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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Things For Which We Are NOT Thankful

Note: We U.S. pixies are counting on our Canadian counterparts to give us a bit of perspective and (probably several) reality checks this week. Thank you for your support.

I figure whining is the anti-Thanksgiving, so let's embrace it!

I am unthankful for:
* nap-skipping
* snotty noses
* inconveniently-scheduled weddings
* dressing (aka stuffing) that does not taste like my grandmother's
* tantrums (by me or anyone else around here)
* people firing rockets or other ammunition at other people and their children
* holiday shopping, and the advertising machine. I have things I need to shop for, and time to do it this week but don't want to get caught in the madness. Sigh.
* shoe shopping (for me or other parties)


On the other hand, I am immensely thankful for whining and the Wednesday whining pixie community.

30 comments:

JenR said...

* snotty noses, and the accompanying yuck that comes with ear tubes
* grocery lists lost mid shopping trip
* children awake at 4 am
* laundry
* it takes 3 clicks to get an asterisk on an iWhatever

AW:
* ear tubes - this would have been a painful week for the little guy otherwise
* it was not Cold this weekend. Just chilly

esperanza said...

JenR, that's the first non-positive thing about ear tubes I've heard. Interesting. Not sure I want to hear more about it, though!

And the grocery list thing is horrible! I dropped mine in produce the other day, realized it, and found it a few minutes later. I probably would have had a meltdown right there in the grocery store if I had lost it completely.

Hope you get some sleep tonight.

kathy a. said...

i'll second esperanza on rockets and ammo.

hope the nap and tantrum issues resolve -- and that someone makes the correct stuffing!

jenr -- hope the little guy is feeling better after the tubes. (they were miracles for my daughter, except the anesthesia made her really barky.)

non-thankful items:

* daughter sleeping until 3 p.m., and knocking around the house all night. (today, we are aiming for a 10 a.m. rising.)

* i am really behind on my next big project.

but mainly, i'm all antiwhines right now. my knee is healed (except the reaction to the bandage adhesive). and it's seven weeks since i stopped smoking, yay! (that was me, a few weeks ago.) i had to stop the patch a week ago because my epidermis sported festive itchy red circles from the last several patches, and i could not stand it any more -- so, doing ok w/o the patch makes me feel like i can keep on with this.

i tested a new stuffing recipe (sausage and cranberry, mmm), and all it needs are smaller bread cubes + fresher rosemary. (my beloved adores stuffing, and we won't have leftovers since we're going elsewhere.)

i'm also taking a veggie/dip tray to T-dinner, and am abnormally excited about the color boost of purple cauliflower, which should complement the green/yellow/orange/red selections.

i'm always ms. last minute, but i've found holiday cards, gotten most of the modest family gifts + stocking items, gotten toys for a drive, sent packages of stationary items to inmates, and been thinking about the christmas menu. the mall will not see my face this year, either, which is a mental health bonus. it is completely unlike me to have holiday ducks in a row like this.

esperanza said...

Yay, you, kathy a! Seven weeks is awesome.

I am not thankful, not even a little tiny bit, for shoe shopping. I hate it for myself, and it's worse with/for the Baboos.

It has been every bit a Monday (carsick Baboo, snotty noses, shoe shopping, unfortunately-timed naps, and general grump).

Sue said...

Great thankful/not-so-thankful lists!!!

Thankful - my day off was well spent. I picked up a few Christmas items and left plenty of time in the day for reading and slothing about.

*for esperanza - I don't shop for shoes either. Hubby orders my shoes online and has impeccable taste. Occasionally the fit isn't quite right, but all of the good shoe sites have easy returns.

Also - a lovely lunch and visit to the annual Artisan Fair on Saturday. Lots of laughter, no drama. Most excellent!!

Not-So-Thankful - our local MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament - also the Minister of Natural Resources) has been diagnosed with the fireplacing cancer. He starts chemo today.

Also - it's only 10:30 and I've felt entirely overwhelmed twice. Stepping outside now to "take some air" as my grandmother taught us to do.

amy said...

So, this week is turning out to be more emotional that I expected it would be. With the loss of both my gramma and my husband's gramma this year, holiday dinners will now happen at my house. This plan we have had for years.

But what I didn't expect is the flood of emotions I'm having. I live in a house we bought from my gramma 8 years ago. When Gramma moved out, she left many things behind because she was downsizing to an apartment. These things included the table we all grew up around, the table we all ate holiday dinners on, Sunday dinners, everything. Yesterday, in anticipation of hosting a dinner of 7-12 people, my husband said, "Why don't we use the table your gramma left in the basement?" It is a logical choice, but logic kind of flees the scene when you're standing in your gramma's house, with your gramma's table, preparing to host your gramma's best meal, but with no gramma.

