Frosty!

It has been reported in previous posts that we are a little wimpy here in Southern California when it comes to the weather. It is probably because we have the luxury of having such a temperate climate. I can adapt to colder (not hotter!) weather after a week or so, but it takes a bit to get used to it!

There have been a number of cold days down here of late, including consecutive days of freezing nights and mornings. This makes for some chilly walks, but with the right amount of layering (as in a minimum of 3 plus gloves), all is well.

Our dog friends LOVE the cold, especially Shadow. She has that super heavy coat and spends most of her time panting when we are out on our twice a day walks, so having a cold morning must feel so refreshing for her. Scooby and Daphne enjoy when the ground is frozen because it makes for some easier running through the soft sandy parts - that is good for chasing wayward critters!

The shot above is Hemet at about 7:30 am and 30 degrees last Sunday - I don't often think of snow and ice when I think of Hemet!

Wii are Sharing the Joy

Holly unwittingly participated in securing a Wii and Wii Fit to give my parents as their Christmas gift. Those darn things were hard to get AGAIN this year and after repeated trips to a variety of different stores in the area, I put Schnoogs on the task - and she made the magic happen!

She found a store that had one of each left. Thanks to some good security measures, the fine people at Game Stop would not allow Holly to use my credit card for the purchase (funny, because the clerk there knows her from school), so I texted David to run down there after work to pick it up. Success!

When I came home from work later that night, both were very proud of their accomplishments AND thought that the Wii was for us. I can't effectively describe the crestfallen look on BOTH of their faces when my answer was, "No. That is for my parents so they can have the Wii Fit." As giving and loving as Holly is, she still said something to the effect of, "That's just plain inhumane." Not that she begrudges her grandparents the benefits of a Wii, of course.

The debate rages on at the Newton household for the Wii - I am holding back because I know how those two work. With the console and the games will come the demand for a new TV and that is NOT in the budget! To their credit, they did make a statement after seeing the Wii Fit in action that they could do without the new TV...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Let's see what happens!

Joyeux Noel

We hope that this entry finds you all enjoying the day with loved ones doing whatever it is you do to celebrate Christmas in your family. Traditions are an important part of this holiday, so be sure to enjoy that element of the day and take a couple of pictures too - memories are another big factor to making this time of the year special (in my humble opinion).

I am writing this entry a few days in advance of Christmas, so while I anticipate we are doing something very cool, fun and French...I don't know exactly what that is - we will both have to wait for the experiences to happen and then be captured! I will tell you that I have been banned from 'over-programming' the trip, which means that my fine organizational skills are being wasted. Why not schedule every minute of the day to ensure that all sights are seen and enjoyed? It makes sense to me!

David and Holly apparently believe that they should be allowed to enjoy life at their pace (and rumor has it that the French move at that 'slower' speed too) Oh well, I may just go off on a few adventures of my own.

Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noel - no matter how fast or slow you like to move!

Christmas Croissants

At last! The highly anticipated Parisian trip is here. As you are reading this, we are adjusting to the time difference and wandering along the Arc de Triomphe being tourists gaping at the sights and enjoying the fine wares of the merchants. This is a big trip any way you look at it, but add in the fact that we are getting David on a plane for a 10.5 hour trip internationally and you should realize how monumental this really is.

There will naturally be lots of photos and stories to tell - I am sorry to report to my loyal blogging audience that I will not have access to the blog while we are gone, but will be taking copious notes and organizing them in appropriate blog-length entries for completion upon our return.

Until then, enjoy the occasional random posting that I have prepared in advance so as to keep you engaged and wanting more - we can't have readership dropping off, now can we?

Merry Christmas - we'll have a croissant (or two) for you

Pete the Parrot

Sometimes the silliest things give me the most laughter. Holly received a gift from her Grandma called "Pete the Parrot" for Christmas, primarily as a joke and a reminder of a good laugh that the two of them had doing Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. As the story goes, they first saw the toy hanging in a Walgreen's. It takes a snippet of something that you say and repeats it back at you twice, much like the proverbial 'Polly want a cracker' parrot that mimics a phrase or two.

It seems that Holly and my Mom spent a good deal of time in front of this bird, talking and laughing as it repeated everything they were saying. Holly opted not to buy it because it really wasn't anything she needed, but my Mom (being a very observant and thoughtful shopper) went back to get it as a final Christmas gift.

Holly started laughing as soon as she opened the gift and began telling us the story of finding the toy when she was shopping. Wanting to share the excitement with all of us, she put the batteries in and turned it on - sure enough, it started to repeat phrases that she was saying, which made us laugh, which made Pete the Parrot laugh, which made the dogs bark (remember - we have the Christmas Daschunds there), which made PETE bark - pandemonium then ensued.

I will admit that we got a good laugh out of this gift and will probably never be able to look at Pete again without thinking of poor little Freckles (he is the larger and more anti-Pete the Parrot of the two doxys) going after him, determined to shred his feathers! Doggy want a parrot?

The Christmas Dauschund

I mentioned in an earlier post that we were out in Hemet this weekend, visiting our parents to celebrate Christmas since we will not be in town (or the country, for that matter) on Christmas Day. The visits were excellent, complete with some nice gifts, tasty treats and playing with our new toys.

This trip also heralded an important Christmas figure that I until now I did not know existed - the Christmas Dauschund.

My parents have had miniature dauschunds (a common and easier to pronounce/spell nickname is doxy) for something near 20 years. They are sweet -albeit a little yippy - dogs who have funny little personalities and always keep things interesting. My Mom is excellent at finding things that have doxys on them and has a great collection about the house. From figurines to pictures, magnets, notecards and beanie babies - if there is a doxy item (especially a miniature wire-haired version), my Mom has found it or someone has given it to her.

