I don’t know about y’all, but I am exhausted.
Like I may fall asleep writing this. I don’t want to make this a depressing post, but I went to the hospital to day to sit with my sister whose daughter was there for a life long medical issue. My niece seems to be back on the mend and might get to go home tonight, but I really think it might not be until tomorrow. We shall see. She is in and out of the hospital a lot and every single time I go to visit I park in the wrong place. The hospital is huge and spread out over several blocks. I manage to get lost every.single.time. Today they were working with a skeleton crew and there were no live people at any of the three places that give out patient room information. I was literally in back stairwells and wandering into STAFF ONLY dead ends for a good half an hour before I got to the room panting and sweating. It was actually a great cardio workout. Then I came home a bit ago, checked emails while heating up a turkey pot pie. After eating for the first time all day, I hit the wall. I’m back in narcoleptic mode.
Santa was especially good to me this year. Clearly, the naughty and nice lists got swapped because I made out like a bandit. I got a gift card to the movies that I am super excited to use. I haven’t been to the movies in years because unless it is something I am dying to see, it just seems kind of expensive to me. Plus I usually take myself out to dinner when I go and it just all adds up to a not so cheap date. I also got a gift card to a really nice restaurant group in Atlanta. I told you I was spoiled beyond belief.
Then Santa sent a lot of other surprises. It was all very unexpected and kind. I was terrible on my guessing this year. Each box I opened was a surprise.
I did get some champagne… that I was playing to drink tonight. But as soon as I ate I got so sleepy that I might wait until tomorrow. We will see if I rally.
There are a lot of good Christmas movies on tonight and I want to stay up to watch them. That was my Christmas. It was actually way more fun than it sounded. I got to spend a few hours alone with my sister on Christmas. She’s got so many kids and grandkids coming in and out of her house it’s always crazy. She has a son arriving tonight in fact. All five of her kids and there kids will be there tonight. So it was great to have some quiet time with her.
Time to watch more movies! Let me know how your Christmas went. What did you do? What did you eat?
Also how the heck do you pick a winner from all these gorgeous trees? What a mess I’ve gotten myself into. Help!
I spent one Christmas in the hospital. I am still very grateful to all the medical staff who work. Hope your niece goes home soon.
We spent quiet time with our 2 children. An adult Christmas can be really fun.
I’m in the medical field and have spent many, many holidays there including Christmas. I was always amazed by how much grief and happiness could exist at the same time in one building-but I don’t want to get too depressing.
Spent a quiet day at home with the family (mostly in pajamas) eating and watching Rudolph and Frosty etc…
An adult Christmas can be very nice!
Sending lots of healing thoughts to your niece Tamara.
Thank you from all of us!
Prayers being sent for the sucessful health of your niece. Right now I am doing the turkey – via Gordon Ramsey recipe.
Merry Christmas Tamara. I spent the day with my father and my son at the local casino. We all wall walked away with a few hundred of their dollars so yay us. Went into the restaurant and had prime rib for dinner. Our waitress looked pregnant and tired so I tipped her 100%. I know how much it sucks working on the holidays for tips. Now I am home and settled in for movie time.
That was super nice of you!
That sounds like my kind of Christmas! Ive only been to a casino once but I like doing different things during the holidays. Sorry about your niece Tamar, hope she is doing well.
Hope all is well. We had the big family gathering yesterday. Today just hubby and the last daughter at home. We slept in, had breakfast casserole, took naps. .. nice and relaxing. I don’t return to work until the 3rd of January so a very welcome break ahead. Best wishes for all!
And to think I spared you the photo of my tree, because it would be The Instant Winner and I didn’t think it was fair to the others…….:-)
Glad to hear you had a pretty good Christmas!
We do ours in the middle weekend of December to accommodate step parents and grandparents and in laws. After that we coast and enjoy the Christmas season.
Merry Christmas! I wasn’t feeling well so I’m home alone. I’ve snoozed off and on and watching Christmas movies. Spoke with a few of my cousins who caked. My parents have passed on so it’s just me and my brother who brought me a plate and dessert. Sleeping late tomorrow and thankful I’m on vacation all Week. This wasn’t the was I planned to spend Christmas but being in my pajamas all day and relaxing wasn’t half bad.
