Saturday, December 13, 2008

Sister is coming home today...where's my cleaning fairy?

So my sister is coming home today from NYC. She's been there for a month as a nanny for a movie director and his family. Since she's been gone I've had the entire apartment to myself. I've never had an entire apartment at my disposal for this vast amount of time before. I have always lived with family or roommates; so I must say it was nice to have the freedom to do what I wanted in the apartment.

And I did the usual things most people do when they have freedom like...

Walk around/Sing around the house in my underwear

or dance in it while I played music loudly and showed off my best dance moves inspired by West Side Story...


Or do the dishes in it...



NOTE* Just kidding, that's just gross!

But I did watch the movie "The Holiday" like ten times one week with a bag of chocolate chips in hand (that I intended for cookies, but yeah, I was too lazy to make them then!).


And sometimes forget to take out the trash...

All in all, I tried to behave. And in retrospect, I have to say it was MUCH easier to keep a place clean when there is no one to clean up after (if you are feeling so inclined to clean that is). I noticed that I could do my dishes in five minutes (which was really nice) or leave them for a couple days (HAHA!), and I enjoyed that freedom, lol. I also was feeling/becoming more domestic as the main hen in the chicken coop and even felt brave enough to try out new recipes (oatmeal cookies in particular, minus chocolate chips, but they tasted great, though much too crumbly I might add!). I am also proud to say that in my sister's absence I even cooked a whole chicken for the first time one Sunday night (a disaster I shall describe further down below).

Can I say something else about living alone though (even temporarily)? It can get lonely. I found myself leaving the TV on just to feel like someone else was around and felt a lot like this...

Wish I could have rented a pet cat or dog for a month, haha. Being the holiday season I just found myself feeling particularly sentimental...after all my Thanksgiving was a real bust. I didn't go anywhere that day! Was really planning on driving to Utah to join my family but was struck by mother's nature's curse to women (you ladies know what I'm talkin' bout), and that in combination with having adrenal/thyroid problems again I was much too tired to drive that long distance so I stayed home. In fact I didn't even go to my friend Alisi's house for Thanksgiving dinner, I stayed home, called my family and listened them laugh and chat animatedly in the background. (I know, I know, cue the sympathetic violin music).

So...in retrospection.... I'm looking forward to having another person in the apartment again. And its my sister's birthday today, so I'm planning on cleaning the apartment up real spiffy and baking a cake before she returns, a cake which I hope will turn out like this... (my latest culinary confection masterpiece) ...

NOT! Anyway, looking forward to the day but I can't say I'm looking forward to telling my sister about the missing bottom glass shelf in our fridge (refer to above chicken cooking mention then read on...).

I suppose I better practice fessing up about what happened to the shelf before she comes...so here goes, lol... After I toiled away in the kitchen for 3 hours one Sunday night not long ago (this includes thaw time, and being over paranoid about salmonella poisoning so it took longer to prepare/cook time) I had made the most beautiful meal of chicken, rice, potatoes and carrots. I was so proud. And it was delish!

I ate my portion for dinner and was REALLY looking forward to having my gourmet left-overs for the rest of the week. I covered the glass pan with tin foil and put it on the bottom glass shelf. About five minutes later I hear this loud shattering sound coming from the kitchen. I looked around and decided to open the fridge to figure out where the sound came from...suddenly tons of glass came pouring out of it like one of those jelly belly dispensers at the grocery store.

Why has no one ever warned me that if you put a medium warm pan on a glass shelf in the fridge, it will shatter the glass, and into pieces so small you'll be cleaning them up for a month? I've never heard of such a situation, nor witnessed it! My mother is a good cook, and mothers should pass this information along to their daughters; what gives?! I had to throw an entire chicken (minus one breast) out in the trash because tiny glass pieces had gotten inside it after it fell through the glass shelf and crashed into the produce bin. LOL, yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but I was MAD!!!

Anyway, this month has been a grand adventure you could say. In closing I'd like to give a few thanks to the following.... THANK YOU MY CAR, MY PHONE -MOM, PETE, KIM, THE WORLD WIDE WEB - MYSPACE, MSN messaging, PEOPLE.COM, 7-11 convenience store, IN & OUT BURGER, and RED BOX, for graciously giving their services or company and making this long month on my own an enjoyable one.

Internally Yours...My Christmas Wishes to All....

Hi all,

Having some time on my hands, and having a really bizarre sense of humor, I found this Christmas e-card on jibjab.com tonight and just had to post it. Consider this my pre-Christmas card to you all!


Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

P.S. I'm really not that mean, (nor do I have as bad a potty mouth), hope it made some of you laugh, lol.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Ode to Christmas...and all that warm fuzzy stuff

So, I am sitting here at my computer desk with a plate of rice and vegetables for dinner on my lap (got to love Zatarain’s New Orleans black beans & rice mix, yum yum! ) and I am FINALLY updating my blog. Yes, I’m back, and I hope some of you missed me, or if you did not, at least this post will help revive the life force so to speak in our blogging friendships :)

I don’t know why I’ve been gone so long, (ok so it hasn’t even been a month, but it feels like MUCH longer) other than to say maybe I had writer's block (which doesn't make much sense since I've been working on my Regency era novel in the meanwhile) Okay excuses excuses, lets just say then that I've been distracted by life, and in particular, occupied by thoughts of a certain English gentleman who makes me laugh and smile like no other, has a cleft chin to die for, and talks with a sexy British accent like Daniel Craig (and no I'm not talking about the imaginary romantic hero in my book, though there is one, but this is a true-life romance of yours truly, yay!)

Anyway, without giving too much away about that...this evening as I sat before my computer I contemplated what to write about for my return to the blogging world, and the idea struck me, why not write a blog that is an ode to all things Christmas? Now I know that is not a very original idea mind you, and most of you are probably doing the same, but who does not love another warm fuzzies in your pocket, touch the cockles of your heart, sentimental blog post? HUZZAH!!

I know with the state of the economy and money crunch many of us are wondering what kind of Christmas we'll be having... less presents...more stress, but I don't think that means we can't all have a memorable, happy, and exciting holiday. I really like to think its all about the simple things and gestures anyway, the way it was when we were kids, so here are some of my happy thoughts and recommendations to get us all in the festive holiday mood...

JESS' FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS

SNOW!!!
(We don't get it in southern California, but I always go to Utah for Christmas anyway)




SNOW PEOPLE!!! (with cute scarves, top hats, stick arms & carrot noses!)

SAPPY CHRISTMAS MOVIES ON TV...in particular the Lifetime channel for women, like this one called "Christmas on Chestnut Street" which looks particularly moving by the picture...


HOT COCOA FOR TWO WITH CINNAMON AND WHIPPED CREAM
(or I can drink both, if I am alone, haha)


COZY SWEATERS AND HATS


COLORFUL KNIT SOCKS WITH POM POMS
(I have some, and they're my fave on a cold winter's night!)


GRAHAM CRACKER HOUSES
(making them with your loved ones covered in frosting and candy goodness) In my dreams my perfect Graham cracker house turns out like this...


But it usually ends up more like this in reality...


Note* That's okay, they all taste the same when you end up eating them...teehee!

CHOCOLATE YULE LOGS
(my sister Kim made a particularly DELICIOUS one last year)


PAPER SNOWFLAKES -
We used to make these all the time growing up, and its always a fun craft project with your kids, (or if you are single, in my case) your nieces and nephews if you have some

And MISTLETOE - cause well, its just a really great excuse to kiss someone you like, even if you're both, um, cartoons...


And some other things that always get me into the Christmas spirit...


JESS' TOP FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FILMS

A Christmas Story -
Yes, I know, this is generic probably, but come on, its a classic Christmas staple in the American household...


The Original Christmas Classics Collection -
This includes Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and T'was the Night Before Christmas (I think). It makes me feel like a little kid again, and it makes me happy, pure and simple!


It's a Wonderful Life - Can somebody say, "Clarence!" in that cute Jimmy Stewart voice? Yeah, yeah, all the cliches are true, this movie just warms the heart and makes you feel super sentimental about your fam. And don't forget, every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.


BRIDGET JONES DIARY
- All you single, and even happily married gals, you know what I'm talkin' bout, this movie is fabulous! Who is more endearing than Bridget Jones, and more charming than Mr. Darcy, and how many of us have felt single and alone at Christmas time? If you haven't seen this flick, watch it! Note* Heads up beforehand, this ain't for kiddies, there's quite a bit of swear words and cheeky humor, just FYI


And some special Christmas musica ...

JESS' TOP FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TUNES

Oíche Chiúin (Silent Night) -
The Gaelic version by Enya

O' Come, O' Come, Emanuel -
The version by Enya or Manheim Steamroller, both are brilliant!

White Christmas -
Bing Crosby (something so comforting about his rich and smooth voice)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen -
Loreena McKennitt

The First Noel -
Any version really, but Sarah McLachlan's is pretty great

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey, yeah, I'm not always a fan of the diva, but this song just makes me want to jump around and spread Christmas cheer with hugs and kisses

Last Christmas -
Wham (cause it makes me smile, and almost everyone has had a Christmas relationship like that!)

So there you go, these are just a few of my favorite things, and in the spirit of that last song, "Last Christmas" I'd like to close this post with the video of it, and why? Because it's cheesy and fabulous, and it has '80's fashion and hairstyles, which always make me laugh, and might make my readers smile or reminisce, and even though we know ole' Georgie Porgie was pretending to like women in this video, who cares, because its such a great song and he has an amazing voice anyway (despite the funny breathy vocal parts, lol). Hope you all have a fabulous night and here's me sending Happy Happy Christmas thoughts and wishes to ya'll!