Extras Finale on HBO this Sunday!

I meant to post about this earlier in the week but forgot! My favorite show, Extras is coming to an end but they will be airing a Christmas special this Sunday on HBO! If you're up for lots of laughter, you must check it out! And if you're not familiar with the show you can read about it here.

Here is a clip from a typical exchange between Andy and his knuckle head agent, Darren. There is another one I'm trying to find that is sooo funny. Darren gets a bluetooth device and he can never answer the calls in time because it takes him forever to figure out the ear piece, hook it to his ear, and flip open the phone. It is soooo annoyingly funny. I'll keep searching for it. *update* FOUND IT!!! the other clip.

I really hope the Christmas finale is just as funny as the regular episodes. Sometimes though, season finales can disappoint (Seinfeld) but let's hope that's not the case with this one.

Chum bear update

So I went to click order on that bear I found for Chum and the shipping was $8.95 bringing the total to $25! I think that's a bit too much money to spend on one toy, one that he may not even like so I canceled the order. Then later that same day Tom and I ran to Tuesday Morning to pick up a bunch of silly gag gifts for our holiday party and we found this guy there for $9.99!

It's long and lanky like Chum's original bear although the color is not exact but aren't cats color blind anyway??? Oh I hope he likes it so I can finally toss his old smelly, crusty bear full of holes. Although I give him credit for making this bear last 13 years.

Unlike Wrigley, who after 5 minutes rips the face off of his teddy bear...

He will NOT be getting a new bear for Christmas.

Chum's new collar

With all sorts of people coming and going during the holidays, I have been having nightmares about Chum getting out of the house. Today I asked Tom if we could go to Petco and get him an ID tag and collar. Surprisingly he obliged so we picked out a fancy black collar with multi-colored hearts and found a simple round black tag. The engrave machine has the option of 1, 2 or 3 lines and we used all 3 for Wrigley's collar: the first being his name, the second line, our phone number and the third line: REWARD, all in caps. So I said to Tom, "We'll just do the same for Chumley, right?" He thinks about it and then says, "Nah, just do 2 lines. We can leave out the REWARD." And without hesitation, I agreed.

I must say Chum looks rather smashing in his fancy new collar...

Dumb stupid tree.

We just got our Christmas tree last week and it's already dying. We got it at Lowe's and I'm extremely disappointed so if you haven't bought your tree yet, I would suggest not going to Lowe's. You can't even walk by it without dozens of needles falling off. And, several of the branches have already started their downward descent so I've lost a few ornaments. One fell off at 2 in the morning while I was asleep. All of a sudden I hear a crash and shatter of glass which is just how I want to be woken up at 2am when the husband is out of town. At first I thought maybe Chumley was playing (or peeing) under the tree but when I saw that it used to be one of the smaller gold balls that I only place at the top part of the tree, I knew Chum couldn't have reached that high. So I'm not quite sure what to do about this tree. I don't want to have to take off all the ornaments and lights to return it but I don't think it's safe to even have the lights on anymore. I have to keep the dust buster hidden underneath the tree skirt (which is a bright red shower curtain by the way) because every time I walk into the living room there are more needles on the ground. Here's a pic of the tree. There were already some bare spots to begin with but it's gotten so much worse over the last few days. Bah Humbug.

The Holly Sisters & The Mistletones

On Wednesday night we decked the halls of the nursing home with our fabulous Christmas caroling. Oh what fun we had! Each year is a learning experience but we've decided that next year, we'll actually program ALL the songs we plan to sing in the i-pod for back up accompaniment. It was nice to see the smiles on the faces of so many and spread a little Christmas cheer to those who need it. And this year we tripled in size! We should really consider a world tour.

The Gingerbread Dance

This was from the Ellen show a couple years ago but it's worth seeing again. Be sure and watch all the way through because the dancing starts at 2:50 and I guarantee it'll make you giggle.