Feliz Navidad to everyone! Very quiet holiday here in Oregon with tons of snow. It’s been snowing off and on since Friday and I wish it would stop. I still have ptsd from last winter (couldn’t get the car out the driveway until Feb).
Anyhow thank you TT for all you do throughout the year. I read your blog daily and would be lost without you AND your many posters.
Sending prayers for your neice.
An adult Christmas spent in pjs with fabulous dinner cooked by husband and daughter was glorious. Hope all got to enjoy the day.
Here in Colorado weather was fabulous! Blue skies, sunshine and beautiful mountain peaks…took the dogs for a long hike…breakfast burritos and rumchata, goes great together! Mom and dad came over with gifts for dogs, hubby put steaks on the grill with some crab legs, baked potato, salad and cheesecake. YUMMY!
STEELERS Football then nap. Spiked eggnog and snacks later.
We are truly Blessed. ..
My day is winding down and I’m sitting here in my Ugly Christmas Sweater contemplating the pros and cons of one more spiked eggnog. And sweatpants. I really need sweatpants.
Thank you for being such an entertaining writer. I love the perspectives of you and your many commenters. Sending positive thoughts to your niece for a speedy recovery.
Merry Christmas!
Did big family Saturday, so we had a good sausage and tomato sauce and baked ravs with sauce and mozz. for Christmas Eve. Today we got up, opened gifts, had sticky buns n coffee and then had dinner at 1:30. Dinner was a dry aged rib roast – aged in the spare fridge and amazing. I was introduced to the rub with butter/herbs/s&p/garlic, cook for 6 min/lb at 550 and turn off oven and DO NOT open the door for 1.5-2 hours method. It’s judt the easiest and most fool proof method! Mashed potatoes and fresh green beans in lemon butter with almonds. But they were just garnish. The meat with horseradish and/or a-1 (I’m a heathen, but I need an acid to cut the richness of the meat). Then we packed up and drive to the beach. My favorite little 6’3” Tara cam home a week and a half ago after his first semester with a 3.7 something, dean’s list accomplishment. He is staying home to have parties, go to parties, destroy my house and eat crap instead of the carefully planned left over meals I’ve left for him. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We have him to the beginning of Feb., so plenty of time. And he may drive down for a free meal or two with friends at some point.
Even though the hospital is not optimal, sounds like you had a really nice day! And got great gifts! Enjoy.
Btw, my ugly ass tree was not to compete, but rather to point and laugh at. I fully understand this. Lol. Merry Christmas you crazy ole bitch (from an equally crazy ole bit h….well…not QUITE as old. But yeah. I win in the bitch category).
Drive is drove. Tara is tard. Cam is came. bit h is bitch.
It’s a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!
I was wondering if you were announcing the tard’s transitioning.
Where do you buy good horseradish? I’ve taken a liking to it since THE CRAZY came and don’t really know what the good stuff is.
And rich people ovens go to 550? Y’all get all the nice things.
I think broil is 550, isn’t it?
They usually have a good strong, refrigerated horseradish in the seafood department with the cocktail sauce. I sometimes get Bookbinders, but I think that is a local thing. Inglehoffer is super good they also make good mustards. And of course horseradish mustard. I like to cut it with some sour cream and lemon. It makes it easier to dip into or spread on too. Now I’m getting hungry again! I had the hotel leave a cheese and fruit platter, a charcuterie plate with rolls and croissants, along with some drinks and condiments in the fridge just before check-in so it was waiting for us. But alas, no horseradish. And no beef. I kinda wish now that I had packed up the leftovers. I didn’t make gravy, but I did dip a half slice of bread into the drippings and oh my lord that shit was the shit!
TT, you’re right! It is a Christmas miracle to hear from Tee Cee. Cool.
Fresh horseradish is pretty great too. You can often get it at Whole Foods.
Just kissed Mom & Dad goodnight, they left with leftovers and presents, think we did good this year.
