Belated Most Merriest Merry Christmas Greetings!

Okay, it's New Year's Eve day, I know... and I'm just finally online to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas! We've been out of town, just back to Vegas last night.

BUHT, I do hope everyone had a good holiday, the best to you and yours!

And the Preliminary Results?

So, I'm 32 and I've had a colonoscopy - no one in my family can beat that, suckas!

We got up before 6am to be there by 7:30am... and it wound up taking less than 15 min. to drive there, so we cuddled on the two-seater bench and watched the Today show on the big LCD screen TV in the waiting room, and we were reminded why we don't watch TV.

I went under at 8:50 am.... the plebotomy effort for my IV took longer than the colonoscopy itself. They had to stick me in 3 different places before the IV worked. I was released from the recovery room by 9:30am, and I have ZERO recollection of the bummy procedure, and I thank my lucky stars for that.

And so, did they find anything? Yeah. I've been told I have "rectal erosions."

Say what?

Neither Google or Ask.com, nor WedMD offered much information, so I'll leave it at what the RN said, something along the lines of "your rectal tissue has crater-like ulcers." Now, how do crater-like rectal ulcers cause chronic constipation, I dunno. And why I have them at all, no explanation was offered. I have to wait 2-4 weeks before I can set down with anyone to be told more and to hear the biopsy results. - Wish me luck -

Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 18

Not only does my honey-man wish our fuzzy babies a sweet goodbye when he leaves the house, he tells them "Bless you" whenever either one sneezes.

Nuthin' But 'Clear' Liquids

Today's the day before I have a colonoscopy ~ what fun! So far today, I drank a 10 oz bottle of lemon magnesium citrate by 9am, and I took 2 Ducolax pills at 11am, and thereafter, I've had 64 onces of 'Mountain Blast' Powererade infused with 255 grams of Miralax. For breakfast? I had a mug and a half of beef broth (yuck!), and for an early dinner, I just finished a mug of chicken broth...along with 32 oz of diluted, but really nummy, White Cran-Peach juice from Ocean Spray, also infused with Miralax.

In the last 3 hours, I - - well, I could say a lotta different things... but I won't!

You Look So...Butch

We were in Burbank for the past weekend for one of our favorite parties of the year, a white elephant party held by my honey-man's business partner and the fellow's lovely wife (who's a fantastic cook!). We had a wonderful, wonderful weekend - - and it was our first chance to unhook, to remember what this upcoming holiday season is all about ~ family and friends!

Before we left, I got my haircut yesterday... the chicky I saw did a wonderful job thinning and 'chunking' the texture, unlike the woman I'd seen for my 2nd cut, post-long hair. Last night though, on our way home, we'd stopped at a Starbucks, and I caught a glimpse of myself in their public restroom mirror, and I was, um, kinda shocked upon closer review of my new hairstyle, yet I couldn't put into words what exactly was wrong with it, but something was definitely wrong. Once we were home in Vegas, and we'd had dinner, and we'd taken a shower, and taken care of the kitties, and we were back upstairs to get ready for bed, I was staring at my reflection in our bathroom for a moment, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I spoke my realization aloud with my honey-man off to the side, not far away, lying on our bed:

"I look totally butch"

And then? - My honey-man confirmed that that is exactly it... I look totally butch with this haircut. All I'd need is to give up the make-up, dress like a man, and don some leather choker-type necklace.

My honey-man told me to not say or do anything about it, and to just wait and see what people at work would say to me, as no one there is too shy about holding back, if they like something or not...

Well, I'm about to leave work for home, so I just called my honey-man, and he asked me how people had responded to my hair... We didn't have many people in today, but here were some of the comments offered, the first listed being the very first of the day before I'd even unlocked my office door:

1) [apply sing-song, baby-talk voice] You look like a wittle boy.
2) [apply questioning inflection] You look so tomboy-ish (?)
3) [apply peppy tone of forced reassurance] It'll grow out fast.
4) [apply 'matter-of-fact' tone] You look like a boy.
5) [spoken as if my dog died] In two weeks, you'll be fine.
6) [spoken w/slowly mouthed awe] Wow, a lot of 'face' to see now.
7) [spoken nervously] Well that's sporty.
8) [spoken as if trying to convince oneself] I think it's cute.
9) [asked to avoid stating an opinion] Does your husband like it?
10) [spoken as if discussing lawn care] Good thing about short hair is it grows out fast.

