Happy New Year!

Well, thankfully 2008 is almost over.  I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for me.  I have all the faith in the world that it will be a much better year for my family.  Afterall, it really won't take that much to be better than the last year.  I'm trying not to be a huge downer, so I've compiled a list of some good things that happened this year.  Here's a few of my favorite memories of 2008:

January 14 - Aaron's 1st Birthday

February 14 - Last minute Valentine roses delivered to my office from Paul

March 30 - Random Spring snow day

April 11 - Jenny's 30th Birthday Party

May 23 - 27 - Visit to the NJ shore to visit the In-Law, Ayelet's Wedding in New York

June 25 - My mom sent me Cookies by Design just because

July 20 - Paul's Birthday

August 1 - Free Lunch at the Smith Tower to watch the Blue Angels!

September 12 - Shrek the Musical with Jenny and Mom

October 11 - Ainsley's 1st Birthday Party

November 12 - My 3rd Wedding Anniversary

November 27 - Hosting my first Thanksgiving with Mom and Jenny 

November 28 - Uncle Danny invited himself over for leftovers :)

December 16 - My Birthday Dinner at the Melting pot

There you have it.  At least one good thing from each month in 2008.  Thats about the extent of it.  

Happy New year to everyone!

Snow Day

I have always loved snow days.  I think that making snow men and snowball fights are a fundamental part of winter.  I'm not afraid to drive in the snow, though I prefer not to.  I don't mind bundling up and treking through the blizzard.  I enjoy watching my dog frolick through the snowy grass.  

This year for the first time ever, my office is officially on "work from home day."  It is 10:40 AM and I am still in bed.  Granted, I've been up working since 7:00 AM, but I am in my pajamas watching TV.  

For the last 2 years, I've fought my way to the office on snow days.  I hike to the bottom of the hill and wait for what seems like eternity for the bus to come.  As I said, I don't mind driving in the snow, but if I can let someone else deal with the hassle of the other drivers, I'm all in favor.  

Its been super nice to be able to work from home this year.  I get cold just looking outside.  Its still snowing - or maybe snowing again - at my house.  The traffic looks miserable, and the weather reports don't show much hope for improvement.  

I'm just awfully glad to be home today, with my husband, working from my bedroom :)

Lunchtime Disaster

Okay, it wasn't truly a disaster... but it was totally lame.  I went to the pub next door with a few friends from work to have a burger for lunch.  We were sitting having a great time, chatting and laughing.  The waitress brought our food and then brought us a bottle of ketchup for the table.  I took the bottle and started shaking it.  I didn't even think to check to make sure the cap was on... which it wasn't.  

The good news is, I only flung ketchup on myself.  The bad news is, I flung ketchup on myself.  It sucked.  The restaurant was dark, so the 3 friends I was with didn't even see it happen, nor could they tell me where is landed.  All I know is that I had a nice glob in my hair, some on my jacket and a bit on my neck.  Luckily, I'm wearing dark clothing.  I suppose if you like ketchup, it would be a lovely attractant.  For me, I just feel like a walking hamburger.

One thing's for sure: I'll never shake another ketchup bottle - or any other type of shakeable bottle - without checking the cap.  Also, if you work in the food industry, please try not to give people bottles that aren't closed properly.  Its just an accident waiting to happen... as illustrated by yours truly.

Thanksgiving

The 3 Rosenthal women survived Turkey Day.  We all agree that it didn't feel too much like a holiday without my dad, husband, nephew and Grandpa, but it was a really nice, relaxing day.  We had a TON of food... including pie.  I heard a rumor that my cousins were coming over for dessert, which didn't really happen.  I ending up basically making one pie per person.  I didn't realize that I had never hosted Thanksgiving before, which helps explain why I was feeling slightly neurotic.  I made a schedule for the day detailing what time I needed to start preparing things.  I found it to be helpful.  Since my sister did basically all of the cleaning, I am totally looking forward to next year!!!  

Geo Challenge

Have you played this addicting game?  It's seriously going to be the death of me.  I'm neurotic enough as it is, and now I have something to feed my neurosis.  I literally dream about the flags of countries, and am seeing the shape of Croatia and Latvia while I'm sleeping.  

Darn you Facebook for coming up with such a ridiculous game.  I truly don't undertsand why its so additing.  Its not really even that much fun, but I just can't stop playing.

I blame my sister for getting me started... and for setting the bar so high that I couldn't stop until I beat her! :)

Broken Heel = Broken Heart

I have this pair of brown boots.  They are absolutely perfect.  I bought them last year in Las Vegas at the Nine West outlet store.  I love them... they are comfy and fit me perfectly.  About 3 months ago, I stepped off the curb, and the heel of the right shoe cracked.  I took it to the cobbler and they fixed it for about $30.00.  3 weeks ago, I got out of my car, looked down at the right shoe and saw that the heel was cracked AGAIN!  I LOVE these boots so much I took them to back to the cobbler and had both heels replaced... it wasn't cheap.  I got them back and they have been perfect for a week now.  