Oldest daughter and grandson left shortly before to make the 5 hour drive to Tucson. She stayed hours past when she wanted to leave but glad she stayed as long as she did!!! She has to work in the morning and she’ll need to use her sitter tomorrow, lives a bit from her apt. G-son in kindergarten this year, a move, new job has lengthened that drive but sitter so good it’s worth the extra time. She normally uses the after school care at the school on school days…..
My youngest took off to pick up a lonely girlfriend to bring her back here tonight. They’ll be back any second.
Husband made his family phone calls, CA and Oregon.
I changed into my jammies, poured the last of the prosseco into a short tumbler, pulled up TT on my phone.
Going to watch M2M and maybe Outlander…I’ll see, like to have all my faculties intact for Outlander. Averaged 4 hours of sleep the last 4 nights and I work in the am, need to be up at 0500 to get ready and make the drive.
I have to say this was one of the best Christmases I’ve had in YEARS! My babies were here, my parents were here, the food was delicious and the house? With help came together after the gift throwdown this am.
Oh! My husband got me a Room ba? Robot vacuum! We live w/2 dogs and 2 cats, hair is a constant battle!!! I’m so excited! I vacuum and sweep every day I’m home, never enough!
That felt good, sorry if I blabbered on too much, kinda a prosecco, tired, relaxed, happy, want to share afterglow situation!?
TT? Blessings to you (Banjo of course) and your family. It’s never any fun to be in a hospital, certainly worse on Christmas. Hope your niece’s care was perfection and your alone time with your sister meaningful.
Thank you and your readers, Merry Christmas …2018? I think is going to be an amazing year, for all of us!
Don’t you wish we had Boxing Day in the US? I know that my husband and other working family members could really use that extra day after Christmas to relax and clean up the house and just breathe a bit. Especially since Christmas involves long trips to sometimes multiple relatives houses. I’m lucky as I work as a nanny for a mother who is a teacher. She’s off until January 8, so I am too.
I do! But for me just having the actual holiday off while I have kids at home has always been luck of the draw…I really had a wonderful day yesterday, today was a complete drag but home now, off work for 3 days…I’m going to have boxing day tomorrow…?
Merry Christmas TT and all here! New German Shepard pup this year brought so much joy to our family after losing our 12yr old Golden to old age. Feeling blessed and grateful and wishing the same for all. Merry Christmas!!!
Oh! I so feel your pain and new parent excitement!
My dog Samantha (Sam) a golden lived 1 month shy of 15 years. She saw me though a lot of shit. Tearing up just thinking about her. They are amazing dogs. I SWEAR she stayed alive for ME because I needed her!
We now have a half Huskie/white lab, one blue eye one brown…he’s mine, I saved him…long story but he’s a big, huge and furry/shedding scared boy who loves his mommy.
Other dog we took in from my oldest daughter when she couldn’t have a dog when she made a move years ago.(she’s a mix, poodle/terrior? Strangely not smart) Was supposed to be temporary, I think she’s ours some 4 years later. She’s my husband’s dog, she adores him.
German Shepherd’s are smart, beautiful dogs, happy you found love again!
I forgot to mention I wore my family dollar Rudolph pants to the hospital and wished all the people working there Merry Christmas. They seemed to like it, I got VERY lost so I am sure I got to wish every last damn one of them Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas TT and All!
Quiet one here. My daughter came home from college with influenza B that raged all the way to today. It’s an ugly bug. We did watch several TCM Christmas movies together so that was great. I picked up all the slack on the food she couldn’t eat, lol.
I am finally taking a breather after a crazy day. My kids are all here (some live nearby and others are staying). Big breakfast, tons of presents, lots of cleanup and then dinner prep. Dinner and dessert followed by a few visitors. I am contemplating whether to have a cocktail or just go to bed. Sons are watching football.
Glad your niece is on the mend, TT. I hope she’s home by now. I know getting lost was a PIA, but I am smiling at the thought of you wandering around in your Christmas pants, wishing everyone a merry Christmas.
I have to brace myself for more company tomorrow.
Favorite Christmas classic? I have to go with The Man Who Came to Dinner. Dear god I love that film. It’s so beautifully snarky.
I’m not classy enough for the classics. I like the formulaic Hallmark/Lifetime ones where there are basically five plots in new movies every year and everyone falls in love and stays together for ever. Sue me.
