Falling Down, Falling Down

I realized that I never showed proof that we went to Lake Havasu during Christmas. Here is a picture of London Bridge. Nyah!

I've been slowly hacking away, trying to setup a new blog. Joaquin has expressed his desire for me to stop writing about him on this blog. My new blog is http://oyblog.blogspot.com/. There are a couple of posts. Not sure if I'm liking it. I want a new header for sure. It's a work in progress. We'll see how it goes.

My brother told me the other day that he was full. And he didn't just mean for that day. He meant for good. I'm starting to feel that way too. Like I've had enough. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't eat because once I get started, well, therein lies the rub, once I get started I can't stop, and it is usually because it is something like cake that gets me started. Bad.

Shirley Temples At Midnight

It is now 2009.

We had our last dinner of 2008 at Fuddruckers. Yep, no fancy restaurants for us folk. We were in and out in less than an hour because they wanted to close up and go home. Poor people, having to wait for us. Actually, they didn't. They started cleaning up in spite of us. Still, I wanted to leave so they could work as fast as possible.

After dinner, we loaded up at the grocery store to get us through New Years day. That makes me laugh, getting our rations for one day of closed stores, and I'm not even sure it will be closed. They're open until 1:00 AM.

While I was at the store, I saw some pre-cooked prime rib that my non-meat eating friend raved about. She said it was expensive, it was available only during the holidays, it was wrapped in foil packaging, and it was the "best meat she'd ever eaten." When I saw it, I knew it must be what she was referring to. It was $9.06. I thought what is she talking about expensive? That's not expensive. Then I unfolded the tag...and saw that it actually said $59.06! Yikes! I put that bad boy back fast before it burned my hands. We got hotdogs instead. And not Nathans because they are almost $7.00 a package now, up nearly $2.00 since the last time we bought them. I know we're not going to like the ones we got because we've been true Nathan fans for several years. Certain men (Ivan) have to learn the lessons the hard way though.

I bought grenadine syrup so Joaquin and I could have Shirley Temples at midnight. Incidentally, I think that is a great title for a song, or band, Shirley Temples At Midnight. Joaquin said that if Shirley Temple drinks a Shirley Temple at midnight, she turns into a frog. If we drink Shirley Temples at midnight, we go crazy. It's true, he's acting a little crazy right now, celebrating in every time zone in the U.S. I actually think it is lack of sleep that is making him crazy. Sleep comes after the Alaska and Hawaii celebrations.

We're listening to different versions of Auld Lang Syne. Favorites include the Boney M. version and the version from my Hotel Cafe CD. It's a bittersweet song this year.

I must say, I'm not sorry to see 2008 go. It took pieces of my heart and soul and changed my life dramatically. Of course, if I had control of the space-time continuum, I'd be back in 2007. Heh, and back then I didn't think it was so great.

Joaquin was looking back fondly and said he will miss 2008. It's the last year he was able to see his Grandma, the year he learned to jump off of the diving board. He was good with that. Interesting how I think of it as the year that took my mother. Perspective makes all the difference, I guess.

I can't say I'm looking forward to 2009, just going along with it to see what it brings. I hope it brings Happy.

So...This Is Christmas

My sister made the tamales. I had people over. I burned some tamales. That was Christmas Eve this year.

None of us was really "feeling" it. Didn't want to decorate. Didn't want to celebrate. There was just a sadness in the air, one which we didn't really talk about...or couldn't really talk about. My Dad knew exactly what I meant, even though I never said a word. He was missing her too and said we are still here and she's watching over us, with a tear in his eye. I said I hoped so.

I'm grateful for Ivan. He decorated the outside of the house and started the tree. I put on about half the decorations on the 24th. Joaquin needed this, even if his mom checked out for a while.

I'm very lucky I got tamales being that I missed the assembling party. My sister did a very good job on the meat and masa. My brother did a good job spreading the masa. They were really good, much like I remember. Mom would have been proud.

