Chinese Food?

Everyone knows the classic Jewish (not-so untrue) stereotype of Chinese food on Christmas. The reality is, its a tradition in many families and while its certainly not a religious observation, I'm all in favor of family traditions. Well, the Rosenthals have never really upheld this tradition, but lets be honest - when is Chinese food not delicious? I've been sitting on my couch literally all day. And at about 1:00 pm I started craving Chinese food. Its like my Jewish roots are beckoning me to a nearby wok. In any case, I've spent the last 20 minutes trying to motivate to get dressed and head to Jenny's to pick up some take-out. I think I'm almost there - but I just think its funny that I can't fight the Chinese food on Christmas :)

UPDATE: Mission accomplished and Chinese food has been purchased. Hot and Sour soup consumed and was delish! Totally worth getting up off the couch!

Family Fun

Over the last few months, we've had a spattering of Rosenthal family gatherings at my mom's house. We had Thanksgiving, and impromptu Chanukah dinner, and birthday celebration for me, and last night we had a birthday party for my Uncle Les. I must say, these family gatherings have been a total and complete blast. Granted, the house is LOUD - (my cousin and I are the two loudest people on the planet) but there was lots of laughter, love and a TON of food. My aunt made enough pasta last night to feed a small nation... it was hilarious. My mom has pictures of it, which I'll add in later - but it was amazing to see my tiny little mom carrying a bowl of pasta about the same size as her entire body.

Its been really nice to spend time with the Rosenthal's... and one Siegel :) Cousin Naomi recently moved from Grand Rapids (by way of Ashville, India, Thailand.... and various other locations) to Bellingham. It awesome to have her close enough to join in on family festivities. Cousin Katie has been out of Gig Harbor for a while, but its nice to finally find time to hang out together. Cousin Kerri currently lives in Pullman (not Poland, Uncle Sam) though I'm sure she'll get the heck out of there when she graduates - and hopefully she'll move closer to Seattle as well.

We were pretty close growing up, and then life happens, and people get busy, go to school and find careers. It's really obvious why we all spent so much time together as kids, because we have a total blast together now. My mom has become quite the little hostess and has been really willing to be our home base for these gatherings.

I tend to get a little sappy around this time of year, but this year, for the first time in a while, I am full of happiness and joy. I'm pretty sure I can credit my family for most of it... Especially my amazing husband who averted my cell phone crisis yesterday by promptly taking me to the AT&T store and buying me a new IPhone. I felt so loved and appreciated.... New technology will do that to a girl :)

Happy Holidays everyone!

Toffee

So on Friday night, I was at my friend Briana's house and she had this amazing toffee. She made it herself and I literally couldn't get enough of it. I had to be cutoff from the stuff because the ingredients are slightly less than healthy. Nevertheless, it was one of the most incredible things I have ever tasted. She was good enough to share the recipe with me and this morning I made a batch. I didn't have enough almonds for a whole batch, so I made half almond and half pecan. Evidentally, toffee is extremely temperamental, but it appeared to be ok. We'll see how it turned out when its a reasonable hour in the day to eat toffee. I can't bring myself to eat it at 9:30 am :)

I realize it doesn't look that amazing in that picture, but it looks - and smells - amazing! Thanks B!

Reality Check

Yesterday afternoon my former neighbor, Kristen, stopped by my house. I was in the shower, so I didn't hear her knocking, but she left a note saying that we needed to call her as soon as possible. I didn't think too much of it, because Paul and I were very good friends with Kristen and her husband Scott, and I knew that Kristen was frequently in the area. They were the best neighbors, and wonderful friends and we really miss having them right next door. In any case, I read the note, and called her back when I got out of the shower. She told me she was down the street at one of our other neighbors and asked if she could come over for a bit. After I told her she was always welcome, I asked if she was okay. She told me she had some bad news, but that she needed to tell me in person.

When she got to the house, she came in, sat down on the couch and told me that her husband, Scott, had passed away on Friday. My jaw dropped and I started crying. It seemed so out of the blue, and I was in total shock. Kristen is an amazing woman, and I can't even imagine what she is going through. She has an amazing support, and her friend even setup a website to help out. Scott was only 36, and I am still in shock.

No matter how often we say that life is a precious gift, it doesn't seem to be frequent enough. Life doesn't always make sense, and the only way to really survive the insanity seems to be to appreciate every day and every one you have. I know that I tend do get annoyed and frustrated (see post below) over little things in life. While I make no promises to end this all together (it seems to be in my nature) I know that I will work much harder before I get angry over something small.

