10 Things That Made Me Happy in 2009

I had so much fun going back over the past year's blog posts and reading about everything we did. It's like an online journal. It made me smile and it was just what I needed. I've made up a list of 10 things that made me happy this past year. There are so many more, but these are great! There are links to each one for a past blog-post if you'd like to reminisce too.

10 Things That Made Me Happy in 2009

1. My husband's sense of humor
2. Wine
3. Fixing up our house
4. Cape Cod
5. Extra time off
6. Boston in the Spring
7. Spending Time with Family
8. The Best Day Ever
9. Watching Alex Run
10. Parties in the Country

I'm not really going make any resolutions this year. I find that they don't work. But I am going to try my best not worry as much about certain things that I have no control over and focus my energy on the things that are the most important to me.

Here's to a fantastic 2010! Happy New Year!!

My Bucket List

I'd like to thank Rebecca for this idea. First for pointing out the show The Buried Life, I think I'm going to watch it! And then for giving me the idea to make my own bucket list. And I think I will print it out and put it in my purse.

1. Spend 2 weeks in Ireland
2. Visit all of my former childhood homes
3. Play the slots in Las Vegas
4. Sit in the front row of a Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots game
5. Learn how to knit
6. Watch my son graduate from college
7. Drive across country in the Mini
8. Visit all 50 states
9. Cruise the Mediterranean
10. Gorge myself on Chic-Fil-A sandwiches
11. Go to the Olympics (as a spectator)
12. Ride a mechanical bull
13. Knit a sweater
14. Write a book
15. Swim with dolphins
16. Go to the World Series or Super Bowl
17. Have a Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby
18. Go on a long train ride and stay in a sleeper car
19. Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
20. Learn how to play golf
21. Run a 5k road race
22. Run a 10k road race
23. Run a Marathon
24. Visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras
25. Go to the Great Wall of China
26. Stay at the Contemporary Resort at Disney World
27. Be a contestant on a game show
28. Publish a book
29. Visit Athens, Greece
30. Cook a meal with Rachael Ray
31. Whiten my teeth
32. Spend a week (at least) in Key West. In the winter.
33. Play 18 holes of golf
34. Spend 2 weeks in Hawaii
35. Visit Audrey Hepburn's Star on the Walk of Fame

I know I could (and probably will) come up with more things I'd like to do. But this is a great start. Obviously some of them are pretty far-fetched. But why not dream big! Now go ahead and make your own list! Now I just need to win the lottery so I can get working on my list...

Christmas Re-cap

As promised, I have a gallery of photos from yesterday's festivities. I have lots of video too, but I'm still working on how to get that up on the blog. And how to edit it together. I think I have a project on my hands! In the meantime, enjoy the photos!

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! We had a great day at the Hayden House(s). Kelly always brings a fun, energetic spirit to every gathering!

We spent the evening at Grandma Sheila's house and had a fabulous time!

I will post lots more photos tomorrow... It's late and we're exhausted. Merry Christmas!!

Party at the Palace

Eric's company Christmas party was held at the Palace Theater. They had a nice drinks/dinner thing followed by a movie in the theater. It was a very fun evening!

Click here to view photos from the party!

A Case of the Mondays

Today I had one of those days. Last night I felt like I was coming down with something. I went from feeling fine to feeling crappy within a couple of hours. Then I slept like crap. Woke up with a fever and went to work anyway.

I had a doctor's appointment at 1:30 to have my neck re-examined. (I've been having muscle issues...) While I was there, he took my temperature (It was 100 degrees) and looked at my throat. And immediately prescribed me some antibiotics for my Strep Throat. Then I went back to work. I felt lousy, so I got everything done that I needed to get done and headed home a little early, hoping to stop at Wegmans to fill my prescription.

But as I sat at a stoplight, 3 miles from home. I got rear-ended. The damage was thankfully minimal. My neck went for a nice bouncy ride though. And it wasn't feeling that great to begin with. So they called an ambulance, had me looked over, filled out a police report and an hour or so later, sent us on our way. But not after another accident happened right in front of us. Commuters were not pleased with the huge back-up of traffic...

I was only able to snap a couple of photos. This was taken right as the ambulance got there. He was talking to the woman in front of me, the one that I hit. Due to the force of being hit from behind, I managed to slam into the car in front of me. The driver was fine, her car only had a couple of scratches. And she desperately wanted to be on her way. She had 4 children at home waiting for her.

The sun set before I left. In front of the paramedic is the other accident that happened because of our accident. I was so happy when I finally made it home tonight. If ever there was a day that I've thought I should have stayed in bed, this would have been it!

Frosty the Snowman

Look at what my dear friend Robin sent to me yesterday! Isn't he adorable!?! He's now my favorite... and he found a new home right on top of the piano. Thank you Robin, that was soo sweet of you!! I love him!

