstorm on Christmas eve. I can't say that I'm not enjoying the nice weather. I actually went for a run yesterday (let me tell you, it was rough) and I didn't freeze my ass off. I'm ok with that. But so help me, if there isn't snow on the ground by next Sunday, I will be begging Santa for a refund.
Yeah, we still have Christmas music, we've still done our Christmas baking (though significantly less than in past years), we still run around frantically trying to find that perfect gift and we still watch the plethora of movies that are on (thank you TBS, for giving me the opportunity to watch Runaway Bride not once, but three times and to CBS for showing Elf). But something about it is just not Christmas if the tacky Christmas lights and fake Santas and manger scenes are dusted finely so that the lights shine and twinkle at you from under their winter coats. I feel like I did when we spent Christmas and New Years in California, where the palm trees were decked out in twinkly lights. It's nice, but it's not the same.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glisten and children listen, to hear sleighbells in the snow.
Quote o' the day:
"The snow itself is lonely or, if you prefer, self-sufficient. There is no other time when the whole world seems composed of one thing and one thing only." - Joseph Wood Krutch
12.11.2006
and....you're done.
Last night of class. Food, readings and turning in the binder of neatly compiled pages that represent my entire fall. Which is gone now, and Christmas is in two weeks! Yikes... I think we were all a little bit sad that the semester was ending. We grew pretty close as a class, depending on each other to get through the semester. And it's exciting to think we've got the first semester under our belt. And I'm ready to loosen up and have some fun the rest of the week. Wahoo!
Only 14 shopping days left and I don't have a single gift. And I don't have any Christmas cards written either. I always manage to get things done, so I'm not too worried.
Quote o' the day:
"Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything." - Kurt Vonnegut
Only 14 shopping days left and I don't have a single gift. And I don't have any Christmas cards written either. I always manage to get things done, so I'm not too worried.
Quote o' the day:
"Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything." - Kurt Vonnegut
12.07.2006
the great salad dressing explosion of 2006
What a way to start the day.
I had a really good leftover salad from a lunch at Palomino yesterday with our direct mail company. I put it in my bag this morning along with my leftover pasta for lunch. I had also tossed in said bag some supplies seeing as how I'm going directly from work to dinner downtown and then to the Concordia Christmas Concert with a friend. Supplies including my hairbrush, my toothbrush and toothpaste, some makeup and my hat. Because it's going to be cold. Got to work and opened the bag to take the lunch to the fridge and lo and behold...there is blue cheese salad dressing on everything. Gross. And one of my coworkers with an office next to mine must think I'm crazy...with all the personal grooming items strewn about on my desk because I don't have a door to close and cursing at the salad in question. He asked me if I was 'all ready for the day.' Umm... clearly NOT.
Luckily - the bag in question is lined with plastic. So at least it didn't get on my clothes or in my car.
But seriously. This does not bode well for my day. Salad dressing, EVERYWHERE. Oy with the poodles already!
At least I have coffee.
12.05.2006
comfort and joy
Today was sort of a blah day. One of those days where you don't really feel like doing much. I actually got a lot done at work today, but I was not at my most social or even friendly. I hope no one thought I was crabby. I don't know if it's the end of the semester or what, but I am a-draggin'. When I got home from work today, I promptly put on pajamas and crawled into bed. I probably slept for about an hour and I know I'll pay for that later tonight, but I'm glad I did it. It felt good.
My sister got into a car accident tonight. She's fine, the car is fine, but it just reminded me of how much our roles are flipped sometimes. I'm the responsible one. Not to say that she's not, but had I not been home, I'm not sure she would have had any idea what to do. Of course, would any of us in that scenario? Probably not. We had some wine and pizza and watched Gilmore Girls, and I think she's doing all right now.
And now I'm sitting here, warm from the wine, the cats and the Christmas lights. I have a feeling that the next couple of weeks are going to be great.
And Paul Simon is singin' an American Tune.
Quote o' the day:
"To be a book-collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope fiend with those of a miser." - Robertson Davies
(I just really find that amusing. Ha.)
