Elsja Down Under

101 Countdown December 25, 2010

Only a few more days until my 101 in 1001 comes to a close. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 1001 days since I first created the list. While I may not have achieved them all, there are definitely many that I am really proud of. To wrap up a few of the remaining items, I’m posting my 101 Christmas edition. To be fair, these hardly have much to do with Christmas but since I’m posting on Christmas eve, I have decided it will be a Christmas edition.

#86 - Try 20 new restaurants and blog about them. Well, technically I tried many more than 20 since 2008, but this blog will include my 20th actual review so I can finally cross this item off the list!!

North Bondi Italian (RSL)

We went to this little gem for our work Christmas lunch the other day and I was really pleased. Rather than posting my normal type of review, I’m just going to post the things I liked about this place.

Its got a great indoor/outdoor/bar/restaurant vibe so you can really go there for any occasion. We got there early but since they don’t take bookings, we had to wait about an hour for a table but we just hung out on the patio with some champagne, peanuts and appetizers overlooking the ocean. We ordered refreshing vodka lemon lime and bitters and they went down WAY too easily. We had these amazing deep fried risotto balls and a ricotta basket to start and they were so tasty; TOTALLY overpriced but the risotto balls were to die for. For mains I ordered a ricotta, basil and tomato pasta. It was definitely good but a few of my coworkers had the lasagna and I was having a bit of order envy. Great food, great wine, great views and great company made for a fun afternoon by the beach. It was a perfect way to start the holiday break.

#81 -Learn to make Swedish pancakes from my mom. My mom has been making Swedish pancakes my entire life and never have I taken the opportunity to learn how to make them myself. Well today is the day. I just flew in on Christmas eve and it’s tradition for my mom to make the pancakes today so we can wake up and eat them for breakfast on Chrsistmas morning. She’s just out buying flour but when she returns, Pancakes 101 shall begin.

#28- Donate blood- two weeks ago on the way to work I stopped off at a blood bank to donate. I was a bit scared because the first and only time I ever donated blood was back in college and I had a horrible experience. My blood pressure dropped and I almost passed out and threw up. Luckily, this time I was ok even though they could only get 1/2 of a donation. So I suppose I might save 1.5 lives instead of 3. Still better than nothing!

#29 – Donate to 3 charities per yer. Here are some of the charities I’ve donated to since 2008

• Pancan (2008, 2009, 2010)
• Movember (2008, 2010)
• American Cancer Society (2008, 2009)
• Humane Society (2009)
• Caringbridge (2010)
• Susan Komen (2010)
• Jimmy Walk Fund (2010)

My mom is back with the flour so I’m off to learn techniques in making Swedish pancakes. I wish you all a Merry Merry Christmas!!

A New Tradition December 7, 2010

As my 101 goal time comes to a close, I’m in a mad dash to finish as many of them as I possibly can. So I was very pleased that Saturday night I was able to cross off lots of items! Andrew and I had our first annual Christmas party at our place and it was a big success. Andrew was never too fond of the idea of a party at our place because we don’t have the greatest entertaining layout here. It’s small and there’s no decent outdoor area. Andrew really preferred to wait until we had a bigger place to start having parties but it meant a lot to me to start now. When I thought about starting a tradition together (#24 on my list), having a yearly Christmas party was a natural idea. My parents had one every year when I was growing up and so I wanted to do the same. I figured now that we are married, this was a perfect time to start our annual event. So on Saturday we had a few friends over (unfortunately with a small place you can’t invite everyone) and we ate, drank and were merry! Here’s a few things I got to cross off my list this weekend:

101. Decorate for Christmas all 3 years… here we are on year 3 of my list and our house is festive once again!

24. Start a tradition with Andrew – hence, the “1st annual” Christmas party

77.  Bake and decorate fancy cupcakes – ok so they weren’t cupcakes, but the pumpkin spice frosty cake balls dipped in white chocolate were quite fancy, and quite delicious! Plus I was up ’til midnight on Thursday making them so I think they should count.

