One More Thing...

I could not resist...sometimes the South Park guys make me cackle...

Happy 4th of July!!!

Life is Life

Recent summation of the events going on lately:

1. Rottenator has decided to go back to school to become a radiology technician...aka "radiologic technologist".
2. My job is still blah.
3. Happy pills seem to be working...with the exception that I'm feeling a little bit aggressive.  Disclosure: anyone else have any experience with Wellbutrin? Or any suggestions of any happy pills that seem to be working for them? Feel free to message me privately.
4. I can't get past level 6 of the retro Buffy game that I bought for the Xbox and therefore, I am again boycotting videogames.
5. One of my work friends is suffering from lupus, and going through chemotherapy and is in daily pain and it makes me realize how ultimately god-awful I am at comforting people.

About #5 up there, well, bottom line, pain and suffering makes me uncomfortable. So I've always taken the role of the court jester.  I'm much better at making someone laugh than commiserating with them in their  pain.  I hope that does not make you think of me as superficial, or not understanding of any their suffering.  Believe me, I do. It's a defense mechanism; I'm working on it. And I really do hope that laughter is the best medicine.

My Mood(ring) Tone of the Day: #1:

My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day #2 (a repeat, but appropriate):

Happy 4th of July!  As you should have probably guessed by this point, I celebrate every holiday there is not so much for the meaning of the holiday as it was originally intended, but more so as the whole festival and spectacular of the whole thing.

And it means that I get a day off from work.  And it also means that people are a little bit happier on this day.  So there you go. Worth a shout out.

A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma...

So no pie pictures because I could not find one that was pretty enough, but the Mominator declared it a success so I will share this recipe with you:  btw, it's way easy if you follow this recipe and use a prepared pie crust...and Reddi-whip.  I guess you could use Cool Whip, but what's the fun in that? It doesn't even come in a can that you can squirt directly into your mouth.  Much like Cheese Whiz...which I am also not embarrassed to admit that I find delicious...straight out of the can.

So, in other news, we're getting a new TV:

50"; the Rottenator is happy, he has been wanting one forever.  I am happy because now I will be able to record and watch all of my television programs at will while SOMEONE is distracted by their Xbox games.

I will never have to miss an episode of Top Chef again.  This is awesome.

And I'm also exploring the Wellbutrin thing; just something to take the edge off.  And I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything like that, but let's just say that I find it very interesting that most of the most brilliant and intelligent people I know are all on something "to take the edge off".

I think we think too much.

Why can't we all be like Homer Simpson?

Anyway, nothing else to report on this front other than I have one more day of sitting on my ass that I'm going to take complete advantage of.  Guilt free, no less, because the house is clean clean clean!

AND no work tomorrow means I have extra time to share more than one Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:

Yeah...I'm kinda all over the place tonight.

Long Weekend...

So, I have a much needed four day weekend break from work thanks to the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, and my forward thinking to request Tuesday off as well, so woo hoo!  Good thinking on my part, because I am much in need of an extended break.

I won't know the results of my "pass or you get fired" test until early June, but things did not go well.  At least the first day.  I felt better about the second day, but there were math problems involved, and as we all know:

It tends to stagger me.  But we'll see.  I'll know whether or not I passed a stupid test that has nothing to do with my day-to-day job in order to keep said job in early June. Until then...I ain't bothered.

Other than that, despite my crushing depression that keeps me from even wanting to wake up in the morning, the Rottenator has been spectacular in supporting me the best he can.  I cannot say it enough: there is something to be said for someone who loves you unconditionally.  Yes, you may get angry when they leave the seat up...don't take the garbage can to the curb...play NBA basketball on Xbox non-stop, but seriously...then they spend a whole day taking you out to eat, enduring your shopping for clothes, feigning interest in the things you're interested in...it means a lot.

So you deal with the minor problems when it comes down to the fact that they are loyal, love you unconditionally, and do whatever they can to make you feel better...even when there's nothing that they can do.  That makes me sad for him, actually.  Because there is no logical reason for me to feel so down right now and he is scrambling to do everything he can to make it better, but he can't.  Stupid chemical imbalance.

But it's okay; I'm soon to get everything sorted;  tomorrow is my mother's birthday, and I made her a strawberry pie...I will post pictures tomorrow, once it's all decorated with the whipped cream and whatnot, and share the recipe IF it gets the approval.  It's a homemade version of a Shoney's strawberry pie, y'all.

