Black Friday

First, as promised, a pie update:

As previously mentioned, I was in put in charge of dessert. Though there were only 4 of us coming to lunch, 4 pies were requested: pumpkin, pecan, pineapple cream and coconut cream. That's a whole lotta pie. So I said, Why not combine the pineapple and coconut and call it pina colada pie? So now we're down to 3 pies. Still a whole lotta pie, but I thought What would the Pilgrims do? And then made 3 pies.

So without going into too much detail, I made the pumpkin pie using a Martha Stewart recipe, the pecan using a Joy of Cooking recipe and the pina colada pie came from my head. After a fabulous lunch and a few minutes whipping up the fresh whipped cream, we sat down for the taste test. Mom, Grandma and I sat down to the pie sampler platter (Dad was in a tryptophan coma while the football game watched him.) The pecan pie tasted fabulous, but the filling did not set properly. Boo. The pumpkin was waaaaay too spicy for me; too much ginger and nutmeg I guess. And the center was set, but really soft. I like the really solid, unmoving kind of pumpkin pie. Double boo. So, the winner was...the pina colada pie. Creamy pudding, tangy pineapple and sweet toasted coconut. The only thing missing was the paper umbrella.

Shifting gears to Black Friday. First of all, are people fucking insane? Is Black Friday really that serious? It's enough to make a die-hard Black Friday-er like myself stay home next year. Ack.

Also, after 8 years of doing this, I had an epiphany that Black Friday was invented by a smart lady who just wanted an excuse to burn off all the calories she consumed from the day before.

Anyway, I had found something I wanted to get for my parents at a fabulous price in the Walmart ad and decided I'd start there when they opened at 5 a.m. So I set my alarm clock for 3:30 a.m. (yes, you read that right) and got to Walmart by 4:43 a.m. The line started at the doors and snaked along the side of the building, around the 6 store strip mall that is next to it, past the JC Penney and almost to my beloved Food 4 Less by the time I get there. The line extended all the way to Food 4 Less by the time we started moving. And I stepped into chaos at it's worst. Okay maybe not it's worst considering no one got fucking trampled to death. But still. What a sea of humanity. Then, despite my scouring the department of the gift I'm searching for and asking a mildly crazed floor employee, it's not there. Boo and 3/4. So I abandoned cart and jumped ship an hour after I got there without a thing, sneaking out the Garden Center exit.

This is entirely too much to deal with without a drop of caffeine in my system. This calls for a Starbucks run.

One shaken green iced tea, no syrup, extra ice later, I'm in Stockton in search of my back up plan. Eventually I end up at Circuit City, where the line was exponentially shorter and much more entertaining, as I got to see 3 different people trip over those concrete parking lot thingies. (Is it really that early in the morning? Or are you really that focused on getting into the line before someone else that you don't notice a big piece of concrete sticking up and out of the ground?) I found some stuff there, though I'm not exactly sure they were worth waiting in the long ass check-out line for, but whatever.

On to Best Buy, where really I was in search of the bathroom (damn green tea). The mutant guarding the entryway in front of the restrooms asked me to leave my bag (meaning my purse) in the area before entering the restrooms, where he would "watch it real close". I gave him the death stare, told him that I highly objected, and went on in anyway, while I heard him getting reprimanded that by bag they meant "shopping bags", not "purses". You fucking idiot. (Which wasn't actually said, just merely implied.)

Then to Bath & Body Works, which was more of a selfish mission, than anything else. (Did you see the fabulous V.I.P. bag?) And then on to the other mall where I found a great present (read: what she hinted for all of Thanksgiving Day) for my grandmother, and waited in line for 30 tortured minutes, as a I watched 2 small children run rampant through the store, as the mom in front of me weakly tried to contain them. All in a foreign language. And then there was the family behind me, which included the 12-year-old girl who complained that the jeans the mom "made" her get were too heavy to hold in this really long line. Ungrateful brat.

