Saturday, November 15, 2014

First Artic Blast of the Year

Like most of the country, here in North Carolina we are experiencing a dramatic drop in temperatures. On Wednesday, we had a beautiful Carolina blue sunny day with warm temperatures in the 70's. Today (Saturday), I woke up to a frigid 22 degree morning. I am even contemplating starting a fire to stave off the cold!

Unfortunately, on cold mornings, my joints hurt. I mean they really hurt. I feel like the Tin Man in need of a good oiling. (Where are Dorothy and the Scarecrow when I need them?) I creak and pop and move very slowly on days like this.

Sometimes, I forget that I am getting older. In my head, I don't feel 50ish. My body on the other hand, likes to remind me at least once a day. For instance, when my husband was out of town, I let my daughter determine our menu plan for the week. I definitely can't eat like a teenager any more! First of all, I gained 2 pounds! (She didn't gain an ounce!) Secondly, I had tummy issues after about the third meal!

Part of coping with the almost empty nest is coping with getting older. Sometimes I want to just give in and get old...other times, I want to fight every step of the way! Today, its cold....can I just roll up in a blanket please? 


Friday, November 7, 2014

Thanksgiving Rant

I am going to admit this publicly. I absolutely HATE Thanksgiving. I just do. Its a made up holiday to commemorate a group of people who, after I have learned more about them, really shouldn't be commemorated. At all! Period! End of Story!

I truly believe that Thanksgiving was created by males in order to hoodwink women into doing all the work in order to allow them to stuff their bellies and watch football. I just hate this holiday. I just do. I would rather be at work and have some days added to my Christmas break. Better yet, add it to my nonexistent spring break this year.

What is so great about Turkey anyway? Have you really ever had GOOD turkey? And what about that nasty green bean casserole? Green beans taste like clippings from your front yard. Oh, and really, are they any better with the added cream of mushroom soup and those nasty crunchy onion things? Come on.....

At my house, my family always has to critique the meal like we have just finished a major sporting event. My husband has never learned how to compliment any food that he eats - ever.  At best I will get, "It's edible." What the heck am I supposed to gain from a comment like that? Even after spending weeks planning a Thanksgiving meal and hours preparing it...the best I will get is "It was edible, but...." After that, I will get a play by play listing of what I did wrong. It's not the freakin' Super Bowl! You are NOT a sports analyst! It's a complicated and difficult meal to prepare! Enjoy it and give your wife a compliment!

Of course the alternative is to drag ourselves up north to visit family. Up north....in the late fall. I live in the south for a reason folks! Why do I want to spend my hard earned vacation where it is cold, gray, and nasty? At best, I will get a 40 degree day. Oh boy...(can you see my eyes rolling?)  Do I really want a vacation that means I have to dig out my winter coat in November? Honestly? No. Just No.


So, here we go again, up north to visit relatives and eat until we can't move, watch football, cook, clean....yep...that's what I call a vacation....

I'm done....just done....