Please note that from the highway, it looks like this store is called Midget Market, as opposed to Gold Midget Market. I think Midget Market is funnier.
Monday, November 30, 2009
There is too a Midget Market in Reno!
As we drove into Reno last Tuesday night, I saw the most astonishing store and I just had to pay tribute.
The Great Tree Debate.
Every year, promptly following Thanksgiving, the O'Neil family heads out to pick out the holiday tree. And every year, the following debate ensues...
The bushy and squatty Douglas Fir Tree...
Or the elegant Silver Tip...
As you may have noted, I am partial to the silver tip. I like it because there is plenty of room for ornaments and lights. Lucille O'Neil agrees with me.
On the other hand, Gordon and Sampson like the bushy Douglas firs, where the ornaments hang on the ends of the branches.
With the exception of one notable year, we have always come home with a silver tip. While I try my best to be cooperative and alternate tree styles, Gordon always gives in, compromising in hopes that I will compromise on one issue during the course of the coming year. I think he sees it as a "deposit" in the Grand Bank of Marital Giving In. He's a prince, that husband of mine.
So here it is...Silver Tip Number 5...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
My family does holidays big, did you know? I mean, we just aren't the kind of folks who let a holiday pass without a big meal, various games, dessert and at least one group family photo. This Thanksgiving is no exception...actually, it is an exception but only in that we are celebrating excessively. Three different Thanksgiving extravaganzas, to be exact.
It all started on Saturday, when my precious and over-achieving mother signed us all up to participate in a Thanksgiving lunch at our church. I greeted this experience with approximately the same amount of initial enthusiasm that I greet most church functions: minimal at best. I have been nurturing a bad attitude for months now about all things church-related and this occasion was no exception. But I would like to say now that I was wrong. By the time we were finished, I had warm and fond feelings for my church family and felt genuinely connected with them. Maybe an open heart and a little quality time was just what I needed.
Sunday found us anticipating snow and cooking a turkey for the Willard family Thanksgiving. Since some of us are traveling to California for Christmas and others are staying in Utardia, we (read: my mother. Of course.) thought it would be nice to have Thanksgiving dinner together on Sunday so that the boys and their girlfriends/fiancees could have Thanksgiving dinner. I have my doubts about whether or not they really cared, my mother will never permit anyone to feel left out for the holidays, whether they like it or not. We pretended that it was Thanksgiving and went all out. The carnivores ate turkey and I (and some other people who were blurry in my rush to get to the platter) ate millions of delicious Skallops. I mean, ate so many millions of Skallops that I immediately felt like I was going to need assistance getting up from the table. Only once a year to I subscribe to such gluttony, but at Thanksgiving....I do it with gusto.
As we all sat around the table, being thankful for each other and for Worthington foods, the maker of Skallops, the snow started to fall. We watched it roll in across the valley like a veil, and it was lovely. It snowed and snowed and snowed...almost as if we had ordered it up specially just for that moment. We spent the evening relaxing and chatting away, and I couldn't have asked for a happier evening. When it was time to go home, we scraped four inches of heavy white snow from our car and drove home through the cold, slippery roads.
We came home to find our bad dogs, soaked completely to the bone from playing outside in the snow. We joined them in the backyard, where Gordon started building a snowman that quickly grew to be ridiculously enormous. Who says only kids play in the snow?
It all started on Saturday, when my precious and over-achieving mother signed us all up to participate in a Thanksgiving lunch at our church. I greeted this experience with approximately the same amount of initial enthusiasm that I greet most church functions: minimal at best. I have been nurturing a bad attitude for months now about all things church-related and this occasion was no exception. But I would like to say now that I was wrong. By the time we were finished, I had warm and fond feelings for my church family and felt genuinely connected with them. Maybe an open heart and a little quality time was just what I needed.
Sunday found us anticipating snow and cooking a turkey for the Willard family Thanksgiving. Since some of us are traveling to California for Christmas and others are staying in Utardia, we (read: my mother. Of course.) thought it would be nice to have Thanksgiving dinner together on Sunday so that the boys and their girlfriends/fiancees could have Thanksgiving dinner. I have my doubts about whether or not they really cared, my mother will never permit anyone to feel left out for the holidays, whether they like it or not. We pretended that it was Thanksgiving and went all out. The carnivores ate turkey and I (and some other people who were blurry in my rush to get to the platter) ate millions of delicious Skallops. I mean, ate so many millions of Skallops that I immediately felt like I was going to need assistance getting up from the table. Only once a year to I subscribe to such gluttony, but at Thanksgiving....I do it with gusto.
