It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

...actually working during the holidays would keep me less busy than "not working."
...the Baboos are healthier, but that Sweet is not any happier. Major grumpiness during the initial physical therapy appointment today.
...Mama's grumpiness at said appointment *might* have been directly proportional to the amount of time it took to drive there and back (an hour each way).
...my ambitions for the holiday craziness are not going to be met by my actual productivity. Eh, so what.

What's it looking like around your places, pixies?

And since we're (oh. Maybe I mean me) grumpy already, what's your least favorite holiday song?

ETA: Happy first night of Hanukkah to the Jewish pixies! (Did I spell that anywhere close to right?)

Awards!

Everyone brought such wonderful food! And fabulous whines!

So, without further ado: The Mashed Veggies With a Side of Plague award goes to Esperanza, whose two children have 6 illnesses between them.

The I've Got Cranberry Sauce but Where's My Coffee Award goes to Miranda.

Sue wins the Best Recipe of All - A Good Marriage award. And also, the I Read Your Recipe Aloud Award for the gravy.

Sending out the Cluestick Posse to sort out various judgmental grannies. I am appalled that we're going to have to remind them that Unconditional Love is part of the job description.

Sending Zyrtec to Sarah at Ratatat, and BCP to Kathy A. I'm so sorry you've been sent back a year by the Thanksgiving visit of old Flo. She came to visit me, too, but I was expecting her.

Sending love and condolences to KLee's family for the loss of her beloved Aunt.

And finally, the best Anti-whine award to Sarah-at-ratatat, for getting the job! WOOT!

See you all back here...today! or maybe tomorrow! When your host will be....Esperanza!

Holiday Food & Whine Spectacular

Bring the holiday recipes you can't live without!

Tomorrow, I'll post up two: one for gravy and one for stuffing.

Don't forget to bring a bottle of beaujolais nouveau whine.

Awards!

Passing the fresh sourdough, brie, roasted garlic, and some pretty little truffles. We need to get in shape for WW's Holiday Food and Whine Festival, beginning right here on Saturday, and hosted by the fabulous Liz!

Madeleine got us off to a great start this week with her whine of "Dead bugs on windowsills." By popular demand, she wins the Old Skool Award.

The coveted Elevated Risk of Mullet Award goes to Amy, who's about to boot a third student from her class and laments, "egad -- I chose to teach college so I wouldn't have to deal with children."

Sue wins the Cupcake Liberation Award, for freeing some [we aren't counting] from the confines of the freezer, and carefully rearranging things so nobody would suspect. And still, those Tell-Tale Heart cupcakes kept calling to her.

Esperanza has earned an Award for Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, escorting the Baboos to the fancy-pants, out-of-town, not-kid-friendly, not-my-people wedding. She also wins the Best Anti-Whine Award for "Elmo had fun going in and out of the hotel safe." We're all glad things worked out for Elmo.

Sweet Sounds of Silence Award to Days, whose elder kids are spending their fall break in that most pleasant and rewarding of past-times, re-reading Harry Potter! Excellent!

The Cluestick Posse is paying a visit to Jenevieve's roommate (hubby's BFF), who thinks paying rent is "optional," and to the bosses who have her doing 24 hour shifts for the kind of pay that qualifies one for food stamps. Gah. Sending many hugs and hope that hubby's meds start working soon, too. And a big stack of virtual "free chai" coupons.

Esperanza and Jenevieve bring the Bodily Fluids this week, in the form of the wee ones [heh] deciding they no longer have a burning desire to be potty-trained. This too shall pass.

Crossed Fingers and Toes Awards for our own Sarah and Amy, who are both braving the interview process. This award comes with an abundant supply of chocolate, and an official WW recommendation.

Lullabye Awards to PK, Amy, Sue, and all others suffering from sleep deprivation.

Crime Watch Award to Madeleine, for her observation that bank fraud seems to be "epidemic." Hugs and good luck to Pixies so afflicted. Be alert! On the up side, banks and credit card companies seem to be good about fixing the problems. But it is a genuine pain to lose access to one's account while a new card is being issued.

Many thanks to Sue and Madeleine for setting me straight on Boxing Day traditions. A holiday where the food must be leftovers and the hostess is encouraged to stay in jammies sounds like our kind of holiday.

Sending official Pixie Healing Vibes to those suffering from various ailments, including but not limited to Tater in his recovery from surgery, Mini with her rash in a personal place, Sweet and her possible reflux, Jeni's sweetie, and Margalit. And also to our good friend Days, my son's neighbor, and everyone else dealing with the fireplacing cancer.

Holiday Spirit Awards to Sue, who reported the first snow and therefore the start of the season, to Amy, who provided an excellent seasonal video, and to Liz, who will host the Holiday Food and Whine Fest!

How is it mid-November, already?

Oy! No idea where the time goes, but it sure does fly by fast, with a gerbillion things waiting in the wings...


Tomorrow is my beloved's birthday, and his secret surprise "don't buy me a present" should arrive today. Maybe right now -- junior dog is practicing her professional skillz, barking at someone who wants to bring us something. Nope, just the evil mailman, delivering bills, credit card offers, and daughter's jury summons for her winter break.


Also, senior cat continues to pook in the tub. In antiwhines, it is a gorgeous day, but dark will come too early tonight. What's up by you?

Awards: Weddings R (Not) Us

Quite a week in pixie land, though when isn't it? We don't like weddings this week, here at WW, despite the fact that they start with W.

Itchy Scratchy Award to liz. Sure, your head is healing, but darn! It itches! With our continuing well wishes for your recovery.