My sister got into a car accident tonight. She's fine, the car is fine, but it just reminded me of how much our roles are flipped sometimes. I'm the responsible one. Not to say that she's not, but had I not been home, I'm not sure she would have had any idea what to do. Of course, would any of us in that scenario? Probably not. We had some wine and pizza and watched Gilmore Girls, and I think she's doing all right now.
And now I'm sitting here, warm from the wine, the cats and the Christmas lights. I have a feeling that the next couple of weeks are going to be great.
And Paul Simon is singin' an American Tune.
Quote o' the day:
"To be a book-collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope fiend with those of a miser." - Robertson Davies
(I just really find that amusing. Ha.)
12.04.2006
scandahoovian
We had a bake-off competition today at work to raise money for the food shelter.
Ok... hold that thought. There is one of those flashing banners on my screen and Tula is going nuts. She keeps looking at the back of the laptop like she expects it to be there and then peeking back around and it's freaking cute...and I wish you could all see it.
Where was I? Bake-off. Yes. There was so much sweet stuff it satisfied even my enormous sweet tooth. But what was my favorite thing? Among all of the cakes and cookies? The enormous plate of lefse. Which hearkens to my Scandahoovian roots and also to my happy days as the co-president of the Scandinavian Club at Concordia. Our slogan? "Got Lefse?" We did lots of exceedingly dorky things, such as dress up in our sweaters and do the shoddish down 8th Street for the Homecoming Parade, make meatballs and kringla and all sorts of things for a dinner complete with making our own ornaments (nisse, hearts and the like) and go to the Nordic Roots Fest at the Cedar in Mpls once a year. We also had a retreat in WI every year where mostly we did lots of drinking, folk dancing and watching movies in various Scandinavian languages. (See, I told you, exceedingly nerdy.)
BUT...my absolute favorite thing to do was to sell lefse at the Homecoming game. You know you live in MN and go to a Lutheran/Scandinavian college when there's lefse at the Homecoming game. We'd buy like 8 cases of Freddy's Lefse and sell it for a dollar a piece. Butter and sugar your thing? We'd do it. You want brown sugar instead of white? Got it. Nothing? We can do that too? How about cinnamon and sugar? Or just butter? Possibilities abound. Lefse is IT, man. So go and find yourself some and make it up the way you like. And if you're lucky enough to have someone in your family that makes it homemade - LEARN how to do it. Me? I'm a flipper/roller. And I'm damn good at it.
One more class session left!!
Quote o' the day:
"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." - George Bernard Shaw
Ok... hold that thought. There is one of those flashing banners on my screen and Tula is going nuts. She keeps looking at the back of the laptop like she expects it to be there and then peeking back around and it's freaking cute...and I wish you could all see it.
Where was I? Bake-off. Yes. There was so much sweet stuff it satisfied even my enormous sweet tooth. But what was my favorite thing? Among all of the cakes and cookies? The enormous plate of lefse. Which hearkens to my Scandahoovian roots and also to my happy days as the co-president of the Scandinavian Club at Concordia. Our slogan? "Got Lefse?" We did lots of exceedingly dorky things, such as dress up in our sweaters and do the shoddish down 8th Street for the Homecoming Parade, make meatballs and kringla and all sorts of things for a dinner complete with making our own ornaments (nisse, hearts and the like) and go to the Nordic Roots Fest at the Cedar in Mpls once a year. We also had a retreat in WI every year where mostly we did lots of drinking, folk dancing and watching movies in various Scandinavian languages. (See, I told you, exceedingly nerdy.)
BUT...my absolute favorite thing to do was to sell lefse at the Homecoming game. You know you live in MN and go to a Lutheran/Scandinavian college when there's lefse at the Homecoming game. We'd buy like 8 cases of Freddy's Lefse and sell it for a dollar a piece. Butter and sugar your thing? We'd do it. You want brown sugar instead of white? Got it. Nothing? We can do that too? How about cinnamon and sugar? Or just butter? Possibilities abound. Lefse is IT, man. So go and find yourself some and make it up the way you like. And if you're lucky enough to have someone in your family that makes it homemade - LEARN how to do it. Me? I'm a flipper/roller. And I'm damn good at it.
One more class session left!!
Quote o' the day:
"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." - George Bernard Shaw
12.03.2006
sunday grocery shoppers...