As we all sat around the table, being thankful for each other and for Worthington foods, the maker of Skallops, the snow started to fall. We watched it roll in across the valley like a veil, and it was lovely. It snowed and snowed and snowed...almost as if we had ordered it up specially just for that moment. We spent the evening relaxing and chatting away, and I couldn't have asked for a happier evening. When it was time to go home, we scraped four inches of heavy white snow from our car and drove home through the cold, slippery roads.
We came home to find our bad dogs, soaked completely to the bone from playing outside in the snow. We joined them in the backyard, where Gordon started building a snowman that quickly grew to be ridiculously enormous. Who says only kids play in the snow?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap...It's A Miracle
I have a new soap in my life, and I didn't even know I needed one. But it just popped into my hygiene regimen randomly...and there it will stay forever. I feel that I owe it to you, my loyal readers, to pass on this tip. So here it is. I should also take this moment to give credit to my Mama, who actually gave me this tip originally.
Castile Soap...and my own personal favorite, Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (in Eucalyptus) will change your life. I'm serious. This is no simple bar of soap, friends. This is a miracle product. This soap will wash your hair like it's never been washed before, I guarantee it. But it doesn't stop there...nope. It sure does not. A couple of drops of this stuff will leave your face feeling pure and clean, without feeling dry or tight. A few more drops (and I literally mean a few drops) is great for shaving. My shower experience has become remarkably simple...one small bottle of this stuff will take care of everything. But it doesn't even stop there. No siree. Castile soap can also be used in your dishwasher, it will clean your bathroom and shine your floors. It's a great degreaser and your countertops will gleam with a diluted mixture of the soap and water.
Castile soap is the green alternative to all of the cleaning and beauty products that are full of harmful chemicals and dyes. Dr. Bronner's, specifically, is made with vegetable-based oils and is completely biodegradable. It is organic and uses all free-trade ingredients, so it's not just good for you, but good for everyone involved. It comes in lots of different scents, though I don't recommend the Peppermint unless you enjoy wearing Vicks Vapo-Rub.
A word of advice, however...
When I tried to use this on my hair the first time, I had to rinse with vinegar about three times in order to get all of the residue out of my hair. Using castile soap in your hair is useful because it will strip all of the product residue and pollutants that settle into your hair follicles. So the vinegar is helpful in actually removing that from the hair shaft. Unfortunately, because I used so much of the soap, it took a couple of rinses which might have been a little too much for my fragile little hairs. A better idea would be to use a small amount, rinse with vinegar and repeat a couple of times within a week or so. There are some people who use it daily, but the vinegar was too much for me, personally. But I can tell you this...after I got the vinegar rinsed out of my hair, my hair was softer and more healthy feeling that I ever remember. It was well worth going to bed smelling like a salad, although Gordon may not have thought so.
You can find Dr. Bronner's (or really any brand of Castile Soap) at any natural foods store or any store that has a decent selection of natural products.
Give it a try! You'll love it!
And P.S. I know I sound like a commercial, but I'm seriously so enthusiastic about this product that I don't even care! It's amazing stuff!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Credit Where Credit Is Due
I meant to mention this, and I forgot. My sister Nichola is responsible for getting me into listening to Brandi Carlile. She has impeccable taste in music. Muah, sissy!
A blog for "Spanksgiving"
Thanksgiving Schmanksgiving. I normally look at this holiday with a mixture of emotions…one, it usually means two paid holidays. Plus one there. Alternately, it’s basically all about food which just doesn’t really do much for me. I mean, I like food. It’s good. But then I’m full and all of this hoopla seems silly. But what I really like about Thanksgiving…when it gets dark and even the biggest scrooges in the world CANNOT DENY THAT IT IS CHRISTMAS TIME AND WE CAN LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND WATCH CHRISTMAS MOVIES ON THE HALLMARK AND OXYGEN CHANNELS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. That being said…the idea of giving thanks is a nice one, and probably something that should not be relegated to a single day. So I figure, if I give thanks today, can we just go ahead with Christmas now?
Here are my thanks…
1. I am thankful for Internet Reversi, which gets me through the days when my work day consists of two emails and 7 hours and 50 minutes of headline scanning, Facebook monitoring and Craigslist browsing.
2. I would also like to thank Brandi Carlile for writing songs. She comforts me and validates me and makes me feel like everything is going to be great.
3. I am thankful Dr. Ahmad Hammoud, the man who made me banish the ridiculously dramatic term “Evolutionary Failure” from my vocabulary and from my life. After twenty minutes in his office, he laughed at me and told me he couldn’t wait to deliver my babies. Then he told me what our plan of attack is and showed me this fantastic picture of my ovaries. They are looking great. Sorry. TMI.