What I did not realize until my visit to Hemet yesterday is there is also a Christmas Dauschund - witness the photo above - who barks in Christmas each year. I walked by him 3 or 4 times, smiled each time that I saw his little beard and hat, and then finally went inside to get my camera so that I could capture his essence to share with all.

I'll bet that he is a big help to Santa, especially when it comes to wrapping (or unwrapping) presents.

Chasing Rabbits

Scooby is a world-class rabbit and squirrel chaser. I am not sure that this is something that has either been formally declared or that I am particularly proud of, but it is a fact. That dog can RUN and is forever on the prowl for critters to chase.

There have been some captures - I must admit with sadness in my heart - but nothing that I have thankfully ever witnessed so for the time being I am content with the concept of the dogs flushing critters out of the brush so long as I do not actually bear witness to the after-effects of a successful chase that ends with anything other than Scooby and Daphne trotting back to us, tongues hanging out of their mouths. (Shadow is content to stand by and bark her approval/encouragement and leave the running to the young 'uns)

There is an area in Hemet that we take the dogs to when we visit (as we did on Sunday) that we have decided is Scooby's absolute favorite place on earth. It is a giant wash/field that has areas where concrete was dumped long ago, creating what David refers to as 'Rabbit Condos'. Scooby and Daphne make for the condos as soon as they get them in sight and then the great flushing-out process begins! One or both of the dogs gets a scent, they follow it around and then occasionally a rabbit will come shooting out of a hole or bush and the great chase is on.

I am pleased to report that there were at least 5 big chases on Sunday morning with no captures, leaving the dogs tired and me relieved!

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

I love Christmas. The decorations, time with friends and family, cooler (and sometimes even cold, but not usually in So Cal) weather with the general upbeat mood and spirits all make me happy as we move along, building with anticipation the celebration of Christ's birth in a joyous and loving fashion...until it is time to go the mall.

I have very little to worry about in terms of Christmas shopping this year - we got lucky and booked a deal of the century trip to France for our Christmas celebration, so have decided as a family that gifts need not be exchanged - the experiences (and subsequent photos) will serve as our gifts this year. With that said, there were a couple of items that I did need to pick up for those not lucky enough to be going to Paris with us, so I finally ventured out to the mall for 3 things on Saturday - 3 things that I thought should take me about 30 minutes total time to get.

How very naive I was! The parking situation alone was enough to kill 30 minutes (which it did) and I declared something resembling a victory in a parking place when I squeezed into the last spot at the farthest point away from the mall (the owner of the Jaguar in the accompanying space must not have realized that they were hanging a good third of the way into the next space), walked through the construction area across the parking lot and finally made it to the outer perimeter of the newest portion of the mall.

I will spare the sordid details of what I will call bad Christmas behavior, but suffice it to say that while I consider myself a pretty upbeat person, I was about ready to gauge my eyes out by the time 90 minutes had elapsed and I left the mall with my 3 items in hand. It was feeling a lot like the commercialized side of Christmas that we hear many people complaining about, yet it continues.

And I admittedly fed right into it!

Secret Pathways

I took a walk around the office on Friday to take advantage of some clean, clear air and sunshine in between projects. Wedged between a couple of busy streets - San Vicente and Olympic - there are some quaint residential streets and an elementary school to amuse me whilst I stroll.

It wasn't very warm on Friday, although it was sunny, so I took off on a pretty brisk pace to get the heart pumping, warm up and cover as much territory as I could in the 30 minutes that I had until my next appointment. I cruised around to Olympic and walked along for a while (I have an AWFUL sense of direction and am prone to getting lost easily, so I thought it best to stick with streets that I knew!), but was not appreciating the noise of the traffic too very much.

Right about the time I decided I was going to have to turn around because time was ticking along and there was no end in sight to the extremely long block that I was walking along, I spotted a little break in the sidewalk, looked through it and saw the view pictured here. It was like my very own secret pathway popped up right before my eyes! Throwing caution of keeping safe within known streets to the wind, I followed this little garden path through several neighborhoods where it was quiet and peaceful.

Just a little slice of happiness in my day to share with you!

In Training

This entry is a few days delayed, as there was a bit of difficulty in getting the picture that I had taken from my Blackberry into a format suitable for blogging.

I worked a couple of late shifts last week while doing my in-store training and had the pleasant surprise of having Holly and Rachel come visit me to see the magic in action.

There was apparently some excitement with the navigational guide, then confusion around where they actually were when asking for directions and then the traffic (how many entries can we do on THAT topic?). The girls showed up sometime around 8 o'clock, just in time to catch me for my dinner break! I was naturally looking very official in my apron and visor, so that sight was somewhat entertaining to both the Schnoogs and Rachel, although they did not mock me too much!

It was a nice distraction to have visitors in the store, but after my 30-minute meal period was up, it was time to say goodbye so that I could get back to swirling - we can't keep those Pinkberry fans at bay for too long when it comes to meeting their swirly goodness craving!

We naturally had to take a photo for posterity, so posing was a must!

I'm a Sucker for Rainbows

Being a girl and a product of the 80's, rainbows and unicorns were BIG in my life. I'm talking overkill, including the obligatory white t-shirt with a rainbow across the front, stretching from arm to arm. The ultimate of course was the mirror shaped like a unicorn with a rainbow mane - you can't find those anymore!

For some reason this information came rushing into my head today as I was driving home from the last day of my store training in Burbank (another shout out to Jason, Katie and the VERY fun team there!). We had a good couple of inches of rain over an 18 hour period or so, with more dark clouds looming and an occasional flash of lightning. The commute was pretty tough in the morning and was shaping up to be much of the same in the late afternoon. As the traffic speed suddenly started to pick up (hooray!), I noticed an INTENSELY bright rainbow off to the right. Sun was on the left, dark clouds were behind the rainbow and the whole scene was truly breathtaking.