And the best one for last...
11) [spoken w/ jabbing amusement] Just in time for the holidays, eh? This one's gunna be well documented.

I think if the bangs and sides around my ears had been left longer, um, the above comments would not be so very, very applicable. But yes, thank goodness short hair grows out fast! And yes, dammit, I hope everyone forgets to bring their cameras this Christmas!

Now with Even More 'Christmas'

I had my French final yesterday (and I believe I'll be getting an 'A' on it by the way = YAY!!! + a huge sigh of relief!), so last night, after getting home after 9pm for my first totally french-free evening in months, I took the chance to catch up a bit... I finally decorated our banister with the remaining pine boughs I'd kept outside for the last 12 days! It's a bit more than my honey-man was expecting though. CORRECTION: It's A LOT more than my honey-man's used to in terms of holiday decor...

When I first began with only a couple bough pieces set on the lower banister, I could tell he was rather, um, concerned, asking questions about their placement and would the wire damage the banister rail, and what about this and that, and, and... and I had an answer for each question, and, thankfully, he returned to his office to work! [now apply baby-talk voice] = He's sooo cute.

Anyhow, once the lower banister was covered, I'd called for him to come peek at my progress, so he came down and expressed his full skepticism... and again, he returned to his office to leave me at it. [again, apply baby-talk voice] = He's too cute.

So anyhow, cut a bit to the chase here, eh? Well, once the boughs were all spritzed and it was all done with pine cones added and satin ribbon placed and coiled, I called my honey-man for a final time, to come down and take in the full affect...

Again, a lot more than my honey-man's used to, but HE LIKES IT!

[Note in the picture, the very cute Owen, sitting on a spindle base, inspecting the job]

And here's our chrimpus tree: I must mention I have new-found hatred for our chandelier...Mind you, I have never been fond of it at all, and now? I want to rip it outta the ceiling! = It entirely blocks the view of our gorgeous sterling silver star tree topper we'd bought in Ireland as our wedding gift to each other.
Both pictures are fuzzy due to the low light... Our tree doesn't look even half as cute in this pic as it is in 'real life!'

If I Were a White Elephant...

...I'd be a set of 8 crazy, curly, brightly colored drinking straws, enough to accompany 8 formal place settings....


This coming weekend, my honey-man and I will be off to L.A. to attend our favorite Annual Holiday White Elephant party hosted by some dear friends of ours in their Glendale home. Of course, a weekend to L.A. means we'll be seeing the angel boy-O, who also attends this party, along with his mommie, Wendy and his Batman-Dad. EXPLANATION: 'Batman-Dad is the new alias I've chosen for the great guy who's also known as Wendy's new hubby's and the angel boy-O's step-dad, but refering to him as either "her husband" or "his step-dad" seems insufficient, lack-luster recognition, and I can't think of a more normal alias, like 'Bob' or 'Tom.' Oh! Oh! I know! We could call him "Bowie"?! = he's a HUGE David Bowie fan (understatement), or would that be kinda sacreligious? I guess I should ask him how he'd like to be refered to here, since I don't use their common names... END OF TANGENT.


Anyhow, so we'll all be at this white elephant party together! And actually, since my honey-man's relocation to Vegas last June, whenever we go to L.A. now, we stay with Wendy and her lovin'-man. Hmm... "lovin'-man" might be a good alias... I got my honey-man, and she has her lovin'-man? I'll still ask.


We also have plans this weekend to see The Golden Compass on Saturday morning, all of us together, as the angel boy-O's tribe of parents. We even had a vote... The Golden Compass vs. Alvin & the Chipmunks. The decision made was a fun lil' development...

Tossing Out an 'Update'

Okay, so um, where have I been lately? #1, I've been studying for my French final exams!!! All day yesterday, I studied my French, and although I did do my hair and make-up, I never got dressed! I never left the house, yesterday. I was in my night top and bath robe with slippers on, allll day long.