Chumley's Bear

Chum needs a new bear. This one is too banged up and is leaking stuffing out of multiple orifices. A few years ago I bought him a new bear that I found on a UK website (who, coincidentally was named CHUMLEY) so I thought it was meant to be but he would have nothing to do with it. And it wasn't an exact match to this one so that could be part of the problem. So I've been searching online for another one and I found this guy. It's the closest I can find to his current lover so I'm going to order it for him for Christmas. Although based on recent events, he doesn't deserve much more than a stocking full of coal.

does anyone else love this commercial?

I just adore it! And I love the song, Ordinary Miracle, by Sarah McLachlan but this version is sung by Kathy Fisher. And I think I like it better!

I want to go here.

It's a small Christmas town in Austria and in the heart of it is a family run bed and breakfast that sounds magical this time of year. The inn serves home cooked breakfast everyday, offers sleigh rides through the village with a glass of hot gluhwein and then presents you with a Christmas turkey dinner upon your return. How fun is that? I'm going to close my eyes and daydream for a while.

Kitchen fires can happen

Luckily I caught this in time before there were flames.

I was heating up some delicious Trader Joe's Tandoori Naan in the toaster oven to go with some delicious Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup. The instructions said to heat the Naan frozen for 1 - 1.5 minutes. I think, "That's It? That's not long enough, they must be wrong." So I put it in the toaster and went about rifling through the christmas boxes in the garage. I headed back into the house after about 5 minutes and was overcome by smoke. It was EVERYWHERE. And the smell was nasty. I grabbed the Naan out of the oven and the middle was charred and sizzling. I turned on the intake fan in the kitchen which helped to suck up some of the smoke but it's been about 45 minutes and my kitchen still looks like this...



Speaking of Trader Joe's, I LOVE their ready made Chicken Lasagna meal. But take note, if you reheat it in the microwave the next day, it smells like baby diarrhea.

I HATE THIS CAT RIGHT NOW

I am TRYING to stuff the couch cushions back into the shrunken couch cushion covers and they don't fit! I've already bent my fingernail back twice and lost a ring in the stuffing of the cushion!!! ALL THE WHILE I KEEP YELLING OUT LOUD TO THE WORLD...

"I HATE THIS F&CKING CAT!"

I have one more cushion to stuff but I needed to walk away and take some deep breaths. I showered but now am all sweaty. I still need to bake my Christmas cookies too. Oh and I will be covering the couch with a clear plastic shower curtain from the stash that I keep in the linen closet for the beds.

Ok just needed to vent. Back to the blasted cushion covers!!!!"'

this %@^%#@^%# CAT!!!!!

What I need to be doing before the guests arrive in a few short hours:

-getting myself cleaned up
-baking holiday cookies
-vacuuming and dusting

What I am actually doing (besides blogging about this):

-washing not 1, not 2 but 4 of the couch cushions and covers Chumley peed all over.

Lord help me. I have refused thus far to cover our furniture in shower curtains, but what other choice do I have? Should I just find that clear plastic wrap that Ray Romano's mother uses? I don't know but this is the last thing I need to deal with right now. I have to stack the cushions away from the couch to dry otherwise he will pee on them again. As of now the covers are still wet so we may not have a couch for this evening's festivities. I love holiday parties at my house.

Christmas from now on...

It was around this time last year that Tom and I were stricken with a 2 week flu (actually his turned into walking pneumonia) so we weren't able to enjoy many pre-holiday parties and preparations of our own. But I intend on making up for it this year! From now until Christmas each post is going to have somewhat of a Christmas theme. So...

Right now Tom is putting the lights on the tree, carols are playing in the background and I'm getting ready to make my mom's famous sausage cheese balls for tomorrow's party. Tom just put in a special request for some Nog. Wrigley's playing with the ripped off leg of his monkey, and Chum is sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for me to roll the sausage balls. I'm enjoying this night. I hope you are too.

Bloggin' 'bout Nog

Tomorrow night I'm having a little get together at our house after a group of us go caroling at a senior home. I'm in the kitchen, preparing some yummies for the festivities and I thought I'd start with the nog (love that word- rhymes with everything too: log, hog, bog, frog, smog, cog, fog, what else...oh DOG duh and BLOG!!!) So I mixed a few different ingredients in a martini shaker as a trial run and it's absolutely SPLENDID! So I'll share it on here. I just made enough for one serving so I used about 1/4 a cup of each liquid (except for the Amaretto, used a whole cup. Ha! I kid.)