Look what I found in the Target parking lot yesterday. The bloody glove!! Where's OJ's Dream Team of lawyers when you need them?!

Party Time!

We went to my company Christmas Party last night... here's our usual self-portrait.

This is a photo with some of the morning show crew. (Look for this to air on Monday morning around 10:03am on NC9...)

Here's my dear friend Sharon (she retired last year and retirees get to attend the company parties!) Our friend Joe is next to Sharon. (Not quite sure what was up with my expression... I think I was just super excited to see Sharon!)

Me, Eric and Sara. She's the first face you see when you walk into the station. Or the first voice you hear if you call...

My friend Rich and his lovely wife Kathy. (They have the most adorable little girl... )

Sara was two-fisting it! It was an open bar and all...

Beebs and the future Mrs. Beebs. (Ok, they're not engaged yet... but aren't they so cute together!?)

And here I am posing with Mark. He and I share graphic duties and can never have the same day off...

It was a great party. The food was excellent, the people I work with are always so much fun to hang out with. Even Eric was sad when we had to leave. But there's always next year! Or next Tuesday... when we get to go to his Christmas Party! He works with fun people too...

NYC Trip and the Unhappiest State

Eric took a very quick trip to NYC on Monday & Tuesday. He went down with a couple of co-workers to shoot (errr... videotape) the Speaker of the NY State Assembly, Sheldon Silver. They are doing a documentary about him and his life in Manhattan's Lower East Side.

They toured the Lower East Side Tenement Museum while they were there. Mr. Sheldon grew up in a tenement. You can read about the Tenement Museum here. (Or you can click on the photo and read the sign...)

Eric's trip was very short, and they crammed a lot into their one day of shooting. He was happy to be home and said he felt like he had been beat up after lugging cameras and equipment all over the city.

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I heard a story on the news tonight. And it explained so much. Finally, there is proof!! NY is the unhappiest state in the union. It's true. You can read about it here. Apparently the weather, taxes, and the high cost of living weigh heavily on our ability to truly be happy. I can vouch for that! Top 5 happiest states include Louisiana, Hawaii and Florida.

Let it Snow and Other Random Things

Since it seems to have been awhile since I posted anything, I'm going to do a re-cap/random thoughts type of posting tonight.

* It's finally starting to feel like winter. But we have some catching up to do, we're last in the Golden Snow Globe contest. Which is fine with me, but unfortunately, that just means we'll be getting slammed. It's snowing now and is supposed to snow all day tomorrow too... so maybe we'll be moving up in the ranks.

* Eric has been out of town working in NYC. He's on his way back home right now. Hopefully he'll be home before midnight. And hopefully before it really starts snowing hard. He took my little camera with him, so maybe I'll post some photos soon (if he got a chance to take any). They were super busy and not there for very long!

* Tonight Alex and I had our annual Red Lobster mother-son dinner. He always gets me a gift card for my birthday and I enjoy getting to go to dinner with him. It seems to have become a tradition, and I like it! I kind of ate too much though... so I'm sort of uncomfortable as I type this... but it was sooo very good! I had the broiled seafood platter and Alex had the grilled salmon.

* I graduated today! From having to do 6-month mole checks, to only having to them once a year. That's a good thing. My doctor said I passed with flying colors and she didn't want to see me again for a year. Unless of course something becomes suspicious. But, as long as I keep staying out of the sun and loading on the sunscreen when I have to be in the sun, I should be ok.

* We have a couple more Christmas parties in the next week. My company party is Friday night, Eric's is next Tuesday. We're hoping to be able to attend them both. But the calendar sure is filling up. With appointments, athletic events, practices, etc. It sure is a busy time of year.

* Does anyone watch LOST?? I just saw a promo for the new (and final) season. I'm so excited to start watching it again! I hope they start showing some recaps soon so I can remember what was going on...

* We've been searching lately for a place to vacation next summer. I seem to always do that when the weather gets cold. It gives me something to look forward to! I've found interesting rentals in the following areas: The Cape, Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Ontario, and the Poconos. Where should we go?? I love them all... too bad we can't stay a week at each place!

* Hmm. Only 10 days 'til Christmas. Are you ready??

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Last night Eric and I went to a Christmas party. A co-worker (Boyd) was the host. But first we stopped at Rebecca's house for a few drinks. She lives right around the corner from Boyd.

Rebecca was drinking right out of the bag...

Kate & Rebecca at Boyd's.

Rebecca, Eric and Kate filled up their cups at the bar.

And then we all enjoyed the food. (Boyd, the host, is the one across the room with the camera.)

Shaun, Kate, Rebecca & Ania

Work friends... Greg, Terry and Shaun.

Eric-inspired photo of me, Shaun, Kate, Rebecca and Ania.

