The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It has been a while and a lot has happened. Sometimes life gets faster than we can write about it and sometimes we get caught up in the moment and in the end we forget about certain things. We try our very best to process every goings on in our lives, not wanting to miss a single moment. Through the tears and laughter, the good and the bad. Here are some I remember so far:

The Bad (and Ugly)

 I’ve been sick for almost 2 weeks. I think this is a curse from the God of exercise. When I cancelled my gym membership and stopped going, baking and cooking and eating too much just added to the problem. Hence I am now overweight, depressed and my fridge is full of baked goodies (if I don’t get to it first). I’ve had the misfortune of experiencing the following signs and symptoms (in no particular order): migraine, sinusitis, diarrhea, cold, cough, chest congestion, middle ear infection and pink eye. I am getting the impression that someone put a horrible spell on me. What next?

The Good

 In every bad news, there has to some good. That’s what I tell my kids - that for something to be good, there has to be some bad. Life’s way of balancing things out. They believe me and I do too. Although I did not get my iPhone (yes I am still sulking about this big time!), I did get an unexpected surprise from The Fisherman - a red, shiny piece of equipment that I have been salivating over in the past few years. And while it makes me such an uncool Mom for coveting this piece of equipment, I do not care. For I can do a lot of cool things with it. I can bake beautiful pastries, bread and cakes and pies. And my handheld mixer will be put to rest. Well, not really, because I am attached to my things. I refuse to give away my handheld mixer. But this big, shiny thing has now a place on my countertop. And so without further ado ——

The Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer

Big, Red and Shiny! Yes, red is a happy color!

All in all, I might be sniffling and my eyes might be red and itchy and my head feels like a giant balloon blown up to the heavens but I am okay. I am happy with my new piece of equipment. And yes, I might be baking more and concocting gooey, sweet stuff but who cares? For now I am happy with my new toy. Consider this my pre-iPhone gift

Window View

I have been tagged by Julie last year and I sincerely apologize as I am behind on my tags, awards and memes. I will catch up on everything one day.

I blog in the living room when I am alone. This was the view last week:

These are all views from my window. I sometimes sit on the settee and look out as the world goes by. I sip my coffee and bundle up in a warm throw as I earnestly wish for winter to be over and spring to come. For now the view is clean and pure and serene even though outside it’s cold and harsh and draining. I stay in the warm confines of my house and look out the window, glad that I am not out there.

Winter Blahs

So I didn’t get my iPhone. The one and only gift I wished for Christmas. And to top it all off, I got sick and so did my whole family. Which would have been okay had we not been the hosts for the annual Christmas party wherein we hosted 6 families. But we did manage and the party was a success. By the time New Year’s was spent at another friend’s digs, I was feeling well enough to dance the macarena (I kid you not!) with friends and family. And that’s with just a half glass of champagne! We did have games and I scored a pair of cute rooster kitchen towels. The kids had a blast and The Fisherman had way too much to drink but got sober in time to drive us all home. Seeing as I am blind during the night, we took the chance of letting a drunk drive than a blind person. LOL. But seriously, he did sober up before driving.

School started exactly the day after New Year’s and I was glad! I managed to get some zzzzs while the kids were in school and the naps helped a lot. Of course I am still suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which I always have during the winter. You see, the lack of sunlight makes people like me depressed and down in the dumps. I do not take medication for this as my depression isn’t that bad. I can function normally albeit less enthusiastically. But the boys are fed, the laundry and the dishes are done and the house may not be sparkling clean but it’s liveable enough.

Winter is also the time when people get prone to cabin fever. And so we thank the lucky stars for the boob tube. The blockbuster online rentals which come in the mail, the internet, and the phone. We crave the sun and we make do with whatever we have on hand. Unfortunately though, we also have food. Loads of it. And I’ve been baking and cooking and slaving in the kitchen. And The Fisherman has been cooking like there’s no tomorrow. This is one of the times when I wished both of us can’t cook. Because we both know how to cook, we cook whatever we feel like eating whenever we want. Which makes for a fatter, unhappier me.

I don’t make resolutions though. I stopped a long time ago. What’s the point? I never do ‘em anyway. And since I’ve been depressed lately, I have no energy, drive or guts to change something or better myself for now. The day will come. It’s just not now.

Maybe we should move to Florida. The sunshine state. We’ve been toying with the idea for about 4 years now. And came close to buying a house for about 6 times now. BUT we’re still here. I stopped hoping one day we’ll move. If we decide, we’ll just pack our bags and leave. And leave the dreary, dark winters of the East coast. I have to admit, the thought of fishing and basking in the sun, and gardening without thinking of frost killing my plants appeals to me. Right now, it’s very appealing indeed.

5 Things Tag

Bang tagged me for this meme. Thanks Bang!  

5 Things Found In My Bag

• Wallet
• cellphone
• lip balm
• receipts or coupons
• House and car keys

5 Things Found In My Wallet

• Cash
• Credit cards
• Identification cards
• old receipts
• pictures of my boys

5 Things Found In My Room

• Books
• Television
• Humidifier
• Mac
• Bed

5 Things I’ve Always Wanted To Do

• Go on a cruise with my whole family
• Enrol in culinary school
• Own a business
• Go back to gym
• Have formal singing/vocal lessons

5 Things I’m Currently Into

• Bargain shopping
• Reading
• Recreational baking
• Being a wife and Mom full time
• Super secret mission