Laura's Nog
-low fat egg nog
-pumpkin spiced egg nog
-skim milk (to cut the fat of the nogs)
-shot of Amaretto
-crushed ice

Shake vigorously until the top flies off the shaker, and sticky goo splatters all over your kitchen counter and floor. Once you are done licking that up, pour remaining mixture over ice and enjoy! Cheers!

a quiet moment

-interrupted.


These two definitely communicate with each other via side glances and air sniffs. And then something sets one of them off and all hell breaks loose.

That does it.

I'm never having kids.

Children shot at bus stop in Las Vegas

Feelin' Festive

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a pair of Groucho Marx glasses and a giant sized beetle bug while dining at your favorite restaurant. (note the fart machine in the background too)

The animals are ready...

for Santa to come!



although Wrigley got to meet Santa in real life but wasn't too fond of him...

"I'm not sitting atop his lap. Smells like a sexual predator to me."

Santa loves i-Tunes

I'm sure a lot of you already know this but in i-Tunes if you click on the Radio selection you have access to a bunch of different music genres, Holiday being one of them. If you click on Holiday there are 14 streams of internet radio stations that play kick ass Christmas music. I've been listening to the first stream, All Classic Christmas 181.FM (which you can also access via their website: 181.fm. They play such a variety of Christmas music, from old to new to jazzy to fun, you must check it out. And it's commercial free! I haven't even sampled the other 13 streams. I'm listening to a little Ella Fitzgerald now. This saves me from having to lug out my collection of 30+ christmas cds! Enjoy!!!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

...is one of my favorite Christmas carols. Why? Because think about it, a group of complete strangers show up at your doorstep (probably right as you're about to sit down to dinner), start singing to you, then DEMAND that you bring them figgy pudding and refuse to leave your property until they get some!

I'm not sure how that would fly in today's day and age. I'm guessing somebody gets shot. Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

my alma mater

Northern Illinois University is currently under a security threat. I pray that nothing happens here or any other campus for that matter. It sounds like the administration is taking the proper precautions and is on top of this situation. What an awful feeling for the students and teachers and of course the parents and loved ones of those on campus. It's a scary world folks, with a lot of messed up people walking around.

How is it...

that one can injure themselves, to the point of requiring medical attention, simply by cleaning out the refrigerator?????

Wrigley's New Friend

My friend Bridget came into town from Wisconsin for the one and only Enrique concert here in the US. (I'll post pics later) She spent the weekend with us and we all really enjoyed having her here. She was such a great sport putting up with Chumley's crotchety attitude and Wrigley's constant nudges for attention. Wrigley knows her as "New Friend". I would ask, "Wrigley, where's your New Friend??" and he'd leap across the room directly onto Bridget's lap showering her with licks and love. He really misses her. In fact, I overheard both animals having a chat this morning while I was doing the dishes.

Wrigley:
What do you think happened to my New Friend? Where did she go?

Chumley:
How the hell do I know.

Wrigley:
Do you think she's in Mommy's car? I saw them go in there this morning but Mommy came back and my New Friend didn't.

Chumley:
I doubt she's sitting in Mommy's car by herself. That's just dumb.

Wrigley:
I'm worried. Maybe she is locked in the car??

Chumley:
She's not locked in the car, she has thumbs! If she was she could get herself out you dumb yellow whale!

Wrigley:
That hurts my feelings. Then if she's not in the car, where could she be???

Chumley:
HOME YOU FOOL! She went home to her family and she is not here anymore!

Wrigley:
Nooooooo! Don't say that!

Chumley:
Stop your whining. I miss her too, ok? I really liked stalking her and now I have no one to stalk. Face it, she's not coming back.

Wrigley:
(whimpering) What are we going to do now? I miss her!

Chumley:
So do I big whale, so do I.

2 Must haves for the Christmas Stocking...

Poo pooing Santa and Rudolph candy dispensers-

Scared of Santa

No wonder so many kids need therapy when they grow up. Could it be because of this??