So I was home by noon, with 90% of my shopping done. (Yay!) But not feeling so hot about the human race. Tramplings?! Shootings?! In addition to the fact that the words "Excuse me", "Sorry" or even "My bad" seem to have escaped most people's vocabularies. Which is sad, considering I heard my 7-year-old little cousin say it the other day. (Big props to Gert and Ruby on that one...kids with manners, imagine that.) Also? My purse is not that big, so there is no reason why you should keep bumping it!!!! And lady behind me? Any particular reason you are so fucking close to me? Does the concept of personal space mean anything to you? If you said excuse me I might move. Also I'm sure I could summon up some lingering wretched cold germs if you'd really like me to share.

So another Black Friday is behind us...At this rate it may be my last...

(p.s. Reading this over, I realize that I overuse the word "fabulous". I'll work on that.)

More Randomness

• Wretched cold is hanging on for dear life. I still have the occasional cough and you can definitely hear it in my voice at times. A friend at work said she had the cough thing for 3 weeks! Blast!


• Last Thursday, I finished up this semester of Delta College Community Choir. Our performance was well attended by...7 people. Oh em gee, I hope that we can sustain to next semester.
  


• Went on Friday to watch Twilight with Dee, Garry and Dee's mom. I never get tired of saying this...Edward Cullen rox my sox!


• Last Saturday I went with some co-workers to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco, aka FIDM. Which most people only know about because of Lauren Conrad and the fact that she attends the L.A. counterpart.
  


• Speaking of The Hills, Heidi and Spencer eloped. WTF? Is she effing insane? Mark my words, she will rue the day...


• Speaking of celebrities...Bronx Mowgli? Seriously?
  


• Also last Saturday, post-FIDM, I went with my cousins Renee and Carly, and Nicole to see Trace Adkins and Alan Jackson. Oh, and James Otto opened. They were all awesome! And if you're not a country music fan, this means absolutely nothing to you. LOL
  
  
  


• This past Sunday, Ron brought my dog over to my house for the very first time. I hadn't had him over sooner because...well to be honest, we'd never really thought about it. Then it magically presented itself as an idea and Sirius came for his first visit. I was very very afraid that being a boy dog he would try to mark something and that something would be my couch. But, we kept him on the leash for the first 30 minutes or so and we watched him like a hawk, and everything went well. And of course the first thing he did was jump on my couch (natch). But now we know that he can hang out here and it won't be a problem. Other than the fact that a 90+ lbs. dog likes to climb up in your lap.

Carly thinks Ron feeds him steroids, but actually it's small, noisy children


• Currently I'm on Thanksgiving break. Gotta ♥ the public education calendar.


• My mother has put me in charge of Thanksgiving dessert. I'll report back on this one later.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Pismo

Okay, okay.

So as previously mentioned, when I was on my road trip back in September, the best 20 minutes of the whole trip (for me) was when we stopped at Pismo Beach and got to stick a toe in the ocean. So when I heard that one of my 4 favorite aunts was headed there, I convinced her to invite me (read: invited myself. Yes I'm rude like this) to join her and her family, and I (of course) enthusiastically accepted.

Now, okay. We all know that I'm trying to try new things. Like going with the flow and being able to give up my long-standing membership to Control Freaks R Us. But as I've illustrated here many, many times before, my life in real time hardly ever resembles my life in my head. So I'm not really sure why I was so surprised that things were nothing like I'd expected.

Okay, let me lay some groundwork here. Here's what I knew. The weekend before Veteran's Day, I would be leaving at 5 pm Friday to head to Pismo Beach with my Aunt Deb, Uncle Richard, cousin Renee and cousin Jimmy and his wife Maria and their 2 boys, Devin and Hunter. Deb and Rich and Jimmy and Maria both have 5th wheel trailers that they would set up on the beach. Shortly before we went, Renee did a little research and asked me if I was down to split a hotel room, which after very little thought, I agreed. A few days before we left, I found out that my cousin Tyler and his girlfriend, Nicole and her daughter, Paris, would be joining us as well. (It's a Cousin-palooza!) And since I'm going with the flow, I don't ask a lot of logistical questions, I just pack my bags and show up with a smile on my face.