5 People to Tag for This Meme

• Hailey
• Maps
• Kathy
• Lizzz
• Belle

Thursday Night

Last night was my TV night. Thanks to the writer’s strike, I haven’t been this giddy since … gosh I can’t even remember. Both Ugly Betty and Grey’s delivered. This was, by far, the best Ugly Betty episode so far. Amanda was as usual, really good and so was Mark and Wilhelmina and Cristina (loved her clothes and accessories!!!) and Daniel. I don’t like Alexis at all. She doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t even like her as a villain. And my once favorite Henry seems to wander into oblivion as he gets lamer and lamer each episode. But the storyline was good and the tender moments between Betty and Daniel - awesome! It is so refreshing to see a man and a woman in a healthy, platonic relationship. Didn’t like it that Hilda didn’t get much airtime though. LOVE her too!

warning - spoilerish - pls don’t read if you don’t want to know

Grey’s was sooooo good last night. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been a while since the last epi and I’ll take what I can get but last night was really really good! At this point though, I don’t care anymore what happens to Meredith ad Derek. What I care about is Alex and Izzie. Always been rooting for them. And surprise surprise, in this epi, I even like Callie! Love her reaction when she was talking to Mrs. O’Malley and said her “I believe in love”speech. Did I say I love Alex and Izzie! There is definitely something there!!! LOVE Izzie’s speech about faith. And Lexie is so sweet in this epi! I’m curious to see what they have in store for her.

Kind of disappointed that we won’t see Joshua Jackson as of yet. Oh paging Dr. Pacey!!! I hope you still make it to the show! 
 

image credits: www.abc.go.com

Recently Viewed Movies

Here are some movies we recently watched:

I AM LEGEND - this was one movie our whole family was waiting for as soon as we saw the preview. You gotta love Will Smith movies and my sons loved him in Independence Day, Men in Black and Hitch. So off we went on the first day it showed. It was okay and the kids liked it. But I got scared! During the movie, there was one scene too terrifying for me to watch that I turned to FH and told him I’ll wait for them at the shopping mall. To which he looked at me and said: “are you serious?”. I waited for a bit and decided I’d stay. 10 year old G got scared at one point too that he covered his face with his jacket. This movie is not for little kids. Hey, if I got scared, chances are the little kids will be too!

STARDUST - this was a Blockbuster rental and the whole family watched it for movie night. We loved it! The fantasy and the the effects was good enough and “not too babyish” as my sons put it. Loved seeing Robert DeNiro in drag! It was such a hoot and I highly recommend this movie.

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR - FH and I watched this for our anniversary. Now I am not into war pictures at all. FH and the kids on the other hand, loves war and gore and violence. Ugh! But since Tom Hanks was in it, I said yes even though I would have chosen Atonement instead (curious to see how James MacAvoy was awarded by Keira Knightley to be the best kisser. what? Not Orlando Bloom?!). Julia Roberts was in a bikini, Tom Hanks showed his behind (or was that a body double?) and the story was likeable enough. FH loved the movie as it was history. Course we were the only ones below 50, judging from the other moviegoers. I suddenly felt old and dignified. But it was okay.

50 FIRST DATES - Saw this on TNT the other day and I heart Drew Barrymore. LOVE Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore movies. This was a good one too and I enjoy watching it every time. I think I watched this about 20 times by now and I had to buy the soundtrack too. This time around though, after watching it I thought - this does not make sense. How in the heck can you not get tired of making someone fall inlove with you every single day? No matter how cute Drew is, or how much you love the person, won’t there be a day that you get tired and say: okay, whatever, today I won’t do that whole fall-inlove-with-me-all-over-again routine. But, as my sons always puts it - it’s just a movie Mom!

THE NANNY DIARIES - I loved the book more than the movie. It was a good, easy, fun read. The movie was okay. Scarlett Johansson’s acting was okay and Laura Linney was hateable as Mrs. X. Harvard Hottie, now let me think. When I was reading the book I imagined him to be dark haired and different. But the actor did okay. Of course some things were changed and Paul Giamatti was weird and very much like a dirty-old-man in the film. Alicia Keys need to keep her day job though.

After A While

After a while
it gets tiring
to always be the one
     who initiates
     who cares enough
           to go through lengths
                 to show how much I care

After a while
it gets pretty old
when all you do is give
and you don’t get anything in return

After a while
the waiting takes forever
and all you want to do
   is leave
   give up
   once and for all

After a while
it gets frustrating
and confusing
and mind boggling
        and you question
                  things
                     people
                         events
                            motives

After a while
the smile that has been pasted on your face freezes
over
and you frown
or cry
instead  of smile
And somehow
it makes you feel a little better
if only for a while.

I Will Survive

Christmas has come and gone and I still feel like a train ran over me. That week before Christmas has been horrible. I had a sinus infection where I felt like an anvil has been sitting on my head forever. FH had bronchitis, his hacking cough felt like a train screeching to a halt on Union Station. G had a sinus infection as well which prevented him from going to school for the last week before the holidays. Which meant I had to stay home with him and cancel my Christmas shopping. Thank God for the stash of gifts I have lying around in my dresser. You see, sometimes bargain shopping does pay off. I shop every-time I see sale items and hide it in my dresser so that in case of emergencies like last minute birthday parties and such, I have the dresser to shop from. And so that’s what happened during the last week before Christmas. I was busily shopping for gifts from my dresser. And thank God for last year’s gift bag off season sale, I had enough gift bags for everyone.

My sister and her family came over and so did my Mom. We had a great time bonding amid the wrapping papers and food. And speaking of food! We had food enough to feed an army! I managed to cook and bake and spruce up the house a little bit for the guests. Guests did come bearing food too. Desserts mostly, but it did help a lot. I think I gained 20 lbs over the holidays once again.

I did not get my iPhone. But it’s okay. Our finances isn’t as good this year and I insisted that I receive no gifts from Santa (ahem, FH!) What was important was that we all got better just in time for Christmas.

I was glad I survived Christmas and had enough energy and was in good spirits to party for the New Year.