Adios 2009! - December 31st

Adios 2009! I can't say that I'm sad to see this year end. I have named it 2009 - LOST! I lost my job, Henley, Charlie, and what I thought was love. As strange as it may seem, it was one of the worst years of my life. But, it was also one of the best. I found by losing my job that I had a chance to start over someplace with a fresh new perspective. I also got a chance to travel that I may not have been able to do had I been working. Lastly, I got to spend a lot of quality time with Charlie and Henley. However, I am ready for something NEW! How about - a NEW job, a NEW home, NEW love, 2 NEW kitties (well I technically have those already), NEW continents to explore (stay tuned, but you can guess its either going to be Australia or Antarctica). Adios 2009 - Welcome 2010!

Great Aunt Bea & Danny - December 30th

My Aunt Bea is the last living sibling of my Granny. She is 86 years young and still going strong. I love going to visit her - she's just so spunky. Danny is her only son and a lot like her - very nice!

Fruits of the Season - December 29th

One thing I do love about this time of year is the fruit. David brought me some ruby red grapefruit from Florida. I've been eating one everyday since!

Luke Alexander Wieland - December 28th

Due on December 16, born on December 25. Jen kept telling Meredith that Santa Claus was going to bring them a baby. Well, he did in the wee hours of Christmas morning weighing in at 9 lbs 15 oz!

They had the name Luke picked out before he decided to arrive on Christmas morning. The interesting thing is that Luke's version of Jesus' birth is one that is told many times over.

Luke 8-20: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Jospeh, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Whey they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

3D - December 27th

Today was spent with my niece, Kayla. We had mexican food and saw Avatar 3D. This is us sporting our 3D glasses!

The Day After Craving - December 26th

After a month of turkey, ham, sweet potato casserole and the other traditional holiday menu items, I had a craving for something different. PIZZA!

Merry Christmas - December 25th

Merry Christmas! I hope during this Christmas season that everyone remembers why we celebrate. It is the birthday of our Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you God for sending him to us!

This is the one time (at least) during the year that I spend the night with Mom & Carl. Mom insisted we take a picture and post to Facebook?

NORAD Tracks Santa - December 24th

NORAD has been tracking Santa since he reportedly left the North Pole on time this morning at 4AM. It's 230pm and it looks like Santa is around Eastern Europe. Currently, FoxNews is predicting Santa to hit North America around 930pm tonight. If you want to track Santa, you can track him yourself at www.noradsanta.org

Santa Paws - December 23rd

Santa Paws came to see JJ and Mac a little early this year. They are having fun in their tumbler and tunnel.

Santa, Can I have a job for Christmas? - December 22nd

I had 2 more phone interviews today, which came as a big surprise since it is the week of Christmas. Maybe me asking Santa for a job for Christmas wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Peru Rock Band - December 21st

The Peru girls gathered tonight for a little Christmas fun which included our edition of Wii Rock Band. Everyone had a blast and I think our best memories will be Phyllis as Mick Jagger and Mishana's impersonation of the Beastie Boys.

C is for Cookie - December 20th

It's that of year for Christmas baking. This year I made 2 kinds of cookies that I haven't ever made before - Buckeyes (Peanut Butter and Chocolate) and Italian Wedding Cookies. I think both turned out pretty well.

Salvation Army - December 19th

This morning was spent at the Salvation Army Distribution Center distributing toys to families who have been approved for help from the Salvation Army. This year the SA will help 12,000 kids in Atlanta and 6,000 in Dekalb / Fulton counties. These families are 150% below the national poverty line. This year first time applicants were up 30% due to increased unemployment with the recession.

One lady that I was helping carrying her son's new bike to the car told a story that I'm not sure I will ever forget. She had been saving for a long time to get her 10 year old a bike. After he got his first bike ever, someone stole it. Well, she could not afford to get him a new one. He was going to be very surprised with his new bike at Christmas. That wasn't the part that got me. She went on to say how blessed she was and how great God was all the time, even at times when we don't think he is very nice to us. Hearing that story, along with the stories from the other SA volunteers, made me take a step back and look at my situation. In some ways, this has been one of the hardest years ever. I lost my job, had a love heartbreak and lost 2 precious pets. But, at the end of the day, I still feel like I'm a very blessed/lucky person as well. I'm not in a position where I can't pay my house payment, the gas or power bill and there are many out there in that situation. My wish is that everyone will take a look at their own situation this Christmas and see the blessings in their lives.

TasteBudZinATL - December 18th

Hallie and I have been going to a new restaurant once a month for 5 years now (in December). Lately, we have been working on our blog to record these outings. I'd love for you to check it out.

http://tastebudzinatlanta.blogspot.com/

Shopping Done - December 17th

As of today, all of my Christmas shopping is done. I figured the weekend would be hectic as well as next week since many people will be on vacation. So, I got out and got 'er done. Now, onto wrapping!

