Dear Ohio Drivers,
There is this awful beast that seems to sneak up on all of you and it's called snow. Why it surprises you even though it arrives roughly the same time every year is beyond me, but it's clear that you don't expect it given the 4 cars I counted in the ditch on my way home this morning.
So I'm here to help you all out. Since you seem to have forgotten or never learned how to properly drive in snowy weather. I had the advantage of getting the stupid out by landing in a ditch when I was only 16. Never had any snow-related accidents since. So let me share my wisdom with all of you.
1. No Tailgating!
Tailgating is not only annoying, but also dangerous even in normal weather. It's especially inexcusable when there are 2 other lanes by which you can go around those who are not driving to your standards of speed. However, this is something that should NEVER occur when the road is covered with snow. As high as the chances are of you rear-ending the person in front of you in normal driving conditions, those chances increase by 973% with snow on the road. Back off.
2. Use Your Turn Signal.
If everyone followed #1, this wouldn't be quite as urgent. However, even when one gives the proper distance to the car in front of them, if they stop suddenly or even slow down a little to fast with no indicator to the person in front of them that they are slowing down to turn, rear-endage is likely. Personally, I believe turn signals should ALWAYS be used when one is turning, but I understand that some people can't be bothered to flip that little lever 2 inches.
3. Don't Drive Normally
Here's a little hint: if you're not sure what lane you're in or if you're even in a lane because the road is completely covered in snow and/or ice, you shouldn't be driving 80 mph. I don't care if you have 4 wheel drive. I don't care if you have the most winterized snow-crushing vehicle ever created, you're still dangerous. You can still slip and slide and fishtail and completely lose control of your vehicle. If you don't believe me, watch the Top Gear North Pole Special. You can also observe the fact that about 80% of the cars lying in a ditch are big-ass trucks or SUVs that are probably morons that think they can drive normally simply because they have 4 wheel drive. 4 wheel drive does not equal invincible.
4. Don't Drive Like A Grandma.
I learned today that most accidents on a highway are the result of #3 and #4 meeting. No, you shouldn't be barreling down the road at a high speed, but you also shouldn't be getting passed by Frosty the Snowman walking down the interstate. If you can get out of your car and walk faster than you're driving, then you should do just that. Leave the car at home and walk. You could be saving lives. And if neither of these things sound appealing...
5. Stay Home!
If you can't handle driving in inclement weather, then don't do it. Unless you are absolutely required to either go to work, take someone to a hospital, or get food because you're totally out and your only option is to start eating the cat, whatever you think you need to do can wait till the roads are clear. Getting cookies and milk to enjoy by the fire while you're stuck at home, although urgent, is not reason to go out into the white death. Stay home. Save lives.
Follow these few rules, and winter will be just a wee bit more bearable and old PirateGeek will appreciate it.
Peace!
Hack of all trades, master of none.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Mother-Daughter Bonding
So I had a rather busy weekend. Just to clarify, my weekend is Monday through Wednesday. I work four 10 hours shifts Thursday through Sunday nights. It's weird and sometimes it's a real pain in the butt, but it definitely has its advantages. Anyway, I spent a good chunk of my weekend cleaning our house because it needed it and another good chunk of my weekend with my mom.
Back when I was a tot, we would occasionally spend days doing stuff like baking cookies. Making our own Christmas ornaments, making white chocolate covered pretzels, etc. That was one of the reasons I love Christmas so much. So I decided we should do it again this year since it's been a while. So mom came over and that's exactly what we did. I lit a fire in our fireplace and we went to work in the kitchen.
We made No-Bake cookies, which unfortunately, didn't work out too well. Apparently my peanut butter sucks. They were of a mushier texture than one really wants their cookies to be. They taste fine though. Then we made Summer Sausage. You know all those gift baskets and stuff with meat and cheeses and such. 99% of those include Summer Sausage, and guess what. You can make it on your own for a heck of a lot less money. People also seem to find it mildly impressive. Not many people make their own sausage. I will include the recipe at the end of the post.
At some point we also made Cinnamon Roasted Almonds where my mom used more nuts than it called for and about twice the amount of egg white the recipe called for. That's how we roll though. More on that later. They still ended up being pretty decent.
