Yay for Christmas Redux!

Christmas Redux is going well so far! :)

Merry Christmas, redux

I hereby announce that Christmas will be held (again) in 2 days' time. Some days just really should be done over. Like from scratch.

So, here is my plan for Merry Christmas 2. MC2 for short, or E. Because they ARE equal after all. (heh. nerd humor)

Wake up at a leisurely hour. Take a nice warm shower and put on my favorite comfy clothes. Prepare lattes and crepes. Go out shopping with the MAN for a new pair of running shoes and inserts. Test drive the new shoes for a few miles and relax at the gym. Come home in the late afternoon and make a simple dinner. Enjoy a funny movie with a glass of my favorite sparkling wine. Fall asleep thankful for perfect days, lovely friends, and a wonderful husband.

So, keep up the merry cheer for two more days for your biological sibling-challenged pirate. I'm now accepting applications for the role of LJS sibling. Your primary mission, should you choose to accept it, is to not break my heart with everything you say and do. That, and eat all of my yummy cooking creations. If no applications are received, I'll be drafting people.

The Empress Returns

My favorite feline empress, Kukka Maria, has been back online for a full 9 months and I have only now noticed?? That means I have 9 months' of funny-as-heck blogging to catch up on. So check her out, and she's back on the Blog Roll.

What a fortuitous turn of events! Now I'll have something to actually DO this holiday season. Maybe I can start my thesis. {giggle}

Not that watching someone play video games is boring or anything. And we'll soon be having a visitor who loves video games even more. Thank Ceiling Cat that I didn't look for a Wii.

Oh yeah. Merry Christmas!

Winter symbiosis

What goes better than peanut butter with pancakes, hot cocoa with whipped cream, macaroni with cheese?

Heavy snowfall and a day of baking, in comfy clothes and a Santa hat.

We are in for a Winter BONANZA! Yippee!! Starting tonight after the peoples are nestled all snug in their beds, mother nature will bestow upon us mortals 11 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. Now if the weather people actually have their predictions right, this is looking to be a prime opportunity to "work from home". (forgetting the fact that, yeah, I probably could walk to work)

And by "work from home", I mean finally getting my Christmas baking on. I plan to be making all sorts of delicious goodies that include some cookies, candy, cheesecakes (yes, that's a plural!), and lasagna.

It's a perfect storm of a semi-legit reason to stay at home, procrastination, and a gigantic sweet tooth.

:) LJS

It's the end of an era!

I am less than 12 hours from my last class that I will ever *have to* take. After 11 years of on again/off again classwork, this is a most-welcome conclusion. It's the end of an era folks! And, now I am one step closer to the point where my mom can't pick on me for being a professional student.

I'm also working on a paper for a conference proceeding. It is very tempting to make the whole thing a beta version, because I don't think anyone reads them. But said paper has to be vetted by The Chief, and beta versions simply will not do. I have a reputation to maintain (I think). I just wish I could work in the word "awesome" into one paper..just once.

Watched "Step Brothers" last night. That was one funny, but foul, movie. But I love me some Will Farrell. Seriously, I'd watch that guy read the newspaper.

Stop on over at the Monkey Barn. Hyperion has gift suggestions and a video that is guaranteed to make you smile.

Mostly Tepid Person

David Gregory!?!? {sigh}
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I decided to join up with the Shrinking Piggies-a nice group of fellow bloggers who are trying to lose some poundage. Marital bliss and I are getting along very well and, as a result, 15 pounds of happiness have found their way to my...everywhere.

It's never too late or too early to start changing life habits, setting goals and making choices that will make my life better. Me? I enjoy seeing the amazing battle of will power and the couch of doom. Of course, the couch of doom will LOSE. Hahahaha.

My ambitious 2009 goals? Well here we go:
1. 3 half-marathons in the spring (Martian, Cleveland, Ann Arbor-Dexter).
1a. 15-20 miles running/week with consistency, by the end of Jan.
2. Working out 6 days/week. Even if it's *just* a 2 mile walk to the library and back.
3. No desserts except on the weekends.
4. Eat out only 1x/week. 1 mid-afternoon latte/week.

Of course 1 and 1a is all predicated on healthy knees. But, that's what PT is for right?
:) LJS

Christmas Baking

For a few happy Christmas seasons, Hea and I would play hooky, dress in our most comfy jammies and bake cookies all day long. We made anywhere from 6-8 different kinds of cookies and, at the end of the day, we had a 1 foot layer of cookies on her kitchen table. It was all sorts of yummy. At the end of our day, we'd order cheese pizza (extra well-done please) and ogle over our favorite spygirl: Jennifer Garner. I miss Hea all the time, but especially this time of year. Hopefully, she and Yaz will make their own cookies!

Anyhoo, THE MAN and I will be creating our own traditions this year. It's our first year together (as in we're not separated by 1000 km!) and we're planning on making candy and baked goods. I'm thinking of breaking out of the cookie mold, but it will mean that the goods will not last as long. So it'll mean I'll have to share the baked love more quickly.

Some candidates for the Christmas goodies? Gosh, go over to Dragon's kitchen and take your pick! I'm excited about her Caramel Cake with Carmelized Butter Frosting, and Cheesecake Pops. I think I'll still make the Michigan Treasure cookies since they were so yummy.

As for the candy? We're thinking hard candy-maybe some toffee, or peanut brittle, or a ginger/cinamon concoction.

Dunder NASA