In the meantime, I am losing myself in a marathon of "Arrested Development" on Netflix because it is one of my most favorite shows every, and they are debuting 14 new episodes tomorrow.  God love the internet.

My Mood Ring(tone) Of The Day:

By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea...

Back from Easter vacation at Edisto Beach, SC, and am very sad to be back, I must say.  I love the beach.  The relaxation, the wind, the waves, the smells, the food...oh, yes the food...

There is no more appropriate place than the beach to enjoy a uniquely southern dish known as "Shrimp and Grits".  And oh my God, if you've never had it, then you are missing out:

I decided to indulge this weekend, and had a taste test between two local restaurants (not that there are a lot to choose from on this humble island) and tried out the shrimp and grits at the Sea Cow and the Waterfront...which doesn't have a website, which is so stupid, because they are awesome.  And they won this taste test.

Though both were amazeballs.  You know what else is amazeballs?  Pimento Cheese burgers.  Those were enjoyed courtesy of McConkey's Jungle Shack.

So, tomorrow, the diet and the dreaded workweek start again, but in the meantime, I will share with you the best recipes I have ever found for Pimento Cheese and Shrimp and Grits and just a few pics of my lovely holiday weekend.

Pimento Cheese:

6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup Vermont extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
4 ounces pimientos (in a jar), chopped
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 dash hot sauce (or more!)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1 Using a hand held mixer, beat cream cheese until soft.
2 Add the remaining ingredients and beat until creamy and combined.
3 Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Ta-da! Then smother it on everything: burgers, fries, celery, crackers, your face, the possibilities are endless!

Shrimp and Grits:

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 6 slices bacon, chopped

• 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set aside, and keep warm.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from pan.
Cook shrimp in same pan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until almost pink, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and next 4 ingredients, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in bacon.
Spoon grits onto individual plates or into shallow bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

Trust me, you'll love them both. And if you ever happen to find yourself at Edisto Beach, if you find a shark's tooth while walking the shore at low tide, I hope you'll think of me...because I didn't find one this time around, dammit.  I'm usually a pro at that sort of thing.

Happy Easter everyone! And despite whatever anyone else says, it IS all about the bunny...

And the Godiva truffles...thank you,Rottenator!

Meanwhile, the Nooge survived his first overnight alone. Although he did greet us like this at the door...

Obviously, he has very short term memory and forgot who we were for a few minutes.  Oh, he was not happy with us being gone, and greeted us with fluffy tail and mohawk.  The Rottenator says it's because it was he was prepared to protect the house against strangers.  My thoughts are that he was so fucking pissed that he'd been abandoned he was ready to rip our throats out.

Nevertheless,all was forgiven. Never...leave...again...

They both had a hard weekend

I like this pic because it's kinda abstract

This let's you know that you've really arrived; famous decorated Edisto "tree"

This pic does not accurately show how fucking cold it was

 2nd place winner in the Scrimp & Grits contest

Awesome pimento cheese burgers

Oak trees, wisteria and spanish moss...telltale signs you're hitting the low country

Improved service and awesome food...preview of my Tripadvisor review...

One way in...one way out..."THE" bridge onto the island

My Mood(ring) Tone of the Day:

Just to add, the main purpose of the trip was to put together furniture for my mom's beach house.  Whilst the Rottenator excelled at this task...

He put together two of these bad boys, plus two other chairs lickety-split, whilst I was not so fortunate.  My mother ordered a microwave cabinet that was supposed to look like this...

And I gave her an end product that looked like this....

Needless to say, JC may have been a carpenter, but Kathleen definitely is not.

Genetics

This is my daddy...

This is my niece...

We always debated over where Victoria got her spectacular blue eyes from, and that unique impish expression, and finally have photographic proof.

Genetics are a hell of a thing.  I miss my dad; it's been nearly 20  years since he passed away of "the cancer" (always said in a whisper) and I still think about him constantly.  How things would be different.  And how he would love his grandchildren, especially that little supastah up there.

My nephew turned 11 years old yesterday, and my mom and I travelled to my sister's house to celebrate this momentous occasion.

This is the birthday boy:

Yet I remember him when he was like this:

And even younger.  Man, I'm old.

This kid is awesome, btw. All of my sister's kids are.  Thank God she had some to carry on the family line because I sure as hell wasn't going to.