I can't deny that I was tempted to try and capture the brilliance of the colors using my Blackberry phone - but between the rain,traffic speed and awkward angle through the window (not to mention the safety implications!), I decided that I would have to let this rainbow shine brightly in my memory only.

Of course, I could set out on a quest for a new mirror, complete with rainbow-maned unicorn!

Technically, I am Grounded

We all know that I enjoy technology and all that it can do - remember my gleeful posts when I bought my Blackberry, learned how to take photos and post blogs from it? All was moving along very nicely until last week when I attempted to merge my work and personal life technology into one neat little package. The intention was good and made great sense, but now for reasons that I am still trying to figure out, I am frozen out from doing anything but text or answer calls on the Blackberry. Technically speaking, I am grounded!

I have a couple of good photos on the Blackberry that will soon translate into some grand blog entries. I have attempted to send them a few times using different tactics, but it all ends the same way - with a big red X indicating that the transmission has failed. I was on the phone with Sprint for about an hour on Friday trying to figure it out - at that point I had my work e-mail coming in, but no personal mail. By the time the day ended, I was completely frozen out and no one had called me back! It looks like I am going to have to invest some more time later today and use my stern voice until I can get someone that will see this project through.

Holly will tell you that the stern voice is something to be avoided if at all possible!

Happy Anniversary

21 years is a pretty long time to stick with any one thing.

Big props go to David for 21 years of putting up with yours truly (the official date was yesterday, but I worked the late shift!)

I am one lucky chick!

Wahoo!

Finding a new place to eat is always an adventure. Today I am working from the LA office through the afternoon, then I will be heading over to close with my friends in Burbank tonight. Because I was juggling a variety of items this morning as I left the house (folder, bag, breakfast, lemonade, uniform and phone), I managed to leave my lunch at home. Rats. I was looking forward to my veggie chili dog!

Undaunted, I scoped out a place about 1/4 mile away called Wahoo's Fish Taco. I figured it to be a quick and easy grab so that I could get back to the exciting world of intranet and project management (two of my current items on the list). For some strange reason, I have never been to a Wahoo's and I must say, me likes!

My tacos were tasty (I got the vegetarian option with the spicy cajun white beans - I highly recommend them), the place was crazy busy and most of all, it was really cool. I spent most of my time there just looking around at the decor, which is a very kitschy 'flair' kind of thing with a lot of stickers everywhere that you look. I found myself wondering if they actually made that a part of the design or if over time people have just stuck things on the walls and it all just works. Regardless, if you haven't been to a Wahoo and have one in your area, I say seek it out and give it a shot.

Throw a sticker up on the wall too, if you happen to have one one you!!

Stoop and Scoop

So I am doing my in-store training at the Burbank Pinkberry (shout out to my friends Jason, Katie and the whole team), and am afforded a 30-minute meal period each day, which I typically spend walking and exploring the area. Today I ventured further south than in my previous jaunts and discovered a little residential area that had the sign you see here posted every 25-feet or so.

My friend Elizabeth LOVES her some of the quirky signs, so I know that she will appreciate this one and I must admit that the 'stoop and scoop' phrase to educate dog owners on their responsibilities is a new one on me...and it entertains me greatly.

Time to get back to work, I don't want to get marked as tardy returning from my meal period!

Going Green

In addition to the big news of starting a new job yesterday, I also ventured out on a new commute pattern - one that keeps my car (and me!) off the road for 28 of my 42 miles to the office. It wasn't the fastest route that I might have hoped for, but it was certainly effective and I managed to read about 3/4 of last week's Newsweek (I am a bit behind on my periodicals!).

It is about a 2-hour venture door to door, which naturally adds 4 hours to my day, but I must admit that it is not as difficult as sitting in the car for that long would be. It is a short car-bus-train- another bus-walk ride to get to work (and then reverse it for home) each day. As I said, really not too bad in terms of the trip and everything moves pretty smoothly.

Surprising to me was the sheer volume of people out there doing the same thing. It was standing room only each time and the stations were all super busy. Who knew that there was such a culture of public transportation users in Los Angeles? It certainly surprised me. The volume of people also makes this a pretty good people watching venue...there will likely be some interesting stories in the coming months.

Until then, here's to avoiding seeing red while sitting in traffic by going green (and being chauffeured) with the MTA

A New Swirl in Town

Has the suspense been killing you? Have you been wondering WHO is leaving the ranks of the unemployed and returning to work full time? Have you been checking the blog hourly, hoping for some hint of the news?

Well, guess no more. There is a new swirl in town and I will be working it...Pinkberry. Today marks my first day as Director, Field Support and I will be joining a great group of people who are into 'swirly goodness'. The offices are in LA so I will also join the ranks of the commuting population - my effort to 'go green' as well as 'stay sane'; my recent experiences with Los Angeles traffic have been anything but exciting. I look forward to regular days of reading and writing whilst avoiding the hassles of traffic altogether.

Perhaps it will launch a whole new blog series!

Holly's Big Day Out

I would like to believe that Holly's birthday did not disappoint in terms of fun, celebration and general good times. The morning started off nicely as reported in the last post, and continued at an unhurried pace (Holly's favorite speed) through the afternoon. There was a pedicure, some shopping, a little frozen yogurt snack and then the real celebrating began.

Dinner was at Ruth's Chris Steak House - we went to the one in Woodland Hills - because the Schnoogs rather enjoys their steaks, especially since they are served sizzling in butter. Rachel went with the lobster bisque and I opted for the veggie-friendly portobello mushroom. The unsung heroes on the menu (in my humble opinion) are the sides...the sweet potatoes are to die for and the shoe string potatoes addictive! Full and borderline bloated thanks to all of the fine food, we rolled out at 6:45 to cruise on over to the Ahmanson Theatre (in Los Angeles, about 20 miles away).