Are They Really Good? - December 16th

I went to my 2nd ever Hawks game tonight with David who was one of my best friends in high school. We don't see each other very often, but it's always a good time when I do see him. He got us free tickets to the Hawks game (thanks to Tony!). They beat the Memphis Grizzlies. I don't consider myself a very big Hawks fan, but I am glad that they are finally doing well. Go Hawks!

Is It really worth it? - December 15th

I did what I swore I wouldn't do and that is go to the post office in Alpharetta that is always a nightmare, regardless of the day or time you go (especially this time of year!). But, i wanted some Christmas stamps so I went first thing in the morning and yes there was a line already. Later, I would find out that they are sold at Publix, Costco and Kroger - great!

Not Quite Rockefeller Center - December 14th

It's not quite Rockefeller Center, but still a very pretty tree displayed at Atlantic Station.

Ice Skating in NY - December 13th

Before leaving NYC, there was a little time for some ice skating. We didn't do the typical Rockefeller Center, this was taken at Bryant Park which is a smaller park a few blocks from Time Square.

Modern Day Conjuring - December 12th

Steve Cohen puts on a Magic show at the Waldorf. Its in a very small conference room, where he does several conjuring and mind reading tricks. I'm always baffled at magic shows and how they do these things. If you want to hear more about the tricks, let me know and I will share them with you. But, I would highly recommend this show the next time you are in NYC. Especially, if you are wanting to see something a little different than your typical Broadway show.

For a Hard Time - December 11th

We spent the day going to some of the smaller neighborhoods of NYC like Soho and the East Village. While in the East Village, we ate at Lombardi's, which could very well be the best pizza in NYC.

Later, on the streets on Time Square there was a guy selling "Obamacondoms"...I just thought this was so funny. For a hard time, Obamacondoms!

Christmas in NYC - December 10th

This is what Christmas in NYC is all about - the decorations! Window display was at Saks, but it was Macy's that I thought had the best window displays.

Packing - December 9th

Tomorrow I'm leaving for New York City. I'm excited about the trip, but I'm also a little sad to be leaving JJ and Mac for the first time. I have a pet sitter coming over to see them while I'm away. I'm sure they will be OK. I wonder if they will miss me?

What Can Brown Do For Me? - December 8th

Today I interviewed at UPS for a role in their Marketing department. It was by far the hardest interview I have ever been on in my life. It started out with meeting the other 3 candidates. We were all in one room together with the interviewers and Human Resources representatives. We had introductions and a short introduction into UPS. After that was over, we moved into taking a 24 Question logical thinking test. It wasn't just logical thinking, it was a lot of math that we had to do by hand. Yes, can you remember the last time you did long division and long multiplication by hand? I remembered very quickly how to do it! From there we moved into have (4) 45 minute interviews and all were behavioral based. Let's just say that when I got home, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed. I have no idea how I did at this point.

Another one off to school - December 7th

Last week I wrote about my niece, Amy. Well, this week Kayla has officially enrolled in college classes. I'm equally as happy for her (& yes she is one of the smartest girls I know too!).

Christmas Cards - December 6th

Tis' the season for Christmas cards. Can you believe I received my first card the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I need to get on the ball and get mine out!

So Many Things in One Day - December 5th

Today was a day filled with lots of joys. Misha, Ashley and I had a great lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Afterwards, we met Mom, Carl, Jim, Pat, Jeanette and Gibson at the Fox to see The Rockettes. I had seen them before at the Fox and another time at Radio City Music Hall. This is always a great way to celebrate the holidays. However, I was a little distracted because during breaks I was following the SEC Championship game. Hallie, Patrick and their tailgating crew went to the game to cheer them on. The Tide rolled over Florida 32-13 to win the SEC Championship and will now be headed to Pasadena for the National Championship game. I'm so happy for them and I know Steve would be happy as well. We topped off the night by seeing the Lake Lanier Lights. It was a great day all the way around.

Dante's Down the Hatch - December 4th

My cousins Misha and Ashley came to visit for the weekend. Wednesday was Ashley's 13th birthday and we went to Dante's to celebrate. Dante's is an Atlanta landmark and I remember the first time someone took me there. I was a little older than Ashley, but I hope she remembers it and liked it as much as I did the first time. (Thanks David S. for that great memory). Another special time was when Hallie, Jen, Mayda, Dawn and Stacy took me there for my birthday and we had the chocolate fondue. We even had quite a long visit from Dante himself. I have been back many times since for several special occasions and tonight is no different.

Off to school - December 3rd

My niece, Amy, is one of the smartest girls I know. Today I helped her get started in applying for college. She graduated almost 2 years ago and I'm proud that she is finally starting to take classes. I know that she is going to do great!

More Decorations - December 2nd

Today the last of the decorations went up. This snowman is one of my favorite Christmas decorations. It came from my mom several years ago. One of my hobbies is that I like to get Christmas decorations from places that I visit. This Christmas tree was one of my purchases this year in Peru - it's handmade.

Santaland Diaries - December 1

Santaland Diaries shows every Christmas season at the Horizon Theatre in Little 5 Points. It's a very funny story about an unemployed writer in NYC who comes to be a Macy's Santa Elf. Beware - not for kids and can be crude!