Christina you should get Evan's Santa picture on here. Do you still have it?

A Christmas Classic

This just may be my new favorite Christmas song though it's not really appropriate for the kiddos...


Ok is it just me or was Mrs. Brady in this video? I swear she's the drunk cookie baker.

another song

(by you know who)
This is not your typical Enrique type song and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. There's not a video for it but I found this random compilation of previous videos on youtube. Seriously? Was there life before youtube? I don't think so.



and here are the lyrics:

don't you forget about me
by enrique iglesias

they say love is just a game
they say time can heal the pain
sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
and i guess i'm just a fool
i keep holding on to you

i told you once you were the one
you know that i'd die for you
Although it hurts to see you go
oh this time you should know
i won't try to stop you

don't you forget about me baby
don't you forget about me now
some day you'll turn around and ask me, why did i let you go?

so you try to fake a smile
you don't wanna break my heart
i can see that you're afraid
but baby its to late
cause I'm already dying

dont you forget about me baby
dont you forget about me now
some day you'll turn around and ask me, why did i let you go

dont you forget about me baby
dont you forget about me now
some day you'll turn around and ask me, why did i let you go
why did i let you go

dont you forget about me baby, no
dont you forget about me now
some day you'll turn around and ask me, why did i let you go
why did I let you go

wherever I go, I won't forget about you
(oh no, oh no, oh no)
wherever you go, don't you forget about me

LIMITATE?

Why isn't limitate a word? It makes complete sense! Sometimes you just can't use limit, limited or limitation. It needs more umph and I really think limitate works. Here, I'll use it in a sentence and show you what I mean...

"I must limitate my alcohol intake because I need to drive home." Do you see what I'm saying? I just think it fits better. Although limitate sounds like a combination of laminate and imitate which technically could be a new word in itself. I'll try and think of a definition using it in that context but for now I am limitated on time.

Can you think of some new words? If so, please share.

The smell of wet dog...

is not particularly pleasing to my nostrils.

Adventures in Big Lots

So to piggy back off my last post - if I only had a month to live there may be a few things I'd do differently in my final days but one thing is for sure...I'd surround myself with those I love and lots of laughter. Last night being a prime example.

Here's some photos and footage of my sister and I in Big Lots after we ate dinner and shared a bottle of wine at our favorite Indian restaurant located next door. (more on that later) Pretty much your average, run of the mill, Wednesday night for us...



Cart CAM:


Nothing out of the Ordinary:


Greeting Fellow Shoppers:







And stay tuned for the second installment titled, "Biking in Big Lots" coming soon to a blog near you. Here's a sneak peek...

If...

you only had ONE month to live would you drastically change your life for that one month or would you continue to live as you do now? Are you currently living your life to it's fullest and do you feel complete inside -in your heart and soul- if you knew your time on earth was coming to an end? What would be something you would change right away and try to squeeze into that one month time span and why aren't you already doing it now?

Really makes you think doesn't it...

Dysfunctional Housewives of Orange County

Not quite sure how to describe the sequence of photos in this post, other than... my sister and I frequent this Indian restaurant called Natraj. The food is really good and the first time we went there for lunch we ordered a glass of wine (on empty stomachs) and got sort of silly. We both had some fake bugs and Billy Bob teeth in our purses (no explanation there for those who know us) so we wore the teeth and randomly placed the bugs around the table, on our plates and in our drinks while tormenting the extremely patient wait staff. Thank God they have a sense of humor!

Well since that first time it's sort of a tradition to keep up with the antics anytime we go. We've incorporated the remote control fart machine into the mix, fake poop and last night, we wore Groucho Marx glasses. The waiters recognize us (even in disguise) and each one comes out to see what we're up to. My sister's husband was with us last night and would tell the waiter that he got us a night pass but we have to be back to the home by 9:00. And I'm certain the waiter thought he was serious. Here are some photos...

this is just AWFUL

Omaha Mall Shooting

Pray for these victims and their families. Pray that there will not be copy cats out there that will do the same thing. Pray that this world will change one day.

this dog makes me cRaZy

This dog refuses to go outside yet he will stand at the door and cry and whine but when I get up to open it he backs up, wags his tail and just barks. It drives me NUTS!! But since it's still light outside I really don't feel like doing the flailing arm dance so I came up with a new approach. So just now I walked outside and waved to the side of the house where Wrigley can't see and in sing song voice I said "Oh Hiiii, how arrrrre you?" (as if someone was in the yard) and then I heard an aburpt, "Hi." Yeah, that would be my neighbors on the other side of the wall. The ones who have seen the flailing arm dance one too many times.