4. Every single day, I am so thankful for my job. I’m serious. I am thankful for my job and for my truly fantastic boss and my health insurance and 401k matching and life insurance benefits (which caused Gordon pause…you know, my obsession with “Snapped”…life insurance policies often lead to mysterious deaths...) Anyway. I really love my job and I love having a boss who is not an Ass-Hat, as a previous boss who shall remain unnamed in this cheerful blog. That little jackass has no place in this blog of thankfulness.
5. …And in a separate bullet, all of my peeps and my besties from work. I’m thankful that they still like me when I sometimes only have snide comments to make. Actually. Let’s be honest. Sometimes is a gross understatement. I mean to say that I CONSTANTLY make snide comments.
6. I am also thankful for the elementary-schoolers who cross at the crosswalk in front of me every morning on their way to school. Those adorable little ding-dongs, who usually carry their coats rather than wear them, are inspiring and precious in their enthusiasm for everything.
7. I am very thankful for my pets. You know this already, but in a silly way, they enrich my life in so many ways. They can never get enough love and pets and are always up for a snuggle on the couch. And they make me laugh constantly. And most importantly, their capacity to love is absolutely unparalleled and insatiable.
8. I am also thankful for Frank Sinatra and Will Ferrell, who have both gifted the planet with the funniest Christmas movies in creation and make me almost giddy with Christmas joy.
9. I am very, very thankful to Mother Nature for sending us some GD snow. Finally.
10. So, so, so importantly…I am so desperately thankful for my family, both my biological family and my married-into family. There is nothing in the world like knowing that there are people in the world who are firmly in your corner and they are not going anywhere. You could be the worst person in this whole planet, in the darkest and most lonely place in the universe, in the scariest and worst moment of your life…and you always know that they are there for you, they are pulling for you and wanting the absolute best for you. It physically hurts deep in your chest cavity to love them as much as you do.
11. I’m also thankful for my pink shaker bottle, in which I mix my protein shake every morning. Somehow having a cute pink bottle makes it easier to drink it down.
12. Also, I continue to be thankful for Starbucks and for coffee in general. It seems silly, but words just don’t go far enough in explaining the simple pleasure of a warm, cheerful beverage to warm the hands on a cold morning.
13. I am especially thankful for my house this season as well. We have had a great time working on our house this year, from the landscaping to painting the upper level to re-finishing our basement. Not only has it been fun to see things transformed, it’s also been very bonding for Gordon and I to work on projects together. And some day, we’ll bring our baby home to this little nest that we have created together, just for her.
14. I am thankful to James Taylor for making the best Christmas album ever in the galaxy. Just the sound of his voice singing Christmas songs makes me feel warm and cozy and wintery.
15. Of all the things I could possibly think of to be thankful for, both random and serious, none come close to how thankful I am for my husband. I love him more than anything in this world. He makes me feel happy, loved, safe, confident, and most of all…committed. It’s a wonderful thing to feel so deeply committed to one person. He is truly the other half of me and he is my entire world. I know him so deeply, I know him better than anyone else on Earth. And I love him for every single little part of who he is. And if I didn’t have him, I would truly have nothing at all.
Here are my thanks…
1. I am thankful for Internet Reversi, which gets me through the days when my work day consists of two emails and 7 hours and 50 minutes of headline scanning, Facebook monitoring and Craigslist browsing.
2. I would also like to thank Brandi Carlile for writing songs. She comforts me and validates me and makes me feel like everything is going to be great.
3. I am thankful Dr. Ahmad Hammoud, the man who made me banish the ridiculously dramatic term “Evolutionary Failure” from my vocabulary and from my life. After twenty minutes in his office, he laughed at me and told me he couldn’t wait to deliver my babies. Then he told me what our plan of attack is and showed me this fantastic picture of my ovaries. They are looking great. Sorry. TMI.
4. Every single day, I am so thankful for my job. I’m serious. I am thankful for my job and for my truly fantastic boss and my health insurance and 401k matching and life insurance benefits (which caused Gordon pause…you know, my obsession with “Snapped”…life insurance policies often lead to mysterious deaths...) Anyway. I really love my job and I love having a boss who is not an Ass-Hat, as a previous boss who shall remain unnamed in this cheerful blog. That little jackass has no place in this blog of thankfulness.
5. …And in a separate bullet, all of my peeps and my besties from work. I’m thankful that they still like me when I sometimes only have snide comments to make. Actually. Let’s be honest. Sometimes is a gross understatement. I mean to say that I CONSTANTLY make snide comments.