The funny (although I am not laughing) thing about driving in LA is you never know what you are in for. A drive that should have taken 30 minutes took us an hour and a half and then we were routed through the deepest bowels of the city to a parking place that ended up being across the street and down about 3 blocks from our destination. It was hard to not be frustrated and irritable with the slow traffic, indecisive drivers and parking attendants that kept directing us further and further away from our target, but cool heads prevailed and we made it inside the doors of the Ahmanson at 8:30. They had started the show late (very nice of them to hold it for us), and took us into our seats after the 3rd song, so while we did miss some of the show, it wasn't too bad and we were not alone in our tardy arrival (I'm telling you, the traffic situation is out of control!)

The play that we saw was called Spring Awakening and it has won 8 Tony Awards. I am not sure that I can adequately describe the content of this play and still maintain my self-described G-rating on this blog, so let's leave it at a "coming of age story of a very confused and curious group of students in 20th century Germany." Check out this review for a little more detail and flavor of the entertainment. Holly had mentioned to me that she heard that there were portions of the play that were (in her words) 'awkward', so I bought tickets for her and Rachel together and then tickets for myself and a friend (David opted out) to sit in a different area - I think that it was a good move!

Once the play was over, we had plenty to talk about on the ride home, which we were all happy to see went much faster than the ride to the theater. Once we dropped off Rachel and made it into the house, the clock struck midnight and it was official - the Schnoogs is now in her full adulthood. Good job! Here are a few photos of our historic day.

My Work Here is Done

It is official. My debt to society has been paid and I am now in the clear. I have produced a fully adult and legal citizen who is now ready to face the world on her own...at least that is what I am claiming today!

Yes, happy birthday to Holly and congratulations on a very successful first 18 years. I naturally cracked myself up by greeting her this morning with a fine breakfast, wishes for a happy birthday and then a firm, "Now get out." I tried to pull it off very seriously, but she was onto me in all of 10 seconds, so I guess that we will let her hang around a bit more...at least to finish out her senior year of high school.

The day is shaping up to be a good one for the Schnoogs - Rachel spent the night last night to join us for breakfast (complete with the family favorite caramel pecan rolls - sans pecans at Holly's request). I hear that pedicures are on the agenda for the afternoon, then we will head out this evening for dinner at Ruth's Chris (Holly gets the beef-eating gene from David!) and into LA to see the musical Spring Awakening. There will naturally be a full report tomorrow, complete with photos of the birthday girl and celebration.

Now to figure out what I am going to do with Holly's room when she moves out...as if I will really be happy the day THAT happens!

The Last (official) Unemployment Friday

The highly acclaimed and much-anticipated tradition of Unemployment Friday reached an important milestone yesterday - it's last official session. As of Monday, someone in this picture will be back to work full time and the numerous activities for people with free time and an appreciation for the outdoors will be over. Cause for celebration, naturally, but let's also acknowledge the fact that planning at least one solid outdoor exercise event each week was a pretty cool thing and the tradition will be missed.

Not wanting to waste a beautiful day and a favorite backdrop, it was back to the famed Ventura Beach Walk - an 8-mile loop that leaves San Buenaventura State Beach and winds down to the front entrance of the Emma Woods campgrounds. It is tough to beat this route between the scenery, the terrain and the safety as it is primarily secluded from traffic...not to mention that we always manage to have interesting debates and conversations!

The photo above shows Jax and I at the turnaround point, just as we hit the 4-mile mark. Note that we are appropriately sporting our 'winter' wardrobe of long sleeved shirts and longer pants - we know how to dress it up for the very diverse So Cal seasons! The 2nd half of the walk was spent anticipating the last two activities of our UF - lunch at In 'N Out and then dessert at Pinkberry. Not a bad finish to a very enjoyable 3 hours outside with the sea, salt and fresh air.

But who is going back to work? You will have to check back in the next day or two to find out the answer to that!

Larger than Life

Senior year brings with it a variety of different activities, all of which are memorable and significant, up to and including the senior picture.

Holly did her photo shoot in the late summer, opting for some outdoor poses to mix things up a bit and capture of course the true essence of the Schnoogs. The photography studio then paraded the 50 or so shots in front of us and appealed to my sentimental side as a mother to make sure that I chose the portrait package that best represented the many fabulous pictures of my only child.

The selection and purchase of the pictures was back sometime in mid-September and I haven't given it much thought until we got the call that the photos were ready and we could come pick them up. Holly and I dutifully trotted down to the studio where our package was waiting. They did not disappoint and we are now the proud owners of several different sized pictures of three different poses of a smiling, rather adult looking Holly.

The big surprise was the 16x20 portrait that came as a part of the photo option that I purchased. I don't think that I gave enough consideration to just how large that picture would be and how it feels like a shrine or altar should be set up around any hanging portrait of that size. Don't get me wrong, it is a great photo of Holly (enjoy the 'picture of a picture complete with annoying flash burst' above), but it was kind of weird this morning for David and I to sit eating our breakfast with Holly staring at us.

David says the other option is to get the same sized print-on-velvet of dogs playing poker. I guess that I will get used to the Holly-giant stare.

In the Money with $chnoog$

Tuesday was a significant day for Holly's financial status - we signed her up for her own checking account. Not a joint account or one that connects into any of mine, but a bonafide free checking account accessible only by the Schnnogs (or 'Moneybags', as we like to call her). So continues the journey of gently placing (I prefer that phrase to 'kicking') Holly out of the nest.

The process was easy enough. Show two forms of ID, pony up some cash (thanks to Mom for the $100 starter), create a profile and it is done. Holly can now write checks, use her ATM card and perform a multitude of on-line banking tasks.

