2012 in review

This year went by fast. I think I always say that but the older I get the truer that statement seems to be.

2012 was a pretty good year. I'd like to share my favorite things of 2012.

+ The Hunger Games movie. Waiting for that movie to come out was torture. It was like movie Christmas. I was very happy with the movie adaptation.

+My boyfriend not being scared off when I told him that I had shingles on my butt during our first date. I don't know what's wrong with me. Why would I say this? I think the direct quote was something like "I haven't been able to wear pants for over a week because I have shingles on my butt. Don't worry, I'm not contagious anymore."

+Two trips to Newport RI. Once with my brother and his family and once with Derek. That was pretty much my only real "vacation" this year. Hopefully a cruise will be happening in 2013.

+Seeing Our Lady Peace and AWOLNATION live. I need more live music in my life in 2013.

+The Killing Type by Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra.


+Getting an e-reader! I love books. I love reading. I currently have stacks of books all over my apartment because I don't have enough space to put them all. Now I can download books to my e-reader and read all the live long day while petting it mumbling "my precioussssssssssss".

There were a few things that weren't so great in 2012. Getting shingles on my butt would be pretty much up at the top of the list, but over all it was a good year.

2013 will be a great year. No more election crap guys! I'm so happy that's done.

The strangest thing

Today while walking in the T station I see a man playing a guitar for money. He's actually pretty good.

I then notice a leg swinging through the air to my right. I see a man doing slow motion karate moves to the music.

The strangest thing was not slow motion karate man but the fact that I wasn't surprised by this.

SunnyD or Sunny Death

You know what I really want right now this very moment? Sunny Delight. That delicious fake orange juice is calling my name. Alas I cannot partake unless I want to feel like I'm dying. I'm pretty sure breathing gives me heartburn.

So please go out and enjoy it for me. Don't get real orange juice. It's just not the same.

And especially do not get the orange juice with pulp. That is just gross and something I can't wrap my head around. Who wants stringy stuff in their drink?

Pulp free for lyf.

I miss you SunnyD

My subconscious is telling me leg warmers

I dreamed last night that I was at a craft fair and this woman kept buying all the sparkly leg warmers. I was very upset because I wanted the sparkly leg warmers.

So now I'm wondering if I need to buy a pair of sparkly leg warmers to satisfy some unfulfilled need. My legs do get cold and I was pretty mad in my dream that there were no leg warmers left.

The Christmas pickle in the candle tree

A few pics from Christmas.

I stuffed my face and found the Christmas pickle which was not on the real tree.

Derek gave me the necklace you see in the picture above. I love it. He also gave me a kindle! (which I knew about).

We ate around 5 so when we got back to Derek's we continued the face stuffing and ordered Chinese food. We then watched some Netflix and passed out. I had to wake up at 6 a.m. to get back home and feed the cats before I went to work. Derek got to sleep in as he was smart enough to take the day off.

Not having a car and not living together is a real pain. Walking to the T while it's still dark and while half asleep is a blast. I'm pretty sure I saw my former roommate Todd walking his dog on the way to the T but it was too much effort to call out and find out if it was him. Plus I'm sure the people sleeping appreciated me not yelling at 6 a.m.

I've had too much good food lately so now I don't want to eat any of my boring food that I have at home. My taste buds have been spoiled. Does this happen to anyone else?

I hope everyone had a happy holiday. I'm so ready for New Years, once I find a dress to wear.

Christmas Eve 1991 style

Happy Christmas Eve everyone. I'm eating Velveeta mac and cheese and cookies while watching Law and Order reruns.

I remember being so excited about Christmas when I was younger. I would get butterflies in my stomach and think there was no way I'd be able to fall asleep. My brother and I would drag my mother out of bed at 6 a.m. because we couldn't wait. Sorry about that mom. Christmas is not the same as an adult. You enjoy it in a different way I suppose. Now I get excited and can't sleep when I'm going on vacation.      

Here's my brother and I Christmas morning 1991. Check out my crimped hair.

                                                                                                      

50 Shades of Santa

I haven't blogged since Tuesday? Wow, that is very unlike me. I'm a chatter box via the internets and in real life.

I've been busy with holiday things. There's a ton of white chocolate for me to eat. A TON.

People seem to remember that I can't eat regular chocolate (I wish I could) so I'm usually gifted lots of white chocolate, which I can eat. I think I'm getting tired of sweets though. I like a few cookies and candies here and there but in general I'm more of a salty snack kind of gal. I could eat chips all day every day - cookies I could not.