I can barely handle a Nooge and a Rottenator.

Such is life.

My sister, btw, is a cupcake genius.  Check out these badboys:

And they were delish. The Rottenator and I are on a budget to save up for a second car so currently I am no longer concocting delicious dishes (unless you count Hamburger Helper or Beans and Rice as delish, and why would you) so I am living vicariously through the sis's creativity.

And am massively impressed.

Meanwhile, it's St. Paddy's (not Patty's) Day and to honor my forefathers, here are my Mood Ring(tones) Of The Day:  (and oh yes, there are more than a few...)

And who could forget...

Just Breathe...

Sometimes I forget my own philosophy.  It's the Virgo in me, I guess.  What the above does not say,  however, is that sometimes, you have to take a breath, pull up your big girl britches, grab a faithful companion, and get shit done!

So the money situation is somewhat resolved.  It involved me taking a day off from work, and driving up to our state's capital with a purpose:  I needs my merney!

The IRS: could not get my agent on the phone; bank would not release my money, IRS didn't send over the right release form, back and forth, each blaming the other, I would call it phone tag with the exception being I was the only one making the calls, so bottom line, I hunted that bitch down and showed up in person with one evil looking boy from Alabama and refused to leave until I got paid!

And was home by 11am.  And had my money returned that same day.  Funny how even in the age of new technology, with smart phones, texts, emails, faxing, sometimes the old fashioned approach works the best.

Show up in person with folder in hand and take no shit attitude.

Still, we are out $300 in bank overdraft fees, but we got the big chunk back.  Which is significantly better than nothing.

The worst part of it was (other than the returned check from my garbage pickup which was my final straw) was the fact that it wasn't just my money that was affected.

The Rottenator and I have a joint account, so not only was my paycheck hijacked, so was his.  His hard-earned paycheck from a job he can't stand (which he is soon out of) was eaten up by means of a direct deposit and overdraft fees.

I felt guilty beyond belief; he, however, handled it wonderfully.  Even though this was MY mistake, made long before the two of us even met, he saw it as OUR problem, OUR money, OUR hurdle to get past.

And I love him all the more for that.  Maybe this was a lesson, that I was taking him, and our recently more comfortable life for granted by claiming I was bored, I don't know.  Of course, my boredom could have also been cured by suddenly inheriting a million bucks, but this worked, too.

A heightened appreciation of the Rottenator, and an appreciation of my "boring" and drama free life.  Lesson learned. And I realized, that once again, I do have a support system, people that love me, people that are willing to help out no matter what, and I am infinitely blessed.  PS: thanks Mom.  You know what for. I am, as always, grateful.  And I promise that one day, you will not have to step in and bail out your 40 year old daughter.

Though I'll always be your favorite, right?  ;-)

So, things are better, not completely perfect, but close enough for me to be able to relax for a minute and appreciate.  I've also reached out to a very close friend that I knew over college and through my own selfishness, let the relationship flounder and die.  And they responded favorably, as they always have when I have failed them in the past.

It makes me want to be a better person, and to appreciate people more.  And be more accepting of what I perceive of as "flaws" and "shortcomings" in others.

Because I am far from perfect, and yet seem to be the first one to cast a stone. Empathy, it is MY major shortcoming, because I seem to have very little of it for others, yet demand tons of it for myself.

But I'm learning, and I'm working on it.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!  My sister sent me this:

which was amazingly awesome; have I mentioned that you must be watching the Vampire Diaries?  It is the one hour a week that I can escape the pressures of adulthood and forget myself in teenage drama, and I love it for that.

And the Rottenator and I enjoyed a lovely dinner out; we celebrated early because he's working tomorrow night, but that's okay.  At least the IRS couldn't manage to ruin that.


My (two!) Mood Ring(tones) Of the Day:

What Can I Say, Bitch Can Cook...And Clean

So, my traditional Southern New Year's Spread turned out to be a smashing success, if I do say so myself.

Ham, Hoppin' John (with black eyed peas and sausage), cornbread and collard greens.  Assured to bring good luck and wealth in the New Year.

It'd damn well better because I cooked and cleaned my ass off today.

