Saturday 9 - What Did You Think of 2009?

What did you think of 2009?

Welcome to Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Sam's Last Stand of 2009

1. What did you think of 2009?
Very hard year....

2. What do you think was the news story of the year?
President Obama.

3. What happened this year that you never want to hear another word about?
Sarah Palin, Tiger Woods, Octomom and Jon & Kate.

4. What was your favorite song of 2009?
I don't really think I have a favorite....

5. What did you accomplish this year?
I made some new bloggy pals.....

6. Did you learn anything new this year?
Probably, but will I remember it and learn from it? Ha!

7. What are you looking forward to in the new year?
Good things.

8. What are your plans for New Year's Eve?
We usually stay home.

9. What's the best thing you ever did on a New Year's Eve?
Last year we had a hoot watching Janet Davis's drunken a** on television....Can't wait to see this year. Is that sad? At least we amuse ourselves, right?
Here is a clip from her last year:

...

12/26 – 6 thing you are looking forward to in 2010

1. Being in a better place financially.

2. Hopefully a real job for Anastasia.

3. Watching the kitties grow.

4. My kids maturing... (Will that ever happen?)

5. More fun online

6. Five is enough. Low expectations are best. Less disappointment. Lol!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Christmas Eve Randomness

I just don't feel like doing "If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays - Christmas Future", so I'm not. Suffice to say next year I hope our daughter continues to be doing well and I definitely hope that I'm better prepared for Christmas next year. (I wish that every year, but every year I'm up on Christmas Eve until I finish wrapping all the gifts, because I just couldn't wrap a single one before then.)

So yes, it's true, still not a single Christmas gift wrapped. I could have started last night, but I was in such a foul mood that I just could not start.

Why am I in such a foul mood? Our new(er) stove still isn't installed. We have made literally 10 trips to the Ace and Lowe's, come to find out that the gas pipe coming up from the floor by the stove has to be re-piped with a 1/2" fitting because they no longer make adapters for the size pipe end we have. I called the handyman recommended by the township and he called back and Anastasia spoke to him, but apparently the job he was on lasted longer than anticipated and he never made it out to us yesterday. I'm hoping he calls us first thing today and can come out and get the job done. This is just so frustrating and it's possibly the worst time of year to not have a working stove.

Yesterday I went out and bought 1 of the Christmas gifts Anastasia said she couldn't find in stock. She power shopped Tuesday night and went to 2 Meijer's, 2 Walmarts and I forget the rest. Anyway, I got it on my first and only Walmart stop. While I was there I picked up a 2 pack of disposable cookie sheets thinking they would fit inside my Nesco Roaster and we could bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time with the rack inverted. They don't fit. Today I will be cutting them down to size. I'm going to have Christmas cookies if it kills me. (And I mean more than the 9 cookies at a time that fit in the toaster oven!) I also need to figure out how I'm going to make the Sfinconi. I'm thinking the 9x13 baking pan will do, even though the sides are too high, I know it fits in the Nesco Roaster, so it should work. Why does everything have to be so difficult? Wahhhhh!

Speaking of difficult...I went to bed around midnight. Fairly early for me. Just past 1am, not quite asleep I hear an awful banging on the front door. It's Anastasia. She dropped her keys through the crack between the house and the porch. Had to wake up our son and he had to shimmy on his belly in the snow and mud to grab the keys which Anastasia thought for sure were lost forever.

Sheesh! Sounds like all I do is complain. Maybe it's time to whip out "Monty Python's Life of Brian" and listen to "Always look on the the bright side of life" and turn this around.



The kittys are crazy! All they do is chase each other at top speed and Irish hisses at poor Maddux. How long before they get along? Ok, that's a dumb question I guess. That's like asking how long before your teens get a long, right?

I hope everyone has a nice Christmas. Take it easy on the eggnog. I hope that those of you who visit family have a safe trip and enjoy your time together.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Wordless Wednesday - Gingerbread House

Not quite wordless. Anastasia and the kids made this. I was only the photographer. I just wanted to point that out.