Scott, you were and always will be an amazing guy. Paul and I are so lucky to have had you in our lives. Your smile and sense of humor were cherished gifts that will be missed by all who knew you.

Frustration

I am feeling very frustrated lately. You name it, it annoys me. I attribute a good portion to it to lack of sleep - I haven't slept more that 5 hours (6 if I take a sleeping pill, which I hate doing) in about 3 years. I'm also pretty fed up with life in general. Despite all the sappy posts, I don't think I really processed everything that has happened in the last month and a half. It may be hitting me harder than I expected, and I'm not expressing myself properly, which sucks for the people closest to me, because they are the ones that ending up taking the brunt of it.

I will say that being at work is actually a lot of fun. My youth group board is hilarious and they make me laugh and smile and feel really good about what I'm doing with my life. In any case, I'm waiting for things to take a turn for the better, which hopefully they will soon.

In other news, Paul and I are going to a halloween party and my cousins. Its the first time in the 10 years we've been together that we've gone to a halloween party... should be interesting :)

Shabbat Shalom

Everyone looks forward to Fridays, but this week, I was feeling particularly drained, and it was for sure a TGIF kind of day. As one of the kids in NFTY taught be BHIS - Baruch Hashem, its Shabbat. I can't imagine how this could have been more true. I was planning a quiet relaxing dinner with my mom (after I ended up working until 10 on thursday and accidentally forgot I was supposed to have dinner with her). At around 5, Jenny and Aaron called to invite me to Shabbat dinner. I thanked them for the invitation, but told them I had plans with my mom. And thats when Aaron proved that he can guilt just as well as the rest of the family. "Talk to Jackie" I heard him say from the back seat. So Jenny put the phone on speaker and handed it to him. "Hewwo Jackie" he said. "Hello Aaron." I replied. "Shabbat Shawome" he continued to which I responded "and Shabbat Shalom to you Aaron." And it was all downhill from there. "Jackie coming to Shabbat Shawome?" I again told him I was going to grammy's for dinner. "Peas Jackie coming to Shabbat Shawome?" He begged and pleaded and worked himself into a pretty good little tizzy over me not being able to come to Shabbat dinner.

Long story short, I went to "Shabbat Shawome." It was lovely, and Aaron cracked me up. He knew exactly what to do during the prayers, and was expecially excited for the challah.

Thanks, Jenny, for a lovely dinner and a fun evening.

Home Sweet Home

Fair warning - slighty mushy post below... but with the Jewish new year having just come, the day of atonement ahead and everything else, I feel its VERY warranted at this point.

Well, afer 5 nights in the hospital I am finally back at home. Last night was my first night in my own bed, and it was SO nice. I can't begin to explain how nice it is to not be attached to IV's and having a full night without people coming in every two hours to check your vitals and make sure you are still alive. Its been a long, strange week, but I think the worst is behind us.

I know I have said it many MANY times before, but I just can't express enough how fortunate I am. I guess things were pretty dicey for a little while, and while I remember that, its hard to see what everyone else sees when you are the one living through it... if that makes any sense at all. In any case, I have an exceptionally amazing, supportive and loving husband. The medical staff at Swedish hospital actually commented - repeatedly - on how wonderful he was, and, believe me, I know. I am so fortunate to have someone in my life who would literally do anything for me, and would give anything for my health and happiness. This is a man who takes his wedding vows seriously, and I will never EVER take that for granted. I love him with all my heart and can't imagine my life without him.

I also have a temendous mother who made time every day to spend time with me. Even if it was just to sit in my room and watch tv while I napped, she was there to bring a smile to my face. Even though she drove (and continues to drive) me nuts about eating when its the last thing I can even fathom, its all out of love. The truth is, there are very few people, if any, who love me more than she does. She is an incredibly strong woman, and I love her more than words can ever express.

I have a terrific sister and amazing little nephew. I am pretty sure that few moments made me smile as much as when Jenny and Aaron dropped by for a visit. Aaron toodled in with a GINORMOUS bouquet of beautiful flowers and handed them to me with what I think was "feel better Auntie Jackie." I can't be sure if thats what he said, but we all are aware that him handing me the flowers goes down as one of the most adorable and memorable moments in my whole life. Hospitals aren't fun for anyone, and seeing people you love in hooked up to machines and looking miserable is hard for anyone - especially for a 2 1/2 year old. Aaron was a trooper and held it together really well. Jenny was super supportive and checked in every day to make sure I was getting better.

All my family and friends continually called, texted, facebooked, etc to see if we needed anything. Knowing they were there was a great source of comfort both for me and for Paul and we couldn't have gotten through it without our system of support.