I am the superstitious sort and so I succumb to the ritualistic portions of the holidays, in this case, being you should ingest some sort of greens and corn to ensure wealth (dollars and cents), the black eyed peas for luck, and the pork...well, everything tastes better with a little pork, doesn't it?  Though surprisingly, chicken isn't part of this holiday tradition.  I guess it's because fried chicken is part of every Sunday southern supper, so you switch it up with pork on special occasions to get all fancy.

No champagne toast, those are a thing of my past, but a day's worth of cleaning because this signifies a clean sweep of the year before and starting off the next one brand new, as it were.

And I vacuumed and swept and laundered my heart out today, which is why I am exhausted and it's only 6:30pm.

But I feel better looking at a clean house; in the past I never really understood the phrase "cluttered surroundings, cluttered mind" but it makes sense.  There's less stress when everything is neat and tidy.

So I enjoyed my mopped and swept floors for a few hours until the Rottenator and the Nooge awoke and then, inevitably, chaos and mess ensued.

The Rottenator spent the day watching football and playing video games.  I hope he's enjoying the last day of his vacation because I sure as hell am ready for him to go back to work.  It's frustrating when his version of a vacation is exactly that: not doing a damn thing.  Literally.  On my few and far between days off there seems like there's always something to do: cleaning, grocery shopping, there's always something.  Must be nice to have someone else worry about those things so you are free to sit on your lazy ass all day playing with yourself and your controller.

A part of me is glad the holidays are over, a part of me is not.  Because now it's back to the same old mundane routine of work, cook, clean, sleep, and so forth.  Nothing really exciting to look forward to unless you count Harry Potter and Universal but September seems so far, far away.

But until then, there's only one thing left to do I guess.

My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:

Snooze Year's Eve

I worked all day, came home, made chicken pepperoni for the Rottenator, and checked up on Facebook to see all of the exciting plans that my friends and family had for the evening and realized: this is going to be my life.

For good or for bad, this is it.  I always get down after the holidays; this year is no different.  I'm still sitting her, less than an hour until 2013, hoping that something will happen.  The Rottenator will have tucked away a small surprise, gesture of love or affection, but as he stares transfixed at yet another football game, the likelihood of that happening lessens.

So tomorrow, I will get up, I will clean the house, make the traditional Southern Good Luck New Year meal of ham, collard greens (my first attempt at this hideous concoction), hoppin' john, and cornbread and go to sleep and prepare for another day of work.

Rinse and repeat.

This year, I am sober, relatively healthy, relatively comfortable, and still filled with an unshakable, nagging depression that just won't go away.

I hope it is the holiday blues, and I truly hope that this New Year brings everyone health, happiness, love and life.

My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:

Pumped Up Kicks

Christmas was nice but over too soon.  I did manage to make it to my sister's for a very brief visit but it was awesome waking up and seeing the kids all get their Christmas gifts.

Of which there were many; you can read about that here and see a god awful pic of me as well. I am beginning to think that my sister is passively-aggressively taking out latent hostility towards me which is left over from my supposed torturing of her in our earlier days.  Either that, or she's just not a very good picture taker.  But I love her anyway ;-)

Work is still exhausting.   The Rottenator asked how I could be so exhausted from just sitting and talking on the phone all day and it's kinda hard to explain how mentally draining this job is to someone who doesn't understand it.  Hell, I don't understand what I'm doing half of the time...which adds to the exhaustion.  The best way to explain my job is to imagine sitting for 8 hours a day doing math problems.  Word math problems.  When you're not good at math.

Pretty much sums it up.

So, 2013 is upon us.  And I know, everyone says, "Oh, I'm not going to make resolutions; it's so stupid and predictable and everyone makes resolutions, so I'm going to be different and contrary and not make any."  Well, to those people, I say "fuck off, loser, stop trying to be contrary and different because now the fad is to NOT make resolutions so you're still a poser who's just trying to be different for the sake of being different."

So I'm making them. Because I'm edgy and cool.  I saw this on Facebook the other day and because I was having a particularly bad one where I doubted everything and was hating my life and questioning my existence on this planet and my purpose in life, I reposted it.

And though it may be cheesy and sentimental, I still feel that way.  It's the most difficult resolution of all, however, isn't it?

So, onto other ones, some more or less difficult, some more or less realistic and serious.