Next we made the Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies. The recipe called for bourbon which I thought we had. We have Crown Royal and Jack Daniels. My mother then informed me that neither of these are bourbon. They're whiskey. I insisted there wouldn't be a difference, but I rarely ever drink alcohol and she assured me it would be a big difference. So we used Spiced Rum instead. We totally go by the book on recipes. :) I also made a fairly significant mess during this process because I had the mixer going too fast as I added the flour. It went all over the place. It looked something kind of like this:
Except instead of a mom and a 2 year old and 5 year old making the mess it was a mom and a 26 year old. Tiny differences. The cookies turned out pretty good though. The texture was a smidge chewier than the usual cookie, but it was yummy. Then we went to see Tangled and it was awesome...again.
So yeah, good times. I thought I'd share a couple pictures of our Christmasified home.
And now for the Summer Sausage recipe:
Beef Summer Sausage
2 lbs ground beef or chuck
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
2 Tbs Tender Quick curing salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp pepper
1 TBS cracked pepper corns
1 tsp mustard seed
1/4 cup water
Mix salt and spices into water
work into the meat
Shape into 4 logs
Refrigerate 24 hours uncovered then
Bake at 350 for 1 hour
Back when I was a tot, we would occasionally spend days doing stuff like baking cookies. Making our own Christmas ornaments, making white chocolate covered pretzels, etc. That was one of the reasons I love Christmas so much. So I decided we should do it again this year since it's been a while. So mom came over and that's exactly what we did. I lit a fire in our fireplace and we went to work in the kitchen.
 |
| This is one of the ornaments my mom and I made ourselves. Lots of felt, fabric, and iron-on glue thingies. |
At some point we also made Cinnamon Roasted Almonds where my mom used more nuts than it called for and about twice the amount of egg white the recipe called for. That's how we roll though. More on that later. They still ended up being pretty decent.
Next we made the Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies. The recipe called for bourbon which I thought we had. We have Crown Royal and Jack Daniels. My mother then informed me that neither of these are bourbon. They're whiskey. I insisted there wouldn't be a difference, but I rarely ever drink alcohol and she assured me it would be a big difference. So we used Spiced Rum instead. We totally go by the book on recipes. :) I also made a fairly significant mess during this process because I had the mixer going too fast as I added the flour. It went all over the place. It looked something kind of like this:
Except instead of a mom and a 2 year old and 5 year old making the mess it was a mom and a 26 year old. Tiny differences. The cookies turned out pretty good though. The texture was a smidge chewier than the usual cookie, but it was yummy. Then we went to see Tangled and it was awesome...again.
So yeah, good times. I thought I'd share a couple pictures of our Christmasified home.
 |
| I got this Christmas tree for $20. It was one of the displays at Target and the manager let me have it for 75% off since I worked there. Good thing because I was way broke back then. |
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| This is a dancing Santa that my mom and I got for my Grandma Grace right before she passed away. He shakes his butt while singing "Are y'all ready for this?" |
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| This is Jack. He really likes hanging out under the Tree. |
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| And this is our fireplace. When we moved in back in July, one of the first things I said was "Yay! I have a mantle to hang Christmas stockings from!" |
And now for the Summer Sausage recipe:
Beef Summer Sausage
2 lbs ground beef or chuck
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
2 Tbs Tender Quick curing salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp pepper
1 TBS cracked pepper corns
1 tsp mustard seed
1/4 cup water
Mix salt and spices into water
work into the meat
Shape into 4 logs
Refrigerate 24 hours uncovered then
Bake at 350 for 1 hour
Wee Bit Wednesday
Yes, I know it's not Wednesday, but I was quite busy on Wednesday, and I've seen this on a few different blogs for a while and decided to do it myself. I dig the concept.
{one} if you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
1. The ability to buy anything I want that won't just cause additional problems.
2. For all of my favorite foods to not be fattening anymore.
3.
{two} who is your favorite author?
Two Letters, One name: C.S. Lewis
{three} what crowd were you involved in during high school?
Well, given that there was a grand total of 22 people in my graduating class that actually attended our school and not the vocational school, I didn't exactly fall into any particular "crowd" as they didn't really exist. I'm not sure I would've anyway, as I was an honor student who played sports and had just as may "cool" qualities as I did "nerdy" qualities.
{four} what is your favorite thing to do when you have time to yourself?
Sleep. Watch the Food Network. Read. Sleep.
{five} do you have any hidden talents?
I can plug my nostrils with my upper lip.
{six} can you fake any accents?
I can fake a mean Southern Ohio accent...probably since I used to have one. I can also imitate a British accent immediately after watching any Harry Potter movies, but it wears off rather quickly.
{seven} have you ever been mentioned in the newspaper?