Today when I stepped off the elevator at my office, I felt something weird on my right foot.  I looked down to see that the bottom inch of the heel had snapped off AGAIN.   I'm so super pissed off.  I'm taking them back to the cobbler, but I can't imagine they'll do anything for me.  Apparently my right foot is a dud, and these boots just aren't meant to be.  It makes me so sad.  :(

That was easy...

Yesterday I got suckered into attending an office supply cost analysis with our new Staples account manager.  I was so bored out of my mind during this meeting, that I was contemplating faking an IT emergency to get out of it.  As I was watching this man eagerly guide us through the idiot proof ordering website, I started to really resent myself for agreeing to attend the meeting.  I finally perked up with he said "and last, but not least..." I knew he was wrapping up... thank god!  But then the most wonderful thing happened.  Out of his logo embroidered Staples briefcase came a red Staples "That was easy" button!!!  I can't remember the last time I was so excited.  Uncontrollable shrieking, some shaking and possibly even some tears.  As my friend Dorothy and I have discussed, tt's a dual purpose addition to my desk.  I use it as both an object of zen centering when I feel stressed.  Something about hearing the little man inside the button tell me that it was easy calms me down more than anything.  Also, when my coworkers are being annoying, all I have to do it push my easy button and they cringe. 

So, long story (somewhat) short,  I must say thank you to Staples... it truly was easy!

Ibuprofen

I love ibuprofen.  I feel about ibuprofen the way the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding felt about Windex.  Have a headache?  Sore muscle?  Sprained ankle?  Tooth bothering you? Pop some ibuprofen, and in about 10 minutes, you'll have relief.  About 3 days out of every month, I live on the stuff.  It seems to be the only thing that keeps me from wanting to curl up into a ball and openly weep.  Lately, I've been concerned about the long term effects of my pill popping problem.  I understand it can do damage to my liver, but considering I don't drink very often, I've decided that I'll be okay.  I just felt the need to share the glory that is ibuprofen with the loving blog world.  Also, you can thank ibuprofen for bringing me back to the land of the living today :)

1095 Days

Today is my 3 year anniversary. I can't believe Paul and I have been married for 3 years. It's true that love grows and changes, but I really do love Paul more today than I did when I first met him. I feel so lucky to be able to come home to him every night and wake up next to him every morning. Its really nice to know that I have found someone who knows all my flaws, and loves me any way. Luckily, my parents set a great example of a happy, working marriage so I understand that even though life is hard, and relationships take work, its a very rewarding journey if you find the right person to travel with.

Mid-Morning Snack

This morning I was sitting at my desk and my stomach started growling at me.  This isn’t a particularly extraordinary occurrence on a Wednesday morning, as I generally eat a ton of crap on Tuesday night at synagogue.  However, today, my tummy was clearly telling me to put something nutritious.  Having few options for a quick snack, I headed to the Starbucks in the lobby of my building.  I ordered my caramel macchiato and then looked into the refrigerated food section.  I had every intention of buying my usual fruit, yogurt and granola parfait, but my attention quickly turned to the new Power Protein Plate.  It is a little box with a hard boiled egg, red grapes, apples, a mini whole wheat bagel, cheddar cheese and peanut butter.  I decided that it was worth a shot, since everything in it sounded health and delicious – a rare combination in my world.  I handed it to the cashier and gave her my card, paying little attention to the total price.  I brought it up to my desk and began enjoying its contents.  It was just as delectable as I anticipated, but halfway through my mini bagel, I noticed the price tag on the box.  Those bastards are charging $4.95 for 5 grapes, 2 slices apple, a couple wedges of cheese, a itty bitty packet of peanut butter and an egg!  I can’t really blame anyone but myself, because I didn’t pay enough attention to the price.  What I did decide, is that I can make my on Power Protein Plate for around the same cost, only mine will last WAY longer.  

• Apples are about $2.00 per pound, and 1 pound is about 4 apples.  4 apples cut into slices would give me about 24 slices.  At 3 slices per day that’s 8 days of apple snacks.
  
• 36 Mini Bagels are $4.66 at Costco, which would last me almost 2 months at 5 per work week.
  
• A 2 pound block of sharp cheddar is $11.65 at Sam’s Club, which would likely last me a lifetime at 4 wedges per day.
  
• Grapes are $5.86 for 3 pounds, which would last about a month.
  
• 18 Eggs are $2.29 at Sam’s club, which would last, duh, 18 days.
  
• I have a bit of an addiction to peanut butter, and I already have a Costco jar in my drawer, so there is no cost incurred there.
  

So you see, for only $26.46 I have my very own power protein plate to enjoy for a very long time.  I may even branch out and add some delicious nuts into the menu, assuming I actually go out and buy the ingredients.  One thing is for sure, I will NOT be purchasing this item from Starbucks ever again.