In no particular order:

• I'm still kinda serious about the 365 milkshakes taste-test in 365 days. Perhaps it will lead to a book deal and not the life-threatening diabetes which is probably the more realistic outcome.
• Lose (not loose, grammatical idiots) 40 lbs which is in direct conflict with the resolution above.  Also, eat healthier so I feel better and not sickly and tired all the time.
• Doctors appointments: mammogram, physical, gynecologist, dentist, top to bottom check out.  Bloodwork included.
• Celebrate my birthday at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.  I have not yet celebrated my fourth decade on earth as a monumental occasion, so I may as well make this the one.
• Start writing again; even if that means nothing more than updating this blog more faithfully.  It gives me a creative outlet and keeps my brain from stagnating.

So far, that's the list.  I'm not going to go crazy with it, because then I'll look back on it as a insurmountable, unachievable list of "things I will never accomplish so fuck it all!" and not do a damn one of them, so let's keep it simple, stupid.

So, less of a list of resolutions and more of a touchstone of goals that I need to keep focused on.  That works for me.

Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:

Sidebar: I know nothing of this band, or any of their other songs; I just know that Pandora played it on my station today and I must say: great job Pandora!  Usually the songs they pick for me at random are totally like, WTF, seriously?!?  How do you get Michael Buble from my stating that I like Oasis and Blur, but whatever...

This one was different, though.  Very catchy.  Foster the People.  I'm afraid to research them for fear of ruining my enjoyment of this catchy little ditty.

Update: of course,  I had to read up on the band. Good news: I'm still okay with them!  Better news: I found a song I like that's only a couple of years old.

Kinda funny: they played this song on the Vampire Diaries.  Which explains why I had visions of myself dancing around in my bra and underwear getting drunk with Damon Salvatore.  And why I looked like Buffy Summers.

Ooooh, another update: I'm suddenly 16 years old just looking at these two together.

Another resolution: get really hot, be 20 years old, and have a devastatingly handsome and dangerous vampire boyfriend. Noted.

So...very...tired...

I have a lot to say and not a lot of energy to say it.

I am exhausted.   From work, which has kicked into overdrive, and from my own explicable depression during one of my (normally) favorite times of the year.

Yes, I've seen the lights...pictures to follow...if I feel up to it...

And adored them.  But God bless him, though the Rottenator has tried very hard to participate in my (admittedly) insane over-enjoyment of this holiday season, it's just not in him.

He doesn't get it.  He doesn't get Christmas at all.  It does not excite him, enthuse him, or bring him one iota of joy.  At all.  And this kills me.  I just...don't...get it.

I mean, I understand it to a certain extent.  He does not have the happy memories of Christmas and presents and family and presents and Santa and presents and trees and lights and presents that I have.  His memories are unpleasant and heart breaking, and I'm not going to get into all of that here, but I did think that this year, a year that we're doing relatively well financially, one that he participated in at least one holiday family gathering, that he might just show a little more interest in all of the spectacle and pageantry.

But no.  And I don't blame him, I can't blame him, but it doesn't stop me from wanting him to be a different person this time of year.  One that can share in my joy of watching the Grinch, or laugh over Christmas vacation, or cry over the Little Drummer Boy.

The Rottenator is the Grinch.  The Rottenator is Frank Cross.

By the way, Scrooged pretty much tops my list of favorite holiday movies. 

Followed closely by this one; it's a pretty long scene, but go ahead and fast forward to about
1:45 into it.  Oh, it's the best line ever.

Sorry, where was I?  Oh yes, my holiday depression over my job and the Rottenator's lack of Christmas cheer.  Eh, screw it.  I just cheered myself up a bit by watching the clips above so I'm going to quit moaning and bitching and just randomly list some things that are going on with  me right now.