Many times, actually. The advantage of being a decent athlete in a very small town. I actually have a picture from the front page of the sports section that took up 1/4 of the page. I'll scan it and post it someday.
{eight} have you ever been arrested?
Nope. In fact, I only ever had 2 detentions. They were in 5th grade, and I still think they were unfair.
{nine} what is your favorite job you’ve had?
The one I have now. It's very chill. Very accommodating, and I have the best boss ever.
{ten} do you have any scars?
A chicken pox scar on my belly halfway between my belly button and my happy region. A scar from a cut on my left arm just below the elbow from some mystery sharp thing that was in my bed when I was about 14ish and I never found. Very bizarre. That's about it.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Next, we'll start getting charged for air . . . Oh wait.
The holidays. It's simultaneously amazing and infuriating. It has all the positives of the wonderful Christmas music, Christmas movies and specials, cookies, candies, general yummy food, time with family and friends. One of my favorite small things about Christmas is the warm glow coming from my Christmas tree over in the corner of my living room. Love it.
On the other hand, though, the holidays turn shopping into an absolute nightmare. Every store is always busier than normal. Because I live in a suburb where retired old farts and stay-at-home moms with rugrats under age 5 run rampant, so there just isn't a good time to shop except either really late at night or really early in the morning. Otherwise, you're either avoiding old fogie traffic jams or trying to block out the soul-sucking sound of screaming children.
So this Jekyll and Hyde personality of Christmas has only become this bipolar mess because of consumerism. Now, I'm not about to sit here and pretend that I don't like having things. All you have to do is check out my wish list, and you will know that I like stuff. However, there are ways in which American consumerism just goes way too far for my taste. Here are some things that we're getting charged for today that I'm quite sure would've never been tolerated 20 or maybe even 10 years ago:
Air
That's right. Air. Even though it's everywhere and it's required for us to survive, someone has managed to find a way to charge for it in the form of gas station air pumps. This started happening within about the last 5 or so years and the price keeps going up. I remember stopping to fill my tires in the fall of 2007 and it was 50 cents. I went to fill my tires up about 2 months ago and it was ONE FREAKING DOLLAR! For TWO minutes of AIR. Trying to check and fill all four tires to the appropriate level in 2 minutes requires Nascar pit crew-like skillz. It's ridiculous. And just in case you haven't put air in your tires lately, and you think I'm pulling your chain:
What a crock. Moving on.
Water
I must be more specific about this. I know we've been getting charged for water to be provided to our homes in a sanitary manner for decades. That's not my gripe. I'm not even going to gripe about bottled water in general, because occasionally I forget to bring my water bottle to work, so I have to buy a bottle out of the vending machines because I refuse to drink the water from the water fountains. Seriously, it tastes like it comes straight from the river passing through some gamma radiation on the way in. No, my gripe is the horrendously overpriced bottled water in places like theme parks, sports arenas, movie theaters, concert venues, and the like. Basically any place that you have to pay admission to and are forbidden to bring your own liquid can get away with charging $10 for a freakin bottle of water because people get thirsty and they can't go out and get water elsewhere. I hate it.
Things you carry on to a plane
I don't like getting charged for checked luggage, but I see the reason for it. Getting charged for carry-ons in addition to my checked luggage . . . hell no. Some crap airline called Spirit Airlines have actually started charging for carry-ons. Not just like 5 or 10 bucks, no. $20 - $45! That's absurd. Why not just raise the price of the airfare to cover the alleged "cost"? People cannot travel without at least a carry-on unless they're insanely rich and will just buy everything they need at their destination. So instead of getting horrendous PR by saying that you'll be charging for carry-ons, just add it to the cost of the airfare because NOBODY TRAVELS WITHOUT BRINGING THINGS WITH THEM! I've already considered how I would try to beat this system though. I will either wear all of my outfits all at once thus taking the risk of getting the extra charge for being "fat" or I will send my clothes to my destination via USPS. It might actually cost lest.
So those are just a few of the things that we are now getting charged for that really grinds my gears. Feel free to add as you please.
On the other hand, though, the holidays turn shopping into an absolute nightmare. Every store is always busier than normal. Because I live in a suburb where retired old farts and stay-at-home moms with rugrats under age 5 run rampant, so there just isn't a good time to shop except either really late at night or really early in the morning. Otherwise, you're either avoiding old fogie traffic jams or trying to block out the soul-sucking sound of screaming children.