You are a hopeless romantic, TT.
I think you would love Call me by your Name a great movie filmed in Italy. Merry Christmas spirit animal xo Marc
I was actually going to go see that last Saturday. It’s not at my theater anymore and is only showing at the fancypants theater in Buckhead. As I was motivating to go, it started to rain and my windshield wipers desperately need replacing and my windshield is losing that black strip that holds it in. I opted to stay home. Also now that I think about it that theater is in a mall and there would be no parting. ALSO they have assigned seating there only the front row was left.
Doing things is hard.
I hope you get the opportunity to see it. One word review . Epic. Happy 2018 to you & yours, Marc
Thanks guys for all the well wishes for my niece. I never heard if they made it home tonight. At the hospital, my sister’s phone was literally blowing up every five or ten minutes from family an friends. I didn’t want to add to the drama. I hope they went home and my sister didn’t miss Christmas.
I should probably read things and not skim before commenting, as I would have posted the off topic elsewhere due to what you wrote. Went back and read after posting. Hope your niece is doing well. Hope I positively distracted you with my former comment.
TT – thank you for all the fabulous snark in 2017. God knows, I think we all needed some light relief.
I’m relaxing today, surveying the cold remnants of a turkey dinner for ten. Made far too much food as usual.
I hope your niece gets home very soon!
Hopefully your sister and niece are managing to enjoy a good Christmas at home today.
We went out to eat for Christmas lunch for the first time ever and it was great. I think big turkey dinners might be a thing of the past for me from now on!
We blew off our fancy steak dinner and ordered pizza.
Happy to hear about everyone’s holiday.
Sounds like my night Radchick. My son and I had to smoke a bowl and down like 5 fireball shots each on the way to the inlaws to be able to deal! His father was driving of course. However, we did feel the need to self medicate before had.
Charlie you’d make a great addition to our family!
I heartily approve of your coping methods!
Christmas is over and appears to have been a success, a success in that every one is still speaking to each other. But I am exhausted. How do you all survive the work? We had three days of Christmas. One child had to work yesterday so our main celebration was on Saturday, football tailgating and game on Sunday, then Christmas day gathering yesterday. Four days of cooking, constant cleaning, and attempting to make the magic happen for the younger ones have left me spent. Every woman I know busted there ass the last couple of weeks and they all appear to have done it with more grace and energy than I. I look around my house this morn and it is a mess. The fridge is full of leftovers, most of it will get thrown out or fed to the dogs. While I did enjoy having my family all under one roof for a time, a small part of me hated it all. If you woke up to a clean house, feeling joyful about the time you spent with you family, and have an overall feeling of contentment about the holiday season, I want to know how you did it. Blast away.
I didn’t wake up happy today at 0500 to go to work but I had a few good hours yesterday.
I woke to the sound of my grandson squealing w/excitement seeing his baseball beanbag seat…he’s 5.
I was so tired but drug myself out of bed and although there was a lot of cooking and cleaning that happened later…I did see the wonder a this little guys eyes, he Believes In Santa…wasn’t too bad believing for a few hours yesterday too.
Hope your niece is on the mend.
Smoked turkey, sage rice, spicy kale, and yeast rolls last night. And cinnamon walnut cake, mmm. ‘Twas a merry xmas with unexpected gifts. I can’t complain. Here comes 2018, holy shit.
The key, Jane, is having no family left.
Our Christmas was lovely! I’m sorry that you’re included a visit to the hospital, Tamara.
I opened the present from my son, the one that was wrapped in yellow bday paper with double sided tape that had lost its stick. It was a tick piece of wood, 8×12 inches with an owl made out of pine cone pieces glued onto it to look like feathers. It was the best gift he’s ever brought home from school and he says he worked on it for weeks. He even sanded the edges of the wood block so they would be smooth! I wish I could upload a picture.
My husband and in-laws spoiled me this year. I got many gardening books and magazines (including a memoir called “the $64 tomato” advertised as both an inspirational and cautionary tale of extreme gardening! Super funny and highly recommend), new hoses and spray nozzles, perfume, earrings, towels, and more.