Wakeup Call

This morning I arrived at work as I do any other day.  I went into the kitchen to put my lunch in the fridge, and our director of Tax walked in to make himself a cup of coffee.  He made a joke about my Halloween costume and then harassed me about the plethora of microwaves we currently have in the office. We made small talk and he said he wasn’t going to be in the office today because he was attending a continuing education course at the Seattle Sheridan.  It was a nice, normal morning at team Brighton Jones.  About an hour later, the phone rang in the office and one of my co-workers, Terri, answered the call.  It was the security guard from the Sheridan calling because Eric had just collapsed and the paramedics were working on him.  After he was taken to the hospital, we found out that he had a heart attack.  He’s only 37 years old – the same age as Paul.  I’m totally freaked out and I’m wishing him a full and speedy recovery.  As if this past year wasn’t enough of a wakeup call, I now even more of a reason to be healthy and stay on top of you regular check ups…

Auntie Caca

Yesterday I went to Jenny and Aaron’s after teaching Sunday school.  My nickname is Auntie Quackie, but that’s a lot to ask a 22 month old boy to say.  When Aaron woke up from his nap, Jenny asked him who was coming.  Of course, he first guessed “Gamma,” because my mom is his favorite person on earth besides Jenny.  He then guessed “Caca,” which is me.  Somehow over the last few months, Quackie has turned into Caca.  The highlight of the day for me was when Jenny asked Aaron if he wanted to go play with Caca.  Granted, if I had a choice, Caca wouldn’t be my first choice for a nickname.  Luckily, it falls in line behind several other not-so-appealing names including, but not limited to: Hack, Hachie, HackeySack, Japster, Jappy, Yappy, Tubby, Wacky, and Smacky.  So you see, in comparison, Caca isn’t out of place with the long list of delightful nicknames.  And honestly, it’s pretty stinkin’ cute when he says it, so I’ll take it… not like I have a choice in the matter. 

Not So Lazy Weekend

Its Saturday morning, and here I am awake and still tired. Somewhere in my feeble mind I decided it would be a good idea to start teaching religious school at my synagogue in Bellevue. Granted, I love my students and thoroughly enjoy teaching. I teach 6th grade on Sunday mornings and 8th grade on Tuesday nights, and both are really rewarding and I have a lot of fun. What I do not enjoy is the fact that it basically eats up my entire Sunday, and my Tuesday evening. So again, here I sit on Saturday morning, already 2 loads of laundry done, and only 30 million left.

I have been so busy the last month with work, volunteering at the temple, and just life in general, that my house is in desperate need of TLC. I am not a neat and tidy person by nature, so it takes a lot of effort for me to keep things in order. Paul used to be on the same boat as I am with the cleanliness, but somewhere along the lines, he became a wee bit of a neat freak. So every few weeks as I get farther behind on my "chores," Paul and I have a bit of a tiff over cleaning, which stinks.

My new plan is that I'll wake up on Saturday and take care of all my laundry and other stuff before Paul wakes up. Granted, today is shot, because I think I'll literally be doing laundry until I go to sleep. Holy crap, I have a ton of clothes! If I had one wish it would be for a house cleaning fairy. Well, that's not really true, I would use one wish in a much better way, but it sure would be nice!!!

The dryer is buzzing, so off I go. Think a happy cleaning thought for me.

Halloween

I have been going back and forth on what to be for Halloween, or even if I was going to dress up at all.  My boss convinced me that I had to be something.  I did some dinking around on the internet and decided I was going to be a bubble bath.  I hesitantly brought my costume to work and changed into the outfit when I arrived, where my friends captured the hideous picture of me below.  Then, my friends convinced me to go with them to the costume contest the building was having.  I was so embarrassed… but for the first time ever – I won!  I won most original costume out of about 100+ people.  It was so exciting.  Now, hopefully we will get some trick or treaters at the house tonight.  

In other news, after seeing this picture, I'm going on a diet.

The Waiting Game

Well, Jenny has been bugging me to start a blog, and I have ben fighting her on it. Unfortunately, I have a whole lot of free time right now. So I figured, what the hell, I'll give it a whirl. Why do I have lots of free time? Well, my Grandma fell lst night and fractured her hip, and was admitted tot the hospital. My one uncle is on jury duty, and my aunt lives in Michigan. My other uncle was here for about 5 minutes and he took off. So I stuck around so my Grandma wouldn't be alone, and they just took her into surgery to put 3 screws in her hip to anchor the fracture.

I'm at Virginia Mason, and I swear this place is like an airport and a restaurant all in one. After I walked my Grandma to surgery, and went to the surgery waiting room. I had to check in at the counter where a little bitty woman named Thelma issued me a pager - yes a pager - and a tracking number. The pager is linked to my Grandma's wrist bracelet, which apparently has a bar code and gets scanned all over the place. The tracking number corresponds to the giant LCD screen that has all the patients statuses listed accorded to their tracking numbers. Its extremely bizarre. 

If you don't believe me, here is a picture of the pager and the "status screen"...