Let me just start by saying that I hate Sunday drivers. They're the worst - poking along in the fast lane, taking their god damned sweet time. Move outta the way, buddy and let me get to where I'm going, for the love!
However, today I discovered something worse. The Sunday grocery shopper. Today, in between trying to get all of my laundry done, make lasagne and finish my schoolwork (maybe the other things were a distraction, you think?) I had to go to Target and the grocery store. Target was fine - people are usually good about moving because chances are, they're stopping to get something specific too. I was on a mission for ornament hooks and was in and out in about ten minutes. The grocery store however, was not fine.
I honestly think that every grope happy couple and single mom with three kids was at Rainbow today. And they were always in front of what I needed to get at! Plus, it was Sunday evening, so they were restocking things...not forgetting that they were also OUT of a lot of things. It was pandemonium and I just wanted to get out of there and get home to make my lasagne and to get my stuff done. But oh no. I was at the grocery store for probably an hour and a half...for a list of maybe 20 items. (It didn't help that I had a hard time finding cranberries. Stupid cranberries, tucked away in between the lettuce and the radishes!) And then I had slow people in front me on my way home...it was annoying, needless to say. Thanks for listening!
On the happier note, I put up the Christmas tree today. It's not real and piney like the ones we had growing up, but it will do. I got some ornaments from both my mom and my grandma, ones that they weren't using, so it feels homey. Plus not everyone in the world will have the same ornaments that I have. And that the cats now have something new to chew on. Grr... I'm getting a squirt bottle.
Countdown to the end of the first semester: 2 class sessions. Wahoo!
Quote o' the day:
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost
However, today I discovered something worse. The Sunday grocery shopper. Today, in between trying to get all of my laundry done, make lasagne and finish my schoolwork (maybe the other things were a distraction, you think?) I had to go to Target and the grocery store. Target was fine - people are usually good about moving because chances are, they're stopping to get something specific too. I was on a mission for ornament hooks and was in and out in about ten minutes. The grocery store however, was not fine.
I honestly think that every grope happy couple and single mom with three kids was at Rainbow today. And they were always in front of what I needed to get at! Plus, it was Sunday evening, so they were restocking things...not forgetting that they were also OUT of a lot of things. It was pandemonium and I just wanted to get out of there and get home to make my lasagne and to get my stuff done. But oh no. I was at the grocery store for probably an hour and a half...for a list of maybe 20 items. (It didn't help that I had a hard time finding cranberries. Stupid cranberries, tucked away in between the lettuce and the radishes!) And then I had slow people in front me on my way home...it was annoying, needless to say. Thanks for listening!
On the happier note, I put up the Christmas tree today. It's not real and piney like the ones we had growing up, but it will do. I got some ornaments from both my mom and my grandma, ones that they weren't using, so it feels homey. Plus not everyone in the world will have the same ornaments that I have. And that the cats now have something new to chew on. Grr... I'm getting a squirt bottle.
Countdown to the end of the first semester: 2 class sessions. Wahoo!
Quote o' the day:
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost
12.02.2006
cars and classical music
Today I spent most of my day doing the following things:
driving all over the freaking metro
spending money I don't have on Christmas decorations
sleeping
And I really should have been working on my paper that's due on Monday, reading the book I'm supposed to read for Monday and getting my final portfolio started so that I'm not freaking out about that next weekend. Because I have 6 of 15 to 20 pages written of my final work. Yikes.
I did, however, get the battery replaced in my car, which you know, is only a month old (they did it for free, thank GOD). I got a 'loaner' car for the three hours it took because there were so many people waiting and it was an Oldsmobile Alero, which is a fine car, but it's a lot bigger and heavier than my little Corolla. I'm sure people were amused watching me try to park it. Ha.
Has anyone ever noticed the driving on the freeway is like a ballet? Cars moving into lanes in tandem, darting back and forth, speeding up and slowing down. Watching cars that are at the bottom of a hill when you're at the top, you see them moving gracefully between lanes, creating patterns on the road and choreographing their way to wherever they are going. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks that, but try watching sometime - it's like a huge, progressive ballet. Especially when you're a classical music nerd like me and have KSJN on while you're driving.
And...back to work on the pressing question of "what do writers do?"