Fish Out Of Water Award to esperanza who is right this minute probably smiling through gritted teeth as she shepherds two Baboos through the Wedding of the Year.

Flu for Sue Award for . . . . Sue, of course. Ugh, flu before you could even get your shot, what a drag. And this one seems to really be dragging out. Glad to hear you are starting to feel a bit better.

Anti-whine But Not Anti-Climax Award to kathy a., who's dreaded family thing, though not dreadful, had some emotional effects anyway.

And also in contention for the Family Memories Award is Neighbor Lady. I hope your father is continuing to heal, and that you are too.

Magical Video Recorder Award for Sue, who needs to get back that Glee episode her step-mother ruined with family "chat." Also, the recorder is so magical it can erase the actual conversation that took place, thus resolving all family dilemmas!

Banks! Better Than Your Mattress? Award to Days. I hope the fraud recovery has gone well and you are able to buy groceries without borrowing from the kids again.

And It Gets Worse Award to PK, to be shared with her parents, who seem to be getting worked over by a major financial freight train of ridiculousness. While PK is also coping with the loss of beloved pets and the rigors of trying to protect the remaining ones.

Brevity Award to Jenevieve for this succinct summation:

Gahhhhhh my family gahhhhhh.

That is all.

Workin' the System, or, How the System Doesn't Work Award for margalit, for getting caught between the paperwork requirements and the privacy laws. Sigh. If only the world were rational. The Cluestick Posse will be visiting your pharmacy shortly.

Elevated Risk of Mullet Award to esperanza (hat tip to kathy a. for the nomination) for likening the Fancy Pants Wedding to a trip to the zoo, with a runner-up prize for Sarah, who suggested it would feel like visiting a different country!

Interview Awesomeness Awards to Sarah and amy. Wishing you both continued good news.

Pixies, sometimes I feel like the whiniest person on the planet, with very little truly to whine about, so thanks for being here and keeping me company. Onward toward next week, when kathy a. will be our intrepid host.

The Clocks, They are a Changin'

I went out yesterday for my third go at raking the leaves. (Seasonal whine: dear me, the sun is low when I leave to meet SG after school now! I was really enjoying the time change right up to that moment.)

I like to do a bit of raking every couple of weeks, because that way I can keep refilling the old trash barrels instead of using up the lifetime supply of leaf bags I bought at teh Costco. Feels more conservationist that way. Snuggly Girl is eager to help as long as she gets to jump in the pile mid-cleanup, and we've actually had enough for her to jump in all three times, so she's happy, at least until I start picking leaf bits out of her hair. I won't attempt leaf perfection, it's just too crazy-making. I am for volume reduction and don't-annoy-the-neighbors.

So in that spirit, I've borrowed an annoying pop tune, and I hear-by present for your ear-worm annoyance:

What Miley Cyrus would sing if she did her own yardwork:

There's always gonna be another leaf pile
Blowin' in from the neighbor's yard
I'm never gonna want to rake it
Getting every leaf is just too hard

Don't care about how neat the yard is
I'm too annoyed that it's dark at 5

It's the whiiiiiiiiiiine . . . .

Awards: Election Hangover Edition

(with apologies to all Canadian pixies)

And, editor's note: I'm still having trouble with blogger and Internet Explorer. I can't leave comments for some reason. It could be entirely related to my computer, but there you have it.

Hugs and a hearty sigh of relief to Liz, for surviving a car accident relatively unscathed, and to JenR, for getting a negative on the test one most heartily wants that result.

Old Skool to kathya, for the ever-popular "but I don't have anything to wear" whine, especially good for deflecting the real angst: the dreaded family thing.

And we have a tie for Elevated Risk of Mullett: Sue, for her prediction, "this geiser of a head is going to lose brain matter" (unfortunately, this prediction seems to have come true), and to Flutterbye, for her thankfulness that her "spouse is stepping up and taking responsibility for his own pet product." May it last, Flutterbye.

Madeleine gets a "Tedium is So Much More Fun the Second Time Around" Award for her work woes.

Interview Schminterview Awards to Amy and Sarah R. Knock their socks off, pixies!

A shudder of sympathy and my future life flashing before my eyes for Amy, who had to help with a (additional shudder) craft project while simultaneously corraling a loose toddler.

New Car Shopping Vibes to Liz and to Miranda. Let us know what you choose.

Blessings to all whiny pixies this week. Stay tuned for next week, as we inch ever closer to the holiday whining season!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edited to add: Hostess with the Mostest Award to Esperanza, who presided over a very busy week here at Whining Central. ~k.a.

Halloween Hangover Whining

Candy wrappers and costume flotsam and jetsam blowing down the street, tired grownups and kids. Yes, it's the day after Halloween! Time to whine!

Halloween was no picnic. Mini Baboo, STILL not over the snot from last week, woke up with a fever. On a Sunday, when both of her parents were preaching. Fever all day long. To the doctor this morning, chest x-ray, blood work, and....bronchitis, with antibiotics. Woo hoo. The Sweet Baboo has been grumpy as all get out because her antibiotics (for the suspected UTI) have messed up her digestive system, such that her little bum is sore, sore enough to wake her up at night. Doctor gave us some probiotics for that situation. She also decided that Halloween was a good day to skip her nap, and then crashed post-party, pre-trick-or-treating. No TOTing for either of the Baboos. And, we ran out of candy.

All that seemed whine worthy. Until my mom called this morning with news that my sister-in-law had lost her baby, at 14 weeks.

So, we have whines big and small at the esperanza household. What's going on in yours?

And if you have any leftover candy, we'd love some! By "candy" I mean "chocolate." Thanks.