going to...

Get warmer.  Hello spring!  Okay, maybe not really but the snow is melting.  I can see grass.  I looooove it!  I didn't even wear a coat today.  Hooray.

I am being insanely productive today
-Wrote lesson plans for an entire month
-Doing a thousand loads of laundry (okay, more like six or seven, but still a lot)
-Almost finished my genogram for family class
-Cooked turkey burger and corn (not together) for dinner
-Bought groceries
-Oh and I went to work
It's been a good day.  I love days when I can get lots of stuff done.  Makes me happy.

We went to Iowa this weekend to see Brad Paisley.  I know, who goes to Iowa in January but it was so much fun.  The concert was amazing.  And we found fabulous places to eat.  Well, one in particular.  It was a seafood market that has fresh fish and such shipped in daily.  Oh holy cow.  I want to eat there every day.  Fresh, home made clam chowder and crab soup.  Yum!!!!!

That friends, is Brad Paisley in front of the screen for one of his songs about fishing.....

oh why

Why is the weather man always right?  It makes me sad.  We got six more inches of snow yesterday.  That makes a grand total of 18 inches.  I drove past a snow drift taller than my car.  Driving is.... well a challenge.  It is too cold for them to use salt so they're using sand.  What does sand do?  Glad you asked.  It creates this lovely sludge that makes it nearly impossible to drive.  It took me 45 minutes to drive what usually takes 20.  But I made it home safely.

They called a snow day today and tomorrow has already been cancelled too.  No snow days for me, still go to work to hang out with the kiddos.  So ready for regular school to start.  And for the snow to go away.  I wore 3 pairs of pants this morning when I left my house -- under armour pants, jeans, and some amazing sweat pants over my jeans.  Attractive! 

This is the view from my porch (through the window -- it's too cold to go out again).  That snow is not on a hill, it's drifted that much.  Fantastic.  Here's to warmth and summer time and flip flops and hot days at the lake.  I can't wait!

on living at the north pole

So, apparently I have moved to the north pole and did not realize it.  There has been snow on the ground for nearly 2 weeks now.  It snowed Christmas eve.  A lot.  And the snow has not melted.  It snowed more last Tuesday.  And then it snowed more Sunday.  It's supposed to snow tomorrow too.  The weather forecast.... ug, it's not getting any better.
Wednesday -- Hi 22, Low 3  90% chance of snow
Thursday -- Hi 5,  Low -6
Friday -- Hi 0, Low -10

Seriously!  I live in the midwest.  I am not impressed.  I have been wearing warm fuzzy boots for oh, about 3 weeks now.  I busted out the Nikes today because I was so tired of boots.  And my feet froze.  I am permanently wearing a bright orange (oh, so unattractive) Columbia coat and a white Columbia hat.  Otherwise I might freeze to death.

I hate winter.  I drove over the lake the other day.  It was frozen.  Then I drove over it again and it was frozen and snow covered.  I mean, really?  C'mon now.  We don't have weather like this.  Or we shouldn't.  A high of 0, now that's just ridiculous.

I want to live in a cup of hot chocolate.

I bought curtains tonight because all the cold air comes in through my crappy apartment windows.  I also bought a space heater.  I have great hopes of being warm again.  Sigh.  Hurry up summer time!

Christmas eve eve

• Thistlehair The Christmas Bear by Alabama

 

More Alabama music on iLike

I am approximately 12 hours from eating cranberry bread and opening my stocking.  Hooray.  The cranberry bread is baked and sitting on my washer (what?  Doesn't everybody cool baked goods on the washer?)  One of the stockings is stuffed.  Minus the last item hidden under the bed.

I have made the final Target trip.  Orange juice (necessary for cranberry bread).  Pretty shiny muffin papers (cranberry bread went into these).  Eggs (you need scrambled eggs for breakfast with cranberry bread).  And milk (well in case I want to drink milk, or maybe it's for Santa).  I am not going to the store again until after Christmas. 

I have also made the final liquor store run.  Good thing since all the ones in Kansas are closed at this hour.  Sigh, stupid Kansas. 

Anyway.  I am ready for Christmas.  I got a haircut the other day to avoid the crazy hair Christmas picture.  My hair girl is fabulous.  I mean seriously fabulous.  However, my bangs are too short.  Not quite the little girl who cuts her own bangs short.  But the -- they will be perfect in 2 weeks -- too short.  Oh well. 

Crossing my fingers, praying and doing a no snow dance.  I know, you always dream of a white Christmas but when travel is included in your holiday plans you do everything you can think of to ward away snow.  I would like to not spend my entire Christmas holiday in fuzzy boots. 

Christmas

Oh, I love Christmas.  I mean I really truly love it.  I love all the preparations.  I love the anticipation.  I love spending time with friends and family (most of the time anyway). 

Almost all of the presents are wrapped.  I have to finish up wrapping some books for a very cute munchkin.  And maybe whip out a couple more crafts.  Otherwise I am ready.  I am baking on Christmas Eve.  I have the day off and it seems like the best thing to do.    This week I have wonderful plans of relaxing and watching Christmas movies.  I got a Muppet Christmas Carol in the mail today.  This has got to be one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.  Ah!  I love it so much.

I burned my butterscotch brownies today.  I don't think I've ever, in all the years I've been making them, burned a batch.  Sad day.

The wrapping paper matches the tree.  The ribbon is color coded for where they go.  2 presents are already delivered as I'm not sure we'll be there in time for opening at the first of three Christmases.  But, ooh, I cannot wait.  Hooray for Christmas.

blech

I am sick.  Have been since Thursday.  What a way to finish up finals.  I was off work yesterday and had such grand plans.  I ended up spending the day in bed/on the couch.  I'm just now starting to be productive.  And not even very productive. 

I have aspirations of going to Hobby Lobby in search of Christmas cards and meringue powder to make icing.  I was supposed to go to a birthday party tonight and a Chiefs game tomorrow.  I think Hobby Lobby and wrapping presents is about all I'm up for.

I love love love Alka Seltzer cold medicine.

almost there

One more day and I will officially have completed 3 terms of grad school.  Hooray!  One paper to still finish by tomorrow.  It's 2/3 finished though.  It won't take much more time.  And then I will have an entire month off from school!  Oh what will I do with my time?

-make Christmas cookies
-make holiday candy:  peanut butter fudge & divinity
-cover things in chocolate:  marshmellows, candy orange slices, peanuts, pretzels
-crochet 3 scarves (hopefully)
-clean my house
-make delicious food for dinner
-remember what a pleasant person I used to be
-watch Christmas movies (White Christmas here I come)
-go to 2 more Chiefs games
-finish Christmas shopping
-paint my toenails

So you know, not too much.  Oh and go to the eye doctor.  I've already scheduled myself a sick day during Christmas break.  I will require excessive amounts of pampering post eye doctor.  I hate going.  It's traumatic.  Ug.

It has been insanely cold.  I just checked the weather.  It's a whopping 5 degrees outside with a windchill of -7 degrees.  That is too damn cold in case you were wondering.  No one was meant to survive in these conditions.  I had to wear under armor to work this morning.  My car also had to be dug out from ice and snow.  Sigh.  I hate winter.  Even if it means I get to wear cute boots.  I will trade boots for flip flops any day.