Quote o' the day:
"Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward." - Soren Kierkegaard
driving all over the freaking metro
spending money I don't have on Christmas decorations
sleeping
And I really should have been working on my paper that's due on Monday, reading the book I'm supposed to read for Monday and getting my final portfolio started so that I'm not freaking out about that next weekend. Because I have 6 of 15 to 20 pages written of my final work. Yikes.
I did, however, get the battery replaced in my car, which you know, is only a month old (they did it for free, thank GOD). I got a 'loaner' car for the three hours it took because there were so many people waiting and it was an Oldsmobile Alero, which is a fine car, but it's a lot bigger and heavier than my little Corolla. I'm sure people were amused watching me try to park it. Ha.
Has anyone ever noticed the driving on the freeway is like a ballet? Cars moving into lanes in tandem, darting back and forth, speeding up and slowing down. Watching cars that are at the bottom of a hill when you're at the top, you see them moving gracefully between lanes, creating patterns on the road and choreographing their way to wherever they are going. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks that, but try watching sometime - it's like a huge, progressive ballet. Especially when you're a classical music nerd like me and have KSJN on while you're driving.
And...back to work on the pressing question of "what do writers do?"
Quote o' the day:
"Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward." - Soren Kierkegaard
11.30.2006
mu shu madness
Ok. I'll admit it. I subscribe to the Rachael Ray magazine. It's got great recipes in it! Yes, most of them have ridiculous names like "Mean Green Chicken Tortilla Stoup." But they're still good. Until this latest issue. The Holiday Issue. It has recipes labeled "Guilty" and "Not Guilty." My sister made one of the "guilty" ones on Monday night. It was meat loaves with smashed potatoes. It was delicious. Then last night, she made one of the "not guilty" ones. Mu Shu Chicken Patties with Seared Napa Cabbage. They looked really good in the picture and had lots of good things in them. Then we started frying them in the hot oil and the smoke permeated our kitchen and the rest of the house. We seared the cabbage and we were ready to eat!! After the first bite - the "Not Guilty" recipes were deemed "Not Good." The patties were way too salty and the cabbage was disgusting. And now we still have four patties left. And our house still smells like mu shu chicken patties. Gross.
Tomorrow is Friday and that means two things. One, I get to sleep in on Saturday. Two, it means I have a boatload of homework to finish before Monday. Wahoo!
Quote o' the day:
"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature." - Dave Barry
Tomorrow is Friday and that means two things. One, I get to sleep in on Saturday. Two, it means I have a boatload of homework to finish before Monday. Wahoo!
Quote o' the day:
"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature." - Dave Barry
11.29.2006
my list...
things that I am happy about today in no order:
cats
warm blankets and comfortable beds
good food
chocolate and coffee
shiny happy people
a job that I love - because not everyone has this experience
working with amazing people that make work so much more than just a job (you know who you are!)
seeing people that I miss
cookie presses
fleecy things and jeans
music - Christmas, classical or otherwise
hugs
And that's my list. I dare you all to think of ten or fifteen things that are on your list. Make it a good one.
Quote o' the day:
"There is nothing better or more necessary than love." - John of the Cross
cats
warm blankets and comfortable beds
good food
chocolate and coffee
shiny happy people
a job that I love - because not everyone has this experience
working with amazing people that make work so much more than just a job (you know who you are!)
seeing people that I miss
cookie presses
fleecy things and jeans
music - Christmas, classical or otherwise
hugs
And that's my list. I dare you all to think of ten or fifteen things that are on your list. Make it a good one.
Quote o' the day:
"There is nothing better or more necessary than love." - John of the Cross
am I the ONLY person on the planet...
that still makes spritz?
I went out tonight, in search of a cookie press. I had done my homework and knew that both Linen's N Things and Macy's were supposed to have one. Target said they only carried them online and not in the stores.
I could have borrowed my mother's, but alas, I need the spritz for tomorrow and didn't want to spend half of my evening driving up to CR. So I decided, what with the fact that I've made spritz the last three years in a row, that maybe I should have my own cookie press. (For the non-Norwegians out there, spritz are a butter cookie (three sticks of butter, to be exact) and are shaped usually like a three petal flower.)
