Getting Dressed and Silly Things

Ever have one of those mornings when you feel you have it all together but you really do not?
I woke up at 6am, fed the horses, got the guys going and went up to have a shower. I knew what I was going to wear to work that day. I put on a pick shirt, cute wool jumper (not the English variety jumper or sweater but the dress variety) and black tights.

The black tights were hanging a little low. The crotch was not going where it needed to go. Probably due to holiday weight gain and improper laundering but I needed a solution. A girdle! Well today more commonly known as the brand Spanx. That would hold up the tights and hold in my tummy. Good solution.

I grabbed them from the drawer and pulled them on. Went down for breakfast.

Kiddo and I went to school. The Spanx felt funny, bunching and falling down in the back. Were the tights that small that they were pulling them down? I dropped kiddo off , drove to work and went to my morning meeting still trying to tug the undergarments into place without attracting too much attention. I sat in the meeting feeling like I was sitting on more of my dress than I should be. What is going on?

After the meeting I heading for the ladies room to investigate. Peeling off layers revealed that I had in fact put on padded bike shorts NOT a girdle. Not wonder my butt felt poofy, no wonder they kept falling down.

Laughing I took them off, settled for a saggy crotch and went on with the day vowing to pay more attention to what I am actually putting on in the morning.

Parenting Faux Pas and other tales of the season

Christmas snuck up on us this year. Here we were finishing up Thanksgiving leftovers and Christmas let itself in the back door. I was doing all right with the shopping. We decorated in time for our neighborhood cocktail party. Got the tree and decorated it as well. Somewhere an extra week just disappeared.

What happened? Was it in the middle of my several rushed Christmas card shoots? Was it while husband was gone on assignment? Was it while kiddo was being spoiled rotten in NYC with the grandparents? I really have no idea.

No cards were sent this year. No cookies were baked this year. The packages that made it to holiday destinations were lucky. Everyone else gets a New Year's gift.

It is 2 days until Christmas. Kiddo is being an absolute pill. He does not want to get dressed, go to school, wear this shirt, eat breakfast.....

He wants to wrap gifts, put them under the tree, play with his Christmas train, make cookies, eat cookies, have hot chocolate with marshmallows. Can't say that I blame him, I would like to do all that too.

He wants Daddy home. Yeah, so do I. He wants Oma and Opa because they are not mean to him like Momma is. ( I am mean because I won't let him stay in his PJ's all day).

In my own frustration, I have become a terrible parent. He has cookies for breakfast, I bribe him to get in the car by promising him a donut (he also has to promise to be good until Christmas). I don't have the time to spend with him that I need. As he hesitated to go into class this am, I had to call work to tell them I would be late. I sat in the hallway of daycare, holding kiddo until he was ready to go into class. I know he wants attention and us to share in his holiday excitement. I want to as well. I think this may be a lesson to me that I should at least take off Christmas eve in the future.

My how time flies

So it seems like just yesterday I swore I would blog. I wanted to, I intended to, I dreamed I did....clearly I did not.

The holidays snuck up on me. I thought I was doing well by having the house all put together and presents mostly bought. Here it is 5 days before Christmas and we have not done cards, we'll blame it on the economy. I still have to send random gifts to folks. I have not shopped for hubby's best friend, why would I you may ask? He never has time so I usually pick something out for her. He is out to dry this year. I just do not have time.

The kiddo has been in NYC since last Tuesday. His Oma came down and got him. They have been having a ball going to see Christmas windows in the city, Macy's Santaland (he did not want to see Santa after all). He went to Opa's office party, the train shop and the Toy Museum with Opa. Best of all, I think, was that he got to see snow. I think it should be a tradition for him to visit them around Christmas time as well as during the summer. I like that he is independent enough to go somewhere without Momma or Daddy.

Meanwhile, hubby and I have been going out with friends, shopping, going to the gym whenever we want and sleeping without interruption. We had the neighborhood wine and cheese party at our house last night. That was fun. About 50 people showed up and much wine was consumed. Our house, with the addition, has nice party flow. Folks didn't even go out onto the porch or screen porch even though it was warm out. We let the dogs visit for a bit and most everyone loved them. I was relaxed but not drunk when I fell asleep. Good thing because I had a shoot this am.

I have had about 4 shoots this season. I really need to send out promotional reminders and I could have each weekend scheduled well. NOTE TO SELF: PROMOTE!

Too busy to BLOG

Been busy. teaching, newspaper, family, holidays are consuming my life. It is 10:08pm and I have not had dinner yet. Most likely will not. Will blog tomorrow. really.

Joe Ely Show

Saturday we were invited to go see Joe Ely at the local luxury hotel down the street. The show was free for guests and folks from outside had to pay a cover. It was not really advertised so we figured it would be a nice small show to go see.