I loved the stairs. So pretty... Boyd had a beautiful home and we all had a fabulous time!

Pizza, Pizza!

Alex had a science project to do tonight... it was to create a cell using food. So he decided to make a pizza... using toppings to resemble the parts of a cell. The pepperoni is the nucleus, the onions are Golgi bodies, and the green peppers are rough endoplasmic reticulum... you get the idea. Hopefully it will make it to school in one piece tomorrow!

And since Alex was making pizza for school, we made them for dinner too. The above photo is Alex's edible creation. Notice the anchovies. (A special thanks goes to Uncle Roger for introducing him to anchovies... eeewww!)

These 3 were the pizzas that Eric, Kelsey and I made. Eric & Kelsey stuck with traditional pepperoni. Kelsey also added some sausage to hers. I made a yummy sausage, mushroom & onion pizza... my favorite! (Notice that these 3 pizzas did NOT have anchovies...)

Tomorrow is Friday! This week seemed to go by rather slowly... but it's almost the weekend. We have our first holiday party to attend Saturday evening. Should be a fun time! I hope everybody is getting in the Christmas spirit. Now that it's snowing and freezing cold out, it's starting to feel like Christmas. In fact, 2 weeks from tomorrow is the big day. Are you done with your shopping yet?!

Menu Plan Monday: Dec. 7th

I'm a little bit late posting my Menu Plan this week. I've had the menu done since Saturday, but sometimes, life just gets in the way! And it's still Monday, so I guess I'm not that late.

So here we go... it'll be a simple week. Lots of favorites, and nothing out of the ordinary.

Monday: Baked Haddock, Rice, Corn
Tuesday: DIY Night (track practice)
Wednesday: Ham Steak and Baked Mac 'n Cheese
Thursday: Make your own Pizza night
Friday: Potato Soup
Saturday: Boyd's Holiday Party

As always, please check out Organizing Junkie for more great Menu Planning ideas!

In other news, I think winter is here. We were on our 285th day in a row with less than 1" of snow. Which is quite the record for Syracuse, NY! But I think that's about to change. It's snowing right now. The photo above was just taken in our front yard. I'm not sure if we'll get an inch of snow tonight... but I would be willing to bet, that by the end of the week, we will be buried with snow. (It's going to snow everyday from now until April... mark my words!)

Yesterday, Eric and Kelsey put together a Gingerbread house. I think they had a nice time doing the project together.

Didn't it turn out really cute?! Looks good enough to eat!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Eric is very excited about Christmas! And for our beautifully decorated tree...

I added the ribbon this year as an extra finishing touch.

Last night Alex and I went to the SU / Maine basketball game at the Carrier Dome.

We had a great time... it was quite the blow-out. But it was still fun to watch.

Final score was 101-55.

Oh, Christmas Tree

Our glorious 9' tall Christmas tree has been assembled (by Eric) and has been lit (by me and Eric).

And it now awaits the decoration process. Which will most likely get done this weekend. Does everyone have their tree up yet??

Tis the Season

I've started to decorate the house for Christmas. I picked up a few new decorations this year...

This cute snowman was given to me by my neighbor Judy before I moved here. Isn't he adorable? I forgot to put him out last year, but found him in a box over the summer. So it's kind of like he's new, right?

Paula gave me this cute Christmas Tree candle for my birthday. I can't wait to light it and enjoy Christmas scent. (Since our tree is 'artificial', anything will help!)

I bought this Snowman on Black Friday when I went shopping with my mom at TJ Maxx. He didn't have a price tag, so we convinced the store clerk that he was really cheap... and she believed us. So he's now mine.

And this cute snowman was also purchased on Black Friday. At Jo-Ann Fabric. He was 50% off to begin with and we had a 20% off coupon on top of that. I couldn't leave him there!

We're planning on putting up the 9' tree this weekend. Well, I'm planning on it... and I'm hoping the rest of the family will help! It's an awfully big tree...

Practice at Manley

This evening I took Alex up to his first practice at Manley Field House at the S.U. campus. He joined the Syracuse Chargers Track Club and they had their first practice tonight. They hold an informal practice once a week and have a meet once a month. It's a great program - for all ages. (I know, I know... I should join too... )

I was very impressed with the facility. I used to run at the Field House at the University of Maine and this facility is huge compared to that one. I love how open everything is. The pictures don't really do it justice. So you'll have to take my word for it! I tried to piece a few photos together to show how big it is.

I loved the seats above the track. (Alex is the one running in the yellow shirt.)

After his practice, we walked around the Carmelo Anthony Basketball Center. It's attached to Manley Field House. It was pretty impressive.

I think Alex is getting pretty tired of me taking pictures of him... but I couldn't resist! I think that giant "S" would look great in his S.U. room.