I feel like this.

yes more Enrique...

This is the hoochie momma version of The View in the UK. LOVE it! I know exactly how the woman in red feels! I wish there was a way I could upload my interview with him from the Ryan Seacrest show a few years ago. I was about as nuts as she was.

here's another...

Not only is this video incredibly sexy and HOT! HOT!! HOT!!! (don't play if kids are around), but the words to the song are so beautiful and for whatever reason they make me sad but I could listen to it over and over again.

Only 2 more days!!!

'til this...



Yummy. Love this song but don't quite get Enrique's free floating bit in the alley about 3 minutes into the video.

$#@&!!!

Just got the WORST flippin' paper cut on my lip while licking the envelope of a Christmas card. OMG the side of my top lip is throbbing and feels like hot salsa. And I can't use Karyn's scream therapy to ease the pain because that would require my mouth actually opening and my lip just might split apart. I think I'm done with these blasted Christmas cards anyway. If you don't get one this year consider this your Holiday greeting.

Go Elf Yourself

Elf Dance

lots o' links

My girlfriend Karyn, proud owner of Beverly (the apple of Chum's eye) and Elvis (another humping cat) posted a Chumley video on her blog and the comments are totally cracking me up!

Late last night Karyn and I were IMing off and on for hours, (watching Extras which is now on On Demand YAY!!!) and sending each other nasty ass pictures of mucoid plaque. I spared you all a photo because it may just make you projectile vomit on the spot. But if you want to see what it is do an image search in Google. We ALL have it but I don't want mine anymore.

Actually here is a link to a mucoid plaque detox product but be warned...there are photos (especially at the bottom of the page). DO NOT EAT WHILE LOOKING AT THIS! In fact you may not ever want to eat again once you see this crap.

A Chum attack and mucoid plaque...what a great way to start the day!

Cross Country Conversations

Tom's calls at midnight (3:00am his time...)

Tom: Hi.

me: Good morning-

Tom: It's night.

me: It's almost 3am.

Tom: It's dark.

me: You're drunk.

Tom: No.

me: You have a nice dinner?

Tom: Yes. Guess...Fish, Chicken or Steak.

me: Steak. And to drink?

Tom: Milk, water or orange juice.

me: Jack and Coke.

Tom: Get naked.

me: Get to bed.

Tom: No.

me: You need to sleep.

Tom: Let me eat my orange first.

me: Fine eat your orange, then get some sleep.

Tom: Ok. Good night.

Caroling Wednesday December 12th

It's that time of year for happiness and cheer,
Good friends, together, as Christmas draws near.
So come sing along as we carol to the folks
Who welcome our songs, and laugh at our jokes.
Guaranteed FUN, because you see...
It really doesn't matter if you can't sing on key!
Just bring your best smile and be ready to go
Share some laughs, spread some joy and a few
HO HO HO'S!

(I'm posting this on here in case I missed anyone via email who is local and wants to come! Email me for details. It'll be at a nursing home facility instead of the hospital. And I'm thinking of having a card making party this coming Sunday. A few peeps are interested in helping make the cards so again if you're interested, let me know!)

Saturday night wrap up

I wanted to update the events of Saturday night's Christmas party with my sister but I'm sure I'll just ramble on and on so instead I'll post some highlights. My mind is not working well today so please keep that in mind...


