A Gift Opening

I just discovered some pictures on my camera of DT and I opening gifts last week. We gathered 'round the tree on a random Thursday afternoon to open gifts since he had to fly over Christmas.

Even though I'm a crazy dog lady, you'll be surprised to know that our dogs do not receive Christmas gifts. They get to rip up and play around in the discarded wrapping paper...that is it for them. On this day, they posed pleasantly for me and my camera.

{Ra Dog giving you the stink eye.}

Lumpy, Bumpy, and Exciting: Sayonara 2011

We finished the year off healthy and having made some progress in life, so it was by most standards a pretty great year.

Highlights include a new backyard fence, new landscaping, and new teeth. Trips to Seattle {x2), the cabin, Austin, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, Denver, Kona, Monterey, camping on the Mogollon Rim, Oregon, Palm Springs, and New York. DT was awarded captain and was his Fantasy Football league champion for two years in a row. I turned 30 and had the time of my life doing so. We had a blast at the Phoenix Open over DT's birthday weekend. We saw snow in Scottsdale and attended lots of fun parties. One time I wore men's briefs and another time I wore gold pants. We went to four weddings, which was two fewer than last year. We gained a nephew and learned of another on his way. We traipsed around town enjoying {not quite} fine dining and fancy cocktails, and even rode bikes to the bar. Plenty of terrific moments.

But then in November, my husband was stolen from me by the airline and the nearly inhumane schedule they assign to their poor new captains. We tried to keep it real, though, and decided to embrace this change, make the most of it, and move to Chicago so we could see each other four days a week instead of two. But soon after DT began wearing four stripes, his company declared Chapter 11, effectively altering our exciting plans because his captain days are almost definitely numbered. Bummer. {I hoped for a break from my daily grind with every cell in my body. I wanted to get out of here for a year SO badly.}

And that brings me to now. Can you tell that I ache for change? It's a deep and long-lasting ache. I've been chugging along and waiting for change to come to me for a long time now, but that's not the way things work. So, my very public New Year's Resolution is to quit sitting on my ass and make change happen. This involves being bold and taking risks, both activities to which I am a stranger. But, friends, it must be done. 

{This guy's done an okay job, but I hope I'm better at making change than he. Image source: here}

So next time you hear me complaining about working in a career that is perfect for someone with an opposite personality as myself and coming home to an empty house every night since I can't use my free flight benefits to travel with my husband, you should tell me to spend less time complaining and spend more time doing something about it. Hold me accountable. I have been blessed with every kind of gift in life, and I have no reason to not cherish every single day. Life is too damn short.

{I am guilty of NOT doing this for way too long now. Image source: here}

I have the best, most encouraging husband. The other day during his lunch, he sent me this text picture while I was working and told me it was meant for me.

I don't have any concrete plans, and I may not achieve immediate results because I am much too conservative and always have my ducks in a row before doing anything too drastic. But I might have to just go for it this time, even if the numbers don't add up and my sense of security is lacking. It's time to hop to it; I'm done letting life pass me by. That is all.

How honestly Lu is that for you?

Looking ahead, moving forward

I am always a much happier girl when I come home to another {human} soul in the house. Especially when that soul is grilling marinated steaks and has brought with him a lovely gift from his travels.

The last time I saw DT was last Friday when I left for work, so I was quite relieved to learn this week that he'd be around to ring in the new year with me. 

The dogs were glad, too. They think his body is their own personal mattress/playground.

I could get used to nights like these, and it turns out I'll probably have to next month. DT managed to drop 12{!} working days from his schedule in January. Oh thank heavens. {No work--> no money--> we don't even care, we just want a semi-normal life for a little while.}

I fell asleep pre-9pm on the couch watching a not very great Emma Stone movie. I got a second wind, but it will be short lived. Nighty night.

A dose of friendship to warm the heart

One of the best things about this time of year is that my old friends come to town. We gathered at the Torrance house on Monday night, just as we've done so many times in the past 15 years. Tariq and Sarah were in town from the East Coast, and Ashley joined us too. I loved hearing about Ashley's adventures as a first-year middle school teacher. She did NOT successfully scare me away from pursuing my lifelong goal of becoming a teacher. One of these days...

{Tariq and me being weird after Sarah's wedding}

Sarah, Ash, and I fit in a bonus gathering this afternoon. We see each other only once a year, but every time, it's always like no time has passed at all.

{Reunited in Vermont for Sarah's wedding last year}

While I'm on the topic of good friends, I must mention that Jess L. and I reinstated our Wednesday night dinner after several weeks on hiatus. It's so fun to talk honestly about the skeletons in your closet with a good friend who would never judge you or think you're a beast. And we both have in common that we like to wrap things up before too long to go home and see the furry, four-legged creatures that live with us.

{Jess L. and me one very cold winter day at the Cardinals/Vikings tailgate.}

And, just like a cherry on top, I received a call tonight from Leah, a friend that I miss dearly. I promised her I'd get my act together soon so we could plan a reunion in Charleston {or somewhere else}. We hope all the pharmacy girls can make it...whatever it is that we decide to do.

