Were really well laid and then?

Every damn one of the ornaments had vanished. O.o; This isn't a big deal, these were just cheap, shiny plastic ornaments I get for the kid, because his idea of decorating the tree is to sort of toss everything on there. I could find the old/nice ornaments, but these are mainly glass. Noooo way. So after a brisk run to Rite-Aid (thank goodness they're open, otherwise, it's Wally World), I've got a new batch of cheap, shiny plastic ornaments.

I suddenly realized I'd either taken everything back to our house or had accidentally donated it. >.<

No worry, this place is full of kitch. And what the hell, it's COLD in here, isn't the heater working? Yes. Pilot's lit. Thermostat's up at 70. No heat. None. Off I went for ANOTHER jaunt to Rite Aid, which blessedly had two small heaters.

A few eggnog and whiskeys later, and we watched Happily N'ever After... over and over... till I'd figured it out. I was not the one that had too much whiskey and barfed in the livingroom.

However, the little heaters blew the fuses. I have no idea where the fuse boxes are. But fortunately found plugs that weren't on the same circuit as ten other plugs. The heater in the bedroom blew out the other fuse about an hour later, but we were under a ton of blankets by then.

Christmas Morning! Hurray! --and I suddenly realized I hadn't wrapped one damn present. Kid's still conked out, no problem. However, I'm slowly beginning to wonder where certain things are. Meaning, I left a bag of presents at the house.

Gah! Well, I got out the turkey, lovely fresh Serenity Farms Hen, took out the innards (thank goodness Serenity Farms wraps the innards in paper, but the neck's just jammed in there, yuck), covered it in bacon -- and wondered where the hell the roaster is.

How can you lose a roaster?! I found the lid. Where's the damn roaster!? Finally it turns up, behind the washing machine. O.o; Must have fallen back there after an earthquake. (YES, the house IS haunted, enough to make people send animal control there regularly, thinking we've abandoned dogs there, but they don't usually move things.)

Well, got the turkey going, and went to open prezzies! Yay! I got a bunch of lovely dresses! The kid got his new train and had to be prodded to open the rest of his gifts. The damn Simpson's DVD won't play unless you have a remote, which is long lost. e.e;

Then, I napped. Lovely nap! Till I'm woken at ten. The 'rents and older son is here. What? They should have been here at noon! Nope, they're running early, because the 'rents have to go bring a steamer to an aunt. Yeesh.

SO I swing into cooking! Cranberry-orange relish, greens and bacon, corn on the cob, biscuits, sweet potatoes, mashed taters, gravy, and I stopped around there because there's only four of us. Cookies and candy and pie!

Then we pile into the car to go decorate Tedds parents. This is always fun, but lately, the younger kid just doesn't want to get out of the car to see the graves. We think it's dawned on him, the whole dead and buried thing, and probably thinks we're crackers.

And back we go to wait for the 'rents to pick up the older boy. We usually read out of whichever antique cookbook he's brought for me, and that's what we did this time.

Finally, back home! I had a plate of leftovers for the big dog, leftover corn on the cob and salad for the chickens and geese, we'd taken the small dog with us, she's just too old anymore to leave outside. And gave turkey bits to the cats and rat. All was forgiven for our abandoning them cruelly.

Much sleep! And I'll still have to head out there again today or tomorrow to finish cleaning up! Eurgh, and call the gas company to fix that damn heater. >.<

Merry Merry! And happy Recovery day!

Because anyone with a user name like bottled goose has to be awesome. :D

Also, my brains are currently on vacation in the Bahamas or something, making thinking difficult.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Drove. A car. On a daily basis. O.o

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I did, it was to get healthier and work on Me. I'll probably make the same one for the coming year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, no babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No close deaths, fortunately, though there were a few close calls.

5. What countries did you visit?
I haven't left this state in years. I'm not fond of travel.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A new router. I usually don't worry about what I don't have, rather, how to make what I do have work.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Every year, it's the same day: June 26, my younger son's birthday. Another year survived, healthy, and happy.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Walking away from an abusive person with my head up and then to my surprise simply forgiving the entire mess with a smile and shrug.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Inadvertently upsetting a young person who didn't realize I was teasing >.<

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Sleep apnea. That's nasty stuff, man.

11. What were the best things you bought?
Haha, my computer; the overhaul on the car.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My younger son's special ed teacher. She's figured him out well enough to help make him meet several of his yearly goals within a few months.

13. Whose behavior appalled you?
That Kanye person. O.o

14. Where did most of your money go?
Right into the house and car.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
e.e; Poser! I'm a dork.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"Anymore", which you probably never heard. :D

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. (Boobs, WTF? You were supposed to unboobulate when I lost weight!!)
iii. richer or poorer? About the same, I think.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
More writing and getting to know people.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Fretting.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Off to Pomona to the In Laws (though they've passed away, we decorate them. :D). The older boy will show up with my parents, and we'll eat and open presents and all head home.

21. Why is there no Question 21?
It interferes in the solidity of 42.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Hehe, yes yes, always with the same man.

