Christmas Readiness and Craziness

The Christmas planning, organizing and general craziness has begun!
Katy takes Nana's chair down to the basement:

Mitch, Rob, Katy, and John proudly display their hard work after setting up all the tables and chairs in Nana and Dandy's basement for Christmas Dinner:

Jayme and I were upstairs helping Nana make her famous 24 hour fruit salad!

Then - just because we could - Cheryl and I went out and saw the moving RED and got our nails done.  Totally girly, and completely relaxing.  Just what we needed before the real craziness of the Christmas season starts.

PS:  I completely recommend the movie RED to anyone who likes a funny action movie.  Really good!  Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Richard Dreyfus.  Very good!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope you have an amazing holiday!  All the best to you and yours.

*Hugs*
Kristen

Countdown

 AS PROMISED:

UMAGA is scary!  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR *snort snort*

Seriously, do you grow up thinking "I want to be a strange man beating up other men in front of an audience while sticking out my tongue and wearing face paint!  Yeah... that'll be an awesome profession!"  Where were this guys parents???

But shotguns are meaner!

Scary looking gun from Google Images....

AND.... Even I'll admit that Monster Trucks look kinda cool....

 LOOK - it's the antithesis of mushy girl-y-ness!

To quote Tim Allen from Home Improvement.... (Grunts) Oh oh ohoh OH!
  ...  There, have I won back all my not-so-girlie readers after my last post? 

 ANYWAYS.....


My Christmas countdown has officially begun.  I usually start it whenever I start exchanging gifts with friends.  This year however I started exchanging fairly early.  I decided that this year I would start counting down from the day I could say "Merry Christmas Eve's Eve's Eve's Eve's Eve...." and continue saying Eve without annoying myself.  Today I was able to wish people a Merry Christmas Eve's Eve's Eve and say it with a straight face.  Therefore - CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN!

Having some friends over for dinner and another gift exchange didn't hurt either though.  :D  Isn't that a much nicer picture than a shotgun-WWE-Monster Truck conglomeration? 

Merry Christmas Eve's Eve's Eve!

Girls Day

Have you ever noticed how some girls can't manage to go to the bathroom without at least two other girls going with her?  Does she need company?  Help?  ...a better developed self confidence?  As much as I abhor the practice of visiting the washroom in packs (and trust me.... I find it all kinds of weird) perhaps women inherently know that they are stronger in groups.  No matter the situation, having a close girl friend to vent to, share with, or commiserate with helps to make us stronger.  (Though now I'm rather wishing I could come up with a better metaphor than the High School girls bathroom clique.)  lol

The girls that you can call when you are having a crappy day, the girls that call you when their days are crappy - those are better friends.  Their are two ways you can define a good girl friend:

1.  someone who you would absolutely want as a bridesmaid at your wedding, but also someone who would be completely happy not to be, and still offer to help you plan in any way they could. 

2.  Someone who will help you hide, AND help you hide the body.

Today I got to hang out with two of my closest friends, two of the best, most caring, wonderful women on the planet.  All of us are in such different places in our lives, moving in different directions, growing in different ways.  Yet instead of focusing on the differences, or constantly reminiscing about the days we used to hang out every day we revel in the changes - embrace and explore the new directions our lives are going together.  Through weddings, and careers, moving across the country (or across the globe!) we stay strong.  I love that we are still so similar, and yet have become our own people.  I am a strong self confident person because whenever I feel otherwise, they are there to remind me. 

Today I just want to remind them - they are also strong, beautiful, amazing, caring, independent women.  No matter the distance between us I will always treasure our friendship. 


... and so ends the sentimental ramblings of a dreamy schmultzy mush of a person.  My next post will be on Monster Trucks, shot guns, and the WWE. ;)

Teaching in Korea

Someone sent me this video and I find it absolutely hilarious.  Thankfully my experience was a good one, I never had any of the issues that are discussed in the video - but I certainly met my share of English teachers that had experienced one or two of the "Korean Culture" differences. (To be politically correct.)


Why You Shouldn't Teach English in Korea


I still maintain that going to Korea to teach is a wonderful idea and I'd recommend it to almost anyone.  However, you just have to make sure you know who you are signing a contract with, and who you would be working for.  Otherwise, this could become more of a sad reality than a funny spoof!