Finally, the medical staff at Swedish are just about the most caring and attentive folks on the planet. I was definitely there way longer than anyone anticipated, and significantly longer than anyone else on my floor. I tried to be a good patient, but I know I was a pain at times, and am just grateful for the excellent care I received while I was there.

So, there you have it. Nothing like a little brush with death, a couple of surgeries and a few nights in the hospital to give you a fresh perspective. I have never been one to take life for granted, and I have always knowns that life is fragile. This past week has really reinforced that and I am just truly appreciative for everything I have.

A Brand New Year

Well, tonight marks the start of the Jewish new year. Although I've said it before, I have never been quite as excited to put the past behind me and move towards better things that are sure to be ahead. The last 2+ months have been a roller coaster both physically and emotionally and I happy to be able to move forward and start fresh.

So, with that, I wish all my friends a very happy new year. May your year be as sweet as honey and full of love and happiness.

Positive Thoughts and Prayers

As if my last post wasn't cryptic enough, I'm posting another one. If ever someone has needed all the ju-ju they can get, it's me this morning. If possible, and you are thinking about it, send some good vibes my direction around 9:15 this morning. It would be greatly appreciated, and is much needed. In case I don't say it enough, I have amazing family and friends, and I am grateful for each and everyone of you every moment of every day. XOXO

Think Happy Thoughts

FYI - a slightly depressing, relatively vague post below. Feel free to disregrd, its more cathartic for me that it will be entertaining for you.

While I'm not really at liberty to share details, yesterday was a really tough day. I have an amazing support team with Paul, my mom, my sister, rabbis and a close group of terrific friends. But sometimes, its just not enough. I really thought I had been through the ringer enough the last two year, but evidentally, the big dude upstairs isn't done testing me. I know I will survive, and likely even be a stronger person because of it. Regardles, I am just always shocked at how hard life can be. I've learned to stop asking "how bad can it be" or "whats the worst that can happen?" Because no matter what I think of, it seems to happen.

One thing that is painfully aware to me is that the human heart is a very powerful thing in so many, many, many ways. Don't take anyone or anything for granted EVER. Every minute is precious, and I will always remember that.

Sorry for the uber vague post, but perhaps to some of you, its not that vague and you may actually know what's going on. If you don't, don't worry. Just know that I love you and your friendship and love means the world to me.

Beach Bummin'

Today was the second day of my summer beach bum-hood. I use the term "beach-bum" very loosely, because I don't spend much time actually at the beach. I tend to just end up being a "bum" during my time here. I've spend the last two mornings vegging out on the deck reading trashy magazines and checking sutff out online. Then I watch some equally trashy TV while the family heads over to the beach. Around 3:00, when its not so deadly hot at the beach, I meander over to check it out. I spent two hours on sunday and 2 hours today relazing under the umbrella and watching Paul and my 2 nieces play in the water. They were having a great time.

I came back to the house to be the first in line to take a shower. Few things in life are worse than a cold shower. I like to secure my hot water by bathing while no one else is home. Generally, the family comes back around 5 or 5:30, and the tank has had time to replenish itself for everyoneto get a nice hot shower.

We are watching the Little League World Series right now, because the Somerset Hills team is from the town where my Brother In-law lives. All the little boys on the team are friends with my nieces. They are playing Staten Island, and we are hoping for a big fat W tonight.

All in all, not much excitement, but I couldn't be happier to be here. Getting some much needed R&R and spending time with family that loves me, and whom I love.

New Jersey

We leave today for 2 weeks on the Jersey shore with my in-laws. I think this is the longest trip we've ever taken, which will be nice for Paul. I am on vacation the whole two weeks, but I am bringing my laptop because I know I'm going to have to work at least a little bit while I'm gone. I admit that occasionally its nice to have something to do, because I often need a distraction from relaxion. Sad isn't it?

I am really looking forward to the trip. Paul's mom has a wonderful house down on Long Beach Island, which is really lovely. Her house has an awesome bayfront deck, and is right across the street from the beach. Being a Rosenthal, I much prefer to spend my time on the deck away from the sand and salty ocean water. I know I'm a giant nerd, but I just prefer to not get all sandy from laying on the beach and itchy from the ocean water.

The other wonderful thing about my summers in New Jersey is my ability to read. Anyone who knows me well knows that with the exception of Janet Evanovich's fluffy series novels, I don't really like reading. For some reason, sitting on the beach brings out a thirst for literature. It works out nicely, because my mother in-law is a retired librarian. She loves reading and always has plenty of books that I enjoy.