23. How many one-night stands?
None! ...Who's got that kind of energy anymore!?

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't watch TV, but I liked what I did see of Tinman and Eureka and Alice.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone, it's a horrid waste of time and energy. There are people that I'm no longer friends with, but that's really just for the best. :D

26. What was the best book you read?
Dr. Chase's Book of Practical Receipts. The mid 1800s in a weird capsule shaped like a book.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
"Sita Sings The Blues", which was just - wow. I'll gush over that later.

28. What did you want and get?
A new computer! Glee!

29. What did you want and not get?
Explanations, but oh well!

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't watch new movies, either. >.< But! I did love Coraline, which I watched after it came out on DVD.

31. What did you do on your birthday?
I dragged the boys off for dinner and bought neat stuff for me.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A less crazy yardperson.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Colorfully Gothic with random plaids.

34. What kept you sane?
Sane? What is this sane thing of which you write?

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Conrad Veidt... Yes, I know he's dead. e.e;

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
If by stirred, you mean, amused the hell out of? The whole ACORN thing.

37. Who did you miss?
I don't have a really good concept of gone/not gone. I'm convinced people who've died years ago will call, that they're really just a holler away. I do miss my old Fatman the cat, though. I think because he's in a box in my bedroom.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Oh, I've met so many new people on line, they all seem wonderful and fascinating.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Don't hang on for the sake of appearances.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da, Life goes on... :D (Bonus points for me if this gets stuck in your head!)

Oh man, the things I found. Monster maker. Flying helicopter. Matchbox car wash. Huge tin firetruck with working lights and water hose. The innards of countless dissected slot cars ranging from the old 16 gauge (I think, they're often used with garden scale trains these days, when you can even find them) to the tiny size we're familiar with now.

WIGS.

Specifically, cheap 1960s/70s horrible wigs, the ones women would buy and jam on their heads to save time doing their own hair and never realizing they now appeared to have a polyester wombat mating with their heads.

They scared the hell out of me, reaching into a decaying plastic trash bag and grabbing... them. Ugh.

Macrame ...things. One was an owl. The rest have mutated and mated with each other, forming possibly a representation of the Illiad in jute and beads. A large turquoise fish depicted in coiled cord glued to a board. Another in colored gravel glued to a board.

I need to get photos of this stuff.

( Meantime, here's a HUGE E-Christmas card for you all! )

GRAAH! I caught my nephew on MySpace, messaged him, and no answer. e.e; We haven't seen them in years, literally a decade, and it just shocks me how much he looks like my younger son. Well, they are cousins. They both had serious medical problems to overcome at young ages, but his didn't affect his brain. I think. Answer your freaking IM, kid! >.< His father wanted me to email or call - I did, but the number is blocked and the email is unanswered as yet! GRAHH!

The guy that I hired to do the yard is insisting either I owe him money or that he reallyreally wants to do more work. He doesn't speak English all that well, and my Spanish isn't so great. I think I'll get the neighbor to translate. The yard's fine, now, and I know I paid him off.

Oh well, got the new goldenthrush up here: http://blogs.myspace.com/goldenthrush Bwaha. Ockham made the "Balloon Boys" balloon, and well, I just had to.

Ack, how'd it get so late, I've got to feed the animals, and currently, Ben, our gander, is playing Man of La Mancha with his food bowl. Apparently, it's gone evil overnight. e.e; Yeesh.

I experienced Nerd Glee as I flipped through Amazon, looking for "Tinman" for the man's Christmas prezzie. I found it, of course, and then, on a whim, searched for an old, old, TV series which lasted a mere season and then slowly entered the realm of cult classics.

Quark.

A merry crew of misfits, toiling through the galaxy, picking up trash. An intergalactic garbage truck. With the Doublemint Twins. And other people. But come on, Doublemint Twins in hot pants!

Anyhow, Amazon actually has Quark, the entire series! I quickly grabbed that sucker.

This all falls into my evil plots with Time. You can go back to 1960-70, for instance, simply by purchasing Granny Goose chips and Coke from Mexico in the 12 oz bottle. (Mexico's Coke formula uses sugar rather than corn syrup).

Want to go back to the mid 1970s? Funyuns and Dr. Pepper (in the can), from Texas if possible. (Sugar instead of corn syrup). Earth shoes are optional, Star Wars or Superman.

So we'll be having a very '70s Christmas, we'll even have the Philco stereo/turntabe "side table" out to spin some vinyl. For I did find -in mint condition in his mom's collection- Silly Surfers and The Weird-Ohs. YES.

"Crystal Serving Ware" by Princess House, not purchased, my brothers and sisters in bell bottoms, but instead procured with Green Stamps! GREEN STAMPS.

Melamine Joy! Creepy elf-dolls with wire-covered felt bodies and creepy plastic heads! Tinsel tree? Actually, there is one there, but it's horribly shabby - but I think the light-box still works. We'll find out! Hang his old Angel Flight suit on the wall? I believe I shall, that we might luxuriate in the scent and sight of so much polyester in one place! (It's brown, sadly, rather than baby blue or white.)

When do you want to go back to? It just takes a few little sights, sounds, smells, tastes. Or you can join us on the Mother Road...