66. Make a mix-tape (CD) with some of my favorite songs and give to friends – I absolutely love making Christmas playlists (I have over 6 hours of Christmas music alone on my ipod), so I thought it would be a great idea to make a “Merry Mixtape” for the guests of our party. The CD includes roughly 15 of my favourite modern Christmas tunes.

107. Host a cocktail party. We finally got to put some of our booze to good use and I made a few fun cocktails and festive drinks for everyone to enjoy. We had a pomegranate, cranberry and vodka cocktail as well as my version of mulled wine (recipe to come soon) and homemade eggnog. Bez played bartender later in the night and made some delicious peachy concoctions.

70. Buy a fancy digital camera. Yes, we did buy this awhile back but Saturday was the first time we actually used it. I still should read the instruction manual because I have no idea what I’m doing yet- but at least it allowed us to take some nice photos of the party.

For more photos… click here.

Not only was Saturday night fun, it was also a great way to cross off lots of items before my December 31st deadline. How many more can I knock out in the next few weeks? We shall see!

A Perfect Day January 28, 2010

The sun was nice enough to peep out from behind the clouds for just one day this week.  Of all the days for the sun to make an appearance, Tuesday the 26th was the most optimal day. Why? Because Tuesday was Australia Day… the Aussie equivalent of the 4th of July.

Our day consisted of the typical Australian traditions- a BBQ and lots of drinking. This year we had an added bonus… a swimming pool. I have to say that pools are one of the biggest things I miss from California. It just seems like pools in this country are quite rare and so people typically just go to the beach. While the beach is nice, there’s nothing like lying on a raft in the water for hours on end without having to worry about fish, sharks and seaweed. A big thanks goes out to Alex, Brendan and Kristin for hosting such a fun party!

Australia day was my perfect type of  day. Summer sun, good friends, a refreshing pool, delish food and beverages and of course, Andrew.

Why can’t every day be just like this one?

For more fun in the sun pics- CLICK HERE.

The Greatest Show on Earth January 1, 2010

No, I’m not talking about the circus. I’m talking about the Sydney Harbour fireworks on New Year’s Eve. I do believe that Sydney is probably the most amazing place to be to ring in the new year. Watch the video below and I’m sure you will find it hard to disagree. I recommend viewing in full screen mode. It’s a bit long but well worth it. Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and check out the view I had last night.

 I hope you all had a wonderful New year’s Eve and happy 2010 to you all!!

A Cross-Country Christmas December 28, 2009

I think 2009 was a really tough year for so many people. Between the economy, illnesses and injuries, relationship challenges, lost jobs and all the other unfortunate things that happened to family and friends, it feels like it will be good to have 2009 over and done with. So it seems only fitting that we should all end the year on a good note with my favorite holiday, Christmas. I think Christmas should make us all happy and put us in the right mood to start the new year off fresh and positive. Maybe we spent a little too much or ate a little too much, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without a few less pennies and a few more pounds, right?

Our Christmas was spent on two sides of a continent, literally. First we started off with a really nice Christmas Eve at Andrew’s cousin’s house. We had a wonderful BBQ and then enjoyed a fun Secret Santa/Kris Kringle gift exchange. We played the version where you can steal other people’s presents and so it made the game super exciting even though we had a $10 limit (it’s pretty hard to find decent gifts for $10). We headed home that night and Andrew and I had our own little Christmas together. We sat in front of our glittering tree and opened all of our presents for each other and also the ones that my parents gave us. It was a bit sad because it’s the first time in my life that I’ve had to open family presents without my family actually watching.  It’s something I’ll get used to eventually but I’m sure it will take some time.

On Christmas morning we woke up bright and early and headed to Andrew’s dad’s house. Each year everyone gets together for a breakfast BBQ to chow down on bacon and tomato rolls. I’m lucky and I got a very special (and delicious) omelette since I don’t eat bacon. After we all cleaned up we sat down to have our annual Christmas Kris Kringle gift exchange. Veronica was my secret Santa and she got me a set of appetizer plates which I had asked for. Yay, thanks VK! 