So this Jekyll and Hyde personality of Christmas has only become this bipolar mess because of consumerism. Now, I'm not about to sit here and pretend that I don't like having things. All you have to do is check out my wish list, and you will know that I like stuff. However, there are ways in which American consumerism just goes way too far for my taste. Here are some things that we're getting charged for today that I'm quite sure would've never been tolerated 20 or maybe even 10 years ago:
Air
That's right. Air. Even though it's everywhere and it's required for us to survive, someone has managed to find a way to charge for it in the form of gas station air pumps. This started happening within about the last 5 or so years and the price keeps going up. I remember stopping to fill my tires in the fall of 2007 and it was 50 cents. I went to fill my tires up about 2 months ago and it was ONE FREAKING DOLLAR! For TWO minutes of AIR. Trying to check and fill all four tires to the appropriate level in 2 minutes requires Nascar pit crew-like skillz. It's ridiculous. And just in case you haven't put air in your tires lately, and you think I'm pulling your chain:
What a crock. Moving on.
Water
I must be more specific about this. I know we've been getting charged for water to be provided to our homes in a sanitary manner for decades. That's not my gripe. I'm not even going to gripe about bottled water in general, because occasionally I forget to bring my water bottle to work, so I have to buy a bottle out of the vending machines because I refuse to drink the water from the water fountains. Seriously, it tastes like it comes straight from the river passing through some gamma radiation on the way in. No, my gripe is the horrendously overpriced bottled water in places like theme parks, sports arenas, movie theaters, concert venues, and the like. Basically any place that you have to pay admission to and are forbidden to bring your own liquid can get away with charging $10 for a freakin bottle of water because people get thirsty and they can't go out and get water elsewhere. I hate it.
Things you carry on to a plane
I don't like getting charged for checked luggage, but I see the reason for it. Getting charged for carry-ons in addition to my checked luggage . . . hell no. Some crap airline called Spirit Airlines have actually started charging for carry-ons. Not just like 5 or 10 bucks, no. $20 - $45! That's absurd. Why not just raise the price of the airfare to cover the alleged "cost"? People cannot travel without at least a carry-on unless they're insanely rich and will just buy everything they need at their destination. So instead of getting horrendous PR by saying that you'll be charging for carry-ons, just add it to the cost of the airfare because NOBODY TRAVELS WITHOUT BRINGING THINGS WITH THEM! I've already considered how I would try to beat this system though. I will either wear all of my outfits all at once thus taking the risk of getting the extra charge for being "fat" or I will send my clothes to my destination via USPS. It might actually cost lest.
So those are just a few of the things that we are now getting charged for that really grinds my gears. Feel free to add as you please.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Amazing Grace
No, I'm not going to discuss the old go-to hymn, although it is a marvelous song. This post is about my Grandma Grace.
Today would have been her 81st birthday. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss her, but it's especially true this time of year. In addition to it being her birthday, my grandma loved Christmas time and Thanksgiving. I'm guessing it had something to do with the whole family getting together. As much as we've expanded in numbers throughout the years and as many of us have moved around and away, we still get together for the holidays. But that's another post.
My grandma was an amazing woman that brought up an amazing family. Check it.
Count them. There's 8 kids there. Those are my aunts and uncles and the youngest there is my mom. A whole gaggle of very interesting individuals. A perfect example comes from one of my first clear memories of my Grandma - her 60th birthday party.
Yes, those are bras hanging from the fireplace mantle. Apparently, every time someone asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said bras. So, my aunts bought about 5 or 6 bras and hung them from the fireplace in the party venue. I was only 5 at the time, but I'll always remember the bras. You definitely can't say our family lacks a sense of humor.
Grandma was quite a sexpot back in the day.
Check out that hotness. And although she grew older, she still retained her beauty.
Oh yeah. Grandma was a bartender for a while. Now that's a cool grandma. Not many people can say, "My grandma is a bartender," but I could. Even after grandma retired and got a little older, she never lost her spunk.
This is largely how I remember my grandma. When I was a kid, I would stay with her for about a week or two each summer. She lived in our town for a couple years, so I would often go to her house to hang out and sometimes spend the night. I remember one time I spent the night with her and we made cookies and candies and stuff for Easter, and then she let me stay up late to finish watching In The Heat of the Night. I was 8. I don't know why I was even into that show. She was that kind of grandma, though.