• My job doesn't quite suck but it is mentally draining.  And I'm angry and bitter over the fact that we're working mandatory overtime, we are not getting the free lunches that were promised (unless you count a mini-snickers and a single serving bag of Doritos lunch) and the Rottenator (the boy who hated Christmas) is getting two weeks off from his job.  Life isn't fucking fair.
• The Nooge systematically destroyed all of my Christmas decorations and the Rottenator wouldn't help me hang lights so I ripped down everything, threw the crumpled fake tree into our spare bedroom and dramatically proclaimed this domicile as the "House that Santa Forgot!"
• I picked out my own Christmas present today.  I bought myself a lovely 10 piece set of Better Homes and Gardens pots and pans. I was very generous with myself, and really, I am the best gift giver ever.
• I discovered that using a brush to apply foundation is AMAZING and I am both angry and amazed I have never tried this before.
• I bought myself new makeup brushes and foundation for Christmas.  Do go on, Kathleen, you are far too generous and kind for words.
• I am wrapping everyone's gifts in left-over birthday wrapping paper.  They shall look crappy and not at all festive.  Hell, even if they were wrapped in swaddling clothes like baby Jebus they would still look craptacular.  I am not a good present wrapper.  It's the thought and the gift inside of the box that counts.
•  I have an amazing idea for a new book, as well as a New Year's Resolution I will surely keep.  The title is tentatively called "365 Milkshakes in 365 Days".  I will begin on 01/01/13 and will do a taste test of a different flavor of a milkshake from various establishments and review them all.  This will also set me up for my 2014 New Year's Resolution tentatively called "My Milkshake No Longer Brings All the Boys to the Yard or How I lost 365 pounds in 365 days".

Both ideas are copyrighted, natch.

My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:

Save me Baby Jebus! It's a trap, Jim!

Everyone is always going on about the political agenda.

Well, I'd like to take a minute to bitch about the religious agenda.  More specifically, the Southern Baptist political agenda of a certain church that exists right down the street from me.

Yes, Breezy Hill Southern Baptist Church, I'm looking at you.

It seemed innocent enough.  For weeks they have been creating this grand spectacle of lights. SO grand, in fact, that I made the Rottenator stop by one night before they'd even opened so we could get a closer look.  We were hurried out, politely but firmly, and told to return the following Wednesday when they officially opened . The Rottenator had to work that night, so I waited...patiently...every night, passing by this on the way home, taunting me with the wondrous spectacle I would soon be able to explore.

Fast forward to Friday.  It started off well enough.  This is the archway you walk through to (supposedly) get to the wondrous display.

And then, to further tease us...

But then...a problem...you can kinda see it in the second picture up there...

Oh yeah.  You were not gonna get out of this without hearing the word of the Lord, heathen.  It was then that I began to realize that there was no Santa in sight in this cacophony of lights.

The second not so subtle hint came when we were corralled like cattle into a building that was eerily reminiscent of Jonestown. 

 Yes.  Sit and listen to our message and then maybe we will allow you to be thrown onto the back of a tractor and hurdled through a maze of lights at breakneck speed where you will be treated to refreshments at the end of it.

The  Rottenator was not having it, and I for once, was with him.  Bear in mind, he was only there out of protest because of me and my love of all things sparkly and bright, so he was ready to snap anyway.

Besides, we had a barbeque buffet to get to that he had been fantasizing about all day and god dammit, we were not going to miss it.

So after we walked the walk of the Damned back to the parking lot in the opposite flow of traffic, I had a few minutes to indulge my disappointment...and then I got pissed.

But even as I wrote that previous sentence, I'm now thinking...WHY exactly?  Why am I pissed that this church decided to put on a light (free, mind you) display in order to recruit welcome visitors to their place of worship and perhaps gain a few members?

I shouldn't be, I guess.  There were no false pretenses.  I mean, there were no signs saying you would have to sit and listen to a few Christmas songs before enjoying the lights, but hey, it is a church, a Southern Baptist one at that, and I should have known that there is always a catch or a hidden agenda when it comes to those people.

And if it seems that I'm bitter towards Southern Baptists in particular, you're god damn right I am.  I've known more than a few Southern Baptists in my time and have always found them to be the most judgemental self-righteous people on the planet who are more than eager to tell you that you are going straight to hell if you don't believe in their doctrine completely. 

But it's not just them; it's organized religion in general that I have an extreme distrust and dislike of. Because much like political beliefs, there is no actual logic behind them.  It has always been my policy to avoid discussing religion and politics with anyone I don't know very well because there is no rational thought process involved when it comes to beliefs and you are not going to change anyone's mind, and someone is gonna get pissed off, so why bother?

Especially as I am usually the one who ends up pissed off, and no longer respecting or liking someone I once considered a friend or relative.

So it's safer to leave those two topics off the table.

Bottom line, the first attempt at Christmas light viewing was a bust.  Except for the occasional view of a tackily decorated house in my neighborhood, because lemme tell you, no one decorates like a low-income person.  I mean that it the best possible way.  Why is it that the more money you have the more boring your Christmas decorations become?  I have no time for white lights or  Martha-Stewart-esque natural wreaths.  Bring on the multi-colored seizure inducing explosion of color, that's what I'm talking about!