After a busy morning, Christmas was still just getting started.  Once Kris Kringle was finished Andrew, his mum and I headed toward the airport and jumped on a flight across the country to Perth. We arrived just in time to enjoy a delicious traditional Christmas dinner at Andrew’s aunt and uncle’s house. Dinner was followed by a family game of trivial pursuit and then we made our way to Andrew’s Nana’s house where we all spent the night. The rest of the quick weekend getaway included Andrew waking up at 4:50am to go for a run (even with the time difference he’s still nuts), lunch in Fremantle, a warm evening BBQ, a morning at the beach and finally a flight back to Sydney. The trip was short but sweet.

Being away from  my family and friends on Christmas is never easy, but having so much to do this year and spending it with ALL of Andrew’s family made it much more special. If you’re interested in seeing photos from this year’s Christmas festivities… click here. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Best wishes for a fabulous 2010.

I’m Dreaming of a Humid Christmas December 16, 2009

It may take me some time to get used to combining Christmas with Summer. I’m trying to listen to Christmas music every chance I get since I only have a few more weeks before the holidays are over. So yesterday when work was finished I plugged in my ipod and headed up the hill on my way to the beach. I huffed, I puffed and I sweat in the sun as I listened to “White Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride.” I don’t know about you, but I feel like there’s something really wrong about listening to “Baby it’s Cold Outside” when in fact baby it’s quite hot and humid outside.

I should be drinking pumpkin spice lattes and egg nog. Instead I’m eating watermelon and drinking iced tea.I should be wearing scarves and hoodies and enjoying the scent of burning fireplaces in the cool, crisp winter air.  Instead, I’m putting on my bathing suit and summer dresses and enjoying the scent of the sea salt on muggy summer afternoons.

The only thing that reminds me that Christmas is next week is the colorful Christmas tree standing in our living room. Even that seems out of place when I’m sweating here on my couch in shorts and a t-shirt. I just don’t know if I’ll ever get used to a summer Christmas. In fact you’ll probably see a blog just like this one next year… and the year after.

Since the days of roast turkey dinners and warm spiced cider are pretty much over for me I’ve decided we’ll just have to start some new festive Christmas traditions of our own. I feel like getting married will be a good starting point for us to begin creating these new traditions. I’ve already decided I want to have a Christmas party every year. My parents always had a party every year as far back as I can remember. It is one of my fondest memories from Christmas as a kid. Many times our parties would fall on Christmas Eve and the adults would let us stay up until midnight to see if we could hear the bells of Santa’s sleigh. I figure we can start of with small get togethers and work our way up to larger, more lavish parties once we actually have a decent house and higher incomes. Maybe we can also create some yummy, summery Christmas recipes to enjoy every year. I don’t know what all we will end up doing, but do I know that I need some ideas to help me adapt to this new version of the holiday season.

Any festive Christmas traditions for soon-to-be newlyweds would be greatly appreciated!

Babbling January 10, 2009

It’s nice to be back in Calirfornia… but it’s weird. I was welcomed by chilly weather, fog and an earthquake last night! After being in 90 degree heat and bathing suits, it definitely feels strange to be thrown into the cold where I now require scarves and jackets.

LUCKILY I love winter clothing MUCH more than summer stuff (even though I love summer weather). So I hit the shops yesterday to get a few sweaters and some other articles of clothing. It’s amazing that I actually found things I like- the last time I was in California all of the clothes in the shops were hideous and made me want to barf. 

So… now my foot is hurting more. Is it because I sat on the plane for 13 hours and then walked around shopping for a few hours? Or… is it because it’s cold? I always hear how broken bones ache more in the chilly weather- but mine is more my ankle that is hurting. You know what I bet it is? I haven’t been able to use my WiiFit in 2 whole days How sad, I miss it.

I also miss my wonderful Andrew. I haven’t been away from him in a long time. Ok… so we were apart for a week in august, but before that we weren’t apart since March. It’s amazing how we used to be so happy when we got to see each other for more than 2 weeks in a row. Now I dread 2 weeks apart! But I’m happy to have time with my family and friends!