There was music. It helps. I bought one Christmas CD this year, "The Hotel Cafe presents...Winter Songs," which is a various artists compilation. Oh yeah, I bought "All I Woof for Christmas" too, because barking dogs make me smile and apparently make Jerry crazy.

I got some great gifts this year. A cuckoo clock from my sister! I am now trying to decide where to put it. I also got a TEA! Beautiful, tasty Kusmi tea from my brother! Ivan gave me spa gift certificates from SpaFinder.com!

Of course, Joaquin cleaned up! Santa & friends were really good to him. Sadly, I think this might be the last year of Santa for us. He's been doubting for few months now, but came through with the believing last minute, just in case.

So, after a last minute scramble, the holiday turned out to be lovely on the outside. I hope the inside eventually catches up.

We had parent-teacher conference with Joaquin's second grade teacher Friday. He got a nice report. He's excelling in math and reading at a 3.7 grade level.

The kids get to pick out their best work and put it in a binder at school. They wrote stories and bound them together. He titled it "My Family Story," by Joaquin, 12-18-08. I'm typing out the stories, typos, punctuation (lack of), spelling errors and all. His teacher says that she loves the content of his stories but he needs to work on his writing. He especially doesn't like cursive.

This is the first story. He likes to write FIN at the end of his stories. He said he'd learned it from an episode of "The Simpsons."
When we got to SANDEAGO (San Diego) in 2005. Wen (When) we just gther (got there) we lookte (looked) around the city then we got to the hotol (hotel). We Just stad (stayed) at the hotol. the next mornign (morning) we went to sea worlD wichs (which's) why we took this trip to SANDEAGO We saw sharks and dophns and sea lions and shamue show. i was time to go to the hotol we went to a piret (pirate) ship and a submeren (submarine) we stay for two howers (hours)then it was time to go agen (again)! Just as we herd the signalss go dodn then i saw amtrack desal croos. we al cles the doors the chas was onuntil we won. fin the end

This one he wrote in cursive. He still needs lots of practice in cursive but agreed to write this for his teacher. Interestingly, I find it easier to read his cursive than his print:
2007 Christmas
last christmas morning I saw a sock on my bed. When I wake my mom and dad up. then I ran strat (straight)to the christmas tree. then i opnd my first present it was a mega block crane. i opened scand gift it was a ship the compny was play mobil. it was labld for my dad and me it was battleship!. the last three gifts wer an american airline and a spase shattle. then my last gift was sgeto (Guido) from cars the move (movie). after the gifts i played with my toys and my dad and me play battle ship and i...

I got tired of transcribing his work. Maybe I'll finish it later. Not sure where I was going with this post, just examples, I guess. If I remember, I'll edit this post. Tah! for now.

Pants On Fire

I know I haven't posted pictures as promised. I will soon. Right now I'm thinking of other things, or trying not to think of other things.

I am attempting to read Charles Dickens' "Christmas Stories," which is a compilation of short-ish stories he'd written for a newspapers and magazines. I'm loving "The Christmas Tree," the way he describes the toys and what-not on the Christmas tree. I can really picture it. I'd originally wanted to read "Christmas Ghost Stories," but couldn't find it.

The reason I was looking for Christmas ghost stories in the first place is because I was listening to the lyric to "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year." There's a line that says, "...There'll be scary ghost stories, and Tales of the glories of Christmases, long, long ago..." Maybe you know it? Anyway, I thought, ghost stories? For Christmas? So I started looking for some. I can't imagine what ghost stories revolve around Christmas, except, of course, "A Christmas Carol." But there are. I'd read somewhere that the tradition of Christmas Ghost Stories is a British Tradition. Maybe someone can confirm this for me.

There have been happy moments. I always enjoy the Christmas movies, most of the music. Joaquin was amused by the idea of people putting real trees in their homes at Christmas. He saw "Christmas Vacation" where Chevy Chase goes to chop down the tree and drag it inside. Joaquin's cracking up, saying "Look mom! He's bringing a tree inside!" It was hilarious to him. When I said some people do that and that we had real trees when I was little, he was amazed. I wanted to buy a real tree this year because of this but our allergies might get the best of us.