We did have the conversation about overdrawing on the account...I didn't feel that the slight mention of the $33 charge per offense by the bank agent really did the trick. You might say that I dramatically emphasized the ill-effects of writing a bad check or overdrawing on funds.

NSF has a whole new meaning for Holly now - Never Set Foot - as in "in the house" if any banking monkeyshines were to occur!

Hail to the Schnoogs

Holly had a minimum day at school yesterday, so we maximized our time to run some errands, have lunch and then go to the Reagan Library. We live just minutes away from the place, yet I have only been once (and that was sometime back in 1996 or so) and Holly hasn't been since she participated in (and won, I might add) a speech competition called We the People back in the 8th grade. It has been on my list of things to do (there's another item to check off!), so we ventured up the hill for the presidential treatment.

The visit did not disappoint as we made our way through the museum itself (the highlight of which in my opinion is the full replica of the Oval Office as it looked while Reagan was prez), the Christmas Around the World display (we have a debate raging on the best tree - I vote for a tie between Iceland and the White House 'Tree of the People"; Holly votes for France), and the piece de resistance...Air Force One.

This is not a replica...it's the real deal. It is parked on top of pedestals 25 feet above the ground and looks out through a glass wall that is some 200 feet high. Holly and I debated back and forth for a while on just how they got the thing in there - we finally had to resort to the website to learn that after being taken out of service in 2001 (it spanned 7 presidents and almost 30 years, beginning with Nixon in '72), it was disassembled, trucked to Simi Valley, pulled into the foundation of the pavilion, reassembled and then the building was completed. I compressed what was something like 3 or 4 years of work into this one paragraph, so do not let my creative license dampen the huge undertaking that this project was.

There were many cool items to discover all throughout the museum and library (a piece of the Berlin Wall, anyone?), several of which we have captured in our photo book here. Try to spot Holly and I throughout the landscape, we are the ones looking very presidential indeed!

No Raw Onions!

I am often thinking of new and creative ideas to blog about. I have even been known to keep a running list of blog ideas (which makes sense given my last entry about my penchant for a well-checked list!). A few weeks ago, I chanced upon a cool blog (thanks to the 'Blogs of Note' feature on the Blogger dashboard) called The One Minute Writer. The header for this blog says something to the effect of, "You have 1440 minutes in a day. Use one of them to write." It is in my opinion a brilliant concept and I am so enamored with it that I added it to my listing of blogs that I follow - it's that cool!

At any rate, my list of things to blog about has been looking a bit skimpy of late, so I popped over to TOMW to see what ideas were there and had an instant opinion when I saw that the topic was foods that you don't like. In fact, my opinion was so strong that I even left a comment/one minute writing entry on the site!

My great food dislike is raw onion. David often points out to me that this is a bit contradictory to the rest of my food preferences, as I can (and sometimes will) eat raw garlic until I am declared a public nuisance and I am totally fine with the sauteed or cooked onions. Try to slip in any kind of onion in the 'raw' and I will spend an easy 5-10 minutes picking the offensive flavor buzz-kill out of my food. It used to make my mom a little crazy that I would actually sit there and pick it out (sorry about that mom, but we all know that I am pretty strong in my convictions!) and even to this day I will comb through a salad, quesadilla, you name it, if it has any onion - red, green, white, yellow, pearl - I don't discriminate in my dislike for ALL raw onions!

Between that and my selective eating preferences, I am shaping up to be quite the dream dinner guest!

Organize tasks...check!

There are days where my list is my life. I get a lot of grief for being so task-oriented, but like it or not, it is indeed part of my charm (or so I like to believe). I tend to think of the list as the thing that helps to keep me organized, focused and productive - who wouldn't want to be all of those things??

Take my current list. It has 24 items on it, all of which I intend to have completed by Sunday. I started creating the list yesterday, sorted it by day and priority and then added to it as I thought of more things. I completed 3 items yesterday so they are now checked off (but still showing so that I can map my progress!) David is amused by my lists and often takes to writing ridiculous things on the bottom, such as, "solve the global economy crisis". He is a funny one.

Of course, if it is on my list, I will start working on it!

Save the Turkeys!

Happy Thanksgiving! A fun holiday that celebrates two of my favorite things...family and food, I do have the fundamental issue with the whole turkey as the center of the meal thing. I would like to believe that my choice for the past 5 years to consume no turkey (or any of their feathered fowl friends) is helping to save the turkey population...but I know better.

Nonetheless, I celebrate today sans a main entree, there is plenty to eat between the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce...the list goes on and on. The spirit of the holiday is alive and well, and so are the turkeys!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and hug the next turkey you see...you can interpret that any way you see fit!

Gifts, Giving and Thanks

It is natural at this time of the year to think about not only what we are thankful for, but also how we can give thanks. I had the good fortune to attend church this past Sunday at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Mission Viejo - the church that my very good friend Pastor Craig (aka The Mighty One) reigns as senior pastor. As usual, his sermon did not disappoint and as usual, it got me thinking about how my family and I give.

The takeaway for me was pretty straightforward - we are all bestowed with a variety of gifts that we in turn give freely to help ourselves and others grow...it creates a very positive cycle of the 'pay it forward' nature that helps bring people closer with each other and in their own relationship with God.

This explanation frames the blog of today...what are our gifts, how do we give them and in all of that, how do we give thanks? As someone bestowed with SO many gifts (I also live a rich fantasy life), it has been fun to do so many different things to give to others while at the same time getting a lot of satisfaction myself. This isn't about giving a way a ton of money, dedicating weeks on end to travel and help in faraway places or even making huge personal sacrifices...it is about finding a way to plug in and make a difference. The beauty in my opinion is that it is such a rewarding experience, especially in places and circumstances that one would not expect.

