Happy New Year!!! I hope that 2007 brings you success, joy, love, happiness, prosperity and every wish your heart desires.

For me, 2006 hasn’t been a bad year. Compared to years past it’s been a well-balanced year. The good, the bad, the expensive, the great deal. You might recall my Annual Review back in October. Some pretty interesting twists, turns and events happened this year, most for the better.

I try to be optimistic. It’s important to me to try and have a positive outlook where the future is concerned. In 2004, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and depression. The fall and the holidays that year were particularly dark for me regardless of how wonderful my circumstances were. In fact, thoughts of the New Year that approached, 2005, terrified me.

2005 came and went, there aren’t very many eventful things I remember from that year. Nothing stands out and in some respects, no news is good news. I began taking medication that quieted the panic attacks and relieved much of the anxiety. Although, not all of it and there are times when it gets to me, but not often and I don’t live with that lump in my throat and the horrific pit in my stomach, or the feeling that I am on the verge of a panicked adrenalin rush.

2006 has been eventful, my son graduated 8th grade and started high school, we moved into our new house, we started a successful business. All good things. Sure there have been some less than wonderful things, but I’m reluctant to dwell on them, what’s the point?

Resolutions? Nope. I’m not fond of those. I’m not one of those people who resolves to do anything at New Year’s. I love the feel of a fresh slate. I love the idea of starting anew. I also relish that concept that each moment can be a new moment, a chance to change for the better, an opportunity to be a better person than you were the previous moment. Generally speaking, when I resolve to do something, at least 8/10 times I do it, regardless of the time of year.

Who needs New Year’s resolutions when you can opt to change, resolve to do something new at any moment on any day?

But, if I were to make a resolution at this particular moment or time of year…

I would probably resolve to take more time to appreciate and have genuine gratitude for all the blessings that abound in my life. I would resolve to choose to appreciate the positive and disregard the negative, and cherish each moment as it presents itself.

Happy New Year… I hope yours is safe and filled with many, many blessings.

Marti asked me…

Aside from the fact that I’m faced with a nasty bout of blogger’s block (similar to writer’s block) - I was not about to let my dear friend, Marti, down. I adore Marti, she’s very real, very naughty, and pretty freaking funny on a regular basis. This particular question was in reference to her latest Squidoo Lens, which is pretty interesting.

Sooooo, now that I’ve carefully managed to avoid the question, I guess I’m left with no other choice than to answer it.

First off, I have to consider what those morons contestants on Survivor have gone through for a million dollars. Would I do that? Ummmm, no. Although, it does seem like a great way to lose weight AND be completely miserable.

I would never hurt another person or commit a criminal act. A misdemeanor, sure, but not a felony. That pretty much excludes killing someone or cheating on my spouse.

It seems that in answering this question it is easier to list what I wouldn’t do for a million dollars. Which isn’t the question, unfortunately.

So what WOULD I do for a million dollars?

Streak (although, seriously, NO ONE would PAY to see that)

Eat nothing but brussel sprouts for a week.

Porn… for a million dollars…. hmmmm, I’d consider it. (And, yes, I would consider PORN different than CHEATING on my spouse, the former implies full knowledge of what I am about to do, the latter implies sneaky, underhanded dealings with the intention of being dishonest.)

Spend one night in a notoriously haunted house, alone.

For some reason this question always seems to garner responses indicating how “low” a person might stoop for financial compensation. So, here are a few more things that might not necessarily be considered bad things:

Watch “When Harry Met Sally” back to back for a week straight.

Listen to nothing but Harry Connick Jr. music for a month.

Watch nothing but news channels for a week straight.

Read “War and Peace”

Write a book.

And, that’s all I’ve got, but I have no doubt that there will be other bloggers who will come up with far better answers than these. In fact, I already know of one. And, I am secure and comfortable in the knowledge that no matter what I attempt to do she will be able to do it better and leave me in her dust with a drink in my hand and a dirty look on my face.

The Christmas tree is going down. The ornaments are going back into their boxes and back into storage. Another Christmas over. What took weeks and weeks to get here was over in a flash. Still, hanging out all day Christmas day with family talking and laughing was absolutely wonderful! Maggie was right, Santa did bring her a horse. And, as you can see from the TV there, we ran “A Christmas Story” for 24 hours straight. I never get tired of that movie.

Click to make it bigger!

However, now that it is all over with, the sad remnants of Christmas remain. The tree, now with nothing at the bottom but the pretty tree skirt (we never really get to appreciate it anyway) the empty stockings at the fireplace (I swear I am getting NEW stockings next year because ours are too hard for Santa to stuff, things snag on the inside of the knitting) and the mess in the kitchen.

Yes, the dishwasher has been loaded and unloaded twice already and yet, it seems we’ve barely made a dent in the mess that was Christmas dinner. The turkey platter is still sitting on the counter berating me every time I walk through kitchen. Everyone is still happily munching leftovers although it seems like such a chore to have to take them out of the refridgerator and pull off the foil covering them. Christmas is officially over, I’m afraid.