{Leah and me in Charleston for Brooke's wedding}

This week has reminded me to touch base with many other old friends. I'm horrible at correspondence, and mostly because I don't like the phone. But friends are not something to let slip away so easily.

{Jess E. and me. She gets an earful about my life on a regular basis. Her kind heartedness is enriching to my life.}

{Lex and Steph...buddies since the sixth grade. We survived many awkward times together.}

{Work friends. I see them every day. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly about each other. We also also make disgusting jokes about bodily functions all the time. My favorite.}

{Work friends outside of work. The ugly.}

{And the really, really ugly.}

{Just a small sampling of the friends I see now on a regular basis. Most of us are pilots' wives. We're a special group.}

{Pharmacy school people. Partners in extending our youth for four years beyond college and causing lots of trouble.}

{The girls of my college years. Some of my fondest memories.}

{When I see Nora, I think of our yellow and pink beach cruisers and tearing around Tucson.}

{Jess L.'s wedding...where the bride [not pictured] surprised me with birthday hats for our table.}

{Being weird with friends is a specialty of mine.}

{Weird is good.}

{What am I if not weird?}

And lastly, but certainly not least, are the friends that we all have in our family.

{Just a few of my many, many cousins}

 {Sis-in-law and mom}

{Mom}

{Dad}

{Sis-in-law}

{My big bro.}

{What in the?}

{Awkward family photo}

{The best friend}

Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project says that strong social ties are the key to happiness. And I must agree. Though I am very hermit-like, it is my friendships that give true meaning to my life.

Classy: A Book Review from Lu

I've been chipping away at this extremely entertaining advice book.

{photo source: here}

Derek Blasberg would have been so disappointed at my performance at The Holiday Party.

Not only does this book really offer useful advice, such as how to set a dinner table and how to customarily leave thank you notes and gifts when staying with a friend or family member, but he also hilariously makes fun of trampy girls. They're everywhere.

Another plus is the inspirational quotes by famous people printed throughout the book. For example, "Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people-- your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way." - Barbara Bush.

The book includes colorful illustrations and is aesthetically pleasing. It's in article format, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a book you can read for five minutes and then set back down for a day.

My Christmas Date

Just because my husband was at work this Christmas does not mean that I didn't have a perfectly suitable date to the Christmas Eve party at my parents' house.

He was kind of sleepy and spit up a time or two, but he was the hit of the party for sure.

I won't pretend like waking up in an empty house on Christmas for the first time was a great experience, but overall, it was a perfectly joyous holiday. Following the all-family Christmas Eve gathering, which included a visit from Santa for the kids and the usual liquor exchange game for the grown-ups, I went to brunch at M&K's house on Christmas morning. We enjoyed watching the babies open their gifts, and I collected some loot myself. A bread maker, ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, Philosophy's Hope in a Jar, and some fancy gloves and umbrella were among the items I unwrapped this morning. What did you get?

I can't wait for DT to get home and open the rest of his gifts!

I also fit in a nap on the couch with A Christmas Story playing in the background while everyone else worked on assembling toys and other stuff. It was extremely healing. I then got ready and headed down to Herb and Bart's house for Christmas dinner with my parents and Nick & Jess and the Bendlers. And what a dinner it was! So very delicious. We topped it off with Bailey's on the rocks as an after dinner drink and some fun conversation. Here are the guys engrossed in obviously something very interesting just before dinner was served.

I hope you have a long weekend and enjoyed your holiday. Being the hard-core laborer that I am, I'll be heading into the pharmacy tomorrow while most of my family goes on a fun Rhino ride. I love working hard when everyone else gets a holiday! {I hope you know that I am lying. I love nothing more than being a total lazy ass.}

Merry Christmas...and now I'm ready for the new year.

A Christmas Visitor

I just had the best Christmas visitor. Better than Santa Claus.

In the midst of baking my Christmas Eve dessert, the doorbell rang...and behold!

This was {similar to} the sight that welcomed me when I opened the front door. Except that the carriage held two people, and both were fully-clothed. Also, the whole get-up was completely decked out in red and gold tinsel and jingle bells. Yes, my friends, I now have neighbors that raise mini ponies. A long-time mini-pony-lover, I declare that this must be fate.

I'm not sure what kind of impression I made. With my hair in a sloppy bun and my bangs pinned back, not a stitch of make-up and wearing baggy pants and a long-sleeve t-shirt, I must have been quite a sight. And I was way over-excited about the sight of the ponies. The new neighbors probably hope to not bump into me any time soon. {But too bad for them because I am going to stalk their ponies.}

They are from Germany and sport a terrific accent. They dropped off a gift bag full of German treats including the following spiced wine.

