Turkey Day

Since the moment I got engaged my doctor has stated the following phrase numerous times: "people get fat once they're married". She doesn't use try to beat around the bush with words like "might", "may", "sometimes" or anything that gives hope of being an exception to the stats. She doesn't even employ any euphemisms like "plump up a little", "get more relaxed body images", "get cute like the Pillsbury Dough Boy" or "love each other no matter what". No, not my doctor...and this is why I like her. Her lack of sensitivity makes me crack up as I'm stepping on the scale and she's jealously eye-balling my muffin tops.

Anyway, I figured out why my doctor's statement is true. The holidays. Shawn and I enjoyed three Thanksgiving meals this year: the Swanson Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day with Shawn's family and one with mine. Let me tell you, they were all fabulous! In CT, we took a walk which should have burned off maybe one yam worth of calories.

Swanson Thanksgiving

Last week, we attended a Swanson Thanksgiving. Here is the proud chef and one of his two fabulous masterpieces.

The crowd dug into the turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, rolls, stuffing and gravy. Surprisingly, we weren't required to correctly answer obscure questions about Thanksgiving/pilgrim history to earn the food. Hats off to Josh!

Best for last...some post-meal lethargy while watching BC stomp Clemson.

First Flakes

We enjoyed the first snowfall in Boston today. There wasn't any accumulation but it was a pretty surprise. I happened to have my camera at work so I took a quick grainy video out the office window.



Here are some other snapshots from the day.

MVP

Woohoo! Mike Lowell is here to stay for three more years! Even Curt Schilling posted the great news on his blog. RSN rejoice!

My Muse

Yippee! Yesterday I won a contest. That’s right! I placed first in a fabulous haiku contest hosted by my cousin Amy. The prize is priceless: an original piece of artwork depicting human gas expulsion or the after effects of such. I’m sure our family ties didn’t influence the decision at all. It’s a fact, my haiku was simply genius. Here it is…

Gustados are great
Stop and Shop's imitation
but they were recalled

Apparently many questions were raised about the mysterious Gustados. I’d like to address those here and give thanks to my muse, Gustado Man.


Gustados are Stop and Shop’s imitation of Nacho Cheese Doritos and they are bodacious and beautiful. Sadly, there was a labeling snafu due to "undeclared soy protein isolate" and Gustados were recalled for a short time. But good news Gustados lovers. Gustados are back and better than ever!!

Any more questions?

A Kernel of Truth

I'm corny. It wouldn't be the top word I'd use to describe myself but it definitely makes the unabridged list. Sometimes this slips my mind. Then I download pictures and find gems like this.

I made Shawn take this picture after our trip to the Museum of Science this weekend. Apparently Boston should be warned. There is a dinosaur on the loose. Well, he would be on the loose if he could only figure out how to get around/above/through that pesky little chain surrounding him. But thank goodness for that chain because when chased by a dinosaur, it appears that I don't run, I just stand pigeon-toed.

Tag, I'm It!

I've been tagged and that means I have to post "7 Fun Facts About Me".

1. I have never broken a bone but have cracked my head numerous times.

2. I’m lactose intolerant. I never really loved cheese but it and all its lactose-having friends apparently hate me.

3. I have $7 cable. We receive the networks, the CW, Jewelry TV, BET, 4 PBS Stations, 2 Spanish stations and the Home Shopping Network. Recently we lost, AZN, the “Network for Asian America”. It was a sad day.

4. I love flip-flops.

5. I tested out of the language requirement in college. I then elected to take a class anyway and was placed in with native speakers. ¡Ay, Dios Mío!

6. I called 911 for legitimate reasons and then asked if the call would appear on my phone bill. One afternoon, I was driving with Natalie on I-95 near Norwalk. While travelling in the middle lane, the 1998 Plymouth Voyager minivan with faux wood paneling decided to stop working and wouldn’t start. There was an incline so I couldn’t even scoot the van over to the side as the traffic began to backup. Finally an off-duty firefighter pulled up and asked if we had called the police. Um, no? We've been sitting here giggling nervously for 10 minutes. Heeding his advice, I called 911 told them the situation and then finished the phone call by asking if it would show up on my bill. Those were daytime minutes after all. We’re not entirely sure if the police ever responded because 15 minutes later I turned the key, the engine roared and off we went.

7. Best for last…I was tagged by Amy. She’s my cousin. But once we came dangerously close to not being cousins. When I was little, I had two Ken dolls. One was a brown haired Ken with two legs. But the blonde Ken had only one leg (and those fabulous built-in underwear). In our youthful ignorance, we both wanted the two legged Ken. To make a long story short, an all out war ensued. But somehow in the heat of the battle, Amy and I came to a peaceful resolution. Then Katy and Patrick came in pretending to fight over a GI Joe or something to help us see the light. That was so lame.



I'm suppossed to tag 7 people but I don't have that many bloggin' friends. Instead I tag two.
Josh Swanson - Because you rarely post about personal matters. These can NOT be historical facts.
Vanilla - I'm going out on a limb and tagging Vanilla who doesn't know me. I've been a blog lurker. Amy's lurkers outted themselves and I'm doing the same. Frankly, you had me at half-fast.

A Tribute to Big Yellow...and my Mom

My Mom has a terrific sense of value. She spots good quality items at great prices from miles away. In all honesty, I'm pretty sure she has spidey-sense for deals. This means that the purchases she makes last for a loooong time. It is with great sadness that I deliver the following news. Mom, big yellow is retiring. I really appreciate this purchase. I remember pleading for this yellow and black Colombia beauty. I also remember when you took me to Bob's to buy it. You took me to the coat section and made me close my eyes to keep it "secret" for Christmas while I tried on all of the sizes. Your decision to purchase it multiple sizes too big (a men's medium) ensured that I could comfortably wear it with many layers to this very day. It has certainly stood the test of time. In fact, there's still nothing wrong with the jacket. It's not leaving us since I can't bring myself to throw it out, it's just retiring to the good life.


If you met me anytime between Christmas of 1995 and now, you have probably seen me in big yellow. This large bumblebee coat made me feel like the coolest kid on the block and, boy, did we have some great times. It was there for my first (and last) snowboarding lesson at Ski Sundown, Smuggler's Notch, two trips to Okemo, and Mount Sunapee. Sure, we didn't do that much skiing but we hit the slopes. We even hit a tree once. It kept me warm during four years of high school, four years of college and a masters degree. I am petitioning for big yellow to receive an honorary doctorate for awesomeness.



But Mom, please take some comfort in the fact that big yellow is being replaced by a worthy successor. I even found it at Bob's. While it lacks big yellow's special pizazz, it will make you happy in the deal department. It retailed for $199. It was 30% off due to a cool weather sale. Then I brought out the big guns, a coupon for an additional 25% off. This brought the final cost to $99.75. That's just 25 cents short of being 1/2 price!! Oh, and yes, I did buy it a size larger just in case!