Hence the search.
I looked at Target, I was there anyway - no cookie press. But I was expecting that, so it was somehow ok. Drove over to Linen's N Things. Asked a nice enough looking saleslady who asked at least five people named Matt - NO COOKIE PRESS. They had a snowman shaped cakepan and chocolate fountains and TONS of ridiculous holiday bakeware, but nothing as practical as a cookie press. Which, might I remind you - they were supposed to have. A Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II - to be exact.
Next stop - Macy's. Also in the mall - which I hope to avoid what with all of the Christmas craziness and Santa's and kids. The saleslady in Macy's - when asked for the now elusive cookie press - said, "Oh, like one of those cookie guns?" Complete with a hand motion. She went to ask - and yet again, came back empty handed. "Sorry - we don't have one of those."
I trek out into the hordes, by now, hungry and annoyed that I've already been to Target, Office Max, Rainbow, AND Linen's N Things. My feet are hurting monstrously by this point, as I'm wearing three inch heeled boots - but no matter. I continue my brisk pace to the JC Penney. I don't even bother asking. No visible cookie press.
Finally - I get to Herberger's (which is also by the Santa picture taking debaucle) and make it to Housewares. More ridiculous chocolate fountains and Santa shaped bundt cake pans. And then - I spotted it - a table that appeared to be only for cookie baking items. And then - you might as well have had a spot light and the Hallelujah chorus - because there it was. The Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II Cookie press.
So when the clerk asked me if I'd found what I was looking for - I could only exclaim, " YES! And about time, too." I was exceedingly glad that I did not have to trek to the Williams and Sonoma, which is now in the 'hip' outdoor part of the mall.
And that, my friends, is what happens when you decide, the night before, that you need to make spritz. If anyone needs a cookie press - I have one. Complete with recipes!
Quote o' the day:
"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." - Arthur Miller
I went out tonight, in search of a cookie press. I had done my homework and knew that both Linen's N Things and Macy's were supposed to have one. Target said they only carried them online and not in the stores.
I could have borrowed my mother's, but alas, I need the spritz for tomorrow and didn't want to spend half of my evening driving up to CR. So I decided, what with the fact that I've made spritz the last three years in a row, that maybe I should have my own cookie press. (For the non-Norwegians out there, spritz are a butter cookie (three sticks of butter, to be exact) and are shaped usually like a three petal flower.)
Hence the search.
I looked at Target, I was there anyway - no cookie press. But I was expecting that, so it was somehow ok. Drove over to Linen's N Things. Asked a nice enough looking saleslady who asked at least five people named Matt - NO COOKIE PRESS. They had a snowman shaped cakepan and chocolate fountains and TONS of ridiculous holiday bakeware, but nothing as practical as a cookie press. Which, might I remind you - they were supposed to have. A Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II - to be exact.
Next stop - Macy's. Also in the mall - which I hope to avoid what with all of the Christmas craziness and Santa's and kids. The saleslady in Macy's - when asked for the now elusive cookie press - said, "Oh, like one of those cookie guns?" Complete with a hand motion. She went to ask - and yet again, came back empty handed. "Sorry - we don't have one of those."
I trek out into the hordes, by now, hungry and annoyed that I've already been to Target, Office Max, Rainbow, AND Linen's N Things. My feet are hurting monstrously by this point, as I'm wearing three inch heeled boots - but no matter. I continue my brisk pace to the JC Penney. I don't even bother asking. No visible cookie press.
Finally - I get to Herberger's (which is also by the Santa picture taking debaucle) and make it to Housewares. More ridiculous chocolate fountains and Santa shaped bundt cake pans. And then - I spotted it - a table that appeared to be only for cookie baking items. And then - you might as well have had a spot light and the Hallelujah chorus - because there it was. The Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II Cookie press.
So when the clerk asked me if I'd found what I was looking for - I could only exclaim, " YES! And about time, too." I was exceedingly glad that I did not have to trek to the Williams and Sonoma, which is now in the 'hip' outdoor part of the mall.
And that, my friends, is what happens when you decide, the night before, that you need to make spritz. If anyone needs a cookie press - I have one. Complete with recipes!
Quote o' the day:
"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." - Arthur Miller
11.27.2006
remember when we used to get snowed in?