So in my head, I thought I would leave work right at 2:30 so I could come home and pack. Then we would leave at 5 on the dot, arrive in Pismo 6 hours later, where those with 5th wheels would head to the campground and set up their camp while Renee and I head to the hotel, where I stretch out on my queen sized bed and use my normal sized shower before heading to camp with just the 11 of us hanging out, walking on the beach, reading in the sun (okay that one's more just me), eating like mad, riding 4 wheelers (that one's definitely not me) and making s'mores around the campfire and drinking some grown-up beverages, before going back to the mo-tel, ho-tel, Holi-day Inn (this is probably only funny to Renee) and starting all over again.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

That Friday at work, I forgot I had a parent meeting at 2:30, which required Spanish translation, which usually means you can tack on an extra 10-15 minutes to the normal running time (because basically everything is being said twice). So I finally got home at 3:25, needing to be at the designated meeting spot between 4 and 4:30. And I need to pack clothes, shoes, toiletries, books and magazines and my lawn chair. Oh and I need to find the bags I'm gonna use to put all this stuff in. So one mini-hurricane later, I'm throwing my things in the trunk and frantically caling my mom because for some reason, I don't have Deb's number and I need to let her know that at 4:19 pm, I'm heading to the store to buy snacks, and then over to pick my mom up so that she can drop me off at the designated meeting spot, AKA Deb, Rich and Renee's house, and that obviously, I am not going to make it between the 4 and 4:30 window. While I'm at the store, mom calls me back and says, no worries, Deb says they're running behind too.

Okay, deep breath.

So I arrive at the house and find out that we are waiting on Rich and Jimmy, two very key players here, to return from the Santa Rosa area on their way back from a funeral. But no worries, they just called and they just left. And have a 3 hour drive ahead of them. On a Friday. With traffic.

Sigh.

One yummy Chinese food dinner and 2 hours of Food Network later, we are ready to rock! So we all pile in and head out. At 8:30-ish. And we are caravaning, with Renee and I in her truck in between the 2 trailers. And I promptly fall asleep. (Poor Renee.) So I wake up at 12:45-ish when we make a stop in Kettleman City. About 2-ish we make it to an RV stopping place where both trailers fill up their water compartments, which took no less than 30 or so minutes (it's a little foggy since I kept nodding off). Then we head to the campground where in order to make it through the sand, both trailers and the trucks pulling them have to "air down", which basically means letting air out of every single tire, so that they don't bog down in some of the softer areas of sand. Which takes another 15 mintues or so. And we drive down the Sand Highway and pass trailer after trailer and campsite after campsite. About 1/3 of the way down, Jimmy finds friends of his and Maria's and they set up camp there. Somewhere along the way, it was revealed that Renee and I would be sleeping in Deb and Rich's trailer for that night, as we couldn't check-in to the hotel until later on Saturday. I haven't a clue as to how long it took to set up camp, as I was fast asleep in Renee's truck, until she wrenched the door open and asked me if I was planning to sleep in the truck all night. At 4 a.m. So in a semi-conscious state, I utilize the mini-facilities of the trailer and crash out on my side of the bed (Renee and I got to share).

Christ on a cracker. So far, this resembles absolutely nothing I saw in my head. Because did I mention? While technically we are on Pismo Beach, we are not actually in the town of Pismo? We are in Oceano at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. Where apparently we are there during some sort of "weekend", because there are trailers and tents and people and kids and dogs and ATV's of all shapes and sizes, as far as the eye can see. And it is now 9 am, we can't check into the hotel until 3 pm and nothing has gone as planned (at least from my perspective).