It has been a terrific holiday season...up until yesterday. My husband took off, and I was left in quite possibly the foulest mood of my entire life. I hated being left alone for Christmas, and I hated that he had to spend his Christmas in some lame small town someplace where he doesn't even know anybody. I indulged in a self-pity session that lasted more hours than I can count on one hand. Things got much better when I got home from work and had dinner with my family across the street, followed by my usual pre-dawn call for pancakes this morning, a nap with the baby, and some corny Christmas television programs. But now, after meeting these charming neighbors and their delightful ponies, I'm back at 100%, and I'm ready to be cheerful for the best two days of the entire year. Isn't it amazing what a simple act of kindness from strangers can do for the soul? Merry Christmas, friends!

The Early Riser Gene

I have it. And I also have the Early to Bed Gene.

I read somewhere in one of my stupid, boring pharmacy-related emails {the ones I usually delete without a second look} that scientists have uncovered perhaps an actual gene for people who thrive in the morning. I may be ordinary in many ways, but this is one gene that is expressed VERY strongly in my DNA. I woke up at 5am every day last week, so when the weekend rolled around, I was completely incapable of sleeping past 6am. Hence my 8:45 pm snooze time at the Christmas Party. {Or maybe it had to do with the overconsumption of The Crippler drink?}

But then it was time for a group shop, so I popped right up, put on my boots, and smiled brightly about 10 seconds later.

I stole these shots from The Palmer Post. Here I am with the party hostess and my lovely sister-in-law.

Are you ready for Christmas? I only have one gift left to buy. Our tree is overflowing with gifts...and we even shipped a bunch of them off to the Oregon coast today. I can't wait for the weekend festivities.

Right now I'm just enjoying time with the hubs. We had hot, homemade soup the last two nights {lentil last night, tomato tonight...and they were both delicious if I do say so myself} and a dip in the hot tub. I wish the Christmas season lasted an extra month. It just makes me feel so good.

Christmas and Consumerism

It's the American way. We get sick of something, so we buy a new one. This creates waste, which is bad for our environment. We deplete resources while we consume away, and we accumulate goods. It gives us instant gratification. And the holiday season only helps to amplify the problem.

{image source: deviantart}

And I am one of the worst perpetrators. But I just can't stop.

I've told you all about my plights to hop on the minimalist train, live simply, and stick to a budget {yeah right}. I'd like to think that I'm pretty successful at achieving most things that I set my sights on, but this is one area in which I am a monstrous failure.

{image source: AgainstHeresies}

Most evenings, when I roll up to the house, there's something fun waiting for me by the front door. Especially this time of year. {But I can honestly say that most of the things sitting on my doorstep in the afternoon have not actually been for me this week.}

{Here's my waste, just from today and yesterady. Amazon Prime is awesome, but might be the worst thing that ever happened to me.}

But then my sister-in-law/neighbor told me about a conversation she had with the UPS driver, a man who I have only actually seen one time, even though he visits my house several days a week. He identified my house as one of the most frequently visited ones in the area. I don't have kids or endless home improvement projects. It's just me and my shopping habit. I have no good reason for my consumption. {But you'll be happy to know that at least I...or DT...break down and recycle all of those cardboard boxes.}

So I'm gonna try to cool it a little bit. I've added "consume less" to my list of possible New Year's resolutions, and though it is a top contender, I have not yet committed to choosing it as my one {yes, only one} resolution. I take these things very seriously. If you are interested in how to dig yourself out of the pitfall of consumerism, I suggest reading this article as a start.

I've said things like this before many times, so I'm sure you're rolling your eyes and expecting to hear in a few months how I failed miserably, once again. And you might. But you might not. I could just be feeling guilty enough this time to actually cut out this wasteful habit once and for all. Let's hope for the best .

A Country Christmas Party

We live way out in the middle of the desert, and sometimes we just have to embrace this lifestyle. Every now and then we allow our redneck nature to shine bright.

My brother and sister-in-law threw a Country Christmas Party...basically, the most fun theme ever. We had bulls and hayrides, plus a pony keg and "The Crippler" drink. {It was delicious, and I was crippled.} They baked several batches of different holiday goodies and had smoked pulled pork for all. And best of all, I was able to walk home {after a short nap on the couch.} My kind of night, and the best way to kick off the final week before the real deal. Christmas makes me so happy.

Our chariot for the evening.

One ride on the bull for the losers of flip cup.

They have the BEST decorations. Over-sized, sparkly presents, reindeer, and a choo-choo train for the tree.

I took my ride on the bull before things really got started.

Clint grew up on a ranch. Unfair advantage.

Our Christmas hayride.

Thanks M&K for hosting a terrific party!

What did you do this weekend? I attended my second session of sewing camp and successfully completed a pillowcase, plus I was sent home with some homework. I also saw the movie The Descendants with my mom. I really, really loved it. And I also finished up some gift-wrapping and other tasks for the upcoming holiday and jogged in the freezing cold rain {and loved it!}. I hope your weekend was as fun-filled as mine!