A Newton family favorite is currently Many Mansions - it is a part of our community and has a lot of different places and ways to volunteer from providing meals to reading to grade school kids or working on keeping the housing units in good shape. Even with a pretty full teen schedule, Holly has managed to find a way to give by asking for donations to this group in lieu of birthday or Christmas gifts for her.

As I watch Holly make these decisions for herself, I realize how great MY gift of her is and for that, I give huge thanks!

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

I am a big fan of Christmas - big. I am not that wild about the commercialization that goes along with it and the way that the incessant signs of obligatory gift-giving show up earlier and earlier every year. I am not unique in this stance and will spare you a soapbox diatribe on how we as a society are losing sight of the things that matter most. I will instead focus on the things that make me happy about the season, and certainly Christmas Carols sit high on that list.

I was driving out to visit my parents in Hemet yesterday, listening to the radio as one does when on the road for 2-3 hours. I had been listening to NPR but then lost the station as I got further out into the desert on the 215 freeway. I started trolling around for an interesting station when I chanced upon...Christmas Carols. It was the first time that I have heard any Christmas music this season and it made me very happy to have my old friend Bing crooning to me about his white Christmas dream. Never mind that the weather has been unseasonably warm, the leaves are STILL on the trees and we just had some raging fires a little over a week ago here in Southern California...the Christmas music has begun, so the holiday season must officially be here!

I think that I am going to have to tune to some Christmas music stations until I have had my fill...for this year anyway!

Do the Math

My friend Kathie (better known as GFKS for Girlfriend Kathie Shaw, which makes little sense but still makes me laugh after something near 15 years of that joke/nickname) sent me a listing of crazy items from newspaper clippings that demonstrate the intelligence (or at times lack of it) in our society. For some reason, this really struck me as simultaneously funny and sad. Funny for the obvious, but sad because for some people, I don't think that they realize just how goofy or ridiculous these blurbs are. And we wonder why we are positioned so low in world rankings on education and knowledge!

Here are a couple more that make me smile...

Caught in the Craze

The Twilight series of books by Stephanie Meyer is not unfamiliar to the Newton household given the fact that Holly fits perfectly into the teen girl demographic AND she has read all 4 books - in fact I might have even blogged about driving her down to the bookstore at midnight on the Friday night/Saturday morning that the book (Breaking Dawn, in case you really needed to know) was released.

I have been hearing a lot of different reviews and commentary on TV, the radio and even in the newspaper about how this series has the 13-21 year old females under some spell, but also has quite a following with the "Twilight Moms". Not having read the books, I would not consider myself a part of that group, nor am I taken with the love-tortured and angst-filled character of forever-17 year old Edward Cullen. That would be kind of cougar-like and for a variety of reasons, I am going to clearly state how not right that would be.

I provide all of this context because I must now admit that yes, I too was caught in the craze and actually went to see the movie last night. Even odder still, it was kind of fun. Here is the long and the short of it - Holly called me up at about 2:30 pm to tell me that the friend she planned to go see a late showing of Twilight with bailed on her. Holly then called Rachel - with whom she has been sharing the books back and forth - and they decided that they wanted to go. Rachel's mom was going and did I want to come too? At first I thought that it was so sweet that my little angel wanted me to share in this exciting time with her, but then I realized that she and Rachel are under a lot of restrictions with their provisional licenses and since we were going to be out until after 1 am, they both needed rides. Holly never admitted to this being the case, but a mom has got to wonder.

The reasons for the invite become unimportant however, as we did go to the movie and lived the hype. It was social central down at the local movie theater as friends from school kept calling out to Holly asking her if she had seen the movie yet. There was then some amount of squealing (not too much from my kid, whew!) and we pressed on to get our seats.

I will say that all in all, the movie was certainly entertaining so long as you are prepared to deal with a lot of angst, tortured love, pining for what one can't have and dramatic staring. Not the cinematic stunner or literary genius that true epics are considered, but a captivating story acted out by a large collection of 'pretty people' most likely chosen for how they physically depict the characters versus deep acting abilities. Nonetheless, it moved along pretty well considering it's 2-hour run time and seemed to make the many fans in the theater very happy with it's adaptation.

I may actually have to read the books now!

You Can't Take it With You

Holly made her acting debut last Friday in her drama class presentation of the scattered (albeit Pulitzer prize-winning) comedy "You Can't Take it With You", however due to some scheduling conflicts I did not witness her stunning performance until this evening. Schnoogs carries dual credits in this play - she is the Stage Manager and also shares the role of Gay Wellington with another student - a cheerleader - who had to travel with the TOHS football team last week and cheer at the playoff game tonight.

Holly's part was naturally pivotal to the entire play - at least as far as I am concerned! She delivered quite the performance and I was complimented by several students and parents alike at what a great job my daughter did at playing a drunken actress. It's true, that Schnnogs did an excellent job and garnered herself quite a few good laughs during her time on stage. Even passed out on the couch with her limbs flailing about as the other members of the cast attempted to 'hide' her, she was pretty funny.

She was so convincing that I teased her I had to make sure that she wasn't method acting!

The 3-day rule

For those who have taken to reading the majority of my blogging entries, you know that I can get rather fixated, perhaps even obsessed with things. It is how I tick, I suppose. It can be a rather endearing trait to watch, but probably a rather frustrating thing if you have to live it while I am caught up in the fury of whatever is occupying my attention at the moment.

In an effort to keep some of my OCD tendencies in check, I work hard not to yield to a fixation too quickly. Case in point - peanut M&Ms. Talk about a tasty treat! I woke up craving them on Tuesday for reasons that I could not cite to you. I had a few opportunities to get some too, but I resisted. I must have thought about eating them a dozen times on Tuesday, but I attempted to show restraint and did not buy or speak of them, but boy was I thinking of them! Wednesday was no better. Everywhere I looked it seemed as is they were peeking out, taunting me with their little yellow bag, just calling to me.