Other things people have given me - books on crafting with cat hair.??!! Anyone want a finger puppet made of cat fur? I only have black and white to work with though. And this cat sniffing the puppet. That is what a cat would do with a cat fur puppet. They'd just want to like it and sniff it because cats are weird. Not as weird as the person who wrote this book though.

Our office holiday party was a lunch at Top of the Hub. The views are amazing up there. It's hard to see if you're not looking for it but Fenway Park is in the middle there (middle and to the right).

All the assistants got their picture taken with pervert Santa. Poor Susan. Santa asked her what she wants for Christmas and she replied "a book". Santa's response? "Do you have 50 Shades of Grey?"

My blog was mentioned in the yearly poem. Every year my boss writes a poem that includes everyone in the office and talks about funny things that have happened during the year. When my turn came in the poem he mentioned my blog. You should have seen my face. I was not expecting that. I don't think he even knows the address of this blog, just that I have one. Let's keep it that way.

Now to start spending my gift cards.

Floor party

Our floor party yesterday really fun. There are a few other businesses on our floor and it's a nice way to get to meet your work neighbors.

Toothbrush lady was not in attendance.

I do have a weird bathroom story for you though. Around 7.30 (p.m.) Susan went to the ladies room. She came out with a weird look on her face and told me there was a woman sleeping on the little couch in the ladies room. Of course I had to investigate.

I open the ladies room door and the woman looks at me and smiles from the couch. I awkward smile back and then close the door. I'm not sure if she was a cleaning woman or what. Very weird.

Even though it was raining I forgot my umbrella at work and got pretty wet walking back from the T. It wasn't too cold though so I didn't really mind. Although I might have been warm from the wine....

The little Artful Dodger

A few more pictures from this weekend for you.

Princess Grandma on duty.

My nephew is a regular old Artful Dodger stealing wallets. "You've got to pick a pocket or two."

This was probably picture number four. I'm picky about how I look in pictures. I finally gave up and this was the result. We didn't mean to wear the same color shirt. It just happened.

My sister-in-law and bro being all married and stuff.

God I wish they lived here or I lived there. I love Boston and don't want to leave but not having to deal with winter sounds nice. Looks like I'll just have to visit my brother when I get sick of winter. By March I'm so done I want to rip my hair out.

This past weekend has been stuff yo face fest 2012. This week is not looking any better. Tonight is our work floor party and then Thursday our company party. Time to start working out again. Bring on the holiday parties!

The family that photo bombs together stays together.

I'm going to miss my photo bombing brother when he goes back home.

Fog cutter.

It's like delicious adult juice.

Golden Temple makes you feel like you're in some sort of space ship - a space ship full of delicious Chinese food.

You're real cool.

On the way home from AWOLNATION (which was awesome btw) some bratty 18 year old was bragging about how he got kicked out of the show. He then saw the band in the alley outside the venue and got all of their autographs.

Yea you're real cool getting kicked out of a concert. I really loved your AWOLNATION bracelets made out of alphabet beads.

It's all good though. I didn't get to meet the band but I sang and danced and had a good time.

me me me me ME

My mother called me at work yesterday all worked up.

"Did you see what's happening on facebook?"

"No mom, what's gong on?"

"Well Sean posted that he was coming home for a visit and everyone wants him to go visit them."

At first I didn't understand why she was annoyed by this but then I looked on facebook and could see why.  There were all of these comments along the lines of "I'm not working Monday, you can come visit me then". No one offered to go to him or asked what his plans were they just took it upon themselves to tell him when it's convenient for them.

My brother and his wife have an 11th month old. Did anyone think that maybe they don't want to be driving all over Massachusetts with an infant?

I understand that people want to see him while he's up here but there's no way he can get to see everyone in a week, especially when he's expected to make the trip to them. It also doesn't help that my brother said yes to everyone.

My mother sent an email to my brother reminding him that he's not going to have time to see everyone. Even when your 26 you're never too old to get a friendly mom reminder.

I would like to mention that my mother has not gotten everyone on facebook to refer to her as princess grammie. I'm use to calling her most beautiful and wondrous mother (at her request) so it's a bit of an adjustment.

AWOLNATION excitement

I'm so excited for two reasons.

One, my brother and his family arrive tomorrow from Florida to visit. I haven't seen them since March.

Two, Derek bought surprise tickets to see AWOLNATION on Wednesday. I have been listening to their album non stop so I thought maybe I should do a little review.

If you recognize AWOLNATION it's probably for the song Sail. The beat kills it and I really like the music video.

The first thing I noticed when I listened to this album is that most of the songs don't sound like Sail. I love the other songs though so this is not a problem. I didn't even realize who the lead singer was until I heard a few other songs.