In fact, I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. My family is having a late Christmas I think Andrew thinks it’s weird that my mom left the tree up and she’s making a turkey dinner and everything. BUUUUT I met a girl on the plane from Canada and we got to talking. She asked if this was my first Christmas away from home and I said “yes.” Her reply was “ME TOO, but my mom is having another Christmas for me.” So I replied “ME TOO… and she left the tree up and is making turkey dinner. Then she exclaimed “ME TOO.” So see… it’s not abnormal- we just have nice moms who want us to have our nice Christmas, even if it is a bit late.

…That’s enough babbling for the day! Happy weekend everybody

My Year in Review January 2, 2009

2008 was a good year… full of ups and downs, but luckily more ups than downs I would say. Let’s look back on my 2008… 

January ** I rung in the new year with my sisters in Laguna ** I did the God awful Master Cleanse detox diet **

 

** Andrew and I spent Valentines day on our couch, with a bottle of wine **  I pretty much spent the whole month preparing for Jen’s shotgun wedding (shower & bachelorette party) **  February 

March  ** I went home to California for Jen and James’ wedding- it was beautiful  ** We had Jen’s bachelorette party and wedding shower… so much fun!  **My niece Emma turned 5 and I got to be with her at her birthday party **

 

** My nephew Preston turned 8… he’s getting so old  ** I started my 101 in 1001 list  **April 

May  ** Andrew got a letter of intent from Qanta Mainline (international flying)… it’s been his dream and goal for years! Now we are STILL waiting on a start date…   **  Andrew and I went to Maui with my sister and her family **  

 

June  ** My sister Jan got married, unfortunately I couldn’t go to the wedding  **  ** My poor puppy Emmi died of cancer. Damn cancer!  ** Andrew and I started saving to try to buy an apartment  **July 

August  **  Andrew and I went to CA to visit my family and friends  ** We then went to Costa Rica and had an amazing time **  Andrew got to meet my sister in Texas and her kids for the first time **

 

September  ** This month marked the 1 year anniversary of when I moved to Australia  ** I Turned 28 over the international dateline on our flight back to Sydney ** 

October  ** I went to my first Australian “footy” game… the NRL Grand Final * After months of preparation, I Got my Australian residency ** Andrew turned 28 **

November  ** Andrew and I went to Perth to visit some of his family and I flew business for the very first time **  I voted in the US presidential election  ** We celebrated Thanksgiving in Australia and I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner all by myself… including pumpkin pie from fresh pumkins ** I Broke my foot and sprained my ankle while trying to catch the bouquet at Bec and Olly’s wedding  **

 

**  I spent my first ever Christmas away from my family and friends… but got to spend my first Christmas ever with Andrew  **  I got HOOKED on the best book… Twilight. Seriously, I couldn’t get what all the hype was about, but now I clearly understand how those nerdy kids read Harry Potter in a day. I read Twilight in 2 1/2 – and I hardly EVER read **  I bought a Wii! YAY. This also means I get to cross one more item off my 101 list- #72. buy a wii    **  Andrew got me a WiiFit for Christmas and I’m anxiously waiting for my foot to heal so I can balance on it and have some fun!   **  Andrew got promoted to Captain with his current job   ** I spent New Years eve with Andrew at Cremorne point watching the fireworks over Sydney Harbour- which is exactly what I’ve been wanting to do for the last 3 years. **December 

*** This year we went to 4 weddings, plus got invited to 2 more that we couldn’t attend. I made new friends and got in touch with some old ones. Some had some babies, some lost loved ones, some found love, some lost jobs, some had successes. I think 2008 was financially and emotionally tough on a lot of people, let’s hope 2009 sees things turn around!!!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PS. I give up on formatting this damn blog…wordpress can kiss my ass with its crappy text editor  

Happy New Year January 1, 2009

Happy New Year everyone!

We spent the day/night down at Cremorne Point with a bunch of people, drinks and food! There’s a cool public pool that kept us from melting too much in the sun and the crowds were lively. Everyone was having a great time!

