Buzz Word Bingo

When I’m in meetings I make a list of buzz words that I hate. As people use them, I make a tick mark, thereby satisfying the need to look engaged and busy, and to count ways that people bug me. My go-to list is:

• If you will (and I will. Will you?)
• Honestly (does that mean that people aren’t honest unless they preface with “Honestly”? Yet, I find myself saying, “To tell you the truth…”)
• Things of that nature (gag!)
• Whatnot (what? What not?)
• You know (Yes, I do know. You just said it.)
• Thus Far (the olde English, I don’t fancy)
• Heretofore (wheretofive? Hehe)
• Thusly (okay, so no one ever uses this one. But I’m ready just in case)

That being said (which is another of the phrases that bugs me), I would love for the following to make it into the common vernacular:

• Crikey!
• Egads!
• Blech (not the sound, the word)

Caro’s most recent post made me nostalgic for those vacations in the station wagon where we would pop an 8-track and sing along while driving through the seemingly endless desert.

Mandos called me last weekend when he and his family and Mom were in NYC. I always imagined that they were off gallivanting, eating at fancy places with their pinkies held high and carrying bags of shopping from expensive stores. No, they were arguing about whether the Man of La Mancha soundtrack was ever played in 8-track format, in the station wagon. As I told Mandos, I’ve stopped being jealous.

Check this out: http://www.sketchysantas.com/

I have almost finished my Christmas shopping, except for a few little things. Jim and I are getting Mom a remote car starter installed in her car. Because it is ridiculously expensive, it will be her combined birthday and Christmas presents from both of us. In this climate, it is almost a necessity to have a warmed car, and where she’s getting into her car after being up all night three nights a week, she needs it.

Which reminds me—I wonder if Brittany realizes that she has a remote car starter on the Honda? If she needs help, call grandma and she’ll ‘splain the functionality and wonderfulness of the remote starter!

We are very much looking forward to Sophie and Bronnie at our house today. We’re going to the American Girl store for lunch, making s’mores in the fireplace, watching a Christmas movie or two, and generally, partying. Maybe there’s enough snow to go sledding at the cemetery, which is always good. Mom’s birthday is Monday, so we’ll definitely plan something to celebrate while we’re all together for tomorrow's lunch.

Conveniently, Caro didn’t ‘splain that she said, “Somebody’s gotta choke the chicken” at Thanksgiving and claims she wasn’t aware of the sordid meaning. I told Jim and he said, “I always thought it was ‘choke the bishop’.” I guess that’s because of the um, yeah. You know.

I think I’ll make some kolaches this Christmas. He he.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Who's voice did you hear when you read the title?  Come on, you know what I'm talking about.  Just like if I titled it, "I Wanna Know What Love Is" or "Peace is Flowing Like a River".  Anyway, some tunes stay in your head with a very specific singer attached to it.  But anyway....

We are finally done with the Nutcracker.  I don't know what we were thinking.  It was fun a couple of times, but then Sophie got really sick, Bronnie got lice and Shawn hurt his back.  There was too many things happening at once.  The tickets were outrageously expensive and none of the family could be persuaded to watch the second act!   Anyway, we got some good memories out of it - but mostly we realized that 7 performances is probably a lot for our 8 year old.

We also got our Christmas Tree/Cactus hybrid.  I should have taken more notice at the farmer's surprise when we told him we had picked a tree.  He was sure we wouldn't find one, but we did and now we are all nursing puncture wounds after hanging ornaments.  It doesn't even smell piney, which was the reason we chose to get a fresh tree this year.  Of course it may not be the tree's fault.  We do have a lot of competing odors in this house.  In fact, it probably smells like a freakin forest but we will never know.  Thanks Biko.

We also miss Pengu.  The well-behaved dog with enviable poop.  I wish our dogs could poop like that.  Pengu could poop on a white sheet and after you pick it up you could put that sheet right on the bed and no one would ever know.  Not fair.

Anyway, Shawn's back is still hurt, so we are hoping the Physical Therapist and Back Doctor have some good news next week instead of the horrible news Shawn is sure he is going to hear.  I'm just plugging along our original plan that we are going to Virginia - until we have official notice otherwise.  Keep him in your prayers though.  He certainly has a huge amount of anxiety about his back due to being raised by a mother with chronic back issues.

That's all for now.  I'm done with my Christmas shopping for the most part.  I probably will miss the crazy sales over the next few weeks, but it's worth it to miss the crowds.  Not sure if you will get a Christmas card, since I misplaced them in my house.  Maybe a Christmas email?

Off roading

What an exciting morning!  I had just left the house, had my ipod going to Flight of the Conchords (thanks Caro, for recommending the music.  So funny!) and was thinking that I should have stopped to get gas before getting on the turnpike.  My on ramp has a downhill slope as it's curving around in a cloverleaf.  I was thinking about how incredibly slick things were when my tires started to slide and I was looking right into oncoming traffic, getting off the turnpike.  I panicked because I was thinking about the curb separating me from a head on collision so in addition to slamming on my brakes (anti-lock action immediately!), I turned my wheel hard.  As soon as the tires got their grip, they turned me toward the huge gulley, I hopped the curb and went about 15 feet down.  I was terrified that I was going to flip, but I just coasted down the hill and stopped at the bottom.

Luckily, a tow truck was going by not even 3 minutes later, so while I was on the phone with AAA, the tow truck stopped.  It took forever for the state police to arrive (which the tow truck driver had to have because he needed to shut down the on-ramp to pull me out) so the tow truck driver, let's call him Fred, and I became fast friends.

Fred is a divorcee, and told me about all of the traffic fatalities he's cleaned up after, and about yesterday's gruesome pickup that one of his co-workers had to do.   He was very nice, and managed to calm me down. 

So, I'm $100 poorer, but otherwise my car is fine and I'm fine.