What else? Um, we put up our chrimpus tree the weekend before last -- I will someday post pictures, once I have at least taken some! - - so unlike me to have not taken any! Uh, and this morning at 7am, I was at the dentist getting a chipped front tooth on its 7th or 8th chip all fixed up for the 3rd time, since the two other for-free fixes hadn't kept. My DDS told me I can't eat my crisp granny apples anymore without cutting them into slices first!?! *sniff, sniff* I LOVE EATING WHOLE APPLES! That's part of the 'whole' experience! And what else? Oh yes, my honey-man and I, we have managed to gain 10 lbs each since we got married 3 months ago... a mixture of happy fat, plus alotta stress at work (both of us), and several parts achy-heartache, missing the angel boy-O. Oh and on Saturday, we received a disc of our recovered Honeymoon pictures! Almost all of them were recovered! Haaaah-llelujah! And what else? Um, I've been studying my French? And I've been talking on the phone with friends and family, whenever I can, still trying desperately to catch up with everyone I haven't spoken to since before and after we got married!?! Oh, and I managed to holiday shop online for over two-thirds of everyone on my gift list. Oh yeah, and I finally got a new phone to replace my sad lil' Nokia brick, who's LCD screen had gone a bit whacko on me... I'm now a reluctant owner of a flip phone. Yes, I've finally joined the rest of the masses; my new cell is a flip, it's got bluetooth and it doubles as a camera, BUT it's a Nokia still, nonetheless.

My current to-do list:
Grocery shopping and buy new kitty food
Change kitty litter boxes
Trim kitty claws
New air filters for Matrix and Echo
Order rear windshield wiper blade for Matrix
Launder darks and synthetics
Mail off Netflick and Columbia DVD return
Buy LOTS of postage stamps
Mend my slippers
Send Letter to CIE Tours
Send Letter to Theatre Banshee
Write out my Heal Your Body affirmations
Decorate the handrail w/ pine boughs and ribbon
Get my hair cut again (so not used to this), dammit!
Locate and purchase the 'biggie gift' from Santa
Locate and purchase gifts for the ladies in my office
Sweep out the garage sooo...
...we can put christmas decor storage boxes away
Replant the mint and jade plants
Send out wedding gift thank you notes, dammit!!!
French Final this Wed. @ TEN AM
MS Captains Rally also this Wed.
Maria's image modeling competition also on this Wed.
Locate White Elephant gift for this next weekend
Locate a 2nd White Elephant gift for Idaho
Leave for L.A. this next weekend
Make & Send Holiday cards = over 110 this year
MS Walk Committee meeting, Mon. 17th
Prepare list of baked goods for xmas give-away
Bake the list of xmas baked goods to be given away
Sew Father & Son matching PJs for Xmas
Renew Matrix auto registration - go get SMOG test
Pregnancy test before colonoscopy on the 20th
Colonoscopy the 20th, joy-oh-joy!
Gift exchange w/ my sister before leaving for Idaho
Rinse the AC's airfilter - gotta do this before 'next year'
Flush water heater - looks like not until 'next year'
Clean refrigerator coils - also looks like not until 'next year'
Clean dryer's vent track - " " 'next year'
Finish the Enlightened Stepmother 4-heaven's sakes! (only 1 ch. left)
Finish Wedding Book via Shutterfly by Dec. 31st
Finish our Cruelty-free Home Products list (another story)
Write & Send Letter of Complaint to Luxor

Trim the Tree & String the Lights!

This week, post-Thanksgiving, sure is a BUSY one! My goodness! K, enough said.

This coming Friday, my friend Ry-Ry is going to come over and help me dig through all my storage boxes full of christmas decor before the angel boy-O flies in that night! I can't wait to decorate like mad, I tell you!

And Saturday evening [drumroll going in my head], we'll be shopping for a Christmas Tree! WOO-HOO! And Sunday [drumroll firing up again, with greater intensity], it'll be time to trim the tree and string the lights and to turn our home into Winter Holiday Central! [CLARIFICATION: In no way, will we be reaching 'Griswold Family Christmas' heights of holiday decor, however!]

Gobble-Gobble in L.A., Man!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Gobble-gobble to all fellow bloggers, family and friends! We spent Thanksgiving in L.A. again this year! We had a wonderful, most delicious spread ~ Most of the pictures taken include a family member, so I can't post 'em for all to see, sorry! However, Wendy gave me permission to post this beauty of a shot!

I so love it - makes me crack up every time!

And do you think we had enough dessert options?