 

HERE are some more photos if anyone wants to check out what a Sydney NYE looks like

The fireworks were great, although I have to admit- I was a little disappointed since they had been built up as the BEST and most expensive fireworks display in the world. I guess when you go around announcing that, it makes people expect A LOT. Andrew was disappointed as well because he thought last year’s were even better than this year’s. Oh well, they were still beautiful and the grand finale made it all worth it. Check out a video of the finale HERE  (it’s shakey, but you get the idea). I also get to cross off another of my 101 list- #46. Watch the fireworks over Sydney harbour on NYE.

My crutches really helped out when it came to using the bathroom. Rather than waiting in the huge lines, some people at a sausage stand let me use their port-a-potty, which was surprisingly clean! The crutches weren’t too fabulous later in the night though when we had to walk all the way home. Roads were closed and the taxis were sparse (and the ones who WERE working were ASSHOLES who wouldn’t pick anyone up)… I just wanted to get home. 10 hours in the sun (combined with alcohol) makes me tired… and I wasn’t about to wait until 2am for the busses to start coming.

I hope everyone else had a fantastic new year’s eve and I wish you all the best in 2009!

Merry Christmas from Down Under December 23, 2008

To all my friends, family and random visitors…I wish you and your families a safe and wonderful Christmas with your loved ones, yummy food and fun treats from Santa! For all of my Jewish friends, I wish you a very Happy Hanukkah

May2009 bring good health, happiness (and better economic situations) for all!!

Up and Down… Happy and Sad… December 10, 2008

First I decorated our tree… our HALF tree that we accidentally bought. Yes, it is half of a tree. It is pushed up right next to the window. We were really angry at first that we spent a lot of money on half of a tree, but then we realized it fits much better in the apartment anyways, so it was a blessing in disguise. it looked pretty. I was excited to see what it would look like at night and enjoy the beautiful sparkle of the lights and ornaments.

I was happy.

Then it got darker and we turned the lights on. It didn’t sparkle. The lights barely twinkle. It’s a dull dark tree. But there was no way to re-do it with new lights unless I took off all of the ornaments and then put them all back. That wasn’t going to happen.

So I was sad…

Yesterday I went to the orthopedic surgeon to get that bohemith of a prehistoric cast off. I waited for the doctor to say “you need surgery” or “let’s put your new cast on” but he didn’t! He said I’d be ok with just an ace bandage and maybe a splint for more support.

I was SO happy! I don’t have a picture to show my joy at this point, so I’ll just show you my original xray instead!

But then today after being in pain all night and morning, I tried calling around to see what it would take to get a removable splint put on. It really hurts without that giant, heavy plaster cast and I need something to make it more comfy and bearable. But I learned that my insurance doesn’t cover splints. Last week I changed plans (the day before this happened). If I was still on my old plan, I would be covered, but now… no coverage. I then called around to different physios to try to find someone who would do a splint for cheaper than the $230 we were quoted yesterday and talked to 3 different places who all said they don’t do splints in their office. Seriously… PAIN IN THE ASS.

Now I am sad… and hurting… but Andrew re-did my bandage so it’s super tight and a bit more supportive.

At least it covers up my swollen, purple and yellow granny cankle for the time being!!

 

Then tonight Andrew made me laksa for dinner. I was happy.

Mood swing city over here.

Happy Thanksgiving November 27, 2008

Things I am thankful for at this moment in time:

1. My family and friends. I miss them tons but I am so lucky to have them all healthy and well.

2. Andrew and I both have jobs. Many people are not so fortunate right now.

3. Thai food. My yummy dinner tonight.

4. Thanksgiving dinner. I’m missing out on the big one in the US, but I’m attempting to make a mini feast tomorrow night. It will be my first attempt ever at making a pumpkin pie all by myself, I’m even using real mashed pumpkin.

5. Andrew. He’s my favorite

6. Yoga. I went for the first time in a LONG time on Monday and I could tell I really needed it. I plan on going once a week from now on. I’d go more if it weren’t so expensive!

7. Online shopping. It’s great for my family and friends back home but oh I WISH they would start offering better online shopping in this country. Seriously… get with the times people!