I am SO BLESSED to be able to carry on this tradition for my family, but I find myself a little more than teary-eyed when I think about it for too long.

amy said...

In real whines, I am not a fan of people being killed anywhere, by rockets, bombs, or other means. I wish we could have a little more peace. Actually, a lot more.

Congrats, kathy, on the smoking cessation! And yay to Jen for the silver lining (re: ear tubes, that it could have been a worse week for little guy), but I'm passing the tissues and good health wishes to you and yours!

Liz Miller said...

Amy, I know that your gramma is not physically there with you, and that you are going to add salt-water to every dish you prepare, but she will be present every moment, with every tradition you follow. How lovely that you can honor and memorialize her with this meal.

debangel said...

Kathy..OMG, I am *so* proud of you!! Quitting smoking is a huge deal! Betcha you will be enjoying how yummy food tastes even more now, as your sense of smell sharpens :) And where did you find purple cauliflower? I've only ever seen it on "Iron Chef"! Man, I miss California produce;

Sue- may I borrow "slothing about"? It sounds so decadent and enjoyable, yet has that bit of English refinement to it. I can see Nigella Lawson (my idol) adopting that expression quite easily.

Esperanza..should we start a campaign to abolish Mondays? Seems the most efficient thing to do. Also, shoes= suck. Boots= AWESOME. Move here to boot-wearing CO and I will babysit the Baboos while you shop.

Antiwhine: James' laparoscopic surgery is over, and was a success! Also, I won't have to type "laparoscopic" anymore ;)

Whine: It was a loooong day, yesterday. They gave him a local as well as a general, and it put the neck of his bladder to sleep, so he overfilled his bladder in an effort to pee so he could go home, and ended up with the catheter that he was dreading. Promptly upon arriving home, he absolutely filled a large stainless steel bowl with the extra liquid from his stomach. While I was holding said bowl. And I *hate* barf. I managed to close my eyes and not add to the mess. Poor James is used to what his last doctor called "repulsively good health", and yesterday was the first time in our nearly two years together than I have seen him cranky. Honestly, he resembled nothing so much as a cat who's just received an unwanted bath. Poor Moose.

Humorous anti-whine: not only is he feeling much better this morning, he's, umm..trying to feel *me* this morning, LOL. I told him "that stallion's not cleared for riding yet". However, I think that means he's going to be Just. Fine.

My other whines would be just repeats in syndication, but they are totally washed away by the gigantic wave of gratitude for my lovely and supportive family, friends, and Pixies. Happy Turkey Week, everyone!

debangel said...

Liz, you put that better than I ever could have! Amy, I'm sending you gigantic hugs. You're doing your gramma proud!

Sue said...

(((Amy))) - what Liz said. Your Gramma will be there.

Yay kathy !!!!!! Hubby quit many years ago. Each payday while he was quitting he put aside whatever his smokes would have cost him in those two weeks. He would get actual *cash* so it was more "real" to him.

After the first six months, he bought himself a laptop and he's never looked back.

I still take cash out of his monthly check and put it in his now-famous Bank which is his old suit jacket for work.

He has bought several televisions, another laptop, phones, gifts, and he's used his money to help out the boys. It still inspires him.

debangel - when anyone in our family is enjoying an afternoon/evening of content lounging, someone invariably checks to see how many toes that person has.....ya know, Three-toed Sloth and all.... :)

kathy a. said...

online shoe shopping is the way to go, if you know the size. the trouble with kids is, their cute little tootsies keep growing. i seem to recall some bribery during the shoe ordeals...

((( amy ))) what liz said. it is so amazing, though, to have grandma's house and stuff surrounding you; a physical reminder of those things you hold in your heart and memories. xoxo

debangel -- so glad your sweetie's surgery went well! the bark, though, is award-worthy. (the things we do for love...)

sue -- i'm so sorry about the fireplacing cancer. xoxo

HA! about the toe counting!!

waaaah. the diamond fell out of my ring. it's just a bauble, and i'm not a jewelry-oriented person -- but i only remove the rings for extremely messy tasks, so i feel kinda nekkid on that finger.

kathy a. said...

thanks for the all the moral support about leaving my secret bad habit behind. it is/was embarassing; i was pretty closeted and sneaky. and pretty addicted -- it's only the past couple of weeks that i'm starting to lose the fuzzy brain and the strong impulse to go outside for a smoke, even with the meds.

i did stop (almost entirely) while pregnant -- so no need to alert CPS. ;) but it was so easy to slip back into just a few...

finally saw the doctor about a chronic cough, and she sent me home with an entire bag of patches and gum. there was also a chest x-ray, and a pulmonary exam; and then an echocardiogram, because the x-ray suggested something that dr. google says is progressive and fatal. and i didn't have the progressive and fatal heart thing! my cough disappeared almost immediately. my lungs have some damage, but nothing needing treatment except to stop smoking. so, maybe this time it will stick. the end.