All in all, I'm excited for a 2 week vacation. The 6 hour plane ride? Not to much. I'll try to blog more often while I'm gone, because like I said, I will probably have lots of free time... like two weeks worth :)

Uncle Jackie

Most of you know that we've retired the name "Caca," as Gramma didn't much care for it. She worked hard with Aaron to teach him to name my name right, and he has mastered it. In fact, a while back she called me from the car because Aaron was literally yelling "Ja-ckie" over and over.

Lately, Jenny has been working with Aaron on learning all his family members. He's always known his uncle Paul, but he's called him Paji. He's learned Uncle Danny, Uncle Mickey, and now knows Uncle Paji. It only makes logical sense that Jackie is his Uncle Jackie. Last night at dinner he was running down the list of his Uncles and busted out with Uncle Jackie. It was pretty hilarious. Jenny reminded him that I am Auntie Jackie, and he repeated it (several times in fact as he is now in the habit of doing). I'm certain that eventually, I'll be Auntie Jackie. But for now, it seems like Uncle Jackie might be my title.

I am awesome...

I'm not really one to brag, unless I do something truly awesome. Tonight, I didn't something completely awesome. I blogged a while back about my new job at my synagogue. Part of my job is being the youth director. I've been noticing that a lot of the other youth groups have their own logo. BTY does not, and I was simply not ok with that. Tonight, I was working on some other projects late at the office, and I wanted something slightly brainless to do. Check out what I did.

It made not seem like such a big deal to you, but I am so darn smitten with myself, its not even funny. And now, for the Junior Youth Groups! :)

I Hate Traffic...

Seriously... I truly loathe it. I'm fairly understand when there is an accident or a bridge up or something... but not when there is absolutely no reason for it. Tonight, I was really looking forward to a nice dinner with my mom, Jenny and Aaron. Jenny texted me at 5:30 to see if I wanted to join them, and I said I would love to. I finished my email, logged off my computer and left work at 5:35. I then proceeded to sit in traffic for 2.25 hours. I haven't been taking 520 simply because the traffic is completely inexplicable. There is no rationale behind it... its just always crappy. Tonight, my family was literally eating dinner on the other side of the bridge, so would have been stupid to go around the lake, not to mention very time consuming. As it turns out, it really wouldn't have mattered how I went. Apparently the Greater Seattle Area decided to rally for a mutiny tonight and every major highway was jammed. Long story short - I missed dinner and finally walked through the door to my house around 8:00. I should have just stayed at work... lesson learned!

Classic TV

As I get settled into my new work schedule, I am rediscovering the joys of morning television. Each morning, after Paul leaves for work, I get my laptop and climb back into bed. I turn on TBS and watch 4 episodes of one of the greatest sitcoms from the 90s: Saved by the Bell. I know, I'm a nerd, but I love it. I only wish I could find the Cosby Show in the mornings, but alas, no. I've been patiently waiting to get out of the lame 1st season with Ms. Bliss, Mikey and Nicki so that the glory that is AC Slater, Kelly and Jessie can come back into my life. Not only did it finally happen, my FAVORITE episode was on this morning. Season 4, Episode 24: Slater's Friend. For those of you not familiar, its about Slater's pet chameleon named Artie. The lizard dies, and there is a funeral in which Jessie sings a special version of "Oh Danny Boy" with the alteration "Oh Artie Boy." It's just simply amazing.

It put me in a great mood for the long day I had. Long story short: Sleeping in... good. Laptops... good. Saved by the Bell... GOOD :)

Catching Up On Life

Oops... its been 2 months since I last blogged. I don't really think anyone reads this, but in the off chance I have one follower who feels left out, I'll make a valiant attempt to be better at blogging.

In all fairness, nothing really excited has been going on until very recently. I decided to leave Brighton Jones ater 3+ years to take a full time position at my synagogue. It was a very tough decision, and its hard to think that I won't see my friends at team BJ every day. Having said that, I'm super excited to start a new adventure working at Temple B'nai Torah.

Because my last day at Brighton Jones was Monday, and I don't start at TBT until the 18th, I have 2 weeks off to catch up on life. Little things like lunch plans with friends, walking the dog and doing laundry are high on the list. Larger things like spending the day with my Mom and Aaron are a bit higher. And most daunting of all are my super optimistic goal of painting the house. I'm SO sick of white walls I could vomit.