8. Wine. It’s good.

9. A strong US dollar. Its one of the only perks (for me) of this horrible economy.

10. Organizing and cleaning skills. I’m SO glad I’m not a messy, dirty person. I love my clean house!

Happy Turkey day to all my loved ones (and even those people I just kinda like) back in the US! For all the Aussies who wonder what Thanksgiving is all about… read THIS.

Halloween Down Under October 31, 2008

Halloween is so different in Australia. Only a few select areas even have kids who trick or treat. Most of Andrew’s friends weren’t allowed to dress up for candy as kids, such a shame. NO ONE decorates- at least nowhere I’ve seen. I’d go as far as to say it doesn’t even exist here; however, last night I found out there ARE a few people who celebrate. Like the group of teenagers outside my apartment. They were CLEARLY “celebrating” halloween. We were lying in bed around 11 (as we do here on Halloween because there’s nothing else to do) and I faintly heard something that sounded like screaming or dogs barking. Too lazy to get up, I just ignored it- until a few minutes later, it became louder. So I went to peek out my window to find the source of the annoying sounds. Sure enough, there was a large group (maybe 10-12) of teenagers cruising in front of our apartment building. No costumes, no HINT of the Halloween spirit- yet for some reason they still decided that Halloween was reason enough to “celebrate” and act like drunk buffoons all up and down the streets of Mosman.

They decided to take a seat on the wall out front while they smoked their cigarettes and stumbled around trying not to fall over… as drunk, obnoxious teenagers do.

And WHY must the girls scream at the top of their lungs? Are they really THAT deaf? Literally… SCREAMING and YELLING at your friends who are 3 feet away is very unnecessary.

Then they started pushing over this little fence that’s on the sidewalk blocking some pipe or something. Destroying property is always a “smart” idea… but of course, that’s what drunk obnoxious teenagers do!

Then I was even more entertained as one of the boys and one of the girls stood in the middle of the street fighting. This was the good stuff! I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I found it amusing when the boy looked like he spat in the girl’s face. Then she ran back sobbing to all of her friends still perched on our wall and started mumbling about how “he just doesn’t understand.” CLEARLY neither does she- or any teenagers for that matter. Oh I wish they could all see how stupid they look.

Andrew said we should throw an egg at them.

I have to say, my favorite part of the entire 10 minute voyeuristic adventure was when one of our neighbors decided to take things into his own hands to get rid of these punks. He yelled out his window to try to get them to leave. But it wasn’t a “hey, can you keep it down” or “move along kids, we’re trying to sleep.” Nah, that’s not how they do it here in Australia.

Instead, he yelled “OI! FUCK OFF KIDS!”

That was my thought exactly. I’m pretty sure it was the sobbing teenage girl who replied so politely (as drunk, obnoxious teenagers do) by saying “Fuck off and go back into your apartment, we’re just trying to have some fun on Halloween!”

I miss the good old days when we were 15… STILL dressing up… and STILL more interested in getting as much candy as possible than getting wasted with our lame ass friends.

Happy Halloween to my friends and family back in the states. I’m really missing out this year!

My Christmas December 27, 2007

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Mine was great! I am thankful that I was able to spend it with my family, although I did miss Andrew. I just really enjoy watching my niece and nephew get so excited! They are so sweet and although they are spoiled, they are not greedy like some kids. They are thankful for each gift they get and frequently say Santa is SO nice and when they open presents from their family they exclaim “you are the BEST!” They are patient as we all take turns opening our gifts in a circle as we’ve done since I was a kid.