6. I am also thankful for the elementary-schoolers who cross at the crosswalk in front of me every morning on their way to school. Those adorable little ding-dongs, who usually carry their coats rather than wear them, are inspiring and precious in their enthusiasm for everything.
7. I am very thankful for my pets. You know this already, but in a silly way, they enrich my life in so many ways. They can never get enough love and pets and are always up for a snuggle on the couch. And they make me laugh constantly. And most importantly, their capacity to love is absolutely unparalleled and insatiable.
8. I am also thankful for Frank Sinatra and Will Ferrell, who have both gifted the planet with the funniest Christmas movies in creation and make me almost giddy with Christmas joy.
9. I am very, very thankful to Mother Nature for sending us some GD snow. Finally.
10. So, so, so importantly…I am so desperately thankful for my family, both my biological family and my married-into family. There is nothing in the world like knowing that there are people in the world who are firmly in your corner and they are not going anywhere. You could be the worst person in this whole planet, in the darkest and most lonely place in the universe, in the scariest and worst moment of your life…and you always know that they are there for you, they are pulling for you and wanting the absolute best for you. It physically hurts deep in your chest cavity to love them as much as you do.
11. I’m also thankful for my pink shaker bottle, in which I mix my protein shake every morning. Somehow having a cute pink bottle makes it easier to drink it down.
12. Also, I continue to be thankful for Starbucks and for coffee in general. It seems silly, but words just don’t go far enough in explaining the simple pleasure of a warm, cheerful beverage to warm the hands on a cold morning.
13. I am especially thankful for my house this season as well. We have had a great time working on our house this year, from the landscaping to painting the upper level to re-finishing our basement. Not only has it been fun to see things transformed, it’s also been very bonding for Gordon and I to work on projects together. And some day, we’ll bring our baby home to this little nest that we have created together, just for her.
14. I am thankful to James Taylor for making the best Christmas album ever in the galaxy. Just the sound of his voice singing Christmas songs makes me feel warm and cozy and wintery.
15. Of all the things I could possibly think of to be thankful for, both random and serious, none come close to how thankful I am for my husband. I love him more than anything in this world. He makes me feel happy, loved, safe, confident, and most of all…committed. It’s a wonderful thing to feel so deeply committed to one person. He is truly the other half of me and he is my entire world. I know him so deeply, I know him better than anyone else on Earth. And I love him for every single little part of who he is. And if I didn’t have him, I would truly have nothing at all.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Okay. Let the Mindless Drivel Resume...
I keep nagging myself to write another blog...I'm not nearly so despondent as I was at the writing of my last entry. Problem is, I'm in a bit of a creative drought. I can't really think of anything particularly interesting to say...
Huh. Yeah. Nothing.
I guess I could tell you about my new favorite TV show, called Three Sheets on the Fine Living Channel. It's funny.
I guess I could inform you, if you don't already know, that Starbucks is now serving warm and delicious beverages in the Christmas red cups. That always makes me happy. So that's good.
I guess I could tell you that the painting of our house continues...most every weekends finds us procrastinating until 4 p.m. on Sunday and then scrambling to finish the project around 10:30 p.m. So we're making progress there. Yeah.
I guess I could also tell you that it's Sampson O'Neil's 1 Year Anniversary of the Day He Became An O'Neil. He seems pretty happy...I mean, who wouldn't be? He eats People Food every day, has fourteen different beds, gets to go camping and has an endless supply of birds to chase in the backyard. Yay.
So that about sums it up. Work is boring. Home is peaceful. And really, what else is there? Yup. We're deliciously boring. And never have I been so relieved to report boredom in my whole entire life.
Huh. Yeah. Nothing.
I guess I could tell you about my new favorite TV show, called Three Sheets on the Fine Living Channel. It's funny.
I guess I could inform you, if you don't already know, that Starbucks is now serving warm and delicious beverages in the Christmas red cups. That always makes me happy. So that's good.
I guess I could tell you that the painting of our house continues...most every weekends finds us procrastinating until 4 p.m. on Sunday and then scrambling to finish the project around 10:30 p.m. So we're making progress there. Yeah.
I guess I could also tell you that it's Sampson O'Neil's 1 Year Anniversary of the Day He Became An O'Neil. He seems pretty happy...I mean, who wouldn't be? He eats People Food every day, has fourteen different beds, gets to go camping and has an endless supply of birds to chase in the backyard. Yay.
So that about sums it up. Work is boring. Home is peaceful. And really, what else is there? Yup. We're deliciously boring. And never have I been so relieved to report boredom in my whole entire life.
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