On the agenda before Christmas:
Tamale making on Sunday.
Finish shopping.
Clean house.
Wrap gifts.
Get over the fact that I'm being moved back to the Capitol again at the beginning of the year!

Music A Go-Go

These days we spend more for comedy tours than musical tours but someone wrote about the concerts they'd attended in their life and since Ivan and I were just talking about it the other day, I figured I'd write about it too. Concerts are expensive so if I attended one, there's gotta be a good reason.

Here are the concerts I've attended:

U2 Saw them (I think) at ASU. My first real concert. It was free (I think) or really cheap. This was for the Rattle and Hum documentary tour and we had to sign waivers in case we appeared in the movie. We didn't because we were not with the group of stoned people spinning incessantly on the stadium field. We were way up in the stands and the band was about as big as a period. This is still one of my favorite recordings though.
Billy Joel This was pre-Uptown Girl. He was a cool motorcycle type dude in a Lincoln Continental. Ah, well, we all age now, don't we. I believe he was touring for The Nylon Curtain. I remember buying the album that night at Circles Records. Introduced to his music by my cousin Barb (as I was to The Police--before Synchronicity). BJ puts on a great concert. Oh, that "Angry Young Man" piano intro, Wow! Now he's touring with Elton John. I may have to think about that one (see my concert wishes below). My sister saw Elton John back in the day of wacky outfits. Sadly I didn't.
Paul McCartney During his big tour. I think I saw him at ASU, appearing with Linda. Those stadium concerts seem like dreams to me. Really, much of my twenties seem like dreams to me. Did it really happen or did I imagine it. I was there because I knew someone who got me in for free. Otherwise, I doubt I could have afforded it.
Depeche Mode During the Violator tour. I remember blue and the guys standing, almost Devo-like. I enjoyed the concert, but really, electronic music is hard to give a concert to. I was reminded that my cousin Barb went with me to this. All those who went with me to concerts must really love me because nobody I know really likes my taste in music...Reach out and touch me...
Sting--I think this was the Nothing Like The Sun tour. I remember Sting didn't wear a shirt for most of the concert and he was greased up. I know this worked for a lot of women, but I remember just really wanting him to put his shirt back on. Still, I will always be a Sting fan.
Peter Gabriel. There are rumors that I attended a Peter Gabriel concert (Ivan said). Wow, am I cool. I think it was for the album So. I can't really remember it, but I think it was at America West arena. Was this when I was losing brain cells? (OMG, I did see him! I've still got a t-shirt as evidence! Was I stoned or on some new allergy medicine?)
UB40 I still love these guys. My all-time favorite band. My cousin Diane introduced me to them and I saw her at the first UB40 concert that I attended. I'm sorry that Ali is no longer with them, but I'm sure I will continue to enjoy them both separately.
Santana This is my most recent concert, 2008. Probably the least of the concerts you'd imagine seeing me at yet, there I was with the old hippies (not you, my dear brother and sister, the REAL hippies). The smell of marijuana permeated. At least I think it was marijuana. I don't really know what marijuana smells like, but everyone who knows says it stinks. And it did. The concert didn't stink, however. I ended up really enjoying it. Thinking more about it, I remember seeing Santana when we went to see "David Letterman" in New York. They were on the show with that guy Rob Thomas, from Matchbox Twenty, singing "Smooth."

Some of the people I want to see in concert now include: Elton John, Yanni Voices (Nobody wants to see this with me, much like my sister's desire to see Mannheim Steamroller), Cake, The Killers, Maroon Five and Coldplay (among others).

Concerts I wished I had seen: The Monkees (born too late), Thompson Twins, Wham! (cannot explain why), Phil Collins, Peter Murphy, Bronski Beat/Communards, among others.