She had a very set routine. She would wake up around 8ish. Watch the news, watch Regis and Kathy Lee, watch the Price is Right, and then whatever she could find on TV. At night, she'd watch the 11 o'clock news and then go to bed. Spending a week with this in a one bedroom might sound like a nightmare for a 10, 11, or 12 year old, but I loved it. Aside from the fact that grandma was flat-out awesome, she was also an amazing cook. She was one of those that subscribed to the "you will eat what I put in front of you or you will go hungry" frame of mind. I was a very picky eater as a kid, but staying with grandma really broadened my horizons as a potential foodie.
Unfortunately, she had a massive stroke when I was in junior high. It changed her life as well as all of ours in one night. She did ok on her own for a little while, but eventually ended up in the nursing home.
She greeted everyone the same when you would visit her. I can still hear her with her slight Kentucky accent, "Hi!! How are you?" Sometimes, when you'd answer and ask her how she was, she would say, "Ok, I guess. How are you?" She wasn't senile. She just cared a lot about people.
She was still able to get out for family get-togethers and such. But every year, it got more and more difficult for her to make it. So it meant the world to me that she was able to make it to my high school graduation party.
At some point she started crying pretty much every time she saw any of us. It always eventually rolled into laughing though. That was who she was. My Grandma Grace was one of the most caring individuals I've ever known. She didn't judge people. She never knew a stranger. I don't think I fully understood this until her funeral. There were just as many people there who I never knew as there were that I did. It was because if you came within her orbit, she welcomed you as a friend and often times even family no questions asked. It is my hope that I can be half as kind as Grandma was.
One of my biggest regrets in life is not visiting her more the last few years she was with us. I was in college. I started putting so many other things before her, and it killed me to see her condition gradually deteriorate every time I did see her. But whenever I did come to visit, she never passed judgment. Ever. She was always just glad to see me. And that's why I loved her so much.
So here's to you, Grandma Grace. We miss you just as much now as we did the day you left us. We love you!
And because I know some of my family will read this and will likely be crying. I'm going to end with something that I know will make them smile.
Peace.
Today would have been her 81st birthday. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss her, but it's especially true this time of year. In addition to it being her birthday, my grandma loved Christmas time and Thanksgiving. I'm guessing it had something to do with the whole family getting together. As much as we've expanded in numbers throughout the years and as many of us have moved around and away, we still get together for the holidays. But that's another post.
My grandma was an amazing woman that brought up an amazing family. Check it.
Count them. There's 8 kids there. Those are my aunts and uncles and the youngest there is my mom. A whole gaggle of very interesting individuals. A perfect example comes from one of my first clear memories of my Grandma - her 60th birthday party.
Yes, those are bras hanging from the fireplace mantle. Apparently, every time someone asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said bras. So, my aunts bought about 5 or 6 bras and hung them from the fireplace in the party venue. I was only 5 at the time, but I'll always remember the bras. You definitely can't say our family lacks a sense of humor.
Grandma was quite a sexpot back in the day.
Check out that hotness. And although she grew older, she still retained her beauty.
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| "The old girl's still got it!" |
This is largely how I remember my grandma. When I was a kid, I would stay with her for about a week or two each summer. She lived in our town for a couple years, so I would often go to her house to hang out and sometimes spend the night. I remember one time I spent the night with her and we made cookies and candies and stuff for Easter, and then she let me stay up late to finish watching In The Heat of the Night. I was 8. I don't know why I was even into that show. She was that kind of grandma, though.
 |
| Me (Age 9ish), Grandma, Aunt Donna, and Mom. I recall playing Trivial Pursuit at some point on this day, and I actually did quite well for a kid. |
She had a very set routine. She would wake up around 8ish. Watch the news, watch Regis and Kathy Lee, watch the Price is Right, and then whatever she could find on TV. At night, she'd watch the 11 o'clock news and then go to bed. Spending a week with this in a one bedroom might sound like a nightmare for a 10, 11, or 12 year old, but I loved it. Aside from the fact that grandma was flat-out awesome, she was also an amazing cook. She was one of those that subscribed to the "you will eat what I put in front of you or you will go hungry" frame of mind. I was a very picky eater as a kid, but staying with grandma really broadened my horizons as a potential foodie.
Unfortunately, she had a massive stroke when I was in junior high. It changed her life as well as all of ours in one night. She did ok on her own for a little while, but eventually ended up in the nursing home.
She greeted everyone the same when you would visit her. I can still hear her with her slight Kentucky accent, "Hi!! How are you?" Sometimes, when you'd answer and ask her how she was, she would say, "Ok, I guess. How are you?" She wasn't senile. She just cared a lot about people.