So, we're going to try again tomorrow.  To a more secular celebration of the Holiday Season.

We intend to either visit this exhibition:

http://www.lightsofthesouth.com/

or this one:

http://www.icrc.net/events/holiday-lights.aspx

I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime:

My Mood Ring(tone) of the Day:

Well, that went well

So, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I have to say...it went better than expected.

Not that the Rottenator wasn't horrible.  Lemme tell you, that one was trying to get out of going to my fam's house until the very second we were in the driveway and he was pouting: "You don't care, you don't care, I don't want to do this and you just don't care!"

Well, it's too late now, buddy, get out of the fucking car.

And though he would never admit it, he actually had (dare I say it) a good time.  At least a good time for him.

But the weeks leading up to it, his impending doom, were god awful.  He was like a petulant child, a loud bully, and a grumpy old man all balled into one.

I really wasn't sure if our relationship was going to handle it.  He did not understand how important him meeting my family was to me, and I had no idea of the sheer panic and terror coursing through his veins at the very thought of spending the day with a "bunch of strangers".

He honestly almost had a heart attack.  I have been known to suffer from a bit of social anxiety myself, but never had I witnessed someone about to have a full blown panic attack over the thought of, in my eyes, hanging out with people who are basically going to be a part of our lives for a long, long time.

Sickly green, clammy, sweaty, riding in silence, I was beginning to wonder if it was really worth it.  But I also knew that once he got there, it would be fine.  It would be good for him, and it was completely necessary if we were going to be together.

Melodramatic on both of our parts, I know.

But it was such a good time.  My sister and brother in law were the perfect hosts, and by the time the day was ending, there was smack talk about upcoming football games (thank God everyone's teams won), and the Rottenator was helping himself to food and walking around, and my niece, the 6 year old flirt, was flinging stuffed animals in his direction.

All signs of a successful gathering.  And the best part?  I didn't have to suffer any consequences!  In fact, I was told that even though it certainly wasn't going to be an every weekend kind of a thing, the Rottenator wouldn't be completely opposed to attending such an event again!  And no, I do not have any photographic evidence to prove that this momentous event actually happened, because I didn't want to push my luck, so you'll have to just take my word for it.

Needless to say, I am thrilled.  I can't promise a Christmas reunion this year, but the possibilities are endless.

Speaking of Christmas, what the fuck is this?

Sacrilegious, that's what it is.

Also speaking of Christmas, because of this:

We will not be having a tree this year.  Bummer.  I love a Christmas tree, but I also don't want to spend every second of every day keeping a certain someone from knocking it over or climbing up it.  So, plans are in the works to have a tree outside on our side porch.

In the meantime, I've got this on our front door:

And I've decorated every inch of our house with lights.  I took most of these pics in the dark, because the lights are so much glowier that way (except the first one, obvs...)

And now...to the worst part of the holiday season.

We ventured forth to the 9th circle of hell (aka Walmart) to witness the spectacle of Black Friday because the Rottenator had never witnessed it before.  As he watched with open-mouthed shock at the dregs of humanity that knocked each other over for $5 video games, I stood out of harms way and took horrified pictures.

This is the exact opposite of what I think the holiday season should be about.

See, I love Christmas.  The Rottenator does not understand this because he does not have happy memories of Christmas.  To me, Christmas is not just about giving gifts, or getting great bargains, or Santa, or Jesus, or the lack thereof.

I still hold onto the belief that Christmas is the time that we, as people, (in general), treat each other as we should treat each other every other day of the year.  Yes, I have worked retail during the holidays, and, yes I have been yelled at or cursed out because we didn't have the newest or hottest toy in stock at rock bottom prices for parents consumed with the obsession of fulfilling their little spoiled brat's every superficial dream.

But still I manage to hold onto the feeling that at Christmas: everything is beautiful and sparkly, and magical, and if it makes just one more person treat another a little better than they normally would on an average day, then it's worth it to celebrate.  No matter what religion you follow...or don't follow.

Cheesy?  Probably.  Sappy and sentimental, absolutely.  And I don't care.

I mean, seriously, watch this video and tell me you don't feel a little bit happier today.

My  Mood Ring(tones) of the Day:

And this.

Happy Christmas Month, mother fuckers!