This morning when I woke up, I again started thinking about how good they sounded. It has been longer than I can remember since I have last had any M&Ms, so I couldn't tell you why I keep thinking about them...but I do. I decided while riding the train to the airport that it was time for the 3-day rule to kick in - I have been craving the crazy little peanut M&Ms for 3 days now; it is time to break down and get a bag.

Fortunately, I was at the mecca of all junk food purchasing portals...the airport. I had my choice of bag size, but stuck with the classic 'King Size' bag. Although I wanted to just rip open the bag and pour them down my throat, I ate each one individually...slowly and carefully...savoring them and trying to figure out what it was that was making me crazy for the things! I nursed the bag along for about 15 minutes and then they were gone. Just as I finished, the couple seated next to me opened up THEIR bag of candy, which just so happened to be the monster size of...yep, peanut M&Ms. I was SUPER glad that I had opted to feed my craving or I might have had a nervous breakdown sitting next to them while they chomped recklessly on their gluttonous pile of treats!

I am still thinking about the darn things...it is going to be a long 3 days to Saturday!

Dinner and a Plane Trip

One of the benefits of not working right now is that I have some free time. Having built up a lot of hotel points and flight credits thanks to the travel I used to do also means that I can fly and stay in a lot of different cities for no cost.

With all of these factors in my favor, it seems pretty reasonable to fly out to Chicago to have dinner with a friend, which is exactly what I did yesterday! My friend Lori lives in upstate New York and travels several times a year for work. We have been working to find a date and city that worked out for us to get together for dinner, and Chicago proved to be the spot.

Although it might seem a bit odd to fly all the way out to Chicago for dinner, it was totally worth it and a rather economical trip. My flight cost $5 (airport fees on my ticket) and round trip transportation from Midway airport to downtown was $4 thanks to the benefits of public transportation on the Orange Line train. Hotel charge $0, or 25,000 of the 80,000 Hilton points that I still have and breakfast is included, so that makes $9 my out-of-pocket costs.

Factor in a very nice dinner, visit and conversation with Lori at the Weber Grill (within walking distance of my hotel, no less) and it is easy to say that I couldn't afford NOT to go!

That's how the math works in my head, anyway.

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Social Justice

Sometimes we get an opportunity to really make a difference. It may not seem like a lot on its own, but when combined with the efforts of many other talented people with the right and good intentions, great stuff can be achieved.

I might have mentioned a couple of months ago that I have been invited to work with a group called Maverick Photographers (the name was in existence before the 'Maverick' term was popularized). The basic mission of this group is to make a difference in the world through photography. While I certainly fancy myself handy with the camera, I know that I don't hold a candle to the real professionals, but I can write (humor me here, this IS my blog after all), and although a picture is worth 1000 words, a few well-phrased captions or context to tell the photo journalistic story are a great enhancement.

Enter yours truly on the first official project...creating the legacy for Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in San Francisco. I flew into San Jose today to spend the day with my friend Maureen, who then served as my chauffeur and entertainment coordinator. Maureen is a pivotal character in this adventure, as it is her husband - Brian - who founded and heads up Maverick Photography, and it was through a conversation Mo and I were having about me following my passion for writing that connected us.

There will be more info on this project as well as its evolution in future blogs, but for now ponder the pledge that the school has created for themselves as you see pictured above. This is a different school (it is a public elementary school in the city of San Francisco)n led by different administrators who have different views and approaches when it comes to education. It is my opinion that different is good and you will quickly learn how the most important thing at HMCRA is creating a safe and exciting learning environment for kids.

Talk about making a difference!

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Wii might be hooked

I have dabbled in the various video game consoles that have come out over the years (even dating back to the dinosaur age of video games - Atari), but have never been one to get really hooked on a particular brand or craze, as I am really just not that good at the games and don't have the patience to spend the hours in front of the TV to figure it out - I would rather do something outdoors.

I spent a bit of time this weekend playing on a Wii by Nintendo and am almost embarrassed to admit that I am seriously considering a purchase in the Newton household soon. The concept itself is not that new to me and I have dabbled with it a few times, but this time...it was different. I played the Wii Fit and Rock Band for almost 3 hours, and time just flew by!

Wii Fit is in my opinion a brilliant move to shake the negative connotations that video games have for kids (and adults!) and their physical fitness. You register your fitness level using a personalized 'Mii', which records your age and weight, then calculates your Body Mass Index and Wii age. From there, you set up fitness goals for yourself and then choose from a multitude of different activities to start achieving them. It keeps track of where you are, when was the last time you worked out and it even reminds you to hydrate every now and again. Pretty cool stuff in my book!

And then there is Rock Band. There is not really any redeeming quality or health benefit that I can cite for this game, it is just fun. Singing tends to be the easiest of the options (we were playing with a guitar and drums), so I only got one crack at that. My drumming was abysmal and playing the guitar was borderline disaster, as it it backwards for me and switching it to left seemed to confuse things even more, as the prompts are all set up on the screen for a right-hander.

Undaunted, I kept strumming away (the truthful version here is simply I am far too competitive to fail out of something, so I just kept at the guitar until I could at least make it through a few songs without getting cut). Jonathan rocked the drums and Kristen wailed out the lyrics, so we have decided that perhaps we should practice a bit more and then prepare for a good old fashioned battle of the bands. Of course, to practice means that I am going to have to make an investment. Maybe the Newton family could benefit from a Wii Fit and if the Rock Band game just happens to fall into our laps, we would play it.

Sound convincing yet?

