christmas time is here.
and because mrs. b called me out specifically , i'm going to step out of my grinchy-scrooge-like blogging role for a minute, and take the time to respond.
because she is SO right.
i wouldn't have done it.
so here it is mrs. b.
MERRRRRRY CHRISTMASSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper, like mrs. b, i'm not the worlds best wrapper (although i THINK i wrap better than a kindergartner...but that could just be my own bias), but i like bows and tape and pretty things. gift bags are pretty, though, but kind of cheating for the christmas effort. kids should have to struggle to get their treasures opened.
2. Real tree or artificial? conceptually, real. realistically, artificial. (plus, as i saw the gruesome twosome had this year, you can get REALLY cheezy and get that "christmas tree smell" stuff, which just adds a WHOLE NEW LEVEL of christmas joy/annoyance, depending on your point of view.)
3. When do you put up the tree? in the past? after thanksgiving. these days i'm lucky if i make one out of construction paper.
4. When do you take the tree down? if i'm lucky, i get to escape that chore altogether!
5. Do you like eggnog? yes. but i don't drink it much. although i do remember having my share of "eggnog flavored milkshakes" from mcdonald's.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? i remember getting a particularly cool barbie one year, with a motorcycle. she had longer than normal barbie hair, was more articulated than your typical barbie, and her arms moved when you pushed a button on her back. although, i wasn't overly into dolls, but that is a gift i remember.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? not mine personally, but the one my mum made years ago. my sister and i used to fight about who got to hang the angel on it.
8. Hardest person to buy for? hands down, my mother.
9. Easiest person to buy for? me. ::grins::
10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? hmmm. nothing springs to mind.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? there is something to be said for emailing christmas cards, but mailing is the non-cheating way. but i am SO a cheater! instant gratification!!!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story. (triple dog dares? that leg lamp? "you'll shoot your eye out!"? it's the princess bride of christmas movies!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? oh? was i supposed to start that?
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? i have nothing against that at all. however, i don't think so, because mostly the gifts i would receive, would be on no one else's list. :)
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? pfefferneuse cookies. everything else gets eaten at other times of the year as well.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? for the pretty factor, clear. for the homey, real christmas factor, colored. oh, yes. no contest there.
17. Favorite Christmas song? new kids got ran over by a reindeer. no, i'm just kidding.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? travel. especially if there is a hugely decorated christmas feast at the end of the journey!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? yes. and now i even know them in french! HA!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? angel. though i'm open to star toppers.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? eve is for extended family. morning is for immediate and santa presents. yes. santa still brings me presents. so, shut up, and don't be givin' me evils!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? it's how it starts earlier and earlier...now it's practically before halloween. THAT IS SO CHEATING!!!
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? it wasn't a family tradition, but in high school i used to have friends over to go caroling in the neighborhood - at my best friends we watched "SCROOGED" every year - one year, we had a pianist friend come over and play while we all sung carols and drank hot chocolate. i miss that cozy homey christmas feeling that brings. they don't really carol in france.
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? there are many, many, many things that fit in this category. mostly the cheap-o ornaments are just AWFUL.
25. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? homey trees. for absolutely certain. although theme trees can look lovely, they are just for show and not meant to be in people's homes. unless they are just for public viewing and there is a proper tree (you know, the ones filled with all the decorations you made in elementary school).
Thursday, December 13
Tuesday, November 20
esclavage
monday evening. interior. kitchen scene.
our lovely heroine, kylie, and her young charge, mr.-in-a-bad-mood, are preparing (i.e. reheating) the proscribed menu ceremoniously attached to the refrigerator with an alphabet magnet.
soupe: carotte et cerfeuil (which i had to look up. chervil ).
due to other non-dinner related circumstances, he didn't want to eat it.
"fine," i say, "but even if you don't want to eat it, it's what's on the menu tonight, but i'm not going to force feed you."
(for one thing, that would just make a mess. and then i'd have to clean it up anyway...)
he, in an angry huff, grabs the phone and calls the higher authorities. (i.e. maman.), and stomps off into the dining room. i don't know what he's calling for. i didn't say he HAD to eat it.
he talks to her for several heated minutes, then struts back into the kitchen with a triumphant smile (worthy, i'm sure, of napoléon), as if he's just pulled something over on me, and thrusts the phone into my hand.
she says that he's obviously not going to eat the soup, although she had been hoping to get some vegetables into the kids, balanced diet and all, but just to go ahead and make the other stuff on the list (which is what i was going to do anyway, so hey, no skin off my nose.)
in the meantime, nathan is smirking at me, while sitting on the kitchen table, which he knows he's not to do.
"nathan, please get off the table", i say, still on the phone with his mum.
"no!" he surly responds.
"nathan, get off the table, please."
"no!"
"let me speak to him, please." says the mum.
"your mother wants to speak to you," i say, as i hand him the phone surpressing a smirk (that's for YOU, k. ha!).
nathan listens a moment, then guiltily slides off the table into a chair, and begins crying into the phone.
"but kylie is always telling us what to DO!" he exclaims, starting to cry, complete with crocodile tears. "she doesn't have the RIGHT to give us orders!" he proclaims.
"WE ARE NOT SLAVES!!!"
this kid is NINE, people. nine.
for heavens sake, i asked him to get off the table, not build the pyramids.
(incidentally, after the phone call, i said that *i* was going to have the soup then, and neither he or his brother could have any. ::snickers::
worked like a charm.)
our lovely heroine, kylie, and her young charge, mr.-in-a-bad-mood, are preparing (i.e. reheating) the proscribed menu ceremoniously attached to the refrigerator with an alphabet magnet.
soupe: carotte et cerfeuil (which i had to look up. chervil ).
due to other non-dinner related circumstances, he didn't want to eat it.
