Futurer Than 2010

It's 1/1/11 which means my car is 10 years old, I've been living with Wally for 10 years minus one week (long story), and my cat Geoff is not only 18 years old, he's 18 and a HALF. Wally spent New Year's Eve rocking The Empire, but I spent countdown time going na-nights with my beloved Christmas Nano,

Pitter Pat

...but so many of the songs I have on it are new-to-me and keeping me awake, I needed something mellow and something I knew inside-out. I needed The Wall. So I went two feet and got it off the internet and I was asleep 20 minutes later. Sometimes living in The Future is gooood.

Happy New Year!

Making Good

My little fisherman and I made good on our 3/50 project today, we visited Free Range Fish & Lobster where I couldn't help but notice that the haddock was pricier than the lobster. Only in Maine! We bought not-so-free-range farm salmon, a product of an industry that I'm told is scheduled to blow up the planet, but I can only coddle one righteous cause at a time. We spent just half of the $16.67 requirement, yet I feel justified since earlier this month we spent a tunzl at Simply Scandinavian Foods on a Princess Torte and other squeezable fish European tube products. That's 2/3 of the 3/50 pledge, but I'm sure I spent enough at the Clipper Mart to make up the difference...for the new year I make it a goal to be more mindful of where I spend our tiny billettes of finance--Enough with The Man sticking it to the little guy, harumph.

My Little Fisherman Guy

Three Fitty, Pleez

On the evening that my former corporate employer mailed me an end-of-year "fundraiser" letter stating that I was overpaid by $742 and that I needed to mail it back to them (I don't, it's been established that they were wrong and that they should go to hell) I come across this sad depressing article on the state of once-local products, and instantly I've become recommitted to "buying local," something I wish I'd done more of this holiday season (as it turns out, the internet isn't as local as I thought it was.) So here's the 3/50 Project--$50/month at 3 local businesses, that's ***digging out calculator*** $16.666666666666666667 per business per month. Heck, that's...I don't know, I'm bad at math, but still. While it was brief, considering the panic I went through wondering where and how I might come up with this $742 and the ensuing battle I took on with the payroll department when the CEO down the street makes plenty to cover their goliathan error, I know I need to start rethinking things...even when my former corporate employer is local (just nevermind that part.)

Three Slash Fifty! Support Your Local Bands! Three Slash Fifty!

The Nook Hook

Because 1000sf living doesn't always mean you have room for a dining table (other than the coffee table) Hubby got me this for Christmas:



I'm so excited! It's not yet finished or polyurethaned or installed, but once it is I think it will be like adding a whole new room, I can't wait to eat meals and play Jenga and do homework here, I love it! I got extra spoi-yuled this year with a full stocking (last year it was empty, oops), a watch, earrings, my first very own iPod, a can of mace, dining cards, Stars on Ice tickets, the gifts just kept on coming, it was amazing!

Jimmy's Christmas morning trainset earned multiple "Wow!"s before anyone else was even awake.

I find that he always finds double-duty out of the gifts his grandfather makes for him. Last year he discovered that his new stepstool doubles as a mini dinette:



This year his custom wheelbarrow is also useful as a seat for watching movies, or just plain hangin' out.

And my Festivus party went off so well that we're thinking of spending next Christmas at Disney.

For the restivus!

Festivities

The past few days have been festive around the house. I made hubby's mother's prized banana bread,



...and received a fun Tower of Gifts from my aunt,



I know with items such as this,



...and this,



...she's looking to get on my hubby's good side. I myself figure when pears come packaged like this,



...that you have to do something special with them, I'm looking into into poached flambé recipes. Biscuits on biscuits flambé. Can't wait!

Jimmy quite by accident discovered that wrapping paper doesn't stop the singing, motorized tire noises, and flashing headlights of one of the presents under the tree---the box acts just the same way the battery operated vehicles he plays with in the toy aisles.




"Shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your booty," reeep reeep reeep, uuuuhhhhrrr, screeeeeeech, slam! "Shake shake shake, shake shake shake...." aka WHY did Santa authorize this?

To be honest, Jimmy is a little traumatized by Santa. He certainly likes the idea of presents, but he's not so hot on some big omnipresent man coming here to deliver them. This will *not* stop him from accepting the gifts, but still...not into it. Even so, we put out milk and cookies,


I hope Santa likes almond milk.

...but Jimmy remained ever more interested in the Youtube trains.





There was no problem with Santa and the dairy-free milk.



Many more hours of work to go, Merry Christmas Eve, all!

Ho Ho Ho

It was Pajama Day at school today, and Jimmy actually sat with Santa there.



Look how happy he is! And how high his pants are!

Puppy Love

Jimmy and I attended a Yankee Swap for ornaments today, when it was our turn Jimmy turned down opening a new one and opted to steal this one from my stepmother.



He may be saying that he wants a dog, I'm not sure, but this will be the only Golden hanging around our tiny house, that is for sure. Hee! All in all we had a nice time in a beautiful house, I love old Portland neighborhoods!