Christmas was wonderful. Exhausting and wonderful. Christmas Eve was fabulous (my mom got me the most wonderful bookcases from Crate and Barrel) and a good time was had by all.

The best way to describe how great Christmas morning was is to say that even now (less than two minutes ago) Maggie is shouting, “Thank you Santa!!!!!” usually followed by, “Where did Santa go? Where did the reindeer go?”

It’s a given that kids don’t want Christmas to end, but it’s even more wonderful when you have them expressing gratitude for their Christmas bounty the day after.

This was the first year that Maggie actually got it and was an active participant in the Christmas festivities. Her wide-eyed amazement was something I will never forget. She was in complete awe from the her stocking to the beautiful, plush, spring pony that Santa left in front of the fireplace with a glittery Santa hat with her name on it. I enjoyed her reaction so much that I forgot to open any of my presents.

We were quick to clean up the wrapping and boxes as family would soon arrive. With the exception of my stuffing (no matter what anyone else says, I don’t think it was very good) every part of the meal was perfect or near-perfect and wonderful.

My mom, MIL, and I stayed up until well past 1am in the family room chatting while the guys hung out in the garage playing darts, smoking cigars, and enjoying the traditional Christmas bottle of Maker’s Mark. Now at 11:20am I’ve only been out of bed for about an hour and Mike has yet to crawl out.

The kids are roaming the house in new clothes enjoying new games and toys, the kitchen is a mess but the leftovers certainly made breakfast easy. I consider cranberry sauce with turkey on a roll along with a big glass of juice to be a wonderful breakfast. Far better than the kids reaching into their stockings to snack on chocolate with hazelnuts.

The rest of the week remains a mystery, whether we drive up to the mountains to play in the snow and hike, or whether we flop around the house in our pajamas - it will all be time well spent.

New Year’s Eve will soon be upon us and with that an even bigger celebration, Maggie’s 3rd birthday. I’m already looking forward to it.

I took some time today to read through some of the posts from last December. Wow, I was writing so much better than, what the hell has happened to me? Oh, wait… the hubs brought business home, permanently. A blessing and a curse in many, many ways.

Here we are Christmas Eve. The one night a year when anything seems possible, magic and mystery can almost be tasted in the air. Old friends, family, loved ones, kids begging for just a hint at what the next morning might bring. Sugar cookies, turkey, stuffing…

The cleaning has been done, the presents wrapped, the food mostly cooked for the big Christmas dinner. Now is the time when whether or not it’s finished and every last detail is in place you have to just exhale and let it all go and fall where it may.

I love those last moments of Christmas Eve, the stockings are filled to the tip tops with care, the remnants of cookies on the plate to prove that St. Nicholas has indeed been there. Snuggled up on the couch with the love of my life knowing all three kids are in bed sleeping soundly.

The tree flickers and light bounces off the ornaments that we have collected through the years and I try to take it all in, knowing that one day, the kids won’t be snuggled in bed and won’t be waking us up at some obscene hour to open up all the Christmas surprises that have been tempting them for weeks from beneath the tree. And, maybe, just maybe, by taking a long pause to breathe it all in, I might just keep this memory alive and clear to last the rest of my life.

So, when I wish you a very Merry Christmas filled with memory-making moments, you know what I’m getting at and that I’m wishing you something sincere and heart-felt.

To all of the wonderful people out there that I read daily and care about a great deal even if we have never met face to face, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and many, many warm memory-making and memory filled moments.

Much love to you all.

It’s FINALLY here!!!! Finally!!! Winter break… I am SO excited. Not as excited as the kids are, I’m sure.

School is out for winter break. The kids will be home for 2 weeks. If you were to go through my posts I know I’ve said it once if I have said it a dozen times… I love having my kids home. I love getting up in the morning and knowing that no one is going to be rushing around to run out the door. I have never been one of these parents who can’t wait for a vacation to be over with.

I love watching television, playing games, and goofing around with them. Things are just more lively and fun when everyone is home. It’s not perfect because… well… they are kids and they get annoyed with me and each other, but for the most part - it’s great.

So, two weeks with them… I may even have Ethan do a guest post here. If I can get him to maintain a level of PC (Politically Correct) that I approve of, that is. This is the kid who was asked to do a family tree for spanish class fact or fiction didn’t matter, it was an exercise in knowing the spanish names for your family members. Ethan chose fiction because it would get a bigger laugh. He had pictures of Katie Couric as his mother and Jimmy Page as his grandfather. Chuck Norris was a distant cousin and Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob was his sister. From what I hear his presentation was a success, which means people laughed. He got an A+ which included points for creativity…

Christmas break should be fun.