So I go to my happy place, AKA sitting down with a book. A funny book at that (God ♥ Stephanie Plum!) So by the time we leave to go to the hotel, I'm in much better spirits (even though I had a near death experience when I almost whacked my head on the towel bar in the trailer's bathroom when I was standing up after a pee), and while the hotel is nothing fancy, it has a big soft bed, with lots of fluffy pillows, cable tv and a bathroom that doesn't inflict claustraphobia. After settling in, and each indulging in heavenly shower, we head to Starbucks (♥) before heading back to camp. (Side note: Drinking Starbucks while on the beach fucking rocks!) By then more of Jimmy and Maria's friends have arrived, including a family I will call the Whiners, because the little boy whined like mad, and because I'm so awful with names, I couldn't tell you their real names anyway. So we have a yummy hotdog/hamburger dinner before sitting down to the campfire.

This is the inside of a washing machine. Fucking genius, I tell ya.

So after some s'mores Renee and I head back and have a comfy night's sleep. But she says I snored. And I say that she coughed a lot. Because did I mention? That like 5 of the 11 folks are sick? With a wretched cold? That aside, it was a very nice to have the comforts of a hotel room.

So next morning, after another Starbucks run, we head back to the Dunes. Where, despite all the people there, we are doing the things I thought we would. Hurray! I'm reading and chilling and eating and then I go for a walk on the beach.

See, here I am.

These guys kept following me.

How can that not make you happy?

By the time I got back from my 3 mile (!) meandering down the beach, yet another family joined our group, a family I'll call the Hellions, because again, that's what their kids were and I couldn't tell you their real names anyway. But after a yummy steak dinner and more s'mores, we headed back for another comfy night.

And I woke up with a little tickle in the back of my throat. Oh no. By the end of the day I was sniffling and sneezing and not really happy about it. But before that, on our way in we saw this guy

Maria said he came ashore because he was sick. I think he was just saying "What's up?"

And I was able to go down to the water again, this time with a group, but it was still very nice.

See, here I am again. Sort of

Here are the kids looking for...shells I guess

:) !

So by the time we got back to the hotel, I was in full-fledged sick mode. Boo.

We get up a little later than usual the next morning, but we know we only have until 11 before we have to check-out. Being full-fledged sick with wretched cold, however, my main objective at this point is to just get home and into my own bed. So we head to the campsite where everyone in our group is packing up. Then they have to dig out the trucks and trailers, drive out of the campground, air up (think the opposite of air down), and dump the water that wasn't used all before we can get on the road. This entire process took about 60+ minutes, while in my head, we would leave the sand and be off (will I never learn?).

Basically slept the entire ride (Again, poor Renee) to Kettleman City, where we stopped for a bite and I ate a grand total of 1/2 of a $1 Fruit and Yogurt parfait (which is the equivalent of nothing) before dragging myself back to the truck and falling fast asleep. Woke up around Tracy and we made it back to Deb, Rich and Renee's house all in one piece. Mom came and picked me up and I was able to collapse into my fabulous, comfortable bed in a Nyquil fog.

So what did I learn on this trip?

• Ask questions. Lots of them

• Standing downwind of the campfire means you will smell like a campfire

• Hotel camping is the only way to go

• When half the people around you are sick, including your roomie, there is no doubt you will catch it

• S'mores are a little piece of heaven, right here on earth

• The ocean has magical soul-healing powers (but I think I might have already known that)

• But sand in your eyes does not
  
  
  

Looking for Something to Read?

Still sick. Still recovering. Get over it.

In the meantime, if you're looking for something to read, click here. This is a blog by my favorite blogger Jen Lancaster, about the Election. In short, her team lost, yet (I think) she wrote very graciously about it.

Mucinex is my new BFF.

Your patience is appreciated...while on fabulous vacation, caught wretched cold and am once again trying to recover from being deathly ill. But hope to post again soon about said fabulous vacation.

Now where's my Zicam?

Election '08

I don't know much about politics, and I don't try to pretend I do. I try to stay up on current events, but I don't keep my tv stuck on CNN, nor do I try to understand every single thing I hear or try to go beyond just the surface of most issues. (Now before you jump on my case, I know I just told you all last post to utilize your resources and get informed. I didn't say I'm not an informed voter. I just said that I don't know much about politics. There is a difference.)