Liz Miller said...

I'm so proud of you, Kathy. It's an amazingly hard habit to break, and you are a rockstar!

Anonymous said...

Ditto ditto on the kudos for Kathy a. You are amazing!

Yay for successful surgery for debangel's hubby. Hugs to Amy for teary traditions, that are nontheless so important to pass on. Kudos to you for carrying on the traditions.

Yay for Sue for knowing when to get some fresh air.

My whine: stayed up way tooo late last night, and today my vertigo is acting up because of it.

antiwhine: I was up late because Neighbor Girl's choir was singing at Symphony Hall as the children's chorus accompanying a symphony and adult choir. It was so awesome!

Happy Thanksgiving to all the pixies who celebrate!

:) Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

yay, neighbor lady, for such a grand evening with NG's choir! at the symphony hall!!! woot! hope the after-effects are gone soon. xoxo

esperanza said...

Hugs to amy.

Sweet: rocking the bottom of the growth chart since 2007. (Doctor put a good spin on it--"Look! She's almost at the 5th percentile line"). Eh. She's growing.

Sue said...

As someone who did not finish growing until highschool, and whose height was happily completed at five foot zero - I agree with the Doc. Sweet is growing and therefore doing fine.

I think of it like a garden. Sunflowers are supposed to grow tall, but if Petunias were the same height they would just look silly. The garden benefits from its own diversity.

That's the end of Deep Thoughts for today. That's all I've got... :)

kathy is the Rockstar of the Universe!!!!

kathy a. said...

sue for style: "the garden benefits from its own diversity." lovely!

W: beloved had to take a furlough day, and he is grumpy and at loose ends, and finding the housekeeping around here wanting. gah.

kathy a. said...

ungrateful, ungrateful. beloved moved on to cooking, and he's all in my way. and he is freaking BOSSY in the kitchen. i really do not mind him cooking dinner for tonight -- but he is butting in on my T-day prep.

this, from a man who is FAMOUS for needing to change the oil in the car when we have a dozen or so expected, including his mother (who is our family silverware-rearranger and dust molecule detector)...

thankfully, we are not having guests; just taking a few things tomorrow.

Sue said...

And Now - Introducing.....

Spouse-Be-Gone!!! Just spray liberally around the kitchen and those pesky helpers will be gone in no time. This special offer won't last, so get yours now!!!

*giggle*

NL - ick on the vertigo but yay for your daughter's choir performance!!

Happy Thanksgiving American Pixies!!!

Miranda said...

I'm feeling pretty good today. This is the first holiday season that I don't have to deal with X's holiday meltdowns. No one is agitating the kids. My mom is picking us up for a wonderful dinner at a place that requires reservations. My back is healing and I was able to perform a little kitchen magic today. I have such good friends including one who went way out of the way to help me make Tween Son's 11th birthday special. My mom and I have finally become friends over this past year.

Life is pretty good overall and I am grateful for that.

kathy a. said...

yay, miranda! so much great news!! really glad you are feeling better.

happy thanksgiving, everybody! so glad y'all are in my life.

Sue said...

Yay miranda!!!

kathy a. said...

we had a lovely time at the sorta-in-laws! (son's GF's family.) the crowd included 3 large and 2 small dogs, family, and two of the host's lifelong friends + their families. harmonious pandemonium.

the host + his friends + his sister were so funny, in that way people who have known each other forever can be. we heard stories from the boy scout days, two of which involved toupees. there was singing of theme songs from shows long-gone (confusing the youngsters), and a fair amount of hilarious debate about historic details. :)



Anonymous said...

Kathy a--that sounds lovely!
Miranda--yay!
aw: pecan pie--my grandmother's recipe. yum! ALso, stuffing--new recipe with kale and pecans and cornbread and sausage.
Stuffing is amost always an antiwhine!

--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

mmm, stuffing. just ate the last of it.

esperanza said...

Awards tomorrow. See previous whine: inconveniently timed weddings

kathy a. said...

the diamond that fell out of my ring -- i found it in the pocket of some jeans. miracle!

debangel said...

Yay for magic pockets!! Diamonds or no, it irks me to lose stuff. I'm so glad you found it :)