"fine," i say, "but even if you don't want to eat it, it's what's on the menu tonight, but i'm not going to force feed you."
(for one thing, that would just make a mess. and then i'd have to clean it up anyway...)
he, in an angry huff, grabs the phone and calls the higher authorities. (i.e. maman.), and stomps off into the dining room. i don't know what he's calling for. i didn't say he HAD to eat it.
he talks to her for several heated minutes, then struts back into the kitchen with a triumphant smile (worthy, i'm sure, of napoléon), as if he's just pulled something over on me, and thrusts the phone into my hand.
she says that he's obviously not going to eat the soup, although she had been hoping to get some vegetables into the kids, balanced diet and all, but just to go ahead and make the other stuff on the list (which is what i was going to do anyway, so hey, no skin off my nose.)
in the meantime, nathan is smirking at me, while sitting on the kitchen table, which he knows he's not to do.
"nathan, please get off the table", i say, still on the phone with his mum.
"no!" he surly responds.
"nathan, get off the table, please."
"no!"
"let me speak to him, please." says the mum.
"your mother wants to speak to you," i say, as i hand him the phone surpressing a smirk (that's for YOU, k. ha!).
nathan listens a moment, then guiltily slides off the table into a chair, and begins crying into the phone.
"but kylie is always telling us what to DO!" he exclaims, starting to cry, complete with crocodile tears. "she doesn't have the RIGHT to give us orders!" he proclaims.
"WE ARE NOT SLAVES!!!"
this kid is NINE, people. nine.
for heavens sake, i asked him to get off the table, not build the pyramids.
(incidentally, after the phone call, i said that *i* was going to have the soup then, and neither he or his brother could have any. ::snickers::
worked like a charm.)
Tuesday, October 2
school in france
it's the first official week of classes, and the hours for one of the classes STILL are not posted.
:: blinks, deadpan::
bienvenue en france.
:: blinks, deadpan::
bienvenue en france.
Tuesday, September 18
weird question of the day:
asked by some random french man at place st. michel today:
"have you ever been in love...
with your cat?"
?????
"have you ever been in love...
with your cat?"
?????
Thursday, September 6
Sunday, August 19
shameless begging
um. hi, readers. :: waves ::
i was just wondering, if you had the time, if you could take a brief moment and head over to podcast alley and vote for the podcast this month! yeah...it's shameless, but we only currently need 150-something more votes to get in the top ten! (wouldn't that be COOOOL?)
so if you could, that'd be super swell, and we would send you lovely internet hugs. (but only if you are into that sort of thing.)
thank you.
:: grins ::
oh, by the way, if you could send some warm weather and sun this way, i'd be personally grateful too. mother nature has been avoiding my calls.
(i'd call her a wench, but she may be reading this... :: glances about ::)
i was just wondering, if you had the time, if you could take a brief moment and head over to podcast alley and vote for the podcast this month! yeah...it's shameless, but we only currently need 150-something more votes to get in the top ten! (wouldn't that be COOOOL?)
so if you could, that'd be super swell, and we would send you lovely internet hugs. (but only if you are into that sort of thing.)
thank you.
:: grins ::
oh, by the way, if you could send some warm weather and sun this way, i'd be personally grateful too. mother nature has been avoiding my calls.
(i'd call her a wench, but she may be reading this... :: glances about ::)
Saturday, August 18
Wednesday, July 11
la chasse aux tresors
last saturday i went on a treasure hunt.
it was a lot of fun.
but i don't really post much on my blog, as those of you who occasionally visit it know well.
i thought about posting about this even though.
really i did.
although since the bold soul did already, now i don't have to.
you can read about our adventures here.
or if you can listen to my recounting of the tale on the podcast, here's where you'll find it!
k&k episode 61 - the one where Kylie does a treasure hunt... and stuff...
it was a lot of fun.
but i don't really post much on my blog, as those of you who occasionally visit it know well.
i thought about posting about this even though.
really i did.
although since the bold soul did already, now i don't have to.
you can read about our adventures here.
or if you can listen to my recounting of the tale on the podcast, here's where you'll find it!
k&k episode 61 - the one where Kylie does a treasure hunt... and stuff...
Monday, July 9
my paypal account is going to be suspended!!
eek!
i better go to the site directly and update all my information right away!
:: pause ::
oh.
WAIT.
I DON'T EVEN HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT!
:: rolls eyes ::
gggrrrrr. arrrrgggghhhh.
bastards.
(they are soooo attempting to be sneaky too - the domain at the end of the email is @ paypall (dot) com.
anybody know where to report these scammers to?
UPDATE: if you get any of these ANNOYING scam (phishing) emails,
you can report those referring to paypal accounts to the following -
FROM THE PAYPAL WEBSITE:
Together we can help stop fraud.
If you think you’ve received a phishing email:
Forward the email to spoof@paypal.com
Delete the email
i better go to the site directly and update all my information right away!
:: pause ::
oh.
WAIT.
I DON'T EVEN HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT!
:: rolls eyes ::
gggrrrrr. arrrrgggghhhh.
bastards.
(they are soooo attempting to be sneaky too - the domain at the end of the email is @ paypall (dot) com.
anybody know where to report these scammers to?
UPDATE: if you get any of these ANNOYING scam (phishing) emails,
you can report those referring to paypal accounts to the following -
FROM THE PAYPAL WEBSITE:
Together we can help stop fraud.
If you think you’ve received a phishing email:
Forward the email to spoof@paypal.com
Delete the email
Thursday, June 28
bummer. dude.
sometimes i wonder why i live in paris, when i have to miss things like this.
Buffy On the Big Screen
Buffy On the Big Screen
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