She was still able to get out for family get-togethers and such. But every year, it got more and more difficult for her to make it. So it meant the world to me that she was able to make it to my high school graduation party.
At some point she started crying pretty much every time she saw any of us. It always eventually rolled into laughing though. That was who she was. My Grandma Grace was one of the most caring individuals I've ever known. She didn't judge people. She never knew a stranger. I don't think I fully understood this until her funeral. There were just as many people there who I never knew as there were that I did. It was because if you came within her orbit, she welcomed you as a friend and often times even family no questions asked. It is my hope that I can be half as kind as Grandma was.
One of my biggest regrets in life is not visiting her more the last few years she was with us. I was in college. I started putting so many other things before her, and it killed me to see her condition gradually deteriorate every time I did see her. But whenever I did come to visit, she never passed judgment. Ever. She was always just glad to see me. And that's why I loved her so much.
So here's to you, Grandma Grace. We miss you just as much now as we did the day you left us. We love you!
And because I know some of my family will read this and will likely be crying. I'm going to end with something that I know will make them smile.
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| I don't know if Mom took this because she was proud that I made my own bed or what, but this picture cracks me up just the same. Stylish. NKOTB. Raggedy Ann. |
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| This was one of the more traumatic events of my childhood. I got poison ivy on my face right before a family reunion, and just about everyone has a picture of it somewhere. Now the whole world does. |
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas is All Around
So, my last couple of posts have been kinda gripey, and I've been kinda grouchy lately, and I'm tired of it. It's December. Christmas is coming up. It's my favorite holiday, so I'm going to spread some Christmas cheer by sharing some of my fave Christmas songs with y'all. They're pretty diverse. All shapes and sizes of Christmas tunes. So beware, a crap ton of videos lurk below. Enjoy!
Little Drummer Boy by Jars of Clay
My absolute favorite version of this song. In fact, I don't even like other versions of this song. It's also the first song I ever learned to play on bass guitar. Yeah, I'm a musician. You know it's hot.
Last Christmas by Taylor Swift
Yep. I'm a Taylor Swift fangirl. What of it? She's about the only good female role model out there for young girls right now. Anyway, if T-sizzle isn't your cup of tea, here's my other fave version:
Last Christmas By Darren Hayes
I'm sure most of you are wondering who in the hell this is. Remember Savage Garden from the mid to late 90s? The band that did the chic-a-cherry cola song? Darren Hayes was the voice of the duo.
My Grown-Up Christmas List by Kelly Clarkson
Love this song. It always makes me tear up the first time I hear it each year, and this is by far the best version of it. Love Kelly Clarkson.
Once In Royal David's City - Sufjan Stevens
So this one is a little non-traditional. I was introduced to it by my friend and former worship band leader, J-Mac. We did it in church more than a couple times...jingle bells and all. Loved it.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by *NSync
Hey, don't judge. This is one hella peppy song. It'll make even the grinchiest grinch want to boogie around the Christmas tree. Also, I'm thrilled about the NKOTB/BSB tour next year, but NSync has GOT to get back together. Seriously.
Christmas Don't Be Late by Alvin and the Chipmunks
This song never gets old for me. I've always loved Alvin and the Chipmunks and always will. And I still want a hula hoop.
White Christmas by Bing Crosby
It's a classic. That's all there is to it.
Carol of the Bells by The Boston Pops Orchestra
I'm determined to learn the words and sing this song someday. It just has such awesome vocals.
Baby It's Cold Outside by Zooey Deschanel
Ok, so I couldn't get the full version embedded, so this will have to do. I love the movie Elf. I watch it every year when I put up the Christmas decorations. Also, Zooey Deschanel has such a beautiful voice.
I'll Be Home For Christmas by Michael Buble
Ok, so just about anything Michael Buble sings is magnificent, so feel free to check out his entire Christmas album.
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
Another classic. Old Nat's voice is just so smooth. Now that I have a fireplace, I might roast some chestnuts.
Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
It took a while for this song to grow on me, but I love it now.
O Holy Night by Josh Groban
So this is my favorite "True Meaning of Christmas" song. I waited for years for the perfect version, and the first time I heard Josh Groban sing it, I about broke down. So beautiful. Every sound that comes out of that man's mouth is absolute perfection.