""Everything Comes Down to Pooh" or "We're in Business, Baby"

Time for a Health Update: The latest is that they're really not sure whether or not I have a spastic colon, considering my pain is almost always localized in one area, among other things that all basically amount to a "No, it can't be a spastic colon." The general gist: They still don't know what's wrong, and so, about 4 weeks ago, I was scheduled for a colonoscopy late next month (geesh, not too fast people, come on, eh?). And for the most truly up to date info, as of this afternoon, I've gone to the bathroom more in the last 24 hrs than I had in the last 2 months combined = 9 times?!? Yeah. And I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be doing that either.

But time for some truly good news (and then we'll get back to the poo)! Today, I saw my gyno and after checking out 'clear' for a full year, and now officially off 'The Pill,' despite ovarian cysts galore on both the left and right, my doc told me today that I'm ovulating without issue. We could soon be in the business of making a wee baby! Yay! Not right now, not right away [SIDE NOTE: We can't with my colonoscopy scheduled first.], but relatively soon [TRANSLATION: 'Soon' being some time this next year, which ain't that far away.].

But Back to Poop: Considering I've got a colonoscopy around the corner, I think this video on YouTube from the TV show, Scrubs, is rather appropriate, don't you think? Wendy had told us we should seek this one out...

Purring Like a Motor

Both of our sweet kitty-boys, Otis & Owen, they're happy little purrers, but Otis is particularly loud at night, and while lying in bed before falling asleep, we often make comments to each other, amazed how loudly Otis can purr like a lil' motor.

Here was last night's conversation:

My honey-man: "You hear him?"

Me: [Pausing a few seconds to listen first, before answering] That's a motorcycle.

And bed-shaking giggling ensues...

Googling for Cranberry Fluff

So, I get the site meter report for this blog emailed to me once a week, k? Well, normally, it just gets checked off for 'Trash' without my ever opening it for even a mere glance, UNLESS, in the subject line, I see an unusual surge in the number of my average daily site visits. One of the last times it'd happened (and it's been a long time), it was because of my "I Hit a Cow" story. And one of the times before that, it was because I wrote a post about my Popa-sahn and Katherine McPhee.

So yeah, the average daily number of visits to my blog this week? There's been a definite surge.

And this time? Apparently, I'm the #3 Google search result for Cranberry Fluff [RECIPE HERE]!?!

How appropriate.

And how cool is that?!?

(I am such a nerd, I know, I know.)

All the 'Strip' Shows I've Seen

I first began this post a lil' more than a year ago, after having gone to see Mamma Mia, but for some unknown reason, I forgot to post it. After we recently were given tickets to The Producers at The Paris, it occurred to me that this was still sitting in my Drafts folder. There's a good number of shows I've seen here on the Strip since I moved to Las Vegas in 1999 ~ Anything with an asterisk, I scored the tickets somehow at no cost, and those shown with a double ** were comped through work! I'm still hoping to someday see the Beatles-themed 'Love' at the Mirage, and Mystere, Ra would be cool too, along with Spamalot, and the Bodies Exhibit! UPDATE: Daly just suggested I somehow highlight my top 5 or 10 - so, using rainbow order (red, most preferred)!

The Producers** at The Paris - 11/2007
Everclear** [what a horrible show] at House of Blues - 01/2007
Mamma Mia* at Mandalay Bay- 10/2006
Hall & Oates* at the Mirage - 11/2005
George Clinton & the P-Funk** at House of Blues - 5/2005
Avenue Q** at the Wynn - 2005
Hairspray** at the Luxor - 2005
Dinner with The Sopranos - 2005
Celine Dion** at Caesar's Palace - 5/2005 [this was for a 2nd time, sitting at the center sound booth]
'Le Reve' of Cirque de Soleil** at The Wynn - 2004
Jason Mraz at the House of Blues - 6/2004
Freddy Perez at the House of Blues - 2004
Celine Dion* at Caesar's Palace- 2004
'Zumanity' of Cirque de Soleil* at NY, NY Hotel & Casino - 2004
Sarah Brightman* at MGM - 2004
Excalibur's Tournament of Kings* - 2004
'O' of Cirque de Soleil** at The Bellagio - 2003
Tim McGraw* at Mandalay Bay - 2003
Michelle Branch* at MGM - 2003
Dixie Chicks** at MGM - 2003
Buddy Guy* at the House of Blues - 10/2002
The V Show* at what was then the Aladdin - 2002
Paul McCartney* at MGM - 2002
Bjorn Again* at The Palms- 2002
Cranberries* at The Palms- 2002
Marilyn Manson at the House of Blues - 2001 [a big shocker for most]
Kid Rock at The Joint - 1999 [took my uncle Loren who, I knew, wanted to go very BADLY, but wouldn't ever go by himself]
Poweman 5000 at The Joint - 1999

Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 17

I've been working kinda late this week, every night this week. Well, one particular night this week, my honey-man called to see if I would soon be on my way home. I then told him about the annoying last minute 'I-gotta-do-it-now-before-morning' task I'd been given...