In any case, my mom, Aaron and I went to the Seattle Children's Museum yesterday and had a total blast. Below are some of my favorite pictures from our adventure

Sunburns

Here we are in the Dominican Republic, two grown ups who have been taking tropical vacations for decades. Its absolutely paradise here, and we couldn't be having more fun... except not entirely. Both of us are completely sunburned. We can handle the red chests and sunburned knees (how weird is that?) but its the eyelids that are killing us. Yesterday Paul woke up with huge swollen red eyelids. He stayed out of the sun for most of the day and his puffiness has gone down a whole lot. In an effort to get rid of my raccoon eyes (i fell asleep with my sunglasses on - dammit!) I spent the day in the sun without my sunglasses. I woke up this morning feeling crustier than usual, mostly in my left eye. I went to the mirror, and sure enough, swollen and sunburned! We've been wearing 15 every day and reapplying frequently. I guess the sun is just ridiculously powerful when you are this close to the equator. We bought some 30 today, and I've slathered it on. It'll be a shady day for me today, and hopefully, my swollen eyes will go down and I'll be able to come home nice and toasty brown instead of lobster red!

The Name Game

One of my friends posted this on Facebook, and I think its pretty funny.

1.YOUR REAL NAME:
Jacqueline Sara (Rosenthal before I married Paul....) Kleinstein 

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of name plus izzle.)
Jacizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (fav color and fav animal)
Blue Dolphin

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, and favorite place to go)
Sara Honolulu

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name)
Klejakap

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink).
Green Rum

7. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (nickname of your grandma/grandpa, and your favorite candy).
Yenkel Snickers

8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (fathers middle name and mothers middle name.) Vice versa for the ladies
Joe Lynn (I did it backwards because it was funnier)

9. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one your pets)
Black Eliash

10. TERRORIST NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's name spelled backwards)
Aras Einahpets

11. YOUR PORN NAME: (name of your first pet and first street you lived on)

Fluffy 108

Punta Cana Here We Come!!!

On Friday Paul called to tell me he desperately needed a vacation, and sent me a link from TravelZoo for all-inclusive packages to various tropical destinations. As snobby as it sounds, I'm totally over Mexico. I enjoy it when we go, but I feel like I've been to all the major places at least once, many several times. We've done parts of the Caribbean, but never the Dominican Republic... so that's where we are going. I cannot believe how quickly this trip was put together. We used Paul's airline miles to book the flights, and have a few connections to get there... but I couldn't care less! We are both so excited for 9 nights in paradise!

check out the countdown timer... 

Iphone Project

My boss gave me his old IPhone, with the stipulation that it needed a new battery.  This was a bold task to take on, but with the help of my boss, I was confident I could succeed.  It turns out, that the motherboard in the phone is bad.  I'm now reminded of my childhood cat, Hershey (who still lives with my mom) who was given to us "free" from my sisters friend.  The free cat ended up needing to be vaccinated, nuetered, dewormed, de-earmighted, flea bathed .... long story short, free cat ended up being a fortune.

While I'm no where close to spending a fortune, or even near the cost of a new, or even used Iphone, I will admit to being in over my head with this "little" project.  If I wasn't such a nerd, I'd be really frustrated.  But since I am a giant nerd, I'm actually enjoying learning the inner workings of the device.  The only frustrating thing is waiting for ebay parts to arrive!

Random Food/Drink Encounters

Last week I was standing in the kitchen at work talking to a colleague.  As we chatter, I poured my can on Coke Zero into a glass with ice.  I was clearly not paying any attention whatsoever, because suddenly, I was emptying an individual cup of vanilla creamer into my glass.  I couldn't believe what a moronic move I had just made.  After we both made fun of my stupidity, my friend dared me to take a sip of it.  If you know me at all, you know I rarely turn down a dare, - so of course I took a sip.  Turns out, it was delicious!  It tasted just like a Coke float, but without the ice cream.  I was very excited about my new creation.  No one else at work is willing to try it, and they look it me like I'm nuts when I pour creamer in my soda, but I don't care.  If they knew how wonderful it tasted, they would jump right on the bandwagon.

Then, today, I wasn't hungry for lunch at a normal time.  By about 1:30, my tummy started growling.  I was covering the front desk for the afternoon, so I knew I'd need to grab something quick.  I ran down to starbucks and bought a turkey sandwich, and I also grabbed a yogurt parfait.  I wasn't paying any attention to what flavor parfait I bought, because there weren't many left, and I like them all.  What I didn't know was that Starbucks just came out with a new flavor of yogurt parfait - Greek yogurt with honey.  By the time I got back to the desk, I realized what I had purchase, but decided to give it a try anyhow.  Turns out, it was delicious too.  

I've never been a picky eater, but these are two things I would not have though I would enjoy.  One of them, slightly more gross than the other, but both equally fantastic.  I guess the lesson is that sometimes accidents work out.   Afterall, look at Teflon, Viagra and Microwaves - all products of accidental discoveries.