All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
Yes, of course I had to include this one. I love this song. I don't know many people who don't. It just makes you want to get up and dance. However, this is not my favorite version, this is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I couldn't embed it, so click on it. Really, go watch it now. That is my fave version because the movie Love Actually is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not just Christmas movies. If you haven't seen it, don't hesitate. Find it now. Target almost always has it for like 5 bucks. It has nudity coming out the wazoo, but it is hilarious which leads us to our final Christmas song:
Christmas Is All Around by Billy Mack (Bill Nighy)
Good. Freakin. Stuff.
In other news, I found my cat on top of the refrigerator then later got cut off by a short bus from Kentucky on my way to work. Also, my mama is coming over on Wednesday so we can make cookies and do other Christmasy things together. I'm excited, we haven't had a chance to do this for several years. I'm thinking about giving this recipe a shot. If I do, I'll let you know how it goes.
Peace out!
Little Drummer Boy by Jars of Clay
My absolute favorite version of this song. In fact, I don't even like other versions of this song. It's also the first song I ever learned to play on bass guitar. Yeah, I'm a musician. You know it's hot.
Last Christmas by Taylor Swift
Yep. I'm a Taylor Swift fangirl. What of it? She's about the only good female role model out there for young girls right now. Anyway, if T-sizzle isn't your cup of tea, here's my other fave version:
Last Christmas By Darren Hayes
I'm sure most of you are wondering who in the hell this is. Remember Savage Garden from the mid to late 90s? The band that did the chic-a-cherry cola song? Darren Hayes was the voice of the duo.
My Grown-Up Christmas List by Kelly Clarkson
Love this song. It always makes me tear up the first time I hear it each year, and this is by far the best version of it. Love Kelly Clarkson.
Once In Royal David's City - Sufjan Stevens
So this one is a little non-traditional. I was introduced to it by my friend and former worship band leader, J-Mac. We did it in church more than a couple times...jingle bells and all. Loved it.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by *NSync
Hey, don't judge. This is one hella peppy song. It'll make even the grinchiest grinch want to boogie around the Christmas tree. Also, I'm thrilled about the NKOTB/BSB tour next year, but NSync has GOT to get back together. Seriously.
Christmas Don't Be Late by Alvin and the Chipmunks
This song never gets old for me. I've always loved Alvin and the Chipmunks and always will. And I still want a hula hoop.
White Christmas by Bing Crosby
It's a classic. That's all there is to it.
Carol of the Bells by The Boston Pops Orchestra
I'm determined to learn the words and sing this song someday. It just has such awesome vocals.
Baby It's Cold Outside by Zooey Deschanel
Ok, so I couldn't get the full version embedded, so this will have to do. I love the movie Elf. I watch it every year when I put up the Christmas decorations. Also, Zooey Deschanel has such a beautiful voice.
I'll Be Home For Christmas by Michael Buble
Ok, so just about anything Michael Buble sings is magnificent, so feel free to check out his entire Christmas album.
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
Another classic. Old Nat's voice is just so smooth. Now that I have a fireplace, I might roast some chestnuts.
Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
It took a while for this song to grow on me, but I love it now.
O Holy Night by Josh Groban
So this is my favorite "True Meaning of Christmas" song. I waited for years for the perfect version, and the first time I heard Josh Groban sing it, I about broke down. So beautiful. Every sound that comes out of that man's mouth is absolute perfection.
All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
Yes, of course I had to include this one. I love this song. I don't know many people who don't. It just makes you want to get up and dance. However, this is not my favorite version, this is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I couldn't embed it, so click on it. Really, go watch it now. That is my fave version because the movie Love Actually is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not just Christmas movies. If you haven't seen it, don't hesitate. Find it now. Target almost always has it for like 5 bucks. It has nudity coming out the wazoo, but it is hilarious which leads us to our final Christmas song:
Christmas Is All Around by Billy Mack (Bill Nighy)
Good. Freakin. Stuff.
In other news, I found my cat on top of the refrigerator then later got cut off by a short bus from Kentucky on my way to work. Also, my mama is coming over on Wednesday so we can make cookies and do other Christmasy things together. I'm excited, we haven't had a chance to do this for several years. I'm thinking about giving this recipe a shot. If I do, I'll let you know how it goes.
Peace out!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Hello, My name is PirateGeek and I am a masochist
I know that may seem like a rather personal thing to admit to a bunch of anonymous people on the interwebs, but let me explain.