I believe who and what I vote for is between me and my ballot. Over the last 6 months, I've observed friends, family, coworkers, and perfect strangers make their position well known, which personally I don't think is necessary, but at the same time, is part of what makes this country great (I'm talking Freedom of Speech here, people!) I don't understand the point of debating why McCain would be a better president or why Obama wouldn't be up to the job. Maybe I just have too much of my momma in me, but I wonder why people can't just respect each other's opinions and leave it at that. But then again, that may go against not only the essence of Freedom of Speech, but human nature in general. I don't know who's idea it was initially, but the theme of Good vs. Evil, Us vs. Them, One vs. The Other is timeless. So I guess I shouldn't question the idea of A vs. B, as it's something that is part of the fabric of this country, possibly the world.

As I write this, post-Obama acceptance speech, I can't help but fall into that cliche of "living history". (Which if you think about it, happens Every. Day.) Today is a day that may hold "Where were you when 9/11 happened?"-type discussions in the future. But regardless of which side you support, or who you voted for, if you genuinely listen to Barack Obama, I hope you are able to catch an Nth of his energy, his hope, his belief in the American people and the potential of this country, which he sums up simply with "Yes we can!" Because I have to say, watching Obama's speech has gotten me energized, hopeful and believing that this country has not come close to tapping the potential it holds, and that the time to do that is now.

Sadly though, I think too many folks are unwilling to look past color lines, party lines, religious lines and whatever other lines you could think of, to stop and listen with an open mind, to what he has to say and what his ideas are. (Though maybe I'm overestimating these folks' ability to be open-minded if they're willing to judge someone based on their skin color, political leanings and/or religious beliefs.)

Whether it's a positive or negative, change is stressful and scary and because of that, people tend to shy away from it and reject the unfamiliar. (Do you think he's not a little scared right now? Honestly if he wasn't I'd be concerned.) I have heard people say that because Obama has been elected, the country is doomed, they're moving to Canada for the next 4-8 years, or they hope someone takes him out early. But my god, can't we give the man the opportunity to prove himself? Or, let's reframe it so that it fits those who aren't Obama supporters...Can't we give him the opportunity to fail?

But at this point, he's obviously done something right, as right now, Barack Obama is the next President of the United States of America.

Random Notes

Apparently while being deathly ill, I threw up so hard I burst some blood vessels in my right eye. It's on like the bottom part of my eye, so it doesn't show to the general public, but it still grossed the hell out of me this morning when I was putting in my contacts. And it's like a train wreck. I know it gives me the heebie jeebies, but I keep checking it to see if it's gone away yet.

In my haste to toss out my now moldy jack-o-lanterns, I also threw out my pumpkin scented candle that I only used at Halloween. And besides not wanting to go dumpster diving, I decided I'm perfectly okay with it, considering that the idea of that candle puts my teeth on edge considering it was picked out by someone whose name rhymes with "gone" (pun intended, people), who then decided that I shouldn't burn said candle because it reeked. Bah!

I love how so many people are excited about this "historic election". I'm excited that I get to vote tomorrow. I do not love all the commercials or all the things I've been getting in the mail, which I'm not gonna lie, go straight into the bin. I also do not love how so many people utilize these commercials and flyers (I almost wrote propaganda. Almost.) as their ONLY source of information about the candidate and propositions. Seriously? In 2008? In this age of technology? There is an IMMENSE amount of information out there that can help you sift through all the crap that you hear/see/receive and let you make an informed decision. USE IT!

Another thing...

to add to the "Living Alone" list

Living alone means when you are deathly ill with a 24 hour bug, there's no one around to help take care of you. (Unless your mom's feeling extra nice and brings you juice and bread since she was going to the store anyway. Thanks, mommas!)

Living alone also means when you are recovering from being deathly ill, you have to make your own dinner of peanut butter and syrup (which if you don't know what that is, then obviously your family tree doesn't have Southern roots. Which is just your too bad)

Peace out, I'm going to bed