He said he'd be right over with dinner, and to help me out! Once he arrived, he inhaled his food (as he almost always does), and then he did 30+ tri-fold brochures for me while I finished my dinner. What a sweetheart, eh?

I told him he'd be paid for his time in kisses.

Time for Cranberry Fluff!

About a month ago, when I'd gone to Trader Joe's for some of our grocery favorites and I saw that they had fresh cranberries in stock, as soon as I was home, as I walked in the door, I excitedly announced to my honey-man "THEY HAVE CRANBERRIES ALREADY! CRANBERRY FLUFF, HERE WE COME! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL TURKEY DAY!!"

So far, though, despite three different trips to Trader's since the discovery of their fresh cranberry stock, I've picked up a package each visit, tempted to throw it in the cart and run home to make me some Cranberry Fluff right now, before Turkey Day...and each time, I've put the package back down. Three strikes yer out!?

Well, ya know what? This is my chance for Cranberry Fluff [RECIPE HERE], man! Next trip to Trader's, I'm gunna throw a package (or two) of fresh cranberries in the cart and make us some Cranberry Fluff, whether it's in time for Thanksgiving Day or not!

Guilty Confession #5

So far this week at work, I've been living on handfuls of snap peas and carrots sticks with spinach dip... and several snack size Snickers bars leftover from our Halloween candy. Oh and one granny smith apple yesterday afternoon!

I'm hoping this confession will help me feel the shame of it (and not deny it any longer) and finally knock it off for the remainder of this week!

OR - - I do have another package of snap peas and more carrots, with over 1/2 of the spinich dip container remaining... and at least a dozen Snickers bars left!

Just Call Me 'Red'

Me and my dear friend, Daly-girl, now also my private colorist!

All the blonde highlight "lifts" released - - still waiting on the "intense dark red" to get as much time as we can give it...

Okay, so it's really not all red - - not enough that anyone could call me 'red' - - but it's certainly different for me! I don't yet have a picture that truly shows off the end results... Turns out my hair is dark enough and naturally shiny enough that unless well lit with some overhead lighting, but not too bright, you can't exactly tell what was done. I'll probably toddle off to the bathroom in a sec to take some pictures in the mirror.

Okay, about 15 pictures later, most of them too bright and too close, etc... these are the best I got. This was the first time I've ever had my hair highlighted before, unless you count my personal affair with hydrogen peroxide at the tender age of 12 in 1987 - ?

Daly's already planning her strategy for thicker chunking, next time around.

Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 16

Because in the passing of one day over a weekend, I can delight in the fact that I'm married to a man who wanders around the house happily singing little french songs to himself, who may have been a noisy pirate in a former life (arrgghh!), who also doubles in the evening as an italiano cinema voice over pro, who frequently whistles christmas songs all the year-round, to which the latter, many can attest to this. The rest of it? I think I may be the only one privy to these moments of his - - well, all except the year-round x-mas whistling and the pirate thing = He can be quite the grump when he's working on his geeky tech stuff, and the angel boy-O sure loves The Pirates of the Carribean, so Daddy's had a lot of practice fine tuning his inner pirate!

I'm Sorry, I missed that... you were saying?

Too many times to count, sadly, this was me today: "I'm sorry, I just wasn't with you there - - what were you saying?"

Man (heavy exhale).

The last couple weeks have been mentally and emotionally exhausting. Can't got into detail, sorry. (Dooce has provided more than adequate 'what will happen if you blog about work' warning for us all).

Hopefully, once everything settles down (and my next French exam has come and gone), I'll be in the right mind to post. I'm going to go home now -I plan to gorge myself on all the leftover Halloween candy we have. We didn't get a single trick-or-treater last night?!? = NOT ONE :(

(just kidding about the gorging - - kinda)