We bought our 11 year old son a big kid, hobby grade electric train set this year and we’ve set it up to run around the Christmas tree. My dream, after watching something called “I love toy trains” on TV, is to eventually have a whole Christmas village set up that the train can run through. My son thinks the $8 wooden train whistle, picked up as an afterthought while waiting in line at the hobby shop, might be one of his favorite gifts ever. Kids are so funny.
My Christmas was low-key, but relaxing. Went to my son’s in-laws’ home, ate some good food, and had a few laughs. Didn’t have to do a thing. Perfect.
My brother in England has a whole room set up for his electric train sets. He and his wife have made an Alpine area, complete with mountains, ski lodge and cable cars that fills a huge space. He does all the scenery, and she makes the houses and little people. From the photos, it looks beautiful. Some people are so damned “handy” it makes me sick! Just kidding. I envy them their partnership and skills. They met ten years ago, when each was was just coming out of a bad marriage, they’re in their late 60’s and like teenagers in love. I like your idea of a whole Christmas village with the train running through it – I’d like something like that myself.
I also fully understand the concept of a $64 tomato. By the time I bought all the wood and soil for a raised garden, then decided I needed to compost, bought a composter, which still hasn’t given me a good batch of rotten goodness, then bought all the stuff which is supposed to make your soil richer, I spent a fortune. Not even counting my precious, lazy time. All for tomatoes which were the fugliest things I had ever seen, and didn’t even taste like I remember good, home-grown tomatoes tasting. Still love the idea of growing your own veggies though. I come from a family of talented English peasants who could make a tree grow from a dry twig, but the gene somehow bypassed me No lush rambling English gardens at my house, just a bunch of Walmart and Home Depot plants which struggle to develop in my drought-ravaged, rain challenged neck of the woods. Hope you have better luck.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year!
I have recently learned that you have to water your compost for it to rot down well and quickly. I have a compost bin with a lid so it doesn’t get any rain in it and I have to water the compost with a hose a couple times a week. It also helps if you turn your compost and stir it. And I recently watched a gardener’s world episode where Monty Don ran over all of his clippings and leaves with a lawn mower so that the pieces going into the compost bin would be much smaller and rot down more quickly. That seems a step too far for me, though.
Boxing Day is boring unless you have Boxers
Since this thread is off topic as far as reality, and the lovely Teecee graced us with comments reminding me, my non-gossipy but curious self just wants to ask ONCE what happened with the mad exodus of regulars over a year ago? I stuck around here loyal and almost alone. Personal life (with littles) got crazier so I can’t read as often but want to trymore. BUT I have noticed the occasiaonal “old” username of regulars popping back. I heard there was back stabbing and horribleness over in the other place (surprise!) …. so I am NOT trying to go back or taking anyone back., least of all you TT. Just one question.. are old regulars back on here and resurrecting these names (likely see the trouble maker, money hungry con “over there” for what she was)
It’s late, I’ve had a drink and I hope it’s ok to ask. Or if you have my email still and wnat to shoot me the answer just because. I just think it would be great to know if it came full circle and peeps are back. Maybe some under alias can feel ok to come out even. 🙂 all love here as far as I see it. Well besides the occasional sarcasm and whit thrown out which I love 🙂
As far as I know, the cat ladies never left, they just stopped commenting here because they are all blocked. As for whether the con is still conning them, I have no idea. Not my circus not my monkeys.
That’s the perfect healthy space to be in.
Glad it is all in past for all. Things are much better here.
TT, I hope your niece is feeling better!
I hope this isn’t against the rules, but I wanted to tell you about something that got a big writeup in the New York Times today, called MoviePass. It’s an app, and they send you a membership card, and it costs $9.95/month, and you can go to one movie a day at major theaters. So that’s up to 31 movies/month, for less than the cost of one movie ticket. I have nothing to do with this – I just read about it and signed up for it. Looks like I’ll be going to the movies a lot more than I used to.
Merry Christmas!
I heard of that. So you have to go to 8 movies a year to break even, and thinks of the popcorn budget for that.
Good point. I guess it might not be the best plan for folks with a tendency to be hermits (like me).