For the past week or so, I get up and immediately peek through my blinds, hoping to see white on the trees and the deck.
So far, there hasn't been any.
When we were younger, there were Thanksgiving's when we'd get snowed in up in Fargo. All of the cousins would line up in rows in the basement and watch movies while the adults made popcorn and drank wine. It was fun.
Don't get me wrong - it was nice to have perfectly clear roads and 50 degree weather in Fargo for Thanksgiving. But what with all the global warming (on a side note - if you haven't seen "An Inconvenient Truth" - rent it now!) there is a definite lack of snow. It doesn't bug me too much now - but once it gets closer to Christmas, I will become exceedingly more Grinchy if there is no cold white stuff.
I have also ingested WAY too much chocolate today. Note to self, do NOT buy candy for the candy dish. Your office is out of the way of anyone that might eat candy and you end up eating it all by yourself.
Also - a question for any cat owners out there. Do your cats/cat chew on electrical cords and if so - how did you get them to stop? Tula was pawing and chewing at 5 a.m., and when I reprimanded her as loudly and sternly as I could muster out of a deep sleep, she only jumped up and stole my pillow. Help!! My quality of sleep is dependent on any answers I might get.
Class sessions left: 3
Papers left to write: 4
Quote o' the day:
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." - Mary Wilson Little
So far, there hasn't been any.
When we were younger, there were Thanksgiving's when we'd get snowed in up in Fargo. All of the cousins would line up in rows in the basement and watch movies while the adults made popcorn and drank wine. It was fun.
Don't get me wrong - it was nice to have perfectly clear roads and 50 degree weather in Fargo for Thanksgiving. But what with all the global warming (on a side note - if you haven't seen "An Inconvenient Truth" - rent it now!) there is a definite lack of snow. It doesn't bug me too much now - but once it gets closer to Christmas, I will become exceedingly more Grinchy if there is no cold white stuff.
I have also ingested WAY too much chocolate today. Note to self, do NOT buy candy for the candy dish. Your office is out of the way of anyone that might eat candy and you end up eating it all by yourself.
Also - a question for any cat owners out there. Do your cats/cat chew on electrical cords and if so - how did you get them to stop? Tula was pawing and chewing at 5 a.m., and when I reprimanded her as loudly and sternly as I could muster out of a deep sleep, she only jumped up and stole my pillow. Help!! My quality of sleep is dependent on any answers I might get.
Class sessions left: 3
Papers left to write: 4
Quote o' the day:
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." - Mary Wilson Little
11.17.2006
crushes
I had a realization tonight after talking to my sister. It's been a really long time since I've had a crush. A good, old fashioned crush. Where your heart starts pounding when you see or talk to that person...and sometimes, even when you talk about or hear someone else talk about that person. The kind of crush where you can't resist being just a little bit of a stalker. A crush where even if that person is a good friend of yours and you know it might screw up your friendship you still allow yourself to fall anyway. A crush where you just can't stand it. And that person is the person you want to spend all of your time with and tell all of your secrets to. But you're too afraid to do it.
Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?
I miss that.
11.16.2006
minnesota nice
Minnesota nice...disappears once drivers are behind the wheel. Once I get behind the wheel, I rage, yell and shake my fist. My mouth spews out words that I don't normally say, and I become a person who yells at others. I do not play well with others on the road.
Get out of my lane, you f-er
Turn of the f-ing phone and drive
Excuse me, I'm driving here
Learn how to drive you idiot, and stay out of my way
I guess I feel like I can yell at them from the sanctity of my car. Contrary to popular belief, I do not have road rage, I would never even dream of following someone home or getting out of my car. I simply find that this is a way to rid myself of all of my other frustrations of the day without getting into too much trouble. Is that too much to ask?
Get out of my lane, you f-er
Turn of the f-ing phone and drive
Excuse me, I'm driving here
Learn how to drive you idiot, and stay out of my way
I guess I feel like I can yell at them from the sanctity of my car. Contrary to popular belief, I do not have road rage, I would never even dream of following someone home or getting out of my car. I simply find that this is a way to rid myself of all of my other frustrations of the day without getting into too much trouble. Is that too much to ask?
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