We...
-went to a Christmas in Italy party at my Aesthetician's office
-didn't realize it was formal, we were dressed in jeans
-drank lots of wine
-ate amazing Italian food
-stuffed our mouths with the best chocolate cake on the planet
-chatted it up w/ Santa and Mrs. Claus

I...
-drank out of Santa's Whiskey filled flask (and will be getting a mouth sore for Christmas, I'm sure)
-ran into the girl we sold our condo to, found out she no longer lives there, had to foreclose
-felt horrible and partly responsible for selling the place (eventho I know it was just bad timing)
-drank more wine, ate more food

She...
-is a totally sweet girl and a lot of fun
-ran into her ex-boyfriend at the party
-had to deal with some drama as the night went on
-decided to leave the party and come dancing with us

We all ended up having so much fun and it's weird how things work out. Small world indeed. That's what the holidays are all about. Fun times and fabulous food shared amongst family and friends (old and new)!

birthday re-cap

Wow, it's been quite a full birthday week(end)! Even my fingers are weak and too tired to type. So I'll do a quick recap of events:

Wednesday night:
Tom surprised me with ice skating! We haven't done that together in YEARS. We were a little rusty at first (as were our skate blades) but after a few loops around the rink we started to get more comfortable. My back had been acting up the last week so I was a bit cautious with speed as well as jumps and spins so no triple lutz toeloops or salchows for me. Plus the place was packed and there quite a few middle aged men showing off their hockey slides from their younger days and they were making me nervous. Oh one thing that was really funny was there was a hockey coach off to the side coaching some younger boys and after my second time around I yelled to Tom who was ahead of me, "Ok I'm warming up now, here I come." and the coach says, "Hey, slow down there, the Olympics are calling!" I thought it was funny but maybe it was one of those "ya had to be theres."


After skating we headed down to Laguna to Ti Amo for a nice dinner. It's our favorite place to celebrate special occasions. The atmosphere is so warm and cozy especially when decorated for the holidays. We love to try new places and there are always new trendy restaurants popping up all over the place but for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, this is one place we don't mind coming back to again and again. It also reminds me of some of our favorite places back in Chicago. I give it 4 stars and a strong recommendation to locals as well as out-of- towners.

Here's a pic of the fireplace in the dining room...


Thursday night:
I already posted about this night but I forgot to mention a funny story during the shopping event. The place is packed with people and there are open bars scattered throughout the departments and I had a full drink (my first at the shopping event) in my hand. It was a vodka soda and I was holding it in my right hand along with my cell phone. Tom and I had gone our separate ways to shop and I couldn't find him so I called him on his cell. I was still holding my cell as I was introduced to a gentleman in the clothing design business from the midwest. We were chatting about midwest vs CA living and then all of the sudden we hear a crash and turn around to see this woman cowering from embarrassment after her drink shatters to the ground. We were laughing and making jokes about whenever there's an open bar people tend to get carried away and how shopping and drinking should not be combined into one event. I was having difficulty holding my drink and cell in the same hand so I put my shopping bag down to free up my left hand for the phone when my slippery drink projectiles right out of my other hand and shoots directly at the designer guy! Of course this happens right as Tom walks up. Tom apologizes and shakes his head and asks me how many cocktails I've had and I tell him that it was only my first. The designer guy was super cool about it and as he wipes up his suit and sleeves he demonstrates to others who just witnessed my drink toss that his suit is basically waterproof because the drink beads up and rolls off. And it was a good thing I was standing on a carpeted area because unlike the previous drink dropper, my glass didn't shatter.



Friday night:
As I mentioned in a previous post, Friday night we were planning on going out to dinner with my sister and her husband. Well as it turns out we get to their house and she had a surprise birthday party for me! It was a complete shock and soooooo much fun. The weather on Friday was horrendous so I am very grateful for those who were able to brave the elements and make the party. We had lots of food and drink and played some very interesting games and danced to my new disco ball thanks to my friend and fellow sorority sista Anna! Also my sister made this very creative birthday collage of pictures that must have taken weeks to put together. I'll have to snap a photo of it and post it on here. She went to a lot of trouble to pull off the surprise and I am very honored and grateful. I had such a great time.

Saturday night:
My sis and I attended a Christmas party and I'm too tired to continue blogging right now so I'll have to finish tomorrow. So much for the quick re-cap!