Oh you use to be in Under the Influence of Giants, well that's cool because I use to listen to UTOG.


His hair is much better now.

My new favorite song by AWOLNATION though is Burn it down. I mean it has a mermaid, ninjas - it's awesome.


The other songs I really like on this album:

Track 3: Soul Wars
Track 4: People
Track 5: Jump on my Shoulders
Track 6: Burn it Down
Track 7: Guilty Filthy Soul
Track 10: Sail
Track 12: Not Your Fault
Track 15: Shoestrings

So as you can see I like most of the songs. I can't wait for Wednesday's show!

Catnip bubbles is a real thing.

Nugs sent me the cats a Christmas present.

Catnip bubbles!

They could smell it but I don't think they knew what to make of the bubbles. They were confused and probably high.

The aftermath. Right after this picture was taken Mr. Binx (on the left) kicked Bosco in the face. I'm not kidding

One of us is winning at life.

Jay Z has a 5 million dollar watch.

I have a sore throat and leftover pizza.

One of us is winning at life. I'll let you decide.

I've been drinking lots of tea with honey and when I'm sick of tea I just squeeze the honey right into my mouth. I can't be bothered with spoons right now.

#Bostonbloggers meetup. I would be the one with no makeup and wet shoes.

Last night was my third Boston Bloggers meetup. It was fun times. I always get a little nervous going into these meetups which is silly because everyone is nice and we all have something to talk about. Blogging. These are my people. They get it.

I always intend on looking nice for these meetups because people dress up and look put together. There are a lot of fashion bloggers and when I introduce myself to a fashion blogger who looks all cute I feel like I have to explain that I just came from work and I don't always look like crap, sometimes I clean up real nice. It had also rained so my hair wasn't looking so good and my shoes were wet. I didn't explain that, that would be a little much.

You've inspired me fashion bloggers, not to blog my outfits but to wear something nice to the next meetup. You wouldn't want to see my outfit everyday.

I also spoke to my neighbors who I met at the last meetup and live in my building. Turns out the person who was tampering with the bikes in the basement was this kid that runs wild in our building. I came out into the hall one day and he's spraying WD-40 all over the floor.  He's probably about 8 years old and his parents just give him tools and let him do whatever he wants. When I asked him why he was spraying WD-40 on the floor he told me it was water, it was fine. Oh ok! We haven't seen him in the halls as much. Maybe his parents actually punished him?

Now to check out all these new blogs. I feel like I should do a post of some of my favorite Boston bloggers.

This is not offensive.

This is just ridiculous. If you don't want to click over, the RMV in Braintree took down their Christmas decorations after one person complained that it was "offensive" to only have decorations up for one holiday.

You might think it was a manger or something else that has religious meaning but no, it was a tree and some Santa decorations hanging on a wall. As someone who actually went to CCD I can tell you that nowhere in the bible does it say "and then Jesus was born and they decorated a pine tree with lights and angels. Then Santa came and left Jesus a wooden toy hand craft by tiny elves."

I don't consider Christmas trees or Santa religious. In fact I know a few people who are Jewish and put up a tree and decorate it because it's fun. Santa and trees have nothing to do with Jesus. And if I walked into the RMV and saw a Menorah. I wouldn't care. You know why? Because it doesn't change my life. It's not forcing someone else's beliefs on me. So get over yourself and focus that negativity towards something that actually deserves it.

Good friends and good fries.

I had a very fun Saturday night filled with good beer and good friends. And let's not forget the truffle fries. I do love my truffle fries.

Derek met my cousin Alexis' fiancé. I overheard Kevin say "let me tell you a thing or two about dating a Stanton woman." All good things right?

Sad the weekend is over but it can't be party time USA followed by lazy Sunday all the time.

I don't like Christmas music.

It's confession time.

I don't like Christmas music.

The same songs every year played for 25 days straight. I'm over it. The only time I'm ok with Christmas music is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Maybe if I only heard these songs for two days rather than 25 I'd be more into it.

If you think I'm the Grinch, there are many other things that get me in the Christmas mood.

Christmas lights
Christmas trees
Eggnog
Presents (who doesn't like presents! This is my favorite part of Christmas)
Food and stuffing my face with food.
Christmas cookies
Snow (if only it would stop after January 1. After that I am very much done with snow)

See? Look at all of those Christmas things I like.

I still can't believe it's already December. It was snowing this morning. It wasn't sticking much but this is only the beginning. We got off easy last year. It's only a matter of time until I'm sliding backwards down a sidewalk while the snow bitch slaps me in the face.