At The Doctor’s Office

The lengths I go to entertain and amuse you people…

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and, yes ladies, it was that sort of an appointment. A complete physical. Blood pressure, temperature, *cough* weight, run through the medical history. Then the good part, the nurse asked if I needed any refills! Wow… that almost felt like a shopping spree.

“I’ll take the Lexapro, Advair, and do you have any valium? That stuff sounds like fun…”

I used to know a Dentist who referred to valium as a margarita in a little pill. That’s actually pretty true, I’ve had them, I’d like to have them again.

After an HOUR in the waiting room I was dumped into an exam room with one of those lovely gowns and a paper sheet over my legs where I waited for another 30 minutes. Of course, they don’t tell you that it’s going to be another 30 minutes, they say, “Everything comes off, put this on, and the doctor will be right in.” And, I fall for it every time. I race through ripping my clothes off and putting them on the bench, rushing through putting my gown on and hopping back onto the table in an effort to avoid someone walking in and catching me in the act of attempting to undress, redress, and hop onto the table. There I find that I actually had plenty of time and could have folded my shirt or something…

The good news is that I had my trusty cell phone and had it not been Wednesday I would have called Britt and made her keep me company, most likely by laughing at me. Instead, I sat there swinging my legs and playing Diner Dash looking like a ten year old with a gameboy. Something I refused to do during my stay in the waiting room. I save that for small private spaces where I am trying to forget that my bare ass is on white exam paper and if I get too nervous and start fidgeting, said paper will rip.

Fortunately, my mother’s sense of hearing is tuned into small clicks and noises that will betray even the most sneaky of toddlers and teenagers. I heard my chart being lifted from the tray outside the door and managed to shut down my security blanket cell phone before the doctor came in.

The good news is that I like my doctor to the point of wondering why I had stayed away so long. She’s the only one who has not made me feel like a complete crazy person with imaginary issues. In fact, she even let’s loose with her own issues and problems so that you don’t feel so much like a, well, freak. Aside from the whole “I feel like a freak sitting here in a gown with no back and my bare ass on paper” thing.

And now for something different: *Edited - I have fixed the problem with the audio file!

Baby It’s Cold Outside - Brian Setzer Orchestra and Ann Margaret

That’s right, Christmas is less than a week away.

I can’t believe it.

And, then again… I can and it totally STINKS.

This whole Christmas season thing has just FLOWN by. I feel like I blinked and it jumped from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I’m disappointed I didn’t get more time to stop and smell the roses… or the pine trees.

So, in case you are having a bit of a Christmas funk as well… here is something to lift your spirits (relax, Joe, it’s not Bing)

Friday night Mike and I left Ethan in charge of the girls and we ran out to do some last minute Christmas errands. After battling the crowds and finding almost everything we needed we decided we could both use a drink.

We stopped at a mexican restaurant right around the corner from our house. We ordered appetizers, he ordered a margarita and I ordered their specialty, a Wiki Wiki Woo. It went down far too easy and hit far too fast.

Unfortunately, I have something in common with my partner in crime, The Christmas Turkey. Half way through my Wiki Wiki Woo, I decided my husband was the most irresistible man on the planet. He absolutely is, but I don’t normally hit on him during dinner… unless I’m half-blitzed. It’s about this same time that I usually start to envision myself as a sexy dame out of a 1940’s movie with silk stockings and stiletto heels. Slipping into character I began to rub his leg with my toes.

The problem is that I was wearing jeans and converse sneakers and he was wearing shorts. Rubber tipped shoes and hairy man legs don’t make for a comfortable situation… for him. It also makes the situation go from a sexy 1940’s classic to a Doris Day / James Garner movie from the 50’s / 60’s.

He looked at me with a grin and said, “Uh-oh, someone has reached their 1/3 of a drink glow.”

I said, assuming my sexiest voice, “What do you mean?”

He replied, “I mean, you are ripping the hair right out of my legs with those shoes.”

The next drink was a Mauricio’s Slammer… and it went down lovely with the chicken nachos and guacamole.

Then, Mike helped me out to the car and we drove home. I woke up around midnight in bed… fully clothed and with no recollection of climbing the stairs. Mike told me later he found me asleep on the second landing. Ten minutes after we came through the front door.

I guess I’ll have to work on my sexy vamp act.

Now, I should preface this by saying… save the money on the pitchfork, torches and plane tickets, especially you, Miss B. It’s not worth it. Someone this dumb would not grasp a point no matter how sharp or how many of them there were on the pitchfork.

After the buzzkill I posted about last week, I explained to my genius husband that nearly all of my blogbuds and my blog-lesbian-lover agree with me… he’s an ass.

And… do you know what he said?

“Did you explain to them that I’m 11 years older and that you stopped getting carded before I did?”

I said, “Ummm, no, dear, if I did that there would be a mob of angry women with pitchforks and torches at our front door in less than 24 hours.”