Hubby and I finally started our "diet" on Monday. (Sidenote: I hate using the word "diet" because I will let myself eat whatever I want if I want it bad enough. It's more eating healthy, eating less, and exercising. Most fitness peeps would call it a "lifestyle change" but I think that sounds ridiculous.) This isn't such a big deal, really. Over the last 4 1/2 years, I've lost something like 120 pounds which sounds awesome except that I've gained back all but about 30 of those over separate incidents. Anyway, I like eating healthy and working out and such, it makes me feel like much less of a fat slob and usually gets rid of the rampant heartburn I tend to suffer from. There's one thing that usually gets in my way with this healthy lifestyle: I love food.
I know a lot of people would say that, but no really. I LOVE food. If I had more free time, I'd be cooking some pretty kickass stuff, but my love of food manifests itself in my constant viewing of the Food Network. The Food Network is pretty much the only reason I don't get rid of cable. Aside from having 24/7 access to the Food Network, everything else can be found online. (Another Sidenote: You know those times when you're up at 3 am and there's nothing on TV but infomercials for crap like the Magic Bullet or Awesome Cooking Device That Will Save Your Life, there is almost always something worth watching on the Food Network. You're welcome.)
So I came to this masochism realization yesterday. It actually wasn't the Food Network, it was the Green Channel or something like that, but they had a special on the best food in America: "Crazy About Cheese." Cheese is my favorite food group. No, it's not part of dairy, it's its own food group in my world. So I had to watch it. And watch it I did. Some epic forms of gooey, creamy, cheesy goodness: cheese filled hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese, gourmet mac and cheese, a pizza pot pie, and even specialty cheesecakes. See, you're getting hungry just reading it. Imagine seeing these wonders of cheesygoodness in all their glory before your eyes, and they're all in places that are way far away: NYC, LA, Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, etc. Of course. When some incredible chef becomes successful, they don't sit there and think, "Hmmm...I think I'm gonna take my awesomeness and kickass food to Ohio. YES!" Yeah, no.
So there you go. I am a masochist. I like to watch shows that flash the yummy deliciousness of my favorite food group ever in my face when I a) cannot easily get to those places that serve the yum and 2) am trying to eat healthy. Although one of those chefs talked about how cheese is actually very healthy and gets too much of a bad rap. I like the way he rolls his cheese wheels.
Hubby and I finally started our "diet" on Monday. (Sidenote: I hate using the word "diet" because I will let myself eat whatever I want if I want it bad enough. It's more eating healthy, eating less, and exercising. Most fitness peeps would call it a "lifestyle change" but I think that sounds ridiculous.) This isn't such a big deal, really. Over the last 4 1/2 years, I've lost something like 120 pounds which sounds awesome except that I've gained back all but about 30 of those over separate incidents. Anyway, I like eating healthy and working out and such, it makes me feel like much less of a fat slob and usually gets rid of the rampant heartburn I tend to suffer from. There's one thing that usually gets in my way with this healthy lifestyle: I love food.
I know a lot of people would say that, but no really. I LOVE food. If I had more free time, I'd be cooking some pretty kickass stuff, but my love of food manifests itself in my constant viewing of the Food Network. The Food Network is pretty much the only reason I don't get rid of cable. Aside from having 24/7 access to the Food Network, everything else can be found online. (Another Sidenote: You know those times when you're up at 3 am and there's nothing on TV but infomercials for crap like the Magic Bullet or Awesome Cooking Device That Will Save Your Life, there is almost always something worth watching on the Food Network. You're welcome.)
So I came to this masochism realization yesterday. It actually wasn't the Food Network, it was the Green Channel or something like that, but they had a special on the best food in America: "Crazy About Cheese." Cheese is my favorite food group. No, it's not part of dairy, it's its own food group in my world. So I had to watch it. And watch it I did. Some epic forms of gooey, creamy, cheesy goodness: cheese filled hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese, gourmet mac and cheese, a pizza pot pie, and even specialty cheesecakes. See, you're getting hungry just reading it. Imagine seeing these wonders of cheesygoodness in all their glory before your eyes, and they're all in places that are way far away: NYC, LA, Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, etc. Of course. When some incredible chef becomes successful, they don't sit there and think, "Hmmm...I think I'm gonna take my awesomeness and kickass food to Ohio. YES!" Yeah, no.
So there you go. I am a masochist. I like to watch shows that flash the yummy deliciousness of my favorite food group ever in my face when I a) cannot easily get to those places that serve the yum and 2) am trying to eat healthy. Although one of those chefs talked about how cheese is actually very healthy and gets too much of a bad rap. I like the way he rolls his cheese wheels.
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