We left the house at 7;05 for the 7:30 show. Neighbor David dropped us at the front door and went to park. We walked in the front door to the lobby and who should be standing there looking a bit lost was JOE ELY!

I said "Hey! Ready for a show?"

"Yes except I don't know where it is." he replied.

"Well just hop in our car and we'll take you to our house a couple miles down the road and we can have the show there!"

He laughed and suggested a room show at the hotel. We all laughed and then his golf cart arrived with the band ready to take him to the show. We followed on foot, paid our money, found seats in the sixth row and sent the boys to get the drinks.

There were a zillion little kids there having as much fun as the grown-ups. He played a nice 2 hour show. We had more drinks at the hotel and went home to get kiddo from the neighbor. I wish I had taken the opportunity to get a pic with him when we had him in the lobby. rats.

The Great Monsturkey!

I must say first of all that I am thankful that husband bought the Big Green Egg and that I never complained about how much it cost. That being said I will now sing the ballad of the Carroll Thanksgiving.

aahh hemm (throat clearing)



Okay maybe not sing.. maybe I'll just write it.


I baked Wednesday night until about 1am. Apple Cake from a New York Times recipe. A pecan pie from Southern Living cookbook. Pecan pies make me nervous because my mom always made them so well. My first pecan pie ended up a huge mess in the oven because it had not cooked all the way and I took it out too quickly. SLOSH a sugary mess all over the hot oven. I have gotten better since. One year I made a chocolate pecan pie that was very sinful. But Wednesday night, I just made a down and dirty quick, normal pecan pie.

I woke husband up at 1am when I was finished so he could light the smoker and dress the turkey. All 27 pounds of it.

Since I am going to get teased for years about the size of this, I should explain that when I went to pick up my organic, newly dead, medium sized turkey last Saturday, the farm had run out of mediums. I told them I would be happy to settle for a small. We could fill up on sides. No smalls left. OH-KAY? Kim Alexander, in his matter of fact way, talked me into at large. He assured me it would fit in the smoker. He weighed it - 27.2 pounds. Kiddo weights 12 more pounds than the turkey.

Husband got the turkey on at 4am and went back to sleep. I woke up at 6:30 am, checked the smoker temp, got kiddo some milk and went back to bed. Husband was not in bed. He had gotten up to also check on the monsturkey.

I went for a walk, then he went for a run. While he was gone I put together the stuffing, while I was gone, he put together the sweet potatoes. By 12:30 we were ready to simply pop the food in the oven and go.

Then the power went out. We called the neighbors who were coming to eat with us. Their power was out as well but she had made her sides already (mostly). My other neighbor called. Her turkey was in the oven. She was drinking wine, waiting for the power to come back on. I invited her over if we didn't get power, figuring our monsturkey could feed the neighborhood.


About 2:15 the lights popped on. I turned on the oven. Threw in the stuffing and the sweet potatoes and got the water boiling for mashed potatoes. We were in business. I had secretly been hoping the power would not go on because I had visions of just noshing on turkey, bean salad from the neighbors and desserts.

Everyone came over. We prepared the rest of the dinner together. That was fun. Everyone had a job to do and we laughed and talked just like family. Kiddo had to use 2 hands to pick up his drumstick. We laughed quite a bit at that. We all ate way too much and had no room for dessert. We ate that later. We had a nice day and thanks to the Big Green Egg, a wonderful turkey. Anyone for leftovers? We'll be eating it until Christmas.

Smoking, Driving with a Rant

Okay Mr. Nissan Maxima who would not let me pass this morning on my way to work. I appreciate how you like to smoke on your way into work, but I do not. I cannot get away from your smoke as it filters in through my AC. Did you happen to notice that area along the road that was burnt to a crisp recently? Have you noticed that we have not had rain in the last month or so? Whatever would possess you to toss your still ignited butt out the window without a care in the world. The way your hand flicked the butt out the sliver in the window as it obviously had many time before. I watched the lit butt, glowing orange, throwing sparks as it hit the air. It bounced on the pavement and perhaps was driven over to be put out but maybe not. I honestly wish people would think about what happens when they throw lit butts out the window.

This morning was smokier than most, no sooner would I get away from one smoker, when I would be passed or pass another. I seemed to be surrounded in the morning commute by smokers. It would not be bad if it not come through the air conditioning, even it I have it on recycle interior air, it stills seems to worm its way into the car. If the but gets tossed at a light, and you happen to stop on it unknowingly? forget it, the smell is there the rest of the day.

I stil suspect that a pissed of mechanic worked on my truck and hid a butt in the engine somewhere. My truck smells like stale cigarette smoke at times and no one that I know who smokes has been in it.

Maybe my truck is haunted by the Marlboro Man.