Does snow really melt like that???
Oh well, it's a first attempt and at least they had fun!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Random Tuesday Thoughts

We are currently completely stove-less. Anastasia disconnected the old one and attempted to connect the replacement. She bought a new flex gas line but it didn't come with the proper connections so I was sent back to Ace to purchase adapters. I explained to the geezer at Ace what we were doing. I was very explicit about the fact that we were replacing a gas range, already bought the flex line and needed adapters. I didn't know at the time, but he sold me the wrong parts, which I did not know until Anastasia installed them and we had a gas leak. A very late night visit from Anastasia's niece (who is a contractor) confirmed we were sold the wrong parts. Can I say how brisk and refreshing it was to open up windows and doors at close to midnight to get the gas out of the house? No, I can't, we were freezing our arses off. Anastasia went to buy the appropriate part today, so hopefully she can install it sometime on Tuesday and we can again live like normal people, instead of trying to figure out what we can cook in a microwave or toaster oven. (I packed away the Nesco Roaster on Sunday because I thought we were done with it and someone was complaining about how much space it was taking up on the counter.) Arghhh!

Our son had his IEP meeting at the crack of dawn this Monday. Had I known it was a late start because of final exams I would have scheduled it closer to the start of the school day. Instead, I had to take him to the meeting, go home for 2 hours and then drive him back. His IEP went very well. His grades are awesome. I found out the math class he is taking is the regular ed class, just at a slower pace and he is borderline A/B. His final will determine whether he gets an A or B. We are very proud of him. I got his case manager and the social worker on my side about getting him into an after-school activity, so come January he will need to pick something. Yay!

Anastasia has not finished Christmas shopping. In fact I think it's fair to say that she hasn't gotten me anything yet. In fact, I don't think she has done much shopping at all. Can I say politely that she currently resembles the Grinch or Scrooge? A wee bit cranky. Ok, more than a wee bit. Monday afternoon she left early and went shopping and called me in a panic because the store she went to was out of one of the items on my list. I told her it was ok to order it and have it delivered after Christmas. I don't mind really. I'd rather get the item at the better price (because then she can buy me more stuff on my list) and have it be exactly what I want, than to order the uber expensive item that is not exactly what I want. I'm a grown-up, it's ok. Honest!

I still don't have a single gift wrapped and I have no idea when I will be able to begin. What with Anastasia sleeping quite late and our daughter being home on winter break already, I don't have a clue. By the way, she's already driving me batty. She wanted me to look up movie times at the local theatre. Hello! I told her I can't leave until UPS comes Monday or Tuesday. Not to mention that I really don't have any money to spend on going to the movies.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Randomness

I am still battling my sinus infection and I'm crabby as all get out. I have been running like crazy since last week. Last week 2 trips to Naperville to pick up our daughter. This week 2 trips to Naperville, 1 for her IEP meeting on Monday and then bonus...Thursday she missed the bus. Since I knew she had a project she was supposed to work on and it's deadline was Friday (last day before winter break), I knew I had to drive her. (Ok, I will admit it, I really wasn't in the mood for having her stay home either. I've got 2 weeks of that to look forward to.) Needless to say I was not a happy camper.

Our son in his infinite wisdom has decided to ditch his dad this weekend because he is oh so under pressure because final exams are next week. Who wants to bet that he spends the entire weekend playing video games, or playing with the kittys and doesn't even crack a book? I will admit that he does have an ulterior motive. The ex is moving in with his 'fiance' this weekend and was going to be relying on our son to be one of the movers. He's not hiring anyone, only having some of his fiance's friends help.

Trash pick up is today. We put our old dishwasher at the curb yesterday and it was gone in under two hours. I hope we can say the same for our stove when we put it out there. We are picking up our replacement stove Saturday.