A Crushing Season

1 and 9 is how the Conejo Crushers finished their debut season in the Newbury Park parks & rec softball league. The good news is that I don't think that they were really concerned about keeping score or making it into the playoffs, as our subjects pictured here are clearly having a good time doing what they like to do - play and have some fun.

Tonight's game was a good one with some great moments for both the team and some of the individuals - Rachel made a cool sliding-catch kind of move to field a ball deep in right field, Holly had several solid hits when at bat and also was an important part in a relay throw to keep a strong batter at first rather than letting him round the bases. There have been definite improvements in the skill level of the entire team, but most importantly they continued to show up to do what they set out to do back in September - play and have some fun (see a theme here?)

I enjoyed the process of the games and as the self-proclaimed #1 loyal fan, I am ready to attend all of the games again for the spring league season. Of course...I could always sign up as a player and spread my cheer and encouragement from the field, wouldn't Holly love that??

Evacuated

Briana turned 13 today and it would appear that her entry to the teen years has been foreshadowed with a raging fire!

The original plan for today was very different than how it turned out. A cool party at some fancy new place called 300Anaheim that boasts lights, videos, bowling and tasty foods. We bowl, we eat, we sing happy birthday, eat some Coldstone cake, open presents and call it a celebration.

Instead, the day took a different turn at about 12:30 when a fire broke out in the hills above the 57 freeway in Brea. Within 30 minutes flames were visible at my friend Karen's house (Briana's mom) and we realized that things were moving fast.

How do you orchestrate/figure out what you take and what you leave in a matter of 15 minutes? Sentimental value would be my answer. Once you assess that your kids and animals are secure, grab the photos and smaller items that mean a lot (big screen TVs should not count here, no matter how much you think that you love the thing!) and then get the heck out of dodge!

The follow-up good news is that while there was a lot of burning of brush and hillsides around Karen's house, no one was injured and no homes were lost. It is admittedly not going to go down for Briana as 'the best birthday EVER', but certainly one of the more memorable!

Hopefully we can have a do-over for the party next Saturday.

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The Democratic Process

The 2008 election was certainly unlike no other. No matter your political views or opinions, it is pretty evident that things are shifting and to some extent, really do need to change. There are a few words, such as 'change', 'hope', and of course 'maverick' that we will always regard a bit differently, especially after the last 3 months or so (longer, if you immersed yourself starting with the primaries), but let's just go with the general election for now.

At any rate, a friend recently sent me a link to a series of 35 or so pictures that in my opinion capture the essence of what we as a society have witnessed through our democratic process. People were inspired, motivated and many worked to learn as much as they could - to be informed voters. Not everything may have turned out the way that everyone would have liked, but as the dust settles and we do move forward, I have to acknowledge the fact that for all of my frustration and at times cynicism around how we behave as a society...I am proud.

We can be an inspiring bunch.

Happy Birthday

Today is David's birthday, a fact that he is not bothered by, but he doesn't enjoy a lot of fussing and celebrating either. He prefers things pretty quiet and low key. No banners, trumpets, red carpet or balloons. No clowns, jugglers, mimes or bounce houses. Just a nice, normal day with maybe a little bit of special attention to meals and treats (David is a big eater, a fact that is nicely balanced by his quick metabolism).

Today is turning out to be the kind of celebration that he prefers. We had the 'famous' sausage-mushroom-cheese pie and caramel pecan rolls for breakfast, grilled cheese with sweet potato fries for lunch, WoodRanch BBQ for dinner and cherry pie in lieu of birthday cake. As David put it, "It doesn't get much better than this."

For those of you who don't know David, I want to take a moment to help describe what an unbelievably great guy he is. For starters, he has dealt with me for 24 years (21 married and 3 engaged) and has done so with nothing but love, respect and a great sense of humor (one would have to). There is a lot more to him than just being my husband and Holly's Dad, although both are roles that he relishes. I am strangely at a loss for words in how to best describe him without extolling his virtues for pages on end, so let me share this one little story that happened last weekend that sums him up pretty well.

We were driving to Westlake when a cat darted out from between two parked cars and into the street. He slowed, swerved and missed the cat, but unfortunately the car coming from the other direction ran over the cat and did not stop...I am hoping that it is because the other driver did not realize that he had done it. I was traumatized and on the verge of tears as we parked and got out of the truck. We leashed up the dogs, he handed all 3 to me and slowly walked across the street where he gently picked up the limp cat and laid it on the grass on the sidewalk. He didn't want to have anyone else run over the cat even though it was already dead - he said that it just seemed more respectful to move the cat and hope that we could find the owner to tell them.

He's just that kind of guy.

The Eyes Have It

This was a very productive Veterans Day for the Schnoogs and I. There have been a number of errands that we have been overdue on for quite some time. First on the list - some new glasses for Holly.

Somehow, 2 years have passed since Holly's last eye exam and it has been almost 4 years since she has upgraded her glasses. I realized that it was time to pay attention to the Schnoogs last week when she drove me somewhere...she naturally has to wear her specs when driving and that was when I saw it...the tape. Yes, my child had a piece of scotch tape holding her glasses together. No wonder I hardly ever see her wear them anymore!

Before you call social services on me, let me tell you that we immediately set this date as our time to get her eyes checked, glasses fixed and replacements purchased; all of which did happen as promised. The good news is that her eyes have actually improved just a bit AND they were able to fill the lens prescription today, so my child no longer has to wear jankety, not-quite-the-right-prescription glasses.

I even threw in a bonus pair of sunglasses to keep things easy on the eyes when driving. We make quite the models, as you can see above. Of course, the lenses made me a bit queasy and I almost tripped when I walked over to check the picture that David took.

But they do make me look smart, even if they add at least five years, don't you think?