 

My 7 year old nephew Preston got us all presents from his school boutique. My sister gave him money and they create a list for who he can spend the money on. He bought each of us a gift, he even got one for Andrew and he picked them out all by himself without any help. He put so much thought into his gifts that he chose- picking something that made him think of each of us. For my mom, he got her a set of these chocolate/candy covered spoons that you stir in your coffee/tea. My mom always makes him tea or hot chocolate, it’s their special little thing that they do together. He got my dad a toy antique car, knowing that my dad has a collection of these small cars in our living room and even has 2 real “antique” cars in our garage. He got his sister a cute stuffed bear that she quickly named Bob.  Bob was an interesting choice considering she normally names all of her animals things like “beary, sparkles, lamby” and other cutesy names. My gift was a small candle. The candle is the clear kind with the shells and little blue coloring to make it look like the ocean. His reasoning for picking thit out is that it would help me remember Huntington Beach when I am in Australia. He is such a sweet precious boy. I am looking forward to seeing what he picked out for Andrew. I didn’t want to open it yet- although maybe I should have since I’ll be taking whatever it is through customs. Sweet little Emma was so cute talking about her “pressies” all day. I told her awhile back that Australians call presents pressies and now she insists on calling them pressies as well. She’s also started using the word “bum.”

Christmas wasn’t just fun for the kids- I got lots of nice goodies as well! Here are a few of my favorite things I received:

1. The kitchenaid Mixer- yay! Now I can bake, although I probably wont do that for awhile since I need to lose the 7-8 lbs I gained when I moved to Australia

2. The cute apron that I asked for. I never really REALLY understood why people NEEDED aprons. I thought they were just for looks- however after baking for a few weeks and cooking a lot more, I realize that cooking is actually very messy. So- I actually DO need an apron to avoid the flour and sauce from getting all over my clothes. And yes, I chose a cute one that I probably wont want to get dirty anyways- but a dirty apron is better than dirty clothes.

3. My Rabbit corkscrew. I love wine- and this will just be great for Andrew and I. Yippee

We also had a really nice family Christmas “dinner” although the kids kept getting annoyed that we were calling it dinner since we ate around lunch time. I missed out on Thanksgiving so the turkey and stuffing and potatoes, etc. were VERY tasty! I am very thankful for having such a great family and friends and I’m happy to have had such a nice Christmas. I just wish Andrew could have been here. The only thing that was a bit sad about the holiday was knowing that my poor boy had to work on Christmas eve, Christmas and boxing day I wonder when we’ll actually be able to spend our first Christmas together. Maybe next year

Yes, Today I’m a Grinch December 19, 2007

Be prepared- I’m about to bitch and moan.

First of all… WHY are people such IDIOTS?? I have so many examples, but I’ll just provide one for the day. I was driving in the parking structure at South Coast Plaza. Me and one other car were driving behind the lady in this example. I’ll just call her Ms. Moron. So Ms. Moron sees a car pulling out of a spot (lights on) and so she stops in the middle of the aisle to get the spot. Ok, fine… but she stopped in the total MIDDLE of the aisle making it impossible for us to go around her. Still though, this wouldn’t have been a big deal- I really wouldn’t mind waiting 2 minutes for the lady to park. We do what we have to do to get spots right? Well that would make lots of sense IF THERE WEREN’T 2 EMPTY SPOTS RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAR THAT WAS PULLING OUT!!

No joke, there was an empty space 3 spots over (and CLOSER to us and the entrance of the mall) and there was one directly across from the spot she was trying to get (again, closer to the entrance). It was impossible for the lady to miss these spots. They were clearly open, right in front of her. She slowly drove right past the first one, but she still could have pulled into the 2nd from where she was sitting… but no- she wanted to wait 2 minutes for the people to pack up their purchases and pull out of their spot. And I should also point out- she didn’t have a big car, she EASILY could have fit into the other spots that were the same exact size as the one she took.

Secondly- I don’t understand WHY people like rain! Yes we need it to live and to make things grow blah blah. But why do people actually enjoy it? I always hear people say “oooh I love the rain!” WHY? What is so fun about being cold and wet? Especially when you have to get in and out of your car 8 times at 8 different stores in the middle of the Christmas rush? The only time rain is nice is when I hear it outside my window as I try to sleep. But I think people who say they really enjoy rainy weather are just bullshitting. Rain, while necessary, is miserable.

Lastly, Christmas shopping 5 days before Christmas is just stupid. I don’t know how people procrastinate and put off their shopping until Christmas Eve. If I had it my way- all my shopping would have been done 3 weeks ago- but that just wasn’t possible since I was in Australia.