Anastasia was all busy on her birthday installing the folding door. After she left for her caregiver gig I gave each kitty a chance to have a run of the first and second floor. Maddux is crazy. He was running under the tree, batting the candy canes on the lower branches (who put those there?), then running behind the sofa and then into the kitchen, sliding across the parquet floor and flipping over. Sorry, I didn't the Flip handy then, but I'm sure this will be a regular sport for him. Irish was more subdued. She investigated, but kept going back up to the master bedroom where she has been staying. She'd come down and check things out, then back up again. She wasn't as excited about the new found freedom as Maddux was. I did manage to get Maddux on the Flip playing. For such a shy guy, he's got a lot of energy. Lol! (You may want to turn your sound down. The bell is rather obvnoxious.) Wasn't it nice that our son just dumped his stuff. Yes, he's too busy studying to put his things away or do any chores.



Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Christmas came early at the diner

In the form of 2 cuddly new family members. Yes! Two!

I'd been working on Anastasia for the last 2 weeks. Today after running some errands and a doctor appointment I called her and asked if she wanted to go to Giordano's for lunch. She said yes and I picked her up. Afterward we went to Kmart and she asked if we had time to go to TLC. I jumped on it. (Who knew that Giordano's was Anastasia's kryptonite?)

One 9 month old kitten immediately picked Anastasia. (We originally were only getting 1 kitty.) She did meet one of my kitty's siblings, but he was a wild child and her kitty just kept beckoning her.

So....without further ado...here is Anastasia's kitty, Irish:
And now...7 week old Maddux:

Sorry Maddux's photo is a little blurry. He doesn't like the paparazzi as much as Irish.
Here is his photo from the shelter:

Right now Maddux is laying on my chest as I try to type this. He's purring up a storm and he is investigating all this clicking going on. Lol! He got lose when we got home from buying supplies. (Who knew supplies for 2 kitties would cost so much?) Even though we put food out he kept scrambling for under the sofa or loveseat. It was great sport watching both kids try to corner him. I was lmao!

For some reason our son who has been begging relentlessly to have s adopt a dog, has latched on to Maddux and now says that he doesn't mind if we don't get a dog.

Tomorrow I'm off to Lowe's to buy a folding door to keep the kitties out of the basement. (We have no door at the back of the kitchen or at the top of the stairs, so since space is at a premium, a folding door is the best option.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Random Tuesday Thoughts

What is up with AT&T? My daughter's phone keeps getting the service cut-off. We have a family plan, it's paid in full and only her phone has been affected. I've had to call them twice in less than a week and spend nearly an hour each time while they futz around and get it back working. Is this their way of hinting that I should be upgrading her phone? Any recommendations for a flip phone with a camera or slider phone with a camera?

Dishwasher installation was finally completed over the weekend. It's so nice to not have all the arguing over who's turn it is. Now they just started fighting over what side of the couch is theirs. Jeez! Moms can't win!

Looks like we will be getting the free gas range. I heard from the lady today. Now we just have to get one of Anastasia's relatives with a truck and coordinate when they can pick it up with when the lady is home.

Our son spent Hanukkah weekend with us because his dad bailed on him and didn't even bother to call. Then in a phone call on Sunday he blamed it on every one of us because none of us called him. So each of us took turns hanging up on him. I more than made up for it though. I roasted a huge chicken, made potato latkes and mock kishke and I bought the last packages of chocolate Hanukkah coins. Even though I'm not Jewish, I rocked it in the kitchen! I was going to be making Matzo Ball Soup today, but instead I am off to the doctor because my cold has turned into a sinus infection.

Had our daughter's IEP meeting yesterday. It went very well. Our daughter insisted that Anastasia go with me. She did, even though it just about killed her to get up at that crack of dawn when she's used to getting up in the afternoon because she is caregiver for her brother well past midnight 4 nights a week. Afterward we did some Christmas shopping. It was almost like a date.

Anastasia's birthday is on Thursday. She was dropping birthday gift and Christmas gift hints all over the place yesterday.

Looking forward to New Year's Eve for the drunken Janet Davies local coverage. Anastasia is too. (We're both sick that way. Lol!) Yes it's a few weeks away, but sometimes you need something to look forward to...even if it is a bit of a stretch. Lol!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009